Chapter 194
“Other major sects have been notified, except for your Jian Ge,” the female cultivator glanced at Zhen He, “As for whether you go or not, that’s up to you. The Saintess isn’t making it mandatory. But once you miss this opportunity, don’t come crying to her later if you regret it.”
Zhen He exchanged glances with Xu An, not immediately agreeing. He replied politely, “We need to discuss this matter first.”
“Take your time,” the woman in green said, turning to leave. “The relic of the sect is a fragment of the world that just fell from the Mirror Lake. If you head west, you’ll see it, along with other sect disciples… I have to notify a few more sects, so I won’t linger.”
With that, she stepped forward, and a lotus flower blossomed beneath her feet. In the blink of an eye, she was already hundreds of meters away, her figure barely visible.
“So, what do you all think?” Xu An’s drunken demeanor and carefree attitude vanished, replaced by a serious expression.
Duan Feng stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. “The sect leader advised us to steer clear of the ancient remains. It’s better to be cautious and not go.”
“Senior Brother, that was in the context of our Jian Ge facing the ancient remains alone,” a Jian Ge disciple raised his hand. “But now it’s different. The Yaochi Saintess has gathered disciples from almost all major sects, significantly increasing safety. If we don’t go, won’t the benefits be snatched by others?”
“Hmm… That does seem to make sense…”
“Sure, the ancient remains are dangerous, but those sect disciples are willing to face the risks. Are we, as sword cultivators, cowards?”
Duan Feng thought it over and found the argument reasonable, nodding in agreement. “Since everyone feels this way, let’s go.”
The Yaochi Saintess is organizing the purification of demonic energy, and with so many sect disciples present, along with other prodigies from sacred lands, it should be safe.
As the saying goes, when the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up.
If there’s real danger, the risks will be shared among everyone. What’s there to be afraid of?
“Xu An, send a message to that girl Yue Qianchi, telling her not to lose track of us later.”
Duan Feng thought of Yue Qianchi and Li Qingran, who had already gone far, and added this reminder.
Xu An raised the wine jug. “Got it~”
…
“This bunch of little rascals, messing around while I’m not there!”
Yue Qianchi’s face darkened as she read the message on the communication jade talisman.
“What’s wrong, Senior Sister?” Li Qingran leaned closer, looking at the talisman, but the words had already vanished.
“It’s nothing serious,” Yue Qianchi waved her hand, linking her arm with Li Qingran’s again. “The Yaochi Saintess is calling the sect disciples to the relic to purify the demonic energy. After the task is completed, there will be rewards for everyone. Xu An and the others think it’s worth it and are preparing to lead the way.”
“Major sect relic?” Li Qingran mulled over Yue Qianchi’s words, a hint of worry creeping into her heart. “Such a major sect relic, covered in demonic energy, must be fraught with danger, right? What if we encounter the remains of ancient cultivators?”
“There are indeed remains of ancient cultivators,” Yue Qianchi nodded. “But as cultivators, it’s unrealistic to avoid all dangers when we’re out there.
Opportunities and risks coexist; we must seize the moment when we can…
What concerns me is the lack of information. After all, we know too little about the people from the sacred lands. What if they run away at the first sign of danger?”
Seeing the worry in Yue Qianchi’s eyes, Li Qingran didn’t know how to comfort her and could only hold her sister’s hand tightly.
“Senior Sister, let’s find the remaining three medicinal ingredients for the Baicao Detoxification Pill and hurry to support Senior Brother Xu An and the others.”
“Right. Last year, when I entered this small secret realm, I encountered what seemed to be a relic of the Yaowang Valley, but there wasn’t much time left before the secret realm closed, so I didn’t explore it. This time, we’ll head straight there and surely find the three ingredients our ancestor needs.”
As they spoke, the two quickened their pace in unison.
…
“The sect relic shrouded in demonic energy must be the battlefield of ancient demonic cultivators and righteous cultivators, and it was a brutal slaughter of sects.”
Mo Shumei gazed thoughtfully in the direction the Jian Ge disciples had left.
Last year, her magic sword, Soul Abyss, and the first volume of the Great Sadness Sutra were obtained from the ruins of an ancient battlefield.
The situation back then was convoluted; it could be said she had gone through hell and back.
It was only to survive that she had to practice the sinister technique of the Great Sadness Sutra.
This technique was extremely domineering; if one dispersed their power, they would die.
To suppress Soul Abyss, she had to enter the secret realm to find the second volume of the Great Sadness Sutra.
“Hey, stinky sword, do you think there will be any remnants of the techniques I need over there?”
The magic sword remained silent, showing no reaction.
Mo Shumei flicked her fingers against the blade, but the sword still didn’t respond.
“If you’re not talking, it must mean something’s off. So, am I really going?”
【Hmph! Little brat, there are righteous cultivators gathering over there; you’ll die for sure!】
“You seem quite anxious?”
【Why would I be anxious? I’m not! Hurry up and die, so I can take over your body! Hehehe!】
Mo Shumei smiled. “Very well, if you don’t want me to go, that just proves there’s something wrong… and I’m going anyway!”
The magic sword trembled violently, seemingly enraged by Mo Shumei’s words.
But Mo Shumei didn’t care; she sheathed the sword, held her breath, and carefully followed behind the group of Jian Ge disciples.
…
…
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Chapter 209: Joint Action
Inside the sealed ancient sect relic, the demonic energy was thick.
Song Chiyue stood before the grand formation, her cold gaze fixed on the ancient cultivator remains wandering within.
“Saintess, the Jian Ge disciples have arrived.”
Song Chiyue raised an eyebrow. “Good, let’s begin!”
“Aren’t we waiting for the other sect disciples?”
“No need to wait; this is enough.”
At this moment, the open space behind the three disciples of the Yaochi Sacred Land was already filled with cultivators. Disciples from major sects like Qingyun Sect, Lingxi Valley, Dan Sect, Dao Sect, and Zen Sect were almost all present, totaling over a thousand. In the past, these disciples would compete fiercely with one another in the small secret realm, sometimes even coming to blows over opportunities. But today, they all stood on the same front, appearing much more harmonious.
The Jian Ge disciples were among them, standing right next to the Qingyun Sect disciples.
Lu Changtian scanned the crowd of Jian Ge disciples but didn’t see Li Qingran. His brow furrowed as he approached Duan Feng, who was leading the group. “Friend, isn’t Li Qingran one of your Jian Ge disciples? Why isn’t she in the team?”
Duan Feng’s expression darkened upon seeing the Qingyun Sect token at Lu Changtian’s waist. His sharp gaze locked onto Lu Changtian’s face as he sneered, “What’s it to you?”
Lu Changtian was taken aback, anger rising within him. He barely managed to suppress it and forced a smile, cupping his hands. “I’m Lu Changtian, once the most respected senior brother of Li Qingran. I noticed she wasn’t in the Jian Ge team today, so I was just concerned. No other intentions.”
Duan Feng’s eyelid twitched, and he pressed his lips together, gripping the hilt of his sword. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Xu An. “You go talk to him.”
Xu An knew that if he said anything more, Duan Feng might draw his sword, so he stepped in front of Lu Changtian, flashing a wide grin. “Oh, oh, oh~ The big brother that little junior sister admired the most! Let me think… Is it the big brother who scolded her for being foolish when she asked about sword techniques? Or the one who crippled her dantian and made the Qingxuan Daoist take away her spiritual root?”
His voice was loud enough for all the sect disciples in the open space to hear.
Lu Changtian’s smile froze, his face shifting between shades of green and white, his fists clenched tightly.
“Junior Sister Qingran made a small mistake before, and she deserved some punishment. But that’s all in the past. What’s the point of bringing it up again?”
Xu An twirled the wine jug with his fingers, casting a sidelong glance at the Qingyun pattern on Lu Changtian’s sword, chuckling lightly.
“Ah, right, right, right~ Your sect’s competition forbids injuries. Anyone who hurts others should die.
Junior Sister Qingran’s accidental injury to another female disciple’s shoulder is indeed unforgivable, but shouldn’t she be completely punished?”
As he uttered the last few words, the sounds of insects chirping fell silent.
Suddenly, he crushed the wine jug in his hand, splattering the liquid onto Lu Changtian’s face.
His smiling eyes turned into two cold stars: “Lu Changtian, do you even have the right to express concern?”
Lu Changtian’s face darkened, and he fell silent.
He knew he had acted wrongly in this matter.
At that time, he didn’t know what had come over him; he was just filled with the desire to avenge his junior sister Mu Baishuang, thinking to give Li Qingran a lesson she wouldn’t forget.
Now, looking back, how could there be a competition without injuries in the sect?
Should the disciples just perform tricks?
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