Li Luo’s squad hurriedly crammed some food in their mouths before heading out after Chi Chan.
As they walked, they could see many others hurrying about their business. These were Two, Three, and also Four Star Hall students, all of whom would be participating in the purging missions.
A mobilization of this scale made one nervous.
This past, peaceful month was a thing of the past now. In its place was taut tension and stress.
These were the horrors of legend, the Others.
As more and more people appeared, Li Luo noticed that they were all heading for the Tree of Resonant Power.
“The Umbra Cave is right under the Tree of Resonant Power,” Chi Chan confirmed.
The students were surprised. So they had been cultivating above the Umbra Cave all along?
“The Tree of Resonant Power isn’t just for cultivation purposes,” Chi Chan said, lifting her head up to survey the tree. “It also helps to suppress the Umbra Cave’s power. If not for its help, the principal alone would not have been able to hold it back for so long.”
Li Luo swallowed. It really seemed like the Umbra Cave was the real reason for the Astral Sage College’s location.
A thought occurred to Li Luo. “Mentor… the other Sage Colleges, are they all built to suppress rifts like the Umbra Cave as well?”
“Sharp, aren’t you?” she said with an approving smile. “Indeed, it’s the case for all Sage Colleges… It is the reason for the school network.”
That was impressive planning. So all around the world, these powerful schools were plugging the gaps and preventing widespread carnage.
Soon enough, they reached the Tree of Resonant Power, where an undercurrent of tension tinged the crowd’s voices.
There was a teeming mass of people, yet they were clearly divided into their halls.
Compared to the louder One and Two Star Hall groups, the seniors were a lot more composed.
Clearly, their many experiences with purging missions gave them a good sense of what to expect.
There was a stirring in the Four Star Hall crowd, and Li Luo looked over to see that two stars had arrived.
Gong Shenjun and the First Princess.
Gong Shenjun was the ultimate specimen of a man. Good-looking and hailed as the strongest of the Seven Astral Pillars, it was hard to say which of those features attracted the girls more strongly.
And if Gong Shenjun was a god to the girls, then the First Princess was a goddess to many of the guys.
If not for Jiang Qing’e, she would be the undisputed goddess in school.
“While the Umbra Cave is open, Three and Four Star Hall students are the main culling force. At this time, even the Seven Astral Pillars will come,” Chi Chan said.
Li Luo was interested now. The Seven Astral Pillars was a name he was pretty familiar with now—the seven strongest students in the Astral Sage College that everyone wanted to be.
Still, Li Luo had only seen Gong Shenjun and the First Princess so far. The other five were still a mystery.
Were they all going to show up today?
He wanted to see who they were. After all, Jiang Qing’e would challenge one of them at the end of the year…
He didn’t have to wait for long.
“Look, another Seven Astral Pillar!” Bai Mengmeng pointed excitedly. “That senior’s figure is incredible,” she said admiringly.
“Oh?”
Li Luo looked over, analytical mode on. Indeed, there was another tall figure standing with Gong Shenjun and the First Princess.
She had long hair and was clad in a latex suit that left nothing to the imagination. Many of the girls were looking over enviously.
Her face could be considered classically pretty, except for the complete lack of emotion. Her eyes looked like death itself.
A real contrast to the other youthful ones.
She might not even be as pretty as Bai Mengmeng, but one’s eyes rarely made it up to her face. That body. Oh. My. God.
“She’s called Ye Chengying, from House Lanling. I hear she takes on side jobs sometimes,” Chi Chan said.
“Side jobs?” Li Luo repeated, puzzled.
“As a killer.”
“…” Well, that was quite an intense side hustle.
“Better be careful, Li Luo,” Chi Chan said with a sudden grin. “Seeing the way House Luolan is going, someone might well hire her to kill you.”
“…” Li Luo started to sweat. “Er, surely not? We’re all schoolmates.”
“Well, school is school. Business is business. No clash there.”
“Mentor, please. I’m a timid one.”
While they were discussing Ye Chengying, no one noticed that Xin Fu had looked up from under his hood and was staring intensely at her.
Ye Chengying seemed to sense it, and she turned her cold eyes his way.
Xin Fu hurriedly lowered his eyes.
Ye Chengying’s eyes lingered on him long after, and then finally she turned away indifferently.