396. Collecting the Dead

The news of the departure came somewhat suddenly; Hou Shaoyi informed them early that morning.

The Daoist priest, with a monkey perched on his shoulder, stood outside the courtyard calling out to people without anyone entering; he was very respectful.

As Li Yuanzhong's personal disciple, Hou Shaoyi obviously knew that Lu Li had broken through.

Seeing Lu Li and Xia Weiyin come out to greet him, he quickly bowed and said:

"Lu Zhen... Jun, we should set off now."

The monkey "Dafa" also bowed repeatedly to Lu Li, and both master and servant were much more respectful than before.

As always, Lu Li said amiably, "Okay, I understand. But you left in a hurry?"

Hou Shaoyi remained respectful. "Reporting to the True Lord, it was the Huashan Sect that suddenly summoned us."

"The Huashan Sect?"

Lu Li still remembered that the Huashan fairy "Qiu Yan" who smoked called Xia Weijun "senior sister" and Li Yuanzhong" uncle-master," clearly indicating a connection between the two.

Just then, Xia Weiyin also sent a telepathic explanation:

"My Dragon Gate Sect and Uncle Zhenyangzi's Tai Chi Palace lineage were both founded by Huashan disciples in the early years. We share a bond of kinship, so let's cooperate and get what we need from each other on this trip."

"So that's how it is... The Huashan Sect wants the Changbai Spiritual Realm?"

"It's Qiu Yan's master who wants it; this guy has been plotting it for a long time. The Mount Tai Sect will probably also be vying for it."

After chatting for a short while, Wan Qing, Xiao Cha, and the Cat Ear Sisters finished getting ready and came out together.

The two sisters each wore a black beret, adding a touch of playfulness and also covering their conspicuous cat ears.

Lu Li ordered Number 0 and A'da to follow, saying, "Let's go then."

He was actually quite looking forward to this trip, which would allow him to spar with the world's top masters.

The group arrived at the Mountain Gate, where they found Li Yuanzhong already waiting with 20 young men and women.

These are the younger members who are accompanying us on our training journey; they are all quite young, practically teenagers.

Tong Shao and the siblings Chen Yian and Chen Yiping were also there.

The three children looked excited, dressed in their shiny new outfits, as if they were treating this as a trip.

Upon seeing Lu Li approach, a group of teenagers hurriedly bowed and greeted him, their manners quite respectful and formal.

Xia Weiyin said with a smile, "Our task is to take these youngsters to watch the show."

This trip will undoubtedly allow us to witness a battle between gold-level fighters, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe.

Li Yuanzhong also greeted them, saying, "I wanted to give the younger generation some experience; please excuse my imperfections."

"It's alright, let's set off now."

Lu Li found it a bit strange that he was bringing a group of teenagers, but he didn't comment much on the sect's educational methods.

At that moment, a thought arose, and he focused his mind on the shape of a "paper airplane".

Amidst the screams of a group of teenagers, it took off and flew northwards.

"Young friend, travel along the Bohai Sea to Jinzhou in Liaodong, where you will first meet with the Huashan Sect."

Li Yuanzhong stroked his beard and began to explain the arrangements for the trip:

"The Jurchens used a feint, claiming they would abdicate on December 25th, but they escaped back to the Spirit Realm last night. All the various factions are now pursuing them; let them fight over the spoils. We only need to do our best to inflict casualties on the Izumo faction."

Even if there were no benefits, Lu Li would be happy to do it for free.

He even felt a surge of excitement at the thought of killing high-ranking Devils.

"For me, People of Izumo is enough."

"Young friend, you certainly have a sharp tongue and a straightforward manner."

Li Yuanzhong stroked his beard and laughed:

"However, we're not going to give up on everything. If the opportunity arises, we certainly can't let go of the cultivation methods for the Lightning Tribulation Realm."

"Lightning tribulation!"

Lu Li's expression hardened... As the name suggests, this realm is about being struck by lightning.

But even the most ordinary lightning contains 1 billion joules of energy, an instantaneous temperature of 20,000 degrees Celsius, and it strikes all at once.

There must be many tricks and intricacies involved in how to get through this. These were all tested and proven by countless True Lord risked their lives, so you can imagine how precious they are.

Li Yuanzhong said, "Our Dragon Gate Sect has a relatively shallow foundation and lacks such accumulation. Fortunately, the Jin Dynasty has unified the world, so we should collect relevant classics."

Lu Li naturally wanted it very much. He didn't lack resources; external things were dispensable, but he lacked this kind of knowledge.

The future is unpredictable, so for now, all we can do is prepare.

While traveling, the two exchanged another Manifestation.

Lu Li shared his insights on the mental space within his Sea of Consciousness, Dark Matter, and so on. The old Daoist listened intently, feeling as if he had suddenly gained enlightenment.

Seeing this scene, Xia Weiyin sighed inwardly:

[In just a few days, Young Master Lu has already been able to teach his master.]

With so many spiritual treasures to offer, I can't fall behind too much, otherwise how could I have the face to be a Daoist partner?

Xia Weiyin reminded herself not to slack off, and two hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the team had already arrived over Jinzhou.

This city, with a history of over 2,000 years, is located at a coastal transportation hub and should be prosperous and thriving.

But now it is desolate and dilapidated, with not a single person on the streets even in broad daylight; it's not far off from being a ghost town.

Lu Li was aware of the various reasons, as this place was the "front line," and further ahead Izumo.

Li Yuanzhong said, "Young friend, please land at Baiyun Mountain ahead."

Ahead lay a snow-covered mountain peak, where a large group of Daoist priests waited, led by Zhenyangzi.

Lu Li landed smoothly, and once his feet touched solid ground, a group of teenagers from the south grabbed handfuls of snow, some even putting some in their mouths to taste it.

The "Daoists" around Zhenyangzi bowed and addressed him respectfully as "True Man" in their childish voices, completely unaware that the person before them was True Lord.

Lu Li noticed... they all had such youthful faces; they were actually a group of teenagers!?

They were wearing different styles of Daoist robes, so they must have come from different Daoist sects.

That's strange, why bring so many children?

Soon, Li Yuanzhong Hou Shaoyi: "This is a rare opportunity, let's take them there."

Hou Shaoyi bowed and, together with several older Daoist priests, led the teenagers from various sects toward the territory occupied by Izumo!?

Only a few of these younger generation members were at the Organ Refining; most were at the Bone Forging. It was like lambs entering a wolf's den.

Li Yuanzhong said to Lu Li:

"Jade must be carved to become a vessel. This time, let them see the true nature of humanity. Young friend, there's no need to worry; we won't venture too far."

Upon hearing this, Lu Li was curious about what kind of view it was, so he waved his hand and told A'da to go with the children.

This was considered a backup plan, and Li Yuanzhong had no objection. After sharing a copy of what Lu Li had just taught Zhenyangzi, he led the others to wait there.

Lu Li observed through the puppet's senses.

Hou Shaoyi and his group, leading a group of younger people, leaped through the mountains and soon arrived at a village.

The village is nestled in the middle of a mountain valley, secluded and quiet, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys of the blue-brick and tile houses, making it look like a paradise from afar.

But upon closer inspection, the opposite was completely true!

The smoke from the chimneys is the embers of burned houses; the village has been destroyed by fire, and corpses litter the ground.

At the village entrance, there was a naked woman pinned to the ground in a spread-eagle position, her lower body slashed open with a bayonet, her uterus spilling out and frozen to the ground.

The group of teenagers had never seen anything like this before, and even the braver ones found it disgusting and refused to go any further.

Hou Shaoyi coldly shouted:

"Disciples, heed my command—immediately bury the body and perform rites to guide the departed soul!"

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