Curly-Feathered Pelican

While the three siblings were talking, Sect Master Zhou Yuan and three Supreme Elders arrived last.

"Greetings, Sect Master, Supreme Elder."

The disciples greeted him, and Lu Qingfeng joined the elders in welcoming him.

"I apologize for keeping Elder Lu waiting."

Zhou Yuan looked at Lu Qingfeng and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Lu also just arrived."

Lu Qingfeng smiled.

Beside Zhou Yuan, Mei Qingyan saw Lu Qingfeng and stepped forward, saying, "The Hundred Herbs Garden is extremely dangerous. If Elder Lu is not Zhou Quan prepared, how about we go in another time?"

Mei Qingyan was still worried, fearing that the Second-Order Alchemist and Second-Order Artifact Refiner Sunset Glow Sect had finally managed to recruit would be lost in the Hundred Herbs Garden.

"Thank you for your concern, Elder Qingyan. However, while I may not be proficient in killing enemies, my skills in self-preservation are by no means weak. Please rest assured, Elder Qingyan."

Lu Qingfeng clasped his hands in thanks, but shook his head in refusal.

"Junior Brother Mei, there's no need to persuade me any further. Elder Lu, you're with me. If anyone tries anything improper, they'll have to get past me first."

Yue Lingxi stepped forward, now holding a dragon-headed cane.

A month ago, the Sunset Glow Sect's preliminary competition ended, and the spots for entering the Hundred Herbs Garden were determined.

Lu Qingfeng secured one of the four Foundation Establishment slots and entered the upper level of the Hundred Herbs Garden along with Supreme Elder Yue Lingxi and Foundation Establishment elders Mei Jiancheng and Yue Miaoyin.

Three Gathering Cloud Sects, the Demon Race, and the Demon Sect for spirit medicine and the Revival Fruit.

Of the four.

Yue Lingxi, with the highest cultivation level, is Foundation Body Tempering Realm expert and is leading the team this time.

Elders Mei Qingyan and Sui Hanshan were both experts in the Body Tempering Realm, but because they had a chance to advance to the Spirit Void in their lifetime, they were left outside the Hundred Herbs Garden and not allowed to go in to take risks.

Mei Jiancheng is a senior elder of the Luoxia Sect, and he has long been at the Foundation Establishment and Yuan Cultivation stage.

He was the strongest among the sect leader and the three supreme elders.

Every twelve years, the Hundred Herbs Garden opens, and three elders in the Sunset Glow Sect Origin Nurturing Realm through the rotation. The last one was Elder Zhang Qingyuan, the one before that was Elder Sui Jiufeng, and this time it's Mei Jiancheng's turn.

As for the third and fourth slots, based on past experience, they will be for the Foundation Liquid Condensation Realm and the Foundation Establishment Qi Guiding Realm, respectively.

This allocation method allows all Foundation Establishment elders to gain experience while avoiding the embarrassing situation of sending all Foundation Establishment Three Realms and Fourth Realm experts in, resulting in a complete wipeout and a shortage of high-level cultivators in the Sunset Glow Sect.

But this time...

The one who entered the Hundred Herbs Garden with the cultivation level of 'Foundation Liquid Condensation Realm' was Lu Qingfeng, a second-tier alchemist and artifact crafter.

The one who entered the Hundred Herbs Garden with the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Qi Guiding Realm was actually Yue Miaoyin, a newly promoted elder who had only returned three years ago and had only been promoted to Foundation Establishment for a few years.

The selection of these two individuals surprised many in the Sunset Glow Sect.

Lu Qingfeng volunteered and insisted on taking on the task.

As for how Yue Miaoyin obtained this spot as a newcomer, Lu Qingfeng was unaware.

Besides the four Foundation Establishment experts, there were also eighteen True Qi Realm disciples, including Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu. Lu Qingyu wasn't originally among them, but seeing her eldest and second brothers enter the Hundred Herbs Garden, she wasn't willing to stay outside alone.

Lu Qingfeng also wanted to take this opportunity to let Qingyu gain some experience, so he prepared a lot of trump cards for her and asked Sunset Glow Sect for a spot.

Lu Qingyu's cultivation level is comparable to Lu Qingshan's, and her combat ability has been honed in the Weeping Marsh. Although she may not be Lu Qingshan's match, there are very few people in the True Qi Realm who can pose a threat to her.

With Lu Qingfeng and Lu Qingshan taking care of him, there was nothing seriously wrong.

The Hundred Herbs Garden, where everyone felt insecure, wasn't particularly dangerous to Lu Qingyu.

On the Bowang Platform, in addition to the elders and disciples preparing to enter the Hundred Herbs Garden, there was also the sect leader and half of the elders of the Sunset Glow Sect.

The Hundred Herbs Garden opened, and Lu Qingfeng and his companions fought fiercely Hundred Herbs Garden, gathering spirit medicine. Zhou Yuan and the other elders waited outside to provide support.

Otherwise, the spirit medicine picked in the Hundred Herbs Garden might be snatched away as soon as they come out.

It wasn't just Zhou Yuan and the elders.

The sect's elite disciples, and even the elite troops from the six cities controlled by the Sunset Glow Sect, were on high alert during the opening of the Hundred Herbs Garden, ready to respond to any potential conflict or seizure by the other three factions in the Gathering Cloud Mountains.

In fact, this applies not only to the Sunset Glow Sect, but also to the other three sects.

People's hearts are unpredictable. The four factions only came together because they were all in the Gathering Cloud Mountains and because no one could monopolize the Hundred Herbs Garden. In reality, they were not of one mind at all.

It's always good to be on high alert.

"Fine."

"I won't say any more."

Seeing Yue Lingxi step forward, Mei Qingyan sighed and said nothing more.

With the arrival of Sect Master Zhou Yuan and the three Supreme Elders, everyone was present, and they set off.

The entrance to Hundred Herbs Garden is located in the middle section of the Gathering Cloud Mountains, near the southeast, more than 2,300 li away from Brocade Cloud Peak.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator would need about two or three days to travel that distance. A True Qi Realm cultivator would be even slower. The route passes through deep mountains, and if relying on their own strength, it might take ten days to Half Moon to reach the destination.

Fortunately, the Sunset Glow Sect keeps Curlfeather Pelican, a large and extremely docile type of spirit beast. They are quite fast and have excellent stamina, making them a good means of transportation.

It's just a bit ugly.

Quack!

Curlfeather Pelican flew out of the clouds and landed on the Bowang Platform.

Lu Qingfeng saw that there were nine Curlfeather Pelican in total, each with a large body and a flat back, large enough to comfortably support three to five people. Their plumage was grayish-white, their eyes were pale yellow, their throat pouches were orange or yellow, and they had curled crest feathers on the back of their necks.

At first glance, it looks quite similar to a silly goose.

On each of their necks sat a person, an official from the Sunset Glow Sect responsible for raising and controlling the Curlfeather Pelican.

"So ugly!"

Lu Qingyu glanced at it and clicked her tongue in amazement. This Curlfeather Pelican was indeed incomparable to her White Crane.

"Set off!"

Zhou Yuan leaped and landed on the back of a Curlfeather Pelican. The steward then steered it into the sky.

The eighteen disciples, divided into groups of six, squeezed onto the back of a Curlfeather Pelican, their faces showing great curiosity.

Although this spirit bird is rather ugly, it is still a treasure of the Sunset Glow Sect.

While not particularly strong in combat, they are fast and can be used for transportation, and have always been reserved for elders when they travel. For disciples at the True Qi Realm, being able to get up close to Curlfeather Pelican and soar through the sky is undoubtedly an unprecedented experience.

"Hold your positions firmly!"

The butler who was piloting the Curlfeather Pelican gave a soft shout, and all the disciples immediately fell silent.

The eighteen disciples, including Lu Qingshan, comprised three Curlfeather Pelican.

Sect leader Zhou Yuan took the lead.

The three Supreme Elders each occupied one end.

Of the remaining nine elders, Yue Miaoyin and Yue Miaofa rode the Two-Headed Wu, while the remaining seven elders took the two remaining ducks.

As for Lu Qingfeng and Lu Qingyu, they were accompanied by Ironwing Flying Eagle and White Crane.

"Ugly and slow."

Standing on the back of the White Crane, Lu Qingyu saw that the Curlfeather Pelican looked rather ugly in the air and was much slower than the White Crane. She couldn't help but send a telepathic message to her elder brother.

"Spiritual beasts are difficult to tame, and spiritual birds are even more difficult."

"The Sunset Glow Sect can obtain such a spiritual bird as the Curlfeather Pelican and raise it generation after generation is something that many sects envy. What does it matter if it's a little ugly and slow?"

Lu Qingfeng shook his head.