My disciples are all villains.

Ye Tianxin tried her best to calm her racing heart and maintained her stillness. Her instincts told her that Cheng Huang was not hostile. Otherwise, she would have been dead long ago.

"Cheng Huang?"

Cheng Huang did not respond. Its delicate eyelashes moved as its eyes moved.

"Do you recognize me?" Ye Tianxin attempted to communicate with it.

However, Cheng Huang could not speak the tongue of men. It merely looked at her silently.

Just when Ye Tianxin was about to try again...

Ou!

Cheng Huang cried out. Then, it stepped forward and ran.

Ye Tianxin nearly lost her footing. She quickly circulated her Primal Qi to stabilize herself. With her previous experience in mind, she was not in much of a wretched state compared to before. She quickly held tight with energy seals and faced forward.

The endless forest was ahead of her, countless winged beasts were above her, and countless vicious beasts were around her.

Ye Tianxin was greatly shocked by the sight.

Cheng Huang leaped across a small forest patch before it finally descended and came to a halt. Then, it sat on the ground and raised its head, letting out a cry that was clearer and louder than before.

Ou!

Its cry resounded through the surroundings, instantly causing the beasts in the vicinity to scamper away.

Ye Tianxin looked at the skies. She noticed a 100-foot tall stone statue opposite a lake. The statue was of a woman.

Ye Tianxin who was shocked by this sight flew over and landed near the statue's feet. She discovered the word 'Fairfolk' etched on the statue's feet. There were smaller rows of letters protected by Formation veins. However, with the erosion that came with time, the carvings were no longer illegible. They were now a collection of dents and holes.

For some unknown reason, when Ye Tianxin saw the word 'Fairfolk', tough as she was, she could not control her emotions and began to cry.

Scenes of the past played out in her mind.

The citizens of the Fish Dragon Village seemed to be standing before her.

Alas, everything had changed.

However, her efforts had paid off. Her hard work was worth it.

Cheng Huang cried out at this moment, pulling her back from her thoughts.

Ye Tianxin quickly calmed herself down before she turned around. She stood at the feet of the statue, dressed in garments as white as snow. Her gaze seemed more in her garments as white as snow. Her gaze seemed more steadfast than before.

"Cheng Huang, I, Ye Tianxin, have found you."

Cheng Huang lowered its head and body. Its nose touched the surface of the lake.

The small lake was only the size of its palm.

Ye Tianxin was puzzled. "Are you telling me to drink from the lake?"

Cheng Huang shook its head.

"Bathe?"

Cheng Huang nodded.

Ye Tianxin. "…"

She was a woman, after all. How could she not feel embarrassed about bathing out in the open?

Swoosh!

Cheng Huang suddenly swung its paw at her.

Ye Tianxin started. She instinctively conjured up her Primal Qi and condense it into energy to defend herself.

Bam!

Ye Tianxin was sent flying.

Splash!

She fell into the lake.

Ye Tianxin poked her head out of the water with a quizzical expression on her face.

Cheng Huang lowered its head and looked at her with what seemed like a helpless expression. It raised its paw as though to say it had been gentle with her. Then, wind stirred in the air as it turned around and leaped away.

When the place finally fell silent, Cheng Huang was no longer anywhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, she felt the warmth from the lake… The water contained some unique Primal Qi that was surging toward her. It felt exceptionally comfortable. "What a unique lake!"

She lowered her head and was amazed to find a huge Formation at the bottom of the lake.

The Formation illuminated the entire water body and shone through the surface, casting an imprint of its veins in the skies.

The Primal Qi contained within the Formation began to surge wildly into her body at this moment, and she felt her dantian's sea of Qi filling up. She was shocked to discover her cultivation base was improving just by submerging herself in the lake!

The energy from the lake kept surging toward her.

She did not dare to let her thoughts wander. She quickly sat with her legs crossed, half-submerged in the lake, and closed her eyes.

Primal Qi began to gather around her at an alarming speed.

…

The next day.

In the discussion hall of the Taixu Academy.

"The Evil Sky Pavilion is an insufferable bully! They killed 100 of our disciples at the heaven worship platform and another 100 on Penglai Island… Jiang Renyi, Jiang Lizhi, and Yuan Chong all died in battle. The Golden Taixu Mirror has also been taken by the Evil Sky Pavilion! I can't let this enmity go!" Xiao Shan, the president, said.

"That's right… The Evil Sky Pavilion has gone too far. Patriarch… we can't just let this slide."

At this moment, one of the elders rained on their parade and said, "The Evil Sky Pavilion's Ji Tiandao is at the Nine-leaf stage… How are you planning to seek revenge?"

They were loud when they vented their anger earlier, but they were rendered speechless now.

Seated higher than the others, Lin Xin frowned slightly and said, "A warrior may be killed but never humiliated… The Taixu Academy has always been on good terms with the Divine Capital and never colluded with parties of dishonest conduct. If we make a request to the Divine Capital's Imperial family to intervene, maybe use the Ten Terminal Formation to lay out an inescapable net, perhaps, we can capture a Nine-leaf cultivator."

"That's right! A warrior may be killed but never humiliated! Old Villain Ji has never regarded us as humans! His Majesty has been experiencing successive breakthroughs. He might be the next Nine-leaf cultivator after Old Villain Ji. When that time comes, we'll see how the old villain can remain as obnoxious as he is now!"

At this moment, the voice of one of the disciples rang from outside…

"Report! A letter from the Divine Capital."

"The Divine Capital? Who is it from?"

The disciple opened the letter and said, "It… it looks like it's from the Evil Sky Pavilion."

Why would a letter of the Evil Sky Pavilion be sent from the Divine Capital? With no time to dwell upon it, Li Xin said, "Read it."

The disciple scanned the contents of the letter. Various expressions flitted across his face as he read the letter.

Xiao Shan, the president, frowned and said impatiently, "You were told to read the letter. Be quick about it!"

The disciple gulped before he began to read aloud, "I'm the first Nine-leaf expert under the heavens, the master of the Evil Sky Pavilion, master of nine disciples, do you fear me now? I'm demanding an explanation from Lin Xin, the Patriarch of the Taixu Academy Patriarch, within seven days. If you fail to do so, I'll kill your entire family! Ha-ha-ha!"

The others frowned. They regarded the disciple with puzzled expressions. "???"

Were these the words of the Evil Sky Pavilion's Patriarch, Ji Tiandao? Was it not some hooligan impersonating him? They had their doubts, but none of them dared to say anything.

Bam!

The old Lin Xin slammed his palm on the table, causing it to shatter immediately. "He's bullying us just because he's a Nine-leaf cultivator… I'll be damned if there isn't a way for us to deal with him!"

However, Xiao Shan who was seated next to Lin Xin suddenly rose to his feet and said, "Patriarch… Why don't you… apologize to him?"

"Hm?" Lin Xin glared at Xiao Shan.

The elders around Lin Xin rose to their feet and bowed at him as well.

"Patriarch, the Taixu Academy has suffered a lot to reach where we are today. We can't afford to offend the Evil Sky Pavilion."

"That's right. The Evil Sky Pavilion's villain doesn't bat an eyelid when he kills someone. None of the ten great sects had a good end. The Taixu Academy has worked hard to be where it is today. We can't let it be destroyed overnight!"

"When one of us attains the Nine-leaf stage in the future, we'll surely get our revenge, but until then…"

Lin Xin's wizened face and eyelids twitched. Just moments ago, were they not filled with indignation due to the injustice of the situation? It did not seem like they thought much of a Nine-leaf cultivator when they were cursing him earlier. Was it… all an act?

Lin Xin's gaze darkened. He looked at them resentfully for not meeting his expectations. He said through gritted teeth, "I'd rather die than submit! I'll head to the Divine Capital tomorrow. I'll see who can do anything to me then!"

"…"

…

Meanwhile, the story of the Evil Sky Pavilion's Patriarch holding up the floating island with his hand spread like a wildfire.

It spread to Yu Province City. It was the talk of the people in the taverns and teahouses. Some even made it into a saga and wrote songs about it.

"Comrade, I'm sorry to bother you. Can you repeat your tale about how the Evil Sky Pavilion's Patriarch propped up the floating island with his hand?" a green-robed swordsman to a cultivator opposite him in a teahouse.

"If you want to hear it, I'll tell you all about it…" the cultivator replied with a smile.