Chapter 387: The Dispersal

"Xue'er?"

The final address made Ye Xue furious, but the spatial power of the secret realm had already enveloped her and teleported her away.

At the same time, all cultivators inside the passage were sent out.

The secret realm vanished.

Lin Chuan and the Cloud Kingdom cultivators appeared at the Cloud Kingdom's entrance, while Ye Xue and the Spirit Clan cultivators appeared at the Spirit Clan's entrance.

The strong ones on both sides immediately exuded vast aura, and the atmosphere became tense.

"Hahaha!"

A hoarse, old laugh came from the Spirit Clan side: "Children of the Cloud Kingdom, the secret realm's treasure has been taken away by us, the Spirit Clan."

"Lost?"

The gatekeeper at the Cloud Kingdom's entrance, the Protector of the Nation, wore an extremely grim expression.

His gaze swept over.

Among the talented youths who emerged, there was no sign of Sixth Prince Yun Xing?

Could it be...

Sixth Prince Yun Xing is dead?

Died inside the secret realm?

"Impossible!"

The Protector of the Nation realized the gravity of the situation; the Sixth Prince Yun Xing was a genius expected to inherit the Cloud Emperor's seat, yet he could fall in a mere secret realm?

It should be noted that the secret realm can only permit cultivators up to the Mortal Dust Eight Realms to enter,

and the Sixth Prince Yun Xing already stood at the pinnacle of the Mortal Dust Eight Realms, with numerous protective measures; even Ye Xue, the strongest genius of this generation of the Spirit Clan, could not slay the Sixth Prince.

If the Sixth Prince wished to escape, no one in the entire secret realm could stop him.

"How could this happen?"

No matter how the Protector of the Nation thought, all of this had already occurred.

"There is a traitor among you!"

The Protector of the Nation's gaze suddenly sharpened: "If it weren't for a traitor colluding inside and out, the Sixth Prince could never have fallen in the secret realm."

His gaze swept around and finally settled on Lin Chuan.

If one had to name, among all Cloud Kingdom cultivators who entered the secret realm, who was most at odds with the Sixth Prince, it would be only Lin Chuan.

"Lin Chuan, how did the Sixth Prince fall?" the Protector of the Nation demanded, his terrifying pressure locking onto the youth, trying to intimidate him.

"I don't know."

Lin Chuan shook his head, with an innocent expression, "I was trapped as soon as I entered the secret realm, then I found a place to hide; I hadn't figured out what happened before I emerged."

"Third Protector, you cannot blame me."

"I'm only a small Deity Soul Realm; any cultivator or beast in the secret realm can threaten me. What ability could I have to frame the Sixth Prince, right?"

Lin Chuan's face didn't redden, his heart didn't race; he blurted out a random lie.

Given his cultivation level and age, the Protector of the Nation had to believe him, unwilling to offend him too much for fear of being pursued by the Grand Marshal of the Nation.

The Protector of the Nation scanned Lin Chuan with divine perception, yet found no clue.

"Alright, everyone return to the Cloud Kingdom."

At this point, the treasure had already been taken, the Sixth Prince's fall was a fact, and the Protector of the Nation could do nothing.

On the other side.

Spirit Clan cultivators marched forward amid cheers and laughter.

All eyes focused on Ye Xue; the younger generation looked on with awe, while the elders showed unabashed admiration.

"Xue'er, you finally expelled a vile breath for our Spirit Clan."

"With the clashes at the Cloud Kingdom border, our Spirit Clan suffered repeated defeats; this time we won everything back. I reckon the Cloud Emperor will die of anger when he hears the news."

"The core material for forging the Wangxian Realm treasure was so easily obtained by our Spirit Clan; truly heaven favors us."

"Xue'er, with your talent, even in this era of prodigious demons, you are expected to dominate everything."

The Spirit Clan's senior officials placed high hopes on Ye Xue.

Ye Xue lowered her head and softly replied, "I will."

A moment later, she added, "But I still need to work hard; with my current strength, I am far from being the strongest of my generation."

"Hahaha."

The Spirit Clan senior officials laughed, "This child, after going to the secret realm, even became humble."

Ye Xue blushed and said nothing further.

But the image of that youth grew ever deeper in her heart, impossible to shake.

The more she tried to forget, the clearer it became.

Tianyun Academy.

Lin Chuan returned, and his sister Lin Yangyang, along with Xiao Qingmei and Yun Zhi Yi, came to welcome him at once.

Seeing her younger brother return safely, Lin Yangyang's tense expression finally relaxed, yet still carried anger.

"Sister, what's wrong with you?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile.

"You still ask me!"

Lin Yangyang was angry, "While I was in seclusion, you took on such a dangerous mission. The fact that the Sixth Prince targeted you is known to all, and you still dared to go."

Lin Chuan smiled, "Isn't this a safe return?"

"I am the Disaster Star."

"Whoever dares to harm me must be ready for death."

"A Chuan, you must not speak of yourself that way," Xiao Qingmei was displeased again.

"Alright, alright, alright."

Lin Chuan hurriedly changed the subject, "During my time in the secret realm, how have your cultivation at the academy been? Are they going smoothly?"

"Naturally not smooth."

Xiao Qingmei pursed her lips, "Being worried about you, how could it be smooth? Especially sister, she has lost all interest in cultivation."

"These past days she has beaten every student of the Advanced Academy."

"Throughout Tianyun Academy, anyone who sees sister must walk with their heads down."

Lin Chuan: "……"

Sure enough, sister's protective‑calf temperament hasn't changed at all.

Even though they're a dragon‑phoenix twin, she still puts on a big‑sister demeanor.

"It's all fine now, it's over," Lin Chuan smiled.

"Prince Yun Xing, the Sixth Prince, is dead?" Lin Yangyang asked.

"Hmm."

Lin Chuan nodded, "He died at the hands of the Spirit Clan prodigy Ye Xue."

"He deserved his death."

Lin Yangyang clapped and cheered, "That self‑righteous fellow, together with his mother, has been targeting our Lin Family; now at last one scourge is removed."

"The problem is there's still another scourge not eliminated."

Xiao Qingmei said, "With Yun Xing dead, that Concubine Qing will go mad, and the Cloud Emperor will surely harbor resentment."

"Certainly will."

Lin Yangyang said gravely, "The royal house already bears much grievance against our two families; now that the Sixth Prince is dead, they cannot remain idle."

Yun Zhi Yi said, "We didn't do it, they can't openly target us, can they?"

"Given the royal house's petty minds, nothing is impossible."

Lin Yangyang snorted coldly.

Lin Chuan voiced strong agreement; in another memory, after the Sixth Prince's death, the royal house also began to act.

They began to target Grand General Yun Zhen Shan.

Eventually Yun Zhen Shan was reassigned to the Black Mist battlefield, after which he vanished without a trace.

Then the royal house started scheming, first arranging for senior members of the General's household to preside over a marriage dissolution, freeing Xiao Qingmei from her engagement.

Next they turned against all of Yun Zhen Shan's various close associates.

Fortunately, the Cloud Kingdom Grand Princess stepped forward in time, opposing the current Cloud Emperor and siding with Yun Zhi Yi.

Lin Chuan felt that this segment of events might repeat.

He, however, didn't mind.

Because only this occurrence allows Xiao Qingmei, who cultivates through the Art of Fortune Flow, to reach the summit.

Only that, compared with the previous hardship and confusion, this time he has enough confidence to handle everything and steer the events toward a better direction.