"Ye Yunfei, what are you trying to do?"
Dean Sima asked, puzzled.
"Dean Sima, if you trust me, then do as I say. It will only benefit you, with no harm," Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
"Alright!" Dean Sima stared into Ye Yunfei's eyes for a moment, then flicked his finger, sending a space ring floating in front of Ye Yunfei.
This space ring contained all the fifth-grade Dao herbs needed to refine the Great Sixfold Returning Yang Pill.
"Dean Sima, wait here a moment."
After taking the space ring, Ye Yunfei's figure flickered and left the meeting hall, soaring into the sky.
A moment later, Ye Yunfei returned to the cultivation peak he had previously occupied within the Heavenly Dao Academy. Dean Sima had instructed that this mountain peak be reserved for Ye Yunfei, so it had remained unused.
Ye Yunfei entered a secret chamber, casually set up a few isolation formations, then took out his pill cauldron and began alchemy. Since he had left the Phantom Tower in the Underground Cave Complex, he couldn't enter it to refine pills now.
Back in the meeting hall, Dean Sima still seemed a bit confused. "What exactly does Ye Yunfei intend to do by taking the Dao herbs I collected?"
"I don't know either. Ye Yunfei is far too mysterious. However, I believe he won't do anything to harm you. Let's just wait and see," Meng Qianzheng said with a bitter smile.
"Isn't it obvious? Ye Yunfei definitely went to refine pills," said Da Di Daozhang, who was also waiting in the hall, unable to resist curling his lip.
Approximately the time it takes an incense stick to burn later, Ye Yunfei finished his alchemy and returned to the meeting hall.
"Dean Sima, for you."
Ye Yunfei waved his hand, and a jade bottle flew out, landing before Dean Sima.
"Fifth-grade Dao pills!"
When Dean Sima opened the jade bottle, he instantly froze, staring at the contents with a look of shock and awe. Inside the jade bottle were ten fifth-grade Dao pills!
"Ye Yunfei, these are..." Dean Sima seemed to have thought of something. His body trembled uncontrollably, and his breathing instantly became heavy.
"Ten fifth-grade Dao pills! Ye Yunfei, where did you get so many fifth-grade Dao pills!" Next to him, Meng Qianzheng was also utterly shocked, his gaze fixed intently on the pills within the bottle, revealing an expression of disbelief.
One had to understand that even for high-ranking members of the Heavenly Dao Academy, fifth-grade Dao pills were extremely precious. To have a chance to obtain just one was reason enough to handle it with utmost care and reverence! And now, Ye Yunfei had taken out ten at once—this was naturally astonishing!
"These are the Great Sixfold Returning Yang Pills. Dean Sima, this one bottle will be more than enough to completely heal your injuries," Ye Yunfei said.
"The Great Sixfold Returning Yang Pill! Ye Yunfei, are you telling the truth? These are the Great Sixfold Returning Yang Pills?" Hearing this, Dean Sima's trembling intensified. He stared at the Dao pills in the bottle, his eyes shining with an astonishing light.
"It's true. Dean Sima, you'll know if you take one right now," Ye Yunfei said, smiling.
"Good! Dean Meng, Ye Yunfei, please guard me. I will ingest one immediately!" Dean Sima could hardly wait. He had suffered from his internal injuries for far too long and desperately wished to be healed.
Thus, Dean Sima sat cross-legged and immediately swallowed one Dao pill.
Boom…
A vast medicinal potency erupted within his body.
About half an incense stick's worth of time later, Dean Sima suddenly rose to his feet, his face radiant, and let out a hearty laugh. "Haha… Ye Yunfei, you were right. This bottle of Great Sixfold Returning Yang Pills will definitely cure my injuries! Ye Yunfei, words cannot express my gratitude for such a great favor. I will remember this kindness!"
It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from him; he felt light and refreshed all over! After consuming one pill, nearly one-third of his internal injuries were already healed.
"Dean Sima, you're too polite. We'll take our leave now," Ye Yunfei said, then left the meeting hall with Da Di Daozhang, soaring into the air.
"Dean Sima, just now Ye Yunfei took the fifth-grade Dao herbs you collected, and moments later, he handed you a bottle of fifth-grade Dao pills. Tell me, could it be that Ye Yunfei refined these fifth-grade Dao pills himself?" Meng Qianzheng speculated as he watched Ye Yunfei's departing figure.
"Ye Yunfei refined these fifth-grade Dao pills?!" Dean Sima was startled upon hearing this.
"How is that possible? Every one of the fifth-grade Dao alchemists in the Sacred Domain is some ancient fossil who has lived for an age. Ye Yunfei is so young. Even if he knows alchemy, he absolutely cannot be a fifth-grade Dao alchemist!" Dean Sima immediately shook his head, rejecting Meng Qianzheng's suggestion.
"However," Dean Sima continued, "regardless, from now on, our Heavenly Dao Academy must forge friendly ties with Ye Yunfei! With his talent and aptitude, he is sure to reach unimaginable heights in the future! Therefore, let it be announced immediately that Ye Yunfei and Du Fan are to become elite disciples of our Heavenly Dao Academy."
"But Zou Yi will definitely try to stop it, and he will certainly find a way to target Ye Yunfei," Meng Qianzheng said with a frown.
"Hmph! Do you think I don't know about Zou Yi's secret communications with the Ancient Demon Race? He hasn't considered me, the Dean, worthy of respect for a long time. Soon, my injuries will be fully healed. By then, if Zou Yi dares to play any tricks, he can't blame me for being impolite! It's time for our Heavenly Dao Academy to undergo a proper consolidation. And I, the rightful Dean, must also establish my authority properly!" Dean Sima's gaze turned severe as he uttered a cold laugh.
Previously, due to his injuries, he had been somewhat dispirited and unwilling to manage many affairs, which led to various factions emerging and operating independently within the Heavenly Dao Academy. But now, with his injuries on the verge of complete recovery, his heroic spirit swelled anew. He was determined to establish his authority!
"You're right. It is time for a proper consolidation," Meng Qianzheng nodded in agreement.
Later that day, Ye Yunfei and Da Di Daozhang returned to the Underground Cave Complex.
Swish! Swish!
Suddenly, a sharp and overwhelming blade light erupted, almost illuminating the entire Underground Cave Complex.
"Oh?" Ye Yunfei glanced in the direction where the blade light flashed, feeling pleasantly surprised.
Swoosh!
Ye Yunfei's figure flickered, arriving in a vast underground hall. There, Dugu Huan stood, wielding a single saber and releasing wave after wave of blade light. Each of his slashes was like stirring up a tidal surge. Slash after slash, surge after surge, they continuously overlapped, making his saber momentum increasingly terrifying.
Boom… Rumble…
Deafening roars rang out incessantly, akin to a stampede of ten thousand horses or the clashing of massive armies. Dugu Huan's eyes were sharp, his posture ramrod straight. His entire being resembled a treasured saber unsheathed, its edge exposed, radiating boundless dominance!
Sizzle!
A beam of blade light suddenly slashed upward, piercing through layer upon layer of earth before finally bursting out from the ground and soaring towards the sky.
Boom… Rumble…
This blade light cleaved its way deep into the heavenly vault as if intending to split the very heavens and earth apart. Its thunderous roar echoed clearly across dozens of miles!
"Excellent! You've managed the four hundredth slash! With just this one move, you could force a retreat from an early-stage Divine Shaping Realm expert. Even a mid-stage Divine Shaping Realm cultivator might not dare to take this slash head-on!" Ye Yunfei couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Without a doubt, Dugu Huan was truly a rare genius in the saber path. His aptitude with the saber was exceptionally high. In such a short time, relying purely on his own exploration and cultivation, he had managed to cultivate the Thousand End Saber to this level—the four hundredth slash! The Thousand End Saber had a total of one thousand slashes. The further one progressed, the more difficult it became to cultivate, yet the power also increased exponentially!
"I've made a bit of progress during this time," Dugu Huan said as he put away his long saber and came before Ye Yunfei. "And I'm not the only one. Everyone has improved significantly."
"Is that so? Then summon everyone; let me see," Ye Yunfei said, feeling somewhat expectant.
Moments later, Wu Heishan, Yuan Dayong, Wen Zi, Long Yingying, Ye Xue, and others all came before Ye Yunfei. Jiang Yanran also arrived.
"Boss! I heard you stormed into the Guyao Realm and scared all those Ancient Demons into hiding. That must have been so satisfying, so gratifying! Boss, you're too domineering! You're truly my idol!" Wu Heishan shouted excitedly the moment he saw Ye Yunfei.
Over the past few days, news of Ye Yunfei wreaking havoc in the Guyao Realm had already spread throughout this part of the Underground Cave Complex. Everyone knew about it.
"His strength has actually grown to such an extent! Even the three great Demon Kings of the Ancient Demon Race have to hide from him!" Jiang Yanran's beautiful eyes rested on Ye Yunfei. Even recalling the various accounts of Ye Yunfei's rampage in the Guyao Realm, she still felt profoundly shocked.
"You big maniac! Such a showy event—why didn't you bring me along! These things are much more fun when done together! I've long been dissatisfied with those Ancient Demon fiends! I wanted a chance to give them a good beating!" Wen Zi complained.
"Alright, enough talk. All of you, show me how your cultivation has progressed during this period. As long as you all cultivate diligently and enhance your strength, I can take you all to do even showier things in the future," Ye Yunfei said, laughing.
Subsequently, Ye Yunfei had each of them demonstrate their power one by one. The results pleased Ye Yunfei greatly. Every single person's combat prowess had improved dramatically!