"Bam!" A loud bang woke everyone up from contemplation. They saw someone being smashed into the ground, resulting in a pit with long cracks emanating outward.

The person spat out a mouthful of blood and saw stars; her regal dress and crest were left in a mess.

"Illumination Empress Dowager!" A student recognized her and shouted.

They then understood that she was a cultivator with two sacred fruits. Who the hell could have smashed her down like this? They didn't have time to see it.

It turned out that she wanted to use this opportunity to take Jian Yunyun away. The latter was immobilized and couldn't speak.

Alas, she didn't account for Li Qiye who was right there. He easily pulled her down from the air and shocked Yunyun as well.

The empress dowager was astounded since she understood her own power. The force required to make her helpless was far more than what she needed to subdue Yunyun. She could only watch as he swung her mercilessly into the ground.

She didn't care about her tattered outfit and immediately fled like a dog that has just lost its master.

"What is going on?" Not to mention the students, even the schoolmaster and Bloodsea were lost. They didn't know who took this dragon lord down to the ground.

Only the old man with the broom glanced in Li Qiye's direction. The moment he saw his face, he thought that he was seeing things. He wiped his eyes and stared again - it was truly Li Qiye.

His expression changed and he left right away.

"Senior!" The schoolmaster shouted, wanting to speak but the old man was gone. He was too fast for anyone to keep up.

Li Qiye saw this and chuckled again.

The schoolmaster sighed and said: "We can't speculate the mind of a reclusive master."

He was only a junior despite having four sacred fruits compared to the old man. As for the students, they believed they had just seen an unbeatable master. They were ashamed for not recognizing this earlier.

"Fellow Daoist, thank you for your assistance. The academy appreciates it." The schoolmaster turned his attention toward another matter and cupped his fist.

"You're welcome, Schoolmaster." Bloodsea uttered coldly, hiding his face behind his iron hat by lowering his head.

"If you don't mind, you may call me senior brother." The schoolmaster said softly after hearing the cold tone.

Students exchanged glances since they heard rumors about Bloodsea originating from the academy. Moreover, many big shots believed that he had been expelled.

It seemed like this was the case after the events today. These two looked to be from the same generation as well.

Bloodsea paused for a moment before bowing and leaving without saying anything else. The schoolmaster sighed again and didn't stop him.

"Thank you, Schoolmaster and First Brother." Bai Shaojin bowed toward the two, aware that he would have been finished if it wasn't for them.

"Those from the Jin have deep ties with the academy, but you must take care of your own problem now." The schoolmaster said.

This surprised the listeners nearby because he got the wrong last name. It should be Bai, not Jin.

"I understand." Bai Shaojin bowed again.

Meanwhile, students started leaving. Most remained quiet, especially those from Deity.

Not long ago, they had both confidence and pride. They believed that they were noble and Deity was currently powerful enough to deal with anyone. Plus, they had mighty dragon lords backing them up as well.

Alas, the old man showed them otherwise, sending those dragon lords flying with a single sweep. The academy had proven its might once again. Dragons and tigers needed to be obedient here. There was a historical precedent already but they didn't believe it until now.

At this time, Li Qiye told Yunyun to wait before disappearing from sight.

***

In a peak surrounded by clouds and winds, the old man with the broom observed the land of the academy.

He was rather emotional as old memories resurfaced. This was a time when the academy had another part to its name - Heavenly, the same characters used for Deity Dao.

It enjoyed a golden age with one genius appearing after another. He was one of them, and a top one at that. The world was theirs in the future.

Alas, he met someone subsequently - Li Qiye. Though it was so long ago, the memories remained vivid.

He was no longer the hot-blooded youth, countless times stronger and wiser now

Nonetheless, he still cherished these old memories when he was carefree and untethered. The young him had numerous dreams; everything seemed possible then.

He achieved many things eventually and did fulfill his potential. Unfortunately, he also lost many things across the eras - his loved ones and friends, his descendants

In the end, he was left alone and became an old man taking care of fallen leaves. His only companion was this broom.

More time passed and he forgot the sorrow until now - he saw a very familiar figure whom he thought he would never see again.