n

n

n

nWith his plans disrupted, the Three-Headed Dragon paced back and forth on the spot with a grim expression.

n

nAs various ideas spun around in his head, they were rejected one by one.

n

n“They’re all useless!” After a while, the Three-Headed Dragon could not contain his anger anymore and cursed out loud.

n

nFollowing the deaths of the Serpent King and Xiong Kuotian, his previously perfect plan was thrown into disarray and he was now put on the back foot.

n

nHe looked in the direction of the Celestial Dungeon.

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nHis eyes flickered brightly and his expression was ruthless. “Looks like I have to make some risky maneuvers.”

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nIt was no longer safe here. He would have to find another place to stay.

n

nMeanwhile, at the Dragon Lake Institute,

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nChen Wenheng did not dare to stop along the way. It was not until he stepped into the entrance of the institute that he finally relaxed.

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n“Teacher, I got the painting of the Sacred Hand…”

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nWith his shout, the principal and the other higher-ups, including Wen Fuxian, dashed out like lightning and surrounded him.

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nThey looked at him with such much fervor that Chen Wenheng felt he was in danger of getting swallowed by their glare.

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nHis heart skipped a beat and he subconsciously straightened his back. “W-What are you doing?”

n

n“Where’s the painting?” Wen Fuxian spoke first.

n

n“Here!” Chen Wenheng lifted his clothes, took out the painting, and handed it over.

n

nWen Fuxian unfurled the painting excitedly. The golden light radiated outwards, and the boundless Immense Righteous Energy scattered out, illuminating the entire backyard.

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nA righteous and saintly force fell upon them, driving out the darkness. It felt so warm.

n

n“What a dense powerful concentration of Immense Righteous Energy! It certainly lived up to the expectations of a Sacred Hand’s masterpiece.” Wen Fuxian nodded in satisfaction.

n

nHe handed the painting to the principal.

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nHe looked at Chen Wenheng again. “Where’s the money?”

n

n“It’s all gone.” Chen Wenheng spread his hands out in a shrug.

n

nHe then recounted his whole encounter.

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nWen Fuxian stroked his beard thoughtfully. “How can a mere 500,000 taels of silver move the Sacred Hand to part with this? The value of this painting, with this rich dense Immense Righteous Energy, is not something that can be measured in monetary terms. It must be your perseverance that touched him.”

n

nThe principal and the others nodded in agreement.

n

n“Teacher, since the Sacred Hand handed the painting to me, why didn’t he meet up with me?” Chen Wenheng asked.

n

n“You’re still young. There are some things you don’t understand. At the Sacred Hand’s level, fame and fortune are no longer enough to move him,” Wen Fuxian expounded wisely.

n

nAs if he knew what Chen Wenheng was going to ask, he continued.

n

n“The reason the Sacred Hand accepted the 500,000 taels in this way is to let you understand that nothing can be gained without effort.”

n

n“I understand now.” Chen Wenheng’s face lit up with enlightenment.

n

nThe principal then said, “There’s too much Immense Righteous Energy in this painting, enough for Wenheng and the others to win tomorrow. Those three old guys have all been thoroughly humiliated. Till now, they are still kneeling in the palace.”

n

nThe three old men he was referring to were the principals of the other three Great Institutes.

n

n“What do you think, Principal?” Wen Fuxian asked first.

n

n“Take out a huge sum of money, choose the biggest casino, and bet on us winning,” said the Principal.

n

nEveryone’s eyes lit up as they digested his words.

n

nThey too felt that this method was feasible. After all, they were definitely going to win, so why not take this opportunity to make a killing?

n

n“I’ll leave this matter to you. Make sure nobody finds out about this,” the Principal instructed.

n

n“All right!” Wen Fuxian acknowledged his request.

n

nAs a precautionary measure, Chen Wenheng and the other five members participating in the competition tomorrow were sequestered in the safe confines of the Imperial Palace, to absorb the Immense Righteous Energy contained in the painting.

n

nAt the Celestial Dungeon,

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nafter finding out the Three-Headed Dragon’s plan from Xiong Kuotian, Xiao Ran did not return to his home in Jingwen Square. Instead he located the Three-Headed Dragon’s residence according to the address he had obtained.

n

nThe scent of demonic aura lingered in the room. However, the Three-Headed Dragon was gone. It looked like he managed to give him the slip.

n

nAfter waiting for a while, he decided to return to the Celestial Dungeon to wait for him.

n

n“What brings you here so late?” The lieutenant greeted him in surprise.

n

n“I received news that a demon wants to attack the Celestial Dungeon,” Xiao Ran informed him.

n

nThe lieutenant looked on scornfully. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to Xiao Ran. “Don’t think too much! This place is impregnable. There are also the high-level officers from the Divine Sword Guards and the Spiritual Divinity Bureau guarding outside. They should be grateful to us for not going after them. Even if they have the guts, they won’t dare to come here and cause trouble.”

n

nXiao Ran simply smiled and finished the tea.

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n“It’s getting late. Have an early night.” The lieutenant turned and entered his rest chamber.

n

nXiao Ran did not try to persuade him. He had already warned him in advance. There was nothing he could do if the lieutenant did not believe him.

n

nHe went down to the Purgatory.

n

nOn seeing him, the Eldest Princess raised her eyebrows curiously and asked, “What’s the matter?”

n

nXiao Ran opened the door and walked in.

n

nAfter taking a seat,

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nhe said, “Someone wants to take your dragon aura.”

n

nWhen she heard his words,

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nthe Eldest Princess fiddled with her hair fringe with a smile and then poured him a cup of tea.

n

n“You’re not afraid?”

n

n“You’re here. Why should I be afraid?”

n

n“Do you still remember the Blazing Sun Fire Crow I imprisoned the last time?” Xiao Ran asked.

n

n“Yes.” The Eldest Princess nodded.

n

n“He was possessed by the Serpent King. His soul was hidden in the Soul Nurturing Bead. On the way back tonight, I ran into that niece of yours. She was being hunted by Xiong Kuotian, a bear demon, and I saved her. He’s in cahoots with the Serpent King and the Three-Headed Dragon.”

n

n“Thank you!” The Eldest Princess said with heart-felt gratitude.

n

n“Aren’t you going to ask her how she is now?”

n

n“She must be fine if you are sitting here with me.”

n

n“Women are too smart for their own good. There’s a saying that goes, act dumb, play smart.”

n

n“How many people in the world can achieve that?” The Eldest Princess asked, shaking her head wearily.

n

n“How are you feeling now?” Xiao Ran asked.

n

n“The Phoenix Sacred Manifestation has awakened once again. It was much better than before. There shouldn’t be any issues during this period of time…”

n

nROAR!

n

nBefore she could finish speaking, the Eldest Princess suddenly emitted a menacing roar with a ferocious expression.

n

nViolent demonic energy erupted, and her hair fluttered wildly. Her eyes were cold and filled with infinite murderous intent. That terrifying aura was like a demon god that had returned from hell.

n

nIn less than a breath’s time, the whole cell was filled with demonic energy.

n

nThe golden phoenix rushed out from above her head. A shower of golden light scattered down, protecting her last bit of clarity.

n

n“You jinx!” The Eldest Princess chided Xiao Ran while struggling to contain herself.

n

nFlipping the table over, she rushed over and begged him. “Hit me!”

n

n“Bear with it a little longer. Maybe you can survive this,” Xiao Ran said indifferently.

n

n“You…” The Eldest Princess gritted her teeth with all her might.

n

nShe couldn’t wait anymore. She grabbed Xiao Ran’s hand and slapped it on her head.

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nAt the touch of his hand, the demonic aura dissipated a little, and the pain from her soul lessened a little.

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n“Hurry!” The Eldest Princess urged again.

n

nSeeing that her rationality was about to crumble and she was losing control of her mad violent actions, Xiao Ran attacked decisively. With one punch to her face, he sent her sprawling to the ground.

n

n“This is really making things difficult for me.”

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nHe straddled her with practiced ease. As beams of golden light shot into the sky and enveloped him, he rained blows on her.

n

nA hundred and fifty punches later,

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nXiao Ran stopped and the demonic aura had dissipated. The Eldest Princess had regained her rationality. Her beautiful face once again turned into a bloated pig’s head and it was burning with pain.

n

n“Can’t you be more gentle?” The Eldest Princess rolled her eyes at him.

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n“You told me to use force.”

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nHe injected a stream of purifying spiritual force into her face. The swelling on her face subsided and she regained her original appearance.

n

n“Aren’t you getting off?”

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n“Okay.” Xiao Ran promptly stood up.

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nAfter tidying up her appearance, the Eldest Princess asked curiously, “What on earth is happening to me?”

n

n“Don’t ask. I don’t know even if you ask me.” Xiao Ran shrugged and turned away.

n

nHe locked the cell door without hesitation and left.

n

nThe Eldest Princess’s beautiful eyes darted around as she considered all the possible reasons, but all were eventually shot down by her. She sighed wearily, “This forbidden technique is really giving me hell!”

n

nAt dawn, there was a knock on the door.

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n“Brother Xiao, it’s time to eat.”

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nXiao Ran opened the door and walked out of the rest chamber. There was a dungeon guard standing at the door. It was a new face and he had just been transferred here.

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n“Brother Xiao, are you happy with this spread? If not, I’ll prepare something else for you.” The dungeon guard pointed to the breakfast spread out on the table.

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nIn life, there is no love without cause.

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nXiao Ran asked, “What’s the matter?”

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