Chapter 353: Ghost Eye Pupil Technique

"Novel 'Dominating the Nine Heavens' from Cool Notes ()" Find the latest chapter!

Winnie's face turned pitch black with rage as she shrieked wildly. Fatty shuddered all over, then suddenly felt a burning heat on his ass. Too preoccupied to continue his emotional moment with Old Wang, he jumped up in pain: "Fire, fire! My ass is getting fried to a crisp!"

Slapping his ass and sweating profusely, he dashed around the room in panic. Mo Tong kicked him squarely on the rear—the flames were extinguished, but Fatty flew out and crashed into the wall with a loud *bang*, making the whole dorm shake like an earthquake.

The others burst into laughter. Old Wang glanced around and saw Xue Zhiyu's slightly reddened eyes, Kela's face full of relieved relaxation, the Aota brothers and Tatashi grinning foolishly, while Blackie leaned lazily against the doorway with his sword, a faint smirk on his lips as he raised two fingers in greeting to Old Wang.

Even Mo Tong, who usually couldn't stand Old Wang, couldn't hold back his laughter—though his dumb mouth still ran its usual crap: "I told you guys this bastard wouldn't die! With all his cunning, he'd outlive even Haikula! Hell, Haikula probably crawled out because he got tricked by him. What were you all worried for?"

Old Wang was speechless. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.

Seeing their genuinely joyful faces, Old Wang laughed heartily and spread his arms wide: "Come on, don't be shy! Let's have a proper hug!"

…………

The dormitory was brightly lit, and after days of worry and longing, the group naturally had endless topics to discuss.

The Aota brothers and Mo Tong volunteered to make a trip to Dragon City to buy spicy rabbit heads and Five Venoms Wine for Old Wang, whose stomach was growling after waking up. Once the food and drinks arrived, the celebration began—they were in for another all-nighter.

Naturally, everyone was most curious about what had happened to Old Wang in the final two layers of the Soul Illusory Realm. But Old Wang didn’t elaborate much. It wasn’t that he distrusted his friends—some things were better left unknown for their own good.

His explanation was identical to what he had told Yakray earlier—playing dumb—keeping his story consistent.

When he finished, Winnie and the others believed him without question. Only Blackie gave Old Wang a smile that said he knew more than he let on.

The soul tempering in the third layer had greatly benefited Blackie. Before, his Ghost Nightmare form had been a forced, overreaching technique. But after the soul tempering, Blackie felt he could now maintain it as a normal state.

Perhaps his soul power hadn’t fully completed the final step to ghost level, but his realm had already reached it. Blackie felt he could unleash ghost-level combat power at any time, with no unbearable strain on his body or soul.

As for his Ghost Eyes, they had transformed from a normal skill into an instinct—one of the continent's top-tier vision arts. Blackie had thought he could now fully see through Wang Feng’s soul state, but after intentionally observing him earlier, the realization rocked him to his core.

It wasn’t because he saw any changes in Wang Feng—but precisely because he saw none. Despite his enhanced perception, Wang Feng seemed completely ordinary, exactly the same as before.

An ordinary person might overlook this, but Blackie, especially after his recent breakthrough, knew better. Wang Feng had undergone the trials of the illusion realm, survived the fifth layer, and emerged unscathed—there should have been changes.

The absence of change meant only one thing: Wang Feng was controlling it.

And if he could conceal it so well that even Blackie—or even top experts like the Sword Devil—couldn’t detect it, that was extraordinary.

Blackie was also aware of Wang Feng’s circumstances and the events surrounding him. But with his own imminent departure, he couldn’t press further. Raising his glass, he clinked it with Old Wang’s and said meaningfully, "Good to have you back, brother."

"Wang Feng, Wang Feng! We need to talk about something important!"

Unlike Blackie, Winnie lacked his ocular perception. In her eyes, getting knocked out cold was just typical Wang Feng behavior—hardly worth discussing. What truly mattered was the bombshell news she’d heard from her family’s liaison these past two days.

Winnie’s expression turned solemn as she set down her glass: "They've taken our headmaster!"

"Yeah." Wang Feng responded casually.

The others found it odd. Wasn’t Wang Feng usually closest to Karida? Yet he didn’t seem the least bit surprised or concerned.

Winnie widened her eyes: "You’re not shocked?"

"Got wind of it already."

Winnie rolled her eyes: "You just got out, yet you’re already so well-informed..."

"Give me the details." Wang Feng remained calm. He had already weighed the situation regarding Sister Da. Truthfully, he wasn’t overly worried—those fossilized old bastards in the Holy Sanctuary wouldn’t find it easy to move against Karida.

"It should have been shortly after we left Rose Academy that Karida was taken to the Holy City by the Holy Sanctuary, but it was kept secret. Now, Rose Academy still thinks Karida is just on an official business trip," Winnie said. "According to my intel, Karida is under house arrest in the Holy City, which isn't the worst situation. The Holy City's arbitration court will likely file formal charges against her soon, with many accusations and substantial evidence that will be hard to overturn. It'll be difficult for Karida to be acquitted..."

Old Wang pondered, while Xue Zhiyu spoke up beside him: "Some of the charges are related to her last trip to Ice Spirit Kingdom. I've already written to my father, asking him to defend Karida as much as possible. We'll also leverage Ice Spirit Kingdom's influence within the Blade Temple to pressure the Holy Sanctuary. But since the Blade Temple and the Holy Sanctuary operate under different systems, we can only advise, not interfere. I doubt it'll have much effect. Wang Feng, if Karida can no longer serve as Rose Academy's principal, my suggestion is that you shouldn't return. Right now, Rose Academy is full of hostility toward you—even the mayor of Aurora City has been replaced, and they're targeting the Lei family..."

She paused briefly, her bright eyes flashing: "Wang Feng, come to Ice Spirit Kingdom with me! With Ice Spirit Kingdom's protection, no one in the Blade Temple can touch you!"

Winnie nodded vigorously beside her. Old Wang chuckled, but then Hei Wukai also spoke up: "I also suggest you go to Ice Spirit Kingdom."

"The Blade Temple's Holy Sanctuary is riddled with internal issues right now—it's a turbulent time," he said, a hint of regret flashing across his face. "I wanted to stand by your side, but yesterday I received orders from the princess to return to Mandala Kingdom... Royal commands cannot be disobeyed, brother. Both Mo Tong and I are powerless to help. Right now, Ice Spirit Kingdom is probably the only safe place for you in the Blade Temple."

Mo Tong nodded regretfully beside him: "Wang Feng, even though you're kind of dumb, kind of bad, kind of... well, overall, you're still a decent guy. I wanted to help you fight, but now it seems I can't. Without me protecting you, you won't make it!"

"Exactly!" Ao Ta chimed in. "What's so great about that lousy Aurora City compared to our Ice Spirit Kingdom? Even the wine tastes like seawater! Big bro, come back to Ice Spirit Kingdom with us—I'll take you to live in Ice Valley. With the elders there, who in the Blade Temple would dare move against you?"

Going to Ice Valley would be great—he *had* to go to Ice Valley! Otherwise, if Wang Feng ended up staying in the palace, spending every day with Zhiyu... Ao Ta felt like he'd lose his appetite and sleep all over again.

Kela and Fan Te Xi also nodded in agreement. This issue had been discussed countless times over the past few days, and everyone unanimously agreed that Ice Spirit Kingdom was the best option for Old Wang.

All eyes turned to Wang Feng, awaiting his final decision. Xue Zhiyu's gaze was full of expectation, but Old Wang just waved his hand with a laugh: "Brothers, brothers... like you said, I don't have much talent, but those who try to mess with me never seem to end well. Let's not rush—we'll take it step by step. No matter what, we all made it out of that hellhole alive. That's worth celebrating."

He raised his glass: "Today's a joyous reunion! To the awesome Old Hei and Mo Tong—cheers!"

This toast was necessary. Without these two, who knew what would've happened to Rose Academy—or even the Holy Sanctuary? Hei Wukai was truly unstoppable; that Ye Dun guy couldn't even compare.

………………

*"Nine-Headed Dragon Haikula Reappears in the World; Dragon City Conflict Ends"*

*"War Academy's Top Ten Fall; Holy Sanctuary Achieves Decisive Victory—Elite Education Far Superior to Nine Gods Empire"*

*"Holy Sanctuary Suffers Heavy Casualties; Only Over 100 of 500 Disciples Return"*

*"Who Really Won? Comparing Casualty Ratios Between Elite and Regular Disciples"*...

The Dragon City conflict finally had its outcome, with both the Blade Temple and the Nine Gods Empire publishing extensive reports. Haikula was undoubtedly the focal point, especially in the initial days when people panicked over the prophecy of "great calamity in Dragon Abyss Sea," which drew global attention and stirred fear among coastal communities. But after several days of calm, the incident was quickly forgotten—some even speculated that the witnesses in Dragon City had merely seen an illusion as the Soul Illusory Realm dissipated, and that Haikula hadn't actually reappeared.

This theory soon became mainstream. After all, it *was* the Soul Illusory Realm—strange phenomena during its dissipation were normal. Attention swiftly shifted back to Dragon City itself, with heated debates over who won between the Blade Temple and Nine Gods Empire. Of course, this was destined to remain unresolved.

The Holy Sanctuary claimed victory, having taken down three of the War Academy's Top Ten—Beast King Obololo, Blood Demon Manku, and Golden Left Hand Mingji—while severely wounding the second-ranked Steel Demon Kaiser. Meanwhile, none of the Holy Sanctuary's Top Ten had fallen—a clear triumph!

Of course, Xiao Bang rose to fame—a rising star from the Dragonmoon Empire. The stronger a nation, the more it needed figures like him.

But the War Academy saw things differently. They believed *they* were the victors based on average combat prowess and casualty ratios, where they clearly held the upper hand, having killed more Holy Sanctuary disciples—proof of Nine Gods' superior reserves. Moreover, the Holy Sanctuary's kills against their Top Ten were questionable: either through shameless ganging up (like Ye Dun's group) or by relying on external aid! In the end, it was Hei Wukai and the Eight Tribes who truly held off Nine Gods—what did the Holy Sanctuary have to do with it? Without Hei Wukai, Long Feixue alone could've wiped out the Holy Sanctuary's Top Ten. How dare they claim victory!

Both sides insisted they were right, with neither willing to concede. The original agreement on Dragon City's ownership reverted to the old stalemate—another unresolved dispute.

The bickering continued, fueling endless debates. Both the Blade Temple and Nine Gods Empire were accustomed to such deadlocks, which mostly served as dinner-table gossip.

Unlike the Blade Temple's outright vilification of Nine Gods, Nine Gods' official media and public alike mythologized Hei Wukai—a clear attempt to elevate neutral factions like him and the Eight Tribes while belittling the Holy Sanctuary. Unfortunately, the Holy Sanctuary had no rebuttal.

Hei Wukai's strength was undeniable. His consecutive victories in the Soul Illusory Realm, especially his clashes with Long Feixue, had made him the Blade Temple's de facto champion, while Ye Dun—the Holy Sanctuary's supposed leader—was criticized for lacking confidence and resorting to group tactics (though this was only rumor; the *Holy Light* wouldn't report it, but survivors from Dragon City knew).

This contrast in portrayal made Hei Wukai a sensation, cementing him and Long Feixue as the undisputed top talents of their generation.

Even more terrifying, both had achieved the unprecedented feat of reaching Ghost-level before twenty—one with the Ghost Yaksha talent, the other with celestial grace. Truly, a peerless duo!

The public bickering between the Blade Temple and Nine Gods Empire was superficial. The heated discussions among the masses and the media's distortions were just propaganda, each side steering narratives in their favor—more entertainment than substance. But behind the scenes, the higher-ups had their own assessment criteria.

This battle had no clear winner. Setting aside the Holy Sanctuary's reaction, within Nine Gods Empire, it served as a wake-up call to warmongers: the Blade Temple wasn't as weak as imagined—they could put up a fight. Now wasn't the time for war. Until the Sea Clan issue was resolved, Nine Gods needed to adjust its strategy.

Chongming Side Palace—where the Regent Crown Prince held council.

The side palace was abuzz with noisy arguments. Emperor Longkang had been in seclusion for over a month, immersed in the path of the Supreme Saint—his usual routine, with no telling when he'd emerge. In his absence, such chaotic debates were the norm during the Regent Crown Prince's assemblies.

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