Hearing Elder He's words, the faces of everyone present turned grim.
"Hujie City is the gateway to our Tianxuan Continent. If Hujie City is breached, the Extraterritorial Invaders can sweep directly into our lands. That would be a catastrophic disaster for Tianxuan Continent! Therefore, every force upon the continent must dispatch men to support Hujie City."
Elder He said with a solemn expression.
"Back when Dean Hu Dao Shangren founded Hudao Academy, his original intention was to nurture talents so that one day, we could resist the Extraterritorial Invaders. Therefore, our Hudao Academy must send a force to aid Hujie City."
Elder He continued.
"Yes,"
the other high-level members nodded in agreement.
They were all well-versed in Hudao Academy's history. Back in the day, Hu Dao Shangren had been the main force resisting the Extraterritorial Invaders.
"Mobilize the men immediately. Prepare to depart."
Elder He ordered.
"Understood."
Xie Changkong nodded.
"I shall go and take a look as well."
Ye Yunfei pondered for a moment before speaking up.
Ye Yunfei understood that he would eventually step out of Tianxuan Continent to venture and gain experience in the wider world. Since Hujie City might be Tianxuan Continent's only passage to the outside world, he intended to see it for himself.
"Dean Ye, Hujie City is quite dangerous. It might be best for you to remain at the academy."
Elder He was momentarily stunned before replying.
"It is no issue. I possess the strength to protect myself."
Ye Yunfei stated indifferently.
Elder He wanted to persuade him further, but recalling how Ye Yunfei had been stabbed by four Grotto-Heaven Realm experts without a single scratch, and the incredible feat of single-handedly slaying all seven of those experts, he refrained. He realized that Ye Yunfei indeed had the power to protect himself.
"Very well. Our academy's force will depart in one day."
Elder He declared.
It wasn't just Hudao Academy; at this moment, the urgent news from Hujie City had quickly spread across the entire Tianxuan Continent. Many major forces had received notices from Hujie City demanding they dispatch manpower for support.
The invasion of the Extraterritorial Invaders concerned the fate of every single martial artist on Tianxuan Continent, so no force dared refuse. Across the continent, the ancient war against the extraterritorial invasion was known to all. That great battle, which had successfully driven the invaders away, was still spoken of with relish to this day. It was a point of pride in the heart of every martial artist on Tianxuan Continent. Thus, upon receiving the notice, many forces and martial artists began to take action. This was especially true for the young, hot-blooded youths, each brimming with fighting spirit, yearning to plunge into the great battle immediately to achieve merit and build a reputation!
"Forward, to Hujie City!"
"Kill the enemy, earn glory, defend our homeland!"
...
Across the land of Tianxuan Continent, roars of declaration rose up as group after group set out towards the direction of Hujie City.
Whoooo...
The deep call of horns resounded through the heavens and earth, echoing through the high sky, shaking mountains and rivers.
The warhorn was about to be blown, bringing forth a feeling of solemn grandeur that stirred the blood!
One day later.
"Move out!"
Following Elder He's command, a flying ship soared into the sky from Hudao Academy.
Inside the ship, Elder He, three Guardian Elders, Dean Shangguan, Ye Yunfei, as well as some regular elders and stewards sat cross-legged in silent cultivation.
Additionally, there was a large group of students.
Among them, Wu Heishan, Dugu Huan, Xiao Hui, Yuan Dayong, and Wen Zi—all five of them—were present. These five were all Seed Students of the academy.
Originally, Ye Yunfei had not planned on letting them come. However, after hearing about the situation at Hujie City, they sought him out one by one, firmly insisting on going. Ye Yunfei had no choice but to agree. For martial artists, this kind of baptism by war and blood was indeed the most beneficial for growth.
At the same time.
Central Continent, Tianyou Tomb headquarters.
"What?! The seven assassins dispatched to kill Ye Yunfei... are all dead? How is that possible? Even if that Ye Yunfei is formidable, he couldn't kill seven Grotto-Heaven Realm experts, could he? Is the information accurate?"
The Tianyou Tomb Master was dumbfounded upon receiving the report, unable to believe it.
"Master, the seven assassins we dispatched have indeed all perished. This point is confirmed. According to the news, Xie Changkong and the six Guardian Elders of Hudao Academy have long since fully recovered from their injuries. Moreover, an Elder He has returned from Hujie City. With so many powerful individuals present, it wouldn't be difficult to kill the seven assassins we sent. Particularly Xie Changkong and that Elder He, both are Sixth-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm experts."
A black-robed middle-aged man standing before the Tianyou Tomb Master reported respectfully.
"Hmm, that is indeed plausible. It seems we were too careless. We shouldn't have chosen to act against Ye Yunfei within Hudao Academy itself. As one of Tianxuan Continent's top forces, Hudao Academy is not to be underestimated."
The Tianyou Tomb Master sighed.
"Ye Yunfei has caused us such grievous losses! This enmity must be avenged! However, we must learn from this lesson. We should not send people into Hudao Academy to assassinate him again. We wait until he leaves the academy and is isolated before making our move."
The Tianyou Tomb Master continued.
"According to reliable information, Ye Yunfei has already followed Hudao Academy's forces to Hujie City."
The black-robed man said.
"Oh? This is actually a good opportunity! During these unusual times, Hujie City is chaotic and full of mixed characters—the ideal place to assassinate Ye Yunfei. Good. Immediately dispatch people to Hujie City to kill Ye Yunfei!"
The Tianyou Tomb Master's eyes lit up as he immediately ordered.
At the same time.
The four top forces—the Fengyun Family, Xiao Clan, Shenfeng Sect, and Tianyan Sect—also received the news that Ye Yunfei was heading to Hujie City.
"This is an excellent opportunity to deal with Ye Yunfei."
"Make arrangements immediately to target Ye Yunfei in Hujie City!"
The higher-ups of the four top forces had eyes gleaming with icy intent as they secretly issued orders.
These four forces had never given up their obsession with obtaining Ye Yunfei's cultivation techniques and martial skills. Moreover, they understood that Ye Yunfei was a peerless genius. Once he truly matured, he would undoubtedly become extremely formidable. By then, for these top forces, it would likely spell disaster. They would absolutely never allow such a thing to happen. Therefore, as far as these four top forces were concerned, Ye Yunfei must die!
At this moment.
High in the sky, Hudao Academy's warship flew steadily towards the farthest reaches of the Tianxuan Continent. After more than ten days, the ship finally left the continent's sphere and entered a misty, indistinct expanse of void.
As far as the eye could see, it was dark and cold, with numerous massive floating meteors visible everywhere, and wild, howling spatial gales whipping through the emptiness.
The students of Hudao Academy, seeing such a sight for the first time, felt both exhilaration and trepidation.
Ye Yunfei smiled faintly. As a Heavenly Emperor in his past life, he had frequently traversed numerous large and small worlds. What kind of strange spatial scenery had he not seen before? The scene before him was something Ye Yunfei had long grown accustomed to.