Unexpected Event

Stepping outside, Pei Hong Nian couldn't help but scoff when he saw Pei Ling treating the sect rules like a treasure.

"Clan brother, are these sect rules just for show?" His attitude made Pei Ling's heart skip a beat, and he quickly asked.

Pei Hong Nian put on a strange expression and said, "How could they be? The Sacred Sect painstakingly compiled so many rules and regulations, how could they possibly be just for show."

He patted Pei Ling's shoulder, "It's just... sigh, you'll know once you finish reading anyway."

Without giving Pei Ling a chance to ask more, Pei Hong Nian pointed not far away, "After lighting your Life Soul Lamp, you'll officially be an Outer Sect disciple of the Sacred Sect. The next step is to go to the General Affairs Hall to collect your Outer Sect disciple attire, identification plate, and such. Let's hurry, after all, the General Affairs Peak doesn't accommodate outsiders overnight. After nightfall, anyone lingering here who isn't from the General Affairs Hall will be considered in violation of sect rules! And that's no laughing matter."

Pei Ling's expression turned solemn upon hearing this, and he quickly replied, "Yes!"

The brothers quickened their pace and arrived at the entrance of the General Affairs Hall. They saw that it occupied a vast area, built grandly and imposingly, with various plants and trees planted around it. A considerable number of people were entering and exiting.

Most striking were the two Wraiths floating at the entrance.

They appeared to be burly, three-zhang-tall, powerful men. One wore armor and held a hammer, the other carried a saber. Their pale faces were devoid of any expression, and they simply stared at the passing crowd with dark, cold eyes.

Seeing them reminded Pei Ling of Jiao Ni and Wu Liu, causing his face to twitch. He didn't dare to look further and followed closely behind Pei Hong Nian into the hall.

Inside was an extremely spacious main hall, bustling and quite lively. However, everyone seemed to be in a hurry, appearing very busy.

Pei Hong Nian had no time to waste. He strode purposefully, leading Pei Ling to a corner. After explaining the situation to the disciple in charge, the latter quickly retrieved a set of Outer Sect disciple robes, a storage bag about the size of a fist, and a finger bone.

The robes and storage bag were one thing, but the finger bone, shaped like a real human finger, was warm to the touch and even seemed to twitch slightly, which was truly chilling.

"This is your identification plate," Pei Hong Nian said, picking up the finger bone and pointing to the words "Pei Ling" that had been engraved on it at some point. He solemnly warned, "This is the most important thing you possess. Never lose it, no matter what! The sect's formations recognize the plate, not the person. If you trespass somewhere without your plate, dying would be in vain."

Pei Ling's expression turned serious, and he quickly and carefully tucked it into his robes.

"Alright, it's getting late now." After leaving the General Affairs Hall, Pei Hong Nian looked up at the sky and said, "Let's find you a place to stay first."

As he spoke, he carefully took out a paper boat about two inches in size from his sleeve. It looked like something an ordinary child would fold for fun. However, upon tossing it forward, the paper boat rapidly enlarged. In just two breaths, it transformed into the size of a common Chinese sampan.

After Pei Hong Nian and Pei Ling boarded, he performed a hand seal, and the paper boat slowly lifted off the ground, drifting away from General Affairs Peak and heading towards a slender mountain peak not far away.

The speed and stability of this paper boat were worlds apart from the Xuan Gu Ling Yin Boat; they couldn't be compared at all. But on the Xuan Gu Ling Yin Boat, Pei Ling had no mood or opportunity to admire the scenery. Although the ten-day deadline loomed, with the System as his backing, Pei Ling felt no fear and even had the leisure to look around.

"Clan brother, what does it look like below this sea of clouds?" Pei Ling asked, pointing downwards after admiring the rolling clouds for a while, "And what kind of places are they?"

Pei Hong Nian glanced at him, his expression somewhat peculiar, "If you're so interested, won't you go see for yourself later?"

Pei Ling sensed something was amiss and let out an awkward laugh to change the subject, "By the way, clan brother, does the mountain peak we're going to have a name? What is it called?"

Pei Hong Nian chuckled strangely and was about to answer when suddenly a Colorful Feathered Phoenix Bird darted out from the side, crashing headfirst into the paper boat.

"My boat!" Pei Hong Nian's expression changed drastically. While performing a hand seal to stabilize the paper boat, which had lost its balance due to the sudden attack, he shouted, "Whose phoenix bird is this, being so reckless?!"

The phoenix bird seemed a bit dazed from the collision. After shaking its head, it suddenly flapped its wings, its speed astonishingly fast, disappearing into the sea of clouds in an instant.

Its swift arrival and departure made one wonder if the incident had truly happened, were it not for the distinct hole in the paper boat.

Pei Ling watched, terrified, and said, "Clan brother, are these flying birds so careless?"

He had just thought that Pei Hong Nian's paper boat was actually quite good.

Now he realized that a paper boat was, after all, just a paper boat, and it was far too unsafe.

"..." Pei Hong Nian's face was displeased, and he said, "Those good-for-nothings on Beast Taming Peak, how did they even train these feathered beasts?"

Before he could finish speaking, the boat swayed again.

The brothers instinctively turned their heads and were surprised to find that the same phoenix bird had returned!

This time, it was even more cunning than before. It had stealthily lurked nearby before launching a ferocious attack, damaging another part of the paper boat.

"Damn it!" Pei Hong Nian's face changed drastically upon seeing this, a mixture of shock and suspicion, "Who is deliberately targeting me?!"

He scanned his surroundings, but only saw the churning sea of clouds. The phoenix bird had once again stealthily disappeared after its attack.

Despite his cultivation, Pei Hong Nian couldn't find any trace of the attacker for the moment.

"Can you hurry up, clan brother?" Pei Ling asked anxiously, his heart pounding. After all, although he was at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, he couldn't fly. They were still some distance from the mountain peak ahead. If anything happened to the paper boat, he didn't know if Pei Hong Nian had a solution, but he would definitely fall with it.

"Bastard! If I could go faster, would I be willing to go this slowly?" Pei Hong Nian's face was ashen, and he shouted, "You..."

Before he could finish speaking, the boat swayed violently again.

It was the phoenix bird once more!

This time, after crashing into it, it even pecked at the side of the boat a few times before leisurely flapping its wings and flying away.

Pei Hong Nian looked at the battered paper boat, his eyes blazing with fury! But he hadn't been in the Chongming Sect for all these years for nothing. At a critical moment, he was still capable of making decisions. After a moment of contemplation with a grim expression, he suddenly said, "Pei Ling, hold on tight!"

Without waiting for Pei Ling to respond, he performed multiple hand seals. The paper boat, ignoring its damage, suddenly accelerated forcefully, charging towards the mountain peak ahead.

The phoenix bird, which had been hiding nearby at its leisure, was taken aback. It immediately flapped its wings and gave chase.

During this process, the phoenix bird, relying on its racial advantage, repeatedly attacked the paper boat as if they had a deep-seated hatred. Soon, the paper boat began to creak precariously. Pei Ling could even hear the sounds of it falling apart amidst the rapid acceleration. His heart was filled with anxiety, but there was nothing he could do. He could only watch helplessly as the paper boat suddenly exploded as it flew over a patch of forest.

He and Pei Hong Nian were thrown high into the air by a blast of air and then fell heavily.

They smashed through countless branches and leaves along the way, finally landing hard on the soft forest floor!

"Ptooey, ack... ptooey... ptooey ptooey..." Pei Ling, disheveled and coughing, got up from the ground. His first priority was to confirm that his belongings, especially his identification plate, were still there.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from not far away.