387 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

In the dim room, the man's deep voice echoed, "Are all those people dead?" "A single life token has shattered, but the others remain intact. Yet, they've all sworn a Heavenly Dao oath and won't reveal the young master's existence. You can rest assured," the kneeling man spoke softly. Standing in the darkness, the man slowly turned around, revealing the sword academy robe on his handsome figure: Ming Qian. "Regardless, we must stay vigilant. This Ye Linglong—her origins are a mystery, as if she appeared out of nowhere. And Tai Shi Yan, that fool—using a precious item like the Soul Consolidating Grass as a bet, what utter stupidity." "If it weren't for her father being the sect master, I wouldn't..." he halted mid-sentence, waved his hand, signaling the other to retreat. Once the man left, silence enveloped the darkness. ... "Tsk tsk~ Did you freeze these guys?" Zou Guanqing curiously poked at the few black-clad figures encased in ice, who were solidly frozen. "Indeed, your disciple is extraordinary," Qiu Zeyuan remarked to Ye Linglong, who sat calmly, her expression meaningful. Initially, they only recognized Ye Linglong's outstanding talents in alchemy and formations, assuming her cultivation was lacking. But today proved otherwise. Master Hai, too, stared at Ye Linglong with surprise. Most alchemists weren't adept at combat, dedicating their energies solely to researching pills and lacking time for training. Therefore, alchemists often needed protection, or they risked being captured and forced into service. This necessity birthed the Alchemy Alliance to safeguard alchemists. Yet, Ye Linglong could multitask, mastering both formations and alchemy without letting her cultivation slip. Such a phenomenon transcended mere genius; it bordered on the miraculous. "Of course, just look at whose disciple she is," Zou Guanqing boasted as praise reached Ye Linglong, his pride almost tangible. Then, eyeing the frozen black-clad figures, he asked, "Disciple, these fellows aren't dead yet, right?" Sensing a feeble life force beneath the ice. Freeze occurred instantaneously, and Ye Linglong had frozen all the water in their bodies while maintaining their essential vitality. "They're not dead," she confirmed succinctly. "Good," Zou Guanqing's eyes lit up. "Release them. With us here, they won't escape. I intend to interrogate them thoroughly about who dared to attack my disciple." Master Hai and Qiu Zeyuan exchanged understanding glances, agreeing silently; some guesses were in their hearts but evidence was still required. Ye Linglong nodded, waved her hand, and Xiao Huang appeared before them. With the small, ice-blue phoenix materializing, the room's temperature plummeted. Unaccustomed to feeling cold, the group now sensed a piercing chill. Master Hai, not even blinking, watched Xiao Huang: "Is this the Heart of the Ice Phoenix?" Ye Linglong nodded. After Xiao Huang circled the black-clad figures, the ice on their bodies began melting. Soon, they could move their limbs, and the leader among them tried to escape immediately. "Still thinking of leaving!" Zou Guanqing scoffed, tossing out an array disk that promptly ensnared the whole room. The man didn’t manage even a step through the door before being forcibly bounced back. Seeing escape futile, a look of determination crossed his face as a powerful energy began to surge. Ye Linglong's eyes sharpened. "Not good, he's going to self-destruct!" The power of a self-destructing Immortal King was formidable. As she spoke, the energy within him escalated rapidly. Cursing his luck, Zou Guanqing swiftly retrieved five or six defensive array disks from his spatial space, enclosing the black-clad man, knowing full well that protective arrays could shield others as well as oneself. "Xiao Hei," Ye Linglong called, summoning the massive cloud panther that bounded into the air, shielding the group behind it. "Boom~" A colossal explosion erupted. The self-destruction's force multiplied several times, shattering Zou Guanqing's arrays. Yet, the energy diminished significantly after passing through multiple defensive layers, ultimately absorbed by the sturdy Xiao Hei. Bruised and battered, Xiao Hei whimpered, resizing to its normal form after the explosion subsided. Worriedly, Zou Guanqing asked, "Is Xiao Hei all right?" Ye Linglong shook her head. "Just superficial wounds. I'll send it back to the spirit pet space to recover." With a gesture, Xiao Hei vanished. To others, it seemed Xiao Hei returned to its spirit space, but in truth, Ye Linglong had transferred it to another dimension, where ginseng dolls and tower spirits would care for it. The rich immortal aura within would expedite its healing. Yet, amidst the self-destruction, the rest of the black-clad figures perished instantly. In the epicenter of the blast, a uniquely crafted medallion with a bold "Yuan" character lay on the ground. Seeing this brought a grim expression to Qiu Zeyuan's face. He collected the token, realizing such an incident under Immortal Spirit Academy's roof was a significant affront. Determined, he initiated a thorough investigation of the academy. For ordinary individuals to slip in, someone must have abetted them from within, he was certain. Ye Linglong, her role in the affair concluded, returned to her courtyard. Upon arrival, she immediately noticed Feng Li's concerned presence. As soon as he spotted her, Feng Li urgently approached, "I heard you were attacked. Are you all right? And what was that explosion just now?" Bombarded with questions, Ye Linglong took a moment to catch her breath. She urged Feng Li to calm down and then recounted the day's events briefly. Listening intently, Feng Li's face turned indignant. "Who would want you dead? Lately, you've only been focusing on alchemy. Who would target an alchemist?" Recalling the medallion, a glint flashed in Ye Linglong's eyes. "Who else? Likely one of those fools who lost the Soul Consolidating Grass. Though I can't say if they themselves were being played."