The next day, at the hour of yin.
A group of outstanding disciples all arrived at the barrier at the foot of the Wuji Sect’s mountain.
A burly young man stood at the very front of the group, craning his neck in anticipation.
Most of the disciples were at the late establish foundation stage. Everyone from Lingyun Peak except Su Yanqing had joined this operation, including Bai Xiaoru, who had been expelled from the sect.
But aside from Immortal Venerable Helian, one other disciple had yet to arrive.
The burly young man in black was named Jing Sanhuai, the third disciple of Lingyun Peak.
He looked at the frail young man racing over from not far away, displeasure written on his face.
When the frail young man ran up to him, his rough, unrestrained voice was even more furious: “Shen Si, I see you’re asking for a beating! A few days without a spar, and you’re looking for a fight again, aren’t you!”
Jing Sanhuai was quite speechless. Normally, this Shen Si was as respectful as could be toward Master… tell him to go east, and he wouldn’t dare go west. This time, he actually dared to arrive late in front of everyone.
Fearing the other disciples would be displeased, he lectured Shen Si a few words in front of everyone.
The young man, trembling from the shout, lowered his head and timidly explained: “Sorry, Third Senior Brother, I cultivated too late last night.”
Jing Sanhuai still wasn’t appeased. He gave Shen Si’s shoulder a vicious punch. “If you do this again, don’t blame me for being unkind.”
The disciples nearby saw Shen Si bent over from the punch, face pale, constantly rubbing his shoulder, and hurried to smooth things over: “Senior Brother Jing, Junior Brother Shen was also cultivating hard to rescue the disciples. Besides, he was only late by a stick of incense.”
“Immortal Venerable Helian hasn’t arrived yet. Why fuss over such a small matter? Everyone should just pull together… rescuing our fellow disciples is what matters most.”
The other disciples, seeing this, also chimed in to change the subject: “That’s right, Senior Brother Jing, you’re too strict. Don’t fuss over a tiny mistake.”
Hearing this, Jing Sanhuai finally let it go: “For the sake of my junior brothers, this won’t happen again.”
After saying this, while no one was looking, he quietly gave Shen Si a meaningful look:
Hurry up and thank me. If I hadn’t punished you first to establish authority, you’d be in for it when Master arrives.
Meanwhile, “Shen Si,” who had just taken a heavy punch from the brute, didn’t notice the other’s winks and signals.
She lowered her long lashes, eyes blazing:
That hulking brute Jing Sanhuai nearly pounded her bones apart. She had to jot this down in her little notebook, hmph!
That’s right, this frail young man was none other than “Su Yanqing,” disguised as Shen Si.
Last night, though she’d been stunned silly by Master’s words.
After thinking it over for a long time, she still decided to take Shen Si’s place and complete the rescue mission.
She fed Shen Si a Disguise Pill, turning him into her likeness, and quietly placed him on the guest bed in Lingxiao Hall.
That way, even if her sect master father came to check on her, seeing “her” sound asleep, she might just bluff her way through.
Su Yanqing looked around and finally spotted Bai Xiaoru, silent, in a corner: “System, keep an eye on Bai Xiaoru for me. She’s too quiet. I always feel something’s off.”
『Don’t worry. The moment anything happens, I’ll alert you.』
Just as the two were discussing the mission, Helian Chuxue finally arrived.
Dressed in white, ethereal and graceful, his expression cold: “I made a trip to the Sword Pavilion and borrowed a batch of swords for you.”
“After the mission ends, they must be returned in full. Disciples who perform outstandingly will receive priority competition rights in the sect’s grand tournament.”
The disciples, hearing this, were overjoyed: “Thank you, Immortal Venerable Helian!”
You see, for establish foundation disciples to enter the sect’s grand tournament and place in the top 3, they had to earn the right to select a sword from the Sword Pavilion.
With one word from Immortal Venerable Helian, not only could they borrow swords with ease, but the mission rewards were increased as well.
The original reward had only been 300 mid-grade spirit stones.
Helian Chuxue’s gaze was indifferent and distant, devoid of emotion. With a wave of his long sleeve, a large hole instantly appeared in the barrier: “Enough talk. Go quickly and return quickly.”
Everyone’s fighting spirit soared as they answered in unison: “Yes!”
Then they passed through the barrier in orderly, swift fashion.
Just after exiting the barrier, Helian Chuxue conjured a flying spirit boat, mainly to conserve spiritual energy.
After the disciples boarded the spirit boat, Helian Chuxue quickly activated the mechanisms, and it flew toward the direction where Mu Yunci and the others had gone missing.
On the way, Jing Sanhuai reverted to his true nature, slinging an arm around Shen Si’s shoulder. “I just saved your hide, and you don’t even know how to be grateful, kid!”
Su Yanqing, unable to bear the weight, inwardly complained:
How is Third Senior Brother as heavy as a bear, and radiating heat too? Being next to him made her whole body feel unbearably hot and stifled.
Afraid of giving herself away, she had to put on an act of brotherly closeness, extending an arm to be affectionate with her “brother”: “You and me, what’s there to be so polite about! Third Senior Brother, what exactly is that magic treasure Senior Sister Bai has that can detect demonic qi?”
Hearing this, Jing Sanhuai’s ox-like eyes went wide, and his bear-paw-like hand smacked “Shen Si” hard on the head.
“You little rascal, no wonder you’re always staring at Senior Sister Bai… you’ve been eyeing her magic treasure!”
Su Yanqing, taking that slap, had her head spinning.
To gather information, she endured it: “I’m just curious. Senior Sister Bai was punished and sent to the Disciplinary Hall, yet she was released to make amends for her mistakes. This magic treasure must be extraordinary, right?”
The burly young man lowered his voice: “They say it’s a Demon-Devouring Compass. Any demonic qi, it can detect with a single probe. But Senior Sister Bai’s cultivation is still shallow… she can only sense demonic qi within 3 li.”
“Master and the others tested it several times. It really works, so they brought her along.”
“Just keep this to yourself. Don’t go blabbing about it.”
After fishing out the information, Su Yanqing felt more confident: “Relax, my lips are sealed! I’m just worried about wasting rescue time. After all, our senior brothers have been missing for 3 days.”
“With Master here, what are you afraid of? When you run into demonic cultivators, just put in more effort. Don’t be a coward again and hide behind me.” Jing Sanhuai shook his head, seemingly thinking Shen Si was beyond saving, and turned to leave.
But the instant he turned around, his simple, honest gaze suddenly sharpened:
He’s not Shen Si.
In private, Shen Si never called him Third Senior Brother… he’d only grin and call him Third Brother.
After successfully sending off her burly, bear-backed Third Senior Brother, the restlessness around her dissipated quite a bit.
The reason she’d asked about the magic treasure’s function was actually out of fear that Bai Xiaoru, after being isolated, would harbor resentment and turn traitor at the critical moment.
Fortunately, the other party could only detect demonic qi for now… no real threat.
In the original plot, Su Yanqing was punished by being sent to sweep the outer sect for harming a fellow disciple, and did not join the mission.
Murong Yi and Mu Yunci had not gone missing; instead, they had joined the rescue mission.
The one leading the team was Elder Song Ming Shao.
Bai Xiaoru, in order to vie for credit, acted against the plan, recklessly charging to the front to claim merit, nearly causing a great disaster.
Mu Yunci, in order to save Bai Xiaoru, was unfortunately drained of his cultivation by the demonic cultivator and died.
In the end, the demonic cultivator was defeated and fled.
But none of the missing disciples survived, and the rescue team also suffered heavy casualties.
After returning to the sect, no one cared about Mu Yunci’s death.
The reckless Bai Xiaoru, on the other hand, received the most rewards.
Just as Su Yanqing’s thoughts were in a jumble, the spirit boat suddenly stopped.
Master’s cold, jade-like voice rang out: “There’s someone below asking for help. It might be related to the demonic cultivators. I’ll go take a look first.”
A moment later, Helian Chuxue brought up a young, alluring female cultivator.
Su Yanqing watched the woman weeping and wiping her tears, yet there were no wounds on her body. Just as she was puzzled…
Jing Sanhuai’s distinct, powerful voice suddenly rang out: “Isn’t this Junior Sister Yueli from the Hehuan Sect?”
At this point, the others also recognized the woman’s identity and asked with concern:
“It really is Junior Sister Yueli! Senior Brother Jing, good eye!”
“Junior Sister Yueli, stop crying. Don’t tell me your Hehuan Sect also fell victim to the demonic cultivators!”
The alluring, charming female cultivator, seeing that everyone on the spirit boat was a disciple of the Wuji Sect, hurriedly told the truth: “Senior Brother Jing, the Hehuan Sect is fine. But my lover, Liu Lang… he… he was captured by the demonic cultivators!”
“Please, I beg you, save him! I know the direction those demonic cultivators went!”
The Hehuan Sect was entirely composed of female cultivators, and their secret cultivation methods were mostly dual cultivation.
Yueli was one of the most beautiful female cultivators in the Hehuan Sect, her beauty renowned far and wide.
Who exactly was this Liu Lang, who could make such a beauty weep and beg for help?
The hearts of the disciples felt as if they’d been filled with a vat of aged vinegar.
Only Helian Chuxue remained unmoved. He questioned her coldly: “You say your lover was captured by demonic cultivators, but why do you bear the spiritual energy mark unique to my Lingyun Peak?”
At these words, the crowded spirit boat fell dead silent.