Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu was completely dumbfounded.
Things had escalated to such a point?!
He never imagined that his momentary impulse to deal with Han Feng would ultimately lead to Su Qian being dragged into this mess.
This outcome was definitely not what Lin Xiu had hoped for.
After all,
He knew very well how Su Qian felt about himself.
During the incident with the Heart Fire entering his body before, Su Qian, in his capacity as the Grand Elder, almost depleted the Academy's accumulated medicinal resources that had been saved for years.
So many medicinal herbs, all used just to save him.
And this time, it was even more dire. For his sake, Su Qian had even decided to risk his life.
People are not plants.
At this moment, Lin Xiu felt as if his heart had been fiercely punched, throbbing painfully.
After traveling through the Dou Qi Continent for several years, this was the first time he had felt the warmth of being cared for.
"Grand Elder, I can't leave you behind."
Lin Xiu shook his head firmly. Although he couldn't directly harm Protector Xuan, he could create some disturbances and assist Su Qian.
"Don't act rashly. Now is not the time for recklessness."
Su Qian's expression turned serious.
Before Lin Xiu could say more, Su Qian pushed him away with a palm.
Then, Su Qian swiftly gathered Dou Qi with a gesture, clashing with the attack from Protector Xuan.
Boom!
Su Qian staggered back seven or eight meters, crashing into a three-story tavern and smashing it.
"Let's go!"
Seeing Lin Xiu hesitating, Su Qian roared.
In the black mist, the chains clinked loudly.
"Hehe... Old man, you're busy with your own troubles, yet you still have the heart to care about others."
Protector Xuan swung two chains again.
Not far away, Medusa glanced over, but she was entangled by Protector Wu and had no chance to come over and help for the moment.
The two chains accurately struck Su Qian, sending him flying once more.
"Pfft..."
A trace of dark red blood overflowed from the corner of Su Qian's mouth, and the black color on his face grew denser.
He struggled to suppress the ominous energy within his body while defending against the attacks of the Dou Ancestor.
At this moment, Su Qian was in great discomfort.
"If I die, so be it. As an old bone, as long as I can protect Lin Xiu, before long, he will achieve the level of Dou Ancestor and take over my position to guard Jia Nan Academy. Perhaps his future achievements will surpass mine."
This thought flashed through Su Qian's mind, his expression calm.
Suddenly,
The surrounding space inexplicably became heavy, as if a vast force enveloped it, making even breathing difficult.
"Su Qian, my boy, as the Grand Elder, you seem to be in a bit of a sorry state, unable even to save your own life."
A weathered voice slowly echoed.
Beside Su Qian, the void distorted, revealing a figure in a gray robe.
With a casual palm strike, the void trembled violently, splitting open into a pitch-black crack.
The jet-black chains shooting towards them directly plunged into the crack.
"Senior Qian?"
Seeing the newcomer, Su Qian was momentarily stunned.
He actually managed to startle this person.
"Guardian!"
The four elders, upon seeing the figure in the gray robe, were also taken aback.
Under normal circumstances, the Guardian of the Academy would not appear easily, unless the Academy faced an unprecedented disaster.
Like the last time Han Feng led an attack on the Academy.
The Guardian had not appeared then.
"How dare two little pests bully my Jia Nan Academy? Do they think there is no one in my Academy?!"
The figure in the gray robe's eyes flashed like lightning, aimed at the dark mist surrounding Protector Xuan, resembling a shockwave.
The black mist trembled, its color dissipating significantly, faintly revealing a human-shaped silhouette.
"Retreat!"
Seeing this scene, Protector Wu didn't hesitate to utter a word and swiftly withdrew.
"You're lucky, kid."
Protector Xuan glanced at Lin Xiu, then flashed to where only Han Feng's head remained.
A hand extended from the black mist and grabbed towards the head. A semi-transparent Soul appeared, vaguely showing Han Feng's facial features.
"A Sixth Grade Alchemist Soul, enough to bear the punishment from the Hall Master."
Protector Xuan thought to himself, then sensed the presence of Heavenly Flame inside. His eyes lit up involuntarily, "Excellent! Very good! Now not only am I without fault, but I can also gain merit! Hehe..."
The black mist contracted, preparing to envelop Han Feng's Soul.
At that moment, Lin Xiu suddenly formed hand seals and pointed towards Han Feng's Soul.
"Flame Soul Separation Technique!"
A low shout rang out, accompanied by an invisible energy fluctuation that entwined Han Feng's Soul.
His facial features contorted, seemingly experiencing some kind of pain.
Then, a wisp of faint blue flame broke free from his Soul.
Shaped like a bull with horns and composed of flames, Lin Xiu dashed forward, enveloped in fire, and swiftly returned to Su Qian's side.
"You damn bastard! You'll die!"
Protector Xuan had never seen such a method and was momentarily stunned before he regained his senses.
In the blink of an eye, Han Feng's Sea Heart Flame had been taken away, leaving behind only a Soul.
Old Qian stood beside Lin Xiu.
Upon seeing this scene, the black mist churned a few times and swiftly retreated into the sky.
"Youngster, you've got guts, daring to snatch the Heavenly Flame in front of a Dou Ancestor. Not afraid he'd act desperately."
Without pursuing further, Qian Mu turned to look at Lin Xiu, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
In cultivation, one contends for resources and opportunities. Often, talent is just a person's minimum potential, but how high one's upper limit goes depends on how daring they are.
If opportunities are presented but one dares not contend for them, despite having talent, future achievements will still be limited.
"When with Seior Qian, what does this junior have to worry about?"
Lin Xiu grinned warmly, clasped his fist towards him, then swiftly moved to Su Qian's side.
"Grand Elder, how are your injuries?"
His expression was full of concern.
"Just need some rest, but what about you, kid? Didn't you see what happened just now? You ran off without hesitation, dawdling around. Were you waiting to see me die in front of you to be satisfied?!"
Looking at Lin Xiu, Su Qian was furious. He raised his hand high, but when it came down on Lin Xiu's head, it lacked almost all strength.
"Next time you encounter such a situation, don't hesitate. Remember, don't let others' sacrifices be in vain."
He sighed softly, speaking earnestly.
"Grand Elder, rest assured. I promise that such a thing will not happen again in the future."
Lin Xiu looked extremely serious.
Unless you can anticipate the enemy's moves, who can guarantee not to fall into an ambush?
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Su Qian didn't say much, just shook his head slightly.
"Senior Qian."
Seeing the figure in the gray robe approaching, Su Qian's eyes suddenly turned resentful, exuding a strong aura of grievance.
Ever since he took over as the Grand Elder, these old folks had all become indifferent and distant.
In the vast Academy, their presence was almost nonexistent.
"Cough... There's nothing wrong. Let's head back to the Academy first."
Originally, Qian Mu wanted to reprimand Su Qian a bit, but seeing his expression, he swallowed back the words that had come to his mouth.
Having secluded himself for years, he had finally found hope of breaking through to Dou Venerate.
If he scolded Su Qian and the young man resigned, he would be in trouble himself.
"Senior Qian, Grand Elder, you go ahead. I'll take care of something and come over shortly."
Lin Xiu glanced towards the distant figure standing alone on the roof eaves.
Faint moonlight cast a silver glow, covering her delicate figure.
Her purple robe swayed in the wind, hair fluttering.
Around her, there were several intense gazes, trying to discern Medusa's face.
However, the sharp aura she emitted was like needles, making them unable to look directly at her, only stealing glances.
"You're not young anymore, kid. Take her down, and you'll save yourself a few years of detours."
Qian Mu winked.
"Uh..."
Lin Xiu was taken aback.
"Ignore him. Handle your business quickly; we'll move slowly to wait for you."
Su Qian called out, leading the elders and Han Yue to follow Senior Qian as they departed back to the Academy.
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