Hu Liena was startled and hurriedly stepped in front of Wu Qi and Chang Kong.
"Yan, what are you doing?"
Yan shouted angrily, "Nana, don't stop me. If you're a man, fight me! Sneaking around while I'm not here, what kind of ability is that?"
Hu Liena was speechless.
Although a small box could easily lead to certain assumptions, this was their first meeting. Anyone with basic sense would know it was impossible for them to be giving her a ring.
Xie Yue rushed over to calm things down. "Yan, that's enough. Whatever Nana does, whoever she meets, you don't need to be so sensitive."
They had gone through life-and-death experiences together. It would be unrealistic to say Hu Liena had never considered Yan at all.
However, Yan's possessiveness was far too strong, which made her deeply uncomfortable.
No girl enjoys being controlled.
The fact that she still gave Yan a decent attitude at times was already more than he deserved.
Wu Qi stepped forward and cupped his fist politely toward Hu Liena. "Senior, I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
"Please accept this gift for now. Another day, I'll host a banquet to make up for today."
Hu Liena smiled and accepted. When she turned to Yan, however, her expression shifted to clear impatience and disgust.
Yan immediately panicked. "Nana, what's so good about that pretty boy? I—"
"Enough! Yan, are you done? I don't want to report this to Teacher. Stop while you can."
With that, Hu Liena stormed off.
The mere mention of Bibi Dong's title instantly deflated Yan.
There was no other reason, Bibi Dong's presence was overwhelming, especially when she reprimanded someone. It felt as if one were standing amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Even an ordinary Spirit Douluo would struggle to endure that pressure, let alone Yan.
As for the gift inside the small box, it was a brilliant blue crystal.
For Chang Kong's family, such a crystal was nothing special. But to Hu Liena, it was extremely valuable.
After leaving Spirit Hall Academy,
Chang Kong clasped his hands behind his head and teased, "Brother Wu, Senior clearly has feelings for you. Why didn't you go along with it? Afraid of Yan?"
Hu Liena was undeniably attractive.
Wu Qi shot him a look. "Do you know that Hu Liena and Xie Yue have a Spirit Fusion Skill?"
This was no secret among the upper ranks of Spirit Hall.
Chang Kong looked confused. "What does that have to do with being afraid of Yan?"
Wu Qi replied, "Let me ask you, what's the requirement for performing a Spirit Fusion Skill?"
As a descendant of a powerful family, Chang Kong was well-versed in Spirit Master theory regarding Spirit Fusion Skills.
Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up. "Complete, unreserved fusion with your partner… Wait—they're siblings. That relationship is kind of complicated."
The stronger a Spirit Fusion Skill, the deeper the mutual understanding between the two Spirit Masters.
Between husband and wife, that would be understandable.
But between siblings…
For a moment, he actually felt sorry for Yan. "That guy's walking around with a green hat on his head and doesn't even know it."
Wu Qi added calmly, "Or maybe Yan put the green hat on Xie Yue. Who knows."
"Enough. Hu Liena gave us important information. Don't make baseless jokes about her, and definitely don't spread nonsense."
After accepting the gift, Hu Liena took the matter seriously. To prevent Yan from causing trouble for Wu Qi, she entrusted a close friend to deliver a letter to him.
In the letter, she detailed everything she had witnessed inside Death Canyon and instructed him to destroy it after reading.
At the end of the letter was an invitation.
She wrote that once Wu Qi completed his training, she would host a reception for him at the Spirit Hall Grand Hotel.
Wu Qi did not take the invitation to heart, but he memorized the important information in the letter.
That very night, Azure Luan Douluo came to see him.
"Explain yourself. Why are you so determined to go to that poisonous place? If it's just to bring back a Poison Flash Antler Deer, there's no need. You can take the young deer from the estate."
Cute things could certainly awaken possessiveness. But risking one's life just to capture and raise a Spirit Beast was not worth it.
Wu Qi shook his head. He had not fallen to that extent.
"Master, the resting place of an unknown powerful expert, even Grandfather Qian couldn't fully investigate it. There must be a great opportunity there."
"Back then, you entered by accident and came out alive. Doesn't that suggest the place is favorable to Spirit Masters with the Azure Luan martial spirit?"
Azure Luan Douluo fell into thought.
When he had entered that underground world years ago, he had indeed encountered little danger and even obtained several treasures.
Later, when Spirit Hall sent others inside and many talents perished, he had puzzled over it for a long time.
He had not faced danger, so why had others suffered disaster? At first, he thought the fifty-year gap had caused changes within that underground world.
Now that he considered Wu Qi's speculation, it did carry some possibility.
However, in the end, it remained speculation. Risking one's life to verify a guess was far too costly.
Opportunities capable of changing one's fate were never easy to obtain.
After a lengthy lecture, Azure Luan Douluo finally made Wu Qi "abandon" the idea of going to the poisonous land.
"Oh, right. Your contact with Hu Liena has already spread among the upper ranks."
Originally, no one had known about it. But Yan, acting foolishly, had investigated Wu Qi and Chang Kong's identities throughout the academy, drawing widespread attention.
Of course, neither Azure Luan Douluo nor the Worship Hall elders blamed Wu Qi.
Contacting Hu Liena was clearly to learn about Death Canyon.
Using available resources to safeguard one's training was a wise move, Qian Daoliu would only approve.
Wu Qi began to explain, "I learned quite a bit from her—"
Azure Luan Douluo raised a hand to stop him. "No need to tell me. Just understand it yourself. If you're ready, take the young deer and set off."
Wu Qi blinked. "Master, you're really giving it to me?"
Azure Luan Douluo snorted. "The young deer can sense poison. Keeping it by your side will help you avoid danger. But it's still young. Its blood cannot cure poison. Do not harm it."
The deer had accompanied him for a hundred years. Though he might have grown tired of its company, that century of bond remained. He did not want it to die.
Wu Qi grinned and promised to protect its life.
"Enough nonsense. If you're ready, go draw your mission tomorrow. Finish your training early, then report to Spirit Hall Academy."
"For any Spirit Master, the Advanced Spirit Master Academy is an important stage of life. I trust your learning attitude. But this concerns your qualification for the next Spirit Master Tournament. Take it seriously."
Wu Qi understood.
As expected, Azure Luan Douluo's plan was for him to participate in the next Spirit Master Tournament as a substitute member to gain experience.
By the following tournament, he and Chang Kong would serve as the main members and fight to win the championship for Spirit Hall.