Chapter 553 - 360: Heartless Scoundrel

Chapter 553: Chapter 360: Heartless Scoundrel

A Tier Five Sword Venerable frowned slightly. To be honest, even though they held the title of Guardian, they were little more than servants in front of Ouyang Yu. Otherwise, Ouyang Hong wouldn’t have been so agitated.

"What’s so inappropriate? It’s just some common Mortal World! A few women—you think they can escape my grasp?" Ouyang Yu sneered, a lecherous expression on his face, as if Ling Xiao’s women were already his for the taking.

...

Ling Xiao sped onward without pause. The farthest he had ever traveled in this world was the Zichuan Empire; he had never ventured any further west. Beyond the Zichuan Empire lay a vast desert, a nearly impossible crossing for ordinary people. The only way around was to take a ship by sea, bypassing the desert entirely, then disembark at a port in one of the nations on the other side and continue by land.

This geographical barrier was precisely why there was so little communication between the two regions. It was why, for example, even girls as outstanding as Ye Zi and Song Mingyue went unrecognized at Nia Academy.

Nia Academy was enormous, home to tens of thousands of students and faculty. Furthermore, the vast majority of those who gained entry were either the elite of the elite or powerful nobles from the royal families of various kingdoms. Consequently, handsome men and beautiful women were in no short supply.

Ye Zi, Song Mingyue, Feng Ling, Ling Yun’Er, and Yisha were all national beauties, stunning enough to cause the downfall of kingdoms. While Chunlan and Qiuyue were a slight notch below, they were still one-in-a-thousand beauties. And yet, at Nia Academy, even girls like Ye Zi could only be considered top-tier beauties, not necessarily *the* most beautiful.

Of course, the academy was not without its share of bored princes and young nobles who compiled silly rankings like a "Beauty Chart." On this list, Song Mingyue outshone all the rest to claim the top spot on the "Hundred Flowers" ranking.

This wasn’t to say Song Mingyue was definitively the most beautiful. Compared to her, Ye Zi, Feng Ling, Yisha, and many other girls were like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums—each possessed her own unique charm. However, it was Song Mingyue’s unparalleled temperament that won the unanimous admiration of nearly every male student.

Song Mingyue hailed from a first-rate noble house; in terms of bearing, she was the equal of any imperial princess. Her speech and manners were refined, and even many of the unfathomably powerful and typically reclusive old professors at Nia Academy were especially fond of her. Her exquisite beauty, combined with the unique aura born of her strength, were the key factors that left people so captivated by her.

Following closely behind her was the Cultivator, Ye Wen Ni.

Ye Zi was considered just a notch below Song Mingyue in terms of scholarly grace, but to many, Ye Zi—who exuded an aura of pure nature—was actually the more captivating of the two.

At the same time, Nia Academy was home to all sorts of other beauties, each with a considerable number of admirers. However, the biggest advantage Ye Zi and her friends held was their martial skill, which was famous throughout the entire academy.

Initially, they had wanted to keep a low profile. They soon discovered, however, that in a place like Nia Academy, being low-key was seen as cowardice. There were simply too many exceptional people; the more one tried to stay out of the limelight, the more others looked down on them, and even bullied them.

And so, after a period of laying low, the seven girls were faced with a public humiliation they could no longer endure. They finally struck back, teaching their tormentors a harsh lesson. They subsequently thwarted several attempts at revenge, each time turning the tables to humiliate their opponents in return.

From that day forward, the seven girls became famous throughout Nia Academy.

It became common knowledge that these seven flowers had thorns.

Of course, Nia Academy had plenty of other thorny flowers. So, despite all the waves the seven girls were making, they didn’t attract any undue attention. Besides, with the Gongsun Clan looking out for them, the dean of Nia Academy wouldn’t dare offend them.

One day, the seven girls were gathered together. Ye Zi sat in a chair, her chin resting in her hands, her beautiful eyes blinking thoughtfully. "It’s almost been five years," she said. "Time really flies. I’ve heard the continent isn’t very peaceful lately. What do you all think? Should we apply for early graduation, leave this place, and go home?"

A distant look clouded Song Mingyue’s limpid, autumn-water eyes. ’That heartless man,’ she thought. ’After all these years, he still hasn’t come to see us.’

’Everyone knows he was in seclusion for three years and has been incredibly busy since he came out. But if he had time to go and whisk that little minx Huangpu Yue away, why couldn’t he come here to see us?’

"Thinking about him again?" Ye Zi looked at Song Mingyue’s expression and knew exactly what was on her mind. She couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch Song Mingyue’s rosy cheek, whispering with a smile, "How about this? When we see him, I’ll let you be the first one to get intimate with him."

"Hey! You little devil, you’re horrible!" Song Mingyue’s face flushed crimson from the sneak attack. She shot back resentfully, "And you wouldn’t be jealous? If we’re going to do it, we should all do it together!"

"Ah!"

Ye Zi was floored by Song Mingyue’s shamelessly bold retort. Blushing furiously, she launched into a playful scuffle with her friend. Having been away from home together for years, the seven girls had grown incredibly close.

Ye Zi’s current strength could only be described as unfathomable.

Before he took the Heaven-Ascending Pill, Ling Xiao’s cultivation had been between the Early and Mid Nascent Soul Stage. Now, Ye Zi had already reached the Late Golden Core Stage!

To have reached such a level after only a few years was an accomplishment definitely worth being proud of.

It was just that Ye Zi lacked Ling Xiao’s endless arsenal of techniques and his collection of powerful artifacts and Spiritual Artifacts. Even so, she wouldn’t be the least bit intimidated facing off against a Low-Tier Sword Venerable.

This was a major reason why no one dared to mess with the seven girls anymore.

Song Mingyue’s strength had reached the level of a Tier Three Sword Sect. And while Nia Academy was full of hidden talents, the number of students who could surpass her was small indeed.

Of course, Song Mingyue hid her true strength most of the time.

Feng Ling, Yisha, and the others had also improved significantly.

More importantly, the seven girls had perfected their Jade Maiden Sword Array. Their coordination was flawless, and it was believed that even a Low-Tier Sword Venerable would find it impossible to gain any advantage against them once caught within it.

How could an Advanced Sword Array Technique from the Cultivation Realm be anything less than extraordinary?

Otherwise, Ling Xiao wouldn’t have given it to the girls to practice with such solemnity.

All students at Nia Academy lived in dormitories. Ye Zi and Song Mingyue shared a room on the fifth floor of a seven-story building.

On any given day, a large crowd of young men would gather below the girls’ dormitory. Many came holding bouquets of flowers to profess their love, and for top-tier beauties like Ye Zi and Song Mingyue, there was never a shortage of suitors.

Suddenly, a clamor arose from outside. Many people were shouting Song Mingyue’s name.

The two didn’t even have to look out the window; they could sense who the suitor was with their Spiritual Power alone.

"Why won’t he give up? He’s so annoying!"

Song Mingyue’s elegant brows furrowed in clear annoyance.

Ye Zi, however, just let out a light laugh. "Doesn’t this just prove his sincerity?" she teased. "Look, you broke his leg, and he’s still completely smitten. How can your heart not be moved?"

"Oh, get lost! You have the nerve to talk about me? Have you forgotten how insane that Prince pursuing you was?" Song Mingyue shot a glance at the gloating Ye Zi and pursed her lips.

Ye Wen Ni smiled to herself. She couldn’t even remember the name of that Prince from whatever country who had been pursuing her. After he’d pestered her one too many times, the formidable Ye Zi had sent him flying with a single kick. He was reportedly still in treatment and would likely never be returning to Nia Academy.

The prince’s country had lodged a few protests at first, threatening to make trouble for Ye Zi, but they had since fallen silent for some unknown reason. Most likely, they had been warned by the Gongsun Clan. A minor kingdom had no hope of resisting a powerhouse like a super-clan.

In this world, national governments were largely for show; the great clans were the true masters.

The shouting outside grew louder. Song Mingyue sighed helplessly. Her current pursuer was rumored to be from a hidden clan. It wasn’t unusual for disciples of hidden clans to study at Nia Academy; they typically concealed their identities and quietly pursued knowledge in subjects other than martial arts.

Generally, aside from the scions of royalty and nobility, anyone at Nia Academy who wasn’t focused on martial skills was likely a disciple from a hidden clan or sect.

Furthermore, the young man was quite formidable, possessing the strength of a Tier One Sword Sect. His character, however, was twisted. After his relentless pursuit of Song Mingyue proved fruitless, he had attempted to abduct her one night. An enraged Song Mingyue had responded by shattering his leg with a single kick. If others hadn’t intervened, she might have cut him down on the spot. Now, after several months of recovery, he had reappeared—and this time, he’d brought two Sword Emperor Level bodyguards with him.

Frankly, the seven girls wouldn’t be afraid of two Sword Emperors, or even four. The problem was that the academy had its own rules. Publicly killing someone on campus wasn’t exactly an honorable act. Besides, it was hard to justify killing a person simply for pursuing you.

After all, the man’s vile and insidious nature had never been exposed to the public. On the contrary, he now played the part of a devoted suitor and victim, all because Song Mingyue had broken his leg...

"If only my husband were here..."

Song Mingyue buried her face in her blanket, her voice muffled. She couldn’t fight him, but hearing him was irritating. That, combined with her longing for Ling Xiao, left her feeling utterly frustrated.

Her words, however, received no response from Ye Zi. "Hey, Ye Zi," she said, a little annoyed. "You aren’t really thinking of pushing me off on someone else, are you? Give me an idea! How am I supposed to get rid of these flies?"

Just then, Song Mingyue heard a magnetic voice say, "Don’t worry. I’m here now. I’ll take you away from here, and you’ll naturally be far away from those... erm, flies."

"Ah!"

Song Mingyue shot upright and stared, dumbfounded. Standing in her room was Ling Xiao, one arm wrapped around Ye Zi’s slender waist. She then glanced at the look of pure bliss on Ye Zi’s face.

Song Mingyue ground her teeth. "Ye Zi..."

Then... she threw herself into Ling Xiao’s arms, burying her face in his chest and taking a deep sniff. "It’s real," she murmured as if in a dream. "You’re finally here... you cruel, heartless man... *sob*..."