Chapter 924 - Treasure Institution

An invisible pressure radiated from Elder Madman that crashed down on Han Feizi.

This left Liu Wuxie baffled. Elder Madman said he had no idea what the mission was exactly.

"Heaven's will is hard to predict. The Han Clan has paid a heavy price, and I don't want the younger generation to follow the older generation's path," Han Feizi replied with a wry smile. This was also why he had chosen to flee from his clan. He didn't want to live solely for others as his father did.

"This is your Han Clan's fate, and no one can change it. It's already out of your control from the moment you chose to stay by his side," Elder Madman said, pointing at Liu Wuxie.

This left Liu Wuxie even more baffled. He didn't know what this had to do with him.

Han Feizi didn't refute Elder Madman's statement, as he had his reasons for staying with Liu Wuxie. Perhaps only Han Long and Elder Madman knew why, while Liu Wuxie remained in the dark.

Since Han Feizi didn't offer any explanation, Liu Wuxie assumed he had his reasons. Besides, he could sense that Han Feizi wasn't acting out of malice—rather, it seemed he had no choice. If Han Feizi truly meant harm, he wouldn't have announced himself so openly. He could've simply followed Liu Wuxie in secret.

"Thank you for your guidance," Han Feizi replied with a wry smile. Though he hated to admit it, Elder Madman had seen through him entirely.

"I won't interfere in matters between you youngsters. As you said, heaven's will is unpredictable, so let things take their course," Elder Madman said. This was the same as stating that he wouldn't interfere with what they did on the Heavenly Gate Peak.

Once he was done speaking, he left and returned to his thatched hut, leaving Han Feizi drenched in sweat.

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, the carefree smile faded from Han Feizi's face, replaced by an uncharacteristically heavy expression.

"Brother Han, what's going on? What's the fate that you carry?" Liu Wuxie asked.

"The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed, not to mention the time hasn't come yet. It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I can't. Please understand that it's not my choice," Han Feizi explained sincerely.

He would've revealed it to Liu Wuxie long ago if he could.

Liu Wuxie also knew it was futile to discuss it further, as he could see Han Feizi's helplessness.

"Let's build a house for you," Liu Wuxie said, breaking the silence. There was no point in prying further; the time wasn't right. Instead, he turned his attention to helping Han Feizi construct a simple thatched hut.

They had only completed half the structure when three familiar figures began ascending the mountain. It was his senior brothers.

The trio struggled up the steep path, taking nearly two hours to reach the summit. Liu Wuxie, ever watchful over the Heavenly Gate Peak, immediately noticed their condition, and his expression darkened. He leaped down the mountain in a flash and met them halfway.

"Senior Brothers, what's going on? Why are you three so badly injured?" Liu Wuxie quickly took out healing pills and handed them to his senior brothers.

"Junior Brother, you're back!" Jiang Le said with a strained smile. The effort tugged at the wound on his chest, forcing him to gasp sharply.

However, these injuries were nothing to them as they had suffered more severe injuries throughout the years.

Jiang Le bore several sword wounds across his body. While none were immediately fatal, they were deep and severe, serious enough to jeopardize his future cultivation if not healed properly.

Yu Zhibai's soul sea was damaged, and he was likely attacked with soul energy.

Liu Wuxie knew how strong Yu Zhibai's soul energy was, and not many people could overpower him in this aspect.

As for Shen Rong, his entire body was covered in distinct fist imprints, each one precise and brutal. The sight alone could make any onlooker shiver. And this was despite Shen Rong's legendary endurance. He had trained under Elder Madman for years, enduring countless bone-breaking beatings. Ever since awakening the Kunpeng bloodline, his physique had become nearly unmatched. For someone to leave such marks on him... they had to be extraordinary.

It wasn't just a defeat; it was a deliberate act meant to shatter their dao hearts.

For instance, Yu Zhibai took pride in his soul energy, which was now in shambles. This would damage his dao heart, and the same went for Shen Rong.

"I just got back," Liu Wuxie said as he helped the three back to the Heavenly Gate Peak along with Han Feizi. Their injuries took priority, and any delay could permanently affect their cultivation.

After consuming the pills from Liu Wuxie, the trio stabilized their injuries for the time being, and they just needed a few days of rest.

When Liu Wuxie came out from their thatched huts, his face was terrifyingly grim. It was evident that someone had injured his senior brothers deliberately.

However, they refused to reveal anything to him. They feared Liu Wuxie might act impulsively if he learned the truth. After all, they had been defeated while at the third-level of the True Profound Realm. What was done was done. There was no point in dragging their junior brother into it.

"Their injuries were clearly meant to humiliate them. Someone's targeting the Heavenly Gate Peak," Han Feizi remarked.

Even an outsider like him could tell what was happening, let alone Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie nodded. He had a feeling that their injuries were somehow related to him.

"I'm going into seclusion for the next two days," Liu Wuxie said. Even if his senior brothers wouldn't tell him, he could uncover the truth himself. After all, the news of the fight would soon spread throughout the academy.

Liu Wuxie was currently ranked fourth on the Mortal Ranking. He could still redeem more points, and he had set his sights on the Treasure Institution.

Among the five institutions, only the Treasure Institution specialized in blacksmithing. Their forging chambers were unparalleled, and Liu Wuxie needed access to the runic arrays within.

However, the forging chambers were highly sought after, and getting a spot wasn't easy. Not to mention, the points needed were steep.

Liu Wuxie's issue wasn't the lack of points but time. After gathering all the required materials, he had to upgrade the Heretic Blade quickly.

When he had first visited the Mission Hall, he had received five thousand points for rising from ninth to fourth on the Mortal Ranking; a reward far greater than he had anticipated.

The higher one ranked, the more points they would earn. But naturally, the climb grew steeper the closer one got to the top.

After obtaining the five thousand points, Liu Wuxie ignored the curious and wary gazes around him and made his way toward the Treasure Institution.

"Isn't that Liu Wuxie? I heard his three senior brothers were given a beating." Gossip trailed behind Liu Wuxie as the news of Jiang Le and the others had already spread.

Hearing the gossip, Liu Wuxie stopped and turned around.

Instantly, the disciples who had been whispering took a step back, their faces paling. His fearsome reputation had already taken root in their hearts.

Not only had Liu Wuxie killed Ning Hai, who was at the pinnacle of the True Profound Realm, but he had also slain Qi Yang, a holy son at the third level of the Spirit Profound Realm.

They were only at the lower levels of the True Profound Realm. They naturally wouldn't dare to provoke Liu Wuxie.

"Do you know who injured my three senior brothers?" Liu Wuxie asked in a polite tone. Given his current status in the academy, he didn't see a need to lower himself to argue with them.

Seeing no hostility from Liu Wuxie, the three disciples relaxed slightly.

"This morning, when your senior brothers came to exchange points, they were intercepted at Astral Moon Valley," the disciple in the middle replied. "They were challenged just before they could leave."

The Astral Moon Valley had already become a common place for disciples to settle disputes. Only those with a life-and-death feud would fight to kill or humiliate the other party.

After all, anyone who could join the academy had a powerful background, and killing the other party would often bring unnecessary trouble, like how Liu Wuxie had offended the entire Profound Cloud Sect by killing Ning Hai.

"Who are they?" Liu Wuxie asked.

"Disciples from the White Dragon Peak," the disciple replied cautiously. "They arranged three duels in Astral Moon Valley... and your senior brothers lost all three."

He avoided going into detail, clearly afraid of provoking Liu Wuxie's anger.

However, Liu Wuxie didn't need further explanation. He could tell that the White Dragon Peak's disciples hadn't just fought, but they had humiliated his senior brothers with their words.

He knew his senior brothers' personalities well, and they were never the type to start a fight unless provoked.

"The White Dragon Peak!" Liu Wuxie muttered with a chilling glint in his eyes.

"Thank you for telling me," Liu Wuxie said before he turned and left. Now wasn't the time for revenge as he still had more pressing things to do, such as reforging the Heretic Blade.

"Senior Brother Liu's aura is even stronger than before. Standing before him feels like facing an entire mountain," the three disciples muttered in relief once he was gone.

Even though Liu Wuxie had restrained his presence, the pressure they felt was suffocating. Had he released his full aura, they were certain they would've collapsed on the spot.

After Liu Wuxie left, he headed straight for the five institutions. Due to the vastness of the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, the journey took half a day.

Crossing the mountain ranges, Liu Wuxie finally entered a region with a fire vein. This was a volcanic mountain range.

The Treasure Institution was built on a massive fire vein with a terrifyingly high-temperature subterranean flame.

There were many subterranean flames, some suitable for alchemy and others for forging. This region's flames were too violent for alchemy but ideal for forging.

Alchemy required a gentler flame. Violent fire could easily rupture a cauldron and ruin the entire batch. Then again, Liu Wuxie no longer needed fire to refine pills.

Most alchemists didn't possess heaven-defying talent like him, where demonic flames could be freely unleashed. Many alchemists had refined heavenly flames but often relied on subterranean flames as there was a high demand for true essence when refining pills.

The other four institutions were built in the surroundings. The Starfall Institution stood at the center, occupying the best position. The Treasure Institution was in the east, with the strongest fire. The Skywind Institution was located in the south, the Wandering Dragon Institution in the west, and the Heavenly Martial Institution in the north.

It was Liu Wuxie's first time here, and he wasn't familiar with the area. He noted the layout was especially complex and headed straight toward the Treasure Institution in the east.

He saw many disciples on the way, each exuding a powerful aura on a whole new level compared to the disciples of the seven peaks.

Since the five institutions were so powerful, the disciples of the three courts were even more terrifying.

However, Liu Wuxie was stopped before he could enter the Treasure Institution. After all, his clothes marked him as a disciple of the Heavenly Gate Peak, and he would need to register himself before entering any of the five institutions.

On the contrary, academy's rules allowed the disciples of the five institutions to freely enter the seven peaks as they wished. It was no wonder why so many disciples wanted to enter the Myriad Phase Cavern.

Upon learning Liu Wuxie's purpose, the disciples of the Treasure Institution didn't make things difficult for him. Instead, they informed him that the forging chambers were in high demand and that securing a spot might be difficult.

Most disciples in the Treasure Institution specialized in blacksmithing, using their craft to earn points.