Mulo recognized the voice instantly. He quickly joined his hands and bowed respectfully. "Quasi-Saint Lord Marta, why are you here?"
Marta appeared to be a beautiful woman around 25 years old, with silky black hair pinned up with a yellow-gold hairpin. She wore a robe of white and green, and her demeanor was both gentle and professional—a kind yet dedicated woman. Although Xan could immediately sense Mulo's identity, he recognized he still didn't truly know the village elder. The woman before them was a Quasi-Saint Lord —a power level Xan knew was immense—and everyone called her the Academy Goddess .
"Mr. Wang, please meet one of my oldest acquaintances, Marta, the Academy Goddess."
"Stop the formalities, Mulo," Marta said softly, approaching them. "I came to help you out of respect for the old days."
"You two know each other?" Xan Li Fang asked, confused. It was an odd occurrence for such a powerful figure to know a simple village elder.
"Mulo, who is this fellow cultivator? Why is the aura coming from him so... unique?" Marta asked, directing a keen gaze towards Xan.
"Ah, this is my friend who promised to help me, Master Wang. He is rather powerful, and though I don't know much about him, he is a good man."
"Hello, I am Wang Mao. I am from the Supreme Continent ..."
Marta's eyes, initially gentle, widened with sudden, profound shock. "Ha, good. What did you say? Where are you from...?"
"The Supreme Continent, why?"
"Let's go inside the room, and I will explain."
They entered the room. It was not overly large but contained a small kitchen, two bedrooms, and a specific room for cultivation practice. The furnishings were standard, nothing exceptional. Although Xan understood the value of the furnishings, he wouldn't call them grand; after all, in his previous life, he had been both rich and poor.
They gathered around the kitchen table.
"Now, introduce yourself to me from the very beginning, young man." Marta's soft, gentle voice had immediately transformed into a sharp, severe tone.
"Marta, what is going on? What difference does it make where he is from? The important thing is that he is here to help me and my people," Mulo protested.
"You don't understand, Mulo. For the last two months, high-level cultivators from the Upper Worlds have been infiltrating our world. Just three weeks ago, two Second Step Cultivators fought right here in the Lindao region." Marta turned back to Xan. "Mr. Wang, you are a Second Step Cultivator , and yet you were gravely injured when we found you. Can you tell us the reason?"
The two elders pressed Xan, attempting to pry into his secrets and origin. But Xan was fearless. He knew that Marta was merely a Peak Stage of the First Step cultivator, nothing to fear.
"My identity is none of your business!" Xan snapped, unwilling to reveal more.
"If you refuse to tell me your intentions, I will unfortunately have to report this to Master Jin Sumo ," Marta threatened.
"Master who? Are you out of your mind?" Mulo asked Marta, his voice filled with shock and terror.
"Okay, fine, I will tell you who I am," Xan conceded, seeing the need for a convincing, protective lie. "I am from the Supreme Continent . I was ambushed in a sneak attack and gravely injured. They stole everything I had. I was forced to use the Inter-World Teleportation Spell just to survive. Is that sufficient?"
Xan had fabricated some details, but he maintained the core mystery of his arrival.
"Very well. For Mulo's sake, I will believe you," Marta said, the hardness in her voice softening slightly. "And Mulo, I thought you might not need my help after finding such a powerful ally."
Xan thought for a moment, then looked directly at Marta. "On the contrary, I do need your help. Can you help me reopen my meridians? "
Marta raised an eyebrow, surprised by the direct request. "Hmm, of course. No problem. There are still about ten days until the competition. It is commendable that you are trying not to waste your time," she agreed.
"Then what should I do?" Xan asked, playing the role of the ignorant student.
"Come to the Academy's Library Registration Office this evening at sunset and mention my name. They will direct you to me. Do not be late, young man."
Xan nodded, visibly relieved by the conclusion of the tense interview.
"By the way, my advice is that you should keep your origin a secret," Marta added, her eyes serious. "Otherwise, everyone will want the Inter-World Teleportation Spell you used."
"Don't worry," Xan replied, maintaining his false history. "That spell was just a one-time life-saving method. I don't even know how to create it."
"Then I must be going; my work is piling up." Marta walked to the door and opened it. "Interesting, young man. I will be waiting for you," she said before departing.
"Ah, this woman is still the same," Mulo muttered to himself with a smirk, shaking his head.
"Mulo, I'm hungry," Xan said, rubbing his empty stomach. "Maybe you could take me somewhere to eat? There are still about three hours until sunset."
"Yes, then I will take you to eat the most famous Kakamuro cuisine in Lindao."
With that, they left the Academy dormitory and headed toward the Central Market district.