Mo Jie was completely oblivious to Qi Yan’s presence.
He hurried over to Xiao Chen, talking all the while.
Hearing what Mo Jie was saying, Xiao Chen frantically tried to signal him with his eyes.
However, the man remained completely unaware of the impending danger and just kept rambling on.
‘It’s over.
He’s a dead man,’ Xiao Chen silently prayed for Mo Jie.
Just as Mo Jie was in full swing, Qi Yan, who had been standing behind him, finally spoke up.
Her tone was calm, betraying no hint of anger.
However, the moment she spoke, Mo Jie froze on the spot, the smile on his face instantly stiffening.
“Junior Brother, I’m taking my little junior brother out for some training, and you seem to have quite a lot to say about it…”
Hearing her words, Mo Jie mechanically turned his head.
The first thing he saw was Qi Yan, a cold smirk on her face.
“This…
Mother Yech—no, no, Senior Sister Qi!
What are you doing here?” Seeing Qi Yan only now, Mo Jie was utterly stunned and stammered incoherently.
After he finished speaking, Mo Jie shot Xiao Chen an accusatory glare, his expression clearly saying, ‘Why didn’t you warn me?’
Faced with Mo Jie’s accusation, Xiao Chen could only look helpless.
‘I *did* try to warn you,’ he thought.
‘You were the one who wasn’t paying attention.’
As expected, Mo Jie received a brutal beating from Qi Yan, ending up in a much more miserable state than Xiao Chen had.
While the injuries wouldn’t cause any permanent damage, he would inevitably be bedridden for at least a month.
With Mo Jie lying on the ground like a dead dog, Qi Yan dusted off her hands.
She then turned to Qin Shuirou and the others who had accompanied them, a smile on her face.
“And what about you all?
Do you have a problem with me too?”
“N-No…
Absolutely not!
For Xiao Chen to be able to train under Senior Sister Qi, it’s the chance of a lifetime for him!
We couldn’t be more supportive, so how could we possibly object?” Faced with Qi Yan’s question, they all replied while shaking their heads vigorously.
They hadn’t dared to hesitate for a second.
Satisfied with their response, Qi Yan nodded, then turned to Xiao Chen.
“Let’s go, my little junior brother.
Time is of the essence, and you don’t have a moment to waste.”
With that, she led the way out of the courtyard, completely certain that Xiao Chen would follow her.
Realizing escape was now impossible, Xiao Chen said a quick goodbye to Qin Shuirou and the others and turned to catch up with Qi Yan.
He had only taken a few steps when Qin Shuirou called out to him.
Blushing deeply, she handed him a Storage Ring, her head lowered as she spoke in a small voice.
“There are some clean clothes inside, and some Spirit Stones.
Be careful out there, and don’t push yourself too hard.”
Qin Shuirou had long held a secret crush on Xiao Chen, but the shy girl had never confessed.
Now, hearing that he would be away training for a year, she had finally summoned the courage to reveal her feelings.
He could sense Qin Shuirou’s affection, but he wasn’t ready to think about romance just yet.
Offering a small smile, he avoided giving her a clear answer.
After thanking her, Xiao Chen accepted the Storage Ring and departed.
Having received no clear response from Xiao Chen and unsure of his feelings for her, Qin Shuirou stood rooted to the spot, her eyes welling up as she watched his retreating figure.
Another female disciple came to her side and comforted her in a gentle voice.
“Shuirou, Junior Brother Xiao Chen’s future is far beyond what we can possibly reach…”
With the talent Xiao Chen had displayed, his future achievements were bound to be unimaginable.
The woman worthy of him would have to be a true peerless talent herself.
Qin Shuirou knew what the other disciple meant, but she replied stubbornly, “I know, but I don’t want to give up…”
Xiao Chen was the first person Qin Shuirou had ever truly liked.
She knew the gap between them would likely only grow wider in the future, but even so, she was unwilling to give up.
Hearing Qin Shuirou’s reply, the others sighed helplessly.
Truthfully, Qin Shuirou was stunning; her beauty even surpassed Qi Yan’s.
In fact, shortly after joining the Outer Sect, she had been named its number one beauty.
However, to be a match for someone like Xiao Chen, looks alone were clearly not enough.
The young woman held fast to her stubborn hope.
Meanwhile, Xiao Chen had followed Qi Yan to the Outer Sect Main Square.
For this training journey, Qi Yan had even made a special request to the Sword Pavilion for a Cyan Feathered Eagle to serve as their mount and speed up their travel.
When they reached the Outer Sect Main Square, Xiao Chen was stunned by the scene before him.
‘What’s going on?’ The entire main square was packed with people.
There were Outer Disciples and Inner Sect Disciples, tens of thousands in all.
Even dozens of Core Disciples were present.
A crowd this large was practically comparable to the one at his own apprenticeship ceremony.
‘Are all these people here for a send-off?’ he wondered.
‘Why would so many people gather?
Can they really all be here to see us go?’
Xiao Chen’s suspicion was correct.
They were indeed here for a send-off, but it wasn’t for him.
It was for Qi Yan.
The Mother Yecha was leaving the sect!
For countless Inner Sect and Core Disciples, this was the best news imaginable.
That was why everyone had rushed over first thing in the morning.
They called it a send-off, but their true purpose was to personally witness the Mother Yecha’s departure.
“Have a safe trip, Senior Sister…”
“Farewell, Senior Sister…”
“Senior Sister, we’ll miss you!
Please take care of yourself while you’re away…”
As she walked past, the disciples all bowed to bid her farewell.
They all spoke words of fond parting, but none could hide the sheer joy in their eyes.
They looked as though they couldn’t wait for her to get on her way.
She shot the crowd a vicious glare, and they all instantly fell silent.
At that moment, an eagle’s cry echoed as a massive Cyan Feathered Eagle descended from the sky.
Qi Yan leaped onto its back first, then looked down at Xiao Chen and said, “Get up here.”
Xiao Chen looked at the Cyan Feathered Eagle.
It was a Tier Two Demon Beast, equivalent in power to a human Martial Artist at the Xuanyuan Realm.
Demon Beasts, like humans, were ranked by power.
Ordinary savage beasts were only equivalent to humans at the Vein Opening and Foundation Establishment Realms.
Only once a creature reached the level of a true Demon Beast could it be compared to a human Martial Artist at the Yellow Extreme Realm.
A Tier One Demon Beast was equivalent to a Yellow Extreme Realm Martial Artist, and a Tier Two Demon Beast, like this one, was on par with a Xuanyuan Realm Martial Artist.
‘The Sword Pavilion’s leadership was actually willing to dispatch a Cyan Feathered Eagle just for my training.
It seems they’re taking this journey of mine very seriously.
Then again, I suppose it makes sense.
I have a heavy burden to bear, after all.
In one year, I have to face Celestial Blade from the Blood Demon Hall.
He’s a widely acknowledged Celestial Pride, and the legendary tales of his journey are no less impressive than my own.’
He leaped onto the Cyan Feathered Eagle’s back.
At Qi Yan’s command, the great beast gave a powerful beat of its wings, carrying the two of them into the sky until they vanished from sight.
Watching the two of them depart, the massive crowd of Inner Sect and Core Disciples in the square erupted in cheers.
“She’s gone!
She’s finally gone…!”
“I’m not dreaming, am I?
After two long years, the Mother Yecha has finally left the sect again!
The good times are here at last…!”
“The Celestial Gods be praised!
The Celestial Gods be praised…!”