Just as the disciples of the Sword Pavilion were preparing to act on their own.
A female cultivator dressed in green robes, with a veil covering her head, landed before the Yin-Yang Twin Moon Pond.
“Judging by the insignia on her clothes, she seems to be… from the Jade Pool Sacred Land?”
“What is someone from the Jade Pool Sacred Land doing here?”
“It can’t be that there’s some treasure in this Yin-Yang Twin Moon Pond?!” Zhen He, the senior disciple personally taught at Concealed Sword Peak, narrowed his eyes and folded his fan. Mysteriously, he suggested, “How about we pretend to leave, wait for this female cultivator from the Jade Pool Sacred Land to uncover the treasure, and then suddenly appear, catching her off guard? This way, there’s no danger, and we still get the treasure; it’s truly an excellent plan!”
Duan Feng frowned slightly, “The strategy isn’t bad, but… wouldn’t it be a bit too underhanded? We of the Sword Pavilion should act openly and honestly…”
“Miss…” Just as the two were discussing and planning, Xu An, holding his wine gourd and looking dazed, had already approached her, “Miss from the Jade Pool, seeing how beautiful the scenery of the Yin-Yang Moon Pond is, why don’t you join me for a tour around the pond, drinking wine and reciting poetry? Wouldn’t that be delightful?”
The woman in green robes paused, seemingly surprised that Xu An would dare approach her so boldly.
“Disciples of the Sword Pavilion, I have come to deliver a message from the Holy Maiden.”
Ignoring Xu An’s jesting, the female cultivator stood firmly before the disciples of the Sword Pavilion. Her voice was cold, carrying an air of superiority:
“The Holy Maiden has discovered the ruins of a giant ancient sect, where demonic energy surges and many remnants of demon cultivators wander. Numerous treasures are hidden within these ruins. Now, all sect disciples are summoned to purify the demonic energy and eliminate the remnants. Once the purification is complete, each of you may choose one treasure. If none of the treasures interest you, you may make a request to the Holy Maiden, who will do her best to fulfill it within her capabilities.”
Upon hearing this, the disciples looked at each other.
Even Xu An’s drunken gaze brightened slightly.
Free choice of treasures, and if dissatisfied, one could ask the Holy Maiden.
Wouldn’t that mean gathering all the resources on the list in one go?
“May I ask which sects the Holy Maiden has summoned, and whether it is mandatory to attend?” Zhen He descended from the tree and bowed to the female cultivator.
“Besides your Sword Pavilion, all the major sects have been notified.” The female cultivator glanced at Zhen He, “Whether or not you attend is up to you. The Holy Maiden does not impose any requirements. Of course, once this opportunity passes, there will be no second chance, and regret later won’t help either.”
Zhen He exchanged glances with Xu An but did not immediately respond. Polite, he said, “We need some time to discuss this matter first.”
“Hmph, take your time discussing.” The green-robed female cultivator turned to leave, saying lightly, “That sect’s ruins fell from the new world fragment within the Mirror Lake in the sky. You just need to head west, and you’ll see it, along with other sect cultivators… I still have to notify some more sects, so I won’t stay long.”
With that, she took a step forward, and lotus flowers bloomed beneath her feet. In the blink of an eye, she was already hundreds of meters away, leaving only a faint silhouette behind.
“How shall we proceed, everyone?” The tipsy and carefree demeanor disappeared from Xu An’s face, replaced by seriousness.
After a moment’s thought, Duan Feng stroked his chin and murmured, “The Master advised us to avoid the ancient remains carefully. It might be better not to go.”
“Senior Brother, that was when our Sword Pavilion faced the ancient remains alone,” one disciple of the Sword Pavilion raised his hand and said, “But now it’s different. The Holy Maiden of the Jade Pool has almost gathered all the disciples of the major sects, greatly increasing safety. If we don’t go, won’t the benefits fall into others’ hands?”
“Ah—! That seems to be true…”
“Ancient remains are indeed dangerous, but those sect disciples dare to face the dangers head-on. Are we sword cultivators cowards?”
Duan Feng pondered for a moment, finding it reasonable, and nodded in agreement, “Since everyone says so, let’s go.”
If the Holy Maiden of the Jade Pool organizes the purification of demonic energy, so many sect disciples will be there, along with other prodigies from sacred lands.
As the saying goes, when the sky falls, tall people will bear the brunt.
If there really is great danger, the risk will be shared by everyone; what is there to fear?
“Xu An, send a message to Yue Qianchi telling her our location, so she doesn’t miss us.”
Duan Feng, remembering Yue Qianchi and Li Qingran who had already left, added another reminder.
Xu An waved his wine pot, “Alright~”
…
“These bastards, causing trouble again while I’m gone!”
Yue Qianchi’s face darkened upon seeing the information on the sound transmission jade tablet.
“What’s wrong, Senior Sister?” Li Qingran moved closer, looking at the jade tablet, but the words had already disappeared.
“It’s nothing serious.” Yue Qianchi waved her hand and held Li Qingran’s arm again, explaining, “The Holy Maiden of the Jade Pool summoned sect disciples to the ruins to purify demonic energy, and after completion, rewards will be given to everyone. Xu An and the others think it’s worth it, so they’re preparing to lead the team over.”
“Ruins of a major sect?” Li Qingran mulled over Yue Qianchi’s words, a hint of worry rising in her heart: “Such major sect ruins covered by demonic energy must surely harbor many dangers, right? Will we encounter the remains of ancient cultivators?”
“There are indeed remains of ancient cultivators.” Yue Qianchi nodded, “However, we cultivators cannot realistically avoid all dangers while outside.
Opportunities and risks coexist; when we should strive, we must seize them…
What concerns me is the lack of clear information. After all, we know too little about the people from the sacred land. What if, when danger strikes, these disciples from the sacred land run away first?”
Seeing the worried expression in Yue Qianchi’s eyes, Li Qingran didn’t know how to comfort her, but she tightened her grip on her Senior Sister’s hand.
“Senior Sister, once we find the remaining three ingredients for the Hundred Herb Detoxifying Pill, let’s quickly go support Senior Brother Xu An.”
“Um, last year when I entered this Small Secret Realm, I encountered what seemed to be the ruins of the Medicine King Valley. But since there wasn’t much time left before the Small Secret Realm closed, I didn’t explore it. This time, let’s head straight there; we’ll definitely find the three ingredients the Ancestor needs.”
While speaking, both of them unconsciously quickened their steps.
…
“Sect ruins shrouded in demonic energy must be the battlefield between the powerful demon path cultivators and righteous cultivators from the ancient times, and it was an extremely brutal massacre of sects.”
Mo Shumei watched thoughtfully in the direction the Sword Pavilion disciples had left.
Last year, she obtained her demon blade Soul Abyss and the first volume of the Great Compassion Assignment from the ruins of an ancient battlefield.
At that time, the situation was complicated, and she could say she went through life-and-d*ath situations.
It was precisely because she wanted to survive that she had no choice but to practice the strange Great Compassion Assignment method.
This technique was extremely dominant; dispersing one’s cultivation would result in d*ath.
To suppress the Soul Abyss, she had to enter the secret realm to search for the second volume of the Great Compassion Assignment.
“Hey, smelly blade, do you think there might be the technique fragments I need over there?”
The demon blade remained silent, showing no reaction at all.
Mo Shumei tapped her finger lightly on the blade, but the demon blade still stayed silent.
“You not saying anything means something is amiss, so am I really going?”
[Hmph! Youngster, there are righteous cultivators gathered there; if you go, you will surely d*e!]
“You seem quite anxious?”
[Why should I be anxious? I’m not anxious at all! Hurry up and d*e so I can take over your body! Hehehe!]
Mo Shumei laughed, “Very good, you not wanting me to go means there’s definitely something suspicious… and I’m going anyway!”
The demon blade trembled violently, as if enraged by Mo Shumei’s words.
Mo Shumei paid no attention to this, directly sheathed the blade, calmed her breath, and cautiously trailed behind the group of Sword Pavilion disciples.
…
