Chapter 126: Exposure

Someone from the Spirit Hall?

How does he know I'm recuperating at Cheng Zhu Fu? I and Zhao Laoshi have both been at Cheng Zhu Fu during this period.

Could it be that someone from Cheng Zhu Fu leaked it?

But aside from Lord Lei Yan, who would know that Zhao Laoshi and I come from the Tian Dou Royal Academy?

Unless they specifically investigated; using the Spirit Hall's methods, probing two Soul Masters is a very simple matter.

"He didn't say why he sent you to test me?"

"No, he said nothing."

Tie Li didn't make things difficult for him, released his restraints, and in the blink of an eye ran away.

But Tie Li found this odd and needed to explain it in detail to Zhao Laoshi.

Regardless of their motives, any involvement with the Spirit Hall must be taken seriously.

Especially since I have the Thunder Stone Seal; if discovered, I'd surely be labeled as a member of the Fenglei Sect, and the Spirit Hall would inevitably intervene.

When previously sparring with disciples of the Fenglei Sect, Tie Li deliberately concealed the seal to avoid detection.

Tie Li sought out Zhao Tianhe and explained the situation to him.

"An official of the Spirit Hall?"

Zhao Tianhe felt a bit puzzled, since he thought he and Tie Li had almost no direct interactions.

If we disregard the incident at White Tooth City?

After all, at the Cheng family mansion, the Spirit Hall's Soul Emperor and Soul King concealed their appearances; they dared not reveal their identities, let alone make a scene.

"How about we leave Thunderclap City first?" Tie Li suggested.

"It may just be a coincidence; you rest and recover, and I'll handle the rest."

"Alright."

Zhao Tianhe's eyes showed contemplation as he rose and left Cheng Zhu Fu.

Thunderclap City, being a large metropolis, has complex internal factions, yet the WuHunZhuDian of Thunderclap City remains the strongest Soul Master force.

A bishop of Seven-ring Soul Saint cultivation presides there.

Zhao Tianhe had only begun his investigation three days ago when Bishop Boliya of the Spirit Hall arrived at Cheng Zhu Fu with seven or eight Intermediate Soul Master Academy students.

Facing one of Thunderclap City's three great Soul Saints, Lei Yan naturally dared not be negligent.

These seven or eight students came from the Soya Intermediate Soul Master Academy; behind that academy stood the Spirit Hall, and most of the students were civilian pupils recruited by the Spirit Hall.

"Lord Lei, I heard a student from the Tian Dou Royal Academy arrived here?"

Confronted with Boliya's question, Lei Yan naturally could not conceal the facts and explained the situation.

"They were injured en route, and happened to pass through Thunderclap City, so I naturally had to aid them."

"The Tian Dou Royal Academy claims to be the empire's top Soul Master academy; your students must be extraordinary. I specifically summoned the Soya Academy students hoping to learn more," Boliya said to himself, apparently not hearing Lei Yan's words.

"What do you mean, Bishop Boliya?" Lei Yan's expression grew sour.

"It simply means to give a lesson."

"The Soya Academy students are all two-ring Great Soul Masters, while the other party is a four-ring Soul Ancestor; such instruction seems a bit odd, doesn't it?"

"Of course it's not one‑on‑one teaching; a many‑to‑one setup allows mutual instruction."

Boliya sat on a wooden chair beside him, looking as if 'if you don't let me out, I won't leave.'.

"So it's the Spirit Hall's bishop, why so idle? Bringing students to challenge my Tian Dou Royal Academy students?" Zhao Tianhe happened to return at that moment.

He saw Boliya's hostile demeanor and thought the White Tooth City incident had been exposed.

"Zhao Tianhe..."

Boliya narrowed his eyes, a flash of surprise and murderous intent crossing his gaze.

He was surprised that the Tian Dou Royal Academy's teacher was Zhao Tianhe; the murderous intent stemmed from a grudge between them.

But now both have public identities, so they must act cautiously.

Zhao Tianhe sensed the surprise in Boliya's eyes; it seemed not about the White Tooth City incident—what else brought him here?

"Mainly I just wanted to see what special qualities the empire's top academy's students possess, that's all."

Boliya emitted a pressure unique to a Soul Saint, putting Zhao Tianhe under considerable strain.

We can only let Tie Li go out first; then we'll take it step by step.

With Zhao Tianhe's consent, Lei Yan ordered his steward to summon Tie Li.

When Tie Li entered the hall, an inexplicable pressure surged toward him; the massive soul power compression caused Tie Li to instinctively summon his martial soul.

Damn!

He cursed silently in his mind, realizing it was too late to shield the seal at the hammer's tip.

Boliya's gaze shifted, and he already had an answer in mind.

"Boliya, what do you mean?" Zhao Tianhe instantly stepped in front of Tie Li, dispelling the Soul Saint's pressure.

"Nothing special, just wanted to gauge his strength."

Two yellow and two purple, four soul rings floated up and down, causing the students beside Boliya to gasp in surprise.

These seven or eight students were all fifteen or sixteen, yet their Soul Power Levels hovered around twenty‑five.

Tie Li was only five or six years older than them, but his Soul Power Level lagged far behind.

"As expected of Tian Dou Royal Academy students, truly prodigies. I think my students will not embarrass themselves here; let's go."

No one expected Boliya to leave so abruptly; they had thought he would deliberately make things difficult.

Even Zhao Tianhe was puzzled by Boliya's inexplicable actions, but only Tie Li understood Boliya's intent.

Tie Li dared not expose the Thunder Stone Seal; otherwise the secrets of the Yinlei Magic Dragon's essence blood and the Lei Long Meditation Method would be lost.

"What exactly does he mean?" Zhao Tianhe said, looking at Boliya's departing back, puzzled.

But the opponent's behavior the stranger the more bizarre, the more it made him uneasy.

Zhao Tianhe planned to take Tie Li and leave Thunder City at once.

As long as they evacuate quickly enough, the opponent won't have time to react.

For now, this seems to be the only way; the opponent's Soul Saint cultivation alone is like a massive stone, pressing on Tie Li and making it hard for him to breathe.

Zhao Tianhe and Tie Li had only gone ten li beyond Thunder City when several powerful soul power fluctuations appeared around them.

"Zhao Tianhe, do you think you can run?"

Boliya's figure appeared before the two, two yellow, three purple, two black, and seven Soul Rings floated beneath him.

Beside Boliya stood seven Soul Emperors, and the six Soul Rings beneath them were unusually conspicuous.

Two yellow, three purple, one black!

One white, two yellow, two purple, one black!

……

All of them are Soul Emperors possessing Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, and their aura locked onto Tie Li's body.

"So you Tian Dou Royal Academy have a Fenglei Sect inheritor hidden, huh? I really didn't expect that," Boliya said lightly.

"What Fenglei Sect inheritor disciple? Boliya, if you want to act, just say it outright; there's no need to pin this kind of hat on the two of us, teacher and student, right?"

"Hahaha, Zhao Tianhe, you're getting more and more clueless. Look at your student's martial soul; isn't that the Fenglei Sect's inheritor mark?"

(End of chapter)