"Even if you graduate now, you can't ascend in a short time. It will take at least another decade."
"Why?" Zhou Hong asked, confused.
"Because at least a decade will pass before the guardian seniors above send someone down to escort you. Otherwise, you can't ascend from here."
Zhou Hong immediately felt dejected. He desperately wanted to rush up now and see how terrifying those mysterious giants were.
"Zhou Hong, stay put for now. Your current strength is indeed considerable for ordinary students, but for the graduates each year, you are merely at the level of the most outstanding ones. Cultivate diligently now, and strive to break through to the Separation Period within the next ten years. That way, your survival will be easier once you ascend."
Zhou Hong could only nod helplessly.
"Long Xuan, Zhou Dog, come out!" Just then, a roar suddenly came from outside. Without even listening, they knew who it was.
"Senior Long Xuan, Hu Lu Rong is here. I didn't expect him to arrive so quickly. I thought it would take two or three days," Zhou Hong said urgently.
"Hmm, thankfully I've broken through to the mid-stage of Integration. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. Let's go out and deal with this nuisance first."
"Alright."
Zhou Hong and Long Xuan instantly flew out.
It was indeed Hu Lu Rong.
Hu Lu Rong seemed completely unaware that Long Xuan had reached the same cultivation level as him. Long Xuan, as an outstanding graduate who had once studied in the Deep Space Continent, was naturally far superior to Hu Lu Rong.
"You pair of dogs, what were you doing inside the cave dwelling in broad daylight? If you have the guts, do it here in front of everyone!" Hu Lu Rong sneered.
At this moment, many Grand Guardians in the Grand Guardian Circle had gathered, watching the commotion from a few hundred meters away.
Although these Grand Guardians were the strongest existences in the Primordial Academy currently, none dared to act rashly. This was because even more powerful seniors from the Primordial Academy were above, and someone would descend to patrol every ten years.
"Hu Lu Rong, you are courting death," Long Xuan said coldly.
"Long Xuan, you vile dog, you colluded with Zhou Hong to harm me. If I let you go today, I'll take your surname."
"When did I harm you?"
"Don't think I don't know. With just Zhou Dog alone, you couldn't have obtained such potent poison. It must have been provided by you. You wretched dog, after I pursued you for so many years, you actually wanted to poison me."
"Hu Lu Rong, even if I did provide it, I would feel no guilt. You've harassed me for so many years; I've long reached my limit."
"Hahaha." Hu Lu Rong laughed disdainfully, not taking Long Xuan seriously at all.
"You, an early-stage Integration cultivator, have reached your limit with me? How laughable. Today, I will show you what consequences you will face when I've reached my limit. I will drag you into my cave dwelling and ravage you day and night, for three days and three nights." Hu Lu Rong revealed a sinister smile, having harbored this desire for a long time.
Long Xuan did not show anger, merely a cold, disdainful smile playing on her lips.
"And you, Zhou Hong, you dog, colluding with Long Xuan to harm me, you will die a miserable death."
Zhou Hong also sneered, "Don't worry, you'll die more miserably than I will."
"Such arrogant words." Hu Lu Rong was a little puzzled. Why did Long Xuan and Zhou Hong show no trace of fear on their faces?
"Hu Lu Rong, Hu Dog, take a good look. What is Long Xuan's current cultivation realm?" Zhou Hong reminded him.
Hu Lu Rong finally sensed it with his full attention, and his face instantly changed drastically.
"Mid-stage Integration? How is this possible?" Hu Lu Rong was filled with disbelief, his eyes wide open.
"Hu Lu Rong, you walked into hell when there was a clear path to heaven. Today, I will utterly destroy you," Long Xuan declared and immediately charged forward.
"You think I'm afraid of you? We are both mid-stage Integration cultivators. Who kills whom is yet to be decided...!" Hu Lu Rong roared in anger. However, before he could finish speaking, he found his head in Long Xuan's grasp.
"You are not qualified to contend with me. When my cultivation was a level lower than yours, I was indeed no match for you, but at the same level, hmph...!" Long Xuan revealed a disdainful cold smile.
Many Grand Guardians watching from the side were all shocked. None of these Grand Guardians were as young as Long Xuan, meaning none of them possessed greater talent than her. Although a few had cultivated to the late-stage of Integration, if Long Xuan were at the same level, she could instantly kill them, as Hu Lu Rong's current predicament demonstrated.
"Long Xuan, don't, don't be rash!" Hu Lu Rong, held by Long Xuan, couldn't even escape with his Nascent Soul. He was stunned and hastily tried to beg for mercy.
"Still attempting to beg for mercy?" Long Xuan shook her head, seemingly unable to comprehend.
"Senior Long Xuan, cripple this dog and then hand him over to me to deal with," Zhou Hong said to Long Xuan. Zhou Hong intended to brutally torment him and make him eat excrement.
"Alright." Long Xuan nodded.
"No, no!" Hu Lu Rong roared desperately. At this moment, he deeply regretted provoking Zhou Hong. His fate was now sealed. Falling into Zhou Hong's hands, the outcome was predictable.
The next second, a scream escaped Hu Lu Rong as his Nascent Soul was instantly scattered, reducing his power to zero.
"Zhou Hong, Hu Lu Rong is yours to handle." Long Xuan tossed Hu Lu Rong to Zhou Hong.
"Thank you."
"Then I'll be going back."
"Okay."
Long Xuan entered her cave dwelling without looking back.
Zhou Hong grabbed Hu Lu Rong by the hair and sneered, "Hu Lu Rong, you will be as humiliated later as you were arrogant just now."
"Zhou Hong, please, don't kill me. It was all my fault before," Hu Lu Rong pleaded, now powerless and unable to break free from Zhou Hong.
"Ridiculous. You've come this far and still beg for mercy? Originally, I had no enmity with you. But you, relying on your status as a Grand Guardian and your superior strength, despite knowing I had killed a Separation Period Guardian, still dared to provoke me. This shows your considerable courage and confidence in yourself."
"Wuwuwu, I beg you, spare my wretched life."
"Enough nonsense, come with me." Zhou Hong immediately dragged Hu Lu Rong away from the Grand Guardian Circle.
Soon, Zhou Hong arrived at the home of a farmer in Primordial City. Behind the farmer's house was a privy. Zhou Hong directly shoved Hu Lu Rong into the privy.
And so, Zhou Hong cruelly killed Hu Lu Rong, and his corpse was then submerged in the cesspit.
Zhou Hong returned to the Primordial Academy after eliminating Hu Lu Rong.
Zhou Hong did not seek out Long Xuan again, and in the future, he would not seek her out either.
Zhou Hong now needed to contemplate his future path.