From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

The last rays of the setting sun were completely swallowed by the darkness.

The outer courtyard dormitory area of ​​Qinglu Academy was gradually enveloped in tranquility.

The rows of small courtyards were reduced to blurry outlines under the hazy moonlight.

Occasionally, a few lights would peek through the windows, but they would quickly go out one after another.

Only the rustling of the night wind through the leaves and the low chirping of unknown insects remained.

Two figures dressed in ordinary butler's attire walked unhurriedly along the cobblestone path.

His gaze seemed to casually sweep over the courtyards on both sides of the road.

It was Zhou Tong and Zhao Qian.

"Deacon Zhou, Deacon Zhao, still patrolling so late?"

A disciple from the outer academy who had just returned from evening classes saw the two of them and immediately bowed respectfully in greeting.

Zhou Tong immediately put on a warm smile and waved his hand.

"Yes, the disciples have just returned from the secret realm. The academy is worried that their great gains might cause unnecessary trouble, so we have increased the patrols."

"You should also lock the doors and windows properly, and be careful."

The disciple had no suspicions and instead expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you for your trouble, two deacons."

Zhao Qian simply nodded slightly, his expression unchanged.

But his gaze was like a precise ruler, striking unexpectedly.

He had already matched the house numbers of the courtyards he had just passed with the faces of the "fat sheep" disciples he had noticed during the day, and firmly imprinted them in his mind.

He struck up a conversation seemingly casually.

"Yes, it's my duty. You should also get some rest; we'll be setting off in three days, so you need to conserve your energy."

The two answered fluently and naturally, as if they were simply performing their night patrol duties.

As they continued their journey, they encountered two more groups of disciples, each of whom they dealt with using similar excuses.

It aroused no suspicion whatsoever.

Until we were far from the crowd, we turned onto a quieter path.

The fake smile on Zhou Tong's face vanished instantly, replaced by an barely suppressed greed.

"Brother Zhao, have you memorized everything?"

Zhao Qian's eyes were sinister, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't worry, although we don't know their names yet... none of them will escape. These newbies think they're safe once they're back at the academy, hehe..."

As night deepened, the moon rose high in the sky, and all was quiet.

Even the chirping of insects subsided, and the entire accommodation area fell into slumber.

Two shadows, seemingly blending into the darkness, silently emerged from the direction of the butler's quarters and landed at the edge of the accommodation area.

They had changed into tight-fitting night clothes.

His face was covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed eerily in the darkness.

It was Zhou Tong and Zhao Qian.

The two exchanged a glance and nodded in tacit agreement.

With a swift movement, he slipped into the shadows like a ghost, making his way towards the "fat sheep" courtyard he had marked during the day.

Their movements were so skillful it was almost unbelievable.

Once the target was selected and the atmosphere inside the courtyard was stable, a small hole was silently made in the window paper using a special tool, and colorless and odorless sleeping gas called "Drunken Breeze" was blown in.

After waiting a moment and sensing that the breathing inside the house had become longer and deeper, he climbed over the courtyard wall like a raccoon dog and sneaked into the house.

Using the faint moonlight, they accurately located the place where their disciples had hidden the resources.

Hidden compartments under the bed, in the wardrobe's inner layer, and even under hollowed-out floor tiles.

Bottles of pills, pieces of spirit stones, and even newly exchanged weapons and talismans were quickly looted and stuffed into their personal storage bags.

The entire process was smooth and silent.

One, two, three... In just half an hour, they had visited no fewer than ten courtyards.

The harvest was plentiful, and the storage bags became quite heavy.

"Hehe, these kids risked their lives in the secret realm, but it was all for our benefit."

Zhou Tong transmitted his voice, his tone full of smugness.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Zhao Qian's eyes, but then his gaze turned to a more elegant courtyard not far ahead, which was Su Xiaowan's residence.

"Let's go, the last one. This girl looks clever; she might be hiding something good."

Unbeknownst to them, as they moved like ghosts through the courtyards, four pairs of eyes were always following them closely in the darkness.

Yao Mengkang, Zhou Tiancan, and Li Han, aided by Li Han's superb concealment skills, trailed far behind.

Zhou Tiancan was physically strong, but at this moment he concealed his aura as if it were a stubborn rock.

Li Han was like a real shadow, elusive and unpredictable.

With his sharp eyesight, Yao Mengkang, like a highly accurate falcon, firmly locked onto his target.

At an even higher vantage point, atop a clock tower, a figure in a green robe leaned lazily against the eaves, even holding a vermilion gourd in his hand.

It was Qin Feng.

He took a casual sip of his drink.

His gaze swept with amusement over the two self-important "mantises" below and the three cautious "orioles" further away.

"Tsk, Zhou Tong, Zhao Qian... not much skill, but quite bold. The academy's rice has produced two house rats."

He muttered to himself, his tone devoid of any anger, but rather carrying a hint of amusement.

"Those guys in the Criminal Law Department are getting more and more useless; how could someone like that become a deacon?"

His gaze was mostly fixed on Yao Mengkang and the other two, especially Yao Mengkang, who was in the lead.

"Yao Mengkang... is quite interesting."

"Thirteen levels of meridian opening, a forbidden realm rarely seen even once in ten thousand years. Instead of properly concealing and consolidating his cultivation, he actually comes here to play the role of a chivalrous knight?"

"Such youthful passion!"

He shook the wine gourd, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Fine, let me see how you three little guys, three at the Opening Meridian Realm, even if one of you has a Forbidden Domain, will fare against two cultivators in the mid-to-late stage of the Spirit Sea Realm."

"Don't disappoint me, or this long night will be too boring."

He had already sentenced Zhou Tong and Zhao Qian to death; what he was more interested in now was the choices and methods of Yao Mengkang and the other two.

Below, Zhao Qian and Zhou Tong had already reached the outside of Su Xiaowan's courtyard.

They resorted to the same trick again, blowing in a smoke-filled fog.

Watching the two skillfully scale the courtyard wall, Yao Mengkang's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The image of Su Xiaowan's delicate face, which was both timid and determined, flashed through his mind. She was the one Yao Mengkang had rescued from the jaws of the Star Beast in the Meteorite Secret Realm.

They were also the first group of junior brothers and sisters Yao Mengkang encountered in the secret realm.

Yao Mengkang sighed inwardly and made no further hesitation.

He gestured to Li Han.

Li Han understood, changed his hand seals, and the shadow power surrounding him became even more intense.

It was as if an invisible veil of darkness had been draped over the three of them.

Minimize their breath, voice, and even their presence.

Like three wisps of smoke blown by the wind, the three of them stealthily approached Su Xiaowan's courtyard, using the shadows of the walls and trees as cover.

They moved more carefully than before, their footsteps landing silently, their breathing almost stopped.

However, just as they were less than five zhang away from the courtyard and could clearly see the blurry figures of two people inside,

Zhao Qian, who was waiting in the courtyard for the sleeping gas to take effect, suddenly froze.

He suddenly turned his head, his sharp gaze sweeping like two knives towards the direction where Yao Mengkang and the other two were hiding!

Although he did not perceive anything precisely.

However, his extraordinary spiritual sense, far surpassing that of ordinary people at the mid-stage of the Spirit Sea Realm, made his heart skip a beat, giving him a chilling sense of crisis as if he were being targeted by a venomous snake!

Zhou Tong, who was standing nearby, noticed Zhao Qian's unusual behavior and immediately became nervous, instinctively taking a step closer.

His eyes darted around in surprise and uncertainty, his right hand already on the hilt of the sword at his waist, as he asked telepathically.

"Brother Zhao, what's wrong? Is the night patrol coming by?"

Zhao Qian did not answer, but narrowed his eyes, his divine sense spreading outwards like a tide, carefully sensing the subtle changes in every inch of space.

A fine bead of cold sweat even appeared on his forehead.

He wasn't afraid of his disciples, but rather of being discovered by the academy elders!

If the elders were to witness their current actions, they would be doomed!

In the shadows, Yao Mengkang and the other two felt a sinking feeling in their hearts at the same time.

"I underestimated these two scoundrels!"

Yao Mengkang's eyes sharpened.

Previously in the Meteorite Secret Realm, the three of them, working together, were even able to silently approach a Star Beast at the late stage of the Spirit Sea Realm without being detected.

Those Star Beasts possess great strength and defense, but are lacking in intelligence.

Acting solely on instinct, they are indeed incomparable to experienced and highly vigilant Spirit Sea Realm cultivators like Zhao Qian.

The biggest difference between humans and beasts lies in this keen intuition for potential danger and cunning mind!

Since it can't be hidden anymore...

Yao Mengkang, Zhou Tiancan, and Li Han exchanged glances instantly, reaching a consensus without needing to say a word.

A sneak attack is no longer possible, so... let's strike with lightning speed!

Suppress it completely with absolute power!

Three long-suppressed auras, like volcanoes about to erupt, suddenly gathered and rose in the shadows outside the courtyard!

The coolness of the night breeze seemed to be dispelled by the invisible killing intent at this moment.

At the top of the clock tower, Qin Feng tilted his head back and took a swig of wine, his cynical smile deepening.

"Oh? You're going to make a move? Then let me see just how capable you are."