"Hello, who are you?" Zhou Hong asked, looking at the beautiful woman who landed in front of him, completely bewildered. She seemed to be looking for him specifically.
"You are Zhou Hong, right?" the beautiful woman asked faintly.
"Yes, are you looking for me specifically?"
"Yes, my name is Long Xuan."
Upon hearing the name Long Xuan, Lu Qianqian's expression subtly changed. She had previously heard from senior students that there was a very powerful Supreme Protector at Tai Gu Academy, named Long Xuan. She was the youngest Supreme Protector and also incredibly beautiful.
"Oh, oh, are you from Tai Gu Academy too?" Zhou Hong, naturally, had never heard of her, so he asked in confusion.
"I am a Supreme Protector of Tai Gu Academy. I just heard about you today, killing a Protector and an outsider of the same rank."
"Heh heh, just two old dogs." Zhou Hong smiled faintly, but he was also inwardly shocked. To think that Tai Gu Academy's Supreme Protectors included someone so young and beautiful.
"Zhou Hong, could we speak in private?" Long Xuan asked.
"Of course."
"Then let's go to my residence."
"Alright."
Zhou Hong turned to Lu Qianqian and the others and said, "You guys go back first. We'll get together again another day."
"Okay."
Lu Qianqian nodded with a hint of disappointment in her eyes. She had been planning to confess her feelings, but it was interrupted. For some reason, she suddenly felt a sense of crisis. Would this Supreme Protector named Long Xuan also be interested in Zhou Hong?
Zhou Hong immediately followed Long Xuan and left the hotel entrance.
About a few minutes later, Zhou Hong arrived at a certain area of Tai Gu Academy. The air here was fresh, the spiritual energy was abundant, and the environment was very quiet. It was clearly not a place ordinary students could access.
"Zhou Hong, this is the exclusive cultivation area for Tai Gu Academy's Supreme Protectors. The wooden house below the cliff ahead is my cultivation cave dwelling," Long Xuan said, pointing to a wooden house hanging below the cliff ahead.
"Oh, oh, are you living alone?" Zhou Hong asked.
"Why do you ask?"
"Is your boyfriend or someone living with you?"
"I apologize, I do not have a dual cultivation partner."
"Oh, may I ask, Senior Long Xuan, you look about my age. What is your exact age?" Zhou Hong asked.
"That's a secret. Asking a cultivator their age is meaningless."
"Indeed. As long as one looks young, it signifies youth."
Saying this, Zhou Hong entered Long Xuan's cultivation cave dwelling. The interior was very simple: a clean and tidy bed, a chair, and nothing else.
"Senior Long Xuan, what did you want to see me for?" Zhou Hong asked after sitting down, feeling a bit strange. What business required him to be brought here to discuss? Couldn't it be discussed anywhere outside? Zhou Hong even suspected that Long Xuan might be interested in him, otherwise, why would she bring him to her home?
"This...!" Long Xuan's face turned slightly red, as if she didn't know how to begin.
Seeing Long Xuan's reaction, Zhou Hong became even more certain that this was no simple matter.
"Senior Long Xuan, please just say it. Seeing you hesitate like this, it must be something unusual."
"Zhou Hong, I want to... ask you for a favor. I don't know if you're willing," Long Xuan said, gathering her courage.
"Uh." Zhou Hong was slightly taken aback. Her asking him for a favor with a blushing face, could it be something embarrassing?
"I know this might be hard for you to accept, but I really... really want it."
"Senior Long Xuan, you've cultivated to the Supreme Protector rank at such a young age, you must be an exceptionally talented cultivator. I, however, am merely a student at the Nascent Soul stage. Whatever I can help you with, please just say it." Zhou Hong suspected it might be something like asking him to donate his seed, given her shy demeanor.
Zhou Hong certainly wouldn't refuse a request for help.
"Today, I heard that when you killed Protector Wanyan, you used something to seal the space, preventing his self-detonation from dispersing its power. I believe your methods are certainly not ordinary. If I'm not mistaken, this should be formations."
"Haha, Senior Long Xuan is truly knowledgeable. I thought no one else would know."
"I've read many ancient texts, which is why I had this suspicion. You really know formations? They've been lost for so many years, and nowadays there are no spirit stones. How did you set up formations?"
"Senior Long Xuan, you asked me here just to ask about this?"
"Yes. I know it's your secret, so I felt embarrassed to ask."
Zhou Hong was speechless. "Then are you asking me now because you want me to teach you?"
"No, no, no, I didn't mean that. Please don't misunderstand."
"Haha, it's fine. If you really wanted to learn, I wouldn't hesitate to teach you," Zhou Hong said with a smile.
"Ah, why?" Long Xuan seemed confused. Who would be willing to teach such a thing to others?
"Senior Long Xuan, for a beautiful woman like you, let alone formations, I'd be willing to give you even more precious things."
Long Xuan couldn't help but lower her head, blushing, appearing very shy. Zhou Hong now saw that Long Xuan was a rather introverted woman. No wonder she blushed so easily, making Zhou Hong wonder if she wanted to borrow his seed. After all this, it was just about this.
"Haha, Senior Long Xuan, I was just joking with you." Seeing that Long Xuan was too shy to speak, Zhou Hong quickly changed the subject.
"You're something else. I'm a Supreme Protector, at the Integration stage. If it were anyone else, they would be trembling with fear, yet you dare to joke with me." Long Xuan glared at Zhou Hong, but she found Zhou Hong's demeanor of neither subservience nor arrogance quite pleasing.
"However, while I was joking, I wasn't entirely joking. If Senior Long Xuan truly wishes to learn formations, I am indeed willing to teach you."
"This...!" Long Xuan didn't know how to respond. She was indeed quite obsessed with formations, but in the past, she could only dream of it. Now that the opportunity was right in front of her, how could she not want it?
"But such a precious thing, if you teach it to me, wouldn't you be at a disadvantage?"
"Senior Long Xuan, what disadvantage is there? Unless we are enemies."
"That's impossible. We will never become enemies. I have no enemies at Tai Gu Academy, and I have good relationships with all the Supreme Protectors."
"Alright then. If you want to learn, I'll teach you."
"Okay, then I won't stand on ceremony." Long Xuan nodded excitedly.
"However, not everyone has a talent for formations. You need to be mentally prepared for that."
"Of course."
"Then let's begin immediately."
"Mhm, mhm." Long Xuan was incredibly excited. She had come to find Zhou Hong primarily to verify her suspicions. She never expected that Zhou Hong would actually know formations and be willing to teach her.
Afterward, Zhou Hong immediately began explaining the basics of the Ximen Grand Formation.