Chapter 34 Departure

Chen Fan cupped his fists and said,
"Disciple acquired a treasure known as the 'Myriad Spirit Dao Medulla' within a special secret realm. Having been fortunate enough to enter an epiphany state, my breakthrough was within reach. After nearly a year of arduous cultivation thereafter, I was finally able to achieve the Unity realm!"

In truth, it was indeed by absorbing the "Myriad Spirit Dao Medulla" and entering the state of epiphany that he had broken through to Unity.

However, every three years, the two martial academies would each send one disciple under the age of eighteen into the Huaqing Pool Secret Realm. To comprehend the Unity realm through a single epiphany at such an age—Chen Fan was the very first.

Dong Guzhi's face revealed wild elation. After a moment of astonishment, he burst into laughter:
"Reaching Unity at sixteen! Even the Dharma bodies cannot match that! Hahaha! If the martial academy learns that you have broken through to Unity, they will surely assist you in rapidly advancing to the sixth stage, and then the seventh stage. In five years—no, within three years—you will undoubtedly become a Grandmaster... A Grandmaster before the age of twenty, even the contemporary Daoist Child of the Spirit God Dao Sect cannot compare to you. I can almost imagine the expressions on the faces of those people from the Spirit God Dao Sect, hahaha!"

Dong Guzhi had suffered extremely severe injuries and had only managed to wake up with great difficulty. After such a hearty laugh, he suffered a series of heavy coughs before finally calming down.

Seeing their master so joyful, the disciples all wore strange expressions...
Their gazes involuntarily drifted toward Chen Fan.

Yet, after the initial surprise, Dong Guzhi's brows furrowed deeply once more:
"Alas, you still couldn't hold your temper. With your talent and strength, you should have kept a low profile and waited until you advanced to the Grandmaster realm, possessing the ability to protect yourself, before displaying your prowess..."

Chen Fan, however, shook his head:
"My strength is already no weaker than that of an ordinary Grandmaster. With sufficient strength, what is there to hide? Revealing my talent earlier will draw greater attention from the martial academy. Furthermore..."

Chen Fan did not continue.
Yet Dong Guzhi knew that his disciple had done this for his sake, and to vent this pent-up grievance for the martial dojo.

To say that Dong Guzhi felt no resentment watching the dojo suffer bullying while his disciples left one by one would be false; it was simply that, suffering from severe injuries and knowing he could not act, he had suppressed it all deep within his heart.

What Chen Fan had done, though not what Dong Guzhi wished to see, undeniably brought a profound sense of relief to his heart.

He sighed:
"With such a commotion caused by you, disciple, the landscape of the Four Gates and Two Dojos in Yandu City has completely collapsed. I'm afraid some major families might seize this opportunity to make their move."

Among the Four Gates and Two Dojos, aside from the Purity Gate, which maintained friendly ties with the White Cloud Dojo, the other sects could be said to be in a state of utter desolation.

Even the Mengzheng Gate had gone a full year without taking in disciples, and since the disintegration of the Rainbow Gate, the Jiangshan Gate had also lost immense face.

With such a massive pie abandoned, who knows how many people would be dragged into the fray for the sake of interests.

Dong Guzhi shook his head: "This no longer concerns us. Our White Cloud Dojo can no longer maintain its operations; let us announce its closure. Taking advantage of my premature recovery of consciousness, I shall leave the Great Qian as soon as possible. That way, even if that Nineteenth Prince is escorted back to the capital and the Great Qian imperial court seeks to punish me, it will have nothing to do with the White Cloud Dojo."

Although the disciples had long guessed this, their expressions remained unsightly, filled with helplessness.

If the White Cloud Dojo were to remain open, it would inevitably become the target of revenge for the Nineteenth Prince, or even the imperial family.

...

Dong Guzhi's awakening was accompanied by the announcement of the closure of the White Cloud Dojo, leaving countless disciples filled with sorrow and sighs.

No matter how much Chen Fan did, it was impossible to keep the White Cloud Dojo alive.
As a disciple of the martial academy, he might not fear the revenge of the Nineteenth Prince, but the White Cloud Dojo had no such recourse, and the severely injured Dong Guzhi was powerless to sustain it.

In truth, dealing with the Nineteenth Prince was one thing; offending him was of little consequence. The crucial point was that Dong Guzhi's attempt to save Fan Lin had meant offending the reigning emperor.

The deterrent power of the Great Qian imperial family remained far too terrifying.

Following this, at Dong Guzhi's command, Chen Fan invited Ye Wuxiong. After a long and detailed conversation with him, the latter departed with a complex expression.

The disciples entered to see their master.
Dong Guzhi appeared quite composed:
"I have already talked things through with Dojo Master Ye. The remaining disciples of the White Cloud Dojo may directly enter the Purity Gate. Furthermore, all the branch dojos of our dojo will hereafter be directly incorporated into the Purity Gate. As for the grounds and assets of the dojo, I have already sold them entirely to the Purity Gate..."

The expressions of the disciples grew more complex by the moment.
Dong Guzhi smiled with a sense of release:
"Don't wear such long faces. Is a name really that important? As long as these disciples remember that they are disciples of the White Cloud Dojo and continue to practice the White Cloud True Art, they will forever remain disciples of the White Cloud Dojo..."

Although it was spoken thus, being driven to such a pass could hardly be considered a fortunate thing.

*I have watched him build a high tower, and I have watched his tower collapse.*
Profoundly feeling his own powerlessness, Chen Fan clenched his fists tightly.

Dong Guzhi smiled once more:
"You needn't be angry either. My injuries are too severe; the White Cloud Dojo could not have been preserved in any case. By transferring the dojo out, the Purity Gate will also pay a considerable sum. Your master can leave more things behind for you all before he departs."

The disciples exchanged glances once more in silence.

During the time that remained, the master instructed his disciples one by one, distributing his accumulated resources of many years among them.
Only at the very end did he call Chen Fan into the inner room.

"You are my disciple with the highest talent, and also my greatest hope." Dong Guzhi looked at Chen Fan with a smile:
"After years of management, your master has managed to leave behind some legacy."

Coughing lightly, Dong Guzhi raised his hand, removed the ring from his pinky finger, and handed it to Chen Fan: "This is a spatial ring containing ten spatial units. Once you drip your blood upon it and channel your true essence, you will be able to refine it. I originally intended to present this as a gift for your advancement to the Grandmaster realm, but it seems we cannot wait until then."

With a wry smile, Chen Fan accepted the ring, his heart flooded with complex emotions.
He had once witnessed Academy Dean Mao Wangchen use a spatial ring, but he had never laid eyes on a second person possessing such a treasure.
The preciousness of such an artifact went without saying.

"Inside this spatial ring, I have placed two spiritual artifacts—a lower-grade spiritual sword and a heart-protecting mirror—along with some transcribed copies of our White Cloud Dojo's true essence martial arts, two hundred thousand silver notes, and various miscellaneous items... Unfortunately, my departure also requires wealth and resources, and I must share with your fellow apprentices, so I can only give you this much."

A warm current surged through Chen Fan's heart: "It is more than enough."

Two spiritual artifacts, hundreds of thousands of silver coins, coupled with the spatial ring itself—their combined value far exceeded the entire net worth of an ordinary seventh-stage martial artist!
The two spiritual artifacts alone were immeasurably valuable, to say nothing of the other wealth and resources.

Dong Guzhi merely smiled and waved his hand. "Go on, go, return to the martial academy with Senior Brother Zhang Fan, and be sure to live well. With your talent, Master believes that one day, you will surely revive the reputation of White Cloud Peak."

Chen Fan's expression was complex.
What Dong Guzhi thought of most was still White Cloud Peak.

He nodded, then asked, "Master, if I were to provide you with more Earth-grade healing pills, would your injuries recover swiftly?"

"Earth-grade healing pills?"
Dong Guzhi narrowed his eyes, then shook his head.

"My condition is not merely a matter of simple injury. I was wounded by the Emperor's Sword; no matter how many Earth-grade pills I consume, I can never fully recover. It will even leave a permanent root of illness, with my cultivation permanently dissipating. Relying solely on one or two Earth-grade pills is utterly useless."

Ordinary Earth-grade healing pills were indeed useful to Dong Guzhi, but their effects were extremely limited.
Naturally, if Chen Fan could produce ten or twenty of them, Dong Guzhi recovering seventy or eighty percent of his strength would not be an issue. However, Earth-grade pills were not so easily acquired.

Or perhaps Chen Fan could obtain some of the finest, top-tier Earth-grade healing pills.
Yet the value of such pills would likely surpass that of ten or eight ordinary pills, approaching the Heaven-grade—something Chen Fan could not possibly obtain in the short term.

Chen Fan shook his head in disappointment.
Given his strength, taking on missions would allow him to earn merit points faster. He was confident he could earn tens of thousands of merit points to exchange for one or two Earth-grade pills without spending too much time. However, gathering a large quantity of pills would consume too much time and energy, making it deeply troublesome.

Dong Guzhi shook his head and smiled:
"Improving your own cultivation is the most pressing matter. Once your strength becomes formidable enough, should you reach the tenth stage, even if you were to slay that Nineteenth Prince, the Great Qian imperial court would do nothing to you... Furthermore, with this departure of mine, leaving the Great Qian, I know not when I shall return..."

He sighed softly.

Chen Fan remained silent.
...

A day later, Dong Guzhi's injuries had recovered somewhat, and he intended to leave the White Cloud Dojo alone.

Chen Fan had transmitted the *Heaven's Heart Formless Art* to his master. While this technique was profound and difficult, its initiation was simple.
Having shaved off his beard and made simple adjustments to his facial features, the effect surpassed any disguise technique by far!

In the quiet chamber, Chen Fan and a few other disciples gathered, though Tao Xian was absent.

Frowning, Chen Fan asked, "Master, won't you wait until your injuries are fully recovered before leaving?"

Dong Guzhi shook his head: "I have already absorbed the medicinal efficacy of that Five-Ginseng Blood-Restoring Pill, recovering quite a bit. It should be enough to sustain sixth-stage strength, which is already sufficient. This time, I plan to leave the Great Qian directly and head to Great Qing. Once I rendezvous with your senior brother, I will find a way to send word back to you."

Great Qian and Great Qing were separated by the Spirit God Dao Sect. One had to cross vast mountain ranges to reach Great Qing; no matter how powerful the Great Qian Dynasty might be, its influence could not stretch that far.

Chen Fan and the other disciples wore complex expressions as they all nodded.

Chen Fan said, "Master, let me accompany you a distance..."

Dong Guzhi chuckled and shook his head: "You are the focus of everyone's attention right now. My leaving alone might not attract much notice, but if you accompany me, you are likely to draw the attention of Grandmasters."

Startled for a moment, Chen Fan then shook his head, "Master, rest assured, my *Heaven's Heart Formless Art* has reached a very profound realm. Even Grandmasters cannot tell who I am."

Dong Guzhi shook his head once more, saying:
"There is no such thing as a flawless secret technique in this world. Once your strength reaches the Grandmaster level, you enter an entirely different world. Your past experience will instead become your shackles. Appearance can be disguised, but what about your scent? What about your techniques and your intent?"

"And should you encounter a warrior of the tenth stage or close to it, any disguise you wear becomes meaningless. Those at that level transcend the mortal realm; they have cultivated divine sense. A single sweep of divine sense, and your body holds no secrets whatsoever!"

Chen Fan was stunned, his heart pausing in its beat.
At that very moment, a person flashed through his mind.
It was not Academy Dean Mao Wangchen, but rather Xing Ling of the Yuanshang Secret Realm.
Every time he was subjected to that "gaze," he had felt an overwhelming sensation of being completely unable to conceal any secrets.

"That must be divine sense..."
At the very least, it was the power cultivated by those approaching the tenth stage...

Yun Wei also stepped forward and patted Chen Fan on the shoulder:
"If the journey were shorter, it would be one thing, but traveling to Great Qing is not a matter of a few hundred miles. It is a journey of several thousand miles, requiring the crossing of endless mountain ranges and consuming an unknown amount of time. No matter how formidable Junior Brother is, how could Master ever rest easy?"

Hearing this, Chen Fan nodded helplessly: "Once Master leaves, I will immediately return to the martial academy."

Dong Guzhi nodded, his gaze sweeping across the disciples, a trace of slight disappointment flashing within his eyes. "Xian is absent—is he still harboring resentment toward this master, or is it that he simply cannot bear to bid me farewell?"

"Senior Brother Tao Xian is deeply remorseful for his initial choice; how could he possibly harbor resentment toward you, Master?"
The disciples offered words of comfort one after another.

Dong Guzhi smiled and nodded, then stepped forward toward the exit.
"You need not see me off. Do not let other spies notice anything amiss."

Chen Fan and the disciples watched as Dong Guzhi walked out of the dojo.
None knew that such a mediocre, ordinary-looking middle-aged man was the founder of the White Cloud Dojo.

At the entrance of the dojo, a young man wearing a bamboo hat and martial attire was already waiting.
Dong Guzhi paused slightly, "You..."

The young man stepped forward; it was Tao Xian, who had likewise disguised himself. Standing over one meter ninety, he was a full head taller than Dong Guzhi.

"Master, I shall accompany you for the rest of the road."