Chapter 649 648: Ao Yuhua's Underhanded Move

The Ice Soul Profound Pearl!

To Han Xuanming, it was merely a weapon used for killing.

But in Yang Xiao's eyes, it was an incredible treasure.

Discreetly,

Yang Xiao stowed away the Ice Soul Profound Pearl.

He also took the Storage Daoist Ring from Han Xuanming's body.

Though his actions weren't exactly subtle,

at that moment, everyone was still stunned by the power of his last sword strike.

So, no one paid him any mind.

"Peak of Tier One True God! Just as I thought, the boy has been hiding his strength."

An Elder at the Peak of Tier Two True God remarked calmly.

Among all the Elders, his power was second only to Vice Dean Xing Hanzi. He was respectfully addressed as the Chief Elder, and his insight was naturally impeccable.

He could clearly see that Yang Xiao's last strike

had reached the Peak of Tier One True God, and was even on the verge of breaking through to the Tier Two True God level.

Such strength.

Such power.

It aligned perfectly with their earlier suspicions.

Namely, that the boy had to be hiding his true strength.

And so,

the Elders, who were already deeply wary of Yang Xiao, became even more apprehensive.

So much so that as Yang Xiao made his way down, step by step,

no one dared to cause him any more trouble.

At that moment,

the Five-Colored Auspicious Signs in the sky had vanished completely.

It wouldn't be long now.

Yun'Er would be coming out of her seclusion.

Because Yang Xiao had so decisively slain two Tutors at the Half-Step True God Level, the True God who had been blocking Nangong Tianling couldn't help but retreat, his expression awkward.

There was no longer any point in stopping her.

Nangong Tianling's skills were probably no match for this boy.

Even if he let her pass, what could she possibly do?

Her presence would make no difference at all.

'Right now, the most important thing is to figure out this boy's background, to see just how capable he really is.'

An idea struck the Great Elder of Star God Academy.

With a flicker of his form,

he arrived at Xing Hanzi's courtyard.

So many Elders and Tutors had gathered in Nangong Tianling's courtyard, yet Xing Hanzi, the Vice Dean and mastermind, had remained in his own.

However, his Spiritual Power had been enveloping the area the entire time, watching everything unfold.

So, the moment the Great Elder of Star God Academy arrived,

Xing Hanzi understood the purpose of his visit.

"Quite an interesting boy. My dear, why don't you come take a look?"

Xing Hanzi smiled faintly.

Ao Yuhua, however, was disdainful.

Still, she released her Spiritual Thought. The moment her Spiritual Power sensed Yang Xiao's presence, her expression changed instantly.

First, there was shock and fear.

But that was immediately followed by

a look of pure malevolence.

'That boy... it's actually him! How did he get to the Star God Continent? But this is perfect! Now that you're on my turf, let's see how I'm going to play you to death!'

Her eyes glinted,

and Ao Yuhua's gaze filled with a cold killing intent.

"What is it, my dear?"

Seeing her reaction, Xing Hanzi was both puzzled and curious.

"Husband! That boy..."

Ao Yuhua instinctively started to tell him about her history with Yang Xiao, but she stopped, a new thought occurring to her.

"What is it? Don't tell me you know this boy?"

Xing Hanzi was even more surprised.

Ao Yuhua hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I know him."

"Oh? Is he also from the Holy Celestial Continent?"

Xing Hanzi's expression grew even more perplexed.

But Ao Yuhua just sneered. "The boy's name is Yang Xiao. He isn't from my Holy Celestial Continent, but from a nearby continent called Profound Sun. I hear he's the Young Master over there."

"Yang Xiao... a Young Master?"

Xing Hanzi's expression shifted slightly.

"That's right, the Young Master of the Profound Sun Continent. I have no idea how he ended up here. From what I know, the boy has little real skill, but he has a lot of treasures on him and is incredibly arrogant. His family seems to have a Divine King Level backer. Because of that, he acted without any restraint even on our Holy Celestial Continent, causing all sorts of trouble. My father was furious, but out of respect for that Divine King, he didn't pursue the matter and simply had him driven out. I never imagined he would show up here."

Ao Yuhua's words were three parts truth and seven parts lies.

Furthermore, by deliberately bringing up the Divine King backing Yang Xiao, she was clearly not trying to help him.

Quite the opposite.

She was trying to set a trap for Yang Xiao.

Only by plotting his demise could she quench the hatred in her heart.

In truth, this woman was far from simple. Though she hadn't been with Xing Hanzi for long, she was well aware that while he might not seem exceptionally powerful himself, his authority and connections were extensive.

Especially now, having used her younger sister to establish a connection with the Third Young Master, Ao Yuhua had gained an even better understanding of the old man's way of thinking.

He was a man who judged every situation and measured every action purely by the standard of personal gain.

Take, for example, what happened before.

When Nangong Tianling first arrived, he had been somewhat wary of a Dean hailing from the Nangong Family.

But once Xing Hanzi investigated and discovered

that Nangong Tianling was only from a collateral branch of the Nangong Family, and that her deanship was owed entirely to her former status as a handmaiden to a lady of the Direct Lineage,

a lady who had now been missing for many years,

he immediately understood.

The woman was no threat.

He immediately moved against Nangong Tianling, turning her into a powerless figurehead.

Later, when it came to the matter of offering up Yun'Er,

he agreed without a second thought.

Now,

Yang Xiao had appeared.

This old fox was clearly unwilling to make a move before he understood Yang Xiao's background and limits.

Ao Yuhua knew this perfectly well.

That was why she had hesitated earlier,

wondering whether or not she should reveal what she knew about Yang Xiao.

But now, it was obvious.

The moment Xing Hanzi asked again, she made her decision.

She would speak.

But she couldn't reveal everything.

Three parts truth, seven parts lies.

Yang Xiao's origin was true.

But the part about his backer couldn't be the whole truth.

At least, not completely.

That's why Ao Yuhua fabricated the story of Yang Xiao being arrogant, of him committing wicked acts on the Holy Celestial Continent, and of him escaping severe punishment—only getting expelled—because of the Divine King backing him.

This way,

even when Xing Hanzi heard that Yang Xiao was backed by a Divine King Level expert,

he would just assume it was an ordinary Divine King.

After all, the difference in power between one Divine King and another could be immense.

If it were a Peak Divine King, Xing Hanzi would certainly be hesitant.

If she had told the truth—that Yang Xiao might be backed by a Top-tier Divine King—that would be far more terrifying. Not even the Third Young Master would dare to easily offend such an existence.

As for a Supreme Divine King,

an existence even rarer than a Great Emperor... Xing Hanzi would likely be so terrified he wouldn't dare to breathe a word.

But if it were just an ordinary Divine King...

And an ordinary one at that, perhaps one on par with her own father, or even weaker,

well, that was a different story entirely.

'That old fox will definitely make a move.'

And just as she expected,

the thought had barely crossed Ao Yuhua's mind

when Xing Hanzi asked his final question: "Then this Yang Xiao... what is his power level?"

"His power? It's pathetic. But he seems to have some Secret Techniques and tricks that can boost him to the level of a Tier One or Tier Two True God. I doubt he can go any higher."

Ao Yuhua had tailored this answer specifically to Xing Hanzi's own power level.

To be honest,

she had no idea what Yang Xiao's true capabilities were.

But she knew Xing Hanzi's.

Sure enough, as soon as she said this,

Xing Hanzi began to laugh, relaxing completely. He looked at the Great Elder who had just entered and said calmly, "Great Elder, you heard her. I'll leave this boy to you. He dared to force his way into my Star God Academy and even committed murder. It doesn't matter if he has a Divine King backing him—that won't be tolerated!"

His tone was firm and resolute.

The Great Elder of Star God Academy naturally understood his meaning.

Likewise, upon hearing that Yang Xiao's power was only at the First or Second Tier True God level and was reliant on external means, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

He now had a plan.

Seeing the expressions on both their faces,

Ao Yuhua began to laugh.

It was a laugh filled with venom and triumph.

She knew that after her provocations, the relationship between Yang Xiao and Star God Academy could no longer be reconciled.

It would escalate into a life-and-death struggle.

Once the conflict escalated,

and the Star Emperor was alerted,

then even if the Divine King backing him was a true Top-tier Divine King, it would be useless.

The boy would die all the same.

This was her only chance.

And just then,

With a CREAK...

The door to the sealed chamber slowly swung open.

"The Holy Spirit Body is coming out!"

Instantly, all eyes turned in that direction.

Including Yang Xiao's.

His gaze was also filled with a mixture of nervousness, fervor, and anticipation.