The next day.

Chen Xiang slowly opened his eyes, releasing the slightly transparent bloodstone from his hand. After a whole night of cultivation, he had absorbed a fifth of the hundred thousand divine particles contained in the stone, solidifying his peak martial artist level. The extraordinary realm seemed within reach.

However...

Playing with the dark hood and the pseudo-god visualization, he frowned slightly."If all goes as expected, that life energy should come from the orphanage director... Has he died?"

"Surely not..."

As he mused, Chen Xiang's expression grew more serious. The life energy was alarmingly vast, far exceeding that of Mandong. Even after considerable depletion for internal repair, what remained had propelled him to the pinnacle of martial arts.

Notably, the life energy contained only the essence and vitality, lacking any divine aspect. This suggested that the orphanage director was likely alive; the life energy might just be a fraction of his being—perhaps a small part. How powerful could he be?

Chen Xiang recalled his college textbooks, noting that unless one pursued the path of the Death Sovereign, ordinary extraordinary beings didn't temper their bodies. Upon entering the extraordinary realm, physicality became irrelevant!

Shaking his head, he exhaled deeply."Never mind, I'll ask Little Wei later..."

After washing up, he entered the dining room on the first floor, where his sister had prepared breakfast. The previously shy Silly Girl immediately lit up with a big smile.

"Minister Brother!!"

"It's Chen Xiang,"he chuckled, ruffling her hair as he pulled out a chair to sit. His sister laughed,"Before you came, this girl wouldn't say a word; she was so shy!"

At that moment, Chen Xin wheeled in Lu Saleng.

"How did you sleep last night?"Chen Xiang casually asked the boy with mismatched eyes.

"Very well, thank you."Lu Saleng nodded politely, his expression unreadable, void of any emotion.

Chen Xiang didn't think much of it, grabbing a boiled egg his sister had peeled and popping it into his mouth.

"Why aren't you eating?"Chen Shaoyan asked Lu Saleng while sipping her milk.

"I don't like eggs, sandwiches, or milk,"the boy replied calmly."If possible, next time, buy some fried dough sticks and soy milk, and a fried egg with sugar and vinegar would taste better..."

Chen Shaoyan playfully tugged at his ear."Are you eating or not?"

"I don't want to..."

Her gaze grew dangerously narrow as she pulled out a ruler.

"I will eat,"Lu Saleng quickly amended, obediently digging in as Chen Xiang and Chen Xin exchanged amused glances.

After finishing breakfast, Chen Xiang ruffled Silly Girl's hair and reminded Lu Saleng,"If anything comes up, just call me or your sister and brother. Take care of Silly Girl, and tonight, have your sister fry you an egg with sugar and vinegar!"

Lu Saleng nodded coolly."Understood."

Chen Xiang didn't think much of it, greeting them as he left.

Instead of heading straight to the academy, he detoured back to Building 47, jumping through the window into the secret room.

"Mirror."

"I'm here, I'm here, always here."

"Be serious..."Chen Xiang opened the hidden compartment, feeling the wooden box with the mirror image."Do you know any protective runes?"

"In response to your inquiry, I don't know."

Chen Xiang shook his head, returning the box."I want to make this secret room more secure, ideally to avoid external prying. That way, we can hold meetings here in the future..."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

The mirror thought for a moment and reminded,"You could use that staff to create a time rune and set up a simple time loop."

"How do I do that?"

"In response to your inquiry, you haven't become extraordinary yet, so you can't use it."

"Can you do it?"

"I can."

A crack appeared on his wrist, and an invisible rune slowly etched itself onto the walls of the secret room.

The mirror softly said,"This is a time loop rune; it won't stop particularly strong individuals, but such runes can stack. With my ability, I can activate the staff once a day."

"Is that so? Then I'll need to come here every day... not too far."

"By the way, there's one more thing,"the mirror added after thinking."Could you possibly get rid of that Lu Saleng?"

"Why?"Chen Xiang was surprised.

The mirror grew indignant."His gold and silver eyes remind me of an old acquaintance!"

Intrigued, Chen Xiang asked,"Who?"

"My past humble servant—a crippled old man; he also had golden and silver eyes!"

Chen Xiang laughed."Are you afraid of that old man?"

"How could this be?!"the mirror vehemently denied, declaring,"The invincible Mirror King fears nothing!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Chen Xiang chuckled, shaking his head at the mirror's antics. Just because of similar eye colors, it wanted him to get rid of Luo Saling—he certainly wouldn't agree to that. Perhaps this mirror had been bullied by its so-called servant in the past. Who really was the master here?

As he walked out of the secret room, Chen Xiang teased,"If you ever leave me, I won't become your servant, right?"

"Your glory is unmatched."

The mirror responded solemnly,"I must admit, you surpass the invincible Mirror King. I shall forever serve you as my master in this life and beyond."

"Alright, don't get so mushy; it's a bit awkward."

"As you wish!"The mirror returned to its playful self.

...

At the Giant Academy.

On the deserted tree-lined path.

"What's happening with the orphanage director now? You mentioned a saint yesterday... what is that?"Chen Xiang asked while strolling.

The originally cheerful silver-haired girl grew serious."As for him, he's fine; I visited the orphanage early this morning... but he has serious issues."

After a pause, she frowned deeply."The second step of the extraordinary is called the Mysterious Sage, and the third step is the Human Saint, representing the pinnacle of mortals... I suspect he might be a saint."

Chen Xiang was taken aback, while Wei Qingqiu continued,"He likely comes from a force behind the Crocodile Gate. Since Wu Jinlu died, he has appeared... Be cautious and try to avoid him; I suspect he's a high-ranking member of some evil god cult."

Nodding thoughtfully, Chen Xiang exchanged intelligence about the Crocodile Gate with her, revealing what he had heard about the Void Spirit Cult.

"The Void Spirit Cult?"Wei Qingqiu frowned."I know that cult; it belongs to the Void series and is divided into nine branches, each worshiping different void evil gods..."

After considering, she exhaled."If he truly is a saint, he's likely a high-ranking priest within the Void Spirit Cult, equivalent to an assistant bishop."

Chen Xiang contemplated her words.

The two chatted idly until they reached the ancient mysticism castle cluster, where they parted ways.

"Stay vigilant,"Wei Qingqiu advised before leaving."Try not to draw too much attention; the video of your fight with Mandong is circulating widely. Lay low for a while."

"I understand; don't worry,"Chen Xiang replied, watching the silver-haired girl leave before returning to the office of practical teaching assistants.

This time, the assistants greeted him warmly, revealing that Instructor Lin had been released from the secret office.

Their attitude towards Chen Xiang had drastically changed, except for the girl he had nearly scared to tears; she still avoided him, seemingly carrying some psychological trauma.

In the morning, he accompanied Instructor Lin to the Mystic Arts class, and in the afternoon, he attended a Guidance course. Chen Xiang noticed that the instructor, suspected to be linked to the Crocodile Gate and the Void Spirit Cult, was excessively enthusiastic about him, even seeking him out after class.

"Little Chen,"Lin Yulang said with a gentle smile, handing him an invitation."Next month, a mysticism master from the White Star Nation will give a lecture. You should attend; he's a distinguished figure in mysticism."

Chen Xiang was taken aback but accepted the invitation, thanking her politely.

Lin Yulang nodded, smiling."Don't underestimate this lecture; invitations have skyrocketed in price. I happen to have an extra one... Alright, you go do your thing. Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Teacher Lin."

After Lin Yulang left, Chen Xiang pondered, shaking his head slightly.

"Too much unnecessary flattery."

In the following days, life settled into a routine for Chen Xiang—classes, reinforcing the secret room, and cultivation.

As time passed, his understanding of mysticism deepened, and at home, Silly Girl and Luo Saling began to warm up to the three siblings. Silly Girl remained shy, while Luo Saling was still aloof, but both had improved significantly.

Half a month later.

On June 1st, Friday evening.

His sister had prepared a meal for the stubborn, aloof Luo Saling, who had discarded the beef stew he didn't like into the trash.

"I don't eat beef."

This time, his sister wielded a ruler and firmly smacked Luo Saling's backside, causing him to show his first real expression—a mix of bemusement, nostalgia, and helplessness.

Chen Xiang, Chen Xin, and Silly Girl watched in wide-eyed silence.

"Feels oddly familiar,"Chen Xiang muttered, shrinking his neck.

"You didn't hit hard enough,"Chen Xin said, eyeing the discarded beef stew sympathetically.

"How scary!"Silly Girl hid behind Chen Xiang.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"I also care about my face,"Luo Saling calmly reminded, prompting his sister to stop.

She opened the door to reveal Li Dongyun, the staff-wielding visitor.

Ten minutes later, Lin Yulang arrived, accompanied by the orphanage director, Wang.