Chapter 83
Chapter 83
“How was the dormitory? Are you settling in all right?”
When Li Que entered the classroom, he looked at Ji Tian with genuine concern. The student truly had suffered a great deal.
“The dormitory is great. Thank you, Sir!” Ji Tian replied.
Then he added, “Sir, I had a dream last night too. There were so many venomous snakes…”
Lingering fear filled his voice.
“Fortunately, I had the jade sword you gave me.”
Li Que smiled.
“Dreams can actually be changed. Next time, try picking up your sword in the dream and cutting those snakes down.”
Ji Tian’s eyes lit up.
“All right. I understand!”
“One more thing before class,” Li Que continued.
“The school recently built a new stage. Vice Principal Leng and I discussed it, and we may hold an arts showcase in a few days.”
“Does anyone in our class want to perform?”
His face was encouraging.
Holding different kinds of school events had been part of the Long-Term Student Development Plan he drafted earlier. Now that they had a stage, this was the perfect opportunity.
Lin Xiaoyu and the others all looked toward Ji Tian.
Li Que smiled faintly as well.
“What do you think, Ji Tian? Are you interested?”
Ji Tian froze. After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
“If Sir wants me onstage… then I’ll do it!”
Li Que was pleased.
“Good. Spend the next few days preparing. Once Vice Principal Leng and I finalize the plan, you can register your performance.”
…
After class, Ji Tian returned directly to the dormitory and lay down.
“How do you sleep even more than I do?” Meng Mo asked in surprise.
“I’m going into my dream to learn how to slay snakes!”
Ji Tian’s face was full of anticipation.
The previous night, he had entered an unfamiliar dream. The darkness around him had been filled with venomous snakes.
Fortunately, he held a sword, so none of them dared move recklessly.
Today, Li Que had told him that he could take control of his dreams. At last, Ji Tian felt he knew what to do.
Then he dropped onto the bed and immediately fell asleep.
Meng Mo stared at him in silence.
“No. I need to work harder too. The way things are going, we may really have to fight those venomous snakes in a few days!”
He went to sleep as well.
Nian Youyu sat holding an armful of snacks, a complicated look passing over his face.
“I really don’t want to see the things inside that place…”
He sighed.
…
Elsewhere.
“Big Sister Bai Lu, I feel like my divine authority is still growing too slowly,” Lin Xiaoyu said seriously after returning to the dormitory.
“Is there any way for me to become stronger faster?”
“The conventional method is to build a great tomb spanning the Five Lakes and Four Seas, then absorb the power of the water veins,” Bai Lu replied indifferently.
Lin Xiaoyu was curious.
“What about an unconventional method?”
“Do you like looking in mirrors?” Bai Lu asked.
Lin Xiaoyu froze.
“Looking in a mirror… can give me the power of the Five Lakes and Four Seas?”
Bai Lu calmly handed her small mirror to Lin Xiaoyu.
Lin Xiaoyu accepted it.
In an instant, red cords appeared around her hands, while the shadow of a scarlet dragon coiled around her.
Then she saw something within the mirror.
Countless rivers seemed to be surging toward her.
“How can this be…”
She was stunned, but there was no time to think. She immediately raised the anomalous entity that carried her divine authority, using it to obstruct and master the terrifying floodwaters.
…
Elsewhere.
“Here is what I have in mind for the arts showcase,” Li Que said.
“All faculty and staff should participate. We can also invite the officials and business leaders who have visited the school recently.”
“First, having the students actively participate will build their confidence.”
“Second, it will let everyone see the spirit of our school.”
Leng Qingyan and Qin Shiyu lowered their heads and took notes.
“All right, Teacher Li. We’ll arrange it immediately!” Leng Qingyan said, looking up with an extremely grave expression.
They all understood that once Li Que truly began welcoming the Divine Gate, every faction would converge upon the school and watch his every move.
This time, the gathering would extend far beyond Jiangdong Province.
The Old-Grave Clans, and perhaps even the old ancestral hearths, might descend upon the school.
…
Before long, Leng Qingyan and Qin Shiyu finalized a preliminary plan and schedule for the event.
They immediately began sending invitations.
The arts showcase was set for three days later. In accordance with Li Que’s “instructions,” they invited every person they could possibly reach.
…
“They’re inviting every faction to attend an arts showcase at the school in three days?”
Shi Xuan and Xu Changjiang stared at the invitation in shock.
“Teacher Li is planning something enormous!” Xu Changjiang said, his expression complicated.
“The situation is already this tangled, yet he still has such confidence. I truly cannot fathom what he intends to do.”
Shi Xuan rose to his feet.
“Leave that aside for now. Send the invitations out first.”
…
“He wants to invite this many people to an arts showcase?”
Xun Silu curled his lip when he read the invitation.
“He certainly thinks highly of himself.”
Xun Fayin, however, fell into thought.
“To display such confidence…”
“In that case, we will give him a hand!”
“Notify the other Old-Grave Clans in the capital. Invite all of them to attend.”
“Brother, is that really necessary?” Xun Silu asked.
“If the Divine Gate is truly about to descend, the other Old-Grave Clans will never remain seated,” Xun Fayin replied calmly.
“Instead of letting them continue watching from the shadows, where they will be difficult to guard against, it is better to openly invite every faction into the game.”
“I also want to see exactly what Teacher Li intends to do.”
…
“That treacherous bastard!”
Elsewhere, Xu Jianye’s face darkened when he saw the invitation.
“Now that he has sent this out, the Old-Grave Clans in the capital will certainly swarm here. If we act then…”
“The consequences will be enormous!”
Zhou Wenshen smiled faintly beside him.
“Are you afraid, Brother Xu?”
“I believe… this is an opportunity.”
Xu Jianye raised an eyebrow.
“The old ancestral hearths should be running low on firewood by now,” Zhou Wenshen said calmly. “Sooner or later, the families will fight. Some ancestral hearths are bound to go out, surrendering their remaining firewood.”
“We have already laid our trap in Mingjiang City. Instead of waiting until the situation can no longer be delayed, why not seize this moment and catch them all in one net?”
“What do you think?”
Xu Jianye’s pupils contracted.
Zhou Wenshen was right. The old ancestral hearths grew weaker by the day. Very little remained for them to burn.
That was why so many Old-Grave Clans within the Anomaly Wielders’ Alliance had developed their own ambitions in recent years and begun searching for new paths.
Amid the gathering undercurrents, they had even started scheming against one another.
The conflict simply had not erupted in the open yet.
If they used this opportunity to draw in the other Old-Grave Clans and even representatives of the ancestral hearths, then brought the darkness’s gaze down upon them and wiped them all out…
The resources left behind would be enough to keep the survivors alive for many more years.
“Brother Xu, decisive moments demand decisive action,” Zhou Wenshen continued. “When the Black Mist Calamity truly descends, will there be room for hesitation?”
Xu Jianye drew a deep breath. At last, he stood.
“Then we will proceed as Brother Zhou suggests!”
“I, Xu Jianye, will be the first to overturn the table!”
His eyes were as cold as winter.
…
“They actually invited so many people…”
Ji Fengming was surprised as well.
“This is a good thing.”
The dark figure emerged from his shadow and smiled faintly.
“Things have already come this far. We may as well catch them all in one net. Then the Ji family will become the most prosperous Old-Grave Clan of all.”
Ji Fengming raised an eyebrow. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded.
The Ji family was already scheming against the Xu family. Plotting against a few more Old-Grave Clans made no difference.
…