At this time, the two Venerable Ones of the Hudao Academy also heard the news of Ye Yunfei's death.
However, after conducting an investigation, they discovered that none of the experts who had surrounded and attacked Ye Yunfei in Luohai City had strength at the Yuan Foundation Realm, nor had any Earth-grade magic treasures been employed.
Therefore, there had been no violation of the protection order they had previously issued regarding Ye Yunfei.
Because the announcement these two Venerable Ones had made to the Eastern Region was that experts with strength at or above the Yuan Foundation Realm were forbidden to take action against Ye Yunfei, and Earth-grade magic treasures were also prohibited.
"What a pity. A peerless monster genius has actually perished just like this," one of the Venerable Ones couldn't help but sigh.
"For some reason, I have a feeling that kid might not be dead yet?" the other Venerable One suddenly said.
"Not dead yet? How is that possible? Many witnessed that bloody spear pierce through his heart," the first Venerable One retorted.
"Let's wait and see," said the other.
For a time, the news of Ye Yunfei's death shook the entire Eastern Region.
However, a few days later, as time slowly passed, many people began to forget about the matter.
After all, the world would keep turning normally no matter who was missing.
Soon, many shifted their attention to the thirty-eight official students of the Hudao Academy.
Everyone knew these thirty-eight youths could potentially be the most promising young talents in the Eastern Region!
It was possible that in the future, they might have the chance to become influential figures who could summon wind and rain across this continent.
It was rumored that many of this continent's top-tier powerhouses had emerged from the Hudao Academy.
Thus, for a time, these thirty-eight young people received fervent admiration across the Eastern Region.
Even many veteran experts lowered themselves and proactively sought to befriend these youths.
Only the members of the Chen Clan, from the high-ranking officials down to the ordinary clansmen, were dejected and listless, hanging their heads in dismay.
That was because the Chen Clan had no descendants who could become official students of the Hudao Academy.
"It's all because of that thief Ye Yunfei! He's the one who caused our Chen Clan not to have a single descendant who could become an official student of the Hudao Academy. That little thief dying like this is letting him off easy!" Many members of the Chen Clan gnashed their teeth as they cursed.
Time flowed on slowly.
Five days later.
In a range of rolling hills near Luohai City.
Inside a certain secluded cave.
A figure radiating blue light sat cross-legged.
Nearby, an elderly man was refining pills.
A pill cauldron blazed fiercely, containing ten faint cyan spirit pills spinning rapidly, about to take final form.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman guarded the cave entrance, her beautiful eyes glancing from time to time at the cross-legged, cyan-glowing figure.
"Pills complete!"
Suddenly, the elderly man gave a light shout.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Ten spirit pills shot out from the pill cauldron, emanating powerful, life-giving energy. Surging cyan mist immediately filled the entire cave, so fragrant it could intoxicate anyone who breathed it in.
"Ninth-Grade Spirit Pills, and ten pills in one batch! Now... I am a ninth-grade pill refiner!" The old man was extremely excited.
"Ye Yunfei, thank you." The old man looked towards the cross-legged cyan-glowing figure and spoke gratefully.
That figure radiating blue light was indeed Ye Yunfei.
The pill-refining elder was naturally Huang Shang.
The peerless beauty guarding the cave entrance was Hu Miao.
"Elder Huang, no need for such courtesy. With your foundational skill in pill refining, if you hadn't suffered such hardship and lost your physical body these past years, you would have already become a ninth-grade pill refiner long ago," Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
Then, Ye Yunfei opened his mouth.
Whoosh whoosh...
All ten of the newly refined Ninth-Grade Spirit Pills from Huang Shang were sucked into Ye Yunfei's mouth.
Boom...
As the ten Ninth-Grade Spirit Pills entered his stomach, the blue glow on Ye Yunfei's skin swelled violently, becoming dazzlingly bright. Torrential life energy surged ceaselessly through his body.
"Master, over these past few days, you've already consumed several hundred wood-attributed spirit pills. How is the effect?" Hu Miao, seeing this, quickly asked.
"My injuries have long since healed. Furthermore, my physical body has advanced another level," Ye Yunfei replied with a faint smile.
"The fact that you can survive having your heart struck is nothing short of a miracle," Huang Shang couldn't help but marvel.
"Actually, when you get down to it, it's simple. That bloody spear appeared to have pierced through my heart, but in reality, it was deflected half an inch by the force of my physical strength, passing right next to my heart. Moreover, even if my heart had been pierced through, I wouldn't die. The body tempering technique I cultivate can even repair the heart itself," Ye Yunfei said with a slight smile.
The Greenwood Emperor Body was hailed as one of the top ten greatest body tempering techniques across the three thousand great worlds and innumerable small realms. How could the martial artists of the Eastern Region possibly comprehend its wondrous aspects?
Back in Luohai City, many had witnessed that bloody spear pierce through Ye Yunfei's heart, believing his death was certain.
How could they have imagined that at the critical moment, Ye Yunfei simultaneously executed the Heavenly Devil Infusing Blood Body Tempering Art and the Greenwood Emperor Body, using his 1.8 million jin of physical strength to forcefully deflect that bloody spear half an inch.
Furthermore, even if Ye Yunfei truly had his heart pierced, he still wouldn't die—it would just take a bit more time to recover.
The Greenwood Emperor Body specialized in cultivating the defensive capabilities of the physical form.
Although Ye Yunfei's Greenwood Emperor Body had not yet truly reached the entry-level threshold, it was still not something an ordinary martial artist could kill.
"Until I cultivate the Greenwood Emperor Body to the true entry-level threshold, it's still not safe. If I truly reached the entry-level threshold of the Greenwood Emperor Body, martial artists at the True Manifestation Realm wouldn't be able to injure me," Ye Yunfei couldn't help but give a light sigh.
"Master, let's head back and take revenge on those people right now!" Hu Miao said.
"Revenge is a must. However, I plan to first gather a batch of wood-attributed heavenly treasures and earth treasures to cultivate the Greenwood Emperor Body to the true entry-level threshold. Then I'll go for revenge," Ye Yunfei said after a moment's thought.
"Hu Miao, Elder Huang, the three of us will split up. Over the next few days, travel to various places across the Eastern Region and collect as many wood-attributed heavenly treasures and earth treasures as possible. Then we'll regroup here," Ye Yunfei instructed.
Hu Miao's current strength was equivalent to the late stage of the True Manifestation Realm. It could be said that within the scope of the Eastern Region, as long as she didn't encounter an expert at the Yuan Foundation Realm, she could do as she pleased.
As for Huang Shang, he was now a ghost cultivator.
A ghost cultivator lacked a physical body, being essentially just a Soul Body. Therefore, they possessed many miraculous abilities.
For instance, they could possess any object—trees, metals and stones, earth, furniture, walls... Killing a ghost cultivator was extremely difficult. Even if a Yuan Foundation Realm powerhouse arrived, it would likely be very hard to kill a ghost cultivator.
Thus, Ye Yunfei felt at ease letting Hu Miao and Huang Shang act independently.
"Elder Huang, let's work together to refine a batch of high-grade spirit pills, then set out." Ye Yunfei said.