Tuoba Wan'er had left the Dragon Phoenix Academy. News of her departure caused quite a fuss in the academy, especially among the higher-ups. They all thought that she was unhappy with their hospitality.

Fortunately, she had gone to the principal before leaving, telling him of her intention to take a look at the world and that she would return in a year.

The elders only calmed down after hearing the principal's explanation, but anyone who was not blind could see that this departure probably had something to do with Xiang Shaoyun, as he was nowhere to be seen when she left.

From that, it was obvious something must have happened between them. Fortunately, news of her departure was soon overshadowed by the opening of the primary-grade Dragon Phoenix Battleground.

The Dragon Phoenix Battlegrounds belonged exclusively to the Dragon Phoenix Academy. Apart from ancient inheritances, optimal advancement treasures could also be found there. The battlegrounds were separated into three grades—primary, middle, and high.

The disciples of the academy were basically all in the Emperor Realm, and they were only qualified to enter the primary-grade battleground. To enter the other two battlegrounds, they needed to reach different levels of cultivation.

The primary-grade Dragon Phoenix Battleground was located at one of the Nine Great Unique Zones, the Forest of Antiquity. The Forest of Antiquity was the best cultivation location for wood cultivators, and it hosted the primary-grade battleground. Many disciples were unaware of that.

Now that the battleground was one day away from opening, the numerous disciples had returned from all around the world. Those in seclusion all came out as well, awaiting the battleground's opening.

About 200 people were gathered at 1 Dragon Villa. These were the elite members of the Overlord Legion, while the others were told to stop coming as the villa couldn't fit so many people. They were all here to wait for Xiang Shaoyun to leave seclusion.

They had all heard about Xiang Shaoyun's outburst, but not many knew the actual situation. However, they did not care. The only thing they cared about was whether Xiang Shaoyun would join them at the battleground.

Since the establishment of the Overlord Legion, Xiang Shaoyun had not done a lot for the Legion, yet he had been able to establish a prestige surpassing everyone else in the Legion. Hence, he was basically the Legion's soul. If the soul scattered, the members would scatter as well.

Xiang Shaoyun hadn't been doing anything in the cultivation room. He sat there silently, his body drooping as long hair covered his face. A dreadful darkness shaped like a devil shrouded his body, exuding a baleful aura that flooded the entire room. The aura was terrifyingly corrosive, and nobody would dare to get within the aura's range.

If it wasn't for the formations completely isolating the room from outside, the specter would have soared out of the room, appearing before the others. Someone who knew his stuff would be able to recognize that the specter greatly resembled an Imperial Nether Clan member.

After the incident with the women, Xiang Shaoyun seemed to have relived the betrayal of Di Lin and Xia Yunxi, and his heart was assaulted by an intense sorrow that he could hardly bear.

When he first entered the room, he directly activated the formations to lock himself in. That way, he prevented himself from going mad, or he would have done something with unimaginable consequences.

In the room, he allowed his devilish aura to fully erupt. He lost control over his balefulness as he unleashed furious attacks all over the room, completely venting his anger. Fortunately, the room was protected by high-level formations. No matter how he attacked, nobody outside could feel anything.

After he exhausted himself, he finally sank into silence. Even so, a terrifying red glow remained in his eyes. The devil blood within him had fully awakened, transforming his bearing and making him look somewhat sinister.

In the past, he had given off a warm vibe, but now, he gave off an absolutely sinister and cold feeling, making him look increasingly mysterious. He was no longer the same amiable and approachable person.

Even after he calmed down, his heart was still aching. However, he had also started reflecting on all that had happened.

Scenes of his interactions with the women surfaced in his mind one after another. Finally, he concluded that he hadn't really wronged them, yet they had gone ahead and done that to him. He was filled with disappointment.

"Perhaps love is not something I can have," Xiang Shaoyun mocked himself.

He recalled his sister, Ye Chaomu. Perhaps she was the only one who would stand by his side no matter what. As for the others, he shouldn't have expected too much from them.

"I still need to retake the Ziling Sect. I still need to kill Di Batian to avenge the uncles. I shall forget any unnecessary affairs. In any case, Wan'er had probably gotten engaged with me for her freedom. Now that she has her freedom, I will let our relationship end here," said Xiang Shaoyun with a sigh.

He stood up, and as he flung his hair around, he discovered that his hair had grown darker and longer. It had a glossy look to it, giving off a devilish feeling. He had a feeling his hair was now as tough as an emperor-grade weapon, as though he could use his hair as a weapon now.

"This must be the hair of the devils. If I'm being honest, it looks kind of cool," mused Xiang Shaoyun with a distorted smile. He tied his hair up, revealing a face that looked even more heroic than before. His temperament had changed completely.

At this moment, he had grown even more mature and more unfeeling, as though he had transformed from a boy to a man. He had indeed suffered a mental breakdown, but upon recovery, he became more clear as to what his goal was, becoming someone who was even more rational and pragmatic than before. Perhaps every man would need to go through an experience like this to mature.

...

The time for the primary-grade Dragon Phoenix Battleground's opening had arrived. The people in 1 Dragon Villa were waiting anxiously, yet the cultivation room's door remained shut, filling them with disappointment.

Apart from being worried that Xiang Shaoyun would miss this opportunity, they were also worried that he would not recover from his mental breakdown. The academy issued an order to all the disciples to convene, and they started leaving for the gathering point.

It was at that moment that the door slowly opened. A slender figure sauntered out of the room, and a voice rang out, "Sorry for making you worried, brothers and sisters. Let's head to the battleground."