“Sect Leader, I suggest the Houtu Sect find a prominent mountain range or great river within Tian Province, one with rich terrestrial energies, to establish your headquarters. From now on, the Houtu Sect can develop here in Tian Province, and there will be no need to return to Pastoral Province,” Ye Yunfei said to the Houtu Sect Leader.
“Very well. Tian Province is undoubtedly better than Pastoral Province,” the Houtu Sect Leader nodded.
“Dean Sima, I intend to have a group of people take temporary residence within the Heavenly Dao Academy,” Ye Yunfei turned his gaze to Dean Sima.
Having made arrangements for the Tang Clan and the Houtu Sect, Ye Yunfei planned for the people who had followed him out from the Tianxuan Continent to enter the Heavenly Dao Academy.
“Absolutely!” Dean Sima replied immediately.
“How about this, I’ll return to the Heavenly Dao Academy with you now,” Ye Yunfei thought for a moment and said.
“Good!” Dean Sima nodded.
“Elder Tang Wu, you may now take your people back to your old site and begin rebuilding the Tang Clan,” Ye Yunfei looked toward Elder Tang Wu.
“Yes! Young Master Ye, once the Tang Clan headquarters are reconstructed, you must come and visit,” Elder Tang Wu said.
“Of course,” Ye Yunfei nodded.
“Zhang Yi, you will accompany Elder Tang Wu. During this period, assist him in rebuilding the Tang Clan,” Ye Yunfei looked toward an old man and instructed.
This old man was named Zhang Yi, possessing the strength of the late Sea-Parting Realm.
“Understood, Young Master Ye,” Zhang Yi nodded.
“Thank you so much, Senior Zhang!” Elder Tang Wu was extremely excited. Having a Sea-Parting Realm expert personally overseeing things would ensure the Tang Clan’s reconstruction proceeded smoothly without a hitch!
“Haha, there’s no need for thanks. I am merely carrying out Young Master Ye’s orders,” Zhang Yi laughed.
Thus, Elder Tang Wu and Zhang Yi led the Tang Clan members, heading excitedly towards the clan's old site.
Next, Ye Yunfei instructed a Sea-Parting Realm expert named Xie Yuan and the Houtu Sect Leader to take their people and set off to find a prominent mountain or river abundant with terrestrial energies to establish their headquarters.
Afterward, Ye Yunfei, along with the people from the Tianxuan Continent and the Ancient Demon Race forces, followed Dean Sima and the others back to the Heavenly Dao Academy headquarters.
A good half-day later, they arrived back at the Heavenly Dao Academy headquarters.
The headquarters was seen to be utterly devastated. Most of the buildings were destroyed, with broken walls and crumbled debris littering the ground everywhere.
Witnessing this scene, the Heavenly Dao Academy members were filled with both anger and sorrow.
“Although the headquarters has been destroyed, fortunately, there were not many casualties among our academy members. So long as our people remain, all is not lost,” Dean Sima said loudly.
“Well said!” Listening to Dean Sima’s words, the Heavenly Dao Academy members felt their spirits uplifted.
“Alright, let us begin reconstructing the headquarters!” Dean Sima declared.
Thus, everyone began working to rebuild the academy headquarters. Wu Heishan and the group that had come from the Tianxuan Continent formally became members of the Heavenly Dao Academy!
“Dean Sima, we will assist as well,” the three Demon Kings led the Ancient Demon Race forces and began busying themselves.
Meanwhile, Ye Yunfei found a secluded spot and entered the Illusionary Shadow Pagoda.
Inside the Illusionary Shadow Pagoda were over four hundred Imperial Realm Expeditionary Army officers!
Ye Yunfei spent more than ten days finally subduing all four hundred-plus Imperial Realm officers, turning them into slaves!
“We greet our master!” The over four hundred Imperial Realm slaves stood before Ye Yunfei, calling out in unison.
With this, Ye Yunfei now possessed over five hundred Imperial Realm slaves in total!
Ye Yunfei refined a large batch of Blood Refining Life Pills, handing them over to these Imperial Realm slaves. He then divided them into five groups, each with over a hundred members, to train in the Eight-Body Dragon Array.
Over five hundred Imperial Realm slaves constituted a fairly strong combat force.
Furthermore, among these five hundred-plus slaves, many possessed late Imperial Realm strength. Ye Yunfei intended to assist these late-stage slaves in breaking through to become Star Bridge Realm experts when the timing was right.
“Dean Sima, these individuals will stay at the Heavenly Dao Academy for now, under your command,” Ye Yunfei brought the over five hundred Imperial Realm slaves before Dean Sima and said.
Presently, these Imperial Realm slaves could no longer be of much direct assistance to Ye Yunfei. Therefore, Ye Yunfei only kept the dozen or so most powerful and shrewd Imperial Realm slaves by his side for miscellaneous tasks. The vast majority remained at the Heavenly Dao Academy.
“So many Imperial Realm experts!” Dean Sima felt thoroughly shocked looking at the over five hundred Imperial Realm slaves standing behind Ye Yunfei.
It was important to note that the most powerful individuals in the Heavenly Dao Academy were Dean Sima, Meng Qianzheng, and three other elders, all at the early Imperial Realm. Now, over five hundred Imperial Realm experts had been added at once!
“You are to obey Dean Sima’s commands,” Ye Yunfei looked at the Imperial Realm slaves.
“Understood, master,” the over five hundred Imperial Realm slaves answered in unison.
“Please, everyone, there’s no need for such courtesy. I will seek your guidance in the future…” Dean Sima was practically flustered. Any one of these Imperial Realm slaves before him was stronger than he was!
“Take the Ancient Demon Race forces and return to the Ancient Demon World first. When I have tasks for you in the future, I will send someone to notify you,” Ye Yunfei said to the three Demon Kings.
For these Ancient Demon Race members, the Ancient Demon World was the most suitable place for them to live and cultivate.
“Yes, master,” the three Demon Kings acknowledged the order and immediately led the Ancient Demon Race forces away from the Heavenly Dao Academy headquarters, returning to the Ancient Demon World.
“As for father, he’ll stay with me for now,” Ye Yunfei thought to himself. He intended to take his father along when the time came to rescue his mother and sister.
“Your progress during this period is quite impressive,” Ye Yunfei summoned Wu Heishan, Dugu Huan, and the others, checking their cultivation realms. The results satisfied him.
Especially Dugu Huan, who could now unleash over five hundred slashes with his Thousand Extremities Blade technique. The Thousand Extremities Blade technique's power increased by hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of times with each additional slash cultivated in its later stages. Of course, the difficulty of cultivation increased accordingly.
Ye Yunfei estimated that Dugu Huan’s current combat power could stand toe-to-toe with early Imperial Realm experts!
Such talent in the dao of blades astonished even Ye Yunfei somewhat.
“Truly impressive,” Ye Yunfei nodded repeatedly.
The combat power of Wu Heishan, Wen Zi, and Yuan Dayong was roughly equivalent to the early Spirit-Shaping Realm.
Long Yingying’s combat power was equivalent to the late Soul Formation Realm. After activating her Battle Clan bloodline, her progress was swift, and she had begun to gradually catch up with Wu Heishan and the others.
What pleasantly surprised Ye Yunfei was that Ye Xue’s spiritual power realm had actually broken through to the early Soul Formation Realm!
“Sister Xue, why has your realm breakthrough speed been so fast?” While pleasantly surprised, Ye Yunfei also felt a trace of worry. He was concerned that her spiritual power foundation might be unstable, affecting her future martial achievements.
Upon carefully sensing the quality of Ye Xue’s spiritual power, however, he found everything to be normal. Ye Xue’s spiritual power showed no signs of an unstable foundation; on the contrary, it was more solid than most people’s!
“Sister Xue, I never imagined your talent for martial cultivation would be so high!” Relieved, Ye Yunfei smiled as he spoke to Ye Xue.
“It’s nothing compared to you,” Ye Xue replied, her beautiful eyes gazing at Ye Yunfei. She couldn't help but recall that period in Roundmoon City when the martial veins in Ye Yunfei’s body had suddenly closed, subjecting him to cold looks and ridicule.
“Back then, who could have imagined he would reach such heights today,” Ye Xue felt a momentary daze.
Next, Ye Yunfei checked the others who had come from the Tianxuan Continent, finding that everyone had made significant progress.
“From now on, you are all members of the Heavenly Dao Academy. Everyone should try their best to conceal your identities as people from the Tianxuan Continent. I will also instruct Dean Sima to issue orders to keep your identities strictly confidential. In short, from this moment forward, you are just ordinary members within the Heavenly Dao Academy,” Ye Yunfei’s gaze swept over the people from the Tianxuan Continent as he instructed solemnly.
Ye Yunfei understood that the enemies he would face next would be even stronger: the Pang Clan and the Miao Clan! The slightest misstep could implicate these people from the Tianxuan Continent.
Ye Yunfei remained at the Heavenly Dao Academy for three days. By then, the academy headquarters had been largely rebuilt.
“Young Master Ye, all the Star Nation Expeditionary Army forces within the five neighboring star domains have been completely annihilated. Chu Ji is leading the Five-Domain Allied Army in handling some aftermath,” Hong Bai and Wu Hua returned to report to Ye Yunfei.
“Mm, good,” Ye Yunfei nodded.
Not long after, Elder Tang Wu and the Houtu Sect Leader arrived together.
“Young Master Ye, our Tang Clan has already been re-established at its old site, taking preliminary shape. We specially came to sincerely invite you for a visit,” Elder Tang Wu said.
“Holy Son Ye, I have already found a place perfectly suited for establishing a sect. Our Houtu Sect forces have begun setting up a headquarters there,” the Houtu Sect Leader said.
“Excellent. How about this: let’s first go to the Tang Clan headquarters, then to the Houtu Sect headquarters. Dean Sima, all of you from the Academy should come along as well,” Ye Yunfei thought for a moment and said.
“Very well,” Dean Sima and the other academy elders all nodded.
Thus, a large group of people crowded around Ye Yunfei, departing from the Heavenly Dao Academy in a grand procession headed towards the Tang Clan headquarters. Unconsciously, Ye Yunfei had already become the core around which all others revolved!