Chapter 230: The Mirage Demon

Jiang Jian rode Long Long Quexu, flying through the sky.

In little more than a quarter-hour, they arrived at the Haihai border, outside Long Gong.

Unlike its usual calm.

At this moment, the jade steps of Long Gong were crowded and noisy, filled with many beings.

From all directions, countless streaks of light continued arriving.

Jiang Jian retracted his official seal and descended.

The dark phoenix silhouette vanished.

Dressed in a moon-white robe, his body interwoven with black light, Jiang Jian stepped forward and landed at the base of the jade steps.

Beside him.

A demon stretched its neck, gazing upward.

Suddenly, it sensed something, caught a glimpse of Jiang Jian from the corner of its eye, and flinched in shock.

"You appear out of nowhere—don't scare people here!"

The demon snapped back to attention, wiping sweat from its brow. "You startled me—I thought the Mirage Ghost had come."

Jiang Jian raised an eyebrow. "What is the Mirage Ghost?"

The demon shot back, "Do you truly not know, or are you pretending?"

"The Mirage Ghost is a spirit monster of the Divine Palace realm, recently manifested."

"Not long ago, Long Gong held a Sacred Selection, and the Mirage Ghost captured and devoured one."

"The Sacred Hall has sent people to investigate."

It raised a claw, pointing upward toward the jade steps.

Jiang Jian looked up.

On the jade steps of Long Gong.

Indeed, a Divine Palace realm being stood there, solemnly arranging an array.

His aura was formidable, utterly unlike that of any native Divine Palace being.

One glance was enough for Jiang Jian to know.

He was from Shengshan—a teacher of the Earth-Moon Academy.

"In this academy world, someone dares to strike at a Sacred Selection."

Jiang Jian's heart turned cold, a sharp sense of warning rising within him.

Though his Regional Military Commissioner seal had already carried similar reports.

Yet the killing of a Sacred Selection under Long Gong's authority.

Still sent a clear omen of danger to Jiang Jian.

Sacred Selections had once been untouchable, elevated far above all others.

But now.

The boundary walls were compressed, the world's gates sealed shut.

The Earth-Moon Academy world had become a closed, isolated city.

In less than a month, beings had already begun challenging the Sacred Hall's authority.

Among the native beings, many possessed profound cultivation.

They knew the world's truth, watching Shengshan day and night.

Not long ago,

Shengshan underwent a great upheaval—the world's gates closed, the temporal vortex vanished.

They witnessed all of it.

After observing for a time, seeing Shengshan powerless to reopen the gates,

Many native beings began to entertain other thoughts.

They had long realized:

While the world's gates remained open, "Shengshan" beings received constant reinforcements.

Among them were some Divine Palace beings terrifyingly powerful.

But now, the gates were sealed, the vortex gone.

The remaining Sacred Hall beings were extremely limited in number!

Many native beings grew restless.

Some Divine Palace beings even struck boldly, deliberately crushing "Sacred Selections" to test the Sacred Hall's response!

They knew Shen Xi was fearsome, his combat power far exceeding ordinary Divine Palace beings.

But they understood better:

Shen Xi was only one man.

While all native beings together formed an entire world!

"Wasn't it already announced that Long Gong is temporarily sealed? Why is another Sacred Selection coming?"

Above on the jade steps, the Divine Palace being noticed Jiang Jian and frowned.

He was a teacher of the Academy.

His strength, though inferior to Shen Xi's,

Still far surpassed that of any native Divine Palace being.

His gaze fixed on Jiang Jian, his Divine Palace aura subtly radiating outward.

Frightened by his power, nearby beings dared not linger and scattered quickly.

Only Jiang Jian remained alone below.

The next instant,

Jiang Jian ascended the jade steps, stopping before him. "Teacher."

The Academy teacher's expression was grim; he kept arranging the array as he spoke: "Long Gong is sealed—we're hunting the Mirage Ghost. Find somewhere to wait. Don't cause trouble here."

Jiang Jian fell silent briefly. "I left some spirit resources inside. I need to retrieve them."

Time was urgent.

Cultivation resources could not be delayed.

Jiang Jian, as Regional Military Commissioner of Zhenhaizhou, had ample spiritual energy but severely lacked cultivation resources.

Autumn Water Shenque Shenque Lingyun, Zhenhai Pearl, Water Spirit Stone.

These spirit resources were essential for Jiang Jian's cultivation of Shenque Shenque Lingyun.

No substitutes could be found in the short term.

And for Jiang Jian,

What he lacked most was precisely time.

"Then go in."

The Academy teacher stepped aside, waving his hand.

The array's light flowed and wove, revealing a portal.

"Don't come out after you enter."

(End of Chapter)