After the morning drills concluded, as noon approached, the Gossip Elder sought out Ling Xian for a brief chat.
There was nothing earth-shattering about the conversation; it was merely a discussion of Ling Xian's performance during the exercises.
Ling Xian understood perfectly. As Phoenix Ridge's representative, his performance had to be flawless. Most instructors believed that regardless of a student's prowess in Flying Sword techniques or Talisman Script, these fundamental calisthenics truly reflected their inner strength.
This was precisely why, despite widespread criticism of the exercises, neighboring academies had yet to abandon this tradition.
Fortunately, the Gossip Elder was cheerful and didn't judge by appearances. Seeming to have just encountered his beloved, he was in an exceptionally good mood. After a few simple reminders, he patted his ass and swaggered away.
For the first time, Ling Xian felt his physique was actually quite agile!
After this private conversation, Ling Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If Teacher Shuang had been the one to guide him, she would have started with a slap across the face, followed by a devastating combo! The mere thought sent shivers down his spine.
The last person to forcibly touch him had been Shen Qing—sigh... In any case, his current physical condition was far from ideal...
Ling Xian still vividly remembered the lingering sensation of his shattered testicle—a memory he would never forget.
...
In the afternoon, the Gossip Elder announced in the group chat that everyone should gather at the Ziyang High School Institute Gymnasium.
With only two days remaining until the highly anticipated Spiritual Sword 4556th Tournament, he deemed it necessary to conduct training.
The gymnasium at Ziyang High School was exceptionally spacious. While most schools at the Foundation Establishment Stage had gymnasiums, none were particularly large. It was clear that Principal Li Wanghuo had employed the Space Expansion Technique.
The Space Expansion Technique was actually quite common in this era. For example, school uniform pockets were practically bottomless—these were specially crafted spatial garments, their capacity expanded through spatial technology. This type of spatial expansion was ubiquitous in daily life.
Its greatest benefit was that it drove down real estate prices.
"Strange, where's Teacher Xuan? He's usually here before us," Xu Yutong asked curiously after they were waiting in the gymnasium for a while.
In everyone's eyes, Elder Gossip was always the type to arrive early.
"Perhaps he's handling something. Let's wait a bit longer," Su Xinyi reassured, though her tone also carried a hint of confusion.
"Could he have run into trouble?" Lianhua asked.
"..." Su Xinyi fell silent for a moment.
She had personally witnessed Elder Gossip's power. Moreover, his identity was something that not even the Qionghua Galaxy Cooperation, with their connections, couldn't even solve. It was truly a miracle that he hadn't triggered any commotion.
Ling Xian also remained silent for a moment.
Elder Gossip wasn't one to cause trouble easily. But after carefully considering the artist's words, Ling Xian concluded that he was likely suffering from the torment of being trapped in the "Sea of Love."
As the group discussed Elder Gossip, they suddenly felt a bone-chilling aura descend upon them!
A towering figure was reflected outside the arena, bathed in blinding sunlight that seemed to emanate from the heavens. The already imposing silhouette stretched several meters taller in the play of light and shadow.
Though his face remained obscured, the figure was unmistakably Elder Gossip.
In the next moment, the shadow began to leap and bound!
As the group stared in stunned silence, the slightly muscular man began hopping toward them like a child. Zhao Ming, Hao Zhen, Su Xinyi, Xu Yutong, and Lianhua were all dumbfounded.
At that moment, not only Ling Xian but everyone present felt that Elder Gossip's behavior was utterly unusual!
The old man's jawline was sharply defined, his skin shimmering with an iridescent glow in the sunlight. His smile... his pearly white teeth flashed with blinding brilliance—who the hell had made him smile so radiantly?!
"Did he get laid? Or why is he acting as if he was blessed by the gods?" Zhao Ming's lips twitched, his face a mask of disbelief. Though he considered himself slow-witted, he sensed something was wrong—something seriously wrong!
Among the students of Phoenix Ridge, Ling Xian was likely the only one who knew why Elder Gossip was so excited today. But Ling Xian, uninterested in gossip, remained silent.
This truly irritated Hao Zhen...
As he pondered, resting his chin in his hand, Zhao Ming suddenly teased, "Ha! Even you don't know what's up with Teacher Xuan?"
Nonsense!
"Oh? You're challenging me now?" Hao Zhen raised an eyebrow, batting an eye to him.
There's no way there's something I don't know!
He extended his arm, and Dandan gracefully leaped down, landing steadily in his palm. While ordinary owls lack the capacity for language, Dandan was a special breed. She possessed independent thought and judgment, though confined to the realm of telepathy. According to Hao Zhen, her owl hoots remarkably resembled human speech.
The others clearly believed this without question. He had even earned the title "The Benefactor of Owls" because of it. Dandan was the most intelligent pet Hao Zhen had ever kept.
"You're relying on animal helpers?" Zhao Ming couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Dandan! Show this bastard what we're capable of! Don't shame the Spirit Beast profession!" He declared with such confidence that spittle flew onto Dandan's feathers.
To be honest, ever since Ling Xian enrolled, he had found this owl rather peculiar. He had secretly nicknamed her "Cold-Faced Adventurer" because she was always aloof, rarely communicated, and maintained an air of detached superiority.
Even after activating his telepathic abilities, he couldn't detect a single thought in her mind—a testament to her extraordinary quietude.
But the moment the saliva touched her feathers, she erupted in fury! Ling Xian clearly received her mental outburst: "Damn moron! Doesn't he know I have mysophobia!?"
Excuse me, myso—f**king—phobia?!
"..." In that instant, Ling Xian was certain that this owl's thoughts should remain forever sealed.
This revelation stunned Ling Xian. He never imagined an owl could harbor such a phobia... This creature wasn't just aloof; it had a fiery temper to match.
Moreover, judging by Dandan's attitude toward him, her master seemed to be...
...severely misunderstanding his own pet...
...
PS: "Blessed By A Kitsune Fairy" can be read as a side story for "Last Sovereign," which contains many references, lore and easter eggs to the Last Sovereign story! It also includes the main protagonist's younger sister (Ling Yue)! <3