"Let go of me!" Fang Qing'er finally woke up from her reverie and started struggling.

"Let go? No. From now on, you're my maid," Xiang Shaoyun said unrelentingly. Those words were not only for the ears of Fang Qing'er but for everyone present.

"You..." Fang Qing'er's face flushed red when she heard that.

For some reason, the urge to bow before the man before her was growing in her heart, to the point she could no longer suppress it. The urge grew like wild weeds that couldn't be fully exterminated no matter what one did.

"Impudent! Let her go if you know what's good for you!" Luo Lin's voice rang out, his aura surging. He was fuming.

Xiang Shaoyun met Luo Lin's gaze and said fearlessly, "Would you shut up, you old fogey? She is now my maid and is no longer related to the Gateflag Academy."

"Bastard! Let me rip that mouth off your face!" Luo Lin could no longer bear it. He leaped off the ship and streaked through the air as he headed straight toward Xiang Shaoyun aggressively like an eagle swooping down toward its prey.

"Hold right there, Luo Lin!" Tan Guanghua also leaped off the ship he was on, but he was still too slow. Luo Lin was an eighth-stage Transformation Realm cultivator. His fearsome strength was not something Xiang Shaoyun could resist. Just as Luo Lin was about to reach Xiang Shaoyun, Xiang Shaoyun did something that shocked everyone there.

"Old bastard, take my trump card!" Xiang Shaoyun yelled and tossed Fang Qing'er toward Luo Lin as if she was a weapon.

Everyone opened their eyes wide in shock. He was actually throwing out a beauty like her? Was he even a man? How barbaric!

Even Fang Qing'er herself was stunned. Just a moment ago, she still had an impression that Xiang Shaoyun was a gentleman who treated ladies well, but immediately after, he did something like that. She really did not know what she should think of him now.

Luo Lin was a capable combatant. When he saw Fang Qing'er flying toward him, he immediately shifted the energy gathered in his hand and turned it into a soft energy that gently caught hold of Fang Qing'er. He then attacked Xiang Shaoyun with his other hand. But by now, Tan Guanghua had arrived.

Bang!

Tan Guanghua blocked Luo Lin's attack; the impact of their collision created waves more than 10 meters tall that crashed against the banks of the river.

"Why are you losing your temper, Luo Lin?" Tan Guanghua asked with a smile.

"Tan Guanghua, are you going to stand in my way? This kid keeps scolding me without showing an ounce of respect. Is this the kind of respect the Martial Hall Palace disciples show their elders?" Luo Lin said resentfully.

"That is Shaoyun's fault. Shaoyun, come apologize to Senior Luo Lin. This shall end here," Tan Guanghua said as he shot Xiang Shaoyun a kind gaze.

Without Xiang Shaoyun, the Martial Hall Palace would have been utterly defeated today.

"Hmph. I don't care for his apology, but the Gateflag Academy shall remember today." Luo Lin snorted coldly and went back to their ship with Fang Qing'er. The moment they got back on the ship, they sailed away without waiting for the Martial Hall Palace.

"Let's go, Shaoyun," Tan Guanghua said.

"Yes, we need to set sail as soon as possible. After all, they have my maid," Xiang Shaoyun said.

"Boss! Victory! Boss! Victory!" Xia Liuhui was still chanting, waving a large white flag around.

"Xiang Shaoyun! Victory! Martial Hall Palace! Victory!" the other disciples started chanting as well.

Xiang Shaoyun had fully vented their anger today. Thus, they gave him the welcome of a hero. His performance had completely conquered them. Their eyes were filled with admiration as they looked at him, hoping that a day would come when they could act as overbearing as Xiang Shaoyun—to subdue a big beauty to be his maid with force and to scold the vice principal of Gateflag Academy fearlessly.

Just seeing him do all that filled them with great satisfaction. Unfortunately, that would only remain their dream as it would not be easy at all to be as powerful as Xiang Shaoyun. As for Ye Tianlong, he did not even dare to continue seeing Xiang Shaoyun as his enemy anymore.

Even Wu Mingyan was withdrawing the hostility he had shown Xiang Shaoyun. Before he was completely sure, he would no longer easily act against Xiang Shaoyun. Otherwise, that would be tantamount to suicide.

The Martial Hall Palace's ship set sail again, heading toward the Golden River Valley. After obtaining victory for them, instead of strutting around in a high-profiled manner, he went to the cabin and kept to himself. He simply couldn't stand the burning gaze all the disciples had when looking at him. It was fine if only the girls were looking at him like that, but now, even the guys were.

Ten days later, the Martial Hall Palace and Gateflag Academy finally arrived near the Golden River Valley. Beneath them they saw a golden river, and it was bright and shiny under the sunshine, like a stream of liquid gold. Occasionally, gold-scaled fish could be seen in the river. This was a species of extremely valuable gold-scaled fish. Due to their speed in water, they were extremely hard to catch.

This was a fish that would increase the medical efficacy of a medicine when both were used together, and it was also capable of increasing one's lifespan. The Martial Hall Palace disciples wanted to catch some, but were warned that there were also water demons in the river, which stunned them all. Going into the river was tantamount to suicide. Their entire journey here had been a peaceful one, and it had given them the illusion that the river was safe.

"Although our journey has been peaceful, that is merely due to our good luck of not encountering or provoking any of the water demons. But if we dare to go hunting in the river, calamity awaits," Tan Guanghua said. He warned, "In the future, no matter where you go, be sure to remain vigilant and never underestimate your surroundings."

The disciples all replied, "Yes!"

"Alright, we're already at the Golden River Valley. Do your best and try to enter the top 10. Of course, it is even more important to protect your life well. I hope that I can see the same number of you leaving the valley," Jie Shi said.

Although he knew it was quite impossible to expect all of them to survive, he couldn't exactly say that. The battle was going to start soon, and he couldn't say something that would drop their morale.

They docked at the bank. There, many people had already arrived. Numerous banners representing the various academies were fluttering about in the wind. Jadewater Town's Jadewater Hall, Backhill Town's Blackhill Sect, Shi Town's Shi Academy, and many other academies of various towns were present.

These were all the towns in Cloud Margin City's territory, over 100 of them. About 90 of them were already here, filling the area with people. Apart from the elders leading the disciples, the place was almost entirely filled with young disciples, filling the place with a youthful vigor.