Chapter 317: Seen Before

　　Ye Zhiting was shocked. “What happened?!”

　　Elder Wei Yun rushed over and looked very anxious. “Just now, we carefully checked under Jiuyou Tower, but we didn’t find the fiend’s aura. At first, we thought that it temporarily quietened down because Jiuyou Tower collapsed. However, it still had no movements after a long while. We then discovered that the fiend is no longer in the Pit of Heavenly Origins below!”

　　Chu Liuyue’s eyes sparkled slightly.

　　Ye Zhiting hurriedly walked toward the debris. “How can that be? There would definitely be a commotion if it escaped!”

　　Even though the Locking Heaven Formation was broken, the silver pestle was still working, and it could detect any happenings within Jiuyou Tower. However, Ye Zhiting didn’t notice anything amiss previously.

　　Elder Wei Yun felt even more nervous as he wiped his sweat. “This… Um, we’ve checked for a long time, but we didn’t discover anything…”

　　At this point, Ye Zhiting had already reached the side of the collapsed Jiuyou Tower. He closed his eyes, and his force circulated out, instantly covering it.

　　After a moment, he opened his eyes and furrowed his brows. “The beast really isn’t around anymore…”

　　Sun Zhongyan dazedly asked, “Uncle-Master, you said that the fiend is gone. What… does that mean?”

　　Did the fiend run away, or is it dead?

　　Ye Zhiting was silent for a while before he turned around to look at Chu Liuyue and Rong Xiu. “Did you two discover anything wrong when you were in Jiuyou Tower?”

　　Chu Liuyue’s brows twitched.

　　Rong Xiu was the first to speak up. “Nope. Back then, both of us were on the sixth floor when Jiuyou Tower collapsed, and we got out with much difficulty.”

　　Chu Liuyue looked at him silently. Why does Rong Xiu keep emphasizing the sixth floor?

　　“Did anyone go up another floor?” asked Ye Zhiting again.

　　Chu Liuyue had telepathy and shook her head together with Rong Xiu.

　　Ye Zhiting sighed. “Perhaps I’m too foolish. How can the two of you go in there…”

　　Faint confusion flashed across Chu Liuyue’s heart. Elder Ye seems to know what was on the seventh floor, and he might even be very sure that the fiend was suppressed on the seventh floor! He is Tian Lu Academy’s director, so it is normal for him to know these things. But… what about Rong Xiu?

　　Back then, he was outside the seventh-floor barrier, and he had personally seen me coming out from the seventh floor. However, he doesn’t seem to want others to know about this. It is clear that he knows that the seventh floor was different. Perhaps… Rong Xiu also knows the secret of the seventh floor—both the legendary three-eyed eagle and… the Heavenly Square Cauldron?

　　“Weird… Why would the fiend suddenly disappear…?” Ye Zhiting slowly shook the fan in his hands and was very confused.

　　Sun Zhongyan suddenly said, “Oh, yes. Previously, the green sparrow had also entered Jiuyou Tower. Perhaps we can get some clues from it?”

　　Ye Zhiting’s eyes sparkled as he hurriedly walked toward Mu Qinghe.

　　From the start till now, Mu Qinghe had been watching the event unfold coldly, but Ye Zhiting didn’t mind this.

　　As Tianling Dynasty’s envoy, Mu Qinghe had no reason to interfere in this. However, he was formidable and had been watching the whole time, so he might know something.

　　When Ye Zhiting walked over, Hong Yao was squatting on Mu Qinghe’s shoulders, lazily brushing its feathers.

　　“Lieutenant Mu, I have a few questions. May I ask your fiend?”

　　Mu Qinghe looked at Hong Yao.

　　Hong Yao then stopped and scrutinized Ye Zhiting.

　　Ye Zhiting coughed. “May I know… if the wound on your body is caused by the fiend?”

　　Hong Yao’s eyes widened, and it angrily turned its head. I just suffered a minor injury, and I’ve basically recovered already. Why must you talk about this?

　　Mu Qinghe was expressionless. “That’s right.”

　　Ye Zhiting asked again, “Then… Do you know what happened to it?”

　　Hong Yao crazily shook its head.

　　However, Ye Zhiting didn’t quite believe it. “Really? Then… you should at least know if it’s dead or alive, right?”

　　The green sparrow was an advanced fiend and had a distinguished status. How could Hong Yao leave it lying when it got injured?

　　Hong Yao continued to shake its head and decisively buried its head under its wings, unwilling to say anything else.

　　Looking at it, Ye Zhiting knew that he wouldn’t find out anything if he continued asking, so he gave up. “Thank you, Lieutenant Mu. It seems like I have to investigate this matter from another perspective.”

　　Mu Qinghe suddenly said, “Jiuyou Tower is built specifically to suppress that fiend, right?”

　　Ye Zhiting was dazed first, and then he nodded.

　　“Now that the fiend has already escaped and Jiuyou Tower has collapsed, it’s not important anymore. What are you worried about? The most important thing is that the Pit of Heavenly Origins below is still here, right?” Mu Qinghe’s voice was still cold and nonchalant.

　　“You’re right to say that, Lieutenant Mu. However…” Ye Zhiting felt his head hurt. However, Jiuyou Tower had been here since the establishment of Tian Lu Academy. Now that it is ruined, I, the director, don’t feel good about it.

　　That fiend… Many thoughts popped up in Ye Zhiting’s heart, but he could only sigh. “Since things have already ended like this, we have no other way.”

　　As he talked, he turned around to look at Elder Wei Yun and the rest. “Use the Xuan formation to lock this place up first and then clean it up.”

　　The crowd hurriedly agreed.

　　Sun Zhongyan hesitated for a while and still asked worriedly, “Uncle-Master, what should we do in the future then? Without Jiuyou Tower, the Pit of Heavenly Origins’s force can be a little hard to tolerate for many students…”

　　“You don’t have to worry about this. After a while, we can just build another nine-story tower here.”

　　This newly-built tower definitely wouldn’t be as strong as the one before, but at least it could provide a place to let the students cultivate.

　　Since the fiend was gone, there was nothing much to worry about.

　　The crowd looked at each other and agreed to it when they realized that this was the best solution.

　　Then, Sun Zhongyan quickly let the students leave, leaving behind the elders and teachers to handle the pile of debris together.

　　Mu Qinghe didn’t want to stay any longer, and he turned around to leave. But when he walked past Chu Liuyue, he looked at her with deep meaning. “You seem to be stronger than I had imagined.”

　　Chu Liuyue looked calm. “Thank you for your praise, Lieutenant Mu.”

　　“You know yourself if it’s praise. After all, not everyone can make it to the sixth floor with a Yuan instrument.” Mu Qinghe’s gaze was filled with inspection intent.

　　Chu Liuyue smiled. “Actually, this is all due to Tuan Zi’s efforts. I’m just a stage-two warrior, and I’m really too lowly.”

　　The battle with Heng Jingchuo at the Qing Jiao Competition let everyone know that she had an abnormal blood ferret.

　　Mu Qinghe’s gaze swept past Tuan Zi—who was on Chu Liuyue’s shoulders—and he suddenly said, “I seem to have seen the aura around your fiend from somewhere before.”