The battle at the Shen clan shook the Nine Realms.
The Central Imperial Realm seethed at the news. No one could have imagined that the incomparably powerful Shen clan would be invaded twice in just a few short days. After beating back the Sky River Great Elder, Ye Futian had led an army of cultivators to their city.
And this time, the great army of the Heavenly Mandate Academy contained Lord Taixuan, the Xiao clan, the Yuanyang clan, and the Dou tribe.
When added to the Sky River Great Elder, these four giants had descended upon the Shen clan, saving the people they had come to save and killing many Renhuangs.
Although they could not damage the base of the Shen clan, this still had great implications. How much of an effect would it have on the rest of the world for the Shen clan, one of the top forces in the 3,000 Realms of the Great Path, to be invaded?
And in that battle, many cultivators with perfect Divine Wheels had emerged. These were people who would rewrite the history of the Three Thousand Realms of the Great Path.
Ye Futian had defeated Shen Hao in single combat.
There were too many things to talk about in that battle, and the news spread at a frightening speed.
Even the greatest forces of the Central Imperial Realm trembled when they heard the news. Many of them even gathered their top figures to discuss the matter. This would probably affect the war for the future of the 3,000 Realms of the Great Path. They could not ignore it.
However, none of that had anything to do with Ye Futian.
Once they had freed the captives, they returned to the Heavenly Mandate Academy. When they arrived, the news had naturally not reached the academy yet. The people of Heavenly Mandate City thought it was a bit strange. The army of the academy had gone out and then returned. Where had they gone?
Now that they were back, it probably meant that a battle had broken out someplace. Many people guessed that.
However, none of them were bold enough to think that the battle had taken place at the Shen clan in the Central Emperor Realm.
They did not dare imagine it.
After all, the Shen clan was a true top power. Shen Ji had come alone and shaken the entire Heavenly Mandate Academy.
Even with Lord Taixuan there, the Heavenly Mandate Academy was nowhere near powerful enough to face him.
But if they had not gone to the Shen clan, then where?
Many cultivators had gathered together in a large restaurant in Heavenly Mandate City. One of them said, “The Heavenly Mandate Academy’s army is back. I wonder who they fought. They did not suffer great losses. It’s like they didn’t run into too much trouble.”
“Is the Heavenly Mandate Academy still accepting disciples?” asked a young man.
“Yes,” nodded the man beside him. “Are you planning to go and try to join?”
“Wait a little bit. Given the current situation, it’s not safe to enter the academy,” said a beautiful, white-robed woman sitting at their table. There was something about her that made her look very powerful.
“That’s right. Otherwise, there would have been no trouble for you to join them, and you would already be a core disciple,” said the young man with a smile.
“Right now, not many people are joining the academy. Although most of the places were taken up by people who joined the academy on the first day, since then, there has been little competitions. It is not difficult to become a core disciple now,” chuckled the man beside them.
“Saint Lan is a woman of great influence in the Heavenly Mandate City. I say that the academy should invite her personally to show their sincerity.”
Everyone around them smiled, but these were words of high praise. Although the Heavenly Mandate Academy had run into trouble and no one was joining them now, they were still a place for teaching the Way. If someone was not incredibly talented, there was basically no way that the academy would personally invite them to come and train.
At that moment, a group of figures entered the restaurant, looking around at the crowd.
“There is news from the academy,” said one of the ones who had come. “They are temporarily not accepting disciples. The selection process is postponed for a month.” As he said this, a look of surprise came over everyone’s face.
What did this mean?
The Heavenly Mandate Academy had already said that they would be accepting disciples for three months. Now they had announced that they were stopping for a month.
Could it be that they were facing a great threat?
Everyone in the restaurant was whispering to each other, guessing what had happened and why the academy had announced this.
This restaurant epitomized what was going on all over Heavenly Mandate City. Everyone was confused and discussing this matter.
What had happened?
Was the Heavenly Mandate Academy really in such dire straits?
But at that moment, some disciples who had already been accepted into the academy rushed back to their families with great excitement. Not long before, Ye Futian and the others had returned, and the people at the academy had received some shocking news.
Many of the disciples of the Heavenly Mandate Academy were from families in Heavenly Mandate City.
They rushed to their families to tell them the news, for no other reason than that they were so shocked by it.
Soon, the news had spread throughout the city.
Ye Futian and Lord Taixuan had led an army, allied with three other great figures, and descended upon the Shen clan, taking back Ye Futian’s master and the Sky River Great Elder’s wife.
This simple news had implications that were simply astonishing.
In the restaurant, the host personally came forward and looked at the people discussing this, then took a deep breath and said, “I have news for everyone. The army of the Heavenly Mandate Academy went to the Shen clan and rescued some people there, including Ye Futian’s master and the Sky River Great Elder’s wife.”
Boom!
This voice seemed to resonate in everyone’s minds. Many of them stood up, their hearts trembling fiercely. They looked at the host and said, “Is this true?”
“How could the Heavenly Mandate Academy attack the Shen clan?” someone asked. It was simply impossible.
“It’s completely true. The news came from the academy itself, from the disciples. They saw Ye Futian bring those people back with their own eyes. It is said that in addition to the academy, the elders of the Xiao clan, the Yuanyang clan, and the Dou tribe of the Ziwei Realm went as well,” continued the host. His heart was beating wildly at that moment as well. Even Saint level cultivators could not stop their hearts from trembling.
This information was absolutely shocking.
“Moreover, Ye Futian fought Shen Hao in this battle, and few could have guessed the outcome. In addition to that, it is said that the Heavenly Mandate Realm has many cultivators with perfect Divine Wheels,” he continued. Every new piece of information was like a lightning bolt, shocking everyone that heard it.
Now they thought about why the Heavenly Mandate Academy was postponing its acceptance of new disciples.
When news of this battle got out, it was easy to imagine that the academy would become far more prestigious.
And for a time, people from not just the Heavenly Mandate Realm, but all of the Nine Realms, would gather there.
At that point, how much competition would people who wanted to enter the academy face?
Becoming a core disciple?
Becoming an ordinary disciple would be hard enough.
The woman known as Saint Lan’s face went white. She looked at the young man who had praised her before. A core disciple? The academy would personally invite her?
“I’m going back to cultivate.” She rose and walked out of the restaurant.
As she rose into the air, the wind buffeted her, making her robes flutter.
Her thoughts were in disarray.
She seemed to have missed something…
And it was not only her. On that day, countless people in Heavenly Mandate City had the same thought.
They seemed to have missed their chance.
The disciples who had already entered the academy would very likely surpass them.
…
Ye Futian and the others naturally did not care about what people on the outside thought.
To postpone for a month was Lord Taixuan’s decision. Since he was now the headmaster of the academy, he naturally had the right to decide this. Moreover, Ye Futian was very happy that he had done this. This meant that Lord Taixuan was truly accepted his role.
In addition, he was taking actions in his capacity as headmaster.
As for the reason Lord Taixuan had made that decision, it was extremely simple. After the battle, anyone could tell that the academy would grow extremely prestigious. In that case, why not summon the most excellent disciples there to cultivate?
The people of Heavenly Mandate City and the Heavenly Mandate Realm had already had a chance to enter the academy first, but they had not dared to due to the danger. Thus, they would now have to compete with the cultivators of all the Nine Realms.
On the Great Path, there were no realms. The Heavenly Mandate Academy taught the people of the Heavenly Mandate Realm, but they did not only accept disciples from there.
Within the academy, everyone had settled in. Only Ye Futian, Yu Sheng, Qi Xuangang, and some others were left outside.
It was only now that Shen Luoxue was able to figure out the relationships between these people and how this affair had begun and ended.
Her eyes fell upon Ye Futian, then on Qi Xuangang.
“You yourself are not that great, but you have a good disciple,” she said. Qi Xuangang smiled, not the least bit angry at her comment.
This was the first time Ye Futian had seen this side of his master. But the one he was talking to was his masters’ masteress, so, of course, she could take him to task.
“Do you know how the Sky River Great Elder is?” Shen Luoxue asked Ye Futian.
“After he left, he told me that the Deed of Thorough Comprehension could help you cultivate backward. If it can, then one must use one’s own body to guide it and use heaven and earth as the forge,” said Ye Futian. “My master changed when he broke through to the next level. He probably paid a heavy price.”
Shen Luoxue was silent for a moment, then said, “He had a divine item that he got at the same time as the one that was within Feixue. But it was much too powerful, so he never brought it out.”
Ye Futian thought back to the scene when the Sky River Great Elder had appeared at the Shen clan. It had been horrifying.
“Don’t worry too much. He will learn to control it,” said Ye Futian. “You should stay here and get some rest.”
Shen Luoxue was silent for a while.
“Grandfather will be back sooner or later,” said Feixue softly. “You should stay here so that I can take care of you.”
Shen Luoxue looked at her, then nodded softly. “I will teach you how to cultivate.”
On saying this, she turned to the others and said, “You may all leave.”
“Alright,” said Ye Futian, nodding. The Sky River Great Elder’s wife must have been just as powerful as her husband in the past. Although she had been imprisoned for many years, she had probably not stopped cultivating.
“Xuefei, take care of your grandmother while she rests,” said Qi Xuangang. Then they all left.
When they exited, Dou Zhao called out to Qi Xuangang, “Master!”
“Teacher!” The others all called out. Qi Xuangang smiled bitterly, then looked at Ye Futian beside him.
“Teacher, I will teach them the Deed of Thorough Comprehension for you. You can set your mind at ease about that,” said Ye Futian with a smile. Now, this was all in the past.
He looked off into the distance. Due to the influence of that battle, no one would dare take the Heavenly Mandate Academy lightly again!