Ye Qingchen hadn’t expected Zi Xing to come to Shenhuo Academy at this time. "Senior Sister Zi Xing," he said hurriedly, "my apologies. Our dean isn’t here."

Ye Qingchen naturally assumed that Zi Xing had come to Shenhuo Academy at this hour to look for Elder Yang, so he quickly informed her, afraid she had made a trip in vain.

Zi Xing nodded gently. Looking up at Ye Qingchen, she said, "I know. Elder Yang has gone to attend a high-level meeting at Central Celestial Academy and probably won’t be back so soon."

Ye Qingchen looked at Zi Xing in surprise. "Ah? I was wondering why I haven’t seen that old guy since I got back; it turns out he went to a meeting. But wait, Senior Sister Zi Xing, how did you know he went to a meeting?"

Zi Xing couldn’t help but chuckle at Ye Qingchen’s use of the term ’old guy’. Every teacher at Central Celestial Academy was a respected figure, and Elder Yang was the dean of an entire academy. Yet, to Ye Qingchen, he was just ’that old guy’. This was the first time since Zi Xing had joined Central Celestial Academy that she had heard someone dare to address a dean in such a manner. It was even more remarkable considering how domineering and invincible Elder Yang had been when dealing with Vice Dean Liu, yet his own disciple didn’t seem to fear him in the slightest.

However, Zi Xing patiently answered his question. "Junior Brother Ye, the upper echelons of Central Celestial Academy are surely aware of the Demon Clan’s invasion. As a major power in the central region, the academy naturally has a responsibility to contribute to the resistance. It’s not just Elder Yang; the dean and vice dean of our Ferocious Fire Academy were also summoned to the meeting."

The realization dawned on Ye Qingchen and he nodded, a tinge of jealousy creeping into his heart. Other academies are teeming with disciples. Even if the dean is away, there are still teachers to instruct and inform them. It’s nothing like Shenhuo Academy, where it’s just Elder Yang and me. When Elder Yang isn’t here, I’m completely in the dark. It’s no surprise, though. As the dean of Shenhuo Academy, Elder Yang would naturally need to discuss such a significant event with the other high-ranking members.

But then another question popped into his head. If Zi Xing didn’t come to find Elder Yang, why would she come to this godforsaken Shenhuo Academy?

With this in mind, Ye Qingchen asked, "Then what brings you here, Senior Sister Zi Xing? You’re not planning to... visit Shenhuo Academy, are you?"

Zi Xing nodded. "That’s right. I came here specifically to find you, Junior Brother Ye."

Ye Qingchen looked at her in astonishment but nodded nonetheless and invited her to proceed to Shenhuo Academy with him.

He led Zi Xing up the low hill. When they saw the bare mountaintop, the stele that stood just over a meter tall, and the dilapidated thatched huts, even someone with Ye Qingchen’s disposition couldn’t help but blush.

Ye Qingchen had once seen the Ferocious Fire Academy. Although he hadn’t gone inside, its magnificence was still fresh in his memory. Compared to that, Shenhuo Academy seemed pitifully shabby. Never mind comparing it to the main compound of the Ferocious Fire Academy; it was several grades worse than even the living quarters of their lowest-ranking disciples.

Zi Xing had often wondered what the mysterious Shenhuo Academy—the place that made its dean, Elder Yang, so overwhelmingly powerful—would actually look like. It was only now, upon truly seeing Shenhuo Academy for herself, that she understood what it meant to be a true master, unconcerned with worldly things. Compared to other academies, Shenhuo Academy might be simple and plain, but only such an environment could allow a disciple to be free from distractions and focus purely on cultivation. The path of cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current; if one cares too much for worldly comforts, one simply puts the cart before the horse.

Zi Xing nodded in satisfaction, but still voiced her curiosity, "Junior Brother Ye, why don’t I see any teachers from Shenhuo Academy, or any other disciples?"

Hearing her question, Ye Qingchen scratched his head in embarrassment. "Please don’t laugh, Senior Sister Zi Xing, but my senior brothers and sisters have all gone out to travel and train. This so-called Shenhuo Academy currently consists of just me and Elder Yang. No other teachers, no other disciples."

Zi Xing’s small mouth hung open in surprise at his explanation. A moment later, she spoke with a hint of envy. "Junior Brother Ye, I truly envy you for being able to join Shenhuo Academy. This place is a veritable holy land for cultivation."

Her words were heartfelt. In the Ferocious Fire Academy, disciples were numerous, which meant that when the various resources were distributed, the share for each person was meager. Of course, with Zi Xing’s talent, she naturally received more cultivation resources than others, but what she truly envied was Shenhuo Academy’s tranquility. With her beauty, she was always the center of attention wherever she went, a fact that she found incredibly vexing. That was why she felt such longing upon hearing that Shenhuo Academy contained only Elder Yang and Ye Qingchen.

However, that wasn’t how Ye Qingchen saw it. No matter what, he couldn’t believe anyone would genuinely like a place like Shenhuo Academy. Whether Zi Xing was saying it out of pity to comfort him or for some other reason, he didn’t want to dwell on the issue. Instead, he changed the subject. "Senior Sister Zi Xing, you said earlier that you came specifically to find me. Is there something you need?"

His question pulled Zi Xing back from her thoughts. "Junior Brother Ye, since Elder Yang isn’t here, you probably haven’t heard about the plans for dealing with the Demon Clan. Let me first tell you what arrangements the continent’s leaders have made regarding this invasion."

Noticing Ye Qingchen’s indifferent expression, she paused for a moment before continuing, "The human race has already dispatched a large number of experts to Eternal City. However, the Demon Clan is continuously sending their own masters through. It’s impossible to drive them back and completely seal the Devil’s Cave in a short amount of time, so we must prepare for a protracted war.

"That being said, our experts are not to be trifled with. They’ve already established nine defensive lines with the Devil’s Cave at the center to prevent the Demon Clan’s masters from breaking into the human world and starting a massacre."

Hearing this, Ye Qingchen remained quite dismissive. The Demon Clan invasion... no matter how I think about it, it isn’t something I’d be called upon to handle. I consider myself to have some strength, but if I were to truly face those Demon Clan masters, I probably wouldn’t last a single round before being killed. After all, I couldn’t even handle a low-rank demon before, and in this current invasion, the low-rank demons are clearly the weakest of the lot.

Zi Xing would never have expected Ye Qingchen to be so indifferent to such a critical matter. She clearly remembered how back in Eternal City, he had risked his own life to single-handedly hold off three low-rank demons!