This celestial master cultivates both physical and magical arts; why did you provoke him?

A thunderclap boomed, and a bright flash of lightning illuminated the entire dormitory.

The humanoid figure formed from black energy didn't even have time to scream before it was blasted into nothingness.

The dormitory was quiet.

Liu Ruyan opened her eyes and saw Xia En retracting his right hand, with a few tiny arcs of electricity still remaining in his palm, crackling loudly.

Before him, Lin Xiaoyu had calmed down. Although her face was still pale, the eerie sense of desolation had disappeared. She was fast asleep, her breathing steady.

Liu Ruyan opened her mouth, unable to speak for a long time.

What did she just see?

雷？

The lightning bolt released from that person's hand?

"This, this..." she stammered.

Xia En turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"

"You...you just now..."

"Oh." Shane flicked his hand. "Palm Lightning, a minor spell."

Minor spell?

Looking at the charred mark left by lightning on the wall, and then at Xia En's nonchalant expression, Liu Ruyan fell into deep confusion.

Is this what you call a minor spell?

What kind of powerful magic is that? Does it collapse the building?

Just then, footsteps sounded at the door.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? I heard a noise—"

The dormitory supervisor rushed in, but before she could finish speaking, she saw the charred smear on the wall and froze.

"W-What is this?!"

Liu Ruyan opened her mouth, unsure how to explain.

Xia En remained calm: "The circuit is old and it sparked."

Dormitory supervisor: "???"

Can aging circuitry produce such a large, charred mass?

Does that mean she was illiterate?

But Xia En had already walked past her and headed outside.

"That girl is fine now," he said. "Let her rest for a few more days and avoid staying up late."

As he reached the door, he turned back to look at Liu Ruyan.

"The yin energy on your body has dissipated, so don't worry."

After saying that, he strode away.

Fang Zijian quickly followed.

Liu Ruyan stood there stunned for a long time before she came to her senses.

She chased after him and ran to the stairwell, where she saw that Xia En had already gone down half a floor.

"etc!"

Xia En stopped and turned to look at her.

Liu Ruyan ran over and stood in front of him, panting.

"Um... thank you," she said. "Thank you so much. You... you saved my roommate."

Xia En nodded: "You're welcome, I'm just taking the money."

Liu Ruyan was taken aback: "You're taking money?"

"Yes, ten thousand."

Liu Ruyan: "..."

She remembered that Chen Guodong had indeed said that this person charged a fee.

But she didn't pay attention at the time, thinking it was just a formality.

I didn't expect it to be a real transaction.

"Um... I... I don't have that much cash right now..."

"A bank transfer is fine too." Xia En took out her phone and opened the QR code for receiving payments.

Liu Ruyan looked at the QR code, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

I thought he looked like a wise and dignified immortal just now, but now he looks like a debt collector.

But she still obediently scanned the code and transferred 10,000 yuan.

With a "ding," Xia En glanced at his phone and nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, contact me if anything comes up." He put his phone back in his pocket and continued walking.

Liu Ruyan stood at the top of the stairs, watching his back, when suddenly she remembered something.

"That—Master Xia!"

Xia En stopped again.

"Which Taoist temple are you from? I'd like to offer incense and pray for my roommate's well-being."

"Longhu Mountain, Celestial Master's Mansion," Xia En said. "You can go anytime you want, the entrance fee is eighty."

Liu Ruyan: "..."

They even sell tickets?

She was both amused and exasperated, but she still took it down carefully.

Xia En continued walking down, but after a few steps, he stopped again.

He didn't turn around, he just tilted his head slightly.

"Oh, right."

Liu Ruyan pricked up her ears.

"Your roommate isn't the first," he said. "There's been a lot of strange activity in Jiangzhou lately, so try to stay home at night and make sure your doors and windows are closed."

After saying that, he strode away.

Liu Ruyan stood there, stunned, a feeling she couldn't quite describe welling up inside her.

This person...

He looks carefree and nonchalant, but he's actually quite meticulous?

She stood at the entrance of the stairwell, watching that figure disappear around the corner of the stairs, and suddenly smiled.

"interesting."

She turned around and walked back. When she reached the dormitory entrance, she happened to see the girl with the ponytail peeking out.

"Ruyan! What just happened? I heard a really loud noise!"

Liu Ruyan thought for a moment and answered seriously, "The circuit is old and sparked."

The girl with the ponytail glanced at the charred mess on the wall, her face full of disbelief.

"Can circuit aging really cause this much damage?"

Liu Ruyan didn't explain, she just smiled and went into the dormitory.

Lin Xiaoyu was still asleep, but her complexion had improved considerably. Liu Ruyan tucked her in, sat down on the edge of the bed, and watched her.

Outside the window, the setting sun is casting its last rays.

The golden afterglow streamed in, illuminating Lin Xiaoyu's face and giving her pale skin a warm glow.

Liu Ruyan suddenly remembered what Xia En had said.

"Your roommate isn't the first one."

She shivered, quickly got up, and closed the window tightly.

Downstairs, Xia En walked out of the dormitory building and looked up at the window on the fourth floor.

Fang Zijian caught up: "How was it?"

"What, how is it?"

"That school beauty," Fang Zijian winked, "she's quite pretty. Why don't you get her contact information?"

Xia En glanced at him: "I'll keep it."

Fang Zijian's eyes lit up: "Really? You're interested in her?"

"QR code for receiving payment".

Fang Zijian: "..."

Okay, you're a true straight man.

The two walked out of the school gate and headed towards the bus stop.

Cuihua followed closely behind, nestled in the shade of the trees.

Fang Zijian glanced back and suddenly asked, "By the way, what exactly was that evil thing just now? I saw it burst out of that girl's body, but it didn't seem very strong?"

"It's not strong," Xia En said. "It's just a wandering spirit that possessed her at some point."

"Then how did it possess you?"

"That girl has a weak constitution, stays up too late, and lacks yang energy," Xia En said. "Wandering spirits specifically target people like that."

Fang Zijian nodded thoughtfully.

After walking a few steps, he asked again, "You said there's been a lot of activity from evil spirits lately. Is it related to that evil cult?"

Xia En didn't say anything.

But those few seconds of silence were enough to answer the question.

Fang Zijian's heart sank.

This matter is far from over.

Two days later, at Jiangzhou University.

A crowd gathered downstairs at the girls' dormitory.

There were students, security guards, and several uniformed police officers.

In the center of the crowd, a girl slumped to the ground, her face pale and her whole body trembling.

Before her lay a corpse.

No, it's not a corpse.

It is part of the corpse:

One hand.

The pale hand, with long nails covered in mud, lay there all alone by the flower bed.

"What's going on?" a security guard asked.

"I don't know!" A girl next to me said, her voice trembling. "I... I just passed by and saw this thing..."

"Did you call the police?"

"I've called! The police are on their way!"

The crowd was abuzz with discussion; some were scared, some were curious, and some took out their phones to take pictures.

Just then, a voice rang out.

"Excuse me."