Chapter 125 Departure
Inside the great hall.
The top figures of Wendao Academy were engaged in an intense discussion about the available slots for this round of training in the Taixu Secret Realm.
Meanwhile, Chu Feng quietly sat to the side, sipping tea, showing no intention of interjecting.
An hour later, everyone reached a consensus.
The Dean announced, "Since all of you are in agreement, then I hereby declare the allocation of slots for the Taixu Secret Realm as follows:
There will be sixty slots for core disciples. The top twenty in the Core Disciples Grand Competition will automatically qualify, while the remaining slots will be selected by each of the nine institutes.
There will be forty slots for inner sect disciples. The top ten from both the Inner and Outer Disciples Grand Competitions will directly qualify, and the remaining will be selected by the nine institutes.
Ten elders or heads from the academy will accompany the group—one from each institute. Apart from the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, all others must send Nirvana Realm experts.
Does anyone have any objections?"
All those present responded in unison, "We have no objections."
After the meeting adjourned, Chu Feng left the hall with the Xuanhuo Pill King.
The Xuanhuo Pill King said, "Xiao Feng, this time, I'll have Marquis Qinglian from the Pill Dao Institute lead the team. Before you all depart, I'll host a banquet for the two of you, so that you can look out for each other on the road."
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior, but it should be me hosting," Chu Feng replied with a cheerful smile.
The Xuanhuo Pill King chuckled, "Alright then, I'll give you the chance. Qian'er told me your cooking skills are excellent—this time, I'll be sure to try them myself."
Chu Feng responded, "No problem."
The news about the Taixu Secret Realm slots quickly spread throughout Wendao Academy.
The disciples were going all out to compete for the remaining sixty slots.
In the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, aside from the two newly initiated disciples, the other four automatically qualified for the trip to the secret realm, so everyone resumed their usual cultivation routine.
That night, Chu Feng soaked his feet while enjoying a massage from Elder Bing.
Just as he was relaxing into it, Elder Bing's cold voice suddenly sounded by his ear.
"Mr. Chu, there's something I'd like to tell you."
"Speak."
Chu Feng didn't even lift his eyelids.
"I plan to return to the Heavenly Spirit Institute to go into seclusion and attempt a breakthrough into the Nirvana Realm." Elder Bing stopped massaging as she spoke.
Hearing this, Chu Feng abruptly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Elder Bing's elegant face. He instinctively blurted out, "That's great news. How's your Taiji Sword Technique progressing?"
Elder Bing instinctively avoided Chu Feng's gaze and replied softly, "It's close to mastery. I want to use that momentum to enter seclusion and perfect my sword intent—to comprehend the true meaning of the Sword Dao."
A smile played at the corner of Chu Feng's lips. "Congratulations."
"Thanks to your guidance, Mr. Chu, I was able to shorten the time needed for my breakthrough," Elder Bing said.
"..."
A moment later, Chu Feng personally saw Elder Bing off from the Miscellaneous Dao Institute. Watching her figure vanish into the distance, he didn't dwell on it and went straight back to his room, casually picking up a storybook and immersing himself in the world of romance and history.
In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
That morning, Chu Feng woke up earlier than usual and glanced at his attribute panel.
"Over eight hundred years of cultivation… Let's hope it's enough."
He went to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute's treasury and picked a sacred sword once highly praised by his cheap master. Hanging it at his waist, he held a folding fan in hand and swayed it gently as he walked toward the main gate.
"We greet you, Master."
Xiao Chen had already gathered the junior brothers and sisters, waiting at the gate.
"No need for formality."
As Chu Feng spoke, his gaze landed on Xu Caichen.
"Caichen, while I'm away, you must learn to take care of yourself. If you run into trouble, use your literary energy to activate the sword aura sealed in this jade pendant, then go to the Pill Dao Institute and seek out Senior Xuanhuo to speak on your behalf."
Xu Caichen respectfully accepted the jade pendant and said, "Disciple will obey Master's instructions."
Chu Feng then waved his hand. "Let's go."
"Understood!"
After answering in unison, Xiao Chen and the others followed Chu Feng, flying toward Wendao Academy's plaza on their artifacts.
Over the past year, the four chief disciples under Chu Feng had all made progress. Xiao Chen had reached the third level of the Heaven Origin Realm, Cao Youqian advanced to the ninth level of the True Fate Realm—just one step away from Heaven Origin.
Qin Qin had reached the sixth level of the True Fate Realm, while Fatty had been traveling between Yunmeng Swamp and Wendao Academy, and had cultivated to the peak of the Dao Foundation Realm, half a step away from True Fate.
When they arrived at the plaza, disciples participating in this round of training in the Taixu Secret Realm were also gathering.
The one leading the group this time was the head of the External Affairs Institute—King Hengjiang.
As a junior, Chu Feng stepped forward first and greeted him: "Senior Hengjiang."
King Hengjiang stroked his beard and said, "Xiao Feng, it's been a while. You're still as carefree as ever."
Chu Feng replied with a smile, "Not at all. I actually envy you, Senior—you wave your hand and command an army of a hundred thousand, sweeping across the land."
"Hahaha…"
King Hengjiang let out a hearty laugh. "This is the first time I've found you so amusing. Once we board the flying vessel, we'll sit down and have a proper drink. The elders from the other institutes should be arriving soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, several figures flew in from the horizon.
Two of them were familiar to Chu Feng. His eyes lit up slightly at the sight of that cold and elegant figure, and he stepped forward with some surprise: "Elder Bing, are you also going with the team to the Taixu Secret Realm?"
As soon as he said this, the surrounding people looked at Chu Feng and Elder Bing with gossipy expressions.
After all, rumors about the two of them had long since spread throughout Wendao Academy. A woman washing a man's feet late at night—how normal could their relationship be?
Not to mention, Elder Bing was originally expected to take over a decade to break through to Nirvana, yet after meeting Chu Feng, she managed it in just two years.
If someone claimed Elder Bing didn't learn anything from Chu Feng while washing his feet, no one would believe it.
Elder Bing gave a small nod. "Mm."
Only then did Chu Feng realize she had indeed broken through to the Nirvana Realm. "Congratulations, Elder Bing, on your breakthrough."
King Hengjiang laughed and said, "Xiao Feng, you two can catch up later—once we're on the flying vessel, there'll be plenty of time. Let's go, the disciples are all still waiting for us."
"Alright."
Chu Feng had a faint feeling that King Hengjiang's words carried some hidden meaning, but he couldn't quite figure out what was odd about them.
Moments later, more than a hundred people from Wendao Academy boarded the flying vessel.
There weren't many from the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, so King Hengjiang arranged six rooms for them.
Besides Chu Feng and his four disciples, Xiao Chen's guardian—the Marquis of Moving Mountains—was also among them.
The Taixu Secret Realm was located over a million li from Wendao Academy, and not even within the academy's sphere of influence or that of its affiliated forces.
Even with a flying vessel, it would take three months to arrive.
But for cultivators, three months was just the length of a seclusion session.
Chu Feng spent his days drinking with King Hengjiang and Marquis Qingyan, eventually even roping in the Marquis of Moving Mountains.
Three months passed in a flash.
That morning, Chu Feng was still fast asleep when a series of loud knocks on the door woke him.
"What is it?"
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