The Great Plains Province, Mt. Crimson.

The Crafting School.

“Teacher Bai has returned! Teacher Bai is back!!”

“Teacher Bai has returned!!”

Excited cries rang throughout the Crafting School. Hurried footsteps could be heard as multiple crafters began to run this way and that.

“Big brother Bai! He’s back!!”

“Hurry! Let the others know!!”

The Crafting School was in an uproar. Students from the west, south, and east peaks were running towards the main peak and gates to give news to those who hadn’t heard yet.

Bai Yunfei and Tang Xinyun were at this current moment meeting with several old friends of theirs. They were happy to see a few friends and saddened to not see several others.

They were currently stopped by a few students at the foot of the mountain of the main peak.

“Brother Song Lin, brother Li, Yuhang, Fei Nian...it’s been a long time.”

Bai Yunfei greeted a few of the familiar faces with a smile. Nostalgia of a time long before began to resurface in his mind. Seeing their faces had reminded Bai Yunfei of what life was like in the Crafting School six or seven years ago.

Those memories were a long time ago. Tian Yuhang had only been a new disciple back then, but today, he was a nineteen-year-old man who was already a Soul Exalt.

The others, like Song Lin, Li Tiechui, Xiao Nanren, and Lian Lingmin were all Early-stage Soul Kings now.

“You’re finally back! We’ve been suffering for so long waiting for you, haha! Everyone’s been waiting with bated breath ever since we heard about what you did to the Beast Taming School!”

“Yeah! You don’t know how excited everyone was to hear that you were alive! I think there was a party that lasted three whole days! Not even the elders could stop it, haha!!”

“Where in the world were you these last three years? We really...we really did think you were...you know...but it’s all fine now!”

“Haha! I told you! How could bro Bai die that easily? He had to have been training somewhere in secret! Look at him now—a Soul Emperor! He even destroyed the Beast Taming School! What a story!!”

“I felt pumped just hearing about that! You have to tell us the story later, bro Bai!”

Everyone was talking up a storm around Bai Yunfei and Tang Xinyun. They were crowded up so tightly around the two that it made it impossible for either person to walk anywhere or answer any questions.

“Bro Strawhat, Bro Strawhat!!”

One voice cried out over the others just loudly enough for Bai Yunfei to hear it. He watched as a small blur flew over the heads of the other students before crashing into his chest with laughter.

“Haha, lil’Rui, you’re still like a child I see.”

Bai Yunfei laughed as he hugged the crying girl in his arms. “You’ve grown prettier over the years, lil’Rui, don’t mar it with your crying now...”

“Bro Strawhat...everyone said you were dead...sniff...I didn’t believe it! Sis Yun said you were alive! I...I thought so too! But dad said I couldn’t go with her to find you...sniff...I just knew you’d come back...but why did it take you so long...”

She sniffed in between tears. It pained Bai Yunfei to hear her cry, and he tried his best to make her smile again.

It didn’t make much sense to treat Huangfu Rui as a little child, but it still felt like to Bai Yunfei that she was still the very same little Doraemon from back then. The Huangfu Rui of today was seventeen years old by now, but the way she acted made it seem like she had only mentally grown for three or four of those years...

This surely had to do with the mystery behind Huangfu Rui, the one Bai Yunfei had always wanted to ask about, but never asked due to his lack of experience and strength. His own master never told him the story either, but perhaps today would be different. He had enough ‘strength’ now, he was sure he could help with whatever ‘ailment’ Huangfu Rui had.

“Big bro Bai! Sis Tang! You’re back!”

While Tang Xinyun comforted Huangfu Rui, Bai Yunfei turned his attention toward the next group of crafters to come his way, “Xiaoyuan, Sanxian, Xuhao...it’s been a while.”

It was Mo Xiaoxuan, Zhang Sanxian, and Zhong Xuhao. Three of the people Bai Yunfei was more familiar with.

“Eh? Where’s Zhiqiu?” That was about the moment Bai Yunfei realized he had yet to see Ye Zhiqiu.

“He has some familial matters to take care of.”

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

“Ah,” Bai Yunfei nodded, “Excuse me then, I’d like to meet with the headmaster and elders. I’ll be back later to talk.”

He could already sense the familiar auras of his master and fellow elders in the main hall up above. Master Zi Jin, headmaster Kou Changkong, and Xiao Binzi were all gathered there along with a few other powerful, but unfamiliar, auras.

Bidding farewell to the students, Bai Yunfei and Tang Xinyun flew up to the main hall at once.

Soon, the two of them arrived right in front of the main hall.

Multiple people sat on the chairs arranged within the hall. Bai Yunfei knew some of these people, but not all. “Your student Bai Yunfei has returned, headmaster, master, and elders...”

Seated at the top-most chair was the headmaster, Kou Changkong. To his left was Zi Jin and to his right was a white-haired elder he had never seen before. To that elder’s side and Zi Jin’s side were two more unfamiliar elders. Behind them were elders such as Xiao Binzi and Huangfu Nan.

“Your student Tang Xinyun has returned as well, headmaster and elders...”

Many of the elders, Zi Jin and Kou Changkong included, looked excited to see Bai Yunfei alive and well.

“All is well, now that you’re back...come take a seat.” Zi Jin nodded.

“Yes, master...”

Bai Yunfei bowed once before taking a seat with Tang Xinyun by the third elder Cang Yu’s side.

The kindly woman near Zi Jin’s side smiled toward Bai Yunfei, “An Early-stage Soul Emperor at your age and an early-stage class eight soulbeast as your partner...you’ve a good disciple, brother Zi Jin.”

Zi Jin smiled. “Yunfei, this is teacher Yang Ying. She has been meditating on the northern peaks for eighteen years now. Only recently has she become a Soul Emperor and exited from the peaks.”

A junior of his master! Bai Yunfei bowed at once to her, “It is an honor to meet you, teacher. Congratulations on your achievement.”

“And these are teachers Yang Yao and Hu Yang. The both of them finished their meditation a few years ago. A few others have finished their training, but they have yet to arrive. I hope you’ll greet them when the time comes.”

Bai Yunfei bowed again to the two. He was shocked to hear just how many of their elders had been meditating on the northern peak. Three Soul Emperors appearing now of all time? Bai Yunfei even noticed that the one known as Yang Yao was a Mid-stage Soul Emperor!

His soulsense was telling him there were plenty of Soul Kings within the school now. Most of them were still gathered on the northern peak, meaning those had to be the elders his master talked about. Upon closer observation, Bai Yunfei noted there were at least twenty of them!

He left the Crafting School when he was only a Soul Ancestor. By then, he hadn’t the strength to see who was meditating on the northern peak. But he knew now that he was a Soul Emperor.

It was fascinating to see how much those he knew had changed. The second and third elder were merely Early-stage Soul Kings five years ago but now they were Mid-stage Soul Kings. Kou Changkong was Peak Late-stage Soul King, and Xiao Binzi was now an Early-stage Soul Emperor!

“How have you lived these past few years? Three years without communication and then appearing out of nowhere to destroy the Beast Taming School...tell us your tale, Yunfei.” Zi Jin requested.

“Yes, master.”

And so Bai Yunfei began to tell everyone in the main halls his story, starting with when he was stuck fighting the Soul Refining School...