Chapter 18: Survival Against All Odds

Feng Shang’s sudden outburst immediately drew everyone’s attention. Finding himself in the spotlight, he felt a prickle of unease. As the moment hung in the balance, he shouted, "Run!"

Seizing the opportunity, the teachers and students of Hanlin Academy, along with Lei Dong, scrambled toward Feng Shang.

By the time the Star of Malice, the Seven Heavenly Blooms, and the Four Guardians regained their composure, the group had already reached Feng Shang. He offered a cold smirk. "Time to blow you back to your Kingdom of Daughters!"

With a "Vortex Storm," a powerful gale erupted, catching the off-balance foes and sweeping them back toward the direction of the Kingdom of Daughters.

Badly wounded, the teachers, students, and Lei Dong expressed their gratitude: "Thank you for saving our lives!"

Feng Shang had no time for pleasantries. Having taken such a massive risk, his priority was not gratitude, but survival. "Let’s keep moving! I only blew them away temporarily!"

Teacher Xia Zhi spoke up, "Even so, you two should accompany me to Hanlin Academy. Even those two crones wouldn't dare act recklessly there!"

Feng Shang and Lei Dong had already intended to seek refuge at the academy, so her invitation played perfectly into their hands. Without hesitation, they followed Teacher Xia Zhi and the others as they took flight toward Hanlin Academy.

While they traveled, the Star of Malice, the Seven Heavenly Blooms, and the Four Guardians landed back in the Kingdom of Daughters. Upon arrival, they were met with wails from all sides: "Disaster! The villains from Sky Evil Valley have launched a sneak attack! Mother Deity has been brutally killed at the prison gate, the northern city wall is breached, and countless sisters have perished!"

Hearing this, one of the Four Guardians, Fu Di, asked, "And what of the Ninth Generation Crone?"

"She has already gone to Sky Evil Valley!" a citizen replied. "Oh, and the three men brought back by the White-Clothed One went with her!"

"What?" Confusion clouded Fu Di’s eyes.

Another guardian, Luo Xuan, declared, "We, too, shall go to Sky Evil Valley and settle the score with those villains!"

But the Star of Malice raged, "Did you not hear Mother Deity? You are under my command now! Listen to me—we go to Hanlin Academy to hunt down those fugitives!"

"Cruel one, can't you see our sisters have all been slaughtered?" The Four Guardians had never wanted to follow the Star of Malice, but they had been bound by Mother Deity’s orders. Now that she was dead, they were determined to go to Sky Evil Valley. "What about you, Seven Heavenly Blooms?"

The Seven Heavenly Blooms replied, "We follow the lead of our sisters, the Four Guardians!"

"Very well, to Sky Evil Valley it is!" Ignoring the Star of Malice entirely, the group set off.

Watching them disappear toward the north, the Star of Malice laughed coldly. "You will regret today's decision!"

Transforming into a massive cloud of malevolent energy, the Star of Malice instantly shrouded the entire Kingdom of Daughters, turning every citizen into a prisoner.

Meanwhile, Han Tianyue, Mao Xuanzi, and Fang Zhe, having retrieved the white-clad woman’s veil, continued toward the center of the Illusion Array.

The purpose of such an array was to disorient, and while simple arrays were easily broken, adding lethal elements changed the stakes. As the trio reached the heart of the formation, a thunderous roar echoed out.

"Everyone, be careful!" Hearing the roar, they braced themselves for battle.

A Soul-Eater Beast. Had Han Tianyue seen it, he would not have been surprised, for the Soul-Eater was the true form of the Soul-Devouring Beast. A Soul-Eater was formidable enough, but its true form was even more terrifying.

Leaving them to their encounter, Feng Shang and Lei Dong followed Teacher Xia Zhi to the outskirts of Hanlin Academy, where a majestic and imposing institution rose into view.

"We are at Hanlin Academy. We can stop running; they wouldn't dare act recklessly here," Teacher Xia Zhi said, landing on the ground. The rest followed suit.

"Who goes there?"

"It is Xia Zhi!"

"What has happened out there?" a stern, steady voice inquired.

"Reporting to the Dean, a massive crater left by a falling star has appeared!" Teacher Xia Zhi replied respectfully.

"Did you find anything?" the voice asked.

"Nothing. I suspect someone took whatever was there before we arrived," she speculated.

"Even so, return at once."

As they neared the gates, the Dean—whose voice had carried across the distance—sensed the presence of the two outsiders. "Wait, who are those two strangers?"

Teacher Xia Zhi hurriedly explained the situation in full. After hearing the account, the Dean gave a cold snort. "In that case, let them enter. That old crone has become increasingly brazen; the matter of the Star of Malice must be resolved once and for all."

Teacher Xia Zhi led the pair into Hanlin Academy.