Several hours later.
Ian Song returned to Waterwood University. After this tournament, he had made a big impression on the upper echelons of Yanhuang.
After everything was settled, Ian Song had a friendly conversation with the Head of State and the nine Grand Elders. If not for him, Yanhuang might not have even gotten a twenty percent share of the Secret Realm—but now, Yanhuang had secured ninety percent.
Merit deserves reward.
So, after some discussion, the Head of State and the nine Grand Elders promoted his military rank to general, and appointed him as the fifth deputy commander of the War God Squad.
Additionally, every time the Secret Realm opens, any treasures he obtains inside can be kept—no need to turn them over to the state.
At the same time, Ian Song learned that the Secret Realm would reopen in a week.
Last time he entered the Secret Realm, Ian Song’s strength was still low, so he could only explore within a three-hundred-li radius of the base. This time, though, his power had increased dozens of times, and he was confident he’d harvest far more Spirit Medicines after entering.
He also planned to investigate the world inside the Secret Realm—to find out what kind of world it really was.
After returning to campus, Ian Song acted just like an ordinary student—going to class when he should, playing around when he could, and occasionally dating Fiona Xiang. Life was pretty carefree.
In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.
Realizing he hadn’t called Shelly Song in a while, he dialed her number.
But to Ian Song’s surprise, the call went straight to a powered-off message.
He couldn’t help but frown a little. He and Shelly Song kept in pretty close contact—not every day, but at least once a week. Counting carefully, it had now been ten days since their last conversation.
Normally, even if he forgot to call, Shelly would always reach out to him first.
A vague sense of unease crept over Ian Song.
Finally, he decided to go check on Shelly at her university.
Shelly was enrolled at another top university—just a notch below Waterwood University.
Leaving his campus, Ian Song found a secluded spot and summoned the Silverglow Skiff, stepping aboard.
In less than thirty seconds, Ian Song had arrived near Magic City University.
Magic City University might not have the deep heritage of Waterwood or Yanhuang University, but it’s definitely one of the nation’s top schools.
Shelly Song was a student in the Music Department here.
"Hey, beauty, how do I get to the Music Department?" After entering the campus, Ian Song stopped a tall girl and asked.
The girl glanced at Ian Song. Although his skin was a bit tan, he was undeniably handsome. Warmly, she replied, "I’m a Music major too. If you’re headed there, just come with me."
"Thanks a lot."
"No problem! By the way, handsome, what’s your name? You must be a student too, right?"
Ian Song nodded, "You’ve got a sharp eye, beauty. I am a student, just not at this school. My name’s Ian Song. How should I address you?"
"I’m Lily Lu!" The two chatted as they walked toward the Music Department.
"That’s a cheerful name!" Ian Song complimented.
Lily was momentarily stunned by his comment, then laughed. "You’re pretty funny. So, what are you doing at the Music Department—chasing girls?"
Ian Song replied, "No, my little sister is also a Music major. I’m here to check on her."
"What’s your sister’s name? Maybe I know her."
"Her name’s Shelly Song."
"What? Your sister is Shelly Song?" Lily Lu’s face showed a strange expression.
"That’s right!"
"Is your sister a freshman?"
Ian Song nodded. Seeing Lily Lu’s odd expression, he felt a growing sense of unease. "Did something happen to my sister?"
"Well..." Lily hesitated, uncertainty showing on her face.
"If you know anything, please tell me—I’d really appreciate it!" Ian Song said earnestly.
After thinking it over, Lily said, "Alright. Actually, your sister isn’t at school right now—she’s in the hospital."
"What? What happened—why is she in the hospital?" Ian Song asked urgently.
Lily instinctively glanced around, then lowered her voice: "Three days ago, your sister jumped from the top of the teaching building. She was lucky—she landed in a flowerbed, so she survived, but she was badly injured. She’s in Magic City Hospital now."
Hearing that Shelly Song had jumped, Ian Song was stunned. He looked at Lily and asked, "Do you know why she did it?"
"That... I don’t know," Lily replied, her expression flickering.
"Tell me—why did Shelly Song jump?"
Suddenly, Ian Song’s voice took on a hypnotic edge, and Lily’s eyes grew vacant. She answered mechanically, "I heard Shelly Song was forced to jump by Monica Mo."
Ian Song’s eyes grew cold. Continuing the hypnosis, he asked, "Who is Monica Mo? Why did she force Shelly Song to jump?"
Lily continued in a mechanical tone, "Monica Mo is also a Music major. She liked a boy who kept chasing Shelly Song, so she was very jealous. Three days ago, after class, Monica showed up with a group, dragged Shelly up to the rooftop, and soon after, Shelly jumped."
Hearing this, a murderous glint flashed in Ian Song’s eyes. Suppressing his rage, he asked, "Where is Monica Mo now?"
"Since Shelly Song jumped, Monica Mo hasn’t shown up at school."
"How did the school handle all this?" Ian Song asked again.
"The school called it an accident and strictly forbade anyone from talking about it!"
"Why would the school do that?"
Lily explained, "First, to protect the school’s reputation—a suicide would look really bad. Second, Monica Mo’s family is very powerful, so they forced the matter down!"
Hearing this, Ian Song clenched his fist, his anger flaring up again. If he found out the truth matched Lily’s story, he would never forgive Monica Mo—or the school’s administrators.
In a flash, Ian Song vanished from sight.
A moment later, Lily slowly came to, puzzled as she touched her head. "Huh? Wasn’t I just showing a handsome guy around? Where’d he go?"
Ten minutes later.
Ian Song appeared at the inpatient wing of Magic City Hospital.
Activating his Clairvoyant Vision, he quickly found Shelly Song’s room. He headed straight to the fifth floor and pushed the door open.
It was a private room. Shelly Song lay unconscious in bed.
Suddenly, Ian Song’s murderous intent erupted uncontrollably—because he saw deep cross-shaped wounds carved into both of Shelly’s cheeks.
Judging by the wounds, someone had deliberately cut her face with a sharp object.