Chapter 614: Mutual Decisions

The academy had fallen into the hands of Infinite Mountain, and with their current strength, retaking it was impossible. Their only hope for a turnaround was to find Director Huangfu Xiuming.

Everyone was also desperate to know whether or not Director Huangfu Xiuming had truly perished.

The question was a thorn in their sides, robbing them of their sleep and appetite.

However, Ge Puzi and the others soon ran into a problem. While they had decided to head for the Celestial Capital Prefecture, the fate of the students who had escaped with them became a major headache.

These students came from all over the Dream Realm Plain, and he couldn’t make this decision for each of them.

Ultimately, Ge Puzi decided to lay out the situation and let everyone choose their own path.

To Ge Puzi’s surprise, while many students chose to leave, a number of them actually wanted to follow the instructors.

"You need to think this through carefully," Ge Puzi said grimly, giving them a serious warning. "We’re heading to a very distant place. The journey will be long and arduous, and no one knows what we’ll face. You might never be able to come back."

"Vice Director Ge, we have thought it through."

"That’s right. The continent is vast, and the Dream Realm Plain is just a remote corner. If we never leave, we’ll never know how big the world truly is."

What Ge Puzi hadn’t expected was that the most determined among them were Tianlun and the other inner-academy disciples.

The recent chaos in the Dream Realm Plain had shaken them to the core, especially after witnessing Ye Xuan’s actions.

During the day’s battle, Ye Xuan, a disciple who had been enrolled for little more than a year, had single-handedly turned the tide and repelled two Tier Eight Martial Emperors. Meanwhile, they, the veteran inner-academy disciples, could only watch helplessly, unable to be of any assistance. They were all filled with frustration.

Only by venturing into a wider world did they feel they had any chance of catching up to him.

In the end, nearly twenty disciples were willing to follow Ge Puzi and the others, while the rest wished to return to their own families.

Among those nearly twenty were Tianlun, Gu Qingxuan, and Hua Xiuhong. Naturally, Dongfang Zisi, Yun Aoxue, Xia Qixi, Luo Cheng, Zhang Lie, and Lin Yuan also chose to stay.

Including the remaining instructors, the entire party numbered over thirty people.

After the discussion, a worried Dongfang Zisi approached Ye Xuan. "Xuan Ye," she asked, "my father and his people... will they be alright?"

Ye Xuan frowned slightly. "That’s a definite possibility."

"Given Elder Tianyi’s temperament, if he can’t find anyone from Gale Light Academy, he’ll inevitably take out his anger on the other powers."

"Then what should we do?"

"Here’s a plan. Send a message to your father and the others. See if they’re willing to come with us. If they are, we’ll pick a spot to rendezvous in half a month."

"Alright."

As the top commerce association in the Dream Realm Plain, the Divine Walk Commerce Association naturally had its own messaging channels. Dongfang Zisi quickly relayed the message.

A day later, a reply came from the Divine Walk Commerce Association: they were willing to come.

Ever since the clash between Gale Light Academy and the Profound Mystery Sect, the Divine Walk Commerce Association’s various businesses had taken a hit, forcing them to scale back their operations significantly. Hearing that the academy had fallen and its people were planning to evacuate, they immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.

Besides the Divine Walk Commerce Association, arrangements also had to be made for the Luo family.

A few days later, Ye Xuan and Luo Min returned to the Luo family estate. They not only collected most of the profits the family had earned from running the Profound Pill Pavilion but also disbanded the entire clan, telling them to change their names and disappear into the Dream Realm Plain.

Late that night, Ye Xuan also paid a secret visit to the Yuan family and Master Lu Li to warn them.

To Ye Xuan’s surprise, when Master Lu Li learned of his plans, he decided to leave with him.

This left Ye Xuan speechless.

Lu Li smiled. "To be honest, I’ve wanted to travel the continent for a long time. I broke through to become a Tier Seven King Level Artifact Refiner decades ago. I only stayed behind as a favor to the Sky Empire, cultivating and conducting my research here in the Imperial Capital."

"But I’ve found that my progress in Artifact Refining has been incredibly slow these past few decades. My most recent breakthrough only happened because of the guidance I received from our discussions."

"It was a sudden awakening for me. An Artifact Refiner can’t afford to be complacent. They say traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books. If I remain in the Dream Realm Plain, becoming a Tier Seven Peak Artifact Refiner won’t be an issue, but I fear I’ll never break through to become a Tier Eight Emperor Level Artifact Refiner in this lifetime."

"So, I’ve decided to leave with you. It’s the perfect chance to see just how vast the world outside truly is."

With Master Lu Li putting it that way, Ye Xuan could hardly refuse.

Soon after, having left a letter behind, Master Lu Li quietly departed the Sky Empire with Ye Xuan.

After settling matters with the Luo family, Ye Xuan’s group didn’t linger. They boarded the Alchemy Flying Ship and shot off toward the continent’s Eastern Domain, where the Celestial Capital Prefecture was located.

Along the way, they stopped outside an extremely remote city. This was the rendezvous point Ye Xuan had arranged with the Divine Walk Commerce Association.

Three days later, a figure streaked across the sky and landed before the group.

"Father."

Upon seeing him, Dongfang Zisi rushed forward excitedly.

The man was none other than the president of the Divine Walk Commerce Association, Dongfang Xuan, Dongfang Zisi’s father.

"Everyone, my apologies for the wait." Dongfang Xuan quickly approached Ge Puzi and the others, and they began to talk amongst themselves.

It had to be said, Dongfang Xuan’s ability to lead the Divine Walk Commerce Association was evident in his social skills. He was tactful and well-spoken, and his few words immediately left a good impression on the group.

"You must be Master Xuan Ye," Dongfang Xuan said, turning to Ye Xuan. "I’ve been in contact with the Luo Patriarch for some time, but this is our first meeting. Seeing you now, it’s true what they say about heroes being forged in youth."

Ye Xuan smiled. "You’re too kind. I’m afraid I’m the one who’s dragged you into this. The Divine Walk Commerce Association was doing so well, having become the number one commerce association in the Dream Realm Plain. Now, I’ve put you all in danger."

"Master Xuan Ye, please don’t say that." Dongfang Xuan quickly waved his hands, his expression utterly sincere. "Honestly, if it weren’t for your Profound Pill Pavilion, the Divine Walk Commerce Association would have likely fallen into decline and been swallowed up by the Tianya Commerce Association long ago. We wouldn’t even be able to speak of being the ’number one commerce association.’ Your words are far too kind; I don’t deserve them."

"Haha." At this, Dongfang Xuan couldn’t help but laugh. "I often hear my daughter mentioning you, Master. She’s always been a mischievous girl. If she’s caused you any trouble, please allow me, as her father, to apologize on her behalf. I hope she hasn’t been too much of a burden."

"Not at all, you’re exaggerating. Dongfang Zisi hasn’t caused me any trouble."

"That’s good to hear," Dongfang Xuan said with a grin. "My daughter has never paid much attention to any boys, but she’s been mentioning you constantly lately. I was starting to think she must have been bothering you about something."

"Father, what are you talking about!"

Dongfang Zisi said, her face flushing as she stole a glance at Ye Xuan.

The others all shot them teasing looks, wearing knowing smirks that made Dongfang Zisi even more embarrassed.

A look of exasperation crossed Ye Xuan’s face. He quickly changed the subject, "President Dongfang, why are you here alone?"

"Ah, yes." Speaking of serious matters, Dongfang Xuan’s expression immediately turned solemn. "I know your movements must be kept secret and your group small. Therefore, I will be the only one accompanying you this time. As for the rest of the Divine Walk Commerce Association, I’ve already instructed them to secretly leave the Dream Realm Plain and head for the Cyan Splendor Domain."

In truth, Dongfang Xuan didn’t want to leave the association he had run for decades. But Dongfang Zisi was his only daughter, and he couldn’t bear the thought of her traveling to a strange new land by herself. That was why he had decided to go with Ye Xuan’s group.

Realization dawned on the group.

With everyone now gathered, the party quickly set off, turning into a streak of light that vanished into the vast night sky.

Several days later, just as they were about to leave the Dream Realm Plain, Ye Xuan suddenly called out to Elder Dong, who was piloting the Flying Ship, as they passed over a mountain range.

"Everyone, I have a small errand to run. Could you please wait here for me for a moment?"

Although Ge Puzi and the others didn’t know what he was up to, they nodded and watched him disappear into the night sky.

In a canyon hundreds of miles from the Alchemy Flying Ship, Ye Xuan descended as a streak of light.

The moment he entered, a colossal figure rushed out, bellowing, "Your Highness, you’re finally here! I, Old Jin, have been waiting for you for days!"

This figure was none other than Jin Lin.

"Your Highness, look! This is the stuff I procured from the Profound Mystery Sect. Hehe, it’s useless to me, Old Jin, but it should be somewhat useful to you."

Jin Lin excitedly produced a dozen or so Storage Rings.

Ye Xuan accepted the Storage Rings with some suspicion. But when he swept his Profound Sense over them, his jaw dropped. Inside were the countless treasures Jin Lin had obtained after cleaning out the entire Profound Mystery Sect.

While there were many small Tier Three and Tier Four items, there was also a significant amount of High Tier treasures, including some Tier Seven Profound Soldiers and Spirit Medicines. The haul was simply outrageous.

What shocked Ye Xuan even more were the ten Storage Rings completely filled with Profound Stones. Jin Lin had practically hollowed out a third of the Profound Mystery Sect’s Profound Vein to get them, leaving Ye Xuan utterly dumbfounded.

Seeing Ye Xuan’s astonishment, Jin Lin grew secretly thrilled and quickly began boasting to get credit. "Your Highness, you have no idea! I, Old Jin, almost died getting all this stuff for you."

"I was busy searching for treasures for you when, out of nowhere, a Nine Heavens Martial Emperor suddenly descended upon the Profound Mystery Sect."

Jin Lin said indignantly, "Back in my prime, when I roamed the world freely, I could’ve swatted a dozen Nine Heavens Martial Emperors like that to death with a single swipe of my claw! But now I’m sealed, and my cultivation is only at one percent of its peak... no, wait, it should be one-thousandth... huh, is it one-thousandth or one percent? Or maybe... one-ten-thousandth?"