Chapter 548: Beginning the Action

"Good. You certainly have guts." Ye Xuan laughed. "The time is tomorrow morning. I’ll wait for you at the academy entrance. However, I hope you keep this matter to yourselves. It would be troublesome if word gets out."

"Rest assured, I understand the stakes."

"Then it’s settled."

After he finished speaking, Ye Xuan turned and left, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The method he had mentioned was precisely to have Celestial Wheel and the others participate in the encirclement and annihilation.

Since the academy couldn’t arrange for any instructors, having the students take action was just as good. After months of contact, Ye Xuan was well aware of the strength of Celestial Wheel and his group. These students were ranked in the academy’s top ten, and while their cultivation was at the Tier Six Triple Peak, their true combat strength was no less than that of a Tier Seven First Layer Martial King.

The top students—Celestial Wheel, Gu Qingxuan, and Hua Xiuhong—were especially extraordinary. With them working together, the probability of capturing Crazy Battle and his group would increase by at least thirty to fifty percent.

"Celestial Wheel, why did this Xuan Ye suddenly invite us to act together? Could he be up to something?"

Gu Qingxuan suddenly spoke up after Ye Xuan had left.

Celestial Wheel shook his head. "I doubt it. With his deep-seated hatred for the Profound Mystery Sect, he wouldn’t be a traitor. But inviting us to join forces so suddenly is indeed a bit strange."

"There’s nothing strange about it. I think I have an idea what he’s planning."

Just then, a clear voice suddenly rang out.

Seeing who was speaking, Hua Xiuhong frowned. "Murong Yunyu, what do you know?"

Murong Yunyu smiled faintly. "I believe you’ve all heard about what happened during the day. Luo Min, the Patriarch of the prominent Luo family from the Sky Empire, and Luo Xiang were captured by the Profound Mystery Sect. The Profound Mystery Sect demanded that Xuan Ye go in person, or they would kill the two of them."

"And what does that prove?" a student asked with a frown.

Murong Yunyu glanced at him and continued, "I am also from the Sky Empire’s Imperial Capital. The Luo family was once a subordinate family under my Murong family, so I know them quite well. From what I know, the Luo family used to be Xuan Ye’s subordinates back in the Sky Empire, specifically managing the Profound Pill Pavilion he established there. So with Luo Min and Luo Xiang abducted, Xuan Ye will definitely not let this go. Therefore, I suspect that Xuan Ye’s operation tomorrow is very likely related to this."

Murong Yunyu’s words sent everyone into deep thought.

"Alright, no matter what Xuan Ye’s goal is, everyone get a good rest tonight and get into peak condition. When the time comes, all we need to do is act. With the combined strength of our group, even if we run into the Profound Mystery Sect’s Martial King experts, they’ll be the unlucky ones," Celestial Wheel said finally.

Soon, the group dispersed.

’Xuan Ye, how will you counter this move by the Profound Mystery Sect?’

Murong Yunyu frowned in thought, murmuring to himself.

As the top prodigy of the Sky Empire’s Murong family, Murong Yunyu had heard a lot about Ye Xuan from Murong Yunxiao, so he naturally knew far more than the others.

Early the next morning, the group gathered in the outer courtyard.

There were six people in Celestial Wheel’s party: Celestial Wheel, originally ranked first; Gu Qingxuan, ranked second; Hua Xiuhong, ranked third; Shi Zhanxin, ranked fifth; Liu Wentao, ranked sixth; and Murong Yunyu, ranked seventh.

In fact, students who could break through to the sixth floor of the trial tower generally possessed the combat power of a Tier Seven Martial King.

Besides Ye Xuan, there were eight other students at Gale Light Academy who had reached the sixth floor. However, not all of them were interested in contributing to Gale Light Academy and fighting the Profound Mystery Sect. Thus, only six came this time, and these six were the same ones who had been fighting the Profound Mystery Sect all along.

"Let’s go!"

Without another word, Ye Xuan’s party of seven quickly left Gale Light Academy, turning into a streak of light and disappearing between heaven and earth.

「Gale Light City, in a hidden underground chamber.」

An old man held a recently delivered note, his brow slightly furrowed.

This man was the head of the spies the Profound Mystery Sect had placed in Gale Light City. Gale Light City was the academy’s main base of operations, and although Vice Director Ge had long since destroyed the Profound Mystery Sect’s official station there, many of the sect’s spies remained. They had blended into the city under various identities, secretly gathering intelligence on Gale Light Academy.

’What on earth is this Xuan Ye planning? Taking Celestial Wheel and the others with him... What big move is he making? All of my Profound Mystery Sect’s posts near Gale Light Academy have already been evacuated!’

The old man pondered for a long time but couldn’t come to a conclusion. He simply transmitted the message using an Array Disc.

「In a city over ten thousand li from Gale Light Academy.」

Duan Tianlang put away the Array Disc.

"Vice Sect Master Duan, did some news arrive from the sect?" Crazy Battle and the others stepped forward to ask.

Duan Tianlang shook his head. "No, it’s news from Gale Light City. It says Xuan Ye and Gale Light Academy’s Celestial Wheel and his group have left the academy. They’re off on some mission, but we don’t know what."

"What? Xuan Ye and Celestial Wheel’s group came out together? Vice Sect Master Duan, shouldn’t we go over there and... take them out?"

Crazy Battle immediately grew excited. His eyes turned vicious as he made a throat-slitting gesture.

Duan Tianlang refused outright. "No."

"Vice Sect Master Duan." Crazy Battle became anxious. "That Xuan Ye and Celestial Wheel are the core students of Gale Light Academy! They’ve wiped out many of our Profound Mystery Sect’s posts recently. If we just capture them, it would be a huge blow to Gale Light Academy."

"Crazy Battle, you need to know your place," Duan Tianlang said, giving him a cold glance. "Without the Sect Master’s order, we are to stay here. We absolutely cannot act without authorization."

A hint of anger appeared on Crazy Battle’s face. "Vice Sect Master Duan, I’m not suggesting we act on our own. I’m making a suggestion to you. The five of us have been holed up here for months since the last operation at Gale Light Academy. The Sect Master hasn’t given us any missions, nor has he let us return. What is the meaning of this?"

"Forget everything else. Supreme Elder Lu Nan’s death last time was clearly avoidable! If you had listened to me and we had acted, how could those few students have possibly destroyed our post and caused such huge losses? I don’t understand what the sect is thinking."

Being stuck in the city, unable to leave, with no freedom whatsoever, Crazy Battle had a belly full of pent-up anger.

"That’s right, Vice Sect Master Duan. Could you please suggest to the sect that we can’t accomplish anything here? Just watching our sect’s posts get destroyed... this can’t go on."

Zhou Zhanlun and the others at his side deeply agreed.

"I hear that Celestial Wheel and his group are Gale Light Academy’s top students. If we just capture them, would Gale Light Academy still dare to be so arrogant?"

Evil Kill stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, his eyes overflowing with murderous intent.

Duan Tianlang sighed. "I understand everything you’re saying, of course. But our mission from the sect is to lie low here. The Sect Master naturally has his reasons. We can only follow orders."

"What reasons?" Crazy Battle said with a look of displeasure. "Gale Light Academy is constantly wiping out our posts. If we keep staying here like this, I’m afraid even our location will be swept clean."

"As if they’d dare," Zhou Zhanlun sneered. "This is the Bright Moon Empire’s territory. Santafe City’s City Lord Liu is also on good terms with our Profound Mystery Sect. No matter what, Gale Light Academy wouldn’t dare to come kill us here."

Little did Duan Tianlang and his men know that as they spoke, an Alchemy Flying Ship was hurtling toward Santafe City at an astonishing speed.

Inside the Flying Ship, Celestial Wheel and the others were all examining the vessel, their minds filled with secret speculation.

They had all been startled when Ye Xuan took out the Alchemy Flying Ship earlier.

As far as Celestial Wheel and the others knew, Alchemy Flying Ships were extremely rare at the academy, with only two or three in total. The fact that Ye Xuan could requisition one showed that this mission was indeed of great importance.

The Alchemy Flying Ship was incredibly fast. A little over two hours later, Ye Xuan and his group arrived in the vicinity of Santafe City.

"This should be the place."

Ye Xuan put away the Alchemy Flying Ship, and the group materialized in the open air.

Celestial Wheel and the others looked left and right, completely clueless as to where they were.

"Xuan Ye, are the people you mentioned nearby?"

Suddenly, a cold voice came from above as three figures descended before them.

"Elder Dong!"

"Elder Yao!"

"And this is..."

The six members of Celestial Wheel’s group were all startled.

Elder Dong and the others hadn’t been inside the Alchemy Flying Ship. Instead, they had been following closely behind it, only revealing themselves now that they had reached the destination.

"Everyone, there’s no need to be nervous. This mission is rather special, which is why you weren’t told beforehand."

Elder Yao explained in detail to Celestial Wheel and the others.

Celestial Wheel and the others came to their senses and quickly waved their hands, but they were secretly shocked. ’This mission is no simple matter.’

Although they didn’t recognize the cloaked elder, they had all seen him when entering the Trial Tower. He was definitely a high-level expert from the academy’s upper echelons.

At the beginning, Elder Dong and his companions hadn’t appeared. They only showed themselves when they were almost at the destination.

All these signs indicated that this mission was anything but ordinary.

"Jiuchen, Elder Dong, Elder Yao, the people we’re looking for should be in a city nearby, within a radius of a few hundred li."

Based on the lingering aura from Chen Jin’s Array Disc, this was as close as Ye Xuan could get.

Jiuchen nodded, took out a map, and studied it briefly before saying in a grave voice, "This should be within the Bright Moon Empire’s borders. A hundred li to the south, there is a city called Santafe City. If what you say is true, then those people should be in Santafe City."

The Bright Moon Empire, Santafe City?

Elder Dong and Elder Yao both frowned. The Bright Moon Empire was also one of the ten major powers of the Dream Realm Plain. If Duan Tianlang and his group were really here, it would inevitably be troublesome.

However, since things had already come to this, it was impossible to give up now.