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Shi Nian is skilled in mental attacks, making him difficult to defend against to begin with. Now that he has suddenly disappeared, he is like a time bomb, and no one knows when he will reappear.
Shui Bing'er looked at Xue Tianxing and said seriously:
"Tianxing, from now on, no matter where we go, we'll stick close to you and absolutely won't give Shi Nian any chance to take advantage."
Xue Tianxing responded and said to Liu Tianfeng:
"Grandpa Liu, thank you for your hard work. We will be careful, and please keep an eye on Shi Nian's movements as well."
Afterwards, the group headed towards the Soul Arena.
The next two days, Barak Academy's competition went exceptionally smoothly.
The opponents they encountered were all from relatively weak academies, with the highest soul power level being only level 43 Soul Master, posing no threat to Soul Kings like Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan.
In each match, Shui Bing'er and her six friends could finish the battle in just a few minutes thanks to their tacit cooperation. Xue Tianxing never had a chance to make a move and stood on the sidelines as a "spectator" throughout the entire match.
That evening, Barak Academy had just won a game and was preparing to return to their hotel.
The group walked slowly along the streets of Tiandou City. The pedestrians gradually dispersed, and the setting sun cast long shadows of them.
Just then, an old woman dressed in gray cloth and with gray hair suddenly came out from the alley next to them and blocked their way.
The old woman had a kind smile on her face and was carrying a basket in her hand; she looked like an ordinary elderly woman from the marketplace.
She looked Xue Tianxing and his companions up and down, then asked:
"Young men, judging from your attire and badges, you must all be from Barak Academy, right?"
Xue Tianxing's heart stirred slightly as he observed the old woman discreetly. The fluctuations of her soul power were almost completely concealed. If it weren't for his own soul power reaching the Soul Emperor level, making him exceptionally sensitive to changes in energy, he would probably have mistaken her for an ordinary old woman.
Xue Tianxing nodded and said calmly:
"That's right, we are from Barak Academy. May I ask, sir, what can I do for you?"
When the old woman heard Xue Tianxing admit it directly, her smile widened even more, and she said repeatedly:
"That's good, that's good! My grandson has always admired the Soul Masters of Barak Academy. He heard you were having a competition here today, so he specifically asked me to come and see if I could meet you..."
Before she could finish speaking, the kind smile on her face vanished, replaced by a ferocious expression.
A powerful surge of soul energy erupted from her body, and the surrounding air seemed to solidify under its pressure.
The old woman suddenly raised the basket in her hand, which shattered instantly, revealing a gleaming bone staff. She shouted sharply at Xue Tianxing and the others:
"Since you're from Barak Academy, then you're all dead!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the old woman waved her bone staff, and a dark energy wave rushed towards Xue Tianxing and the others.
Xue Tianxing and the others' expressions changed. They never expected that this seemingly ordinary old woman was actually a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse!
Just at this critical moment, a silver sword light suddenly flashed from the shadows beside them, and with a crisp "clang", it accurately blocked the dark energy wave.
Liu Tianfeng appeared instantly in front of Xue Tianxing and the others, his long sword gleaming coldly, his eyes fixed on the old woman with icy eyes.
The old woman looked at Liu Tianfeng, who had suddenly appeared, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and then gritted her teeth and said:
"I never expected that Barak Academy would actually arrange for a Title Douluo to protect you in the shadows! It seems your lives are more precious than I thought."
She knew she was no match for a Title Douluo, and the thought of retreating instantly arose in her mind.
Taking advantage of the moment when Liu Tianfeng blocked the attack, the old woman suddenly leaped backward and turned to run into the depths of the alley at an astonishing speed.
"Trying to run? Not so easy!"
Liu Tianfeng snorted coldly, his soul power erupted from his feet, and his figure chased after him like a ghost.
He was worried that the old woman had accomplices, so he dared not stray too far from Xue Tianxing and the others. He could only pursue her while releasing his soul power to slow her down.
Xue Tianxing and the others stood there, watching Liu Tianfeng and the old woman's departing figures, still feeling a lingering fear. Dugu Yan, catching her breath, said with a pale face:
"That old woman was actually a Contra Master! Luckily, Grandpa Liu was here, otherwise we would have been in danger today."
Shui Bing'er held Xue Tianxing's hand tightly and said worriedly:
"Won't it be dangerous for Grandpa Liu to chase after her alone? Since that old woman dared to launch a sneak attack, she might have had accomplices."
Xue Tianxing shook his head, his eyes resolute, and said:
"Don't worry, Grandpa Liu is a Title Douluo. Although that old woman is a Soul Douluo, she is no match for Grandpa Liu."
However, this incident also reminds us that Shi Nian is probably not the only one targeting us, and we need to be even more careful from now on.
No sooner had Xue Tianxing finished speaking than a sinister voice came from behind him, sending chills down one's spine like the flick of a venomous snake:
"Kid, you're quite good at pretending to be calm. But you probably didn't expect that I would not only dare to come, but also dare to make a move right under Liu Tianfeng's nose, did you?"
Xue Tianxing and his companions suddenly turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a gray robe walking slowly towards them under a streetlamp not far away.
His face was thin, his eyes were cloudy, and he exuded a faint, eerie aura. He was none other than Shi Nian, the dean of Canghui Academy whom Liu Tianfeng had been searching for for several days!
Shi Nian stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping greedily over Xue Tianxing and his companions, as if he were examining rare treasures.
Xue Tianxing suppressed his vigilance and spoke:
"Shi Nian, you dare to attack us now, aren't you afraid that Grandpa Liu will come back soon?"
"And if you mess with us, the Kingdom of Barak will never let Canghui Academy off the hook. Then, even if you want to run, you won't be able to escape!"
"Hahaha!"
Shi Nian suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with disdain, and then continued:
"You think I didn't anticipate this? That old woman named Blood Robe was someone I specifically brought in to keep Liu Tianfeng in check."
Although she was only a Soul Douluo, her greatest skill was escaping; delaying Liu Tianfeng for half an hour wouldn't be a problem. And half an hour was enough for me to deal with you little brats and extract your soul bones!
Shi Nian paused, his eyes growing increasingly sinister, and said greedily to Xue Tianxing and the others:
"As for Canghui Academy? That's just a temporary place for me to stay."
Once I obtain your soul bones and further enhance my strength, I can either become an elder in the Spirit Hall or a guest elder in the Xingluo Empire. At that time, who will care about a small Canghui Academy?
The world is vast, there is always a place for me!