Chapter 715: Yan Ruoyi’s Return, A One-Star Godslayer (II)

While Chen Chu was deep in thought, the opening ceremony concluded smoothly.

On the podium, Hong Zetian finished the final speech. "Classes officially begin tomorrow. New students are free to explore the campus. Dismissed."

"Finally over."

"Yeah."

The freshmen, full of excitement, filed out of the auditorium. Chen Chu and his companions stood up as well.

"Chen Chu, it’s been half a year, you’ve gotten even more handsome."

"...Is that so?" Hearing the compliment, Chen Chu couldn’t help but smile.

"Chen Chu, you’ve already entered the mythical world, right?"

"Yeah, I went in two months ago."

As they walked out of the gymnasium, many second- and third-year students warmly greeted Chen Chu, to which he responded with polite nods.

However, whenever a pretty girl tried to approach him, Lin Xue and Lin Yu would subtly step in between, forcing them to speak to him from a distance.

This scene surprised Li Meng, who was a few meters behind.

As they reached the gymnasium entrance, they ran into a woman in an elegant black dress, exuding the sophistication of an older sister-type. Standing before Chen Chu, she smiled. "Hello, Chen Chu. I’m Zhang Jiayi, from third year, Class One. I’ve heard a lot about you."

As she spoke, Zhang Jiayi subtly stepped aside, extending her hand past Lin Xue, who stood in front of Chen Chu with an impassive expression.

"Hello. They already introduced your name earlier on stage." Chen Chu smiled slightly, giving her hand a brief shake before letting go.

"Repeating my name helps make a lasting impression." Ignoring Lin Xue, Zhang Jiayi’s gaze lingered on Chen Chu, her eyes brimming with meaning, her smile soft and teasing.

Her behavior caused the surrounding people to pause. Zhang Jiayi was undeniably beautiful. With delicate features and fair skin, she would be considered gorgeous even on the internet. Moreover, her mature demeanor exuded a certain elegant and intellectual charm.

Her figure was also graceful and alluring—the form-fitting black dress accentuated her curves, making her appear both full and seductive.

However, compared to the stunning beauty and equally impressive figures of the Lin Sisters, Zhang Jiayi was still a tier below. Because of that, Chen Chu merely responded with a polite smile.

Just as Chen Chu was about to exchange a brief greeting and leave, a figure suddenly emerged from the crowd of new students and called out excitedly. "Chen Chu!"

Seeing the girl rushing toward him, Chen Chu didn’t evade. He let her grab his arm in an intimate manner, causing the Lin Sisters to glance sideways at the scene.

Looking at the fox-eared girl clinging to his arm, Chen Chu was a little puzzled. "Mingyue, what are you doing at Nantian?"

He had already noticed her earlier during the ceremony, but couldn’t figure out why a royal descendant of a king-level bloodline, the princess of the Baihu Nation, would enroll here.

"It was my grandfather. He told me to study here,” the adorable Qingqiu Mingyue said happily. "He said this place is favored by the fate of the Federation. It’s home to legendary geniuses like you, and even a senior with the potential of a heavenly king.

"So even if I don’t become as strong as you guys, just basking in a little bit of your good fortune would be a huge win."

"...That’s a bit of an exaggeration." Chen Chu’s expression turned strange.

Perhaps this place was indeed blessed by fate, but certainly not because of him. After all, his journey had been fueled by his own effort and the Soul Splitter ability, rather than sheer luck.

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Lu Haitao frowned as he observed the girl clinging to Chen Chu’s arm. "Wenwen, doesn’t that girl look familiar? I think I’ve seen her before, maybe with Yan Ruoyi a few months ago."

There were countless videos circulating online about the final battle against Blood God Akunus from a few months ago. Nearly everyone in the Federation had seen them. In those videos, Qingqiu Mingyue had been among those trapped in the battle.

Li Wenwen nodded. "That’s her. And Chen Chu is definitely Chu Batian. I recognized him the moment he returned to school. Otherwise, how could they look so alike?"

Lu Haitao’s eyes widened in realization and awe. "Damn... this guy never stops amazing people."

Chen Chu smiled and introduced Qingqiu Mingyue to the others. "This is Qingqiu Mingyue, the younger sister of a friend of mine. She comes from the Qingqiu Clan of Baihu."

"Mingyue, these are my friends—Xia Youhui, Li Meng—"

Boom!

Before Chen Chu could finish his sentence, the world shuddered slightly. A massive shockwave swept through the surroundings.

All across the world, space rippled violently. Two kilometers away from Nantian, high in the sky, a black rift suddenly appeared.

"Alert! Intense spatial fluctuations detected on Dongyuan Road! All martial instructors, proceed immediately to prevent potential colossal beast invasions!"

"Send emergency communications to all relevant departments and dispatch personnel to evacuate civilians. Prevent unnecessary casualties."

The moment the detectors issued their alarm, all cultivators at the Fourth Heavenly Realm and above in Wujiang City received the warning. At Nantian, figures shot into the sky one after another.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Within seconds, powerful figures emanating Sixth and Seventh Heavenly Realm auras landed atop nearby skyscrapers.

The sudden anomaly stirred unrest among the students of Nantian, who rushed out of the gymnasium and gathered in the open square, looking toward the distance.

The rift, thousands of meters high in the sky, was only two kilometers away. Even from here, it was clearly visible, like a dark scar against the sky.

At the same time, Chen Chu’s wrist device flickered, and upon receiving the transmitted information, his brows furrowed.

Whoosh!

Hong Zetian appeared beside Chen Chu and sighed bitterly. "The principal was just saying that after the ceremony, he wanted to invite you for tea. Looks like that won’t be happening."

Chen Chu nodded. "Yeah, there’s no time. Tiannan has just experienced a rift passage breach exceeding level 10. I need to head over."

Turning to Xia Youhui and the others, Chen Chu said, "I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll treat you all to a meal when I get back."

With a wave, his figure vanished in a flash and reappeared several kilometers above the sky, directly facing the black rift. Without hesitation, he raised his palm.

Boom!

A single golden flame- and blue lightning-infused palm strike descended. For a moment, hundreds of meters of space froze completely before shattering like fragile glass.

The palm strike tore through the void and erupted inside the rift passage, sending a cataclysmic explosion into the chaotic dimension beyond. The shockwave of law energy instantly collapsed the spatial passage.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Boom!

The rift connecting two worlds caved in, forming a massive black hole hundreds of meters in diameter. A powerful shockwave exploded outward, radiating black-and-white energy across a dozen kilometers.

Wherever the shockwave passed, transcendent energy plummeted, and hurricane-force winds roared, sending dust and debris flying. The sheer force of it made everyone instinctively shield their eyes.

When the wind finally settled, the spectators looked back toward the sky with utter shock. The once-gaping rift was already mostly sealed, its edges shrinking like a slowly healing wound in space.

Meanwhile, faint traces of golden and blue light still lingered in the atmosphere, and an invisible pressure of laws weighed down on the world, making countless onlookers feel as if their chests were being crushed.

The thousands of freshmen who had just entered Nantian finally understood why so many seniors had been so eager to greet that young man.

He is terrifying!

With a single casual palm strike, he had obliterated an entire level 8 rift. Had that attack been directed at the ground... wouldn’t it have been equivalent to a nuclear explosion?

As Chen Chu soared through the clouds in a golden streak of light, he pulled out his phone and dialed Zhang Xiaolan.

After a moment, the call connected, and Chen Chu didn’t waste any time. "Mom, something came up in Tiannan. I need to go check it out. I probably won’t make it back for lunch."

***

As the largest economic hub of East Xia, Tiannan City was a flourishing metropolis that boasted a population of over ten million.

However, at this moment, the southeastern outskirts of Tiannan City had been completely sealed off by the military. Highways, ring roads, and all access routes leading into and out of the southeastern district were blocked.

Nearby villages and towns were also being evacuated under the guidance of law enforcement teams.

Just over ten kilometers outside Tiannan, a massive black rift had appeared, suspended a hundred meters above the ground. This rift stretched over 1,300 meters in length and 100 meters in height, radiating intense energy fluctuations.

The energy surging from within it generated hurricane-force winds at level 12 typhoon strength, shredding and devastating everything within a several-kilometer radius.

The magnitude of the event had naturally sent shockwaves through all of Tiannan City. Thrill-seekers, independent journalists, and live streamers rushed to the scene in excitement.