Back at the headquarters of Hudao Academy.
Xie Changkong gave orders to specially clear out an area for the members of the Ye Family, the Tianyuan Sect, and the Luohai Trading Company to settle.
"Dean Ye, from now on, your family and your sect are part of our Hudao Academy," Xie Changkong said to Ye Yunfei.
"Alright," Ye Yunfei nodded.
With a flick of his will, Ye Yunfei teleported everyone from the Ye Family, Tianyuan Sect, and Luohai Trading Company out from the Phantasmagoric Tower.
"Fei'er!"
"Ye Yunfei!"
"Young Master Ye!"
...
The senior members of the Ye Family, Tianyuan Sect, and Luohai Trading Company all surrounded Ye Yunfei the moment they saw him.
Previously, when Hu Miao and Huang Shang had rescued them, they had already made sure each one consumed either a healing spiritual pill or a treasure pill.
Therefore, most of them were not seriously injured.
"Father, are you alright?"
The first thing Ye Yunfei did was check Ye Tianpeng's body.
He saw numerous shocking wounds covering Ye Tianpeng's body—skin torn and flesh lacerated, with many meridians and channels seriously damaged.
It was clear that Ye Tianpeng had endured considerable torture.
Others, like Elder Ren, Shi Zongyang, Ren Xuantang, the founding elder of Shenyao Valley, and the rest, were also covered in scars.
Evidently, they had all endured similar torment.
However, such injuries were easy for Ye Yunfei to treat.
"I'm fine. Everyone, rest assured, we are now at Hudao Academy," Ye Yunfei said.
"Hudao Academy?!"
Ye Tianpeng and the others were startled.
Hudao Academy was one of the top powers of Central Continent, its reputation too formidable.
"Ye Yunfei, is... is this truly Hudao Academy?" Elder Ren cautiously inquired.
"That's right. Everyone, I am Xie Changkong, Dean of Hudao Academy. From now on, you are all members of Hudao Academy," Xie Changkong declared in a clear voice.
"The Dean of Hudao Academy!"
Ye Tianpeng, Elder Ren, Shi Zongyang, Ren Xuantang, and the others were utterly shocked.
The Dean of Hudao Academy—that was a truly extraordinary figure! To think he stood before them now!
They would be members of Hudao Academy from now on?
The crowd found Dean Xie's words a little hard to believe.
One had to understand that throughout the entire Tianxuan Continent, countless young geniuses dreamed of joining Hudao Academy and failed.
And now they themselves were suddenly members?
"Fei'er, is... is what Dean Xie says true?" Ye Tianpeng couldn't help but whisper to Ye Yunfei.
"Father, it is true," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Everyone, from now on, you are members of Hudao Academy. You may stay here with peace of mind," Ye Yunfei announced.
"That's wonderful!"
After receiving Ye Yunfei's confirmation, members of the Ye Family, the Tianyuan Sect, and the Luohai Trading Company all cheered.
Ye Yunfei was the one they trusted most.
"Patriarch!"
"Elder Ren! Sect Master Shi!"
"Senior Brother Ye!"
...
Suddenly, a large group of young people came running from the distance.
These youths were all the younger generation from the Ye Family, Tianyuan Sect, and Luohai Trading Company who had been sent to Hudao Academy earlier.
After the Otherworldly Army invaded the Tianxuan Continent, Hudao Academy had sent people to the Eastern Region to bring Ye Yunfei's family and sect to the academy.
In the end, they only managed to bring a small portion.
Most of them had chosen to remain in the Eastern Region to resist the Otherworldly Army.
"Grandpa Ren, why did you force me to come to Hudao Academy back then? I've been so bored!"
A girl in fiery-red robes, possessing a striking figure, charged up to Elder Ren, complaining.
It was Long Yingying.
"Ye Yunfei, you're back too! Ever since I came to Hudao Academy, I keep hearing about your heroic exploits. You're quite a celebrity around here!"
Long Yingying suddenly spotted Ye Yunfei, her beautiful eyes lighting up as she immediately abandoned Elder Ren, rushing to stand before Ye Yunfei.
"Senior Sister Long flatters me. Your strength has already reached the middle stage of the Element Gathering Realm. That's immense progress!"
Ye Yunfei sensed Long Yingying's spiritual energy fluctuations, a bit surprised.
It seemed that after she activated her Battle Clan Bloodline, her cultivation had begun advancing at a prodigious rate.
"Actually, I should thank you for helping me activate my bloodline. However, speaking of that, Ye Yunfei, you really took advantage of me! This matter isn't over yet!"
Long Yingying declared, her bold, fiery gaze boring straight into Ye Yunfei.
Her personality was naturally straightforward, but after activating her Battle Clan Bloodline, her mannerisms had become even more unconstrained and direct, daring to love and hate openly.
"Cough, cough..." Ye Yunfei felt slightly awkward.
Back then, to activate her bloodline, Long Yingying had sat inside the iron cauldron without a stitch of clothing. Later, to help her, Ye Yunfei had also entered the cauldron. In that narrow space, the two had faced each other.
"Zhou Mu, Ah Niu, the two of you come over, I have something to discuss..." Ye Yunfei called out, attempting to shift the attention.
"Hmph!" Long Yingying glared at Ye Yunfei with her beautiful eyes; of course she knew he was changing the subject.
Following that, Ye Yunfei spent the better part of the day finally getting everyone properly settled.
Half a day later.
Inside the conference hall.
"Dean Ye, the battle at Shenfeng City was fought too satisfyingly!"
"Indeed. Probably, from now on, those four powers won't dare to provoke our Hudao Academy so casually!"
...
When discussing the battle of Shenfeng City, the Academy's high-level figures were all in high spirits.
"Dean Ye, the Hudao Stele is a High-Grade Flood Artifact too, but it managed to overpower the other High-Grade Flood Artifacts. Could the reason be..."
Xie Changkong suddenly asked.
The other high-level members also turned to look at Ye Yunfei.
"Correct. It was because of Patriarch Hu Dao," Ye Yunfei replied, naturally understanding what Xie Changkong was asking.
"Indeed! It was Patriarch Hu Dao who took action!"
Xie Changkong and the other high-level members grew quite excited.
Hudao Academy was founded by Hu Dao Shangren, and Hu Dao Shangren held a supremely revered position in the hearts of these academy elders.
"It really was Patriarch Hu Dao taking action," Ye Yunfei smiled.
The Soul Clone of Hu Dao Shangren had become the Artifact Spirit of the Hudao Stele, doubling its power.
Thus, the reason why the Hudao Stele could display such divine might at Shenfeng City, overpowering those other High-Grade Flood Artifacts, truly was because of Hu Dao Shangren.
"Dean Xie, what do you think about the foundations of these five powers—the Fengyun Family, the Xiao Clan, Shenfeng Sect, Tianyan Sect, and the Su Clan?"
Ye Yunfei suddenly asked.
"Extremely profound. These five powers have existed on the Tianxuan Continent for a very long time. Before our Hudao Academy was even established, these five powers had already existed for centuries. In terms of foundation, our Hudao Academy is far inferior to them."
Xie Changkong was taken aback, then replied.
"That's right."
The other high-level members remained silent for a moment, but in the end they all nodded.
Because this was indeed the truth.
"It seems City Lord Gu did not lie to me," Ye Yunfei said.
"What did City Lord Gu say to you?" Xie Changkong asked.
At the time, City Lord Gu had used a spiritual energy barrier to isolate perception; even Xie Changkong hadn't heard the conversation between Ye Yunfei and City Lord Gu.
Ye Yunfei briefly recounted what City Lord Gu had said.
"What City Lord Gu said is accurate. To think of eliminating those four powers would be exceptionally difficult. Dean Ye, you absolutely must not act impulsively. You are still so young with huge room for growth. Wait until your strength is sufficient in the future; then it won't be too late to settle accounts with them."
"Dean Xie, don't worry, I have my own considerations," Ye Yunfei nodded.
For the next day, Ye Yunfei and Huang Shang busied themselves refining a massive quantity of spiritual pills and treasure pills.
These pills served various purposes—healing wounds, replenishing spiritual energy, aiding in breakthroughs…
Ye Yunfei had obtained large amounts of spiritual herbs and treasure herbs from that small world near Hujie City. Among them were thousands of treasure herbs and tens of thousands of spiritual herbs.
More than enough to refine vast quantities of pills!
Ye Yunfei distributed all the refined pills to the members of the Ye Family, the Tianyuan Sect, and the Luohai Trading Company.
After receiving these pills, everyone's injuries began to heal rapidly, and their cultivations also started to recover quickly.
Two days later.
Startling news arrived: the Otherworldly Army had begun attacking Central Continent!
Previously, the entire territories of the Western Plains and Northern Barrens had already fallen into the hands of the Otherworldly Army. The Eastern Region and Southern Borderlands also now had more than half their territories seized by the Otherworldly Army.
It was clear that the Otherworldly Army was advancing step by step, gaining the absolute upper hand!
All people were beginning to realize that, if things continued this way, it probably wouldn't be long before the entire Tianxuan Continent would completely fall into the hands of the Otherworldly Army!
Three days later.
Another piece of news came: City Lord Gu Chengzhu of Hujie City had personally stepped forward to form the Tianxuan Army.
For a time, all the powers and cultivators across the entire Tianxuan Continent rushed to join in.
Everyone understood that the final decisive battle against the Otherworldly Army was about to begin!