Chapter 27: The Abyss, Departing the Secret Realm

Seeing that Liu An was no longer interrupting, Liu Qingzhi combined what she had witnessed with Qin Zhe’s previous account and described the events involving the giants in full detail.

Wang Zhongguo pondered for a moment after hearing the explanation and said, "In that case, the giants in the scorched earth must be pure elemental beings. Their bodies are primarily composed of rock; they cannot manipulate fire-attribute spiritual energy, but merely use it as a power source to enable their massive forms to move."

"Old Wang, your speculation is too one-sided," Liu An said, speaking with his hands behind his back. "According to Qingzhi, the giants possess a certain level of intelligence; they are not just big lumps of rock. Besides, given the environment of the Cold Moon Secret Realm, how could fire-attribute elemental beings possibly exist there?"

Wang Zhongguo did not reply, merely offering an "hmm" of acknowledgment. He looked up and said, "Qin Zhe, Qingzhi, could you take out the crystals you obtained and let me see them?"

"Sure." Liu Qingzhi responded and waved her hand to produce the Lava Heart.

"This is..." Wang Zhongguo’s expression changed slightly upon seeing the Lava Heart. He cast an inquiring look at Liu An.

"The Abyss." Liu An nodded solemnly, his expression grave.

Seeing the two of them change color, not only was Qin Zhe bewildered, but Liu Qingzhi also looked somewhat confused.

"I will keep this crystal for now. I will give you some spiritual items later as compensation." Wang Zhongguo took the Lava Heart from Liu Qingzhi’s hand without further explanation.

He carefully stored the Lava Heart using spatial techniques before turning to Liu An. "Old friend, please go out of the secret realm and contact the people at the Bureau of Supernatural Disaster Management to inform them of the changes in the Cold Moon Secret Realm. I will put in the effort to personally find the remaining students in the realm, and then I will add a seal to the entrance."

"Consider it done." Liu An replied, sweeping his hand to wrap a dense layer of spiritual energy around Liu Qingzhi and Qin Zhe before taking flight.

Even without the aid of a flying sword, with two people in tow, Liu An’s flight speed instantly broke the sound barrier.

*Holy crap! Another big shot! He might even be stronger than the dean!*

Wrapped in spiritual energy, Qin Zhe was marveling at the speed when a slightly dissatisfied voice suddenly rang in his ears. "Young man, you are quite impressive. I am also grateful you saved my daughter, but don't you think it's time to let go?"

"..."

Qin Zhe went stiff. He turned to look at the Department Head, and seeing her head bowed in thought, he felt like weeping. Liu An had used telepathy, so Liu Qingzhi hadn't heard him. Qin Zhe wanted to let go, but Liu Qingzhi had been the one holding onto him since earlier; if she wouldn't let go, what could he do?

Fortunately, at this moment, Liu Qingzhi lifted her head. Seemingly realizing it was inappropriate to be holding hands with a boy in front of her father, she quietly released her grip.

"Dad, what is the Abyss?"

"Classified." Liu An looked back and said, "You don't need to ask about this; even if you do, I won't tell you. The Bureau of Supernatural Disaster Management will intervene soon. Both of you are students, so do not get involved."

Since Liu An was unwilling to explain, Liu Qingzhi didn't press the matter. She huffed and closed her beautiful eyes to circulate her energy and regulate her breath. She had not fully recovered yet, having only smoothed out the spiritual energy that had been shaken up. With Liu An present, nothing in the secret realm could threaten them, so she could safely focus on recovering her cultivation.

Seeing Liu Qingzhi begin her recovery, Qin Zhe nearly broke down in tears. *Oh, beautiful and kind Department Head! You drag me into this mess and then leave me here to face your father—can you be a little more reliable?*

Liu An, noticing his daughter was meditating, reached out and sent a stream of spiritual energy to assist her recovery, while simultaneously completely isolating and protecting her. After doing so, he did not make things difficult for Qin Zhe, merely asking, "Young man, is your name Qin Zhe?"

"Yes, Liu..." Qin Zhe answered, but got stuck on how to address him. What should he call Liu Qingzhi’s father? Calling him "Father-in-law" would certainly get him killed, "Uncle" didn't feel appropriate, and calling him "Director" felt too distant.

"Don't be constrained; the way you address me is not important." Liu An said, sensing his thoughts, and added calmly, "Once you leave the secret realm and return to the academy, no matter who asks, do not mention the details of what you saw in the realm. Understand?"

"Understood." Qin Zhe nodded decisively. With the Department Head isolated by spiritual energy, how could he dare to defy this big shot?

"I will explain the situation to the Bureau of Supernatural Disaster Management, so don't worry." Liu An paused, then said, "Also, keep an eye on Qingzhi for me. This girl is stubborn; if I don't tell her, she will definitely investigate. I don't want her involved too deeply in this matter."

"Understood." Qin Zhe adopted the principle of "whatever the big shot says goes" and agreed immediately, though he couldn't help but feel curious. *What exactly is the Abyss? Why does it make big shots like Wang Zhongguo and Liu An so nervous? So much so that even the Bureau of Supernatural Disaster Management is getting involved?*

The Bureau of Supernatural Disaster Management, or the B.S.D.M., was the department in the Dragon Kingdom specifically tasked with investigating disasters of a "Heaven and Earth Turbulence" level. Unlike the Supervisory Bureau, the B.S.D.M. held absolute priority in the Dragon Kingdom. Unlike the Disciplinary Department, which had the right to mobilize all departments of the Student Union under special circumstances, once the B.S.D.M. intervened, every department in the Dragon Kingdom had to obey their commands.

The fact that a routine secret realm assessment at the academy had drawn the intervention of a department at the level of the B.S.D.M. was enough to show just how extraordinary the existence of the giants was.

...

With Liu An leading the way, the trio soon left the scorched earth area. It was clear the Department Head's father intended to leave the secret realm directly. Qin Zhe, being thoughtful, informed him about the Cold Moon Divine Dog. Upon hearing that his daughter had captured a creature beneficial to her own cultivation, Liu An simply took a detour to the location and "packed it up" for her.

About an hour later, the group finally left the secret realm and arrived at the academy plaza. Liu An set Qin Zhe down separately, then took Liu Qingzhi and the Cold Moon Divine Dog and left immediately. It was obvious that Liu An did not want to engage in any unnecessary social interaction, and Qin Zhe was happy to be left alone, standing there to watch them depart.

He wasn't stupid. The fact that the Department Head had taken the initiative to hold his hand in the secret realm was clearly done on purpose for her father to see. Given Liu Qingzhi's personality, there must have been a reason for such a rebellious act. Qin Zhe had no desire to get involved too deeply and couldn't be bothered to analyze it.

At this time, it was nearly five o'clock in the morning. The rift to the secret realm was open above the plaza, and students were receiving notifications and emerging from it from time to time. However, because the secret realm was vast, the number of people returning was small. It seemed that aside from those already on their way, many had not yet received the notification.

Having been unaware of time passing in the secret realm, Qin Zhe felt a wave of exhaustion upon realizing that nearly a day had passed. Just as he was preparing to leave and return to his dormitory, Gu Ming popped out of nowhere again.

"Hey, Old Qin! Who was that who brought you out? Their cultivation looked incredibly high!" Gu Ming leaned in, his face full of curiosity.

"Liu An, the Department Head's father." Qin Zhe replied offhandedly, frowning at him with a puzzled feeling. *How does this guy always appear so mysteriously?* He had clearly looked over the plaza just a moment ago and hadn't seen him at all—where had this guy been hiding?

"The Department Head's dad?" Gu Ming’s eyes widened upon learning Liu An's identity, followed by a lecherous grin. "You're something else, kid! You've already met the father-in-law! You've basically cleared the route to the Department Head!"

"Get lost!" Qin Zhe rolled his eyes and said, "Listen, you better keep your mouth shut. It's one thing to joke about it amongst ourselves, but don't go spreading it around. If word gets back to the Department Head, we'll both be in big trouble."

"Tch! Do I look like the kind of person who doesn't know what's important?" Gu Ming smacked his lips, stopping the joking, and asked, "I heard there was an incident in the Cold Moon Secret Realm, seems pretty serious—the dean personally ordered the assessment to be stopped. You were with the Department Head; do you have any exclusive news?"