Hearing the words of Ancestor White Tiger, Hao Yunzi was stunned for a moment and replied, “But I have not yet repaid the kindness of your teachings, Master. Why did you leave without saying goodbye back then?”
“Hao’er, everyone has their own path to walk. The hardest thing is parting.” Ancestor White Tiger smiled. “That is why I did not wish to say farewell. I did not want to add more sorrow.”
“You still have the time to reminisce here?” the old crone sneered.
With a wave of her right hand, dark spiritforce surged, countless ghost heads and miserable wails spread out from within.
Ancestor White Tiger raised his head and lightly lifted his eyelids. It was clear his mood was not good.
With a single palm strike, the clouds split, mist scattered, and a palm that blotted out the sky descended. The dark spiritforce violently shook.
The old crone had no time to react before she was heavily slapped into the earth, driven thousands of meters deep underground.
“So Master has returned this time to help the Academy out of crisis?” Hao Yunzi continued to ask. “Will you stay and not leave again?”
“You should ask the Dean,” Ancestor White Tiger replied with a smile.
Seeing the expectant look in Hao Yunzi’s eyes, the woman in the white dress fell silent for a moment before speaking. “I am naturally glad if Grandmaster returns. But if you wish to forcibly seize the position of Dean, I will not yield. It is not that I covet the position of Dean, but since my master entrusted it to me, I must fulfill that promise.”
“Master, do you want to be Dean?” Hao Yunzi asked in surprise, looking at Ancestor White Tiger.
Ancestor White Tiger did not answer directly but smiled and said, “Hao’er, you have grown a lot.”
“I have only just stepped into the Immortal Path,” Hao Yunzi said dejectedly. “When I first became your disciple, among all the disciples I was the worst in talent. Even though I have worked hard for so many years, I have barely progressed, and I fear I have disappointed you.”
The group chatted as if reminiscing.
Meanwhile, Xu Zimo was not idle. He used the Codex of Life and Death to drag the struggling Half-Moon Saint and Universal True Immortal toward the black hole to be devoured.
Without the obstruction of the old crone, no matter how much the two resisted and begged, it was useless.
Finally, with their last screams, they disappeared into the black hole formed by the Codex of Life and Death.
After absorbing the life souls of the two powerful ones, a stream of light flashed across the surface of the Codex of Life and Death.
All things have spirits. As a godly artifact, the Codex of Life and Death naturally had its own spirit. But because of its separation from the Brush of Life and Death, it had been damaged and fallen into slumber.
Now, after absorbing these life souls, it seemed to awaken slightly, transmitting a sense of satisfaction to Xu Zimo.
Xu Zimo, however, seemed unsatisfied and turned his gaze toward the old crone in the deep pit.
He now had a rough idea of how strong the Nirvana Void realm was.
When fighting earlier with Ancestor White Tiger, the latter had not even used full strength, merely testing him.
Now, with just one palm strike, he had gravely injured the Immortal-level old crone.
He activated the Codex of Life and Death again, using its chains to drag the old crone from thousands of meters underground, preparing to devour her.
As for the matter of Ancestor White Tiger, Xu Zimo had no intention of meddling. That was not a realm he could deal with.
Unless he summoned Paimon and the others. But Xu Zimo always felt that unless it was absolutely necessary, the path he walked should rely as little as possible on external forces.
As he devoured the old crone, he cast a glance at the others nearby.
……
“Hao’er, go and tend to your wounds,” Ancestor White Tiger said with a wave of his hand.
“Master, are you going to become an enemy of the Academy?” Hao Yunzi said in disbelief. “Why? You were one of those who helped establish the Heavenly Dao Academy back then.”
“I told you to go heal. Will you not even listen to your master’s words?” Ancestor White Tiger’s eyes grew cold as he spoke calmly. “This matter is not for you to interfere with.”
“As a member of the Academy, how can I not interfere?” Hao Yunzi’s face was filled with grief as he sighed. “You are my master, and I do not wish to oppose you. But the Academy is my home, and I cannot sit by idly. Today I will take my own life here to end all attachment.”
After saying this, Hao Yunzi drew his sword and slashed toward his own neck.
Ancestor White Tiger’s eyes narrowed. With a flick of his right hand, a white spiritforce shot out and knocked Hao Yunzi unconscious.
In a flash, he caught his disciple’s falling body and muttered, “Foolish child, foolish child.”
The Heavenly Dao Academy had been established in the Desolate Era.
In that time, when the Beast Race ruled, humanity struggled in everything.
Later, during the Imperial Era, the Heavenly Dao Academy prospered.
Teaching without discrimination, students came from all corners of the land.
Hao Yunzi had entered as part of the third batch of students. At that time, his talent was the worst and he had been directly expelled from the Academy.
It was only because Ancestor White Tiger pitied him that he took him as a disciple.
Looking at his unconscious disciple in his arms, Ancestor White Tiger remained silent for a long time.
“Enough, enough. Back then, it was only a grudge between me and Green Tiger. What does it have to do with you juniors?”
With his right hand, he tore open the void before him and stepped in with Hao Yunzi.
His heavy voice echoed in the empty void.
“White girl, manage the Academy well.”
“Respectfully seeing Grandmaster off,” the woman in the white dress bowed slightly, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Who was that old man?” Xu Zimo came over and asked.
“What old man? Grandmaster is one of the founders of our Academy. Now that you are part of the Academy, you should call him Ancestor,” the woman glared at Xu Zimo and said.
“That makes me fall several generations lower in an instant,” Xu Zimo laughed. “If he is part of the Academy, why did he come to cause trouble during its time of crisis? Also, as far as I know, he is not one of the Ten Founders, right?”
“The Ten Founders were indeed the greatest contributors to the Academy’s establishment. But such a great institution cannot be built by only ten people.”
The woman in white said, “This relates to some secrets. I’ll tell you, but you must not spread it outside. Among the Ten Founders, Sage Green Tiger and Ancestor White Tiger were once fellow disciples. After the Academy was established, Sage Green Tiger became one of the Ten Founders, while Ancestor White Tiger was not chosen. Naturally, he felt unbalanced. After all, back then, many people had made great contributions to the Academy’s founding. The first Dean of the Academy was Sage Green Tiger. Ancestor White Tiger always coveted the position, hoping that after Green Tiger retired, he would become the second Dean. But unfortunately, Green Tiger passed the position to my master, and later my master passed it to me. Ancestor White Tiger, furious, left the Academy.”
“Then that Sage Green Tiger was pretty ruthless,” Xu Zimo laughed.
“You don’t understand, so don’t talk nonsense,” the woman rolled her eyes at him and explained. “The Dean’s position is not something just anyone strong can hold. It requires managing the Academy and planning for its future. Ancestor White Tiger may be powerful, but he knew nothing about such matters. How could he be Dean?”