Translator: AnubisTL
"Therefore, your mission is to retrieve the Heavenly River Sect's fire seed that escaped!"
"This matter cannot be delayed. It's crucial for our upcoming war against the Chi Demon Tribe!"
"Remember, absolute secrecy is paramount."
Sect Leader Xu Yun delivered these instructions with a solemn expression, his demeanor utterly grave.
Remnants of the fire seed... Water Spirit Pearl fragment...
The group struggled to process this information, their faces still etched with disbelief.
Even Li Qing's inner turmoil grew increasingly complex. Just moments ago, he had received Sect Leader Xu Yun's urgent spirit letter summoning him. Now, upon arriving at Cloudsoar Island, he was confronted with these grave tidings.
The Heavenly River Sect had truly been annihilated. Despite the desperate, life-or-death struggle waged by their core formation ancestors, only one Shangqing Sect Ancestor had fallen. Though the remaining Shangqing Sect Ancestors had sustained severe injuries, they would eventually recover.
As these thoughts flooded Li Qing's mind, the gentle, water-like figure of Su Xin surfaced in his memory.
Is Su Xin still alive?
Li Qing involuntarily clenched his fists, his eyes heavy with concern.
"Senior Brother Sect Leader, how will we determine which Heavenly River Sect Elder fused with the Water Spirit Pearl fragment?" Wu Chong asked, his curiosity piqued.
For such a critical mission, Sect Leader Xu Yun had only summoned a select group of the sect's most trusted elders, including Li Qing. As the direct disciple of Ancestor Devourer of Heaven, Wu Chong was naturally among them.
Sect Leader Xu Yun shook his head. "We don't know. Qing Xuan's final spirit letter only mentioned this much. He likely intended for this information to compel our Lingyun Sect to protect the remaining fire seeds of the Heavenly River Sect."
"But what if a core formation ancestor from the Shangqing Sect is hunting them down? I only just achieved foundation establishment! Why am I being assigned such a dangerous mission?"
Lu Fan voiced his complaint, his face twisted in bitterness. His inner turmoil was palpable.
Originally, he had been imprisoned in the Ice Prison for six months as punishment for a grave mistake. Ironically, this confinement had saved him from the Demon's Den Calamity.
Yet no sooner had he emerged from the Ice Prison, barely having tasted the privileges and prestige of an elder, that he was being sent out on another Sect Mission.
Sect Leader Xu Yun had chosen Lu Fan for a specific reason: his late foundation establishment and recent release from the Ice Prison meant his background was absolutely clean, making him perfect for this mission.
"Don't worry," Sect Leader Xu Yun assured them. "The Shangqing Sect's core formation ancestors have suffered severe injuries. At their cultivation level, killing a cultivator of the same rank isn't easy."
"Even if the Shangqing Sect has more core formation combat power than the Heavenly River Sect, they'll likely suffer heavy losses this time."
Sect Leader Xu Yun shook his head and continued, "Furthermore, Junior Brother Lu Fan, you are still serving penance through meritorious service. While on this mission, you must obey the orders of the other team members without question!"
Upon hearing this, the bitterness on Lu Fan's face deepened.
"Are there any other questions?" Sect Leader Xu Yun asked, clasping his hands behind his back and scanning the group.
The cultivators remained silent, clearly having no further inquiries.
Seeing this, Sect Leader Xu Yun said slowly, "Junior Brother Li, you will lead and command this mission. Remember to adapt to any situation that arises."
"Me?" Li Qing was momentarily stunned, never expecting such a command to fall on his shoulders.
"Yes, you have the most experience. This task is yours alone!" Sect Leader Xu Yun said with a smile.
Li Qing initially wanted to decline, but after carefully considering his companions, he let out a silent, bitter laugh and accepted the responsibility.
First was Fatty Wu. Though he was a disciple of a core formation ancestor, his actual experience was shallow. Putting him in charge would risk untold dangers.
Next was Shen Ningbing. With her ice spirit root, she was perpetually aloof and cold, her demeanor as frosty as ice. Asking her to lead would clearly be awkward.
Finally, there was Lu Fan. Strong in body but simple in mind, he had just been released from the Ice Prison and likely hadn't even grasped the situation yet.
After weighing all the options, it became clear that this task could only fall to him.
"Very well, Senior Brother, I will not fail your trust!" Li Qing said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
Sect Leader Xu Yun nodded in satisfaction and produced a purple jade pendant, handing it directly to Li Qing.
"If you encounter any insurmountable danger, crush this pendant. The sect will immediately dispatch reinforcements to assist you."
After receiving the jade pendant, Li Qing carefully stowed it away and led his three companions off Cloudsoar Island.
"Li Qing, should we set out immediately?" Fatty Wu urged anxiously. "There's no time to waste! We need to reach the Heavenly River Sect as soon as possible!"
Hearing this, Li Qing sighed inwardly, realizing Fatty Wu truly lacked any practical experience.
"There's no need to rush," Li Qing replied calmly. "The journey from the Heavenly River Sect to the Mu Kingdom is long. We won't reach them in a short time anyway."
"First, return to your cave abodes and prepare thoroughly. Gather your magic artifacts, pills, spirit stones, talismans—everything you need!"
"We'll likely face Shangqing Sect elders directly this time. We can't afford any carelessness!"
"Meet at the mountain gate in half an hour."
After issuing his first command, Li Qing took the lead and returned to his own cave abode.
He didn't need much preparation; most of his essentials were already in his storage pouch. He just needed to bring Fan Tong along.
After all, Fan Tong was a Second-Tier Demonic Beast with formidable combat power—he couldn't be overlooked.
An hour later, Li Qing stood before the mountain gate of the Lingyun Sect.
He stepped onto his wind spear, unfurled a complete map of the Azure Ridge Domain in his hand, and lowered his head in silent contemplation.
"Logically, I should head directly northwest to the Mu Kingdom, as it's the closest route to the Heavenly River Sect."
"However, that path leads through a vast, desolate plain. Without mastery of earth evasion, escaping alive from there would be nearly impossible."
When it came to escaping with his life, Li Qing considered himself an expert.
He had once fled from the Heavenly River Sect to the Lingyun Sect, enduring countless hardships and narrowly escaping death multiple times along the way.
Back then, he had been hunted by the Heavenly River Sect. Now, fate had taken a strange turn, and he was tasked with rescuing them.
"Ah, the impermanence of the world..."
Sighing, Li Qing's gaze suddenly locked onto the northeastern region of the map.
"During this war between the two sects, the Shangqing Sect must have mobilized their entire force, besieging the Heavenly River Sect for half a year."
"Now that the Heavenly River Sect has been destroyed, there must be countless matters in the surrounding area that need to be handled and resolved."
"If it were me, I certainly wouldn't choose the shortest route. The Shangqing Sect's defenses are undoubtedly impenetrable."
"Conversely, because the war has just ended, the Shangqing Sect's own territory must be severely depleted."
Just like his escape route back then, he would venture deep into Shangqing Sect territory, pass through Liang Country, and head south to the Mu Kingdom.
"This is the place," Li Qing murmured, his gaze fixed on the northeastern border where the Mu Kingdom and Liang Country met.
With that, Li Qing put away the map. He soon noticed someone waiting for him at the mountain gate.
Raising an eyebrow, Li Qing asked, "Lu Fan, why are you here so early? Don't you need to return to your cave abode to prepare?"
Lu Fan forced a wry smile. "Senior Brother Li, have you forgotten I was just released from the Ice Prison? I haven't even had time to claim a cave abode yet! What preparations could I possibly make?"
Hearing this, Li Qing couldn't help but chuckle.
Two consecutive sonic booms echoed from within the mountain gate.
Shen Ningbing and Wu Chong arrived simultaneously, the latter's cheeks bulging with food and his storage pouches at his waist overflowing—undoubtedly stuffed with provisions.
"Senior Brother Li, I'm ready to depart at any time," Shen Ningbing said in her usual icy tone.
Wu Chong nodded vigorously beside her, chewing loudly.
"Good. Let's set off then."
With that, Li Qing retrieved a Serpent-Head Spirit Boat from his storage pouch.
Since joining the sect, he had taken some time to further refine the spirit boat.
Though still classified as a high-grade magical artifact, it was now far superior to its original state.
His modifications focused on speed and agility. To achieve this, he added a small amount of special wind-attribute spiritual materials and enhanced it with numerous lightweight spirit patterns.
By sacrificing offensive and defensive capabilities, the spirit boat had become exceptionally fast—truly top-tier in terms of speed.
The Serpent-Head Spirit Boat's interior was reasonably spacious, though not as vast as the giant spirit warship Ancestor Devourer of Heaven had unveiled that day. Still, it comfortably accommodated four people.
After Li Qing boarded, Shen Ningbing, her expression unchanged, smoothly settled beside him. Fatty Wu and Lu Fan were left to sit side-by-side in the back.
"Junior Brother Lu, want a roasted lamb leg?" Fatty Wu, his mouth glistening with grease, generously offered Lu Fan one of the two legs he held.
Lu Fan, a burly figure, swallowed hard before snatching the leg and devouring it in large bites.
The two in the back each gnawed on a lamb leg, utterly absorbed in their feast, showing not a trace of the ascetic restraint expected of immortal cultivators!
The savory aroma of roasted meat filled the air, causing a dark line to appear on Li Qing's forehead. So, they're turning my spirit boat into a mobile dining car, are they?
"This is delicious!" Lu Fan exclaimed, his mouth full.
"Of course! It's my master's secret recipe, sprinkled with..."
Boom!
Before Fatty Wu could finish, Li Qing activated the spirit boat, sending it soaring into the sky and streaking across the horizon at breakneck speed.
(End of the Chapter)
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