Chapter 63: Wretched Luo Ling, Soul Cang Unleashes Murderous Intent

Canaan Academy.
Outer courtyard, plaza.
A large crowd of students surrounded the area, the noise roaring to the heavens. Amidst the heated discussions, all eyes converged on the center.
There stood a combat stage where two groups of people confronted each other.
"Luo Ling, seriously, treating those girls like this is crossing the line," a middle-aged man said to the young man beside him.
"Instructor Yang, spare me the act. Others might lecture me, but you certainly can't. Besides, haven't you been lusting after Xiao Mei for quite some time yourself?" Luo Ling frowned in disgust, bluntly exposing the man.
Instructor Yang Fan chuckled, showing not the slightest hint of embarrassment. His long, narrow eyes drifted toward the girls on the opposite side as his tongue licked his lips.
Turning around, Yang Fan asked the other side, "Jiang Xiaolan, are you confident against Xiao Yu?"
"No problem," a girl replied crisply and decisively.
If Hun Cang were here at this moment, he would recognize this Jiang Xiaolan as the very same girl who had participated in the preliminary assessment with him, shared his team, and was ultimately eliminated.
Yang Fan mused, "Don't be careless. Xiao Yu somehow managed to get her hands on some medicinal pills; her strength has grown rapidly recently, and she has broken through to the Dou Shi realm."
"Mm." Jiang Xiaolan nodded slightly, a flicker of venom flashing in the depths of her eyes as her gaze swept over Xiao Yu.
If it hadn't been for Hun Cang back then, she surely would have advanced to become an inner courtyard student.
...
On the other side of the stage.
Xiao Yu adjusted her breathing, her expression grave. The upcoming battle would determine the stay or departure of herself, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Mei.
The pressure weighing on them was immense.
"Shall I go up instead?" Seeing Xiao Yu's heavy state of mind, Xiao Xun'er spoke up. As her autumn-water-like eyes swept across Luo Ling and the others, a faint trace of golden flame flickered within them.
Xiao Yu shook her head. "Before Lord Cang Wang entered the inner courtyard, he left us so many medicinal pills. I cannot let down his expectations of me. I must fight this battle today myself."
"That's right, Sister. Fight with all your might. No matter the outcome, I won't blame you," Xiao Ning shouted loudly.
Nearby, Hou De was conversing with a female instructor when he caught wind of the commotion.
That woman walked over and said, "No matter the result, I won't let their scheme succeed. Don't worry, I haven't spent all these years in the academy for nothing."
"Instructor Ruolin, thank you." Xiao Yu nodded heavily.
Hou De also chimed in, "The academy has been keeping an eye on what Luo Ling has been doing all these years. Canaan Academy has not sunk to the point of being manipulated by a few inner courtyard students."
Soon, an instructor stepped onto the stage to announce that the two contestants should prepare.
Xiao Yu stepped onto the stage and cupped her fists in salute.
"Don't blame me; if you want to blame someone, blame Hun Cang. I have no grudge against you, but because of him, I failed the inner courtyard assessment back then. I have never forgotten that debt," Jiang Xiaolan said coldly.
Xiao Yu paused, then shook her head. "Cut the crap. In my heart, Lord Cang Wang is not the type to cause malicious trouble. You must have brought it upon yourself by acting vile."
Before the words had even faded, as if poked in a sore spot, Jiang Xiaolan launched an active attack, and Xiao Yu did not show weakness.
The two figures instantly collided, fists and feet exchanging blows as dull, rhythmic thuds echoed continuously.
After all, Jiang Xiaolan was someone capable of participating in the inner courtyard assessment; her strength was superior to Xiao Yu's. After just a few exchanges, Xiao Yu fell into a disadvantageous position and frequently resorted to a defensive posture.
At the edge of the stage, Xiao Ning clenched his fists with a worried expression, while Xiao Mei furrowed her brows, tense with anxiety.
Several times, seeing Xiao Yu take a hit, both of them held back their cries, terrified of distracting her.
After grappling for roughly forty-odd moves, Xiao Yu stumbled, momentarily losing her balance.
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Xiaolan hurled a Dou Qi-enveloped punch straight toward Xiao Yu's completely open chest.
This punch came with ferocious momentum; had it connected, a lighter outcome would be vomiting blood, while a heavier one would mean severe internal injuries.
The students watching around the stage instantly grew tense.
Jiang Xiaolan, standing directly opposite, saw the corners of Xiao Yu's lips curl upward slightly. Her heart tightened, and her eyes widened in shock.
To her surprise, the seemingly off-balance Xiao Yu braced one hand on the ground, instantly stabilizing her body, before snapping her leg straight and kicking toward Jiang Xiaolan's head with lightning speed.
A trap! Jiang Xiaolan realized too late, raising her arm to block Xiao Yu's attack. The tremendous force caused her own body to stagger visibly.
However, Jiang Xiaolan adjusted with extreme speed, leveraging the momentum to kick Xiao Yu squarely in the abdomen.
Xiao Yu slid a considerable distance across the ground before tumbling off the stage.
"You lost," Jiang Xiaolan stated coldly.
Helped up by Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei, Xiao Yu raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were dim, and she remained silent.
As the previous instructor announced the result, Luo Ling took the lead, leaping gracefully onto the stage and striding forward.
Standing at the edge of the platform, he looked down condescendingly at the members of the Xiao family before sweeping his gaze across the surroundings. "Everyone saw it, right? This is the fate of anyone who dares to offend me, Luo Ling. If any of you dare to be blind in the future, just wait to be kicked out of Canaan Academy."
"Luo Ling, stop acting so arrogant. When Lord Cang Wang returns, he'll definitely make you pay!" Xiao Ning roared angrily, unable to suppress his fury.
"Hun Cang?" Luo Ling lowered his head, a flash of disdain crossing his face. "You probably don't know yet, but he entered the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower five months ago. With not a single ripple of news in all this time, he's probably long dead inside. You still expect him to show up?"
"No, impossible! How could Lord Cang Wang die? Luo Ling, stop spouting nonsense here!" Xiao Mei's expression tightened, a surge of grief and indignation flashing in her eyes as she pointed a trembling finger at Luo Ling and cursed.
Luo Ling shrugged. "If you don't believe it, there's nothing I can do. Back during the assessment, Hun Cang offended so many senior inner courtyard students. Perhaps he was afraid of retaliation and hid inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. However, he probably didn't realize that the longer one stays in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, the more severe the erosion by the fire poison becomes."
All of this was information he had pried out from his older brother, Luo Fei.
It was said that during that period, people would stake out the entrance for Hun Cang every single day. Regrettably, ten days, half a month, or even two and three months passed without a single glimpse of his shadow.
It was precisely because of this that Luo Ling had regained his courage.
Xiao Xun'er lifted her eyelids slightly, casting a disgusted glance at Luo Ling. Just as she was about to speak, as if sensing something, her gaze drifted toward the sky behind Luo Ling.
Soon, Xiao Yu, Xiao Mei, and the others also turned their gazes upward.
Seeing this, Luo Ling paused slightly, slowly turning around, only to see a figure leap down from the back of a Griffin.
Boom!
In the center of the combat stage, a massive impact generated a deafening roar as dust billowed into the air.
"I generally dislike repeating myself," Hun Cang said slowly as his gaze swept toward Luo Ling.
Luo Ling raised a hand to point at Hun Cang and opened his mouth to speak, but his body suddenly staggered, tumbling sideways onto the ground. Lowering his head, he stared in mounting horror at his left leg, which was being slowly swallowed by leaping flames. A shriek of terror uncontrollably tore from his throat:
"Ah, my leg! My leg! Put it out, somebody help me put out the fire!"