"Let’s not talk about him." Yang Chunxi composed herself and said apologetically, "Taotao, I’m so sorry. I failed to protect you."

Hearing this, Rong Taotao’s expression turned a little strange. He and Yang Chunxi were clearly worried about two different things. He asked, "I thought Pine Soul Soul Martial University was supposed to be safe? How could something like this happen?"

As Rong Taotao spoke, he pressed his left hand against the Cloud Dog by his cheek, stopping the mischievous little puppy from licking his face.

"It was supposed to be safe." Yang Chunxi’s voice was full of helplessness. "A once-in-16-years blizzard brought with it a once-in-16-years war."

"Humanity’s assessment and understanding of the Snow Realm Soul Beasts are still stuck in the past. They’re different now. Hidden within the Snow Realm Vortex, they’ve truly grown so much, and they meticulously planned this invasion."

Yang Chunxi continued, "In fact, it wasn’t just Songjiang Soul City. The Third Wall and Songbai Town, further to the south, are also warzones. We’re just one part of this major campaign."

"Songbai Town has always been garrisoned by the military. Plus, the Snow Realm Soul Beasts that invaded Songbai Town were the weakest of the three invading legions, so there wasn’t a major issue. They were likely just trying to tie up our forces and create chaos."

"The battle at the Third Wall was the most brutal, reaching a level of ferocity we can hardly imagine. With 16 years of planning, they were truly prepared. Even so, the Human Corps stationed at the Third Wall were extremely well-prepared, but our Pine Soul Soul Martial University..."

"No one would have thought that the Snow Realm Soul Beasts could be so organized and disciplined, flying hundreds of kilometers through the night sky in a blizzard, without being detected in the slightest, straight to Songjiang Soul City." As Yang Chunxi spoke, she turned her head slightly to look toward the door of the hospital room.

CLICK. The door opened, and a woman dressed in a white training uniform, exuding an Immortal Aura, strode in.

"Coach Si," Yang Chunxi said.

"I’ll take it from here," Si Huan Nian said.

"Then I’ll leave it to you, Coach Si." Yang Chunxi nodded lightly, straightened up, and gave Rong Taotao a complicated look.

Yang Chunxi leaned over slightly, her soft lips gently pressing against Rong Taotao’s forehead as she whispered, "I’m sorry, Taotao. From now on, I’ll always stay by your side."

Getting his forehead kissed by one teacher while being watched by another was, indeed, a bit awkward for Rong Taotao.

Fortunately, Yang Chunxi’s lips only brushed against his forehead for a moment before she turned and left.

Rong Taotao was staring blankly at Yang Chunxi’s departing figure when a hand suddenly waved in front of his eyes.

SNAP~ Si Huan Nian had blocked his view with her hand. She waved it up and down, then snapped her fingers. "Wakey-wakey, kid."

"Ah." Rong Taotao snapped back to reality, still looking dazed and a little out of it.

Si Huan Nian flicked her hand, and several pieces of Little Rascal candy fell from her wide sleeve.

She sat down on the chair, unwrapping a piece as she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Rong Taotao: "Okay... Mmph..."

Rong Taotao had just started to answer when Si Huan Nian forcefully stuffed a piece of Cubed Sugar into his mouth.

Si Huan Nian said casually, "Just suck on it." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Rong Taotao: "..."

’She has a point.’ In his current state, even chewing would probably be an effort.

Si Huan Nian continued unwrapping candy, placing a piece of Cubed Sugar on the bedside table. She then snapped her fingers at the Cloud Dog. "SNAP~"

Si Huan Nian tilted her head slightly, gesturing toward the candy on the table.

The Cloud Dog immediately forgot all about Rong Taotao. Flapping its big ears, it flew over joyfully.

Rong Taotao: "..."

Si Huan Nian tossed a piece of candy into her own mouth and let out a satisfied sigh. She spoke while crunching loudly, "CRUNCH, CRUNCH... You don’t realize it yet, but you just took part in a large-scale battle the likes of which haven’t been seen in over a decade."

Rong Taotao raised an eyebrow. "Will it be written down in the textbooks?"

Si Huan Nian nodded, saying with absolute certainty, "It will be. This battle came out of nowhere, and it serves as a major wake-up call for future generations. It proves that the Snow Realm Soul Beasts are evolving."

"For the past several decades, there have been thousands of battles, large and small. Without a single exception, as long as we defended the three walls, we could defend everything. But this battle was clearly different."

"The vast majority of ferocious and savage Snow Realm Soul Beasts have no patience and find it difficult to act in unison. The moment they enter Earth, everything within their line of sight becomes a target for attack."

"It should have been impossible for them to suppress their desires for bloodlust and destruction."

"Somehow, perhaps with guidance from a mastermind, all sorts of different Snow Realm Soul Beasts have actually united."

"They were highly disciplined. With the help of avian Soul Beasts, they flew for hundreds of kilometers and descended upon Songjiang Soul City. And... what’s more terrifying is that the battles at the Third Wall, Songbai Town, and Songjiang Soul City all started at almost the exact same time."

"Humanity really needs to re-evaluate the Snow Realm Soul Beasts. They’re no longer the same Soul Beast Corps that only knew how to charge at walls and storm checkpoints."

Sucking on the candy, Rong Taotao was inwardly horrified.

’So that’s why so many teachers from Pine Soul Soul Martial University went to defend the three northern walls, leaving the main campus so empty. A sudden change in the Snow Realm Army’s fighting style after decades... this is indeed a huge problem!’

’Could there really be a mastermind guiding them?’

’An internal traitor? Or maybe another country with sinister intentions is pulling strings in the shadows?’

Si Huan Nian seemed to think of something and snorted coldly. "Of the Pine Soul Four Rites, leaving just one to guard the campus should have been enough. But in these 16 years, the Snow Realm Army has clearly prepared well. They’re throwing around epic-tier Snow Monks like they’re free, and they even..."

At this point, Si Huan Nian looked at Rong Taotao and said, "You’ve performed a great service."

Rong Taotao: "Me?"

"Mhm. CRUNCH, CRUNCH..." Si Huan Nian crushed the candy in her mouth and nodded. "Whether you meant to or not, you resolved a huge crisis."

As she spoke, Si Huan Nian flattened her palm, and a single Lotus Petal quietly materialized above her fair skin.

It shimmered with a faint, soft light. The delicate petal spun gently, emitting a light, mysterious fragrance.

Si Huan Nian: "This is a Snow Realm Treasure, and it’s incredibly precious. It can raise the combat strength of a Snow Realm Soul Beast or a Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist to an unimaginable level."

Rong Taotao’s gaze went blank. He was seeing that familiar object again!

’That night... that was the thing that knocked me unconscious!’

Si Huan Nian: "And your Lotus Petal is different from mine."

"Your Lotus Petal should be the one from the Nine-Petaled Lotus that represents offense and damage output."

Rong Taotao was stunned. ’The Nine-Petaled Lotus... each petal has a different function?’

Si Huan Nian rested the back of her hand on Rong Taotao’s chest, letting the Lotus Petal in her palm dance gracefully above it. She said in a low voice, "Tell me, how did you take the Lotus Petal that originally belonged to that Ice Soul Guide?"

Rong Taotao: "I..."

Before Rong Taotao could finish, a surge of Soul Power suddenly pulsed from his chest, and his own Lotus Petal floated out of its own accord.

Si Huan Nian jumped in fright, quickly clenching her fist to retract her Lotus Petal back into her body, terrified that the two petals might touch.

As if sensing that its counterpart had disappeared, the Lotus Petal floating before Rong Taotao’s chest also ceased its activity and merged back into his body on its own.

Si Huan Nian’s brow furrowed. "The Ice Soul Guide used this Lotus Petal with complete ease and had an extremely high degree of control over it. This signifies that the Snow Realm Treasure had acknowledged its owner; there must have been a contract between them."

"Judging from how the Ice Soul Guide fought, the owner and the Nine-Petaled Lotus were already in a state of high compatibility, clearly bound together."

"What method did you use to take away the Lotus Petal that belonged to someone else in such a short amount of time?"

Rong Taotao’s Adam’s apple bobbed. ’I... I... If I told you I have an Inner Soul Map, would you believe me?’

’If I told you that with a flick of my wrist, I could take your petal too, would you believe me?’

’No, you wouldn’t believe me. Because you’d never get the chance to.’

’I, Rong Taotao, will never tell anyone about the existence of the Inner Soul Map in my entire life...’

’Holy moly, I’ve struck it rich without anyone knowing!’

’The Snow Realm Treasure: Nine-Petaled Lotus!’

’That name... it really does sound better and better the more I hear it.’

...