There was one thing about Shen Pojun that Bai Yunfei noted in particular when he first saw the man.
It wasn’t just the fact that Shen Pojun’s aura was immensely more vibrant than before, or that he was far more collected. If anything, Bai Yunfei could hardly even see if the man was stronger than before.
But if there was one thing he had to note, it was that Shen Pojun now gave off the same sensation the Frostfeather Saint did.
The same sensation the Frostfeather Saint gave when the two split ways, rather than when the two first met…
The Frostfeather Saint was powerful beyond belief when he regained his freedom, and that wasn’t even him in his strongest state. In the end, the Frostfeather Saint decided to repay Bai Yunfei by allowing him to experience what it was like to manipulate chaotic energy and opened up an avenue for him to understand the Law of Chaos, which ultimately helped him improve. In turn, it was these experiences that Bai Yunfei was able to pass down to Shen Pojun.
It was this same feeling Bai Yunfei felt from Shen Pojun at this moment!
What did that mean? It didn’t mean something like Shen Pojun being ‘just’ a newly-ascended Soul Saint. It meant that the man had gained a great deal of enlightenment on how to manipulate chaotic energy and the Law of Chaos to immensely power himself up yet again!
Knowing that the ancestor had benefited more from his help than expected, Bai Yunfei bowed respectfully. “Ancestor.”
“Be at ease.” Shen Pojun smiled, “Please take a seat, Yunfei...”
To say Shen Pojun was pleased with the ‘new’ and ‘upcoming’ crafter, Bai Yunfei, was an understatement. He knew that without Bai Yunfei’s assistance, it would’ve been very possible he wouldn’t have been able to stand here today. In just four days of consolidating his new powers, Shen Pojun was able to gain an even better understanding of chaotic energy than the regular Early-stage Soul Saint. Even his fundamentals on the Law of Chaos would serve to help him greatly in the future.
That was one of the reasons why he was able to stay in chaotic space for as long as he did. Ordinarily, a newly-ascended Saint would only be able to endure half a day at best before getting filled up on the chaotic energy and having to familiarize themselves with it.
……
Dozens of people were gathered in the halls now. Even Song Lin and a few other promising students were there for Shen Pojun to glance over. With each student, Shen Pojun gave an appraising nod.
All discussion died down when Shen Pojun cast his eyes around. No one dared to make a sound as they were looked over by him.
Shen Pojun smiled. “It truly makes me gratified to see my school so prosperous.
“But,” He cut to the chase, “today we are gathered for discourse. I am familiar with the conflict that has overtaken our continent. I would have the Crafting School stand neutral in this conflict, but the times have changed. With the world of soul cultivators in such trouble, there will be parties that will mistake our stance as soft and attack us. We can defend ourselves, but regardless, this is not a course of action I would hope to continue…”
A cold gleam of light entered his eyes, “Our Crafting School has been dormant for many years now, perhaps it is time we finally rouse from that slumber. It is time to show those who would mean us harm how they will be the ones to suffer instead! We will not stop with only those men who attacked us!”
Shen Pojun’s speech began to rouse the excitement in everyone’s hearts. His words were filling them all with great inspiration.
“Our enemies this time are the Wind Lightning School and the Soul Refining School. We know of the Soul Refining School being in the Lost Swamps, but finding their location will not be easy. The Wind Lightning School, on the other hand, is a different story. Whatever they did unto us, we will do unto them! By my will, the Wind Lightning School will be attacked and burned down to their roots!!”
The entire hall was flooded with a flood of killing intent, rooting everyone to where they stood.
Destroying one of the ten schools, the Wind Lightning School? And completely?!
Though it was a ridiculous claim, the very notion of it also filled all of the crafters with insurmountable courage!
Yes! If the Wind Lightning School was so foolish to attack their school, then they saw no reason why they shouldn’t serve them their own medicine!
Multiple people began to burst into discussion. It was far too great a bombshell to not discuss. But there was no objection—clearly many of them had come to the same opinion themselves.
The Crafting School had indeed taken a low profile in the past few decades. Hardly any crafters roamed the world, and even less of them took a stance in any particular conflict in the world of soul cultivators. They never had any grudges, but now that an enemy had dared to attack their own school like this, the crafters all realized they had to make a stand now or be known as being pushovers.
They killed all the attackers in the last battle, but that wasn’t enough. A debt had been made and the initial deposit paid, but not the remainder. The rest of the debt was up to the rest of the Wind Lightning School to pay.
If not for Shen Pojun’s declaration, the Crafting School would’ve most likely decided to nurture their wounds and plan their revenge for another time. But since Shen Pojun was here and also a Soul Saint, there was no need to wait! There was no need to plan their revenge! They could simply charge straight in and attack right now!
……
Shen Pojun’s words silenced the crowd at once. “And so I am here today to discuss who will accompany me and who will stay behind. While there shouldn’t be anyone left that dares attack us now, we cannot relax too much.”
A calm silence ran across the crowd. Everyone stared anxiously at Shen Pojun, hopeful that they would be among those he would want to battle with him.
Then, Bai Yunfei spoke up. “Ancestor, your student has something to say.”
“Oh? Is there an objection of some kind?”
“Your student simply believes that if everyone is willing to go, then we may as all go together.”
“What?”
It was a question that was whispered, but silenced everyone like it was a statement. Everyone grew still as they stared at Bai Yunfei.
“I mean ‘everyone’,” Bai Yunfei smiled. “Not just the ones in the halls, but the entirety of the school—if we are worried about the safety of our school when we are out, then we may as well take the school with us!”
“You don’t mean to say…” Realization dawned in Shen Pojun’s eyes, “The Core Stone?!”
“Exactly. I could bring all of Mt. Crimson into the Core World. That way, we wouldn’t have to worry about defending the school in our absence and bring it back out afterward.”
“……”
His words left the hall speechless.
“That is possible?!” Shen Pojun was similarly thunderstruck.
“I once moved the entire Yao City into the Core World, and now that my strength is far better than before, I am confident that I’ll be able to move Mt. Crimson into the Core World as long as ancestor is there to help me.”
“Haha!!” Chu Yintian couldn’t help but bark out loud in laughter. “I never imagined there’d be such a method! Then let us get started, the Wind Lightning School has a debt to pay!!”
…………
……
News traveled across the continent like shockwaves and stunned all that heard it. Each piece of information had been far harder to believe than the last.
The Wind Lightning School and Soul Refining School had an army of powerful beings, dozens of Soul Kings and dozens of Soul Emperors come together to attack the Crafting School. The Soul Refining School had even the long-missing Gu Lianhun, who despite being an avatar, was also a Saint.
It was a strong force, but the Crafting School had an equally powerful vanguard to protect them. Experts came out from decades of meditation to protect the school, even Shen Pojun, a man who was close to becoming a Saint.
Despite the brilliant defensive power, the Crafting School looked to be at a disadvantage. The Soul Refining School had a Soul Saint, even if it was an avatar. But even an avatar like that would be far too much for Shen Pojun to fight.
Given the odds, it was safe to say the Crafting School would lose. But…that wasn’t how it ended up!
Not only did the Crafting School win, they won by a tremendous margin! Gu Lianhun had lost! Fleeing with just a literal handful of people in tow, Gu Lianhun managed to escape, but the rest of the combined forces had all died at the hands of the crafters afterward. Not even Dong Wanlei had managed to survive!!
The details of the battle wasn’t known to the rest of the world due to conflicting or speculative information, but everyone was clear of the end result.
One of the only things they knew was that the turning point of the battle had to do with Bai Yunfei, but that was something only the lord-mayor of Redfire City learned after visiting the school.
That was also when news of what happened to the Water School was made known. Everyone then heard that Bai Yunfei had not only went to help the Water School, but also fought and killed Yue Kuangfeng from the Wind Lightning School before returning to the Crafting School to fight there several days later…
In one piece of information, Bai Yunfei appeared. In another, Bai Yunfei appeared again…
Countless rumors and speculations began to fly as everyone tried to figure out what the Crafting School would do next.
It wasn't long before news from Redfire City began to spread throughout the continent—The Crafting School and Mt. Crimson had…disappeared!
The entire Mt. Crimson had disappeared! Only a gigantic crater was left in its place as if it had been swallowed up by something! And not a single crafter was there to be even explain the disappearance…