Chapter 1959: The Eve of Departure
Zhu Yanyi felt indifferent about the Baiye leaves. To her, the only value lay in the elemental energy they contained. Since there were other ways to extract such energy, she had no fear of running out. For someone like her, simply cultivating plants daily brought abundant wood elements close to her naturally.
Others viewed the Baiye merely as local currency, so its presence or absence didn’t trouble them. However, the news Zhu Yanyi brought still left Xi Muzheng, who had arrived at the Linlang Training Ground, stunned for a long moment.
“So, you came here and accomplished such a massive feat,” Xi Muzheng said, pointing at Hongmei and looking at Yi Yunfei.
Yi Yunfei coughed lightly. “It wasn’t really our doing. I was just along for the ride. I only went in and out of the Evil Demons’ territory.”
Xi Muzheng didn’t believe it was that simple. If it were, why hadn’t others gone? Why had it required their specific group? But since they refused to elaborate, Xi Muzheng, respecting his students’ privacy, did not press for details. “So, Hongmei has now merged with the Chaos Origin Stone.”
“It’s not exactly the whole stone, just a fragment,” Hongmei corrected. “Although I have a Chaos Constitution, if the piece were larger, my cultivation and mental power couldn’t withstand it. The fragment merged with me is only fingernail-sized. But truly, those Evil Demons could not merge with it.”
“Naturally. Chaos can turn everything into nothingness, especially evil things. Without absolute certainty, those Evil Demons would never attempt to merge with a fragment of Chaos Origin Stone.”
Xi Muzheng felt his heart needed strengthening to handle his students’ habit of downplaying their achievements.
“Dean, please don’t worry about such minor matters. What matters now is the retreat. There are only one or two Evil Demons left here. If you keep everyone here, are we to have several people fight one demon? That wastes time and energy. It’s not worth it,” Zhu Yanyi stated directly.
Xi Muzheng hummed. “Are you sure the number of Evil Demons here will continue to decrease?”
“I should say the rate of decrease is proportional to our combat efforts,” Zhu Yanyi corrected her. “The Evil Demons do have secret arts to cultivate their own kind. However, our current capabilities aren’t sufficient to investigate this directly. Fortunately, they lack Chaos fragments, so their numbers are significantly reduced.”
Xi Muzheng pondered slightly. “I need to verify this. If it is true, I will discuss it with the deans of other academies to decide our next steps.”
“Fine, go verify it quickly,” Zhu Yanyi waved her hand, looking dismissive. She didn’t care what Xi Muzheng did, as long as they could return home sooner. That was her only goal.
Xi Muzheng nodded. In her heart, she already believed ninety percent of what Zhu Yanyi and the others had said. But belief was one thing; verification was another. She needed proof to convince others. Relying solely on students’ words was improper.
Xi Muzheng did go to inspect the situation of the Evil Demons, accompanied by several elders familiar with the area. After observing, Elder Chen spoke: “The number of Evil Demons has indeed decreased significantly. Their abilities also seem weaker. If the Evil Demons we faced in the past were at this level, I wouldn’t have worried about our students.”
Too many students from his own academy had sacrificed themselves. This fact weighed heavily on Elder Chen’s heart with indescribable sorrow.
“In that case, our students no longer need to stay here in full force,” Xi Muzheng said, a smile appearing on his face.
Elder Chen nodded. “Yes, everyone can finally go back.”
They had guarded this place for so many years. He had once thought he would grow old and die here. He never imagined they could return now.
“Yes, it’s good to be able to go back,” Xi Muzheng murmured.
The Saint Academy had poured countless students into this place. Only a few thousand remained. Yet, there was one comforting fact: they could all go home.
“I will consult with the deans of other academies. From now on, this place will serve as a training ground. The five academies will divide the area, and each will choose a section to manage for training,” Xi Muzheng said, already having a plan in mind.
She immediately sent a message to the deans of the other four academies, arranging a meeting for the Saint Academy to discuss important matters.
The important matter was, of course, the Linlang Training Ground. No one knew exactly what the five deans discussed, but the final decision was to rename the Black Demon Secret Realm to the Linlang Training Ground. The area would be divided into five sections, each managed by one academy, generally aligning with the planes associated with each academy.
Zhu Yanyi didn’t know the specific operational details. The news she received was that except for those who wished to stay for training, everyone else could leave. Those staying were mostly at the Nascent Soul stage. For someone with Zhu Yanyi’s cultivation, training here was unnecessary. The low-level Evil Demons offered her no further benefit.
So, Zhu Yanyi began packing. Among their group of ten, only Lei Danfeng, Liu Qirong, and Jin Gui voluntarily requested to stay for another three years of training. The rest were returning.
Most of the Sixth Brigade were also returning.
The number of people staying was less than a hundred. These hundred would also return after three years, when new recruits would come to train.
Zhu Yanyi sat on an empty mound of earth, looking at the sky. There were no stars here, but the starless sky offered a different kind of feeling.
“Why are you sitting here?” It was the last night before departure. Everyone was celebrating and saying their goodbyes. Only Zhu Yanyi had come here to watch the sky, which prompted Ouyang Tianyun to ask.
Zhu Yanyi glanced at Ouyang Tianyun, then continued looking up. “Bored. I was just bored, so I came here.”
Ouyang Tianyun chuckled softly, sat down, and asked, “Fifteen, when did you get a Human Book?”
“Many years ago. I forgot,” Zhu Yanyi waved her hand. “Anyway, since this Human Book came to me, I didn’t refuse it.”