"Rest assured, Senior Brother. With me here, Shu Mountain will grow strong!"
Ling Xuanxiao nodded in satisfaction. "Very good! While I'm away, you must uphold the sect's finest traditions—our Silver Sword Peak traditions. Now, recite our revised creed."
"The human heart is perilous, the most heartless of all; poison, traps, and dirty tricks come in an endless chain."
"Act with caution, never be careless; one mishap can cost your little life."
"Never let your guard down, again and again; stay far from crowds and avoid calamity."
"Heaven-and-earth disasters can wipe people out; don't show off, don't gamble with your life."
"If you secretly taste the sweetness of love, your cultivation will start to waver."
"If you are lured into a trap by chance, you'll be stuck in a muddy road for life."
"These are the three stratagem pouches I'm leaving behind. If you encounter anything in Shu Mountain that is difficult to resolve or hard to choose between, take out the pouches in order. Understand?"
This departure from Shu Mountain was unlike the previous ones.
Thousand Lake Desert was too far from Shu Mountain; his avatar could not reach that place.
Moreover, searching for the Poison Scripture was a matter of utmost importance to Li Xuanxiao. There could not be the slightest carelessness.
He did not know how long this journey would take. He only hoped that Shu Mountain would still be alive when he returned.
Li Xuanxiao cast Shu Mountain one long, deep look.
After leaving Shu Mountain, Li Xuanxiao followed the backup route he had prepared beforehand toward Thousand Lake Desert.
The journey was perilous but uneventful. Mountains and rivers kept him company, while the sun, moon, and stars traveled beside him.
At mountain peaks, he watched great rivers surge onward.
Amid clustered mountains, he stood against