The Spiritual Qi was thin.
After a night of hard work, his progress on the Danxia Nurturing Truth Sword Manual had only increased by three points. For him, at his current level, this was practically impossible.
’I’ll have to prepare more Spirit Stones in the future,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, this will be a huge waste of time.’
[Danxia Nurturing Truth Sword Manual: 2145/80000]
[Available Immortal Seedlings: 4822]
Chen Qingyang took forty-eight hundred of his Immortal Seedlings and poured them all into the Sword Manual. ’Hopefully, this will bring some more opportunities,’ he wished, ’or at least get this Dharma Gate past the halfway mark.’
Another layer of Five-Colored Danxia Sword Qi rose from his body. Only after watching it gradually fade did he slowly open his eyes.
Liu Tao was also awake by now and was looking over at Chen Qingyang. "What a powerful Sword Formula! What powerful Sword Qi!"
Chen Qingyang chuckled. "It’s not the first time you’ve seen it, Senior Sister. Why are you still so impressed?"
Liu Tao smiled back but said no more, busying herself with getting ready.
Just as the two were deciding whether to go out, they heard a Little Daoist Child announcing something outside.
Liu Tao went and opened the door. The Daoist Child said, "Fairy, Immortal Master, Xuanwei Master invites you all for a gathering!"
"We know."
After seeing the Daoist Child off, Liu Tao turned back to Chen Qingyang. "That was fast. We just got here, and they won’t even let us rest for a couple of days."
"Forget it. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish, and the sooner we can go back."
"Hmm, I suppose that makes sense."
They left the small courtyard and followed the straight main path upward. The path turned into a flight of stairs, which finally ended at the gate of another courtyard. From a distance, Chen Qingyang saw the White Jade Array Building standing there.
’Just as I thought,’ he mused. ’The Spiritual Qi is richest here. It would have been great if I could have cultivated here last night. Too bad I’m not a Master, so I don’t get to enjoy a Master’s treatment.’
At the courtyard gate, two of the Master’s Child attendants were already there to greet them. Everyone had gathered and was seated in the main hall. Chen Qingyang took a quick look; there were at least thirty people present.
The woman from before and Yao Jingzhi were seated in the front rows, their eyes closed, sitting as still as statues. A dozen more people came in after them. Once everyone had arrived, the Child attendants left, and a man walked in from outside.
He wore an indigo long robe and had an ebony hairpin in his slightly graying hair, yet his face looked quite young. His Qi mechanism was completely hidden, and his eyes alone shone with a vibrant spirit.
He was of average height and build. After entering, he took the seat at the center.
His gaze swept across the crowd. As a Foundation Establishment Master, he naturally possessed an imposing aura. Beside the woman they had seen yesterday, an old man stood up, bowed, and clasped his hands. The rest of the disciples followed suit and rose to their feet.
"Disciples greet Xuanwei Master!"
In Chen Qingyang’s judgment, the old man was most likely at Half-Step Foundation Establishment. It seemed that every Xuanwei Master had one or two such people by their side to assist with the majority of their affairs.
"Please, be seated."
With the Master’s approval, everyone sat down again.
At that moment, the Master spoke. "My name is Li Qian. I achieved my cultivation at the Phecda Divine Tower and was dispatched here by the Sect thirty years ago to proclaim the might of the Daoist Sect. All of you have been nurtured by the Daoist Sect for many years. Now is the time for you to repay it..."
"This Upper Purity Temple, while near the Six Immortal Sects of the Southeast, does not share a border with them, so we have no friction with them. Though we are in the Da Li Kingdom, we are not near the capital. Moreover, many senior brothers and sisters from the Da Li Kingdom cultivate in the Daoist Sect, so our relations have always been amicable. As such, normally, nothing involves the Upper Purity Temple."
"For thousands of years, this has been a place for Sect disciples to relax when they venture out. Recently, however, things have changed. Within a radius of a thousand li, unknown Cultivators have appeared, murdering and taking lives. Over a thousand people are dead, and many disciples from the Ningzhen Immortal Mansion have also fallen. While we cannot confirm if this is the work of Yu Xiao, it bears all the hallmarks of their methods..."
Liu Tao, who was sitting next to Chen Qingyang, glanced at him when she heard this, her look seeming to say, ’Of all the luck, why did we have to run into something like this?’
’I was just thinking the same thing,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ’I’d planned on a peaceful vacation, not expecting one thing after another.’
’Yao Jingzhi really planned this well,’ he fumed internally. ’If not for him, how could I have ended up in this mess?’
He whispered back, "It’s fine."
The Master at the head of the hall continued, "...You should be able to guess what I’m about to say. You are to search for Wandering Cultivators within this area. It would be best if you can capture them alive to learn the reason for all this, but if you cannot, then kill them without mercy. This is, after all, territory under our Daoist Sect’s jurisdiction. Ningzhen is also a branch of our Daoist Sect. We will not tolerate anyone running rampant here. Do you all... understand?"
The Master looked over, and everyone answered in unison, "Yes, Master."
Chen Qingyang had already been through this sort of thing twice before, but he had never been allowed to participate, only hearing about it from the outside. Today, however, he was hearing everything clearly.
Having said his piece, the Master stood up and left directly.
Then, the old man—the one Chen Qingyang had suspected of being at Half-Step Foundation Establishment—rose and addressed the crowd. "Please wait, Junior Brothers and Sisters. As per the Master’s instructions, the forty disciples present will be divided into five teams based on your cultivation levels. You will head out in five different directions to search for traces of the Demon Sect Disciples."
"Each team will have eight members, with Cultivation ranging from the First to the Ninth Realm. This way, you can look out for one another. This is a good opportunity to broaden your horizons and gain experience. Only by witnessing all the methods under heaven can one aspire to the Great Dao. Do not disappoint the Master’s painstaking efforts..."
"I am your Senior Brother, Yin Zhu. I currently cultivate on Sun-piercing Peak, and my Cultivation is at Half-Step Foundation Establishment. I am here to provide support for all of you at a moment’s notice. Should you encounter any trouble you cannot handle, I will be there as soon as possible."
The arrangements were quite thorough. With a Ninth Realm Disciple leading each team, the numerous First and Second Realm disciples would have protection, and they could also broaden their experience.
"...To our Junior Brothers and Sisters of the Ninth Realm, you must ensure their safety. The number of people who go out must be the number of people who return." Finally, he added this last instruction.