The great hall was vast and spacious.

Lu Changyou was holding a map, seemingly studying something.

Seeing Xu Zimo and the others enter, he smiled and said, “I’ve already sent someone to deliver the message back to the academy. In a few days, the Chancellor should respond.”

“What are you busy with, teacher?” Xie Changliu asked as he walked forward.

“The last time Blue-Parasol Ancient-Abyss rioted, many Night Ghosts escaped. Although we killed quite a few, some still managed to hide,” Lu Changyou explained.

Then his eyes lit up suddenly, and he suggested, “You two could help us capture the Night Ghosts. That way, it’ll be easier for you to enter the academy and retrieve the Nine-Nether God-Grass.”

“Does Teacher Lu have any leads?” Xie Changliu glanced at Xu Zimo, and the two exchanged looks before he asked.

“Come look at the map.” Lu Changyou spread the map before them.

It was a full map of Celestial Sage Mountain.

It showed in detail both the Celestial Sage Academy and Azure Dragon Town, with several red marks scattered across it.

“These Night Ghosts are extremely cunning. They don’t act during the day, only at night.”

Lu Changyou said, “We’ve been investigating for over two months, and finally uncovered all their hiding spots. Now it’s time to catch them all in one sweep.”

“Lu Manor,” Xu Zimo said with interest, noticing one of the marks on the map.

“Exactly. Lu Manor is the largest of their dens,” Lu Changyou said. “In Azure Dragon Town, the Lu Clan has the oldest history. Lord Lu is well connected and quite influential here.”

“When do we move?” Xie Changliu asked.

“Tonight,” Lu Changyou replied. “Keep this quiet, we’ll wait and trap them.”

The Celestial Sage Academy treated this matter with great seriousness.

In addition to Lu Changyou leading the operation, eight of the academy’s most renowned students had been brought along. It would also serve as a training exercise for them.

By afternoon, the eight students had arrived in Azure Dragon Town.

Lu Changyou gave them a brief rundown of the situation.

That night, Azure Dragon Town was unusually quiet.

The darkness was heavier than expected.

Over a dozen figures dashed out of the great hall, leaping across rooftops like shadows in the night.

At Lu Manor, the air was somber.

Since the young master’s death, the entire estate was draped in white lanterns.

After finishing family matters, Lord Lu returned to his room.

The moment he stepped inside, the light went out. A wisp of black smoke filled the air.

“What do you want with us?” a hoarse voice asked coldly.

“I need you to kill a few people,” Lord Lu said.

“You should know,” the hoarse voice replied, “that the situation is tense. Everything must serve the goal of breaking the seal and releasing Lord Ghost God.”

“I know,” Lord Lu said darkly. “But the death of a son cannot go unavenged.”

“Who do you want dead?” The voice paused briefly.

“I had portraits drawn. They should still be in Azure Dragon Town,” Lord Lu said.

“By dawn tomorrow, you’ll see their corpses,” the voice echoed, fading away into silence.

Outside Lu Manor, everything was still, save for the faint chirping of unseen insects.

“We can storm the place directly,” Xie Changliu said. “What if they don’t come out?”

“No,” Lu Changyou shook his head. “The Lu Clan has great influence in Azure Dragon Town. Without evidence, we can’t act rashly. The academy is already chaotic enough, we can’t let the town fall into disorder too.”

“There’s movement,” Xie Changliu suddenly said.

At Lu Manor’s front gate, ripples appeared in the air, and a strand of black smoke flashed past.

“Go!” Lu Changyou barked, leaping down from the rooftop.

He swept his hand through the air, detonating the void, three dark figures were blown out of hiding.

“It’s an ambush! Run!” the hoarse voice cried out in panic.

The three shadows split up, fleeing in different directions.

The eight academy students had been stationed at the back gate of Lu Manor, while Xu Zimo and the others guarded the front.

The three escapees didn’t get far, Xu Zimo and his companions suppressed them with sheer power.

“Do you want them alive or dead?” Xu Zimo asked.

“Either is fine,” Lu Changyou replied tersely.

Xu Zimo flicked his finger, releasing a surge of power that obliterated the three shadows completely.

“To the back gate!” Lu Changyou ordered, slightly taken aback by Xu Zimo’s strength before hurrying off.

When the three reached the back gate, the eight academy students were already locked in battle with numerous Night Ghosts.

The ghosts weren’t particularly strong, but they merged seamlessly with the darkness, making their attacks difficult to predict.

“Teacher Lu! The Night Ghost King escaped!” one student shouted.

“Deal with the rest first,” Lu Changyou said grimly, eyes narrowing as the thick night concealed everything.

With their combined effort, the remaining Night Ghosts were soon wiped out.

“What happened?” Lu Changyou asked with a dark expression.

“We underestimated the Night Ghost King’s strength,” one student replied. “He’s at least at the Arcane Immortal stage. We couldn’t stop him.”

“Perhaps we should question the Lu Clan,” another suggested. “They sheltered the Night Ghosts, they must know something.”

Lu Changyou hesitated, then shook his head.

“No. Return to the academy,” he said finally.

Then, turning to Xu Zimo and Xie Changliu, he added, “You should come as well.”

“Is there more to this Lu Clan than it seems?” Xie Changliu asked, puzzled.

“The evidence is clear. Why not confront them?”

“Changliu,” Lu Changyou sighed, “you’ve been away too long, you don’t understand. I shouldn’t tell you this, but the Lu Clan has ties to the Vice-Chancellor. We can’t touch them.”

His words made everything clear, this was beyond his authority.

After gathering the corpses of the Night Ghosts, the group set out that same night toward the Celestial Sage Academy.

The Night Ghost King’s escape had already alerted their enemies; catching him again would not be easy.

Leaving Azure Dragon Town, they climbed the stone steps leading up Celestial Sage Mountain.

After about ten minutes, a majestic academy appeared above the clouds.

Celestial Sage Academy stood proudly at the mountain’s peak.

From below, it had been hidden from sight, but now they could clearly see dark energy surging up from the mountain, solidifying the very sky above.

The academy’s Guardian Formation was active, rotating slowly.

Entering through its wide gates, Lu Changyou led Xu Zimo and Xie Changliu northward until they reached a small wooden house surrounded by pine trees.

In front of the house stood an elderly man dressed in white robes, graceful as a crane.

His eyes were bright, and a red mark shone at his brow.

“Chancellor,” Lu Changyou greeted respectfully.

“No need to explain, I already know,” the old man said with a gentle smile, waving his hand.

He looked at Xie Changliu and Xu Zimo. “You wish to enter Blue-Parasol Ancient-Abyss? You may, but on one condition.”

“What condition?” Xu Zimo asked.

“Draw out the evil spirit of the Ghost God,” the old man replied.