I’m Definitely Taking This Power-Fantasy Protagonist Role! Chapter 45

The next moment, the whole person froze, as if someone had pressed the pause button, completely still.

Chang Hua Yuan Jun held onto Jie Yan, his expression icy. "Let's go, don't leave the oasis."

Jiang Bai Yu obediently replied, "Yes, Dean."

The group returned to the center of the oasis, where Lou Yu Zhu and Jing Yan Hang had already woken up. Upon seeing Jiang Bai Yu, they immediately stood up. They hadn’t expected him to return with the Dean and the elders, and Jie Yan was frozen in mid-air, his face twisted in rage, clearly something had happened.

Lou Yu Zhu's heart sank immediately. Not daring to ask in front of their superiors, her eyes revealed her concern for Jiang Bai Yu, while her gaze towards Jie Yan was filled with suspicion and inquiry.

Jing Yan Hang struggled to get up the first time but managed to steady himself on the second attempt. "Dean, what happened to Jie Yan...?"

Chang Hua Yuan Jun raised a hand. "You're still injured, sit down and talk."

Jing Yan Hang obediently sat down, worry etched on his face, his gaze constantly darting to Jie Yan.

Seeing this, Chang Hua Yuan Jun sighed inwardly and spoke in a gentle tone to reassure him, "He’s fine, just fell under a puppet technique. It can be undone."

How could one feel at ease when someone suddenly fell under a puppet technique? Jing Yan Hang hesitated, "Could it be that he did something to Senior Jiang?"

As he spoke, he quickly glanced at Jiang Bai Yu, relieved to see him unharmed. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, feeling guilty and self-reproachful. "I should have chased after Jie Yan when he ran out earlier."

Jiang Bai Yu retorted, "Don’t! If you had, both of you might have fallen under the puppet technique. What if they only needed one? Someone else could have been in trouble. You would have ended up in someone else's hands just because you rushed to catch him. If you had been a bit slower, you might have avoided it. At least you learned a lesson."

Jing Yan Hang didn’t respond, his expression downcast.

Chang Hua Yuan Jun said, "He didn’t have time to do anything."

Before Jing Yan Hang could feel relieved, the tone shifted. "It was Jiang Bai Yu's cleverness that saw through the trick and didn’t foolishly follow him out of the oasis. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire. Jie Yan needs to be monitored for now to prevent any impulsive actions; we won’t always be this lucky."

The Grand Elder frowned deeply. "Knowing there are unknown enemies lurking outside, he still ran around recklessly."

He only said this one sentence, without further reproach, but everyone present understood the dissatisfaction behind it.

The Dean and the elders were in a meeting discussing countermeasures, staying alert against external enemies. The four of them were no longer children; it shouldn’t be hard to stay in the safe zone and not cause trouble. Yet, there was always someone who didn’t understand the situation, running outside and getting caught in a puppet technique, quietly returning to lure the target out of the oasis.

If one wasn’t vigilant enough and truly got led out of the oasis into the hands of the enemy, it would be difficult for the mentors to retrieve them.

What they would face was obvious; it wouldn’t be a friendly visit.

This incident didn’t stir up a storm, but it hinted at a dangerous atmosphere, meaning someone was getting restless and wanted to take action. As soon as one person broke the calm, others would follow suit; it was just a matter of who would succeed.

Jiang Bai Yu decisively asked, "Have the Dean and the elders discussed any countermeasures?"

Chang Hua Yuan Jun’s expression was unreadable, and the elders looked troubled.

There was a way out, but they feared that returning in front of the lurking experts would expose the spatial tunnel. During the meeting, they had scrutinized Yan Zhou and roughly understood the situation here.

How to put it? It was like a storm brewing.

Once the wolves from the upper realm learned about the world on the other side of the spatial tunnel, they would swarm like flies smelling blood, joining forces to create an unprecedented catastrophe. Even if they were trapped here, they couldn’t expose this spatial tunnel.

Fortunately, the Forbidden Wilderness was remote and neglected, which had hidden their world.

Jiang Bai Yu raised his hand in a bow. "I have an idea. I wonder if you all have carefully checked the pool that connects to the tunnel?"

The Grand Elder nodded. "Of course, we’ve checked. That pool is definitely not naturally formed; it’s artificially piled and carved. We don’t know who created this spatial tunnel that leads directly to our world. Perhaps before the ancient gods fell here, we actually had communication with this place, but after it became a forbidden area, the connection was severed."

If the pool was considered a teleportation passage connecting the two realms, this speculation made sense.

At this moment, Jiang Bai Yu didn’t hold back and said straightforwardly, "That’s not a pool; it’s the ancient god’s treasured mirror. It fell to the ground when the ancient god perished here. Because the mirror possesses divine powers, it inadvertently reflects our world, thus forming this spatial tunnel. Over the years, wind and sand have moved, and unable to bury the mirror, it accumulated around it, with rainwater forming a pool on the mirror’s surface. So when we look at the pool, it seems like there are traces of artificial carving, but in reality, we’re seeing the mirror."

"With the Dean’s profound spiritual power and the assistance of the elders, I suggest we try to subdue the ancient god’s mirror and cut off the source."

Jiang Bai Yu had tried to take the pool away but had failed.

Chang Hua Yuan Jun looked deeply at Jiang Bai Yu.

After Jiang Bai Yu finished speaking, he closed his mouth and allowed himself to be scrutinized.

After a moment, Chang Hua Yuan Jun patted his shoulder. "Good child, your willingness to share this secret with me proves everything. I and the elders won’t pry further; you can rest assured. What kind of opportunity one receives is a great fortune for a cultivator."

She and the elders nodded, raising their hands to release a burst of spiritual power, quickly forming a barrier around the oasis.

Refining the treasured mirror required full concentration; no one knew if the ancient god’s mirror was dangerous, so strengthening defenses was essential.

After that, it was only natural that Chang Hua Yuan Jun focused on refining and subduing the ancient god’s mirror, with the elders providing support and protection.

Jiang Bai Yu, Lou Yu Zhu, and Jing Yan Hang sat together waiting, while Jie Yan remained frozen in place, only Jing Yan Hang occasionally glanced at him with concern. But gradually, their minds were drawn to the refining of the ancient god’s mirror.

Chang Hua Yuan Jun truly lived up to her title as a powerful figure with great mastery of the Dao. After three days and nights, she successfully subdued the ancient god’s mirror, which had lost most of its divine powers.

The first reaction was to open a direct spatial tunnel to the Immortal Academy, bypassing the Tian Quan Forest.

A mirror controlled by someone was completely different from one that wasn’t; in just a blink, everyone in the oasis vanished, leaving only the protective barrier. If someone forcibly broke in, they would find that the place was already empty, with no idea when everyone had disappeared.

Finally back in a familiar place, Jiang Bai Yu was almost moved to tears. This mission had truly been a rollercoaster, and all four of them had nearly perished.

Who would have thought that a small missing person case would lead to such a huge aftermath?

As for heavenly materials and earthly treasures, Jing Yan Hang and Jie Yan definitely didn’t have any; just surviving was already a stroke of luck. However, Jiang Bai Yu had casually picked some flowers and plants after entering the ancient god’s realm. If one were to say they were special, they indeed were, as they grew on the ancient god’s grave; nothing else remained.

There were the toxic circles to run, watching powerful beings confront divine punishment, and then a six-person melee; who had the time to carefully search?

Oh no, Jiang Bai Yu actually brought back other local specialties, the fragments of evil thoughts.

This thing was useless and required him to control himself not to touch it.

Hmm, he also unilaterally recognized a mother, not knowing if the good thoughts would acknowledge him as their adopted child.

As a memento, he potted the flowers and plants he had casually picked and gave a share to his friends, of course, without including Jie Yan.

The Dean said it was a puppet technique, but he always felt there was something unsaid. Moreover, after returning to the academy, Jie Yan was isolated under the pretext of preventing him from being under other spells, to observe him further.

Upon receiving the potted plant from Jiang Bai Yu, his friends were very appreciative and especially happy. They not only took care of them carefully but also compared their gardening skills with each other.

After Jing Yan Hang returned, he couldn’t go back to the dormitory and was sent to the medicine hut, where he spent the next few days.

He had been quite happy, but when Jiang Bai Yu came to see him this time, he noticed he seemed a bit distracted.

After asking, Jing Yan Hang frowned, "My parents are here."

Jiang Bai Yu paused, understanding. "Is it because of what happened to you this time?"

Jing Yan Hang hung his head, looking unenthusiastic.

Jiang Bai Yu, being a student for the second time, speculated, "Are you afraid your parents will be upset?"

Hitting the nail on the head, Jing Yan Hang sighed, "My dad has always protected Jie Yan. Now that he’s like this, I don’t know how much he’ll worry."

Jiang Bai Yu asked, "What about you?"

Jing Yan Hang lowered his head, looking gloomy. "Of course, my dad cares about me too."

Then he fell silent, holding his potted plant, staring at the little flower buds on it.

A voice came from the door, and the two turned to look.

"Hang'er."

Jing Yan Hang immediately showed a look of surprise. "Mom!"

The person was none other than Jing Yan Hang’s mother, Feng Xuan Yi, who exuded a gentle and intellectual beauty, her aura outstanding, just like the gentle big sister Jiang Bai Yu dreamed of.

She first called out to Jing Yan Hang, then smiled at Jiang Bai Yu. "You must be Hang'er’s friend. He has been well taken care of at the academy. I’m his mother; if you don’t mind, you can call me Aunt Feng."

Jiang Bai Yu replied firmly, "I do mind, Sister Feng!"

At that moment, he regretted being a boy; if he were a girl, he could have snuggled up to her.

But it was okay; boys could be cute too.

Jiang Bai Yu praised her vigorously, "Jing Yan Hang is so lucky to have such a gentle and beautiful mother like Sister Feng!"

Feng Xuan Yi chuckled, stepping in to take a closer look at Jing Yan Hang, her eyes revealing a hint of concern. "Hang'er has lost weight; you look haggard."

Jing Yan Hang glanced at the door, seeing no one else, hesitated. "Where’s Dad?"

Feng Xuan Yi replied, "Your dad went to find the Dean. I came to see you first."

She touched Jing Yan Hang’s face and noticed the bandage around his neck, pausing. "What happened? The Dean mentioned it in her letter."

Seeing his anxious expression, Feng Xuan Yi spoke softly, "Don’t worry. The Dean called us here for another matter. She praised you highly, saying you are sincere and a good child with integrity. I’m proud of you, Hang'er."

Jing Yan Hang asked, "Then Dad...?"

Feng Xuan Yi lovingly ruffled his hair. "Your dad is naturally happy too, but I wanted to see you first. It wouldn’t be right to leave the Dean waiting, so your dad went to see her alone."

She said gently, "Hang'er, do you miss your grandparents and your cousins? They all say they miss you, especially your grandparents. They haven’t seen you in a long time and want to take you to stay for a while."

Jing Yan Hang hesitated for a moment and nodded. "I do!"

Feng Xuan Yi smiled. "Then let’s go back to your grandparents’ house together."

Jing Yan Hang’s eyes widened slightly. "But Jie Yan doesn’t usually like..."

Feng Xuan Yi chided gently, "Silly Hang'er, your grandparents want to see you; why would they want him? I haven’t been back in a long time either. This time, it’ll just be the two of us, without your dad. You can invite your good friends from the academy to come play, introduce them to the delicious food and fun things, and go sightseeing with your siblings."

As she spoke, she turned to Jiang Bai Yu with a smile. "You must come too! Our Qiu Xian Ze’s lotus powder is a must-try, and the lotus seed soup is also very flavorful. The lotus fish and lotus leaf chicken are famous specialty dishes; every year, people come specifically to taste them."

Jiang Bai Yu gave a thumbs up, his eyes shining. "No problem!"

The atmosphere in the Dean’s office was tense.

As soon as Jing Lang sat down, Chang Hua Yuan Jun got straight to the point.

"Young Master Jie is not suitable for our Immortal Academy. Please take him back and find someone more capable."