Chapter 1097: Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers

The next day, the Tianyuan Ancient Academy was in an uproarious state from early morning. All students about to participate in the "Summons Mission" were tensely making their final preparations, bracing themselves for the imminent danger.

The entire academy was shrouded in an atmosphere of urgency.

Li Luo led Lu Ming, Jing Jing Taixu, Sun Sun Dasheng, and others to the depths of the academy, where there stood a massive plaza. Judging by its shape, the plaza resembled a giant leaf, rendered in a verdant green hue.

This plaza was rather extraordinary—it seemed to possess a kind of life force, slowly expanding and contracting as if breathing.

By now the plaza was already packed to bursting, a dark, endless sea of people stretching beyond sight.

"Li Luo, over here!"

The moment Li Luo and his group arrived at the plaza, they heard Jiang Jiang Wanyu's voice. His gaze shot over and he spotted Jiang Jiang Wanyu, Feng Lingyuan, and Senior Zong Sha.

So he quickly led his team through the crowd to join up with the three of them.

As Li Luo passed through, he could clearly feel many startled gazes around him, and faintly caught the words "Spirit Tide." Clearly, his performance on the Spirit Tide Staircase the day before had once again caused quite a stir within the Tianyuan Ancient Academy.

However, Li Luo paid no heed to these things. His eyes swept around the plaza, and he was inwardly a little shocked, because among the crowd he sensed many overwhelmingly powerful auras. These people, without a doubt, must be the top students who held seats in the Upper House of the Star Heaven Academy.

"This Summons Mission is extremely important—almost all the students of the Star Heaven Academy have been called back. Speaking of which, I've been in the academy for three years now, and this is still my first time seeing the Star Heaven Academy assemble so completely," Jiang Jiang Wanyu said, noticing Li Luo's gaze sweeping about as if she knew what he was thinking.

"Looks like it's truly a major operation," Li Luo said with a smile. From this commotion alone, one could see how much importance the Tianyuan Ancient Academy placed on this "Little Chen Heaven" mission.

As they spoke, Li Luo's gaze drifted to a certain spot ahead—undoubtedly the center of the plaza, for that was where Wu Changkong stood.

Within the crowd, Wu Changkong stood tall and straight, his features heroic and dashing. His casual conversation drew the admiring gazes of many pretty female students. Especially at the outer edges of the plaza, the young ladies from the One-Star and Two-Star Academies—even though they weren't participating in this Summons Mission—had still shown up with particular enthusiasm, because they had come to gaze upon the usually hard-to-see luminaries of the Star Heaven Academy. And among the academy's luminaries, Wu Changkong was naturally the foremost.

Although Li Luo had repeatedly created astonishing feats during this period, others at most regarded him as a dark horse. No one had actually pulled him aside to compare him with Wu Changkong, because in many people's subconscious minds, one was a rising star while the other was a hegemon who had dominated the Star Heaven Academy for years. There seemed to be no comparison to be made.

Beside Wu Changkong, the beautiful woman who possessed the "Immortal Mushroom Phase," named Xu Xi, who also carried a certain distinctive air, followed closely. The gaze she directed at the former was filled with unconcealed admiration.

As if sensing Li Luo's stare, Wu Changkong suddenly turned his head, his gaze also shooting in this direction, and then he smiled and led his people over.

The moment he moved, countless gazes followed suit.

Jiang Jiang Wanyu, Senior Zong Sha, Lu Ming, and the others, upon seeing Wu Changkong approach, couldn't help but stiffen slightly, unconcealed tension in their eyes. After all, the latter's fame within the Tianyuan Ancient Academy was simply too great.

A warm smile on his heroic face, Wu Changkong made no pretense, directly fixing his gaze on Li Luo and said with a smile, "Our Tianyuan Ancient Academy hasn't seen a student as outstanding as Junior Li Luo in many years. Truly, the waves behind push forward the waves ahead. Perhaps before long, the Upper House of the Star Heaven Academy will have a place for you as well."

Li Luo looked at Wu Changkong's eyes, which shimmered with a greenish light. Having occupied the top seat of the Star Heaven Academy for years had also given the latter an indescribable pressure—it was essentially a kind of conviction and bearing, like an undefeated person who, after a hundred battles, would inevitably give birth to an awe-inspiring aura of invincibility.

So even though Wu Changkong had not revealed any phase power at this moment, his presence was still overwhelming. If it were an ordinary student, just looking into Wu Changkong's eyes would likely make them extremely nervous.

But unfortunately, this had little effect on Li Luo. After all, as the Dragon Head of the Twenty Banners of Li Li Tianwang's lineage, hadn't he also carved his way forward through brambles and thorns?

"The Star Heaven Academy can forget it. I'm just a passerby, because my grandfather said if I don't go back and inherit the Dragon Fang Guard, he might break my legs," Li Luo said modestly.

The corners of many students' mouths around them couldn't help but twitch, and their hearts were filled with mixed feelings. The "Star Heaven Academy," which they regarded as a hall of honor, apparently held no great attraction in Li Luo's eyes.

This made their feelings extremely complicated. Earlier, some Star Heaven Academy students, upon hearing Wu Changkong's assessment of Li Luo, had felt some resistance and wariness toward him in their hearts. After all, the Star Heaven Academy was one radish one pit—if Li Luo climbed up, naturally someone would be squeezed out. But now, upon hearing that Li Luo had no interest in entering the Star Heaven Academy at all, they felt a bit annoyed. After all, that was the holy land they yearned for in their hearts. But... Li Luo was speaking nothing but the truth.

The Five Heavenly Dragon Guards of Li Li Tianwang's lineage were likewise a gathering place for the pride of Outer Shenzhou's heavens, and were by no means inferior to the Star Heaven Academy.

Wu Changkong was also slightly stunned, then said with a smile, "The Dragon Fang Guard is naturally also a place where the pride of heaven gathers. However, I believe the Star Heaven Academy of our Tianyuan Ancient Academy is in no way inferior to it."

"Perhaps," Li Luo said with a faint smile.

Wu Changkong said no more, but turned his gaze to Feng Lingyuan beside them and said with a smile, "Classmate Lingyuan, this mission is fraught with danger. Perhaps we'll have a chance to cooperate when the time comes."

Feng Lingyuan said coldly, "Let's forget about cooperation. Who doesn't know that you, Wu Changkong, have too big an appetite? Any benefits from cooperating with you get swallowed up by you alone."

Wu Changkong said helplessly, "Classmate Lingyuan misunderstands me too deeply. That previous cooperation was also something that couldn't be helped."

However, seeing Feng Lingyuan's icy expression, he decided it wouldn't be appropriate to say more, so he led his people and turned to leave.

Li Luo had originally wanted to find Feng Lingyuan for some gossip, but he suddenly noticed some commotion in the crowd not far away, and a line of about ten people emerged from within.

His gaze shot toward the very front of that group.

The leader was slender and delicate, wearing the academy uniform of the Tianyuan Ancient Academy, her skin fair as snow. She had a head of emerald-green shoulder-length hair, exquisite features, and peach-blossom eyes that exuded an enchanting aura. Yet her gaze also radiated a coldness that kept people a thousand miles away. The two temperaments blended together, making her very eye-catching.

She had both hands stuffed in her uniform pockets, radiating a commanding presence.

"Stop staring," Jiang Jiang Wanyu said when she saw Li Luo gazing at the other party.

"Who is she?" Li Luo sensed something odd in Jiang Jiang Wanyu's expression and couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Duanmu. Possesses a Lower Nine-Grade Wood Phase, holds the third seat in the Star Heaven Academy, Da Tian Xiang Jing strength, known as the 'Green Wood Buddha Hand.'"

"Oh?" Li Luo was even more surprised and said, "The Star Heaven Academy truly hides dragons and crouching tigers. What a beautiful Miss."

He had only sincerely offered a word of praise, with no other intentions.

But that Duanmu's hearing seemed extremely sharp. Immediately, those peach-blossom eyes shot over, as if giving him a vicious glare.

Li Luo felt her gaze was somewhat baffling, and felt that these Star Heaven Academy people were truly difficult to please.

Jiang Jiang Wanyu beside him, however, couldn't help but shake her head, leaned in closer, and whispered, "Senior Duanmu hates it most when people call him pretty."

Li Luo was stunned for two seconds before suddenly reacting.

"Senior Duanmu?"

"She—he's a man?!"

Li Luo's expression turned rather interesting. Only then did he understand why that Duanmu had glared at him. Still, the other's appearance was excessively androgynous. That earlier glance, if seen by someone who didn't know the truth, would probably instead make one feel utterly enchanting.

Li Luo sighed inwardly. At this moment, he saw several more teams with extraordinary bearing walk into the plaza from within the crowd.

What drew Li Luo's attention most was a man with deep yellow skin. The man looked very ordinary, and had a prematurely aged appearance. With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he always wore a bitter expression, as if he owed someone money.

"That's Zheng Jiang, fourth seat of the Star Heaven Academy. He possesses an Upper Eight-Grade Earth Phase and a Lower Eight-Grade Spirit Thorn Phase," Jiang Jiang Wanyu's voice came.

"Dual Eight-Grade Phases," Li Luo remarked with slight surprise.

Then he looked toward a short-haired young woman. The woman had a very sexy, fiery figure, wearing a crimson-colored cloud skirt that outlined her full, alluring curves. Especially those fiery red lips, lightly biting her pearly teeth, releasing a scorching-hot charm.

"She's called Hou Ying. She possesses a Void Nine-Grade Fire Cloud Phase, fifth seat of the Star Heaven Academy."

Under Jiang Jiang Wanyu's whispered introductions, Li Luo managed to get acquainted with all the higher-ranked seat holders of the Star Heaven Academy's Upper House. Of course, it was only he who knew them; they had not taken the initiative to come and meet him.

But after that whole round, he had truly witnessed a true gathering of heaven's pride. The quality of the Star Heaven Academy's pride was indeed beyond reproach. Any single person here, even placed among the Five Heavenly Dragon Guards, would surely count as an outstanding figure.

While Li Luo was sighing in admiration, he saw the crowd stir again, and a graceful figure, surrounded by a throng of people, walked into the plaza.

She was an extremely coldly-beautiful young woman, her long hair crimson as fire. As she walked, a strange fragrance seemed to emanate from her body, gladdening the heart and spirit.

Even Wu Changkong cast his gaze toward her entrance.

Li Luo stared at the cold and beautiful young woman, yet felt inexplicably that her features seemed somewhat familiar.

"This is the Tenth Seat of the Starfall Court, Li Hongyou." Jiang Jiang Wanyu gazed at the girl whose facial features were cold and beautiful and whose figure was equally enchanting, and his expression shifted into something inexplicable—lust?

"The Tenth Seat? Why does it feel like her entourage is bigger than those before her?" Li Luo asked in confusion.

The one who spoke this time was Feng Lingyuan; she said calmly, "Because she possesses the Void Ninth Rank 'Crimson Heart Date Appearance'. This is a rare supportive affinity. When combined with specific affinity arts, this affinity can protect the minds of others with a strange fragrance, weaken the infection of alien evil thoughts, and simultaneously enhance the overall strength of teammates to a certain degree. Therefore, looking across the entire Starfall Court, she is the first choice for everyone forming a team."

"If she did not also hold a seat in the Upper Court, these Upper Court seat holders would likely fight amongst themselves just to find her to form a team."

Li Luo was stunned: "Crimson Heart Date Appearance?"

He had heard of this supportive affinity. Although its own offensive and defensive capabilities were relatively weak, this supportive buff could indeed make teammates feel like they were soaring to the heavens.

No wonder she is so popular.

Iron-clad support, flowing damage dealers.

Truly, they did not deceive me.