Translator: CinderTL
Aunt Hua, noticing Fang Xiang's timid and withdrawn demeanor, couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with him?"
Venerable He Yu sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "He's probably still traumatized from the beating..."
He had learned the details of the incident from others: Fang Xiang had led a group to seize Xu Sanyan's Holy Son Token, only to be pinned to the ground and thoroughly thrashed. The experience had clearly left a psychological scar.
What a useless wretch...
Venerable He Yu shifted his gaze to Tu Wanshan, a flicker of relief in his heart. At least I have a worthy son.
Three days later, over two hundred people gathered at Xu Sanyan's residence on Crimson Dragon Mountain, including men, women, young, and old. Qin Manyang, Lin Fan, Xiang Tan, and He Ran were among them.
Two days prior, Lin Fan had successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, qualifying him to accompany Xu Sanyan to the secret realm.
Yun Chang, Meng Zhuer, and others with lower cultivation levels were left behind.
In truth, Xiang Tan's presence would make little difference. With her Initial Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, one more or less wouldn't matter. Still, having her along to serve him was acceptable—he could treat her as a personal maid.
Xu Sanyan surveyed the crowd, inwardly pleased.
Among the two hundred-plus individuals, twenty had reached the Peak Stage of the Dao Seeking Realm, fifty were at the Mid Stage, thirty at the Initial Stage, and the rest were in the Foundation Establishment Realm, including Lin Fan.
This was a substantial force. Crimson Dragon Mountain's inner sect disciples and elders numbered just over seven hundred in total. The majority were Foundation Establishment disciples (over five hundred), followed by Dao Seeking Realm elders (over one hundred), and Soul Refining Realm elders (over thirty).
Xu Sanyan had brought nearly all the Dao Seeking Realm elders from the mountain, but only about a hundred Foundation Establishment disciples.
As for the Soul Refining Realm elders, their presence would be of little use. They would be separated upon entering the secret realm and unable to provide assistance.
Liu Tang remained behind to guard the mountain. His advanced age and aversion to conflict made him unsuitable for the expedition.
"Let's depart!"
Xu Sanyan led the way toward Harmonious Heart Mountain, with the group following closely behind. Xiang Tan trailed behind Xu Sanyan, while Chu Yuan stayed behind.
On Harmonious Heart Mountain, Qi Liang had already arrived with his group and was chatting casually with Tu Wanshan beside him. As they spoke, Qi Liang's gaze drifted down the mountain, where he spotted a large group approaching. His face registered surprise. "Why are there so many people?"
Tu Wanshan turned to look as well, then glanced back at the few dozen men behind him. He shook his head with a sigh. He had originally thought bringing seventy men would be more than enough, but Xu Sanyan had gone even further, likely bringing every single person from Crimson Dragon Mountain.
"Brother Xu, what's this...?" Qi Liang greeted him, his gaze sweeping over the crowd behind Xu Sanyan.
Xu Sanyan smiled faintly. "Senior Brother Qi, you flatter me. My own strength is meager; this is the only way I can feel somewhat secure."
Tu Wanshan scoffed inwardly. Spare me the act. Meager strength? Fang Xiang had been beaten so badly he now suffered from PTSD. The mere mention of Xu Sanyan's name sent him into a cold sweat.
Qi Liang's lips twitched, unsure how to respond. He could only force a dry laugh. "Heh... better safe than sorry, I suppose."
Xu Sanyan counted roughly forty men with Qi Liang and over seventy with Tu Wanshan.
Before long, Jiang Qinqin and Fang Xiang arrived as well. Jiang Qinqin led over fifty men, while Fang Xiang's group was the smallest and weakest, numbering only thirty-odd, mostly Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators.
After everyone arrived at Qi, Venerable He Yu and Aunt Hua also appeared. Their gazes swept across the crowd, pausing briefly on Xu Sanyan. A hint of surprise flickered in their eyes. Why has this kid brought so many people? Has he abandoned his sect?
But that was Crimson Dragon Mountain's own affair, so the two elders refrained from comment. He Yu retrieved a small boat from his storage pouch, tossed it into the air with a wave of his hand. The boat expanded rapidly in the wind, transforming within moments into a massive flying boat.
The flying boat was crafted entirely from flawless jade, its surface adorned with intricate cloud patterns, radiating an aura of unparalleled splendor.
Xu Sanyan's eyes widened in awe. This is a treasure beyond measure! Just looking at it, I know I could never afford such a thing. Even without considering the materials, the craftsmanship alone must have cost an astronomical sum.
"Board the flying boat! Let's depart!"
He Yu's figure rose effortlessly into the air, taking his place at the helm. Aunt Hua followed closely, standing beside him.
Cloud ladders descended from both sides of the flying boat. No one dared display their mystical arts before the two Hall Masters; regardless of their cultivation level, everyone lined up respectfully to climb aboard.
The flying boat was divided into two levels. The lower level housed meditation chambers for seated cultivation or rest. The upper level was a vast, open deck paved with white jade, carved seamlessly from a single block of stone without a single seam.
Once everyone had boarded, Venerable He Yu channeled his Spiritual Power, and the flying boat smoothly ascended, vanishing into the clouds within moments.
The flying boat moved with astonishing speed, yet there was no sound of wind. A transparent light barrier enveloped the vessel, providing both protection and wind resistance.
Hua Gu turned to address the group. "Our destination lies hundreds of thousands of miles away. We will arrive in half a month. You may each find a meditation chamber to cultivate in silence."
"Understood," the group replied.
With a limited number of meditation chambers, the disciples dispersed in small groups to share the spaces.
Several days later, Venerable He Yu summoned Xu Sanyan and the other four Holy Sons to a meditation chamber.
"I have called you here to inform you of a matter," he announced.
"Please speak, Hall Master," the five Holy Sons replied, their attention focused on him.
"For this expedition to the secret realm, you have two primary objectives. First, observe the outstanding disciples from other sects. If the opportunity arises..." Venerable He Yu's gaze turned icy, a hint of murderous intent flickering in his eyes.
The Holy Sons nodded in understanding. "Understood."
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow. Now this is more like it, he thought. We're the Demonic Path, after all. We're supposed to play dirty.
"However, you must exercise extreme caution with certain individuals," Venerable He Yu continued. "For example, Jingyi from the Heaven's Will Demon Subduing Temple. It is said that he has cultivated the Great Luo Golden Body to the seventh layer. His physical body is as resilient as a magic artifact."
"And Fang Qingge of the Source Worship Sect. He created the Qingge Sword Intent, possesses unparalleled talent rarely seen in the world, and is known for his upright character. The sect's elders hold him in high regard. If the opportunity arises, eliminate him at any cost."
"Understood."
Xu Sanyan silently glanced at Fang Xiang. Despite sharing the same surname, Fang, Fang Xiang's talent paled in comparison, and even his name seemed inferior.
Look at them side by side: Fang Xiang, Fang Qingge. The difference is obvious.
Xu Sanyan remained blissfully unaware that his own name, Xu Sanyan, fared no better when compared to Fang Xiang's...
"This includes Luo Changtian and Luo Qingwei, the siblings from the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect; Lu Wang of the Lu Clan; Wei Xunzhi of the Wei Clan; and others. They are all rare Heaven's Chosen. Exercise extreme caution if you encounter them."
"Rest assured, Hall Master. We are not necessarily weaker than these others!"
Fang Xiang's chest swelled with heroic ambition. The world's most exceptional talents were gathered here, and he yearned to prove himself against them.
As he finished speaking, his gaze swept over Xu Sanyan. His expression faltered, and he hastily averted his eyes, his heroic fervor instantly halved.
Venerable He Yu shook his head inwardly at the scene before him and sighed. He then moved on to the second matter.
"Secondly, if you encounter an ancient tree, find a way to break off a branch or pluck a leaf. If you succeed, I will reward you handsomely—even this flying boat could be yours."
Xu Sanyan was stunned. What kind of ancient tree could be so important?
A single branch or leaf in exchange for this flying boat?
Even a fool could guess that the danger involved must be unimaginable. He didn't know about the others, but if he encountered such a tree, he'd run as far as his legs could carry him.
No treasure was worth risking one's life.
While everyone else furrowed their brows in thought, only Tu Wanshan silently lowered his head. Before their departure, Venerable He Yu's warning still echoed in his ears:
"Shan'er, if you encounter an ancient tree in the secret realm, run as far as you can. Never approach it."
"What kind of ancient tree?" Tu Wanshan had asked, confused.
"You'll know it when you see it. Just remember: never get close."
Venerable He Yu's expression had been utterly grave.
(End of the Chapter)
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