Song Qingshu immediately ordered a lieutenant to lead the bulk of the troops to remain at the foot of the mountain. He himself, along with the other experts and a small group of guards, would head up first. If necessary, they would send a signal to summon the main force up the mountain.
Of course, Song Qingshu believed such a situation was almost impossible. Besides himself, this expedition included experts of Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren's caliber. Even the Dragon King of Purple Robes, Daiqisi, was more than enough to leave the declining Quanzhen Sect unable to cope.
The group of several dozen made their way up the mountain. A squad of personal guards led the way as scouts, while Song Qingshu and Daiqisi walked in the middle. Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren guarded them on either side. Both men bore old grudges against the Chongyang Sect, and faint excitement showed on their faces as they climbed the mountain.
Pucha Qiucao followed closely behind them with the Puchá Clan's personal guard. Seeing the intimate figures of Song Qingshu and Daiqisi, she secretly frowned, wondering whether she should tell Ge Bi about this after returning to the capital.
Before long, they encountered two Taoist priests on the mountain path. The pair were subdued in an instant. Song Qingshu did not wish to create needless bloodshed on this trip, so he had their acupoints sealed and threw them into the roadside weeds before the group continued upward.
After traveling for more than an hour, Song Qingshu had no choice but to stop. Looking up along the mountain path, he saw treacherous roads, jagged rocks, and countless sheer cliffs. He could not help clicking his tongue in private. Chongyang Palace was truly easy to defend and hard to attack. If a master strategist