Rescuing Someone

As for Qing Feng's relationship with his Master, he would not ask about the reason behind it. Asking further would make him seem to have no sense of boundaries.

"Senior, is Master in the hall?"

"No. You handed the Five Qi Cultivating Immortal Scripture over to the sect, so he went to seek some benefits for you."

Fang Xiao was immediately somewhat moved. The last person who had treated him this well had been his father.

"Since Master is away, I'll trouble you, Senior, to pass along a message for me. I'm going to Linyuan City to retrieve something. Also, the pills you prepared for me last time are nearly gone. Please help me prepare some more."

"Just go. It's not as if you're imprisoned on Heavenly Outer Peak. There are as many pills for your realm as you could need. Just ask if you need anything. Take this—against cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm, it can save your life. And stop calling me Senior this and Senior that. If you're willing, just call me Martial Uncle."

Qing Feng took a Jade Sword from his robes and handed it to him.

"Thank you for your concern, Martial Uncle. I'll be careful as usual."

After cupping his hands in farewell, Fang Xiao found the direction of the Teleportation Hall and transformed into a Sky-Piercing Rainbow Light, shooting straight toward the heavens.

"Primordial Sword Body... interesting. I hope you go farther." Qing Feng murmured as he watched Fang Xiao vanish beyond the horizon.

As his attainments in the sword path and cultivation steadily rose, his speed while transforming into a rainbow grew faster and faster. Perhaps before long, he would be able to rival the flight speed of Golden Core Stage cultivators.

Most of the sect's disciples had gone on Demon Extermination missions, while a small number had traveled to other regions. As a result, there were very few disciples within the sect, and he encountered barely anyone along the way.

Before long, he dispersed his sword light and landed before the Teleportation Hall. No one else had come to the hall at the moment; only the disciples on duty were present.

Looking at those ultra-long-distance teleportation arrays, he could not help but yearn for the day when he would have the chance to ride one himself and experience the scenery of other regions.

"Senior Brother, I wish to go to Linyuan City. Please help activate the teleportation array for me."

"Linyuan City? Here's a teleportation talisman. See that teleportation array in the southwest corner? Go stand there yourself, and I'll activate it for you. Ten Foundation Establishment-level Merit Points."

One Foundation Establishment Merit Point was worth ten Qi Condensation Merit Points. He could still afford that.

A burst of White Light rose up, and he experienced that same sensation once more. However, compared to last time, he was now able to adapt to it somewhat.

Within Linyuan City, Fang Xiao walked along the streets. Nothing much had changed. After arriving at the Tianlan Sect's stationed residence, he headed straight for Xiao Yan's quarters.

When he arrived at Xiao Yan's residence, he discovered that Xiao Yan was not there. He had told him to focus on refining pills and ignore everything else. Could he have returned to the Outer Court?

"Is Senior Brother Yan still in Linyuan City? This Junior Brother has come over on business and thought I would visit Senior Brother while I was here."

Fang Xiao took out his Identity Token and sent Yan Tingyun a message.

"Junior Brother, you're back? I'm at my residence. Come directly over."

He changed course for Yan Tingyun's residence. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he asked about Xiao Yan.

"Senior Brother is in charge of matters concerning Qi Condensation Stage disciples here. Could you help me check the whereabouts of a disciple? His name is Xiao Yan, and he was my friend during the Qi Condensation Stage, but I didn't see him when I returned this time."

"Rest assured, Junior Brother. The whereabouts of disciples who leave the city are generally tied to their missions. Let me check first."

Yan Tingyun asked him to wait a moment, then took a Jade Slip from his Storage Bag and examined it.

"I found it. Two days ago, Xiao Yan went with several other disciples to the Third Zone, five hundred thousand li away. They accepted an ordinary Demon Extermination mission."

"Something isn't right. I know Xiao Yan rather well. He is exceptionally skilled at pill refinement but not adept at fighting. I told him to focus on refining pills, so why would he go on a Demon Extermination mission for no reason? Senior Brother, do you know the identities of those other disciples?"

Fang Xiao immediately voiced his doubts.

Yan Tingyun's expression suddenly turned serious, and his eyes narrowed.

"Did Senior Brother think of something?"

Fang Xiao could tell that Yan Tingyun seemed to know something.

"Junior Brother has not cultivated for long and does not know Elder Long's temperament. Each time he takes disciples, he first accepts some Nominal Disciples in the Outer Court who possess talent in pill refinement. Yet in the end, he only takes the first disciple to refine a Foundation Establishment Realm pill as his personal disciple. Those people are all Elder Long's Nominal Disciples. Combined with what Junior Brother said, I fear they harbor evil intentions."

Yan Tingyun directly voiced his own speculation as well.

"In that case, these people must have tricked Xiao Yan into coming out. There's no time to lose—I'll pursue them at once."

"I'll go with Junior Brother. If something like this happened in the Outer Court, I, as Senior Brother, cannot shirk responsibility."

The more people, the greater the chances. Fang Xiao naturally nodded in agreement. The two discussed using Yan Tingyun's authority to send a message to Xiao Yan, whose communication privileges had not yet been activated, hoping to delay things as much as possible.

The two immediately sped toward Yunmeng Marsh. As a False Core cultivator, Yan Tingyun had already condensed a Divine Ability Seed, so his escape speed was naturally extraordinary. Yet Fang Xiao, using Sword Escape Rainbow Transformation, was more than a little faster than Yan Tingyun, leaving him utterly astonished.

After arriving in the Second Zone, they reasoned that in two days, given their speed, the group should be within this region. The two decided to split up, each searching in one direction.

Fang Xiao had pushed his sword escape to its limit. His Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Spiritual Sense was spread to its utmost range. He only hoped that Xiao Yan was still safe and sound.

The Qi Condensation Stage cultivators he encountered along the way had only just sensed his sword light when, before they could even look up, it had already vanished beyond the horizon.

Just as he was preparing to change directions and search elsewhere, he suddenly sensed spiritual energy fluctuations ahead—signs of a battle. His escape light immediately streaked toward them.

"We belong to the same sect, and we bear no grudge against you. Why are you scheming against me? Aren't you afraid the sect will find out?"

Xiao Yan's spiritual energy had already been exhausted, and his face was deathly pale as he asked unwillingly.

"If none of us say anything, are you going to come back in a dream to tell them? Boy, if you want someone to blame, blame yourself for blocking Senior Brother Du's path. Go obediently on your way."

Several people surrounded him tightly, and one of them spoke viciously.

Xiao Yan was filled with regret. He had not listened to Fang Xiao's words and had been tricked out here by these people under the guise of fellowship between sect members. The man controlled a Flying Knife Artifact and slashed it directly toward the defenseless Xiao Yan.

Suddenly, a streak of sword light appeared directly before the Flying Knife Artifact, revealing Fang Xiao's figure. He pointed a finger, and the sword light struck the whistling flying knife head-on.

The instant the flying knife met the sword light, it vanished without a sound. Segment by segment, the flying knife disappeared, as though it were being slowly erased.

"It's a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator! Split up and run!"

Before the man even needed to shout, the others were already controlling their artifacts, trying to flee.

"Think you can escape? Stay right where you are. I'm also quite curious which Senior Brother Du you were referring to."

Fang Xiao spoke, but his hands did not stop moving. Six streaks of sword light condensed and instantly shot toward the six fleeing figures.

He had no intention of taking their lives. The sword lights struck the six people's Dantians without deviation, crippling their spiritual energy. At the same time, he sent Yan Tingyun a message with his location, informing him to come over.