Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Heading to the Academy

The kindly elder rose, leaning on his cane as he walked toward the door. He left only one sentence behind him:

“Given time, this girl will surely become great.”

Xiao Yuan Tian—who had looked down on Lin Zhao the most—remembered the scene of her driving Ji Xiao into the ground and found no words to refute it.

Vice Dean Mo Ya lowered her gaze. “Phoenix Maiden of Destiny… I wonder how she’ll perform in the Continental Grand Tournament?”

Xiao Yuan Tian glanced sideways, expression stiff. “I admit her potential is good, but saying an Enlightenment cultivator can do something in the Continental Grand Tournament is far too dismissive of it, Vice Dean.”

The Continental Grand Tournament was a stage for Golden Core cultivators.

With Lin Zhao’s current power, even the most ordinary Golden Core cultivator could defeat her with ease.

Mo Ya smiled slightly. “When she first joined the New Student Grand Tournament, which of us imagined she could take first place?”

Lin Zhao’s combat power now wasn’t the main point.

Her terrifying potential was.

Xiao Yuan Tian fell silent, then finally said, “I have a task in the Mortal Domain. Completing it grants a chance to cultivate in the academy’s Spirit Qi Pool. When she comes in, I’ll find a way to have Lin Zhao take it.”

Mo Ya’s smile deepened. She nodded.

Xiao Yuan Tian was the Discipline Director—upright, fair, and ruthless toward shady demons and monsters. He rarely gave special consideration to anyone, not even inner court prodigies.

Yet Lin Zhao’s actions in that final battle had clearly moved him.

Mo Ya understood.

Wasn’t she the same?

…

The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the forest canopy. Mist curled through the trees, turning the world into a pale gold dream.

“Mom! I’m hungry!”

A very young voice shattered the calm.

“I know, I know.” Lin Zhao rubbed her eyes, exasperated. With Spirit Qi Conjuration, she formed a green bow and arrows. She drew, released.

The arrow pierced through layers of branches and shot down a Spirit Snake.

Lin Zhao flashed forward, caught the falling snake, and stuffed it into the mouth of the little Qing Luan perched on her shoulder.

Faced with prey far larger than itself, Qing Yao rubbed its fat, fluffy body against Lin Zhao’s cheek, then fluttered down onto the corpse and began to gnaw with fierce enthusiasm.

Lin Zhao watched the Spirit Snake vanish at a visible pace and felt her mouth twitch.

A Spirit Snake was a second-rank Spirit Beast. Even an ordinary Enlightenment cultivator would struggle to break its hide.

In Qing Yao’s mouth, it was as if that defense didn’t exist.

Lin Zhao yawned. “Full?”

“I’m full, I’m full, Mom.” Qing Yao chirped happily, then added at once, as if remembering something important, “Let’s go back. But you can’t stay with that male Little Three anymore.”

[Male Little Three… is that Holy Son Qu Shu?]

Lin Zhao pinched its little wing. “Stop talking nonsense. Come on. We should head back. It’s time to return to the academy.”

Qing Yao fluttered back onto her shoulder as if it had never made such a scandalous statement.

Granny drifted beside her, clicking her tongue. “Little girl, you spoil this little one too much.”

Lin Zhao sighed. “It’s still small.”

“Wait until it grows a bit older,” Granny said darkly.

Ever since Granny had explained the Phoenix Clan’s childhood cultivation path, Lin Zhao’s sympathy for Qing Yao’s future had only grown. No wonder the ancient Heavenly Phoenix could become one of the strongest races—train like that, survive it, and who wouldn’t become monstrous?

Granny’s grin turned mischievous. “Little girl, your own cultivation method was adjusted from the Phoenix Clan’s. That Phoenix Pulse Art… your hardships are still ahead. Instead of pitying the little one, pity yourself.”

Lin Zhao stared at Qing Yao on her shoulder, then felt an odd sense of shared misery settle in her chest.

As the sun climbed higher, the light brightened.

Lin Zhao lifted a hand to shield her eyes, then frowned. “Master, how does Qing Yao know the phrase male Little Three?”

Granny’s chick-like face somehow managed to show a very human guilt.

Lin Zhao pinched the bridge of her nose. “This disciple has no plans to marry for now. And besides…”

Shen Yu Han still refused to break the engagement.

It was irritating to the point of madness.

Granny sniffed. “How hard is that? Now you’re already a disciple of the South Sea Academy. As long as you make contributions in the Continental Grand Tournament, the academy can send any teacher to help you cancel the marriage with Yao Chi Sacred Land.”

Lin Zhao nodded. She had thought the same.

As for Shen Yu Han—the man who had tangled with her across two lifetimes—whatever youthful affection she had once held had long since died the day he left on her wedding day.

…

When Lin Zhao reached the base where the main force was camped, she immediately met a pair of silver eyes.

Holy Son Qu Shu’s gaze swept over her. “Is it resolved?”

Lin Zhao nodded. “Where are Little Yue and Nian Nian?”

“The little girl said she wanted to catch fish,” Holy Son Qu Shu said, “so Young Lord Ming Yue took her.”

Lin Zhao found it absurdly amusing. Ming Yue spoiled Yao Nian even more than Lin Zhao spoiled Qing Yao.

By the time the camp was packed, Ming Yue returned with Yao Nian in her arms, the little girl still chewing grilled fish. Lu Yuan followed behind, frowning so hard you could pinch a fly, staring at his hopeless princess, Your Highness.

Lin Zhao didn’t comment. She wiped grease off Yao Nian’s cheek and pinched her face lightly. “Fly to the academy yourself. Don’t cling to Little Yue.”

Yao Nian whined immediately.

Ming Yue patted her head. “Fine. I’ll carry you. Nian Nian can guide me anyway.”

Lin Zhao let out a wry breath. “You’ve found yourself a protector. Fine. Let’s go. Our belts are waiting at the academy.”

Everyone perked up, excitement flickering through exhaustion. Artifacts rose into the air one after another as they headed toward South Sea Academy.

Lin Zhao didn’t summon Heavenly Phoenix Wings. After everyone else took off, she stepped onto Bone Sword and followed by Sword Flight.

In her previous life, she had been seriously injured here.

But she couldn’t remember what happened after—once she returned to Yun Ding Mountain, everything went blank.

All she remembered was waking in a cave, her injuries completely healed.

Even the System’s information didn’t fill that hole.

That meant some of her memories still hadn’t returned.

The only person connected to those missing pieces was Chen Luo Luo—taken away by Tong Que.

Lin Zhao’s gaze hardened.

Once her cultivation was high enough, she would reclaim every memory from both lifetimes.