Chapter 235: Ye Ye Chengying

Li Luo and the others hastily finished their meal, then followed Instructor Xi Chan out of the small building, hurrying along the way.

Along the route, they could see many hurried figures—students from the Two-Star, Three-Star, and even Four-Star Houses—because once the Dark Cave Purification Mission began, they would all be taking part.

The scale of this mobilization made Li Luo click his tongue inwardly in astonishment.

Only now did he understand that the leisurely cultivation of the previous month had simply been because the timing hadn't arrived. From the solemn, austere faces of those students, he could see just how much pressure and dread this so-called Dark Cave brought to everyone.

After all, those were the "Abnormal Beings" that made people turn pale at the mere mention.

And as more and more hurried figures rushed over, Li Luo suddenly noticed that this direction seemed to be the route toward the Phase Force Tree.

"The Dark Cave is right beneath the Phase Force Tree." As if she knew the doubt in Li Luo's heart, Instructor Xi Chan said lightly.

The faces of Li Luo and the others changed instantly, somewhat shocked. The Dark Cave was actually beneath the Phase Force Tree? Hadn't they been cultivating right above the Dark Cave this whole time?

"The Phase Force Tree's function isn't merely to provide you with cultivation," Instructor Xi Chan raised her face, her gaze looking toward the towering, sky-obscuring great tree in the distance, a hint of admiration in her eyes.

"It also possesses the power to suppress the Dark Cave. If not for the Phase Force Tree's existence, relying solely on the Headmaster might not have been enough to suppress the depths of the Dark Cave for so long."

Li Luo swallowed. So the Phase Force Tree had this kind of function too—truly a sight to behold.

Didn't that mean the reason the Holy Mystic Star Academy was established here was, on a larger scale, precisely because a Dark Cave existed at this location?

Suddenly, Li Luo thought of something, hesitated for a moment, and asked: "Instructor, what about the other Holy Academies... do they all suppress things similar to the Dark Cave as well?"

If the Holy Mystic Star Academy was founded because of this Dark Cave, then were the other Holy Academies established for the same reason?

Instructor Xi Chan glanced at Li Luo, smiled, and said: "Your instincts are quite sharp. But you're not wrong—it's not only the Holy Mystic Star Academy that suppresses a Dark Cave. All the Holy Academies under the Academy Alliance are the same... this counts as one of the responsibilities of founding a Holy Academy."

Li Luo sighed with emotion. The Academy Alliance's actions were indeed admirable. Without these academies suppressing these spatial nodes connected to the Dark World, once those terrifying Abnormal Beings broke out, it would inevitably cause tremendous chaos and slaughter—an unmistakable catastrophe.

As they spoke, the group gradually arrived at the location of the Phase Force Tree. By then, the vast, spacious plaza was already packed with people, the noise unceasing.

The dark mass of people was also clearly divided. Li Luo glanced from afar toward the right side—that was where the Three-Star and Four-Star House students stood.

Compared with the restless, boiling atmosphere on the One-Star and Two-Star House side, things there were much quieter. Although many students wore solemn expressions, there wasn't much panic in them.

Clearly, they had already gone through many purification missions and were well prepared for this.

At this moment, Li Luo suddenly heard some commotion from the Four-Star House side. Looking over, he saw two figures arrive, surrounded by adoring crowds.

It was Gong Gong Shenjun and the Eldest Princess.

Gong Gong Shenjun was dashing and tall, his bearing extraordinary, drawing the scrutinizing gazes of many female students. After all, as the strongest of the Holy Mystic Star Academy's Seven Star Pillars, Gong Gong Shenjun—whether in strength, status, or appearance—could be called perfect.

And if Gong Gong Shenjun was the male idol in the hearts of many female students, then the noble, elegant Eldest Princess was the dream goddess in the hearts of many male students.

If not for Jiang Jiang Qinge's sudden rise to prominence in the academy these past two years, the Eldest Princess would have easily captured the hearts of all the male students in the Holy Mystic Star Academy.

"When the Dark Cave opens, the Three-Star and Four-Star House students will be the main force for purifying the inner region. And each time this happens, even the Seven Star Pillars, who rarely show themselves, will come if at all possible," Instructor Xi Chan said.

Hearing this, Li Luo raised an eyebrow slightly. Seven Star Pillars—he wasn't unfamiliar with this title anymore. It represented the highest achievement of students in the Holy Mystic Star Academy.

These seven students were also the strongest seven currently active in the Holy Mystic Star Academy.

All students of the Holy Mystic Star Academy were chasing after them as their goal.

However, up until now, the only Seven Star Pillars Li Luo had seen were Gong Gong Shenjun and the Eldest Princess. Of the other five, he had only heard rumors.

And from what Instructor Xi Chan said, would all those Seven Star Pillars also appear today?

That was something to look forward to. Li Luo also wanted to learn about the other Seven Star Pillars, because at year's end, Jiang Jiang Qinge might challenge one among them...

His wait didn't last long, because many gazes present were curiously looking toward the Four-Star House side, so whenever there was movement over there, it would cause a stir among the other Star Houses.

"Captain, another Seven Star Pillar has appeared!" Bai Bai Mengmeng at his side was also watching, then she said enviously in a low voice: "This senior's figure is really great."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Li Luo immediately cast a critical gaze over, and then he saw that at the very front of the Four-Star House, in a position parallel to Gong Gong Shenjun and the Eldest Princess, a tall figure had appeared at some unknown time.

It was a long-haired girl. The girl wore black tight-fitting clothes; the figure wrapped in the tight outfit was exceptionally fiery, causing many young girls' eyes to show a hint of envy.

The girl's features were quite three-dimensional, but her expression was extremely cold. Her deep, dark eyes carried little emotion.

It was quite the opposite of the other youthful, vibrant ones.

Purely in terms of looks, she didn't match Bai Bai Mengmeng, but this figure was eye-catching—no wonder even Bai Bai Mengmeng was exclaiming.

"Her name is Ye Ye Chengying, from the Lanling Prefecture. I heard she sometimes takes on side jobs," Instructor Xi Chan said casually.

"What kind of side job?" Li Luo asked.

"Working as an assassin?" Instructor Xi Chan smiled.

"......" Li Luo gave a dry laugh. This side job was a bit too fierce.

Instructor Xi Chan turned her head to glance at Li Luo, then suddenly smiled: "Li Luo, you'd better be careful. Given the situation your Luo Lan Mansion is in, someone might really hire her to kill you in the future."

"......"

Li Luo felt cold sweat creeping down his back and said: "It wouldn't come to that, right? We're all classmates after all."

Instructor Xi Chan's eyes flickered with amusement as she said: "Classmates are classmates, business is business—no conflict there."

"Instructor, don't tease me, I'm timid." Li Luo wiped away a layer of cold sweat.

While they were discussing this girl named Ye Ye Chengying, they didn't notice Student Xin Fu beside them slightly raising his head. From beneath his hood, his gaze looked from afar at the girl in black tight-fitting clothes.

But it was precisely this one glance. Ye Ye Chengying seemed to sense something, and her slightly sharp, icy gaze shot toward this side.

Student Xin Fu quickly lowered his head.

But Ye Ye Chengying's gaze still lingered on him from afar for a moment, then she withdrew it expressionlessly.