"Ahem, Vice Dean Ye..."
Dean Shangguan hadn't expected that Ye Yunfei was still here, and facing Ye Yunfei, he couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
"Dean Shangguan, rest assured.
As long as I'm careful, even if a senior level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert comes, I can escape."
Ye Yunfei said.
"This..."
Dean Shangguan was at a loss for words for a moment.
Even though he had just witnessed Ye Yunfei's remarkable movement technique, Ye Yunfei was Protector Shangren's successor. If anything were to happen to him, the loss for Hudao Academy would be too great.
"Dean Shangguan, don't worry, I will definitely return safely."
Ye Yunfei, seeing Dean Shangguan's concern, smiled.
After speaking, Ye Yunfei activated the Heavenly Shadow Robe, directly melding into space and disappearing.
"Vice Dean Ye, Vice Dean Ye..."
Dean Shangguan called out several times in a row, but there was no response.
Then, he was somewhat dumbfounded.
Because, he discovered, he simply had no idea which direction Ye Yunfei had gone.
How was he supposed to follow him now?
Dean Shangguan unleashed his Soul Power, sweeping it far and wide in every direction, searching for Ye Yunfei's whereabouts.
He even activated his movement technique, streaking through the area like a bolt of lightning, searching back and forth. Yet, he still failed to find any trace of Ye Yunfei.
"The Vice Dean's movement technique, of course, is truly unfathomable."
Dean Shangguan stood rooted to the spot, dazed for a moment, then said with a wry smile.
Then, he had no choice but to turn around and head back towards Hudao Academy.
*****
Far away.
On a mountaintop.
Ye Yunfei descended onto the peak and took out a jade slip.
"Ye Yunfei, it's Qing Luo..."
A voice emanated from the jade slip; it was precisely Su Qingluo's voice.
Then, Su Qingluo's words came through from the jade slip.
Turns out, as soon as Ye Yunfei had emerged from the Crystal Mine Small World, before he even had a chance to return to the academy, people from the Su Clan had come to Hudao Academy and forcibly taken Su Qingluo back.
The Su Clan's attitude was extremely clear: they opposed Su Qingluo and Ye Yunfei being together.
Now, Ye Yunfei had become the target of several of the Central Continent's top powers.
The Su Clan was afraid that if Su Qingluo stayed too close to Ye Yunfei, she would be implicated.
Currently, Su Qingluo had been imprisoned by the clan elders inside a secret base specifically used to train the clan's prodigies.
"Ye Yunfei, remember to come find me.
If I get a chance to escape, I will come find you too."
This was the last sentence Su Qingluo said in the jade slip.
"Don't worry, I will come find you."
Ye Yunfei clutched the jade slip in his hand, remembering that graceful figure in the Martial Theory class at Yuanyue Academy who had silently used a recording spirit crystal to take notes on the lecture content for him.
*****
One day later.
White Cloud Empire.
Within the imperial capital.
This was a very prosperous and bustling city.
The city was packed with martial artists, streams of people coming and going, the din shaking the heavens.
An ordinary-looking young man in black clothes arrived on a main street.
"The Hudao Branch Stronghold should be here."
The black-clothed youth walked to the center of the street, looked ahead at the main gate of a large estate by the roadside, and muttered to himself.
On the plaque above the main gate were inscribed four large characters: Hudao Branch Stronghold.
This was the unified name for every branch stronghold of Hudao Academy.
This black-clothed youth was Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei had already activated the Thousand Transformations technique, altering his appearance and aura.
Thousand Transformations was an extremely advanced disguise art. As his strength improved, Ye Yunfei's skill in this technique grew higher.
Ye Yunfei believed that even a First-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert, or even a Second Level one, might not necessarily be able to recognize his true appearance.
Ye Yunfei lifted his head, scrutinized the main gate of the estate, then activated the Heavenly Shadow Robe and melded into space.
The next moment.
Ye Yunfei appeared inside the estate.
The estate covered a considerable area, with courtyards, pavilions, terraces, towers, ponds, rockeries, a rear garden – it had everything.
After all, Hudao Academy was one of the top powers of the Central Continent. The branch strongholds it established would hardly be shabby.
Inside the estate, it was deathly quiet.
A thick smell of blood drifted in the air.
Broken walls and remnants of structures were everywhere, along with traces of fierce battle.
Clearly, this branch stronghold had experienced a slaughter.
As Ye Yunfei walked through the large estate, a cold smile appeared on his face.
With his Soul Power sensing, Ye Yunfei had already discovered that a group of martial artists were lying in ambush within this large estate, secretly observing him.
"This kid, by the looks of him, is just a student of Hudao Academy.
I thought Hudao Academy would send at least an ordinary Elder or deacon.
I never imagined they'd only send a Yuan Foundation Realm student.
It seems the higher-ups of Hudao Academy are truly afraid, not daring to show themselves."
A middle-aged man, hiding inside a wing room, stared at Ye Yunfei with a cold sneer.
Then.
The middle-aged man waved his hand. Dozens of martial artists rushed out from the shadows, swarming forward to surround Ye Yunfei completely.
"Kid, just surrender quietly!"
"Kid, kneel down, raise your hands and surrender!"
…
Those martial artists all grinned fiendishly.
All of these dozens of martial artists were at the Yuan Foundation Realm level. How could they possibly regard Ye Yunfei as a threat?
"Who are you people?
Why have you appeared at the branch stronghold of my Hudao Academy?"
Ye Yunfei's gaze swept over the dozens of martial artists as he asked coldly.
"Dammit!
Has this kid taken the wrong medicine!
How dare he put on such airs in front of us!
Go to hell!"
A burly man roared, charging towards Ye Yunfei like a savage beast, about to attack.
With a thought from Ye Yunfei.
Buzz…
The Five Elements Spirit Swords rushed out from within his body and twisted forward.
Crack…
That burly man didn't even have time to scream before being shredded into nothingness, a bloody mist that was blown away by the wind and vanished.
Buzz…
Five spirit swords hovered beside Ye Yunfei, emanating awe-inspiring, chilling light.
Instantly.
The other dozens of martial artists all froze, cold dread rising in their hearts.
That burly man was a late-stage Yuan Foundation Realm expert, yet he had been instantly killed, not even a scrap of his body left.
"Speak.
Which faction are you people from?"
Ye Yunfei's gaze swept over them as he asked nonchalantly.
"There are many of us, attack together, don't be afraid of him!"
A tall, thin youth shouted.
Swish…
The five spirit swords erupted with overwhelming sword energy, flashing past and instantly shredding this youth to bits on the spot.
The remaining martial artists all trembled in fear, their legs going weak as they retreated repeatedly.
Two Yuan Foundation Realm experts had been pulverized without even uttering a grunt.
"Hmph!
What insolence!
You dare to casually kill disciples of our Tianyan Sect!"
At this moment, a middle-aged man appeared, walking out from one of the wing rooms, his face full of anger as he glared at Ye Yunfei.
"So it's people from Tianyan Sect."
Ye Yunfei's gaze turned cold.
As expected, these Central Continent top powers were behind this trouble.
It seemed that most of those branch strongholds of Hudao Academy which were constantly being destroyed these past few days were indeed the handiwork of these top powers.