Ji Mo returned to Langya Academy and was surrounded by a large number of students.
"Murderer, hand over Teacher Song immediately."
"Shameless villain, give us back our goddess!"
"Ji Mo, what did you do to Teacher Song? If you dare to hurt even a single hair on her, we're not done with you."
The students accused Ji Mo, all believing that Song Wei Qian's disappearance was directly related to him.
Ji Mo found it all very baffling. Why was he being blamed for Song Wei Qian's disappearance?
He hadn't done anything wrong, so why did everyone assume he was a bad person?
"Mr. Ji, if my daughter has offended you in any way, I hope you can be magnanimous and not hold it against her. I apologize to you on her behalf."
Song Zhen Wei appeared, his face etched with worry. Without a word, he began to apologize to Ji Mo.
He had already searched the entire Langya Academy but still couldn't find any trace of Song Wei Qian.
Song Wei Qian was a Spirit Emperor, and the academy was guarded by an Immortal Spirit-grade broken sword. Even if an Earthly Immortal realm expert attacked, it would be impossible to abduct Song Wei Qian without a sound.
Currently, the only person in the entire academy capable of abducting Song Wei Qian without alerting the broken sword was Ji Mo.
Therefore, Song Zhen Wei also concluded that Ji Mo had secretly captured Song Wei Qian.
"Dean, Song Wei Qian is your daughter? Unbelievable, good things from bad seeds!"
Ji Mo exclaimed in surprise, then explained, "Miss Song's disappearance truly has nothing to do with me."
"Besides offending you, she hasn't provoked any enemies recently," Song Zhen Wei replied sheepishly.
"How could someone as refined and easygoing as I am retaliate against someone over a mere verbal spat?" Ji Mo shook his head.
A chorus of jeers erupted from the surroundings.
Song Zhen Wei's mouth twitched. Refined and easygoing? What a joke! Didn't Zhuang Chang Ming and Cui Pei suffer tragic fates after offending him?
Seeing that Song Zhen Wei seemed unconvinced, Ji Mo said, "Dean, Miss Song's disappearance is truly unrelated to me. However, you don't need to worry too much. Judging by your face, you are destined for great fortune in your later years, and you won't experience the tragedy of a parent outliving their child. Relax, perhaps Miss Song is just out for a stroll because she's in a bad mood. She'll be back in a few days. Women, you know, have their moods."
"Mr. Ji, Qian'er didn't go out for a stroll; she vanished inexplicably within the academy. Something must have happened."
Song Wei Qian was his only treasure, and his heart was filled with anxiety. He pleaded, "Mr. Ji, please use your divine abilities to find my Qian'er."
"Vanished inexplicably?"
Ji Mo's heart skipped a beat. Then he recalled what Lu Wu Kai had said earlier, about someone snatching their opportunities midway and entering the true dragon's lair ahead of time.
Could it be that Song Wei Qian had stumbled into the true dragon's lair?
Thinking of this, Ji Mo agreed, "Dean, I'll try to look for her then."
"With Mr. Ji's assistance, there's definitely no problem."
Song Zhen Wei's tense heart finally relaxed. He then said, "Mr. Ji, if you can save Qian'er, I will betroth her to you."
"No, that won't do."
Ji Mo quickly shook his head, not daring to agree.
Afterward, he inquired about the situation from Song Zhen Wei and began his search for Song Wei Qian.
Following the guidance of the Treasure Snake, he once again went to the rockery in front of Song Zhen Wei's residence.
Watching the Treasure Snake fly to the protruding stone again, Ji Mo realized the problem must lie with the rockery.
"There are traces of a formation."
Ji Mo observed carefully for a while before finally discovering a clue. He pressed on the stone a few times.
A radiant glow erupted, and space distorted.
In the next second, he vanished from his spot.
"Heh heh, interesting. Another prey delivered to my doorstep. I shall play with him properly."
A faint, ethereal voice echoed, filled with bloodthirsty excitement.
Ji Mo felt the scenery before him constantly shift. When the space stabilized, he saw an ancient and weathered staircase appear before him.
The staircase wound upwards, its destination unknown.
"Where exactly is this place?"
Ji Mo frowned, knowing he had been teleported to a mysterious space.
The Treasure Snake coiled around his wrist hissed "sisi" sounds, conveying both excitement and a hint of terror. Its ruby-like eyes were fixed on the end of the staircase.
"Could this be where the true dragon's lair is located? With mountains of treasures awaiting me, and ideally, a pool of dragon saliva."
Ji Mo's expression turned excited as he stepped forward onto the staircase.
"I thought it was some powerful expert, but it turns out to be just a mortal."
The mysterious creature, hidden in an unknown location, observed Ji Mo and spoke with disdain.
In its eyes, Ji Mo was as weak as a bug, so insignificant that it didn't even bother to toy with him.
"Die!"
A bolt of black lightning appeared out of thin air, striking fiercely at Ji Mo, who was walking on the staircase.
However, Ji Mo remained unaffected. He merely lifted an eyelid and continued forward.
Lightning?
He, who was frequently struck by lightning, feared lightning the least.
"Something's not right!"
The mysterious creature's eyes widened like lanterns, its scarlet pupils flashing with a terrifying, flickering light.
Its attack was enough to obliterate a Saint realm expert, yet it caused Ji Mo no harm.
"Could it be a Spirit Emperor? He's indeed hidden deeply. I shall play with him properly."
Ahead of the staircase, an eerie wind blew, churning up rolling yellow sand that coalesced into a dragon-like form, roaring as it swept towards Ji Mo.
This was no ordinary yellow sand; it emanated a corrosive aura and possessed the terrifying power to disintegrate bones and souls. Even a nascent Emperor realm expert, if caught in such a blast, would turn into a skeleton.
Ji Mo faced this terrifying sandstorm with an unruffled expression, continuing to advance briskly.
"How is this possible!"
The mysterious creature let out an incredulous cry.
It couldn't sense any spiritual energy fluctuations from Ji Mo. This meant that the opponent had withstood this attack solely through the strength of his physical body.
Such a formidable body, even the dragon race, renowned for their physical prowess, might not be able to compare.
"This human possesses a terrifying special physique, very likely a Hegemon Body!"
The mysterious creature's expression turned excited. If it could seize the opponent's Hegemon Body, its own physical strength would experience a qualitative leap.
"I must have him."
Greed flickered in its pupils.
Meanwhile, Ji Mo was nearing the end of the staircase when he suddenly heard rolling dragon roars.
In the void ahead, dazzling golden rays of light bloomed, and a colossal five-clawed golden dragon appeared before him.
The golden dragon was a hundred zhang long, its body seemingly forged from gold. It exuded a brilliant and sacred radiance, and a vast aura permeated the entire space.
"Dragon!"
Ji Mo's eyes widened. This was the first dragon he had ever seen in his life, and he was truly awestruck.
"Human, prostrate yourself before me, and I shall bestow upon you supreme fortune."
The golden dragon spoke, uttering human words. Its voice boomed like thunder, resonating throughout the heavens and earth.