Chapter 536: News of the Dean

"You... you..."

Ge Puzi shot to his feet, his eyes flashing with shock.

The words Ye Xuan had just spoken were the exact same ones Director Huangfu Xiuming had used when privately instructing him. It was because of Director Huangfu Xiuming’s guidance that he, once stuck as a Tier Six Peak Martial Venerable, had easily broken through to the Tier Seven Martial King realm.

As far as Ge Puzi knew, Director Huangfu Xiuming had only ever said those words to him. No one else could possibly know them.

Seeing the shock on Ge Puzi’s face, Ye Xuan didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he turned to Elder Dong.

"Elder Dong, as the head of the academy’s Soul Refining department and a Peak of Sixth Grade Soul Refiner, you must have also received guidance from Director Huangfu Xiuming in Soul Refining. Did he ever tell you: ’Soul Refining is like communing with the divine. It requires one to focus their intent on the Dantian and empty their mind. The true path is the unity of heart, origin, and soul. The soul is born from will, forged from intent—it is formless and bodiless, neither existing nor ceasing to exist!’?"

"How do you know that?"

Elder Dong blurted out, his eyes wide with horror.

"Do you still have any doubts about my identity now?"

Ye Xuan didn’t answer them, instead asking in a deep voice.

Ge Puzi and the others calmed down. To be honest, they had still harbored some doubts about Ye Xuan’s identity before, but at this moment, that last shred of suspicion vanished completely.

Director Huangfu Xiuming’s enemies might be able to steal Cultivation Techniques or secret manuals from him, but they could never obtain his personal insights into the Martial Dao and Soul Refining.

The two statements Ye Xuan had just made were teachings that Director Huangfu Xiuming had imparted to them during private lessons.

For instance, Ge Puzi knew nothing about the Soul Refining insight, while Elder Dong and the others were completely unaware of the words spoken to Ge Puzi. Yet, Ye Xuan had just recited both. If Ye Xuan didn’t have an extraordinary relationship with Director Huangfu Xiuming, it would be impossible for him to know these things.

"Young Master Ye, this matter is of great importance. Please forgive our earlier suspicions."

This time, Ge Puzi’s tone was filled with sincerity.

"I’m not that petty," Ye Xuan said with a smile.

In truth, everything he had just said was recorded in the jade slip he had given Huangfu Xiuming all those years ago. On the surface, it was Huangfu Xiuming’s wisdom he was imparting, but in reality, it was Ye Xuan’s own comprehension.

’If Huangfu Xiuming truly did guide Ge Puzi and the others,’ Ye Xuan thought, ’he would have surely explained parts of the content from my jade slip to them.’

He hadn’t expected his test to prove so effective.

"Actually, I haven’t been able to contact the Director for over a year now."

Ge Puzi let out a long sigh in front of Ye Xuan, Elder Dong, and Elder Yao.

His words brought looks of astonishment to everyone present.

"Vice Director Ge, how could you be unable to contact the Director? Don’t you have a Communication Conch that allows you to speak with him at any time?"

"Yes, I do have the Communication Conch. In the past, whenever I sent a message to the Director, he would always reply quickly. But starting a year ago, he stopped responding entirely."

"How could that be?"

The hearts of Elder Dong and Elder Yao sank.

The Communication Conch was a Profound Artifact capable of long-distance communication. It was extremely rare and precious. Director Huangfu Xiuming had paid a huge price to bring this treasure back from the Profound Domain, specifically to maintain contact with the academy.

But hearing Vice Director Ge say that Director Huangfu Xiuming hadn’t replied for over a year filled both of them with a sense of foreboding.

Director Huangfu Xiuming would never stop replying without a reason. The only possibility they could think of right now was that the Director had met with disaster.

"No, impossible!"

As soon as the thought appeared, Elder Dong and the others shook their heads repeatedly. It wasn’t just that they were unwilling to believe it; they were even more unwilling to accept it.

At Gale Light Academy, Huangfu Xiuming was more than just a director; he had become a spiritual pillar for everyone.

Gale Light Academy was founded over a thousand years ago and had stood on the Dream Realm Plain for many years. But as the saying goes, what flourishes must also decline. A little over a century ago, the academy faced a great crisis and was on the verge of annihilation.

It was Huangfu Xiuming’s arrival that allowed Gale Light Academy to rise again, reclaiming its place as one of the top powers on the Dream Realm Plain.

One could say that Huangfu Xiuming’s importance to Gale Light Academy was as weighty as Mount Tai.

If others learned of Director Huangfu Xiuming’s demise, the entire Gale Light Academy would likely be destroyed in an instant.

"Young Master Ye, since you saw Director Huangfu Xiuming in the Profound Domain, I must know, how is he now?" Ge Puzi stared at Ye Xuan, his face filled with anticipation.

"The last time I saw Huangfu Xiuming was several years ago. I left the Profound Domain after that to travel the continent. To be honest, I have no idea what happened to him afterward."

How could Ye Xuan possibly know Huangfu Xiuming’s whereabouts? He could only say as much.

A trace of disappointment immediately appeared on Ge Puzi’s face.

"If it’s possible, I hope Young Master Ye can contact your family and ask them to inquire about the Director’s whereabouts on our behalf."

"I’ll do my best."

Ye Xuan could only nod. "However, I’d like to know, did Director Huangfu Xiuming ever tell you where he was over a year ago? Why did he suddenly fall out of contact?"

From what Ye Xuan knew, Huangfu Xiuming had cultivated to the Tier Eight Peak realm over the last century, just one step away from becoming a Nine Heavens Martial Emperor. Logically, even if he encountered danger, he shouldn’t have just vanished.

"I’m not sure of his exact location, but during one conversation, I sensed that the Director was very agitated. He said something about going to the Black Dragon Palace to demand justice. Not long after that, all contact with him was lost. I have no idea where this Black Dragon Palace is!"

Black Dragon Palace?

Ye Xuan was startled. ’Why would he go to a place like that?’

"Young Master Ye, you know where the Black Dragon Palace is?" Seeing the expression on Ye Xuan’s face, Vice Director Ge asked with a hint of excitement.

"Of course I know." Ye Xuan frowned. "The Black Dragon Palace is located in the Endless Sea. It is one of the oldest and most fearsome powers there."

"Actually, you should have heard of the Black Dragon Palace in the continent’s history. The annals record that thirty thousand years ago, there was an Overlord Heroic Lord who was born with a black dragon martial soul. He refined it into a Ninth Grade black dragon and roamed the continent freely. Later, he fled overseas, united the Endless Sea, and became its supreme ruler."

"The power he established was the Black Dragon Palace."

"Now, thirty thousand years later, although the Black Dragon Palace has long since declined, it remains an extremely formidable power. However, it’s located in the Endless Sea and has always dealt with the Sea Race, rarely interacting with the humans of the continent. Why would Huangfu Xiuming go there?"

In the current continent, the Profound Domain reigns supreme and commands the world, but there are still some powers that even the Profound Domain is unwilling to provoke lightly. The Sea Race and the Black Dragon Palace are among them.

What puzzled Ye Xuan was that, logically, since Huangfu Xiuming went to the Profound Domain to search for news of his past self, he shouldn’t have gone to the Endless Sea for any reason.

"The Black Dragon Palace is in the Endless Sea?" Vice Director Ge and the others exchanged glances. Tucked away in the Dream Realm Plain, they weren’t very familiar with the major powers of the continent.

"From what I heard Director Huangfu Xiuming say, he went to the Black Dragon Palace for a woman," Vice Director Ge said, recalling carefully.

"A woman?" Elder Dong and the others were dumbfounded.

"What woman?"

"I’m not sure about that, but I heard she’s a major figure from the Profound Domain, apparently a very famous Martial Emperor. Director Huangfu Xiuming said that only by finding her could he confirm the whereabouts of the Carefree Soul Emperor. That Martial Emperor... I think her name had ’Yue’ in it..."

Ye Xuan’s heart jolted.

"Yao Yue Martial Emperor!"

He said suddenly.

"That sounds right. The Director only mentioned it in passing at the time, so my memory is a bit hazy."

At that moment, Ye Xuan’s mind was in turmoil.

’Did something happen to Yao Yue?’

Huangfu Xiuming knew about his relationship with Yingtai Yue, so it was perfectly normal for him to seek out Yao Yue Martial Emperor in order to find him.

’But isn’t Yingtai Yue in the Profound Domain? Why would Huangfu Xiuming go to the Endless Sea to find her?’

’Or is there some hidden story I don’t know about?’

At this moment, Ye Xuan wished he could fly to the Profound Domain immediately to find out what had happened.

But he knew that with his current strength, returning to the Profound Domain was completely unrealistic.

At the same time, another possibility occurred to him.

’Even Huangfu Xiuming was looking for me, so what about Yao Yue Martial Emperor?’

A chill ran through Ye Xuan’s heart.

He knew all too well what secrets were involved in his fall in his past life. If Yao Yue got caught up in it, she would likely be unable to protect herself.

’I hope it’s not what I’m thinking.’

Ye Xuan clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, but he didn’t seem to notice.

After learning from Vice Director Ge that Huangfu Xiuming was unreachable, a heavy weight settled in everyone’s hearts.

In less than half a month, Gale Light Academy’s deadline for the Profound Mystery Sect would arrive. If the Profound Mystery Sect was unwilling to compromise, a confrontation between the two sides would be inevitable. If Director Huangfu Xiuming were here, they wouldn’t have to worry about the Profound Mystery Sect at all. But with the Director out of contact, their moods were somber.

"Could the Profound Mystery Sect have learned something as well?" Elder Yao suddenly asked.

Everyone’s gaze hardened.

It wasn’t impossible. Otherwise, with the Profound Mystery Sect’s strength, they would never dare to be so arrogant toward Gale Light Academy without knowing something about Director Huangfu Xiuming’s situation.

"Or perhaps... the Profound Mystery Sect is testing the waters?"

They all began to speculate.

"Last time, what Duan Tianlang and his group did... it seemed like they were searching for something within the academy. Does our academy have some kind of secret?"

Ye Xuan voiced his speculation, then looked at Ge Puzi.

Ge Puzi pondered for a moment before saying gravely, "We don’t have any secrets, but our academy does have a forbidden ground."