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

**Chapter 393: The Stillwater Mystical Realm** "Dear disciple, you should just stay here for a while. Although this place is meant for punishing students who make mistakes, it's also the safest place in the entire Immortal Spirit Academy," Zhou Guanqing earnestly explained to Ye Linglong. The Stillwater Mystical Realm was designed for disciplining errant students. However, to Ye Linglong, it felt more like a training ground. Within this mystical realm, a natural suppression existed. Once inside, everyone found that their internal spiritual energy was constrained and unusable. Moreover, the gravity here was ten times that of the outside world. Living here constantly felt like bearing a weight of a thousand catties. After a discussion with Zhou Guanqing, Qiu Zeyuan and Master Hai decided to place Ye Linglong in the Stillwater Mystical Realm for reflection. Officially, it was a punishment, but in reality, it was to protect her from the retaliation of the Hunyuan Immortal Sect. Though she could leave the Lower Immortal Domain altogether, without a clue about the grand formation, Ye Linglong was reluctant to leave the Immortal Spirit Academy. Thus, she opted to temporarily enter the Stillwater Mystical Realm. After offering some words of advice, Zhou Guanqing was reluctantly dragged away by Master Hai. With his departure, Ye Linglong finally breathed a sigh of relief. Throughout her life, she had recognized several masters; two had already passed away, and Ye Tianming, in many ways, was more of a father to her, raising her from a young age. Zhou Guanqing was the first master she truly interacted with. As a master, Zhou Guanqing treated her exceptionally well, though he did tend to be a bit clingy. As the mystical realm closed, Ye Linglong keenly sensed her spiritual energy being gradually suppressed, ceasing to circulate. Without the movement of energy within her meridians, it was naturally unusable. Fortunately, her physical strength was formidable, and the gravity had no significant effect on her, serving instead to hone her physique. Most practitioners, other than body cultivators, did not prioritize physical strength, which is why they perceived the Stillwater Mystical Realm as a punishment. Here, devoid of day and night, everything was serenely silent, without a trace of sound. Over time, Ye Linglong began to feel a bit bored. She decided to cultivate. Although her spiritual energy's circulation was nearly halted here, she discovered that by exerting her mental strength, the energy would move ever so slightly. However, moving it just an inch required immense effort. Yet, managing to circulate her spiritual energy under such suppression would undeniably bring tremendous benefits to her. As the saying goes, it is hard to move from excess to restraint, but easy to go from restraint to excess. When she returned to normal conditions, her ability to circulate and absorb spiritual energy would drastically improve. Sitting cross-legged, mind at ease, initially, Ye Linglong struggled to drive her internal energy. As she persevered, the stagnant energy began to flow, inch by inch, through her meridians. Day one. Day two. Day three... In the absence of day or night within the realm, Ye Linglong maintained her position unstirred, save for the sweat drenching her attire, highlighting her arduous effort. It was uncertain how much time had passed when Ye Linglong suddenly opened her eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them, as she leapt upright, her joints audibly cracking. Her body was coated in a layer of black grime, emitting a foul stench. "Ugh~ so smelly!" she retched, nearly vomiting. "I didn't expect circulating spiritual energy under suppression would also cleanse my muscles and marrow," she quipped, swiftly casting a cleansing spell. After a circuit of circulating energy, Ye Linglong realized many of her blocked meridians were now cleared. She could slowly circulate her spiritual energy, albeit at a sluggish pace, but it was more than sufficient for cleansing spells. After casting several cleansing spells, the odor finally dissipated. Feeling the strength within her, Ye Linglong felt a sense of security. The suppressive sensation had considerably diminished. Meanwhile, at the grand entrance of the Immortal Spirit Academy, people from the Hunyuan Immortal Sect, along with other sects of the Lower Immortal Domain, had gathered to hold them accountable. "Qiu Zeyuan, hand over Ye Linglong. She crippled members of our Hunyuan Immortal Sect; you must give us an explanation," Taishi Qing demanded, standing at the academy's entrance, surrounded by teachers. Unaware of the incident, many students watched with curiosity. "Taishi Qing, what do you mean by this? Are you declaring war on Immortal Spirit Academy?" Qiu Zeyuan asked seriously. Taishi Qing smiled faintly. "Principal Qiu, we merely seek an explanation since the incident with our member occurred on your grounds." As they spoke, Taishi Yan emerged from the sect's rear, clad in white, tears at the corners of her eyes, supporting an elderly man. A man so aged, his face was a map of wrinkles and black age spots, his hunched form trembling as if on the verge of collapse. In the Immortal Realm, even ordinary individuals aged slowly due to the influence of immortal energy, so seeing such an old person was rare, drawing curious gazes from all around. "Huff~ Huff~ Huff~ Huff," the old man wheezed, pointing in Qiu Zeyuan's direction, too agitated to speak, on the brink of fainting. "Uncle, please, calm down," Taishi Yan urged, patting his back. Then, with a pained expression, she turned to the academy's members. "Ye Linglong left my uncle in this state. Shouldn't we demand an explanation?" Her tears fell like pearls, accentuating her story, as she embellished how Ye Linglong allegedly destroyed Taishi Chao’s dantian, omitting the truth of who initiated the conflict. People tend to sympathize with the weak and believe the narratives they hear. Thus, Taishi Yan and Taishi Chao appeared as victims. Instantly, discussions erupted among the academy students, sympathizing with Taishi Chao. The destruction of a dantian was a crippling blow to a cultivator. Zhou Guanqing watched, mouth agape, fingers trembling as he pointed at the woman distorting the truth. Finally, he squeezed out, "Shameless!"