Beneath the Sword Exchange Pavilion, the atmosphere was anything but harmonious.
The moment Chu Liang finished speaking, an awkwardness suddenly rose around them.
Shushan disciples were as close as family... except those from Silver Sword Peak and Jade Sword Peak.
Originally, both peaks had belonged to Shushan's Five Sword Peaks, sharing branches and breath since ancient times. But the two peak masters of this generation were diametrically opposed. Jade Sword Peak's master, Wang Xuanling, was the Chief of All Peaks, imposing and overbearing, with a stubborn, unyielding nature. Silver Sword Peak's master, Empress Feng, was young and fiery, never willing to let anyone stand a head taller than her. Thus, whenever the two met, conflict was unavoidable.
The two masters had already laid their banners bare, and naturally their disciples followed suit. Especially now that the wager between Wang Xuanling and Empress Feng had spread throughout Shushan, Jade Sword Peak's disciples naturally regarded Silver Sword Peak as their enemy.
It was just that they probably did not often encounter the sole sprout of Silver Sword Peak... so naturally, they did not recognize Chu Liang.
Chu Liang, however, remained unchanged, a faint smile still on his face. At times like this... as long as you were not embarrassed, the embarrassed ones would be everyone else.
The expressions of the Jade Sword Peak disciples stiffened somewhat. After a long pause, it was still Lin Bei who burst into laughter. "Ha ha ha!"
He threw an arm around Chu Liang's shoulders. "I heard your Silver Sword Peak only has one disciple. To run into you today really is quite a coincidence."
"Yes, quite a coincidence." Chu Liang nodded with a smile.
"Since we've already collected the mission token, let's hurry up and depart." Lin Bei turned to the other Jade Sword Peak disciples and said loudly.
It sounded as though he was urging them onward, but what he really meant was that, since they had already collected the mission token, there was no backing out... so they might as well leave it at that.
Hearing this, the other three Jade Sword Peak disciples nodded one after another and turned to head out. Their expressions remained somewhat unnatural, and none of them spared Chu Liang more than a glance.
They were rather cold indeed.
Chu Liang did not take it to heart. He walked alongside Lin Bei at the back. In his view, it did not matter who he traveled with—as long as he could fight demons, that was enough.
That thick-browed, big-eyed Lin Bei was quite enthusiastic. As they walked behind, he introduced Chu Liang to the other three Jade Sword Peak disciples.
The young disciple walking at the very front was tall and broad, with a stern, hard face. A massive longsword was strapped to his back. His name was Fang Ting. He was the Golden Core Realm disciple leading this expedition, currently at the early Golden Core Realm.
Chu Liang nodded. As expected.
Ordinary Shushan disciples wore standard-issue Shushan Sect flying-sword bracelets, which could change form and be worn around the wrist. Anyone who carried a sword on their back like this usually had a more formidable sword—and was usually more formidable themselves.
Though the Golden Core Realm seemed only one major realm above the Divine Intent Realm, it was actually separated by a barrier from the Human Gate to the Earth Gate. It was an obstacle many people could never overcome in their entire lives, and the gap was enormous.
The female disciple beside him wore a goose-yellow short jacket and skirt, with plain white inner garments and long trousers, adorned with strings of tassels. She was petite and adorable. Her fair, tender oval face looked very youthful, and her gentle eyes made her seem delicate and timid—the sort of little girl who easily stirred one's desire to protect her.
"This junior sister is named Xu Ziqing. We mainly came along for her, since this is her first time leaving the mountain to take on a mission." Lin Bei smiled. "Her elder brother is Xu Ziyang, the senior brother of our Jade Sword Peak. Since Senior Brother Xu has been in seclusion recently, we're the ones taking her down the mountain."
Xu Ziyang. At the mention of that name, Chu Liang understood.
The Shushan Sect had been in decline for many years. Compared to the other Nine Heavens Immortal Sects, it had far fewer outstanding young disciples. Among this generation's handful of youths who had made names for themselves were Jiang Yuebo and Xu Ziyang.
Like Lin Bei, Xu Ziqing was at the early Divine Intent Realm, having only recently broken through.
In truth, disciples who had just broken through to the Divine Intent Realm usually joined group missions for their first trip down the mountain, finding senior brothers and sisters to guide them. Someone like Chu Liang, who could not wait to head down the mountain alone to slay demons on his very first outing, was part of the minority.
As for the last male disciple, he was at the middle Divine Intent Realm. He had an ordinary appearance and was named Lu Ren.
The group left the Sword Exchange Pavilion and arrived at the edge of Heavenly Peak. Xu Ziqing raised her hand, formed a hand seal, and gave a clear shout.
Sparkling points of light flowed from her raised fingertips, as though an invisible thread had been cast into the distance. Immediately, a clear, resounding cry rang out from the far-off sky.
Right after that, a gigantic white bird several zhang long emerged from the sea of clouds. Frosty mist still clung to its body, but as it flapped its wings and landed, it all scattered away.
This little girl actually had a spirit pet as a mount. With her cultivation, there was no way she could afford to raise one herself. It seemed that elder brother of hers truly doted on her.
"Caw—" The white bird immediately lowered its head and rubbed its soft-feathered neck against Xu Ziqing. The little girl smiled and hugged it, then called for everyone to climb onto its back.
But after calling the Jade Sword Peak members, she did not call for Chu Liang. Turning around, she climbed aboard directly.
Chu Liang did not mind either, and simply followed them up.
For long-distance travel, sword flight might be fast, but it was inevitably tiring and cold. Having a mount at a time like this was naturally a good thing.
Seated atop the white bird's back, surrounded by long, soft white feathers, with the wind howling past their ears, they soon soared high into the sky. Their destination this time was called "Zhen'nan Domain Mountain."
Zhen'nan Domain Mountain stood at the border between the Southern Domain and the Central Plains. It stretched for eight hundred li, like a towering barrier dividing the two lands. Its mountains were high, its valleys deep, and its forests immeasurably vast, concealing countless legends of demons and devils. Even ordinary great powers did not dare venture deep within.
However, the place they were heading to this time was only on the outer edge of Zhen'nan Domain Mountain, a small forest at its fringe. It was not especially dangerous. With a Golden Core Realm disciple present, the mission should not be too difficult.
On the bird's back, Fang Ting, Xu Ziqing, and Lu Ren sat in front, while Chu Liang and Lin Bei sat far behind them.
"This Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower is said to be a pair of twin blossoms growing from the same stalk. A Shushan senior happened upon it before, but it had not yet ripened and could not be picked, so he handed the matter over to the Sword Exchange Pavilion. Now that the flowering season is about to arrive, we've been assigned to complete the mission..."
Lin Bei kept talking at Chu Liang's side, explaining the details of this mission. But Chu Liang discovered that this fellow disciple did not seem to be warmhearted. He was simply a chatterbox.
From the moment they met, his mouth had not stopped moving. It was as though he suffered from some strange ailment where closing his mouth would make him uncomfortable.
Chu Liang even felt that the reason those three people in front sat so far away might not have been to isolate him, but to isolate Lin Bei...
Boom—
About half an hour later, the white bird flew to the foot of Zhen'nan Domain Mountain. A ripple of fierce wind spread outward, and the group landed steadily.
"Zhen'nan Domain Mountain is filled with demons and ferocious beasts. We can no longer fly through the air. We'll have to proceed into the mountain on foot from here." The leading Fang Ting finally spoke.
"There are many plant spirits and tree demons in these woods. Even in daylight, the air is filled with miasma. We must travel while holding our breath and regulating our inner energy. At that time, we will be unable to replenish our true essence, so we must be restrained whenever we act."
"I need to preserve my cultivation, so Lu Ren, Lin Bei, and Chu Liang, the three of you will take turns clearing the path ahead. Any objections?" He issued his orders without expression.
Though the forest was filled with miasma, cultivators who had reached a certain realm had their qi channels fully connected, so holding their breath for extended periods was no great problem. But without breathing, they could not replenish their true essence. That meant every person's true qi was limited and extremely precious.
Yet if they encountered plant spirits and tree demons blocking the way, someone would have to act and clear a path.
As the strongest among them, Fang Ting needed to preserve his cultivation for possible emergencies rather than waste his true essence on trivial matters like clearing the way. Xu Ziqing had the weakest cultivation and was descending the mountain for the first time, so she would be protected in the center of the group. The remaining three would take turns bearing the burden.
Such an arrangement could absolutely be called fair and reasonable.
But...
"I have one objection." Chu Liang, who had been standing at the very rear of the group, suddenly spoke.
"Hm?" Fang Ting frowned at him.
Everyone's gazes fell upon his smiling face, faintly unfriendly. They did not know what trouble this one from Silver Sword Peak wanted to stir up.
Then they heard Chu Liang say, "I alone can take responsibility for clearing the path and slaying demons. There's no need to rotate."
Thank you to "Heavenly Pig Peak" for becoming this book's second alliance leader. Thank you, good brother.
Before you continue