Chapter 1174: Dai Shixiong, we have brought the person involved back

Grandpa Murong personally built the Tiger Roar Martial Arts Academy and was intimately familiar with every brick and tile.

The academy clearly looked exactly as it did before, yet something felt subtly off. Never mind, he decided not to dwell on it. Grandpa Murong had cultivated to the Golden Core stage largely due to his carefree nature; he wouldn't torment himself by overthinking things he couldn't comprehend.

“Grandpa, Old Meng and I have discussed it, and we believe it's time for us to depart,” Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou said as they came to bid Grandpa Murong farewell. Although they wished to continue teaching at the academy, given the magnitude of the events in Muxue City, it was imperative they return to their sect to report. Only the two of them knew the full extent of what had transpired. Furthermore, since their identities were now known throughout Muxue City, remaining there would only cause Grandpa Murong unnecessary trouble.

“Oh, are you leaving?” Grandpa Murong asked wistfully. Although he now knew Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's true identities, they had left the deepest impression on him as Teacher Lu and Teacher Meng.

“We'll come back to visit you again.”

Grandpa Murong shook his head and chuckled, taking their departure in stride. “What's so interesting about me? You two are very busy; just knowing you thought of me is enough.” He could already envision the students' dismayed faces when they discovered their teachers were gone after the New Year. He would have to find a way to comfort them then. Finding teachers of the same caliber would be challenging; if it came to it, he could just become a teacher himself.

Unbeknownst to Grandpa Murong, Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, and Xue Shilou had entered the students’ dreams that night, bidding farewell to each of them individually. They urged them to continue their training diligently and not to slack off simply because their teachers were gone, emphasizing that what they had learned was sufficient for a lifetime. The students cried in their dreams, and upon waking with red, swollen eyes, they realized it hadn't been merely a dream. Gong Che, Shi Yi, Fang Zhige, and Su Yuan were the most mature of the students. The moment they realized Teacher Lu was Lu Yang, they had anticipated this outcome, yet when it truly happened, it remained difficult to accept.

“The Snow Emperor is no longer here, but you can still be considered my successor. Are you willing to cultivate with me?” the Snow Emperor asked seriously. He hadn't found a true inheritor in eighty thousand years, and now with Xue Shilou, such a promising talent, he could finally nurture one properly.

“I am willing!” Xue Shilou immediately prostrated himself three times and offered tea to the Snow Emperor, which made the Snow Emperor laugh heartily.

Lu Yang recalled something and went to the backyard, where he saw Old Ma standing upright, packing freeze-dried wild grass. He wouldn't be able to find this kind of grass once they left the Extreme North. What Lu Yang had recalled wasn't Old Ma, but rather the tree by his room's entrance.

Beneath the tree, Yang Kongdong's corpse was found, but it was being gnawed on—or perhaps digested—by the tree roots. Lu Yang was startled. How had this tree become so sinister? He had only fed it the corpse of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Luo Shi, and that of a Soul Transformation cultivator, Carefree Wanderer.

“It's likely that after Leng Ningxiang's obsession dissipated, her instincts remained with this tree,” analyzed the Immortal Fairy. “In a way, she and Yang Kongdong will be together forever.”

“While it looks a bit sinister, nothing else will happen once it finishes consuming Yang Kongdong's body.”

The more professional Si Ming also offered an analysis: “This tree has already gained sentience, or one could say it's a form of reincarnation, a cycle unrelated to a past life.”

“When this tree develops true intelligence, it will be an entirely new life form.”

Lu Yang broadly understood what was happening but was more concerned about another matter: “Does this pose a threat to the martial arts academy?”

Si Ming shook his head. “No, if the martial arts academy cultivates this tree properly, it can continuously protect the academy until it develops legs and takes on a human form.”

“That's good.”

“An earthquake in the Extreme North?” Dai Bufan was utterly bewildered by the newly delivered intelligence. Since the Extreme North was vast, sparsely populated, and relatively isolated, he rarely paid attention to events there. But even with minimal attention, he knew that earthquakes had never occurred in the Extreme North.

“Senior Brother Dai, we're back!”

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, two individuals of great merit, returned triumphantly. Old Ma had frantically galloped back, pulling them and a cart filled with immortals. Despite their significant gains in the Extreme North, no matter how substantial, they were still disciples of the Dao Inquiring Sect and Dai Bufan's junior brothers. Any external achievements had to be reported to him.

“You two returned from the Extreme North?” Dai Bufan was surprised. Seeing Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's beaming, joyful smiles reminded him of Junior Sister Gantian's similar expression when she returned from the Demon Realm, indicating she had achieved success in her cultivation and gained much there.

“It seems you two had quite the haul in the Extreme North?”

“Senior Brother Dai, you're truly perceptive!” Lu Yang gave a thumbs-up, genuinely admiring him.

“Alright, tell me, what exactly did you two do in the Extreme North?” Listening to others' experiences in the mortal world aided one's own cultivation; this was a principle Dai Bufan had learned during his Void Refinement stage, and it remained true now.

“Senior Brother Dai, as you know, we always advocate for low-key cultivation and integrating into the mortal world. So, Old Meng and I decided to become teachers at a martial arts academy, teaching students martial arts…”

“The academy's head wasn't highly cultivated, merely at the early Golden Core stage, and he was unaware of our true identities.”

“Our students were also ordinary people, though naturally, there were a few exceptional ones among them…”

Dai Bufan nodded repeatedly, finding their story plausible. Even Grand Senior Sister had mentioned Junior Brother Lu went to the Extreme North to temper himself, but it seemed she could be mistaken too; Junior Brother Lu clearly went to the Extreme North to experience mortal life.

“Then Yang Kongdong, the leader of the Heartless Sect, began fighting with Sect Master Mu and Sect Master Chi…”

Just as Dai Bufan was about to nod, he abruptly stopped, leaned forward, and stared intently at the two of them. “What did you just say?!” Didn't you just finish talking about a class meeting? How did we suddenly jump to the leader of the Heartless Sect?!

“We don't know,” Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou said, looking at Dai Bufan innocently. They genuinely hadn't understood how Yang Kongdong came to fight Mu Baiyi.

“Perhaps it was an internal conflict within the demonic sects?” Meng Jingzhou speculated. This was precisely why they had come to report their experiences in the Extreme North to Dai Bufan. As righteous cultivators, they couldn't keep quiet about major events like internal conflicts among demonic sects or a struggle between righteous and demonic forces.

“Continue your story.”

“...And so, Old Lu and I confronted Yang Kongdong. Then my cultivation plummeted, while Old Lu soared to the peak of Tribulation Transcension to continue fighting him.”

“...Then Si Ming of the Great Qian Dynasty and the Nine-layered Immortal began fighting, a battle so fierce it shook heaven and earth.”

Dai Bufan pondered, feeling as though he had missed a crucial part of the story. How did the narrative jump from teaching mortals martial arts to an immortal battle? Other Void Refinement cultivators either integrated into the mortal world or honed their skills through battle. How did you two manage to hone your skills *through* mortal life?

“Junior Brother Lu defeated Yang Kongdong. Where is Yang Kongdong now?”

When asked, Lu Yang looked a little embarrassed. “Would you believe me if I said his corpse was eaten by a tree?” Lu Yang clapped his hand. “I knew you wouldn't believe it, Senior Brother, so we invited the key witness.”

“Let me tell you, inviting him wasn't easy; even Grand Senior Sister had to get involved.”

“A witness?”

Lu Yang turned, opened the door, and respectfully welcomed the Nine-layered Immortal. “This is the Nine-layered Immortal Venerable, the first immortal in ancient times!”

The Nine-layered Immortal was a very polite person. Knowing the cultivation world was vast and customs varied, he understood that upon arriving at the Dao Inquiring Sect, he had to observe their customs, and staying for a period required registration. He strode into the room, revealing a gentle smile. “You can call me Nine-layered Immortal… Wait, why did he faint?”