Chapter 1609: New Vice Principal

As they heard Li Luo's clear and energetic laughter, everyone was amazed by his bold words. Slaying a King was far too much for a welcoming gift; it was unimaginably grand.

Pang Qianyuan grinned and then let out a sigh. "I never thought that the One Star Hall student who had been chased down by the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf in the Umbra Cave would reach such heights. The Astral Sage College is truly fortunate to have you."

The rest couldn't help but laugh.

"Hmm..." Li Luo shook his head and smiled. He remembered what had happened that year very clearly. He had entered the Umbra Cave with a squad to cleanse the area and encountered the Grinning Demon. In order to resolve that danger, they had to break open the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf's seal, taking advantage of the wolf to devour the devil. Afterwards, Pang Qianyuan helped him seal away the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf. In the end, the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf had repeatedly aided Li Luo and brought him out of dangerous situations. It could be said that without the favor Pang Qianyuan had bestowed upon him, his life would have been much harder.

After that, he received the Golden-Jade Onyx-Elephant Blade, the weapon Pang Qianyuan had used for many years. The sword was still accompanying him even now, although it had been refined into a completely different form from before.

Li Luo clasped his fist and said with utmost sincerity, "I’d like to thank Principal Pang and the Astral Sage College for everything you’ve done for me."

This simple sentence summarized all of his feelings towards the Astral Sage College. During House Luolan's most tumultuous period, the Astral Sage College was his and Jiang Qing'e's biggest guardian and thus, he had always regarded himself as a part of it, even representing them to earn resources and bolster their reputation.

Pang Qianyuan and Vice Principal Su Xin both sensed the sincerity in his words, and relief appeared in their eyes.

"Li Luo, we also need to thank you. If you hadn’t earned those resources in the competition between sage colleges, I'm afraid the Astral Sage College might not have lasted so long," Vice Principal Su Xin softly said.

She had been in charge of running the college in the absence of the principal and was under tremendous pressure, feeling as though everything was on the cusp of breaking down. It was fortunate that Li Luo had represented the Astral Sage College in the Academic Federation multiple times and obtained extraordinary results. He had given them breathing room and allowed them to persist until Pang Qianyuan was finally freed from his seal.

Thus, she was glad that the college had not given in to external pressure and sacrificed Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e. Otherwise, the Astral Sage College would have lost two of the most exceptional students who had ever attended.

Pang Qianyuan interrupted their exchange of mutual gratitude. "We are all family, so there is no need to be polite. If you need anything in the future, I, Pang Qianyuan, will do anything to help."

The relationship between them was so deep that they were bound as close allies.

"Li Luo, I wish to invite you and Jiang Qing'e to take on positions as vice principals of the Astral Sage College. How do you feel about that?"

Upon hearing Pang Qianyuan's suggestions, Li Luo paused. He understood that the title was more symbolic than anything else, meant to strengthen their bond rather than give him any real authority.

He turned to glance at Jiang Qing'e, who simply nodded. She clearly wouldn't oppose the decision and would respect whatever choice Li Luo made.

“What sort of position does Yu Lang have currently?” Li Luo asked after thinking for a moment.

Meanwhile, Yu Lang grimaced, baring his teeth. What was this brat up to now? What kind of question was that? If he wanted to agree, he should just say so instead of skirting around it.

“Yu Lang is currently a mentor at the Astral Sage College,” Vice Principal Su Xin answered with a smile.

“That settles it. From now on, I’m the Vice Principal of Astral Sage College.” Then Li Luo grinned as he turned to Yu Lang and reminded him, “When you see me from now on, remember your place.”

Yu Lang rolled his eyes. This brat would seize any chance to one-up him.

Pang Qianyuan looked visibly relieved, but his gaze soon shifted toward the direction where the remaining three Other Kings had fled. His expression grew serious.

“Li Luo, killing a King has significantly eased our pressure, but the Other Disaster is far from resolved. The Enchanting Fox King and the Demon Witch King were hiding in the depths of the Other Disaster, preparing a ceremony. I suspect that it may have progressed to the point where..."

The celebratory atmosphere froze and everyone's expressions hardened.

They knew what ceremony Pang Qianyuan was referring to. It was to allow the Saturnine Hydra Devil King to descend! That was a terrifying existence that far surpassed their imagination. The Four Pestilence Kings were merely generals, yet they had enough power to flatten the entire Xia Kingdom. If the Saturnine Hydra Devil King were to truly arrive in person, just how frightening would things get?

Not even Li Luo would be able to save them.

Li Luo's expression turned solemn as well. "The worldly natural energy within the Xia Kingdom is much sparser than in the inner continents. The Saturnine Hydra Devil King is a Triple Crowned King, so it can’t be that easy for it to descend. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have stood idly by while I killed the Enchanting Fox King. That’s why I believe the ceremony isn’t complete yet."

Pang Qianyuan nodded in agreement. "After this, I will try to find out what’s going on within the depths of the Other Disaster. Everyone else must prepare for the follow-up assault. Now that the Enchanting Fox King is dead, we have the upper hand. We must seize the initiative to resolve the Other Disaster as soon as possible, before the Saturnine Hydra Devil King descends."

"We will follow your plan," Li Luo said with a nod.

As the two strongest individuals in the Xia Kingdom, they had quickly come to a decision. They would launch an assault on the root of the Other Disaster and reclaim the capital.

In the following days, everyone focused on recuperating and making preparations.

During this time, news of the battle outside the City of Southwind had spread across the Xia Kingdom. The entire country was thoroughly shocked by the results.

......

North region's royal court, within the palace.

The former Regent Gong Yuan was sitting in an elevated seat. The top experts under him, individuals like House Jiyan's Zhu Qinghuo and House Jinque's Si Qing, were waiting for him to speak.

On the right of Gong Yuan stood a slender man. It was Gong Shenjun, his son.

However, the atmosphere in the royal court, the ruling power in the north, was heavy with dread. Everyone was listening to the information provided by the spies with gloomy and fearful expressions.

"What did you say?!

"House Luolan's Li Luo has returned with a large number of experts including a King? Furthermore, he has personally slain the Enchanting Fox King of the Four Pestilence Kings?!"

House Jinque's Si Qing was the one who had spoken. His terrified voice was grating to those present. No one faulted him for being scared though—even Gong Yuan’s face was contorted in disbelief. The room was utterly silent for a while.

No one had expected that an individual who they had dismissed years ago would be brought to their attention in such a shocking way.

Gong Shenjun couldn't help but fall into a daze when he heard that familiar name. The immature face of a boy flashed through his mind. Had Li Luotruly reached such heights in just a few short years?