At Bai-Xue's command, the situation inside Huang Academy began to change rapidly.
One by one, the ferocious beasts that had gone berserk suddenly turned and started running toward the forest.
High above the academy, Fri-Ze, the blazing phoenix, spread his massive wings and let out a sharp cry.
Following his master's will, he began driving all the beasts back toward the forest, carefully guiding them so they would not harm any remaining students or civilians.
At that moment, a shadow passed through the sky.
The Crown Prince's contracted beast—
the Dark Thunder Eagle—descended and hovered before Fri-Ze.
The eagle's sharp eyes fixed on him as it spoke in a deep, resonant voice.
"What are you trying to do?"
Fri-Ze glanced at him only once, then turned his gaze back toward the fleeing beasts.
"My master has ordered me," Fri-Ze replied calmly,
"to send all these beasts back into the forest so no human will be harmed."
"After that," he continued,
"the path to the forest must be sealed."
The Dark Thunder Eagle watched him work for a moment, then nodded.
"Then I will help you."
The two powerful beasts began working together—
one from the sky, one from above the cliffs—
forcing the beasts to retreat in an organized direction.
Seeing this, the academy masters and disciples finally understood what to do.
"Drive them back!"
"Force them into the forest!"
Everyone joined in.
Some used spiritual techniques.
Some commanded their beasts.
Others shook the cliffs and pushed down massive stones.
Prince Min-Sheng leaped onto a high cliff.
With a sharp shout, he thrust his sword forward.
BOOOOM—!
The blade struck a massive rock formation.
The cliff cracked violently, and a huge boulder collapsed, crashing down and blocking the forest path completely.
Dust filled the air.
The remaining beasts roared helplessly from behind the stone barrier.
Several masters stood guard with their contracted beasts, ensuring no creature could escape again.
Chief Master Jia-Hai hurried toward Prince Min-Sheng and the Crown Prince.
"Your Highnesses," he asked urgently,
"is First Princess Cai-Hang safe?"
The two princes exchanged a glance.
The Crown Prince nodded.
"Princess Cai-Hang is perfectly fine, Chief Master Jia-Hai."
Then his expression darkened.
"But... we have been unable to find Princess Bai-Xue anywhere."
"We searched everywhere," Min-Sheng added,
"but she is nowhere to be found."
Jia-Hai's pupils shrank.
"What?" he exclaimed.
"My granddaughter is not here?"
"When I last saw her," he continued,
"she was with the First Princess!"
Min-Sheng spoke carefully.
"The First Princess told us they escaped together and hid in a secure room."
"She fainted there due to an accident."
"When she woke up," his voice lowered,
"Princess Bai-Xue was already gone."
Jia-Hai stared at Min-Sheng coldly.
Inside his heart, killing intent surged.
You bastard...
You tried to kill my granddaughter.
And now you pretend to care about her more than anyone else.
Hah.
My heart wants to tear you apart right now.
But I can't.
Because Bai-Xue has plans for you.
That is the only reason you are still breathing.
His thoughts shifted quickly.
But what if they try to harm her again?
No...
Bai-Xue is no longer as weak as before.
If she disappeared, it must be by her own will.
Still... I must divert suspicion away from her.
Jia-Hai took a deep breath and spoke calmly.
"I believe," he said slowly,
"that due to the sudden beast attack, Bai-Xue may have hidden somewhere in fear."
"She must still be inside the academy."
"We should search the entire place again."
The Crown Prince nodded.
"We have already searched once," he said,
"but if you insist, we will try again."
Soon, everyone began searching the academy once more.
Meanwhile—
Because of the sudden partial opening of the mysterious portal,
Bai-Xue and Xing Jiang-Lin were thrown into an unfamiliar place.
A place where—
There was only darkness.
They couldn't even see each other.
"This place..." Xing Jiang-Lin muttered.
He gathered a portion of his spiritual energy and condensed it into the shape of a glowing crystal.
As the crystal lit up, the darkness receded.
The light revealed Bai-Xue sitting on the ground nearby.
She stood up slowly.
Then—
Her foot brushed against something hard.
She looked down.
Skeletons.
Human skeletons.
She raised her head and looked around.
The entire ground was covered with human and beast bones, piled layer upon layer.
It was a graveyard.
A slaughter pit.
Yet Bai-Xue's expression did not change.
Not even slightly.
Xing Jiang-Lin watched her carefully.
Not even a trace of fear...
Any normal person would panic in such a place.
But her face is calm—as if this is nothing unusual.
Behind that innocent appearance...
There is someone else hidden.
Someone I cannot see through.
The more I observe her...
The stronger my desire becomes to know her.
Everything about her.
At that moment, Bai-Xue spoke.
"What kind of place is this?"
"It looks like the lair of some powerful demon... or something similar."
Xing Jiang-Lin smirked faintly.
"What?" he said teasingly.
"Scared?"
"If you want, I can try to find a way out."
Bai-Xue shot him an irritated look.
"You look more scared than me," she said sharply.
"If you're afraid, you can leave."
She paused, then sneered.
"Oh right—
I forgot."
"We're trapped."
"So you can't go anywhere."
She crossed her arms.
"And if you're really that smart,"
"then find a way out and get lost."
"I won't leave until I finish my work here."
With that, she walked forward.
After moving deeper inside—
Both of them suddenly felt it.
A strange presence.
"...Someone is watching us," Xing Jiang-Lin muttered.
While he searched for clues, Bai-Xue noticed that his attention was no longer on her.
She quietly activated her Divine Vision.
But—
She saw nothing unusual.
Only skeletons.
Only stone.
Then—
She noticed it.
A strange stone.
Carved with ancient markings.
Dim purple light pulsed faintly from it.
Bai-Xue approached.
She placed her hand on the stone.
RUMBLE—!
The cave began to shake violently.
Purple light ignited inside the eye sockets of the skeletons beneath their feet.
One by one—
The skeletons began to rise.
As if awakened from an endless sleep.
Xing Jiang-Lin's eyes widened.
He rushed toward Bai-Xue instantly, pulling her behind him.
"Stay back!" he shouted.
"How did they stand up like this?"
He turned sharply toward her.
"What did you do?!"
Bai-Xue's lips curled upward.
"This is a trap," she said calmly.
"And we fell straight into it."
Then she smiled brightly.
"Good."
"Go fight them."
"Aren't you here to protect me?"
Xing Jiang-Lin glared at her, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"...Tch."
He drew his weapon and charged forward.
But at the same time—
Several skeletons turned—
And began surrounding Bai-Xue.