Jiang Qi might not be weak, but being the leader of a group, she would be under great pressure when attacked by Devil Sovereigns. She was the strongest genius of the Sacred Deer Academy, but she had a rather gentle disposition. When encountering danger, she would feel helpless.

The latest incident was a great example of her helplessness. Although she had tried her best to break free with her companions, she still couldn't do it. As a result, her confidence started to waver.

Xiang Shaoyun had appeared to help them, and his powerful combat strength was akin to reliable insurance. If he agreed to travel with them, they would be much safer. She knew that she was perhaps asking too much from him, but she had no other choice.

It wouldn't matter if she was alone, as she would just die if she wasn't a match for the enemy. But she was leading a group, and she had to be responsible for their safety. Thus, she braced herself and requested for Xiang Shaoyun to travel with them.

The others also looked at Xiang Shaoyun expectantly, waiting for his answer. They would be overjoyed if this handsome and powerful man could travel with them.

After giving it some thought, Xiang Shaoyun agreed, "Sure, I'll travel with you guys for a bit."

He wasn't cold-blooded. He could watch on as others died, but he viewed Jiang Qi as a friend. Since she was in trouble, he wouldn't mind giving her some help. Of course, he made it clear to them that he would leave after they were fully healed. He enjoyed the feeling of traveling alone in the Devil Domain, and by being alone, he could grow rapidly. Traveling with others would only drag him down.

"Great! Thank you, Xiang Shaoyun," said Jiang Qi in joy.

The others also reacted similarly, joy plastered all over their faces. With that, Xiang Shaoyun started traveling with them. Not long after, they found a safe spot to rest and heal. Xiang Shaoyun volunteered to stand guard for them.

He glanced at Jiang Qi, who had a somewhat stiff expression, and asked, "Jiang Qi, why do you seem to be afraid of me?"

Jiang Qi was a beautiful woman with delicate facial features. She gave off the feeling of an educated young lady from a wealthy family of scholars. Her personality was warm and caused many men to be attracted to her, yet the men did not develop any perverse thoughts about her. This was due to her unique temperament.

Jiang Qi blushed slightly and said, "No, I'm just kind of embarrassed to trouble you."

Xiang Shaoyun flashed a carefree smile as he said, "This is not a problem for me. Your academy is filled with beauties. I'm honored to travel with your group."

"Is that so? Which of my juniors caught your eye? Let me know, and I'll introduce her to you," teased Jiang Qi.

Xiang Shaoyun laughed, "Haha. Forget it. I'm a married man, so I shouldn't be willfully plucking more flowers."

"You're married?" exclaimed Jiang Qi in astonishment. Her expression dimmed slightly.

Xiang Shaoyun nodded seriously. "Yes. My son is nearly one now."

He recalled his silly-looking son, and his heart filled with warmth. Perhaps this was the kind of emotion only a father would feel.

Jiang Qi said sincerely, "Congratulations."

For some reason, she was slightly sad when she heard he was married. Fortunately, the feeling wasn't too strong.

She quickly adjusted her mood and asked, "By the way, are you brothers with Xia Liuhui and Liang Zhuangmin?"

Xiang Shaoyun became more attentive at the mention of their names. He asked, "Yes, we're brothers. Did you see them somewhere?"

He had thought of looking for Xia Liuhui at the fort, but he had subsequently changed his mind. It would be more advantageous for Xia Liuhui's growth if Xia Liuhui tempered himself alone. From Jiang Qi's tone of voice, she seemed to know about their most recent news.

"I invited them to join us prior to entering the Devil Domain, but they rejected me. They went with Wu Zhijun instead," said Jiang Qi. "Xia Liuhui is an odd talent from our academy. As for Liang Zhuangmin, who joined our academy later, he is a true prodigy. He is the black horse in our academy, a disciple with the fastest advancement speed. Looks like none of your friends are ordinary."

Xiang Shaoyun was pleased to hear that. He said, "Looks like the power of love has given my big brother a great motivation."

He still remembered when he had first met Liang Zhuangmin. At the time, Liang Zhuangmin had yet to enter the Dragon Ascension Realm. After receiving his help, Liang Zhuangmin was finally able to become an Emperor. It came as quite a pleasant surprise that Liang Zhuangmin had managed to join the Sacred Deer Academy after only a few years.

One ought to know that the four academies had long closed their recruitment. For Liang Zhuangmin to be able to join an academy outside of recruitment season, it was clear he had gone through an extraordinary experience.

Xiang Shaoyun and Jiang Qi finally found a topic of conversation, resulting in their interaction becoming much more natural. As they grew closer to each other, it seemed like they were old friends. There was no romance in their relationship. Rather, it was a pure friendship.

Five days passed, and their hiding spot started suffering devil attacks. However, few powerful devils had attacked, and the group had easily repelled them. The injured ones had recovered considerably, all thanks to Xiang Shaoyun using the Secret Reversal Technique on them daily.

They felt very grateful, especially the woman called Luo Ying. Her eyes seemed to shine when she looked at Xiang Shaoyun. Hu Ruhai, who had a crush on her, noticed and became increasingly disgruntled.

When everyone was fully healed, Hu Ruhai finally lost his temper and said, "Since everyone has recovered, it's time we get going. We can also stop troubling a certain person. He can leave."

It was obvious he was trying to make Xiang Shaoyun leave.

Xiang Shaoyun understood his meaning. Just as Xiang Shaoyun was about to reply, Luo Ying said, "Hu Ruhai, you are being ungrateful. He saved us, and we have yet to repay him. How can you drive him off so fast? It's unacceptable."

The others agreed to her sentiment and started criticizing Hu Ruhai.

Hu Ruhai flew into a rage out of humiliation and said, "All of you only want him to stay for his good looks."

"What are you talking about, Hu Ruhai? Xiang Shaoyun saved us. How can you say that?" berated Jiang Qi. Even someone with a mild temper like her was furious.

"Fine, I'll leave instead. All of you will regret this," said Hu Ruhai decisively. He couldn't stand Xiang Shaoyun anymore. After leaving his words behind, he left.