Accompanied by the dean's hoarse, frenzied roar, the library wall collapsed with a thunderous crash, and an enormous striped tiger burst into the hall. With upturned eyes and a white forehead, the giant tiger stood two meters tall at the shoulder and stretched five meters in length, its coat patterned with black and tawny stripes, its underbelly snowy white.
Its azure, savage eyes glinted malevolently. After staring at the students in the hall for a moment, it tilted its head and looked toward the podium.
By now, the dean had gone completely mad. Pulling out a three-foot sword, he pointed it at the students and shrieked,
"Kill them all!"
Upon receiving the command, the giant tiger let out a deep growl, baring yellowed fangs within a cavernous, bloody maw.
"Roar—"
A ferocious, violent aura surged forward like a tidal wave.
The immense beast pounced ruthlessly into the "flock of sheep," sending the Saints before the benches scattering with shrieks of alarm.
*Crack!*
The benches splintered and collapsed beneath the tiger's pounce.
Missing its initial target, the giant tiger bounded forward and effortlessly pinned the slowest of them, Sanyang Kaitaitai, to the ground.
Sanyang Kaitaitai swung his heavy fists, raining blows down on the tiger's foreleg with resounding thuds. At the same time, the ground on either side of the giant tiger swelled upward as hard stalagmites burst through the floor, thrusting toward its soft white belly and throat.
Confronted by the Mountain God's assault, the giant tiger paid it no heed, merely pressing down lightly with its front paw.
*Bang!*
A hazy yellow halo around Sanyang Kaitaitai shattered.
Immediately following was his heart-wrenching shriek. His chest caved inward as razor claws hooked deep into his flesh.
The defense a Mountain God took such pride in was utterly fragile beneath the tiger's claws.
Such was the gap between Level 6 and Level 4.
Just then, a sharp gleam of sword light whistled through the air, flashing like lightning to strike the tiger's forehead.
"Roar!"
Pain flared, and the giant tiger instinctively jerked its head to the right, simultaneously pulling back the claws pinned to Sanyang Kaitaitai's chest.
Ren Junzi rushed in, seized Sanyang Kaitaitai by the shoulders, and hauled him back in retreat.
"Dean, have you lost your mind?!"
The hot-tempered and reckless Luo Lesheng was dumbfounded.
Because he could not control his temper, he had beaten his subordinates on multiple occasions. Finally, he had gone too far once, severely injuring a subordinate. Citing that he was too irascible and unfit to continue as a Deacon, the branch had "banished" him to Qinfeng Academy.
Yet even someone as volatile as him was stunned by the dean's actions.
With nothing left in his eyes but hatred, the dean raised his longsword high. With a hiss, a blast of sword qi erupted, slashing toward the students fleeing in disarray.
*Smack!*
Right then, a vine lashed in from the side, striking the dean's wrist with a sharp crack.
The blade instantly skewed, sending the arc of sword qi slicing diagonally into the wall.
Song Man yanked back her long whip, turned to the instructors beside her, and shouted,
"The Tiger King only obeys the dean's orders, and his mind is unhinged right now! Subdue him first—if he remains obstinate, kill him on the spot!"
Fire Demon, Stargazer, and Mo Pan struck out in succession.
Though bewildered by the dean's sudden madness, this was no time to ponder questions.
These students were all Saints—future Deacons, the pillars of the official organization. Among them were scions of powerful elders with deep backgrounds, as well as top-seed talents like Yuanshi Tianzun. If they fell here, headquarters would likely execute the instructors in retribution.
Forcing the dean back with a crack of her whip, Song Man shouted,
"Fire Demon, go help the students!"
On the other side, Ren Junzi dragged the heavily injured Sanyang Kaitaitai out of the library, propping him against a wall.
"No vital organs were hit," Ren Junzi said after checking the wound, letting out a slight breath of relief.
"I almost thought I'd be leaving this world full of regret." Sanyang Kaitaitai spat a mouthful of bloody foam, grimacing in agony. "So this is Level 6... terrifying."
Ren Junzi peeked back into the library. Seeing that the students had already retrieved their items, unleashing their various abilities in a fierce melee with the Tiger King, he said immediately,
"Sanyang, rest here for now. I'm going back to help them."
"Be careful. Don't get yourself killed," Sanyang Kaitaitai urged.
Ren Junzi nodded, gripped his sword, and returned to the library.
Sanyang Kaitaitai watched him leave, rubbed his palm against his thigh to wipe away the blood, and reached into his pants pocket to retrieve a dull golden disc.
The disc was eight centimeters in diameter, about the size of a bowl's rim.
Its front was smooth as a mirror, while the back bore a relief of a sun surrounded by countless radiating lines.
A line of fine text was engraved across the smooth face:
[Prophecy: After his deeply beloved lover Lin Su was murdered, Dean Li Yanxi was consumed by blinding grief and fury. When the lie-detection item proved ineffective, Li Yanxi decided to command the Tiger King of Hundred Beasts Island to slaughter all the students, seeking vengeance with his own hands.]
This was the prophecy from the previous night.
Sanyang Kaitaitai leaned forward, glanced at the battle inside the library, then withdrew his gaze and whispered:
"As the Tiger King goes on a killing spree in the library, Yuanshi Tianzun, in order to protect the students, is forced to use the one-hit-kill treasure obtained from behind the stone door, slaying the Tiger King and the dean."
The previous prophecy on the disc's surface slowly faded, and a new one emerged—word for word, exactly what Sanyang Kaitaitai had just spoken.
The item was named "Compass of Light - Fragment." He had scavenged it, its previous owner having been that President of the Merchant Guild.
It was also number 9 on the lost items list.
The Compass of Light fragment was a rule-based item of Saint quality. Its function was simple: prophecy.
Holding the compass and speaking aloud what one desired, the compass would convert it into a prophecy that was guaranteed to come to pass.
However, it had six restrictions:
First, only three prophecies could be made per day.
Second, a new prophecy could only be made after the previous one had either come true or failed.
Third, the prophecy could only affect the Saint stage.
Fourth, the prophecy had to state the target's name; it could not be vague.
Fifth, the prophecy had to align with the natural course of events.
Sixth, only one event could be prophesied at a time.
Any prophecy that did not meet these conditions would fail.
Despite the many restrictions, none were a major problem aside from the fifth:
*—Must align with the natural course of events.*
For example, he murdered Lin Su; as her lover, the old dean was overcome with grief and rage, slaughtering the students to avenge his beloved, which fit the natural course of events.
Confronted by a terrifying enemy, Yuanshi Tianzun using the treasure from behind the stone door also fit the natural course of events.
A prophecy that went against the natural course of events would look like this:
*The dean, overwhelmed with grief and rage, slaughters the students; the student who entered the stone door obediently surrenders the treasure.*
Therefore, he had laid out his plan step by step, using prophecies and murder to guide events in line with his desires.
Initially, he thought Xia Chaoxue was the most suspicious, so he attacked her under the influence of a prophecy. But upon interrogation, he discovered she was not the one who had entered through the stone door, leaving him no choice but to kill her to silence her.
After that, using the murder, he prophesied that the dean would ask that question, yet that still failed to bear fruit—the person, like himself, possessed the ability to bypass lie-detection items.
Lin Su's death was of the same nature as Xia Chaoxue's: a misidentified target, recycled for utility.
Not until just now had he finally locked onto his target, confirming that Yuanshi Tianzun was the one who had entered behind the stone door.
Holding his shield, Zhang Yuanqing stood before Peony Fairy, blocking a swipe from the Tiger King's paw.
*Clang!*
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't hold his ground. He bounced away like a rubber ball, rolling past Peony Fairy before slamming into the wall with a deafening crash, spiderweb fractures spreading across the plaster.
The Tiger King shuddered slightly as electric arcs rebounded onto it, disrupting its follow-up attack.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Sun Miaomiao fired calmly, sending bullets straight into the Tiger King's eyes, nose, and other vulnerable spots.
She cast a sideways glance toward Yuanshi Tianzun; seeing that he was unharmed, she felt a slight relief.
In merely a minute and a half of combat, Xie Lingzhou and Liu Yushu had already been mauled to death while fleeing—instakilled. The fragile Red Phoenix Star Official and Fangshi hadn't even had the chance to fight back.
Brother Red Chicken had his arm bitten off while protecting Xiahou Aotian, and now lay gravely wounded in Xiahou Aotian's arms.
The rest were all injured to varying degrees. The primary forces pinning down the Tiger King now were Fire Demon Luo Lesheng, as well as the two swordsmen, Crossing-River Pawn and Ren Junzi, while the others provided support.
The dean was currently locked in battle with Stargazer, Song Man, Mo Pan, and the Jiaoren Lake warden who had rushed over.
With the instructors joining forces, defeating the dean would not be difficult, but evidently it was not something that could be resolved in two or three minutes.
*Fuck. The Thunderstorm Cannon was spent in the underground palace, and new ammo hasn't finished charging yet. I can only use the Azure Thearch Jade Belt. But the beast-form state is at most Level 5, and this damn Tiger King is definitely at peak Level 6...*
Zhang Yuanqing did not hesitate. He drew out the Azure Thearch Jade Belt, fastened it around his waist, and pressed down on the jade pendant carved with a "bear."
He chose the bear form.
Dazzling green light erupted from the pendant, bathing Zhang Yuanqing until he seemed like a blinding sun.
"Roar—"
Amidst the brilliant glow, a three-meter-tall black bear manifested. Draped in shaggy black fur, it reared up on its hind legs and threw back its head in a deafening bellow, spittle raining down.
Its dark brown eyes burned with fighting spirit. Dropping to all fours, limbs churning, it charged to meet the unstoppable Tiger King.
The collision of the two massive beasts unleashed a terrifying explosion. Shockwaves rolled out in boiling ripples, blasting away splintered chairs. The surrounding students, unable to dodge in time, felt heavy impacts against their chests and staggered backward.
Snarls and roars reverberated throughout the library, the sounds of tearing fangs and swiping claws drowning out everything else.
Hiding outside, Sanyang Kaitaitai ducked his head to escape the violent aftershocks, then pushed himself up and peered back inside.
He happened to see the black bear pinned under the Tiger King's paws, its flesh ripped and torn.
*Huh? That's not right...* Stunned, he quickly looked down at the disc, confirming he hadn't made a mistake in the writing.
According to the prophecy, Yuanshi Tianzun should currently be using the treasure obtained from behind the stone door.
*That's it?*
The Grand Protector had said that the First Emperor's treasure was hidden in the secret quest of Qinfeng Academy.
As the secret quest of a Dominator-level dungeon, it had to contain immensely powerful items.
Anyone could figure that out using their toes.
Sanyang Kaitaitai knit his brows, shocked and suspicious. But soon, he realized the reason.
The true treasure was not on Yuanshi Tianzun.
He lowered his head, lost in thought. A few seconds later, his brow relaxed, and the corners of his mouth curled into a smirk.
*It's on Sun Miaomiao.*
The mysterious figure who attacked Lord Xianchan and Little Moon Rabbit last night was Sun Miaomiao.
He could understand why Sun Miaomiao had targeted the two female students: she assumed the armored figure who snuck into Jiaoren Lake that night was a female student.
According to Lord Xianchan and Little Moon Rabbit, they were attacked, left near death, but woke up to find themselves lying in their beds.
Illusion could be ruled out first. At Level 4, a Star Official's illusions could never reach such a degree, nor could an Illusionist of the same level.
Few possibilities remained: Sun Miaomiao must have realized she got the wrong targets, knocked them unconscious, and healed them with life fluid.
There were five points supporting his deduction:
First, Sun Miaomiao had a deep background and could afford life fluid, whereas the other female students could not.
Second, Sun Miaomiao was a Star Official; she possessed the ability to slip into Lord Xianchan and Little Moon Rabbit's rooms silently.
Third, Sun Miaomiao had been very close to Yuanshi Tianzun over the past two days, practically inseparable.
Fourth, last night he had watched "Lin Su" enter the dean's room, and the attacks on Lord Xianchan and Little Moon Rabbit happened on the same night, proving Yuanshi Tianzun had an accomplice.
Fifth, Yuanshi Tianzun most likely had a way to bypass the lie-detection item, yet earlier he adamantly refused to cooperate and egged Brother Red Chicken into protesting, which was done to provide cover for his accomplice.
If it wasn't Sun Miaomiao, it would be Zhao Chenghuang.
He still had one chance to make a prophecy today.
"Seeing Yuanshi Tianzun injured, Sun Miaomiao, in her desperation, uses the treasure obtained from the secret quest, slaying the Tiger King and the dean in her fury, and is identified as the murderer by the students and instructors."
On the golden compass, the previous prophecy was erased, and the new one appeared.
In the fierce mauling, the black bear's body disintegrated in collapsing green light, and the bear beneath the Tiger King's paws reverted to Zhang Yuanqing.
*Smack!*
The Tiger King whipped its tail, swatting Luo Lesheng away, then dipped its head to bite down.
"Yuanshi..."
Sun Miaomiao screamed. Fury and panic overwhelmed all else. Halting her gunfire, she bolted toward the Tiger King.
Reaching into the empty air, she grabbed—and instantly, clusters of crimson light flew out, adhering to her body to form a fauld, pauldrons, helmet, cuirass, vambraces...
She had summoned the Myriad Slaughterer.
*Idiot!*
Leaning against the wall clutching his chest, Tianxia Guihuo's expression warped drastically at the sight.
*That's fucking my armor!*
"It's her! She's the one who attacked us last night..." Lord Xianchan cried out.
"That's right, it's that armor! Who would've thought it was Sun Miaomiao!" Little Moon Rabbit said grimly.
Zhang Yuanqing had just summoned the Purple Thunder Shield to block the tiger's maw and was about to cast Star Escape to slip out from under its paws when he caught sight of a red streak darting over from the corner of his eye.
Before he could react, there was a deafening *bang*. Accompanied by the Tiger King's agonized howl, the paw pinning his chest released.
The Tiger King's multi-ton bulk flew into the air, hurtling backward.
With a metallic chime, a scimitar sprang from Sun Miaomiao's vambrace. Shifting her footing and twisting her waist, she brought the blade sweeping down with the momentum of her arm.
*Squelch!*
The Tiger King's head rolled clean off its neck, blood geysering out to splatter the floor.
Before a Dominator-level item, the peak Level 6 Tiger King had no power to resist whatsoever.
After slaying the Tiger King, Sun Miaomiao spun and leaped, vaulting across half the hall in an instant. She drove the scimitar from her vambrace straight into the old dean's chest and hoisted him high into the air.
With a wretched scream, the old dean's body rapidly shriveled, drained of blood in the blink of an eye, turning into a desiccated corpse.
Having killed him, the hostility in Sun Miaomiao's heart deepened, and a murderous lust flooded her mind.
"You're the armored person—the killer who murdered Xia Chaoxue and Lin Su?!" Stargazer gasped in horror.
Song Man, Luo Lesheng, and the others stood on high alert, glaring intently at her.
The Tiger King and the dean had been dealt with, only to usher in someone even more terrifying.
The injured students stared in stunned disbelief.
*It's over. That stupid woman... everything is ruined...* Tianxia Guihuo's face twitched violently; he, too, was experiencing the dean's state of blinding rage.
However, compared to the exposure of the armor, the most urgent matter was getting Sun Miaomiao to take it off.
"Take off the armor, Sun Miaomiao! Take off the armor right now!" Tianxia Guihuo bellowed.
At first glance, it sounded like he was warning Sun Miaomiao not to act rashly, like an officer ordering a criminal to drop their weapon.
In truth, he was reminding Sun Miaomiao of the price of the Myriad Slaughterer.
This Dominator-level armor originated from a Bewitching Demon and carried two penalties. First, it could not be worn for more than three minutes; otherwise, the wearer's mind would snap, turning them into a bloodthirsty killing machine.
Second, a single slaughter could not claim more than three lives; otherwise, one would likewise become a blood-craving monster.
Sun Miaomiao had already taken two lives.
If she killed one more person, everyone here would die.
Sun Miaomiao snapped back to her senses, her bloodlust instantly dissipating. She hastily removed the blood-red armor and put it back into her inventory.
At the same time, the wounded students and instructors surged forward in a swarm, surrounding Sun Miaomiao completely.
Gripping their weapons, they stared grimly at the little princess of the Taiyi Sect, wanting to apprehend her yet hesitating out of fear of retaliation or provoking her further.
"Why did you kill Xia Chaoxue and Lin Su?" Song Man demanded, her willow-leaf brows raised in fury. "If you hadn't killed Lin Su, the dean would never have gone mad!"
Sun Miaomiao furrowed her brow, remaining silent.
Having calmed down, she suspected she had been influenced by the true armored figure, which had clouded her judgment and driven her to summon the Myriad Slaughterer in full view of everyone.
Her current predicament left her at a loss, powerless to defend herself.
Stargazer hesitated a moment, then sighed,
"The dean had suspected all along that the killer was the one who snuck into Jiaoren Lake that night. And according to the Jiaoren tribe's report, the intruder was clad in armor, their gender indistinguishable. Miaomiao, I never expected it would be you..."
The students erupted in uproar, their gazes growing more wary and hostile by the second.
"Kill her! Avenge the dean, Lin Su, and Student Xia Chaoxue!" Luo Lesheng raged.
Not far off, Brother Red Chicken, who had lost an arm and lay in Xiahou Aotian's embrace, sat bolt upright like an invalid suddenly stirred on his deathbed and yelled furiously:
"To think you were this kind of Sun Miaomiao! If you won't show loyalty, don't expect me to show mercy—I agree with Instructor Luo!"
"Bullshit! Miaomiao wouldn't kill anyone! If any of you dare touch her, I'll refine you into yin corpses!" Yuan Ting was the first to switch sides, stepping up beside Sun Miaomiao to glare furiously at the crowd.
Yet his resolute expression seemed more like standing by kin regardless of right or wrong; deep down, he, too, believed Sun Miaomiao was the killer.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing pushed through the crowd and said in a pained voice,
"I don't believe Miaomiao would do such a thing either. Everyone, calm down—"
Zhao Feiwen shouted, "What's there to calm down about? Everyone saw it with their own eyes—are our eyes deceiving us? Oh, right, Sun Miaomiao did it to save you! Are you her accomplice? I knew it—you were the one who raped and murdered Xia Chaoxue, weren't you? Zhu Mingxu wasn't wrong at all back then!"
Zhang Yuanqing stepped back silently. "If you think you're so tough, go ahead. I won't stop you from courting death."
Zhao Feiwen immediately went mute.
The image of Sun Miaomiao instakilling both the Tiger King and the dean was still freshly burned into everyone's minds.
All of them found themselves in a dilemma, caught between advancing and retreating.
"I have an idea," a voice called out from beyond the crowd. Sanyang Kaitaitai staggered back, leaning on the wall for support.
He said,
"Sun Miaomiao is the granddaughter of Taiyi Sect's Elder Sun. We have no authority to pass judgment on her. Why don't we tie her up and wait until the dungeon ends tomorrow morning, then report this matter to headquarters?"
Having said that, he looked toward Sun Miaomiao.
"You're too dangerous. You must be restrained."
Sun Miaomiao's gaze swept over the crowd. The underground palace team had already put their earpieces back in, seemingly conferring among themselves.
Zhao Chenghuang said in a deep voice, "Miaomiao, I don't want to believe you're the killer either, but for now, this is our only option."
A stalling tactic. Sun Miaomiao understood, and replied,
"All right."
Chapter 441