When we arrived at the academy I was surprised seeing all the emperor team with the exemption of Chenxian reunited outside talking.
I approached them and asked "Something happened? What are you doing here?"
"It's Yu Feng. Since yesterday he stayed in his room with the door closed. He didn't answer us and he didn't eat anything. We are worried about him. Something may have happened" Yan said.
I turned to Lingling "Do you know something? Maybe related to 'his' circumstances?". Lingling shook her head.
"I will try to talk to 'him'" I went toward Chenxian's room, seeing that I was being followed I turned to them "Don't follow me, if 'he' has a problem that didn't want to be known, it's more probable that 'he' talk to me alone". All the others nodded and stopped there.
Arriving at Chenxiang's door I nocked it "Chenxiang, something happened? It's me, Bai. Open the door".
"Leave! I don't wanna talk to anyone! Leave me alone" I listened inside the room.
I sighed "Everyone has times when they want to be alone. Usually, I will respect you, but when it escalated to not even eat. Understand that is for your good".
I manifested my sword at my right hand and I broke the door with two simple slashed.
Watching me entering her room she shouted "WTF are you doing Bai?".
"Calm down Xiang, it's not like is the first time I broke a door" I said. Approaching her I could finally see her condition.
Her room was completely in the dark without any light on and with the blinds closed. Thanks to the light of the corridor that entered by the previously destroyed door I could see Chenxiang. She really was in bad shape.
After months of overworking she couldn't be considered in top form but now was even worse. Her clothes were dirty her complexion was dry like if someone absorbed the life of her. And the most significant was her eyes, completely red, surely for long hours of crying that even now tears are threatening to fall and big eye bags from not sleep.
I turned serious "Really, what happened, Xiang? Staying here alone crying is not your style. Where is it the cheerful one who tease and bother us at every moment?"
Chenxiang started to cry and pointed at her desk. I approached it and took a letter on it.
The letter was destined to Chenxiang and was from the academy's board. Summarizing, eliminating pleasantries and irrelevant facts the letter communicated that Chenxiang was expelled from the academy.
The academy found her true identity, as a part of the speed clan, and knew about her incapacity of breaking through over the 38 rank because of her strength choice. That in the actual emperor team and in the academy there wasn't pace for trash incapable of even arriving at spirit ancestor.
"Those fuckers! WTF are they thinking? There is half a year left for the tournament yet, you can break through and even with you being spirit elder you're stronger than Osler or every member of the second team" I shouted angrily.
"It's my fault, I'm an idiot. I wanted to be strong. I thought that with my talent I could go against fate breaking through rank 38 and becoming the first in my family to have a high rank with actual attack capacity" said Chenxiang crying "I'm not strong enough, maybe it was impossible since the start and all that I did was futile"
Chenxiang cleaned the tears of her eyes "Bai, I will return to my clan. The Speed Clan has a secret technique that permits you to reset your cultivation, destroying your actual ring enabling you to start over again. This time I will focus only in speed" She made a forced smile "I will be the fastest, with my talent I maybe could surpass grandfather and arrive at titled douluo with luck"
I approached her and gently hugged her "Calm down Xiang. I promised that I would help you, not only me you also have Mayi, Lingling and all the emperor team supporting you. You don't need to feign strength, I'm here for you"
Chenxiang couldn't maintain her forced smile and broke again crying "I don't want to leave! I want to tease Yan! Fight Osler! Eat with Mayi! Go shopping with Lingling! Laugh at Tianheng! Cultivate with the brothers! I-I... I want to train with you! I love you all! I don't want to forget all of you!" She said while weeping.
"Even if you leave, nothing will happen. We can continue being friends. Even I could follow you if those fuckers didn't recognize the talent why I need t gave them some face" I said trying to cheer her.
"You don't understand. My clan secret technique not only affects the cultivation it will also affect my mind. Forgetting it's very common" She said "I promised grandfather that if I couldn't break through before 15 I will return to the clan, but why wait for one more year when it is sure that I won't accomplish anything. Better forget about it and start a new"
"But really. I will always miss you, even if I forget about you, in my interior I will miss you, I promise" she said crying. She approached the window and opened it.
"I can't bear to see their faces, for them to see in my state. Please, Bai. Say my farewell to them" She said determinate, she activates her spirit appearing metal like wing from her back.
She put one foot at the window's frame, she turned to me "Bye, Bai".
Just as she was about to jump I run towards her and held her right arm pushing her inside "Leave me Bai!" she said crying.
I became very serious "Xiang. I may have something to help you surpass your block". She blinked at me surprised "I tried everything and didn't work, leave me, Bai. Don't give me false hopes".
I lifted my left hand manifesting my Oreo spirit surrounded by 4 black rings, with one of them a little orange.
Chenxiang stopped crying and shocked said "Twin Spirits. You have twin spirits. I know that I would never equal to you, this only makes our abyss greater. This change nothing!".
"Listen, Xiang. This is one of my secrets and I expect you to keep it. My second spirit is a type of food spirit. The important part is that I have an ability that maybe will help you to breakthrough. However, it also can have unknown negative effects on you" I said.
"Do you have the skill to make me advance, don't joke, Bai, it's impossible. We all know how much trash are food spirits, only good for great armies when they can produce in great numbers" said Chenxiang.
"My skill evolved my dad's spirit to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda" I told.
Chenxiang hang her mouth shocked "Wh-what? Can it evolve spirit? Please, Bai, use it on me!"
"Before that, the main property is an improve of foundation and growth of spirit power being possible its evolution, however, it's only for plant and light related spirits" I explained "I don't know what will be its effects in other kinds of spirits. The normal will be to negate the positive effect, becoming trash for them. At worst it may be the influx of light and plant energy may become a poison for you, damaging your spirit or even killing you"
"It's your decision if you want to risk. The truth is that the probability it falls to not eating" I said seriously.
"I will try, Bai please use your ability. If I care about something like probability, I will never try to go against fate at the beginning. If there's a change, it doesn't matter how tiny is it, of breaking through maintaining my self, I will risk. Even if I die I won't blame you I will try my hardest" said Chenxiang.
I looked at Chenxiang's eyes, even with traces of hours of cries I could see how resolutely she was. "♪Wonder if I gave a Golden Oreo♪" I chanted, from my left hand surging and intense light, condensing in a brightly Golden Oreo hovering over my hand.
"You need to sing that lame phrase?" Chenxiang laughed a little.
"If I want the best effects I can't evade it. Eat it quickly, it will only last 15 seconds" I said.
Chenxiang took the Golden Oreo and gulped nervously. After a little moment she resolute enough and ate it.
"Do you sense anything different. The best will be for you to cultivate, circulated the new influx of energy around your body" I explained.
Chenxiang nodded "I don't sense anyt... Ahhh!" in the middle of her words she started shouting in pain "My back! It burns!".
Her spirit was unconsciously activated, destroying her shirt in the process. Her spirit was shining brightly and from it, I sensed I high temperature. So high that even was burning Chenxiang, crisping her previously white skin now with black-brown burns.
"Fuck! It seems there's a rejection. Keep fighting Xiang!" I encouraged her "I will bring Lingling, so keep it until then, never lose your conscience or it will be the last time you have your eyes open"
I run outside shouting "Lingling!". The truth is that I was very tired close to faint due to lack of spirit power even shouting it was difficult for me.
After a minute all the Emperor team came when I was arriving at the outside door. "Lingling quickly go to Xiang room, she needs your help" I said too tired to even realize that I used her true name and the female pronoun.
Lingling nodded and quickly run to the room. "The other stay here! The fewer people disturbing her, the better" I turned to Mayi "Please Mayi, can you share some spirit power with me".
Mayi without saying anything approached me, kissing me sharing some of her energy. After a minute I was in a good condition again, I rubbed Mayi's hair "Thanks Mayi". I quickly returned to Chenxiang's room.
Approaching the room I could listen to cries and shouts from Chenxiang surely due to her intense pain, which only made me go faster.
Entering the room I could see Lingling with her spirit activated trying to heal without stopping "How is her?" I asked her.
"She is in a very bad state. She needs to be continuously healed. If a stop more than 5 minutes she would die burned alive" Lingling answered.
"How much time you can last?" I asked
"She needs too much healing, I'm going at full power. With these conditions I won't last more than 20 minutes" Lingling explained.
"Lingling tell me when you are near exhaustion. I could lengthen that time to a little more than an hour" I said.
She trusted me nodded "What happened to her. I never see such a violent reaction. It's like her own body is attacking her. Even if I continue healing her I can't assure that she will be fine. Her spirit is changing, damaging her physically and mentally. If this continues she might break"
"She must endure it. We can only pray that she would be strong enough to resist it. For how this happened I will explain later, now concentrate on healing her"
After 20 minutes of the tortuous trial for Chenxiang, Lingling was about to run out of energy I gave her a Double Stuff Oreo. She surprised a little seeing my spirit for the first time but knowing that there were more important things she made a look of you must explain it later.
1 hour passed. Lingling was exhausted, even if her spirit power recovery thanks to my Oreo her mental power was at her limit, never healing during so much time.
Chenxiang was at her limit she even tried to stop us from healing her, pleading for death. Her deterioration finally winning against Lingling healing and burning marks were expanding all around her body with their core as Chenxiang spirit. Her wings were only thin bones, without any feathers. If she would have enough strength to even try to fly, she won't be capable of.
I couldn't help to tears to fall my eyes seeing the proud girls beside me in that terrible state. "♪Wonder if I gave...♪" I summoned all my types of Oreos. Even if they were not for this, I need to try anything.
With Chenxiang in no state to eat anything I put all the Oreos inside my mouth and masticate them. Then I kissed Chenxiang forcing her to eat the cookies.
Even with this her condition didn't change. Lingling finally couldn't keep and collapse exhausted incapable of even invoke her spirit.
Without Lingling continues healing the burning expanded quickly all around her body, all her skin was charred, her hair was on fire. In this state, she was impossible to recognize. She could die anytime. I couldn't help to cry and curse fate.
At that moment something strange happened, from Chenxiang wings appeared her three spirit rings, yellow, yellow and purple. Some cracks started appearing in them, they were expanding along until finally, the rings broke. The spirit power liberated filled all the room, now having a high concentration.
Then, Chenxiangr wings' bones started shining, all the spirit power of the room and surrounding was being absorbed by Chenxiang's wings. The quantity of energy was so much that a vortex was being created on her back.
Her wing started to grow larger, white crystal feathers grew from it. The bright light started moving towards her body until all her body was shining. Little by little her burns were being healed. A pure white, fair skin could be seen. Her hair started to lengthen not stopping until it arrives at her hip height. Now even more brilliant, with a gold color that shined like a precious gem when the sunlight hit it.
The vortex on his back started spinning even faster and it expanded forming three different diameter rings. The inner ring condensed quickly shining yellow.
After 10 seconds the middle ring also started forming its spirit ring. This time it condensed showing its new shining purple color.
The outer ring continued spinning absorbing more and more spirit power, the suction was so strong that even my spirit energy threatened to leave. I approached Lingling and covered both of us in intent aura stopping the absorption force to affect our spirit energy.
The vortex was slowly turning black, with so much strength that it will remember a black hole continued to absorb energy. Just as the vortex absorbed all the energy of its surroundings, it trembled.
The previously uniform energy started to move erratically, now more than a ring it seemed more like a wave. The energy was out of control.
I completely open my eyes shocked "It's going to explode!" I shouted. I could see the worried face of Lingling. Chenxiang was still with her eyes closed ignorant of what was happening at her. Even if I could protect Lingling with intent it will be impossible for Chenxiang the core of the energy.
"It seems that there's no other option" I turned to Lingling "Keep it a secret". I opened my left palm facing towards the vortex <Soul Spirit Skill: Devour>.
From my left arm surged Glut with his dog-like form. He opened his mouth, like being a black hole all the uncontrolled spirit energy started being absorbed by it being devoured by Glut. After 2 seconds Glut disappeared with the ring stabilizing, now controlled it started to condense. Because of the energy lost the ring changed his pure black color. Now it only maintained its black colors at the corner, the majority being purple now.
Having condensed the three rings, Chenxiang's spirit withdrew leaving for the first time in more than an hour the room quiet and completely absent of spirit energy.
Looking at Chenxiang now. She was completely nude, showing her perfect figure. She grew a little taller, her tits grew a size, her face more refined exuding a high womanly charm with her red big lips, tiny nose, and high cheeks. I couldn't help to blush at her sight.
I turned to Lingling a little embarrassed "Are you okay, Lingling?" Lingling nodded "Could you see if something is wrong with Xiang?".
"I will try, but it will be too rudimentary, I'm too exhausted to do a complete check," Lingling said.
"Good enough for now" I said.
Lingling approached her. She took off her coat and covered Chenxiang. Then Lingling measured Chenxiang pulse and vital signs.
"Physically she is fine, no problem found. Like the previous experience was imagination. For her spirit we will need her to wake up" explained Lingling.
After 30 minutes Chenxiang finally opened her eyes.
I think it's my longest chapter. I really liked Chenxiang character and pity her fate. So I want to give her more importance.