Mission, Fellow Disciples

Entering the cave dwelling, Xu Yang immediately scanned his surroundings, only to be surprised to find that the interior was decorated with extreme simplicity. However, the hidden areas were layered with heavy restrictions, and with Xu Yang's current cultivation, he could only perceive a mere glimpse of them.

The three of them followed the two handmaidens, walking straight through the main hall of the cave dwelling and into a side chamber in the rear palace. Xu Yang looked up to see Qing Yuanzi sitting on a wooden chair in the hall, with two men and one woman standing below him.

Seeing the arrival of Xu Yang and the others, Qing Yuanzi chuckled and said, "Good! My disciples are finally all gathered here this time." As he spoke, he scanned Xu Yang and the others with a look of gratification. The three of them immediately stepped forward, bowed, and greeted Qing Yuanzi.

Qing Yuanzi waved his hand and said, "No need for such formalities. I have summoned you all here today because there is a task I need you to handle. I hope you will strive to complete it and not let me down." Upon hearing this, Xu Yang and the others quickly expressed that they would certainly do their utmost to complete their master's mission.

Qing Yuanzi nodded and informed Xu Yang and the others of the ins and outs of the mission. Finally, he turned to Huo Lian and said, "Huo Lian, you do not need to participate in this matter; I have more important things for you to handle." Hearing this, Huo Lian's expression shifted slightly. He glanced at a man in brocade robes standing opposite him before hurriedly bowing to Qing Yuanzi in acknowledgment.

Next, Qing Yuanzi turned to a fair-skinned, handsome man wearing brocade robes and said, "Liu Yuan, you are the second senior brother among them and a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. You shall lead this mission and take your junior brothers and sisters with you!"

The man in brocade robes, Liu Yuan, immediately bowed to Qing Yuanzi with excitement and said, "Yes, Master! This disciple will certainly do his utmost to complete the task you have entrusted to me."

Standing to the side, Xu Yang suddenly noticed that after Liu Yuan became the leader of the mission, the expressions of Huo Lian and Xu Shaoyang turned very ugly. His heart skipped a beat; he realized that the two of them were likely on bad terms with Liu Yuan. Xu Yang's heart sank immediately. It seemed his situation was not looking good, as in the eyes of the others, he was also part of Huo Lian's faction.

Hearing Liu Yuan's assurance, Qing Yuanzi smiled and said, "Very well, you may all withdraw! Make haste to the capital of the Wu Kingdom." Having said this, he suddenly looked at Xu Yang and added, "The sixth disciple's progress in cultivation is quite good, far exceeding my expectations. This mission may be somewhat dangerous, so take this Sky-Severing Sword, a top-grade non-attribute flying sword, to protect yourself!"

As he spoke, Qing Yuanzi waved his hand, and a silver flying sword flew toward Xu Yang. Xu Yang accepted the sword with an excited expression and bowed to Qing Yuanzi, saying, "Thank you, Master, for your generous gift. This disciple will certainly not fail your high expectations."

Qing Yuanzi wore a smile as he heard this, then waved his hand to signal for Xu Yang to withdraw. Seeing this, Xu Yang bowed and walked toward his other fellow disciples. Liu Yuan led the group to bid farewell to Qing Yuanzi and walked out of the cave dwelling, leaving only Huo Lian inside to listen to Qing Yuanzi's instructions.

After exiting the cave dwelling, the group sized each other up. Liu Yuan was the first to speak: "Junior Brother Xu Yang, this is your first time meeting us, right? How about I introduce everyone to you?"

Xu Yang hurriedly said with a grateful expression, "Thank you, Senior Brother. This junior brother is truly grateful." Liu Yuan then introduced everyone one by one, and Xu Yang quickly exchanged greetings with his fellow disciples.

Among these people, Liu Yuan was the second senior brother, a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator. He was handsome, though his pair of narrow, long eyes somewhat ruined his temperament.

The third senior sister, Li Qingqing, was at the late stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining. She had a beautiful face and delicate features, but she remained expressionless, cold as ice, and ignored Liu Yuan's fawning.

The fourth senior brother, Liu Hao, was at the early stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining. He had a sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked appearance, and his large eyes darted around constantly; he was extremely respectful toward Liu Yuan. The remaining one was the fifth senior brother, Xu Shaoyang, who was at the middle stage of the eighth level of Qi Refining. He looked honest and simple, but he was actually quite shrewd and two-faced.

After the introductions, Xu Yang finally became familiar with the basic situation of his fellow disciples. Afterward, Liu Yuan ordered everyone to gather outside the sect early tomorrow morning and told them to go back and prepare well for the day. Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged greetings and dispersed.

Xu Yang returned to his pavilion, took out his Qiankun Bag, and inventoried his items. After confirming there were no omissions, he took out the Sky-Severing Sword to refine it.

This Sky-Severing Sword was a non-attribute flying sword and a top-grade magical tool. It could be said to be the most suitable magical tool for Xu Yang. It only had two basic functions: sharpness and speed. Compared to other top-grade flying sword magical tools, it was even faster and sharper.

The blade was forged entirely from Sky-Severing Stone. It was originally intended to be forged into a top-tier wind-attribute flying sword, but an accident occurred during the forging process, resulting in this Sky-Severing Sword, which ended up benefiting Xu Yang.

A moment later, Xu Yang finished refining the Sky-Severing Sword, familiarized himself with it, and then tucked it into his Qiankun Bag. Afterward, Xu Yang pondered to himself, "This mission shouldn't be difficult, yet I feel a faint sense of unease in my heart. It seems there might be some unexpected developments; I must be extra careful."

This mission was to go to the capital of the Wu Kingdom to suppress a rebellion. The cause was that the King of the Wu Kingdom, Wu Ming, had sought help from Qing Yuanzi. Logically, a dignified Golden Core elder like Qing Yuanzi would not pay attention to Wu Ming's plea, but Wu Ming's ancestor, Wu Changfeng, was a close friend of Qing Yuanzi.

Qing Yuanzi had been brought into the Bailian Pavilion by Wu Changfeng. However, Wu Changfeng had been trapped at the Foundation Establishment Realm his entire life. When his lifespan was about to run out, he applied to the sect to establish his own immortal cultivation family.

It just so happened that the previous royal family of the Wu Kingdom had committed a grave error, and Wu Changfeng led his family to become the new royal family of the Wu Kingdom. Before he died, he specifically entrusted Qing Yuanzi to look after his descendants.

Out of respect for their many years of friendship, Qing Yuanzi agreed to his request and had been looking after Wu Changfeng's descendants over the years. This time, since Wu Ming had sent a letter for help, Qing Yuanzi naturally found it difficult to refuse, so he sent Xu Yang and the others to assist.

Most of the immortal cultivation families within the Wu Kingdom were established by disciples of the Bailian Pavilion. These disciples, having failed to achieve much in their own cultivation, had no choice but to form their own families in the hope that their descendants might achieve something.

The sect was happy to see this happen; these immortal cultivation families would become the sect's peripheral forces, and the sect could also absorb disciples with excellent spiritual roots from them. It could be said to be killing two birds with one stone.

Thinking of this, Xu Yang sighed in his heart. The path of immortal cultivation was too rugged. Not only did one have to face all kinds of schemes, fierce demonic beasts, and dangerous situations, but there was also the limitation of lifespan. If one did not break through to a higher realm before their lifespan ran out, then everything would be for naught.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Xu Yang stopped thinking about it, calmed his mind to circulate his cultivation technique, and entered a state of self-forgetfulness.

Early the next morning, Xu Yang walked out of his pavilion and arrived outside the sect. Upon reaching the location, Xu Yang was surprised to find that the third senior sister, Li Qingqing, was already waiting there. He quickly stepped forward to greet her.

Seeing Xu Yang, Li Qingqing nodded coldly, which counted as a greeting. Xu Yang felt helpless; this Senior Sister Li was too indifferent, and he found it difficult to make small talk with her, so he simply walked to the side to wait for the others to arrive.

A moment later, Xu Shaoyang arrived. Seeing Xu Yang standing to the side, he immediately stepped forward and whispered to Xu Yang, "Junior Brother Xu, we must be careful during this operation. Liu Yuan might take this opportunity to cause trouble for you and me!"

Xu Yang understood in his heart, but on the surface, he asked Xu Shaoyang with a puzzled expression, "How so? You and I haven't offended the second senior brother, have we? Why would he seek to cause us trouble?"

"Sigh! The eldest senior brother and Liu Yuan have always been at odds, and since we are closer to the eldest senior brother, Liu Yuan naturally finds us an eyesore. Therefore, during this operation, we must be cautious. Also, the fourth senior brother, Liu Hao, is in the same camp as Liu Yuan; you must be careful of him as well," Xu Shaoyang said to Xu Yang with a bitter expression.

Xu Yang said to Xu Shaoyang with a grateful expression, "This junior brother thanks you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I will definitely be extra careful and cautious. Also, Senior Brother, you must take care of your own safety as well!" Xu Shaoyang nodded at Xu Yang and was about to continue when he saw Liu Yuan and Liu Hao arrive one after the other.

The two of them immediately stepped forward to greet Liu Yuan and his companion. Liu Yuan waved his hand and said happily to the four of them, "Junior brothers and sisters, I will be leading this operation. I hope everyone will follow my commands, give your all, and complete the task assigned by Master."

Xu Yang and the others responded in unison. Liu Yuan was very satisfied with this. He waved his hand and said to the four of them, "Alright, I won't say much more. Let's set off now." After saying this, Liu Yuan released his flying sword, rose into the air, and headed toward Wu Prefecture.

Seeing this, Xu Yang and the others released their flying swords and followed Liu Yuan. Because Xu Yang had the lowest cultivation, his fellow disciples accommodated him and did not fly at full speed, so it took the group a full day to reach the capital of the Wu Kingdom, Wu City.

Upon arriving at Wu City, the group of five headed straight for the imperial palace. In front of the palace gate, Liu Yuan took out a cyan jade pendant and handed it to the guards at the gate, saying, "Please, General, go and report immediately that an old friend has come to visit."

The guard took the jade pendant, looked at the five of them with suspicion, and then turned to report. Liu Hao, standing to the side, said to Liu Yuan with disdain, "Senior Brother, can't we just go in directly? Is there really a need to report?"

Liu Yuan glared at him and replied, "Foolish. Wu Ming's ancestor and Master were good friends, and there is still some sentiment there. As Master's disciples, how can we disregard Master's reputation?"

Hearing this, Li Qingqing suddenly nodded and said, "The second senior brother is right. Fourth Junior Brother, do not be presumptuous. Moreover, Wu Ming is not an ordinary mortal; he is also a Qi Refining stage cultivator." Hearing the words of Liu Yuan and Li Qingqing, Liu Hao's expression changed, and he immediately shut his mouth and said nothing more.

Just then, the palace gate creaked open inward. A middle-aged man wearing a bright yellow dragon robe walked out of the palace gate. He laughed heartily as he approached Xu Yang and the others, cupping his hands and saying, "Wu Ming greets all the seniors. This junior has been waiting for a long time. Please, seniors, come inside quickly."

Liu Yuan replied with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Wu Ming, you are too polite. We are here under Master's orders to await your instructions."

Wu Ming's expression shifted, and he hurriedly said, "Not at all, not at all. You are too kind to this junior. Please, seniors, come inside to discuss the details."

Liu Yuan looked back at Xu Yang and the others and said, "Very well, we shall enter with you, Fellow Daoist, to discuss the matter. Please, tell us the details." With that, Liu Yuan led Xu Yang and the others into the imperial palace.