But at that moment, after hearing Ning Feng's question...
Mu Xue shook her head, looking a little bewildered.
"I don't know," she replied. "The senior brother who delivered the message didn't explain. He only said the sect master had summoned us and told us to come right away."
Vina had her doubts, but she had no intention of lingering.
She made up her mind at once. "Anyway, we'll find out when we get there. Guessing here won't get us anywhere."
Ning Feng nodded and asked nothing more.
He got to his feet, brushed the dust from his clothes, and gestured for the two of them to leave.
The three then left their residence and hurried along the mountain path toward the Sect Master Hall.
At that moment, the atmosphere inside the Sect Master Hall was far from peaceful.
The hall was dimly lit, with only a few torches crackling faintly against the stone walls.
The air was thick with the stale smell of limestone and a faint chill.
In the center of the Main Hall, Du Busi stood with his hands on his hips.
Facing him stood a sect elder. The elder looked furious, his brows knitted as he glared at Du Busi.
The two were arguing.
"Sect Master, this decision of yours is far too rash."
The elder's voice echoed through the Main Hall. Anger made him speak quickly.
"Sending Vina, Mu Xue, and Ning Feng to the Heaven Dou Empire as a team to carry out a mission right now is simply too risky."
"I'm firmly opposed."
Du Busi glared at him. "They're disciples of the sect. Are they supposed to spend their whole lives cooped up here, training?"
The elder wasn't cowed by his imposing presence. Instead, he stepped forward, his tone even more resolute. "Vina and Mu Xue may be disciples of the sect, but they're also members of the imperial family. Vina is even a princess of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"In the years since joining the Body Sect, they've never actually left the sect to carry out an outside mission. They have no real combat experience. How can we send them into danger so casually?"
"And then there's Ning Feng. His talent is indeed outstanding, but he hasn't been with the Body Sect long. He doesn't know how sect missions work, and he has no combat experience."
"If a team made up of these three encounters Evil Soul Masters, who'll bear the consequences if something goes wrong?"
Du Busi snorted. "You say it's risky? Does that mean we shouldn't train them? If we never let them go on missions, they'll remain sheltered flowers forever, never shedding their inexperience."
"Only by facing real bloodshed and danger can they learn how to survive in this world."
The elder grew even more anxious at those words. "If they're going to be trained, at the very least, an experienced elder should accompany them."
"If you're unwilling to send an elder, then replace Ning Feng with experienced senior disciples. You could even wait until Long Aotian returns from his mission and have him lead the team."
"Long Aotian has always been reliable in handling these matters. With him in charge, at least their safety would be assured."
After hearing this, Du Busi abruptly swept his sleeve and raised his voice. "Then what the hell would be the point of training them?"
"If you arrange things the way you're suggesting, what kind of training would that be? You might as well let them stay in the Body Sect and keep cultivating!"
Du Busi continued:
"The mission I picked this time is very suitable for them."
"Although there are quite a few Evil Soul Masters, most of them are only at level twenty-seven or twenty-eight."
"Even if their methods are somewhat strange, Vina, Mu Xue, and Ning Feng have all broken through level thirty. Their Soul Power gives them an advantage in rank."
"So even though this is their first mission, I believe they can overcome the difficulties."
The elder still wasn't convinced. His voice even took on a pleading note. "Sect Master, Vina is a princess, after all! You understand better than I do what's at stake."
"If anything goes wrong, how are we supposed to explain it to the imperial family? We really must think this through!"
Du Busi's expression darkened too. He spoke slowly and emphatically. "So what if she's a princess? Since she joined the Body Sect, she's a disciple of the Body Sect while she's here."
"I already told the emperor that although Vina is a princess, she must follow the Body Sect's rules here."
"All sect disciples are obligated to carry out missions. No one gets special treatment."
Seeing that Du Busi had made up his mind, the elder let out a long, helpless breath. His shoulders seemed to sag.
After a moment of silence, the elder finally relented. "How about this, Sect Master?"
"Before you send them on the mission, let me test them. You can watch, too."
"If they show adequate strength and adaptability, I won't say another word. They can go."
"But if the results are unsatisfactory, or if Ning Feng simply can't protect Vina, then I ask you to withdraw your order. Don't gamble with the lives of your disciples."
Du Busi glanced at the elder, knowing that if he refused, the stubborn old man wouldn't let the matter rest.
He could only answer irritably, "Fine, fine! You stubborn old coot. We'll do it your way!"
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the Main Hall.
Ning Feng, Vina, and Mu Xue had finally arrived at the Sect Master Hall.
They looked at the two disciples guarding the entrance and asked if they could go in.
One of the disciples glanced at Vina and nodded to show that they could. Then they pushed open the two heavy stone doors.
Thud, thud...
Ning Feng, Vina, and Mu Xue entered the Main Hall.
The hall was dim, but they immediately spotted Du Busi and the sect elder standing in the center.
The three walked steadily up to Du Busi and the elder.
Vina broke the silence first. Looking at Du Busi, she asked respectfully, "Sect Master, may I ask why you summoned us?"
Du Busi looked at them, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile. It made him seem less stern than before, yet all the more inscrutable.
"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to see how your recent cultivation is coming along."
As he spoke, he glanced at the elder beside him, then continued, "Here's what we'll do. The elder will be your opponent. All three of you will fight him together. Do your utmost and hold nothing back. You should even attack as if you intend to kill him."
Vina froze.
Confused, she wondered if she'd heard him wrong and asked, "Sect Master, what do you mean?"
Du Busi didn't give her a chance to ask anything else. He simply waved his hand and urged them on.
"Do what I said, and hurry up! If you slack off, you'll regret it!"
Before you continue