Immortal Palace

"What a pity."

After reading the Flying Letter message Senior Brother Zhou Chang had sent through the Jade Talisman, Su Bai also felt sorry for Jiang Han.

After thinking for a moment, Su Bai took out his Jade Talisman and wrote a few words of comfort using Jiang Han's Jade Talisman imprint.

He condensed Spiritual Power and sent it out with a Communication Spell.

A faint glimmer, barely visible to the naked eye, rose from the Jade Talisman, shooting straight into the clouds before streaking toward Jiang Han's Jade Talisman.

"Senior Brother Su, it's time for patrol."

Yang Sheng's voice came from outside.

Three days had already passed since the inexplicable incident involving the Purple Robe Person.

Bai Daoyuan had always felt that the Purple Robe Person had come for Spirit Moon Lake, so he still personally inspected the surrounding area several times each day.

After Su Bai's injuries recovered, their patrols had become a three-man affair.

Su Bai had his own thoughts about the two Purple Robe People, but for various reasons, he had not chosen to reveal them to Bai Daoyuan.

"The sect is also taking this matter quite seriously."

"In a few days, it will dispatch the Law Enforcement Court to thoroughly investigate the matter of the Purple Robe People," Bai Daoyuan said.

The Law Enforcement Court? Su Bai's heart stirred.

The Law Enforcement Court was the enforcer of Jade Mist Sect's rules.

It handled matters both inside and outside the sect.

Led by Inner Sect Law Enforcement Elders, every Disciple within it possessed exceptional combat power.

Still, Jade Mist Sect was such a vast sect that Law Enforcement Court Disciples were usually extremely busy.

For Law Enforcement Court Disciples to be sent so quickly to Spirit Moon Lake to eliminate danger was already the result of Bai Daoyuan pulling strings through the sect.

Naturally, it was a good thing that Law Enforcement Court Disciples were coming.

But honestly, Su Bai did not want to get involved in such complicated affairs.

If the sect had permitted missions to be terminated at will,

Su Bai would have wanted to end the Spirit Moon Lake Mission long ago.

These matters were not something a mere Qi Refining Layer Five cultivator like him could take part in.

Yet things always went against one's wishes.

While the three of them were patrolling by the shore,

three figures swept over from the direction of Jade Mist Sect.

Two wore purple robes, while one wore the attire of a Jade Mist Sect Outer Disciple.

Su Bai very much wanted Bai Daoyuan to retreat first.

But that blockhead actually took the initiative to raise his Magic Tool and meet them. "Who dares approach a Jade Mist Sect Resource Point without permission? Stop at once!"

"Has that Jade Mist Sect Outer Court Disciple been coerced?"

Amid Bai Daoyuan's shout, those three truly stopped.

At that moment, Su Bai's pupils contracted, because he discovered that the person standing beside the Purple Robe People was actually the owner of the Jade Talisman to whom he had just sent a message—Jiang Han.

Jiang Han also recognized Su Bai at this moment and looked at him with a complicated expression.

The two fellow disciples from the same courtyard looked at each other in silence.

Su Bai vaguely guessed what had happened.

But in the current situation, it was clearly inconvenient to ask.

"Sword Three, it's another old acquaintance of yours. Handle him yourself. Jade Mist Sect will probably react very soon."

"Make it quick."

"I'll take Jiang Genius away first."

The female Purple Robe Person nodded slightly, and a High-grade Magic Tool appeared in her hand.

The other Purple Robe Person grabbed Jiang Han, abruptly accelerated, and vanished into the wind and snow.

"Stop! Release my Jade Mist Sect Disciple!" Bai Daoyuan pursued on his Magic Tool, but the female Purple Robe Person blocked his path.

She formed a hand seal, and her magic sword rose into the air. Streams of Sword Qi surged toward Bai Daoyuan.

Bai Daoyuan cried out and raised his Fan-shaped Magic Tool before him.

The magic sword raised by the Purple Robe Person seemed to possess countless strands of Sword Qi.

After a burst of violent clashing sounds,

the Spiritual Light of the Fan-shaped Magic Tool dimmed, and it fell to the ground with a thud.

Bai Daoyuan fell to the ground as well, his face pale as he spat blood.

That Sword Cultivator was truly terrifying. A single strike had exhausted the Spiritual Power within his body and grievously wounded him.

"Ah!"

Seeing even Bai Daoyuan defeated, Yang Sheng screamed miserably. His mind collapsed, and he turned to flee into the distance on his own.

Damn it, this bastard ran again! Su Bai could not help cursing inwardly.

Just as the Purple Robe Person was about to ride her sword and kill Bai Daoyuan,

Su Bai shouted, "Su Duanqiu, is that you?!"

The Purple Robe Person's magic sword stopped before Bai Daoyuan's forehead. Bai Daoyuan felt as if his life could end at any moment.

"So you still recognized me." Su Duanqiu still wore a Black Veil Hat, but she no longer deliberately lowered her voice.

Su Bai let out a breath of relief. "How did you become so strong in just a few months?"

Su Bai remembered that Su Duanqiu clearly only possessed a Four Spirit Root and had previously only been at Qi Refining Layer Six.

But Su Duanqiu's Spiritual Power Fluctuation had now clearly reached Late Qi Refining Layer Eight or Nine, and her use of Sword Qi had risen to an entirely new level.

"Because I found my path." Su Duanqiu fell silent for a while before speaking.

Faced with such an embarrassingly melodramatic statement, Su Bai did not know how to respond for a moment.

"Do you have to stab him?" Su Bai asked.

"The Immortal Palace acts by killing first and taking later, without asking why."

Squelch.

The magic sword controlled by Su Duanqiu had already pierced Bai Daoyuan's forehead.

Bai Daoyuan died just like that, silently and without a sound.

Before cultivators outside the sect, his Sect Background had served no purpose whatsoever.

Su Duanqiu beckoned, picked up Bai Daoyuan's Storage Bag, and retrieved the magic sword from his forehead.

"You should leave quickly."

Su Duanqiu raised her magic sword, rose on sword, and shot into the distance.

Not long afterward, Yang Sheng's miserable scream came from that direction.

Thus, of Jade Mist Sect's three Disciples, everyone besides Su Bai was dead.

Su Bai used the Light Body Technique and chased after her.

Sure enough, he saw Yang Sheng's corpse.

Su Duanqiu had not yet left. She stood amid the snow, gently wiping the blood from her magic sword.

"So Fellow Daoist Zhao is gone too. I worried for so long for nothing."

"It's a pity you have a Dual Spirit Root. I even took the risk of bringing him here to find you, to invite you into the Immortal Palace, so we could work together." Su Duanqiu spoke.

Su Bai said, "You became this strong because of the organization known as the Immortal Palace?"

"Because I have a Dual Spirit Root, I'm not qualified to join the Immortal Palace?"

All sorts of key information pieced themselves together in Su Bai's mind: Immortal Palace, inferior Spirit Roots, Dual Spirit Roots ineligible, contending with the Heavenly Dao, overwhelmingly powerful combat power among those of the Same Rank...

The image of a powerful yet peculiar and strange organization in the Cultivation World emerged in Su Bai's heart.

"Mm."

"The Immortal Palace values talent for battle more, or rather, Spell Talent."

"Your inability to join the Immortal Palace may not necessarily be a bad thing."

"Actually, I also want to know: with similarly decent aptitude for the sword, you with your Dual Spirit Root walking the great road, and I with my Four Spirit Root walking a single-plank bridge—who will go farther on the Immortal Path?"

"Here, this is my return gift for your Life-saving Grace."

Su Duanqiu tossed out a Jade Slip.

"Remember to make a copy for Senior Brother Zhao as well."

"I'll be leaving first." Su Duanqiu raised her magic sword.

Su Bai caught the Jade Slip. Seeing that Su Duanqiu was about to leave, he immediately asked, "Where is Jiang Han? Did you take him away? How will you treat him?!"

"Oh? You know Jiang Genius too." After a slight pause, Su Duanqiu said, "Don't worry. He is the gain from this journey. We are here to guide him onto the Immortal Path that suits him."

"Jade Mist Sect does not value him, but the Immortal Palace will."

"I'm leaving, Su Bai."

"If fate allows, we will meet again."

Su Duanqiu rose on sword and quickly vanished into the Dense Forest.