556. The Fox Gets Fed, the Rabbit and Snake Cross Paths

"Alright! Then we'll shamelessly head up and mooch a free lunch. Hahaha!"

Flender let out a raspy, scheming laugh.

"Of course, no problem."

Qin Ming smiled and agreed, leading the way for Flender and the others.

As a genius, privileges followed him everywhere.

Qin Ming was no exception.

—

"Perfect! My stomach has been growling for ages!"

Ma Hongjun patted his belly and slowly followed along.

Dai Mubai frowned in suspicion.

"Fatty, why do I feel like you've been swelling up unusually fast these past few days?"

"Boss, that must be your imagination."

Ma Hongjun rubbed his belly fat, his small green bean-like eyes drooping as he sighed helplessly.

"Ever since that day, I haven’t been able to eat or sleep properly."

The moment he said that, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others fell silent.

To break the awkward atmosphere, Ma Hongjun suddenly let out a dramatic yell.

"Wow! As expected of an academy built by royalty—this place is grand!"

"Tch! You’re making a fuss over nothing."

Xiao Wu scoffed, rolling her eyes.

She had already visited this place before, accompanying the Holy Son.

That was the time when His Highness and Lingling first met.

So now, of course, this place didn’t impress her anymore.

Tang San, on the other hand, upon hearing Xiao Wu's words, quickly hid his astonishment.

He could not afford to look too impressed in front of her!

Seeing Xiao Wu’s reaction, Ma Hongjun immediately went quiet.

But he wasn’t wrong—
Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was truly vast and magnificent.

Even the stone steps leading up the mountain were carved from pure white marble.

Each step bore a unique depiction of a different soul beast, crafted with intricate precision.

—

And just ahead, two women with distinct temperaments were descending the stairs, accompanied by an exceptionally delicate-looking young man.

Qin Ming was still conversing with Flender and the others,
but Dugu Yan and her companions had already spotted them.

"Yu Feng, go check out that long-faced guy and see what he looks like."

"Sister Yan, I’d rather not… He probably looks bad."

Yu Feng shook his head like a rattling drum, his words already more polite than his true thoughts.

"Pfft—hahaha!"

Dugu Yan burst into laughter, then turned her gaze toward the girls behind Qin Ming.

Her eyes locked onto a pair of familiar rabbit ears.

Memories surged, and her emerald-green eyes suddenly gleamed.

"Huh?"

At the same time—

Xiao Wu also noticed Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan.

She instinctively raised her hand to wave… but then quickly suppressed the urge.

Being clever, she immediately realized that even if she didn’t make a move,
Dugu Yan would take action soon enough.

Thinking fast, she grasped the pink choker around her neck and sought permission from the Holy Son.

"Your Highness, Your Highness~"

—

Spirit Hall

In a secluded corner of the Spirit Academy, the Evil God's Heart pulsed.

Hu Liena had been persistently pleading.

Leaning against the wall, Qian Renjue remained composed.

At his feet, Hu Liena knelt in reverence.

"Your Highness, Your Highness~"

"That wicked snake brought Lingling here to find me! What should I do?"

Qian Renjue shuddered.

The sudden voice in his head nearly made Hu Liena lose her meal.

Thankfully, his strong mental fortitude kept him in control.

Pinching the soft fox ears pressed against him, he slightly restrained their flickering motion.

"Mmm~"

Ignoring the whimper at his ear, Qian Renjue let out a deep breath, his brows slightly furrowed.

He quickly gave his response—

Let Xiao Wu handle it as she saw fit.

After all, those who knew about his relationship with Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan were all trusted individuals.

As long as they didn’t associate this with the Spirit Hall, there was no problem.

And ensuring Xiao Wu’s safety was the priority.

"Got it, got it! Your Highness, you’re really coming tomorrow, right?"

Xiao Wu’s voice was cheerful as she confirmed once more.

"Of course."

Qian Renjue gritted his teeth in response,
suddenly tightening his grip on those fox ears.



He took a sharp breath.

"Hiss—"

The Dark Angel mark on his forehead suddenly flickered.

"Keh keh keh… You brat, doing this behind the goddess’s back—what a sight to see~"

"Ah!"

Hearing the voice of the Fallen Angel, Hu Liena lost her grip, letting out a startled cry.

A wave of heat rushed toward her.

Qian Renjue could only raise his hand to cover his face.

Damn it, Nana was being too impatient.

He had completely forgotten about that old woman—his ancestor!

Would this turn into blackmail material?

"Tsk tsk… Not done yet? So much… You’re not badmouthing the goddess in your heart, are you?"

"….."

Qian Renjue remained silent, choosing to block out that shameless old voice.

—

Heaven Dou Imperial Academy

Upon spotting Xiao Wu, Dugu Yan leaned close to Ye Lingling’s ear, whispering.

"Lingling, let’s go take a look. His Highness’s little pet seems to be over there."

"Little pet?"

Ye Lingling’s lips moved beneath her veil as she lifted her gaze toward the front.

Her eyes immediately locked onto the pair of rabbit ears.

Indeed, they did resemble…

Ye Lingling nodded slightly and followed Dugu Yan forward.

"Sister Lingling, what are you whispering about?"

"Wait for me!"

Yu Feng quickly caught up, his eyes full of curiosity.

He always felt that this pair of best friends was different from the rest of the Emperor Team—
They were always so secretive.

—

Xiao Wu tugged at the choker around her neck, a hint of confusion flashing across her face.

His Highness’s voice sounded strange…

Was he busy with something important?
Why did he sound like he was gritting his teeth?

Could it be that someone had angered His Highness and was being punished?

"Xiao Wu, what’s wrong?"

Zhu Zhuqing noticed Xiao Wu’s frown and asked with concern.

"It’s nothing, just checking in with home."

Xiao Wu quickly smiled, radiating happiness.

No matter what, tomorrow she would finally see her beloved Holy Son again!

"Home?"

Ning Rongrong’s eyes lit up.
She immediately understood where home was for Xiao Wu.

Just as she was about to ask about Qian Renjue’s reply, a voice sounded ahead.

"Teacher Qin Ming."

Dugu Yan, holding onto Ye Lingling, walked forward with Yufeng.

They blocked the group’s path.

"Hmm? Oh, it’s you, Yanyan."

Qin Ming stopped in his tracks, slightly surprised to see them.

With a smile, he asked,
"Where are you all headed? Going to Heaven Dou City again?"

"That’s right. Sister Yan said she’s treating me to a meal. Teacher Qin Ming, do you want to join us?"

Yu Feng grinned and extended the invitation.

"Haha, you all go ahead. My mentors just arrived—I need to host them."

Qin Ming politely declined with a smile.

"Mentors?"

Yu Feng and Ye Lingling exchanged a surprised glance before turning to size up Flender and the others.

Meanwhile, Dai Mubai and the others, having just suffered a setback,
were immediately put back in their place by the empty feeling in their pants.

Otherwise, they’d probably be staring like lovesick fools by now.

Qin Ming introduced them.

"Teachers, these are three members of the Emperor Battle Team that I mentioned earlier. Two of them are already Soul Elders."

"Soul Elders? Hiss… Not bad, not bad!"

Flender's eyes lit up with surprise.
None of them looked over twenty, yet they had already reached this level.

Their talent was undeniable!

Even Yu Xiaogang couldn’t help but praise,
"Qin Ming, the students you’ve taught are truly impressive—each of them could be considered an elite."

But Qin Ming was more self-aware.

He shook his head sincerely.

"It’s not that I taught them well. They were already exceptionally talented and had great backgrounds. My role was more about supervision than true instruction."