C14 The Calamity of Blood

The shadow loomed menacingly. Nangong Yue couldn't dodge in time and was seized by it. She didn't even have a chance to scream for help before her phone clattered to the ground.

"Sect Master, did you hear something...?"

"Ah, I told you there was a sign of impending doom. You wouldn't believe me," Lee Xuan muttered.

Panic surged through Nangong Yue. This wasn't her first brush with abduction; her family's wealth had always made her a target. But she had never faced such a brutal assailant. The blood on the knife was unmistakable.

"Lucky me, catching such a beauty," the attacker sneered, wiping the blade. Nangong Yue's gaze fell on a young girl's body on the ground, her face turning deathly pale.

"I'll give you money, you want money, right? I can give you so much..."

"Money? What good is your money to me?" the attacker scoffed. It dawned on Nangong Yue that he was after her life.

Who could be behind this? She recalled Lee Xuan's cryptic warning with regret. Was he right all along?

Just as Nangong Yue feared the worst, Loong Ling appeared at the warehouse entrance, ethereal as a nymph. A shadow descended upon the man's head, delivering a just blow that knocked him out cold. Without hesitation, the call to the authorities was made.

Watching Lee Xuan's swift actions, Loong Ling couldn't help but feel this was unlike the fabled code of the sects.

"Sect Master, why involve the police? Shouldn't we settle this within the martial community?"

"Have you been watching too many dramas? What martial community? This man has blood on his hands. If we don't turn him over to the authorities to uncover the mastermind, do you think merely killing him solves everything?" Lee Xuan chided, leaving Loong Ling flushed with embarrassment.

They then turned their attention to Nangong Yue. Now safe from harm, she broke down in tears.

It was only then that she truly believed Lee Xuan's words were the truth.

"Now do you believe me? Join our Azure Cloud Academy. Once you're with us, you'll be able to protect yourself. No one here will be able to harm you!" Lee Xuan extended his hand, though he couldn't shake the feeling that he must look incredibly suspicious at that moment.

Nangong Yue, still shaken from her brush with death, failed to notice. Her hand shook as she clutched Lee Xuan's, nodding vigorously in agreement.

Lee Xuan was basking in his success when Loong Ling approached him with exciting news. "Sect Master, several of my fans want to join the Azure Cloud Academy!"

"Really? That's fantastic! You truly are the eldest senior sister of our academy! You're amazing!" Lee Xuan was ecstatic, as thrilled as someone who had just won the lottery.

In his excitement, he forgot all about maintaining proper decorum and rushed over to give Loong Ling a big hug. She stood there, stunned, her face turning as red as a ripe tomato.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I just got carried away," Lee Xuan apologized, dabbing away tears from his eyes.

Girls really did have it better, he thought. He had worked so hard to persuade just one person to join, and here was Loong Ling effortlessly bringing in five new recruits! She was nothing short of a miracle worker.

"Congratulations, host! You have successfully recruited a Heaven Grade Spirit Root disciple! You've been awarded 50,000 points, bringing your total to 112,000! Additionally, you've received one Heart Protection Bell and five Low Grade Spirit Swords!"

"Congratulations, host! You've successfully recruited six new disciples! You've been awarded 10,000 points, bringing your total to 122,000!"

It seemed the rewards diminished with each new recruit. However, the bounty for securing a Heaven Grade Spirit Root was incredibly lavish! Lee Xuan was over the moon with joy, his smile beaming.

With 122,000 points, he could afford plenty of new acquisitions! And with the extra 100,000 yuan from Nangong Yue, he wouldn't have to worry about his needs for a good while.

Lee Xuan could barely contain his laughter, his mouth betraying his amusement, which only served to enhance Loong Ling's already radiant smile.

"Alright, we've essentially completed our mission. Let's take the new disciples back with us," Lee Xuan said cheerfully, eager to meet the newcomers.

Loong Ling had already informed them about the location of Azure Cloud Mountain and urged them to head there early.

These individuals all had connections to Loong Ling. They claimed to be fans eager for her contact information, but their true intention was to court Loong Ling!

They were a mix of the wealthy and the noble, standing at the base of a desolate ravine, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

"Are we sure this is the place Loong Ling mentioned? It looks completely barren. Could she have been misled?" one of them questioned.

"Are you only starting to doubt this now?" another scoffed in response.

"We've definitely been duped. What kind of academy is called Azure Cloud Academy? It's absurd! We might as well have signed up for excavator lessons!" they complained among themselves.

Lee Xuan overheard their gripes and swiftly smacked the back of their heads as a mild reprimand.

Turning around, they were met with a man even younger than themselves, who could easily pass for a high school student, and their dream idol—Loong Ling.

"Ling, you're even more beautiful than before!" one of them exclaimed, presenting her with a bouquet of flowers.

Witnessing this, Lee Xuan realized these people weren't genuinely interested in joining the Azure Cloud Academy.

After patting their heads, Lee Xuan assessed their Spirit Roots. They were decent enough to handle menial tasks within the academy.

"So, are you all planning to join our Azure Cloud Academy?" he inquired.

"...Hehe, get out of here. What Azure Cloud Academy? I've never even heard of it..." one of them retorted dismissively, seeing Lee Xuan as nothing more than a competitor.

Loong Ling overheard the exchange and stepped in front of Lee Xuan, fixing the man with a fierce stare.

"Show some respect to our Sect Master!"

"Damn, this girl's gotten way more attractive since I last saw her, but why does it seem like she's lost her wits?" one of them muttered.

"Sect Master? Are you kidding me? Have they gotten so caught up in their role that they can't snap out of it?"

A handful of wealthy heirs were visibly perplexed, scratching their heads in confusion. They didn't grasp the concept of getting into character and were haphazardly trying to apply it.

Nevertheless, they had managed to persuade themselves.

Driven by love, they were all eager to join the Azure Cloud Academy.

What they didn't realize was that from the moment the system recognized their enrollment at the Azure Cloud Academy, they were bound to it with no option to leave.

"... Okay, okay, greetings Sect Master."