As Xun'er's gaze lingered on Goku's strong frame and handsome face, her heart wavered slightly. Everything had happened so suddenly, so swiftly… yet facts could not be denied—she was now his woman. Strangely, she felt no regret, no resentment. Instead, it was as if a heavy burden had been lifted. From this moment on, she no longer had to struggle between Goku and Xiao Yan. Heaven itself had made the choice for her.
"Yes… I'm no longer the same Xiao Xun'er as before…" she whispered softly. The faint shadow of her old dream finally shattered and disappeared, leaving only the figure before her.
"Yo! If you're awake, then hurry and get washed up. It's already midday—time for breakfast!"
Yuriko stepped into the room with a gentle smile as her eyes fell on the two figures on the bed.
"Ah—!" Xun'er cried out in embarrassment, quickly ducking under the quilt to cover her bare body. But the sudden movement tugged at her tender body, and she let out a soft moan of pain, her pretty face paling before flushing crimson again, making her look even more alluring.
"Hehe~~ Xun'er is looking more and more beautiful," Yuriko teased lightly before chuckling.
"No need to get up today. Just rest well. With so many of us sisters, we'll take good care of you."
Hearing this, Xun'er's blush deepened until her entire face was rosy. Shy beyond words, she simply buried her head deeper beneath the quilt.
Yuriko smiled knowingly and didn't press her further. She understood this was Xun'er's most bashful moment and had already stopped the other girls from barging in to tease her.
Walking over to Goku's side, Yuriko gently helped him dress. At the same time, Saeko entered carrying a basin of fresh water. With such gentle, attentive care from his girls each morning, Goku couldn't help but feel content—to live as a man and be loved like this, what more could one ask for?
After washing, Goku had barely stepped into the hall when Qing Lin entered hurriedly from outside. "Lord Goku, the Grand Elder requests an audience."
"Su Qian? Likely about the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower," Goku said calmly. "I'll go take a look." He gave a brief word to the girls before heading out of the courtyard.
From afar, he could already see Su Qian pacing anxiously back and forth, clearly restless. When Su Qian spotted him, he quickly stepped forward. "Lord Goku! The Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower has been shut down for more than half a month. The reconstruction is complete. When can you resolve the matter?"
"Tomorrow," Goku replied without hesitation.
"Xun'er just finished refining the Fallen Heart Flame today. It isn't convenient for her right now."
"Tomorrow? Good, that's good enough!" Su Qian let out a long sigh of relief. One day's delay was nothing so long as the tower could eventually regain its former function. He was about to say more when he noticed Goku suddenly frowning.
"What's wrong, Lord Goku? If there's anything we can help with, just say the word. You needn't stand on ceremony," Su Qian offered quickly.
But Goku only waved his hand for silence. A strange sensation had surged in his heart—a powerful, desperate cry for help, as though someone were reaching out to him with all their will. At his current level, his intuition was razor-sharp. Even the faintest ripple could not be ignored.
To be certain, Goku expanded his divine sense, instantly enveloping the entire Inner Academy. In that moment, every detail of the academy fell into his awareness.
Soon, a scene in a secluded valley caught his attention. Two black-robed figures stood there, accompanied by several familiar faces. Though Goku did not recognize the two young men beside them, the academy insignia on their chests was unmistakable—they were Inner Academy students. What struck him most, however, was the silver-haired girl bound in black chains. She looked familiar… wasn't she the one he had saved during the Fallen Heart Flame's rampage?
And that desperate call he felt—he realized it had come from her!
Right then, one of the black-robed men extended his hand, tendrils of sinister black mist invading the girl's brow. The scene radiated malice and corruption.
"Damn Soul Hall rats… so eager to die? Very well—I'll grant your wish."
With a cold, angry snort, Goku's figure vanished from sight.
__
"Eh?…"
Just as Han Yue's consciousness was slipping into darkness, a startled murmur came from the black-robed man named Ku Rong.
The other black-robed elder frowned, puzzled.
"What is it?"
"In her memory, I saw that man's figure… it seems she has some connection to him."
"Oh? That one? Heh… looks like we've struck some luck. Keep her alive—she may be useful."
"Jie jie~~ Indeed. According to our intel, that man treasures his women above all else. With this girl in our hands, we might just gain a life-saving bargaining chip." Ku Rong's grin twisted with cruel delight, though it carried a chill that made the air heavy.
"You won't get that chance."
A voice colder than steel cut through the air as a figure suddenly materialized at their side. The black-robed men turned pale.
"Who?!" they shouted in unison. With their cultivation, someone approaching unnoticed was unthinkable—yet here he stood.
Before they could react, Ku Rong's world went white. A fist filled his vision, expanding faster than thought. Agonizing pain burst through his right eye, the force drilling into his skull like a hammer. His mind went blank as his body shot backward like a broken cannonball, slamming into a distant mountain with a thunderous crash that reduced it to rubble.
The other elder reeled, but his reflexes were swift. In the instant Goku struck Ku Rong, he seized the opening, his form blurring into shadow. Tearing space itself, he swung a clawed palm wreathed in cold, bloody energy straight for Goku's skull.
But his strike passed harmlessly through. His eyes widened in shock. "A shadow clone?!"
Before the realization could sink in, a crushing force slammed into his back. Bones cracked like dry twigs, blood spurted from his lips, and his body plummeted into the earth, carving out a crater a hundred meters wide.
In just a punch and a kick, a peak Dou Venerate and a Half-Saint lay crippled.
Ignoring the writhing Soul Hall men, Goku turned to Han Yue. Her expression was vacant, caught between reality and illusion. His sudden intervention had forcibly broken Ku Rong's puppet art—a vile technique that enslaved the mind while corroding the soul. The abrupt rupture had left her drifting in chaos.
But such tricks couldn't trouble Goku. With a casual wave, divine light shimmered from his palm, washing over Han Yue. The black mist clouding her spirit was driven out, her damaged nerves instantly restored. Her once-hollow eyes cleared, regaining their natural brightness.
"Goku?! How are you here?" Han Yue gasped in disbelief as her vision focused on him.
"I felt someone calling to me with all their heart. If I hadn't shown up, wouldn't that have been far too disappointing?" Goku smiled lightly, his tone teasing.
Han Yue's cheeks flushed crimson. She instantly recalled the moment of despair when her mind had screamed for help—and how she had thought of him. Had he truly heard her? Her pulse raced, face burning at being so blatantly exposed.
But before she could respond, her eyes widened in horror. Not far away, Lin Xiuya's sword lunged toward Goku's back, while Yan Hao's massive hammer came crashing down at his head.
"Goku, look out!"
"Oh? I nearly forgot about these two clowns."
Goku turned his head lazily, watching the black-eyed, mist-shrouded faces of the two. Clearly, their minds were already enslaved.
Since they had attacked, he didn't hesitate. With a wave of his hand, a violent shockwave sent them both flying, smashing them into the ground with bone-jarring force. Groaning in agony, they struggled in their pits, unable to rise.
"… wasn't that a bit too harsh?" Han Yue said softly, wincing at the sight of her fellow students.
"They're completely under control. Unless I half-cripple them, they'll just keep coming."
"Can they be saved?" she asked quickly.
"A trivial matter."
Relieved, Han Yue bowed her head. "Then I beg you—please save them. This mess happened because of me. I don't want anyone else to suffer for it."
"They're lucky. Had they not met me, they'd already be lost." Goku smiled faintly, releasing a soft glow of divine light. It bathed Lin Xiuya and Yan Hao, purging the black mist from their minds. Their eyes cleared, and their consciousness returned.
Stumbling upright, battered and bloodied, the two hurried over to Goku and bowed deeply.
"Lord Goku, words can't express our gratitude. Without you, we would have become nothing but Soul Hall's mindless slaves. From this day, if you ever need us, we will not refuse!"
Goku only waved them off.
"Still… you nearly beat the life out of us," Yan Hao grumbled, rubbing his ribs with a wry smile.
"With strength like yours… are you really a new student of this academy?" Lin Xiuya asked curiously, joined by Han Yue's and Yan Hao's eager gazes.
"I entered under the guise of a student. But no—I am not of Jia Nan Academy." Goku's faint smile carried a calm certainty.
"That makes more sense. If someone like you was truly just a student here, that would be far too unfair." Relief spread across their faces.
"Um… this might be rude, but… just how old are you, really?" Han Yue asked hesitantly, her cheeks tinged pink. The other two looked equally curious.
"When the day comes that you've earned the right to know, you'll find out." Goku's smile was mysterious, offering no further explanation.
"Hmph! Always so secretive…" Han Yue pouted, though the gesture made her icy beauty seem unexpectedly cute.
Suddenly, Goku turned his gaze to the distance, a smirk playing at his lips. "Oh? Still trying to run? You Soul Hall vermin really are persistent—like cockroaches."
---
Far away, the two Soul Hall elders regrouped, their faces pale. Relief and terror warred in their eyes.
"To think we'd be exposed this quickly… was it inevitable, or sheer bad luck?" Ku Rong muttered, his right eye swollen grotesquely, his already twisted face now monstrous with pain. Glancing at Goku's distant figure, his gaze flickered with killing intent—but fear far outweighed it. One strike had shattered their bones, leaving them barely standing. Without their strange cultivation methods, they would already be corpses.
"I had only heard rumors from the Patriarch before… but now that I've faced him, I understand his terror. Truly dreadful." The gray-robed elder exhaled sharply, bitterness in his tone.
"Hmph! The Patriarch suffered a grievous loss at his hands. With his pride, how could he ever endure that humiliation? Soul Hall has ruled this continent for countless years—we've never endured such disgrace, not even in ancient times. This debt must be repaid! Once the Patriarch's plan succeeds, once he ascends to Dou God, he'll finally have the strength to stand against him!" Ku Rong's eyes burned with manic fervor.
"But… we've failed yet again…" The other elder sighed, before his expression hardened.
"Enough talk. Activate the spatial gateway, quickly! Any longer, and we'll never escape alive."
____
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