I was just making up techniques... how did all of you become Emperors?

"A new year is approaching again."

Inside the main residence of the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, Chu Feng stood in the courtyard and sighed.

Ever since he had transmigrated, he hadn't properly celebrated a new year. After all, for cultivators, a single year passes in the blink of an eye.

Over the course of this year, all his disciples had made progress.

Xiao Chen broke through to the second layer of Spirit Nurturing, Cao Youqian reached the seventh layer of Heavenly Origin, Qin Qin reached the third layer, Wang Baole the eighth layer of True Fate, Ye Beixuan the ninth layer of Dao Foundation, and Xu Caichen reached the fifth layer of Dao Foundation.

This alone had added 260 years of cultivation to Chu Feng's own. Now, his cultivation had reached 1,800 years.

However, after stepping into the Half-Saint realm, advancing further no longer relied solely on years of cultivation—it also depended on one's comprehension of the truths of the Dao.

At present, Chu Feng had grasped forty Dao Truths, which placed him at roughly the mid-level among Half-Saints.

To break through from Half-Saint to Saint, one must at least comprehend eighty-one Dao Truths to begin deducing their personal Dao Laws through the auspicious number of nine times nine.

But not every Half-Saint chooses to deduce their Dao Laws at eighty-one Dao Truths. Some wait until they have a full hundred. Anyone who comprehends a hundred Dao Truths can surely deduce a Dao Law.

However, that would only be a basic Dao Law. To deduce a perfect Dao Law, one must gather 999 Dao Truths.

That was Chu Feng's goal: to collect 999 Dao Truths. At that thought, he remembered his two newest disciples.

"I wonder how those two little ones, Han Ping and Caiyi, are doing in their cultivation?"

He murmured softly, just as he was about to go check on them when a familiar mechanical voice rang out in his mind.

[Disciple Han Ping has entered the first stage of the Longevity Art and broken through a minor realm. Host is rewarded with mastery of the Longevity Art and +10 cultivation years.]

Hearing this, Chu Feng murmured, "So this is Han boy's New Year's gift to me… not bad, not bad."

Smiling, he quickened his pace and walked toward the residence where Han Ping was staying.

———

At the mountain gate of the Wendao Academy.

A figure suddenly descended from the sky, immediately drawing the attention of the patrolling disciples.

The head steward, along with several junior disciples, quickly approached and called out, "Who goes there?"

The newcomer was an old man with graying hair and beard. He smiled at the disciples and said, "This old man, Mo Yu, was once a disciple of Wendao Academy. Today, I've come to visit an old friend. Here is my identity token from back then."

As he spoke, Mo Yu handed over a waist token.

The steward received the token and examined it, confirming that it was indeed an authentic Wendao Academy token. However, the seal on it indicated 'departed,' which meant this senior had long since left the academy.

"So it's a visit from Martial Uncle. May I ask which elder you wish to see? I'll send word right away."

Mo Yu smiled. "I've come to see Elder Bai from the Outer Affairs Institute—my junior brother Bai. Please assist me."

The steward happened to be from the Outer Affairs Institute himself, and upon hearing this, his attitude grew even more respectful.

"Senior, please wait a moment."

With that, he whistled. A spirit eagle appeared in front of the group.

He whispered a few words to the spirit eagle, which then took off, flying toward the Outer Affairs Institute.

Before even the time of one incense stick passed, a hearty voice came from the sky: "Senior Brother Mo! What wind blew you in today?"

Even before the words had finished, Elder Bai descended from the sky and landed in front of Mo Yu.

Mo Yu laughed and said, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go share a drink first—then I'll explain everything."

"Of course, no problem."

Elder Bai nodded and led Mo Yu toward the Outer Affairs Institute.

Inside a separate residence within the Outer Affairs Institute, a short time later.

Elder Bai said, "Senior Brother Mo, it's been over two hundred years since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"

Mo Yu nodded. "Indeed. In the blink of an eye, two hundred years have passed. When I left Wendao Academy, you and I were both still inner disciples. And now, you're already an Elder in the Dao Integration Realm."

Elder Bai chuckled and asked, "As the saying goes, one doesn't visit the temple without reason. What brings you to me this time, Senior Brother?"

Mo Yu didn't reply. Instead, he released his full cultivation pressure. In an instant, the aura of the Nirvana Realm blanketed the entire residence.

Elder Bai felt the overwhelming pressure and his expression changed slightly.

"Senior Brother… it's only been two hundred years, and you've already reached Nirvana!"

Sigh…

Mo Yu let out a long sigh. "Setbacks forge growth. Over the past two hundred years, I've experienced the highs and lows of life. At one point, the Mo family nearly came to an end."

Hearing this, Elder Bai suddenly recalled an incident from a hundred years ago. He had believed back then that his senior brother had perished during that upheaval. He never imagined that not only had he survived, but had also grown even stronger. Could it be that he himself had simply grown too comfortable?

"So, Senior Brother, you're here at Wendao Academy today to seek reinforcements? You want us to help you reclaim Tiandao Villa?"

Mo Yu smiled. "Not exactly. I came this time to take Baole with me. A few years ago, I personally escorted him here in secret. Only after watching him safely enter Wendao Academy did I take the risk and break through to Nirvana."

"Now that I've reached Nirvana, of course I must take Baole back with me—to train him in the Mo family's Heavenly Saber, and to follow me in retaking Tiandao Villa."

As Elder Bai listened, the image of a chubby young boy slowly appeared in his mind.

"So Martial Nephew Wang is your grandson. No wonder he came with a Wendao Token. I had wondered why a child from the Wang family would have a token belonging to the Mo clan."

Halfway through his sentence, Elder Bai's tone shifted.

"Senior Brother Mo, after coming out of seclusion, you haven't looked into recent events in the cultivation world, have you?"

Mo Yu shook his head. "I've been too anxious to find my grandson. How could I spare the time for idle gossip?"

"No wonder."

Elder Bai's expression revealed sudden clarity.

But in Mo Yu's eyes, this expression seemed to suggest something else. His face darkened slightly. "Junior Brother Bai, don't tell me something happened to Baole at Wendao Academy?"

Elder Bai chuckled. "Of course not. Unless a sage or great sage descends, no one in this world could harm Martial Nephew Wang. But I don't think he'll leave with you. Times have changed."

They were both clever men. Mo Yu instantly picked up on the implication in Bai's words—he was hinting that the Mo family's Heavenly Saber legacy had fallen into decline.

If he didn't know that Junior Brother Bai wasn't the type to flatter the strong and trample the weak, he might have exploded right then.

"Junior Brother Bai, can you give me a straight answer?"

Elder Bai smiled. "Since Senior Brother wants an answer, then come with me to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute."

Crash!

Upon hearing this, Mo Yu slammed the teacup in his hand violently onto the ground.

The sudden outburst left everyone in the residence momentarily stunned.

???

Elder Bai looked at Mo Yu in confusion. "Senior Brother, why the sudden temper?"

Mo Yu said coldly, "Junior Brother Bai, you dare ask? My Mo family descendant came to Wendao Academy bearing the Wendao Token, and your Outer Affairs Institute sent him off to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute? Isn't that a slap in our Mo family's face?"

Elder Bai didn't get angry at the accusation. Instead, he chuckled and calmly explained, "Even if you're furious, Senior Brother, there's no need to lose your temper so quickly. Let's go to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute and see Martial Nephew Wang first. Then you can say whatever you like."

As the saying goes: one doesn't strike a smiling man.

Though still displeased, Mo Yu suppressed his fury. "Fine. I'd like to see for myself how you people have handled Baole!!"

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