"Hahaha, Lu Bai, don't worry, don't worry."
It seemed he had heard Lu Bai's question from a great distance away.
From Hidden Blade Peak in the distance came a sudden burst of laughter, like the tolling of a great bell and the beating of a war drum. The sound boomed like thunder.
The next second, a colossal White Crane with a wingspan of over thirty meters shot skyward from Hidden Blade Peak.
Looking closely, one could see a burly, middle-aged man standing atop the crane's head. His feet seemed cast from bronze and forged from iron, and he stood firm even against the gale.
The huge White Crane carried a whirlwind and covered the dozen or so kilometers in the blink of an eye.
As it landed, the pressure from its outstretched wings made several disciples with weaker cultivation stumble.
"Greetings, Elder Wang."
"Elder Wang."
The Qingwang Sect disciples below still bowed respectfully to the middle-aged man. They didn't dare call him Wang the Gambler like the other elders did.
Elder Wang, for his part, seemed quite hearty. He beckoned to Lu Bai.
"Come on up."
Led by Lu Bai, the dozen or so Qingwang Sect disciples behind him climbed onto the crane's back one after another and sat cross-legged.
After making sure everyone was aboard, Elder Wang whistled. The White Crane spread its wings with a flash of intelligence, carrying the nearly twenty people into the sky.
They watched as the enormous White Crane flew farther and farther away, until it became a black speck in the sky.
Only after it had vanished from sight did Shi Qingyu reluctantly turn her gaze away.
She turned to Sang Wen, who stood like a wooden puppet, and said listlessly, "Come on. Let's test your aptitude."
Before she had even finished speaking,