"Go, I can," Bai Ran smoothed a strand of her hair.
Xuan Yuan was so excited he almost stood up, only to hear Bai Ran continue, "But what reward will the academy give?"
Being too smart isn't always a good thing; what a sharp girl!
Xuan Yuan glared at Bai Ran.
"Before the competition begins, the cultivation tower is yours to use. If the Vermilion Bird Kingdom wins first place this year, you can also visit the academy's sacred land center once."
The academy's sacred land gathered the purest essence of the entire academy, maintaining the spiritual energy circulation of the whole institution. It was a vital area of the academy.
Even approaching the outer perimeter would lead to enlightenment and increased cultivation, let alone entering the very heart of the sacred land.
However, this power was constantly guarded by formidable individuals. Unless it was the Dean or Vice-Dean, no one else was allowed to come even close.
They were truly sparing no expense, Bai Ran smiled and agreed.
Xuan Yuan straightened his body and looked at Bai Ran with a serious expression. "There is a third matter."
"Regarding the Ghost Town mission, how did you complete it?"
The Ghost Town mission had been posted for decades. In the beginning, many senior students had confidently taken on the task, but after months, none had returned.
Over time, this mission became an SSS-grade task that no one could complete. Even with rewards as high as the heavens, no one would dare to take it.
The academy elders had also investigated the location, but the elder who finally returned was mentally disoriented, only muttering, "Ghosts! So many ghosts!"
His sanity shattered, he could no longer serve as an elder. Elder Mo then took his place, becoming the youngest elder in the academy.
Yet, this young girl before him had completed the mission in a matter of days.
How was this possible?
Bai Ran understood Xuan Yuan's concerns, but she genuinely hadn't put much effort into it.
Did she have to tell him that she was a Ghost King, solved a formation, and that was it?
Seeing Xuan Yuan's earnest gaze, Bai Ran sighed helplessly.
"There were indeed ghosts, but they were just timid and scared."
Xuan Yuan heard this and felt like grabbing Bai Ran and giving her a good thrashing. Timid? Timid your ghost!
Wasn't she just fooling him?
But how could Xuan Yuan know that this was indeed the truth, an ironclad fact.
"Alright, alright. If you don't want to say, I won't ask. Everyone has their own destiny."
With that, he ushered Bai Ran out of his office.
Bai Ran pouted, the old man didn't believe her.
Recalling the cultivation tower Xuan Yuan had mentioned, Bai Ran went to find it.
An ancient, simple, yet soaring and majestic round tower stood at the center of the academy.
"Ah! It's Goddess Bai!"
"Greetings, Goddess Bai!"
"Goddess Bai, look at me! Look at me!"
As soon as Bai Ran arrived at the foot of the tower, a group of disciples excitedly surrounded her, but having learned from last time, they dared not get too close.
It was no joke; Bai Ran was a celebrity in the academy!
On her first day of enrollment, she had crushed the Alchemist Academy!
Her talent test had yielded a purple pillar, the first in ten thousand years!
Elders personally taught her!
And recently, she had completed an SSS-grade mission!
One after another, impossible feats, all achieved with ease by Bai Ran. Who wouldn't worship her?
She was beautiful and powerful! Now, Bai Ran was their goddess!
"Don't bother me."
Bai Ran's brows furrowed. She didn't want to be this so-called goddess.
"Goddess Bai is entering the cultivation tower!"
Someone shouted, and the crowd automatically parted, creating a path.
Bai Ran walked past the crowd and directly entered the cultivation tower.
The cultivation tower had ten floors, each with a different concentration of spiritual energy, stronger closer to the top.
She went straight for the stairs and headed towards the higher floors.
The first five floors were filled with disciples sitting cross-legged, but after the sixth floor, the number of disciples cultivating began to dwindle.
By the eighth floor, there were no disciples to be seen.
Bai Ran felt the dense spiritual energy on the eighth floor. On the ninth floor, she felt the spiritual energy pressing and colliding against her body.
However, at this level, she still had some energy left, which meant it wasn't enough.
Bai Ran continued to walk, step by step, upwards, though her pace slowed considerably, and each step felt heavier.
Upon reaching the final floor, the tenth floor, the terrifying spiritual energy pressure directly caused Bai Ran to cough up a mouthful of blood.
She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, forcefully suppressing the surging sensation within her body.
Only in such an environment could she cultivate.
Bai Ran found a corner, sat down cross-legged, and entered a state of cultivation.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Long Jinhan, through his earring, sensed the state of the little girl's body.
He smiled helplessly. This girl was truly hard on herself.
The demon generals kneeling on the ground wiped their eyes. The Sovereign's expression? How was that possible?
Sensing the gazes from below, Long Jinhan was enraged.
"Do you want your eyes?"
The terrifying aura and pressure pinned them down, unable to straighten up.
It must have been a hallucination, yes, a hallucination!
"Your, Your Sovereign, we implore you to listen, to consider our petition!" a demon general said tremblingly.
These old geezers! They had gathered to petition him to marry?
They were truly tired of living!
Long Jinhan, seated on his throne, his face darkened. The demon generals trembled even more violently.
The Sovereign had not approached women for the past century. They were worried sick about his lifelong marital prospects!
Jing Yun stood tall beside Long Jinhan. For some reason, the image of Bai Ran flashed in his mind.
He shook his head violently. She was merely a mortal from the lower realm, not worthy of the Sovereign.
"You all are just worrying needlessly. I think, the Sovereign already has a woman in his heart."
A syrupy, affected male voice drifted over.
Dongfang Wuji slithered in, his enchanting eyes glancing at the single earring on Long Jinhan's ear, filled with intense curiosity.
The Sovereign had a woman in his heart?
How come they didn't know?
"Master Wuji, we implore you to enlighten us," one of the demon generals said.
"Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed," Dongfang Wuji said pretentiously.
Master Wuji said so, so it must be true!
Their Sovereign could finally get a wife!
Some of the demon generals below were even moved to tears.
Dongfang Wuji felt Jing Yun's deathly stare from behind him and swallowed.
Did he say something wrong?
Would Long Jinhan kill him?
He cautiously turned his head, only to see a hint of praise in Long Jinhan's eyes, which made a dark line appear on his forehead.
He had just said it casually.
What kind of woman could make their heartless and desireless Sovereign so captivated, paying attention to her constantly?
Even the demon race's supreme treasure, the Blood Droplet, was given away?
Dongfang Wuji chuckled. He was very interested.
On the other side, Bai Ran, who was cultivating in the tower, sneezed and continued to immerse herself in her practice.
Half a month passed in a flash, and the Four Nations Competition was fast approaching.
Inside the cultivation tower, Bai Ran exhaled a turbid breath and opened her clear eyes.