Above the platform, the bluestone was silent.

The chest of that mysterious phantom was pierced by a golden sword tip.

It lowered its head to glance at the longsword piercing its body.

Then it slowly raised its head to look at Yasuo.

Following that, it silently cupped its fists.

It seemed to be an acknowledgment of Yasuo's swordsmanship.

After finishing all this, its entire figure turned into countless specks of light, like fireflies blown away by the wind, and dissipated into the air.

Yasuo withdrew his sword and stood expressionless.

The black windbreaker on his body fluttered loudly in the mountain wind, and the golden thunder entwined around his body gradually faded away.

Without lingering, he took strides and continued walking step by step toward the mist-shrouded peak.

...

Meanwhile, Zhou Huai was not idle either.

Controlling Moria and Zhuge Kongming, he arrived once again at the entrance of the Abyss of Mist Secret Realm.

Here, just as Qin Ming had said,

the original entrance to the Secret Realm had been completely sealed off by thick layers of soil and rock, leaving not a single gap.

To prevent the military from finding this place, the Zhou Family had also set up a Level 4 illusion Formation outside.

Viewed from the outside, this place was just an ordinary underground rock wall.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Huai smiled.

This really was thinking along the same lines.

He immediately controlled Zhuge Kongming to step forward.

Zhuge Kongming extended two fingers and traced a few times in the empty air.

Several invisible runes quietly merged into the rock wall ahead.

Hum—!

The scenery before his eyes instantly collapsed like a shattered mirror, revealing the concealed true scenery.

The Level 4 illusion Formation that the Zhou Family had spent great effort to set up was thus easily broken.

After finishing all this, Zhuge Kongming did not stop.

He took out a specialized carving knife and various materials from his storage space.

He rearranged a Level 5 illusion Formation.

Now, let alone others not being able to find the Secret Realm entrance,

even the Zhou Family probably wouldn't be able to find it anymore.

This was not over yet.

Zhuge Kongming's movements did not stop.

He laid out various Formations at the entrance location.

Illusion Formation.

Trapping Formation.

Defensive Formation.

Offensive Formation.

Multiple different types of Formations were perfectly fused together by him in an incredible way.

Forming a compound Formation.

He couldn't let him stay idle.

He still had a challenge quest on his back.

Now that more than half the time had passed, he needed to hurry up and increase his Formation proficiency.

Just at this moment,

a cold System prompt suddenly sounded in Zhou Huai's mind.

【Ding! Your Avatar ' Forbidden Spell Mage Gandalf ' has received an invitation from the Imperial Capital Academy principal to go to the principal's office.】

【Do you wish to conduct consciousness takeover?】

Zhou Huai was somewhat surprised.

The principal of Imperial Capital Academy?

Ever since Gandalf entered the academy, that principal seemed to have never looked for him.

What was the principal looking for him for at this time?

Carrying a trace of curiosity,

Zhou Huai's consciousness rapidly transferred, spanning a thousand miles, and descended into Gandalf's body.

...

Imperial Capital Academy, on the tree-lined path leading to the Dungeon Tower.

Gandalf was standing quietly.

In front of him, that senior schoolmate named Lu Zhiyi was looking at him somewhat at a loss.

Her fair cheeks carried a trace of nervous blush, and her voice was timid.

" Gand... Gandalf junior. "

" I didn't mean to disturb your leveling. "

" It's the principal who said I must invite you over. "

Zhou Huai's consciousness descended and quickly read the recent memories of Gandalf's AI.

Turns out, today Student Gandalf was preparing to go to the Dungeon Tower to grind levels just like usual.

As a result, Senior Lu Zhiyi had actually waited specifically for him halfway,

and informed him of the principal's summons.

Lu Zhiyi had also bitten the bullet and come this time.

According to past experience in dealing with Gandalf,

he would definitely say next:

" Foolish humans, don't disturb my leveling. "

Then stride away proudly.

However, this time Gandalf revealed a gentle smile instead.

" So the principal requests my presence. "

" Then I must trouble Senior Lu to lead the way for me. "

" Ah? "

Lu Zhiyi was stunned for a moment.

Those watery big eyes were filled with disbelief.

She even suspected whether she had heard wrong.

The Gandalf before her eyes, smiled?

And was so polite?

Was this still that dungeon maniac who usually spoke as little as gold and exuded a cold aura of'strangers keep away'?

Lu Zhiyi blankly nodded, still somewhat unaccustomed to this 180-degree attitude turnaround from Gandalf.

The two were silent all the way.

Ten minutes later, they arrived in front of a quaint and elegant office building.

This was the place where the principal worked.

Lu Zhiyi brought Gandalf to the office door on the top floor, took a deep breath, and knocked gently on the door.

" Thud, thud, thud. "

" Come in. "

Inside the door, a gentle and magnetic voice sounded.

Lu Zhiyi pushed open the door and walked in with Student Gandalf.

She respectfully bowed toward the figure behind the office desk.

" Principal Chen, Student Gandalf has been brought to you. "

As soon as Zhou Huai entered the door, his gaze quickly swept across the entire office.

He discovered that there was not only the principal here.

Behind the office desk sat a middle-aged man with graying hair, but a handsome visage resembling a youth in his thirties.

He wore a well-fitted Zhongshan suit, with a warm smile on his face, giving people a spring-breeze-like feeling.

Presumably, this person was the current principal of Imperial Capital Academy, Chen Xuan.

And on the reception sofa, two other people were sitting.

Zhou Huai knew both of them.

One of them was precisely that military general who had 'escorted' him all the way to Imperial Capital Academy, General Zhang, Zhang Donglai.

And the other...

Zhou Huai's eyelid couldn't help twitching.

That was an old woman wearing a black robe with a hunched figure.

She sat there quietly, leaning on a cane entwined with withered vines in her hand, her turbid eyes seemingly capable of seeing through human hearts.

She was precisely that eccentric Lord of Senluo, Lin Zhu.

During this period, Gandalf had been 'living under someone else's roof', staying in her 'botanical garden'.

Seeing these three big shots gathered together, Zhou Huai instantly understood in his heart.

Finding him this time was probably no small matter.

Principal Chen smiled gently at Lu Zhiyi.

" You've worked hard, classmate Lu. "

" We have some matters to discuss privately with Gandalf. "

" You can go back and rest first. "

Lu Zhiyi nodded very sensibly, respectfully withdrew from the office, and casually pulled the door shut behind her.

Only then did Principal Chen let his gaze fall upon Student Gandalf.

He meticulously sized up this young man who had stirred up wave after wave in the academy, the smile on his face unreduced.

" Student Gandalf, please sit. "

His voice was gentle and full of affinity.

" You are now a complete prominent figure in our Imperial Capital Academy. "

" Everywhere people are rumoring that you are a ' dungeon maniac '. "

He said half-jokingly.

" Every day you're either running dungeons or on the way to run dungeons. "

" To be honest, in our Great Xia Nation, we can already rarely see a young person who is more hardworking than you. "

In Principal Chen's eyes, there was undisguised appreciation.

Zhang Donglai at the side also smiled and took over the conversation, his voice hearty.

" That's right! "

" I remember when I picked you up from Jiangning City back then, you were just level twenty, right? "

" In less than two months, you've actually already reached level thirty-four. "

He smacked his lips and sighed with emotion:

" Your speed of leveling up is truly somewhat shocking. "

Controlling Gandalf with a calm smile on his face, Zhou Huai sat down on the sofa opposite Lin Zhu.

He could feel that ever since he entered the door, Lin Zhu's turbid eyes had been sizing him up intangibly.

" Many thanks to Principal Chen and General Zhang for the praise. "

Gandalf's voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

" However, the three big shots specifically called me here. "

" It shouldn't just be to praise me a few words, is it that simple? "

Hearing this, Zhang Donglai burst into loud laughter.

" You kid, you're still as direct as ever. "

He restrained his smile, and his expression turned a bit more serious.

" Since that's the case, then we'll get straight to the point. "

Zhang Donglai exchanged a glance with Principal Chen, and ultimately it was he who spoke up.

He looked at Student Gandalf, word by word, and asked in a deep voice:

" Student Gandalf... "

" Have you heard of ' ruins '? "