Chapter 385: Coming Out of Seclusion

One year later.

In the main hall of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, the atmosphere was slightly heavy.

"Everyone, please speak freely. How can we break that turtle shell of the Dragon Demon Palace?"

Dean Taicang, sitting at the head, spoke in a calm tone, but the low pressure could not be concealed no matter what.

"Regardless of who has a way, or if you wish to recommend some people, that is also fine, as long as our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy can manage it."

Silence remained.

In the war between the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy and the Dragon Demon Palace, both major forces had paid a heavy price. What was worse was that this war showed no signs of ending, and if it continued to drag on, no one knew how many years it would last.

In terms of a war of attrition, the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy was actually at a disadvantage. On one hand, the Dragon Demon Palace had a deeper foundation compared to the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.

On the other hand, as one of the Five Great Academies, the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy had to bear the weight of its crown.

Below, countless top-tier spiritual academies were eyeing this position covetously, and the Holy Spiritual Academy, the head of the Five Great Academies, had always wanted to kick the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy out of the ranks of the Five Great Academies and foster another academy in its place.

Therefore, once the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy suffered too heavy a loss, even if they won the war, they would still be pulled down by other academies at the first opportunity. This was a point the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy had to be wary of.

But the Dragon Demon Palace was not like that. They only needed to manage their own small patch of the Beicang Continent and could fight without restraint. As a result, the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy found it quite stifling to deal with them.

It was not that there was no way to end the battle quickly. The Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy's greatest advantage was the high-end combat power of Beiming Longkun, whose Ninth Grade Sovereign strength could easily crush the combined forces of several Sovereign experts from the Dragon Demon Palace.

However, the Dragon Demon Palace was unbelievably lucky; they had actually found an ancient ruin containing the ancient fierce weapon, the Great Sumeru Magic Pillar, and an Ancient Defensive Array.

The Great Sumeru Magic Pillar was one thing; the gap in strength was there, and even so, with Beiming Longkun, they had nothing to fear.

But that Ancient Defensive Array was a thick turtle shell that even Beiming Longkun could not break despite taking personal action, so they could only keep grinding away like this.

"Sigh!" Someone sighed again.

Taicang frowned, and then his expression changed abruptly as he darted out. The other Elders also sensed the unusual movement coming from the depths of the academy and followed closely behind.

"Hiss!" Everyone gasped in unison.

"Dean, could it be..." Zhutian asked cautiously:

"That expert from the lower plane?"

Taicang nodded solemnly. At this moment, deep within the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, where the Eighth-Grade Spirit Gathering Array was located, a layer of dark clouds had gathered, and even the weather in that area had changed, directly covered by ice and snow.

"Oh? I wonder what that person's strength is like now?" The figure of Beiming Longkun appeared beside the crowd.

"Lord Beiming!" Taicang and the others saluted.

"Hmm." Beiming Longkun nodded faintly, his deep gaze cast toward the location of the anomaly.

Inside the array.

The area within a hundred feet of Xiao Han had completely become his domain. A massive tornado of Spirit Power hung upside down in the sky, pouring down toward the white-clothed figure below.

"My goodness!" The Ice Emperor remarked from the side: "This kid is making quite a scene!"

Two hours later, Xiao Han's aura gradually calmed down, and the anomaly in the sky also gradually receded, returning to nothingness.

"Boom!"

Opening his eyes slowly, Xiao Han's body trembled slightly, and the surrounding surface of the Spirit Power water exploded instantly, with bursts of sonic booms echoing throughout the entire space.

"Not bad, you have finally completely absorbed and digested the power of the inheritance this time." As Xiao Han examined himself, the Ice Emperor said from the side, looking calm and composed.

As a top-tier existence among the Ancient Dou Emperors, the Ice Emperor still had some capability. At the very least, he allowed Xiao Han to skip the Initial Dou Emperor stage and take a few more steps forward, and this time he even helped Xiao Han's cultivation grow further after the transformation of his Spirit Power.

"I wonder what level I am at now?" Xiao Han could not help but think.

Then, his expression stirred. "It seems I've disturbed others, haven't I?" Immediately, without waiting for the Ice Emperor to react, he tucked the latter into his Ring and darted out toward the outside of the Spirit Gathering Array.

"Third-Rank Supreme?!" Beiming Longkun exclaimed in astonishment the moment he sensed Xiao Han's aura.

"Third-Rank Supreme?" Xiao Han nodded. That was not bad; this cultivation was already second only to Beiming Longkun and Dean Taicang. In fact, if they really fought, Taicang probably wouldn't last more than a few minutes before being taken down by him directly.

Watching Xiao Han's calm expression, the group could not help but click their tongues in secret. There was truly no comparison between people. Thinking of how they had gone through all sorts of hardships just to rise by one grade, this person was directly at the Third-Rank.

But turning to think of the terrifying combat power Xiao Han displayed when they first met, they immediately gave up. They were no match for him anyway, so why make things difficult for themselves?

Beiming Longkun was now even more certain that his investment was correct. Experts who ascended from lower planes were indeed extraordinary, but this one was definitely among the best even among experts from lower planes.

At the very least, he had never heard of any expert from a lower plane who broke through the shackles of the plane and possessed the terrifying cultivation of a Third-Rank Supreme immediately after completing their first Spirit Power transformation.

"This old man congratulates you on coming out of seclusion." Beiming Longkun said with a smile.

"I must also thank you for your help, Lord Beiming." Xiao Han said just as easily.

"I presume you still have many things you don't understand about the Da Qian World, so this old man will take the liberty of introducing a few things to you."

"I wonder if you would be willing to move to another place to talk."

Xiao Han had no objections. He was completely in the dark about the Da Qian World, so he quickly thanked him: "Then I will trouble you, Lord Beiming."

"No trouble, no trouble."

"Please follow me."

Beiming Longkun led Xiao Han away, leaving the other Elders to look at each other in dismay.

"Dean, Lord Beiming is..."

"Never mind that." Taicang waved his hand: "Let us continue to think of a strategy to deal with the Dragon Demon Palace."

"Yes."

On the other side, Xiao Han, who was following closely behind Beiming Longkun, suddenly asked:

"Has your academy encountered any difficulties?"

Beiming Longkun paused, then his expression returned to normal. "Why do you ask, sir?"

Xiao Han explained: "I observe that the current atmosphere of your academy is much more murderous compared to the atmosphere of a typical academy; it seems there is a premonition that a great war is coming."

"And..."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing: "When I first arrived at your academy, the various Elders and Dean Taicang seemed to mistake me for someone from a force called the Dragon Demon Palace."

Xiao Han "speculated": "Could it be that the Dragon Demon Palace has a conflict with the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy?"

Beiming Longkun paused for a moment, and without concealing anything, slowly said, "What you say is correct, my Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy is indeed currently at war with a force called the Dragon Demon Palace."

"It has now been going on for two years."

"Sigh!"

Sighing, Beiming Longkun said, "I have let you see a joke, please forgive me."

"However, it is merely the Dragon Demon Palace; my Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy does not take them seriously."

"Let this old man introduce the situation of the Da Qian World to you." As he spoke, Beiming Longkun continued to stride forward.

Just at this moment, Xiao Han's voice suddenly came from behind, "I wonder if Your Excellency Beiming is willing to tell me about your academy's trouble?"