The heavy metal door of the cultivation room closed behind him, cutting off all outside noise.
Under the dim light of the soul tool lamps, the dark gray walls seemed to merge with the shadows.
The coolness in the air seeped into his body through his pores, refreshing his Spirit.
The heaven and earth energy, at triple concentration, flowed like a trickling stream toward his limbs and bones, creating a subtle resonance with the Cursed Energy in his body.
Lu Ren leaned against the wall and whispered to himself:
“They really went all out…
Thanks, Hall Master Jing Hongchen.”
He was just a lone wolf, with no family backing him and no faction to rely on.
Now that he had shown his value and attracted the investment of the Hall Master of Mingde Hall, the man was indeed treating him well.
He would remember this favor.
If he had the chance in the future to protect the Hongchen Family and change their original ending, it wouldn’t be out of the question.
Lu Ren had never been one to be ungrateful.
In the original story, the Hongchen Family’s ending was indeed bleak.
Despite being the top family in the Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu was eventually destroyed, Mingde Hall was blown up, and Hall Master Jing Hongchen was exiled to the border by Xu Tianran, left to wait for death in that desolate place.
To be honest, Huo Yuhao was the one to blame, but the Hongchen Family ended up taking the fall for everything.
“I’m not short on Soul Power now, but I’m still lacking Cursed Energy.” Lu Ren shook his head, his gaze passing through the small transom window of the cultivation room toward the bustling silhouette of Mingdu in the distance.
The academy was full of the vigor and vitality of youth, but the concentration of Cursed Energy was far lower than in a large city.
When the opportunity arose, he would have to go out and wander deep into the heart of Mingdu.
What a big city lacked least was the resentment in people’s hearts; just walking around a bit would yield more than staying here.
Unfortunately, the people from Shrek hadn’t arrived yet, so he couldn’t leave.
If he rashly left the academy without resolving this matter, no one would protect him.
Lu Ren sighed in his heart and found a corner to sit cross-legged.
“Shrek…
when will you get here?
And who will you send?”
He paused and couldn’t help but whisper:
“It would be best if it’s Xuan Zi.
If it’s him, then everything will be fine.”
Closing his eyes, Lu Ren sank into his cultivation.
…
Over the next seven days, Lu Ren experienced a long-awaited campus life.
During the day, he sparred and exchanged pointers with Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyan, testing the limits of his moves.
At night, he returned to the cultivation room to absorb heaven and earth energy and consolidate his foundation.
Thanks to these two battle maniacs, he could use his Cursed Techniques without hesitation, honing his skills in actual combat.
The intensity increased every day, and his growth in strength was visible to the naked eye.
Meng Hongchen also followed him every day; the Hall Master’s granddaughter stayed by his side almost constantly under the banner of “learning combat techniques.”
Lu Ren didn’t mind; when he guided her cultivation or sparred with her, his attitude was serious and not at all dismissive.
The young girl progressed quickly, going from being defeated in a single move initially to being able to hold out for three to five rounds now.
The standard of his three daily meals was also absurdly high, with food costs reaching astronomical figures.
Spirit Beast meat, spiritual herb soups, and rare fruits—every item was meticulously prepared to replenish the energy of high-intensity cultivators.
Lu Ren ate with great satisfaction.
Compared to the past year of gnawing on dry rations and drinking stream water in the Star Dou Great Forest, it was like heaven and earth.
Back then, he lived no differently than a primitive man.
Until the morning of the eighth day, when the sunlight had just climbed onto the windowsill of the cafeteria.
After Lu Ren and Meng Hongchen finished breakfast and were about to head to the Trial Ground for some practice, they saw Wang Shaojie standing not far away just as they stepped out of the cafeteria doors.
His expression was grim; most of the bruising had faded, but the medical soul tool patch on the bridge of his nose hadn’t been removed yet, and his whole being exuded a long-suppressed hostility.
The moment he saw Lu Ren, he jerked his hand up, pointing his finger directly at him.
“It’s him!”
That shout was exceptionally piercing in the early morning academy.
Standing beside Wang Shaojie were seven people, all middle-aged men in their thirties or forties, wearing military-issue armor with the Imperial Inspection Team badge engraved on their chests.
The seven people released their Spirits simultaneously, the light of their spirit rings flickering and interlacing in the morning light.
Two Spirit Emperors, four Spirit Kings, and one Spirit Saint!
The auras of the six-ring and seven-ring experts mingled together, pressing down on Lu Ren like an invisible wall.
The leading middle-aged man was burly with a square face, his brows carrying the characteristic cold hardness of a soldier.
He strode up to Lu Ren, pulled a golden medallion from his breast, and waved it before his eyes.
“Imperial Inspection Team.
Are you Lu Ren?”
“Who are you people?!” Meng Hongchen stepped forward, shielding Lu Ren.
She looked up directly at the middle-aged man, her aqua-blue eyes showing no sign of backing down.
The middle-aged man looked down, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before shifting back to lock onto Lu Ren.
“You are suspected of attacking and injuring a member of the Imperial Family.
Come with us to assist in the investigation.”
He took a pair of handcuffs from his waist, the Soul Power fluctuations around him surging and becoming increasingly powerful.
The six people behind him also adjusted their positions, spreading out in a fan shape and blocking all avenues of retreat.
If Lu Ren dared to resist, he would immediately be besieged by everyone’s combined strength.
Meng Hongchen’s expression darkened as her Soul Power suddenly surged.
Two yellow and two purple spirit rings rose from beneath her feet, and the phantom of the Vermillion Azure Ice Toad flickered behind her.
“You dare to take action within the academy?”
“This is official business.” The middle-aged man’s tone left no room for negotiation.
“The Imperial Inspection Team is performing its duties; no one is allowed to interfere.”
“Official business?” Meng Hongchen sneered.
“I think it’s a personal vendetta.
Wang Shaojie was the one who provoked him first and got injured because his skills were lacking.
Now you come to hold him accountable?
If word gets out, where will the Imperial Family’s face be?”
The middle-aged man’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t respond.
Wang Shaojie rushed forward from behind, pointing at his not-yet-fully-healed nose bridge, his voice shrill:
“She’s lying!
It was clearly Lu Ren who attacked me for no reason!
So many people saw it!”
“Shut up.” The middle-aged man raised his hand to stop him, his gaze falling back on Lu Ren, his tone becoming a bit heavier.
“Come with us.
Don’t force us to use strength.”
Meng Hongchen was about to say more when a hand pressed down on her shoulder.
She turned her head and saw that Lu Ren had stood up beside her at some point.
He patted her shoulder, signaling her to step back, then walked forward to face the seven inspection team members.
“Lu Ren!” Meng Hongchen said anxiously.
“It’s fine.”
Lu Ren’s voice was calm.
His gaze swept over the faces of the seven people one by one, finally stopping on the leading middle-aged man.
“I can cooperate with the investigation,” he said in an unhurried tone.
“But there must be an explanation.
Are you here representing the Imperial Inspection Team, or are you standing up for someone?”
The middle-aged man frowned slightly.
“Of course we represent the inspection team.”
“That’s good then.” Lu Ren nodded.
“I thought you were just here to stand up for some clown.”
Wang Shaojie’s face turned beet red, his lips trembling as he tried to say something, but he was glared back into silence by the middle-aged man.
“We are simply inviting you back for an investigation.” The middle-aged man’s tone softened slightly but remained firm.
“Cooperating with an investigation is the duty of every citizen of the Empire.”
*Click.*
The moment the golden handcuffs snapped around Lu Ren’s wrists, a powerful restrictive force spread from the metal surface, like countless invisible chains wrapping around his meridians.
The flow of Soul Power was forcibly cut off, as if a dam had been built across the middle of a rushing river of Soul Power.
Lu Ren looked down at the shackles on his wrists and did not struggle.
*******************************
Enjoyed the action?