272: I have a plan

The surging aura around Zhang Qiqi, which shot up into the sky, came and went quickly.

As the crystalline Golden Core, containing a blue Dragon shadow, completely stabilized within her Dantian, all phenomena receded.

She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze seeming to hold the rush of an ocean, before returning to its usual clarity moments later.

“This…”

Li Qingyuan and Tang Ruoling stood with their mouths agape, unable to close them for a long time.

One second they were fighting for their lives, the next they had a Breakthrough on the spot?

“Congratulations.”

Lin Xiao sheathed his sword, calmly uttering two words. Only his perpetually icy face seemed to show a minuscule ripple of emotion.

“Congratulations.”

Fang Yuan dispersed the lightning around him and also offered his congratulations.

As a fellow Golden Core, he could clearly sense how pure and vast the Water-attribute spiritual power contained within Zhang Qiqi’s Golden Core was.

“I… I’m also Golden Core?”

Zhang Qiqi herself was still a bit dazed. She looked down at her hands, then inwardly examined her Dantian, before an expression of unbelievable ecstasy bloomed on her face.

“Hahaha! You’re amazing, Qiqi!”

Li Qingyuan was the first to react, throwing an arm around Zhang Qiqi’s neck and shaking her vigorously.

“As expected of our Magic Cultivation Department’s second-in-command! From now on, who dares say our Magic Cultivation Department is bad at close combat? We’ll just drown them with Water Dragons!”

Tang Ruoling also came over, grinning as she handed her a stack of Talismans.

“Sister Qiqi, these are my latest Mind Calming Talismans. They’ll help you stabilize your Realm. Friendship price, 20% off for you!”

“Get out of here!”

Zhang Qiqi laughed and cursed, pushing the two away. The relief of surviving and the joy of a Breakthrough intertwined, making her whole person radiate a unique brilliance.

“Let’s go. First, back to Sapporo to meet up with the others,” Fang Yuan reminded.

The Demonic Qi and smell of blood here were overwhelming. Although Tamamo-no-Mae was dead, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t attract other trouble.

The five no longer delayed, transforming into five streaks of light, swiftly leaving the scorched primeval forest and rushing towards Sapporo City.

When they returned to their hotel, a boisterous celebration awaited them.

In the hotel’s largest banquet hall, nearly seventy Kunlun Students gathered, tables laden with various delicacies, the atmosphere as lively as a New Year’s celebration.

“Yo! Student Zhang, Student Li, you’re finally back!”

Iron Pillar Zhao spotted the group entering and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Come on, come on, come on! We were waiting for you! You didn’t see, those little demons just now weren’t enough for me to fight alone! I punched them one by one, like smashing watermelons, it was so satisfying!”

Beside him, several Talisman Department and Formation System students were gathered around a laptop, excitedly calculating something.

“This Hokkaido demon-clearing operation, our Seventh Squad killed a total of thirty-seven C-Rank demons and one hundred twenty-one D-Rank demons. The total contribution points are estimated to be… over two thousand three hundred! We’re rich! We’re rich!”

“Our Ninth Squad isn’t bad either. Although we killed fewer demons, we conveniently raided a cult hideout and rescued over a hundred deluded civilians. Our contribution points definitely won’t be low either!”

The entire banquet hall was filled with joyous air.

The moment Fang Yuan and the other four walked in, this joyous air froze for a second.

Everyone saw the lingering bloody scent on them, as well as the damage and scorch marks on their clothes, which definitely couldn’t have been caused by dealing with a group of small demons.

“You guys…” Iron Pillar Zhao’s smile faded, and he spoke with some hesitation.

“It’s nothing, we ran into a tough opponent, but we dealt with it.”

Zhang Qiqi spoke calmly. She took a step forward, and an aura belonging to the Golden Core Stage intentionally or unintentionally radiated out.

Boom!

The entire banquet hall instantly fell silent.

All the students’ eyes were fixed on Zhang Qiqi, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

The roasted chicken leg in Iron Pillar Zhao’s hand fell to the ground with a “thud.”

“Golden… Golden Core?!”

“Holy crap! Student Zhang also had a Breakthrough?!”

“In less than a week, our Academy produced two Golden Cores?! Counting Senior Lin Xiao, that’s three!”

After the silence, there was an uproar ten times more enthusiastic than before!

“Congratulations, Sister Qiqi!”

“Sister Qiqi is awesome!”

Everyone was boiling with excitement, looking at Zhang Qiqi with envy and admiration.

Li Qingyuan proudly lifted her chin, as if she herself had had the Breakthrough, and loudly announced: “We just went and took out the mastermind behind Hokkaido, the Late Golden Core Stage Ancient Great Demon, the Nine-tailed Fox Tamamo-no-Mae!”

At these words, the entire hall fell silent once more.

Late Golden Core Stage!

The weight of this term suffocated all Foundation Establishment Stage students.

They were still celebrating clearing out a bunch of small fry, while these people were already able to team up to hunt Late Golden Core Stage Ancient Great Demons!

Was this the gap?

Many looked at Fang Yuan and Lin Xiao, and then at the newly Breakthrough Zhang Qiqi, their shock immeasurable.

The Geniuses of Kunlun Academy seemed to be stratified by Rank.

And these few before them, without a doubt, were the ones standing at the very top of the pyramid… Meanwhile.

Deep beneath Mount Fuji in Japan, in a secluded lava chamber.

The atmosphere here was as oppressive as the sea before a storm.

Dozens of figures exuding terrifying auras sat or stood, silently.

They varied in form: green-faced, fanged evil spirits, gigantic mountain monsters, and even handsome fox demons. These were the Ancient Great Demons hidden throughout Japan.

And in the main seat, a majestic man in ancient hunting attire sat with his eyes closed, yet a heart-palpitating Nascent Soul Stage pressure permeated around him.

It was Susanoo, completely awakened from his slumber.

“Tamamo-no-Mae… is also dead.”

A hoarse voice broke the silence.

Amenominakanushi looked at Susanoo, a hint of solemnity in his tone.

“Ibaraki and the others were wiped out by Li Heng, and now even Tamamo-no-Mae has been killed by his students… Those brats from Kunlun Academy are simply a bunch of madmen!”

“Not just madmen.”

Another Ancient Great Demon said in a deep voice, “Their growth rate is too terrifying. That Sword Cultivator named Lin Xiao, and that Lightning Cultivator named Fang Yuan, despite only recently entering Golden Core, their combat power is directly comparable to Late Golden Core Stage! Now there’s another Golden Core…”

“If this continues, where will there be a place for us on this land?”

Panic spread like a plague among the demons.

“Let’s run!”

A timid Kappa demon shrieked.

“Leave Japan! Go to America! Go to Europe! The world is so big, there must be somewhere we can hide from them!”

“Run?”

A cold voice echoed eerily, with undisguised mockery.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Kishibe Rokuji slowly emerge from the shadows in the corner.

He wore his usual smile, but under the glow of the lava fire, it appeared particularly eerie.

“Where to run?”

Kishibe Rokuji scanned the demons, speaking unhurriedly.

“Do you think that man named Li Heng, his Divine Sense can’t cover the entire globe? The moment you step out of Japan, his Flying Sword and Spell Cultivator techniques will arrive. Who among you is confident enough to withstand a single blow from him?”

The demons instantly fell silent.

Yes, even with their Nascent Soul Stage foundations, they were like ants before that man. Run? Where could they run to?

“Then… then what should we do?!”

The Kappa demon was almost in tears, “Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?!”

Despair enveloped the entire space.

Susanoo, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally opened them.

In his pupils, storms seemed to gather, and a vast killing intent swept out.

“Since we can’t run…”

He spoke slowly, each word like the clash of metal and stone.

“Then kill him!”

At these words, all the demons were startled.

“Kill… kill him? Lord Susanoo, that is a Soul Transformation Stage existence!” Amenominakanushi said in horror.

“What if he’s Soul Transformation?” Susanoo snorted coldly, “In the ancient catastrophe, even Innate Heavenly Gods fell! He is merely a Human Race Cultivator, how can he be stronger than a Heavenly God?”

His words were filled with unmatched confidence, which slightly calmed the terrified demons.

But Kishibe Rokuji chuckled softly.

“Lord Susanoo is right, Soul Transformation is not invincible.”

He paused, then changed his tone.

“But going head-to-head is undoubtedly foolish.”

Susanoo frowned, looking at him with displeasure.

Kishibe Rokuji remained unfazed and continued, “Li Heng is indeed powerful, but he is not without weaknesses. On the contrary, his weaknesses are very obvious.”

“Oh?”

Susanoo became interested, “Tell me.”

All the Ancient Great Demons’ gazes focused on Kishibe Rokuji.

Kishibe Rokuji’s smile deepened. He slowly extended a finger and gently wagged it.

“His weakness is his precious students.”

“Kunlun Academy.”

He slowly uttered four words, his eyes flashing with a snake-like gleam.

“Li Heng wants to protect the entire Human Race, he wants to cultivate his students into future guardians. So, if we just, in front of him, torture and kill his most valued students, one by one, all of them…”

“What do you say, will this invincible Kunlun Academy Head… go mad?”

Kishibe Rokuji’s voice was full of temptation, sounding exceptionally clear in the silent lava chamber.

“Which is easier to deal with: a mad Soul Transformation expert, or a calm Soul Transformation expert?”

“I happen to have a plan.”