The blood drained from Jin Zhilan’s face, leaving her deathly pale. Deep down in the recesses of her mind, she was forced to acknowledge a chilling reality. She was nowhere near as powerful as Bai Xifeng. That was the cold, undeniable, and harrowing truth.

If Bai Xifeng genuinely harboured the intent to harm her, Jin Zhilan knew with terrifying certainty that she might not survive the encounter at all. However, she had clung to the foolishly naive belief that Bai Xifeng would never dare to strike her while they were still within the perceived sanctuary of the school grounds.

Completely ignoring the trembling girl as if she were mere dust, Bai Xifeng turned her sharp attention back toward Zou Weizhe.

"I have already informed you that I have absolutely no plans to get involved with you or any of your personal affairs. So, do us both a significant favour and stay out of my way." Bai Xifeng declared with a firm, unwavering coldness.

She then pivoted back toward the two teachers who had been waiting for her with a patient, albeit slightly awkward, composure while she finished handling the petty disruption.

"Teacher Yi, Teacher Jia, I am truly sorry for making you wait while I dealt with this trivial matter." Bai Xifeng apologised gracefully for making the teachers wait for her.

"It is quite fine, Student Bai. But it seems you are certainly popular, to say the least." Jia Zixin commented, a trace of dry, knowing amusement dancing in his tone.

"I am not close to them at all." Bai Xifeng responded, shaking her head as she denied any connection with an air of immediate and blunt finality.

At that precise moment, Bai Xifeng spotted the familiar figures of Xie Lanying and Ning Shoukai approaching them from the far side of the square.

"Xifeng! Where are you headed in such a tremendous hurry?" Ning Shoukai called out curiously as they drew near the group.

His gaze quickly shifted, noticing the two men standing beside her. Since he was a dedicated and diligent student of the Armament Master Division himself, he recognised their prestigious identities instantly. He immediately stepped forward to greet them, leaning into a deep and profoundly respectful bow.

"Teacher Jia, Teacher Yi. It is a great honour to see you both here." Ning Shoukai greeted the two instructors with impeccable politeness.

"Ah, you are Student Ning, if I recall correctly." Yi Shanyuan stated, recognising the hardworking youth’s face at once.

"Yes, sir, I am." Ning Shoukai nodded before turning his inquisitive gaze back toward his friend.

"I am heading over to the Armament Master Division right now. I have some significant and pressing business to discuss with Teacher Yi and Teacher Jia." Bai Xifeng explained with a calm, level-headed demeanour.

"I see. In that case, I will not occupy any more of your time or bother the teachers further." Ning Shoukai said, immediately understanding the potential importance of her business.

"Let’s meet at the restaurant tonight so we can all catch up properly." Bai Xifeng suggested to both Xie Lanying and Ning Shoukai.

"It’s a promise!" Ning Shoukai and Xie Lanying responded in perfect unison, waving cheerfully as Bai Xifeng turned to follow the two teachers toward the specialised grounds of the division.

They soon arrived at the gates of the Armament Master Division. After the necessary badge was scanned against the terminal, the heavy door groaned open. The two teachers stepped inside first, followed closely by Bai Xifeng.

"Let’s use Max Hall. It is exceptionally spacious." Yi Shanyuan suggested, leading the way.

As they walked, Jia Zixin leaned closer and whispered something private to Yi Shanyuan. Yi Shanyuan offered a single, curt nod, and Jia Zixin promptly took his leave. Bai Xifeng did not think much about why Jia Zixin had suddenly departed, assuming he had other duties to attend to.

"Teacher Yi, since we are here, should I take out the Stone-Clad Wolves now?" Bai Xifeng inquired.

"Yes, please do." Yi Shanyuan nodded in affirmation. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Bai Xifeng held the intricately carved storage rune in the palm of her hand. With a precise flick of her Qi, two hundred Stone-Clad Wolves materialised inside the hall. The sheer, massive number of beast corpses immediately filled the spacious room, creating a mountain of silver and stone.

Yi Shanyuan was visibly startled for a moment by the sudden influx. However, upon stepping closer for a more thorough inspection, he noticed something highly abnormal. He walked toward the pile and examined one of the Stone-Clad Wolves’ bodies with clinical care.

"Student Bai... May I ask you something regarding these specimens?" Yi Shanyuan called out, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yes? What is it that puzzles you?" Bai Xifeng asked back.

"Why do these corpses seem to be so incredibly fresh? It is as if they had only been killed mere moments ago. There is also absolutely no scent of decay or rotting smell at all." Yi Shanyuan stated, voicing his growing doubt.

"Oh... that is because the flow of time inside this specific storage rune does not move. Consequently, when objects enter it, they enter a total static state, and they will remain frozen in that state until the moment they are taken out." Bai Xifeng explained matter-of-factly.

"That’s truly incredible." Yi Shanyuan whispered, breathless once he fully grasped the mechanics of the artifact.

It was no wonder that people had fought so desperately over this item when it was put up for auction. However, he could not help but silently wonder how a young girl like her had managed to secure such a priceless and legendary storage rune for herself.

"Hmm... Teacher Yi, shouldn’t you begin to count them for official confirmation?" Bai Xifeng prompted.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*