Chapter 66: The Prince? A Slap Delivered!

After emerging from the seafloor, Xia Jiuxuan and Han Yu walked along a street in high spirits.

The Xuanhuang Essence—what an unexpected gain.

Once his physique was enhanced, he would be able to use even more formidable martial techniques, which meant his combat power would only grow stronger.

“This trip was truly worth it.”

The problem of resources was solved, the academy residence was settled, and Han Yu’s issues were taken care of—everything was perfect.

“Teacher, take a look at my face. Is it still swollen? Does it affect my handsomeness?” Han Yu touched his own face and asked.

“The swelling has already gone down.”

Han Yu grinned from ear to ear, but just as he was about to speak, he took a slap to the face.

“Teacher, why did you hit me?” Han Yu’s face swelled up again as he complained pitifully.

“That slap was for your lack of backbone,” Xia Jiuxuan replied coolly.

“Heaven and earth can testify, Teacher! You told me to kill the black-armored monsters for practice; I really worked hard, and now I’m much more skilled,” Han Yu explained, aggrieved.

“Whether you’re skilled or not is none of my concern. I hit you because of your sycophantic nature. You couldn't even walk when you saw Duanmu Wan. A dog can’t stop eating filth. Don’t you deserve a beating?” Xia Jiuxuan said.

Han Yu’s face fell, and he muttered in a low voice, “I can’t help it, she’s too beautiful. Any man would lose his composure.”

Xia Jiuxuan turned his head, his cold gaze sweeping over.

“Teacher, don’t misunderstand! I absolutely didn’t mean you’re not a man… Absolutely not!”

Smack!

The other side of Han Yu’s face swelled up as well, returning to the look of a pig’s head.

Only then did Xia Jiuxuan nod in satisfaction.

Han Yu felt utterly defeated. He’d just managed to regain his handsome appearance, and now his teacher had gone mad again... Sigh, is even my teacher jealous of me?

“What a narrow world—Young Master, look who it is!”

Up ahead, a group was beating up a weapon peddler, when suddenly one of them spotted Xia Jiuxuan.

“It’s that brat!”

A teenage boy, upon seeing Xia Jiuxuan, was instantly filled with murderous intent!

This was the very boy Xia Jiuxuan had slapped before coming here. He claimed to be the son of the Fire Island’s lord.

“Kill him for me!”

With a wave of the youth’s hand, more than ten sword cultivators at the Profound Connection Realm flew toward them, surrounding Xia Jiuxuan and Han Yu.

Xia Jiuxuan’s expression darkened. “Han Yu, you know what to do, don’t you?”

Han Yu’s face was equally cold. “Teacher, you spared him before just to leave him for me. I understand.”

Xia Jiuxuan said calmly, “Then what are you waiting for? Act swiftly.”

Buzz!

A piece of yellow talisman paper floated before Han Yu. He picked up his brush and swiftly wrote, and suddenly, a golden saber appeared right before the youth’s forehead.

Rip!

With one slash, the youth’s head split open.

Even as the youth died, the others hadn’t reacted.

“Young Master!”

It took several breaths before they realized the youth was dead.

“Run, someone killed Duanmu Qing!”

A shout rang out, and where the street had been bustling, people began to flee in panic. In moments, it was deserted.

Duanmu Qing—the lord’s own son!

On this island, that was the equivalent of a crown prince!

Who would dare touch him? Wasn’t that courting death?

“Hurry, inform the island lord! The young master has been killed!”

“The rest of you, capture those criminals!”

The guards who had been protecting Duanmu Qing were thrown into chaos.

Swish, swish, swish!

Several sword cultivators at the fifth level of the Profound Connection Realm charged at Xia Jiuxuan and Han Yu.

Xia Jiuxuan raised his hand and struck with his sword, slaying all the attackers instantly!

“Han Yu, what do you think we should do now?” asked Xia Jiuxuan.

“Kill, of course! Whoever comes, we kill them all!” Han Yu, recalling his teacher’s fearless bearing, spoke with blood boiling.

Smack!

A slap landed on his head.

“Idiot, why aren’t you running?”

Whoosh!

Xia Jiuxuan soared into the air, darting across the rooftops.

Han Yu was bewildered. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go! With his teacher’s personality, shouldn’t he fight to the death rather than run?

“Teacher, wait for me! I’m terrified!”

Han Yu scrambled onto the eaves, chasing after Xia Jiuxuan.

After running for a long time, Xia Jiuxuan glanced at the exhausted Han Yu and shook his head. This fellow still hadn’t grasped the essence of killing.

If you have a trump card to ensure your survival, then you go all out. Whether you get injured or not doesn’t matter.

But to knowingly court death with no hope of survival—that’s just sheer stupidity.

On Fire Island, there were at least sword cultivators at the Departure from the Mundane Realm. If they came, Xia Jiuxuan and Han Yu would be killed instantly. Only a fool would stay and fight.

They continued running until Xia Jiuxuan spotted several flying demon beasts tied up nearby. He mounted one and flew away.

“Teacher! Wait for me!”

Han Yu was so frightened he nearly wet himself. He’d never imagined his teacher could flee so quickly!

He hurriedly stole a flying beast himself and dashed off in a panic.

About half an hour later, someone finally found the scene.

Boom, boom, boom!

A middle-aged man smashed several boulders in a rage!

“Find them for me! Even if you have to turn over the entire imperial dynasty, bring them to me!”

The man roared like a madman, while the dozen sword cultivators at the Departure from the Mundane Realm nearby trembled with fear.

…

Xia Jiuxuan and Han Yu did not immediately return to the imperial capital.

They found a secluded, uninhabited place and lay low for about ten days, mainly to avoid being hunted.

Another important reason: with the pill furnace and supplementary materials from the Spirit Tool Mansion, Xia Jiuxuan refined the Xuanhuang Earth Mother Essence into Body Tempering Pills.

With just a couple of essences, he managed to produce twelve pills.

Refining all twelve would bring his body’s strength up to that of the Sealing Spirit Realm.

Moreover, with dozens of Profound Connection Realm puppets and a great number of spirit stones, Xia Jiuxuan’s cultivation speed increased dramatically.

In just ten days, he advanced two whole realms and was now at the third level of Profound Connection.

“I’d better conceal my cultivation.”

If the enemy couldn’t discern his true strength, he could surprise them and resolve trouble more easily.

So, Xia Jiuxuan used a secret breathing technique from his memory to hide part of his power, revealing only that of Palace Entry Level Seven.

“With a body comparable to the Sealing Spirit Realm, I can use Lihuo Sword Arts of level three and above, easily slaying those at early Sealing Spirit!”

With all preparations complete, Xia Jiuxuan and Han Yu set out on the return journey.

Two days later, Xia Jiuxuan arrived back at the imperial capital, at the Taixuan Academy.

All in all, this trip had taken nearly a month.

“I’ve been gone so long—has the little girl cried, I wonder?”

It had been so long since he’d seen Xia Ran that Xia Jiuxuan could hardly wait and quickened his steps.

Crossing the vast square, he had just reached the land allocated to him when he saw a large crowd gathered.

“If he refuses to accept the challenge, why should I care?”

Outside the crowd, Xia Jiuxuan heard Yao Yunya’s angry voice.

“Yao Yunya, I advise you to reveal that boy’s whereabouts, or you alone will be held responsible for evading the challenge!”

“Why me? I didn’t issue the challenge!”

“If you don’t take responsibility, then his niece—the little girl—must bear the consequences! Evading a challenge means three hundred strokes of the staff and expulsion from the academy!”

“Who dares?”

From behind the crowd came Li Luoyan’s icy voice.

“Teacher Zhao, it’s about to exceed the time limit. That boy must have run away by now. You should do your duty and bring the girl back for her three hundred strokes.”

That voice Xia Jiuxuan recognized—it was the Third Prince whom he’d met when entering the Nirvana Institute.

“His Highness is right. Academy rules cannot be broken, not even by the headmaster.”

A teacher surnamed Zhao immediately moved forward to seize Xia Ran.

“Out of my way!”

A thunderous shout scattered the crowd in fright.

Seeing the youth standing behind, the onlookers couldn’t help but retreat further.

“He actually came back!”

“Everyone thought he’d run away!”

“Why run? He was probably hiding nearby and came out only when he saw his relatives about to be taken.”

Xia Jiuxuan strode forward and stopped before the open land.

There, led by Gu Yun and the Third Prince, more than a dozen people had surrounded Xia Ran and her companions.

“Well, well, the Latrine Institute’s head dares show his face! Keep hiding, why don’t you!”

Gu Yun was surprised to see Xia Jiuxuan. He’d assumed the boy had fled and was about to vent his frustrations on the niece. Who would have thought he’d show up?

The title “Latrine Institute Head” had now spread across half the capital, with Xia Jiuxuan becoming a laughingstock.

“Who tried to seize my niece just now?”

Xia Jiuxuan’s face was icy as his gaze swept over the crowd.

“It was me. His Highness gave the order. What are you going to do about it?”

The Third Prince looked at Xia Jiuxuan with undisguised contempt and arrogance.

“What am I going to do? I’ll show you!”

With a cold snort, Xia Jiuxuan turned into a blur and slapped the Third Prince across the face.

The prince staggered back, only regaining his balance with the help of several others.

“Insolent commoner! How dare you strike me! Cut him down, now!”

The Third Prince was livid, like a wild beast in a frenzy. He had never imagined someone would dare slap him in the face.

“So what if I hit you?”

Without any fear, Xia Jiuxuan struck him several more times, leaving the prince’s cheeks swollen and red.