Dongfang Muxue, A Splendid Destination

"Lü Liu, no need to try and persuade me further."

"I am running away from home in the first place, so naturally I need to find a secluded sect like this to join so that the lineage cannot find me."

"What's more, the low-grade Source Stones and medium-grade Source Stones on my person are fully prepared."

"I believe that without the suppression of Mother's spell arrays, with my eight-star spiritual intelligence, even in such a small sect, my cultivation will soar by a thousand miles a day!"

The white-clothed female said with a resolute expression and haughty pride.

"This... very well!"

Lü Liu knew that saying more was useless, so she stopped trying to persuade her.

"Lü Liu, hurry up. I heard that the Cloud Offering Sect hasn't recruited any disciples for several generations, and I'm afraid that if we're a moment later, they'll close the sect!"

The white-clothed female urged, her pace involuntarily quickening.

"Miss, wait for me! I'm only a mortal!"

Lü Liu called out anxiously as she hurried to keep up.

The Cloud Offering Sect.

Outside the sect gates.

"Junior Brother, stop sighing."

"Look quickly, two females have appeared on the mountain path, and one of them even has Qi Refinement Realm tier-three cultivation!"

While Huang Yanyu shook his head, his senior brother Qin Tingjian shouted in pleasant surprise.

"Eh, wait, how did a white-clothed young man appear as well?"

"What is he doing stopping those two females?"

In just a split second, the pleasant surprise vanished from Qin Tingjian's face, replaced by a look of utter puzzlement.

Hearing this, Huang Yanyu also raised his head to look at the mountain path, equally filled with incomprehension: "Senior Brother, should we go over and ask what's going on?"

"Don't. The aura on that young man is clearly that of a cultivator, yet we can't see through his cultivation. He's no simple figure. Let's observe from here first."

Qin Tingjian hurriedly waved his hand to stop him.

On the mountain path.

"Halt! Who are you? What do you mean by blocking our path?"

Lü Liu asked, watching Li Moqing with vigilant eyes as he suddenly appeared.

The white-clothed female beside her did not speak, instead examining Li Moqing with a strange look.

This person looks to be about my age, so why can't I see through his cultivation?

Could it be that his cultivation is far higher than mine?

How is that possible? In a place where Source Qi is so thin, how could anyone possess such high cultivation?

The white-clothed female felt a secret astonishment in her heart.

"I wonder what business Young Noble has in stopping us?"

Knowing that Li Moqing was extraordinary, the white-clothed female offered a faint smile and asked politely.

Mm... As expected of a small sect, not a single person came to participate in the Cloud Offering Sect's disciple-recruitment grand assembly, making me wait up on the mountain peak for so long.

This white-clothed female possesses Qi Refinement Realm tier-three cultivation. Presumably, she is the fated person the system spoke of.

Li Moqing did not answer aloud, instead pondering inwardly.

"This seat heard that this young lady wishes to find a concealed place to cultivate. Our sect happens to be an absolute paradise; do the two of you have any thoughts on it?"

Li Moqing went straight to the point.

"'This seat'? You are actually a sect master?"

The white-clothed female's pupils slightly shook, feeling that it was somewhat unbelievable.

Those who dared to call themselves "this seat" were mostly masters of a sect.

She truly could not imagine that someone who looked to be her age would be a sect master.

Yet it seems possible as well. This person possesses unfathomable cultivation, so being a sect master is quite normal.

The white-clothed female turned her thoughts.

"That's right, this seat is the master of the Heavenly Mist Sect—Li Moqing."

Li Moqing replied with an expressionless, calm demeanor.

"The Heavenly Mist Sect? Is that a sect of Eastern Search?"

"Why haven't we heard of it along our entire journey to the Cloud Offering Sect?"

Lü Liu's large eyes were filled with even greater confusion.

"Our sect is in Misttrace Valley within the Seeking Dao Mountains. It is a hidden secular sect, so it's entirely normal that you haven't heard of it."

Li Moqing replied with a light smile.

He raised an eyebrow: They call Search Province 'Eastern Search'? It seems they come from another domain.

No wonder this white-clothed female is so young yet possesses Qi Refinement Realm tier-three cultivation.

Li Moqing understood in a flash.

A hidden secular sect? Mm...

The white-clothed female pondered without a word, secretly meditating in her heart: Compared to the Cloud Offering Sect, joining the Heavenly Mist Sect—which not even people from Search Province have heard of—seems even easier to conceal oneself in.

Even if the Heavenly Mist Sect is worse than the Cloud Offering Sect, it won't matter to me.

But clearly, judging by Sect Master Li's cultivation, the Heavenly Mist Sect certainly won't be poor!

"Very well, I, Dongfang Muxue, am willing to join the Heavenly Mist Sect and become a disciple of the sect!"

Having figured it out, the white-clothed female stopped thinking and agreed with a solemn expression.

"I also hope the sect master will accept my maidservant—Lü Liu—along as well!"

Dongfang Muxue pleaded once more.

"That goes without saying."

Li Moqing nodded gently.

He paused: "However, I have one condition: you, Dongfang Muxue, shall become my direct disciple."

"As for Lü Liu, she will remain in the sect and serve as a handyman disciple."

"Miss..."

Hearing this, Lü Liu furrowed her brow slightly, her expression somewhat eager.

She could not perceive Li Moqing's extraordinariness, so she naturally felt that if Dongfang Muxue became Li Moqing's disciple, it would demean her honorable status and render him unworthy of her.

After all, they hailed from the Dongfang Family of Southern Domain Qitian—a lineage ranked third among all large and small families in Southern Qi!

"Alright, I agree!"

Dongfang Muxue had not hesitated in the slightest earlier even when merely becoming an ordinary sect member; how could she hesitate now that she could become a personal disciple?

"Master is above, please accept three..."

Dongfang Muxue prepared to perform the full kowtow courtesy of a disciple.

"There's no rush for the apprenticeship ceremony; let's return to the sect first."

Li Moqing intercepted Dongfang Muxue with a wave of his hand, and with a casual sweep, carried her and Lü Liu flying down the mountain.

This is riding the wind and treading the void? Master's realm is indeed much higher than mine!

Dongfang Muxue's eyes were filled with astonishment.

Eh? The sect master is actually a cultivator? And a cultivator above Foundation Establishment Realm tier-nine at that?

Lü Liu was even more incredulous, her previous sense of unworthiness and doubt instantly swept away.

The Cloud Offering Sect.

Outside the sect gates.

"Senior Brother, can you hear what they are saying?"

Huang Yanyu tilted his head, craning his ears and striving hard to listen to the conversation among Li Moqing and the other two, yet he gained nothing.

"With us so far apart, how could you possibly hear..."

Qin Tingjian replied without a second thought.

Before he finished speaking, his expression changed abruptly, and he exclaimed: "Junior Brother, forget about that for now! They're coming down the mountain—no, that white-clothed young man is carrying those two females and flying down the mountain!"

"What? Fly... flying down the mountain?"

Huang Yanyu hurriedly looked toward the mountain path, but the figures of Li Moqing and the other two were long gone.

"How can he even fly? That white-clothed young man actually possesses such high cultivation? No wonder we couldn't see through him!"

"Senior Brother, what do we do now?"

Huang Yanyu asked with a frown.

"Junior Brother, you go report this matter to the sect master first."

"I'm heading down the mountain to see if I can find any clues regarding that white-clothed young man!"

With that, Qin Tingjian sprinted down the mountain.

"Alright!"

Not delaying either, Huang Yanyu ran back into the sect.

The Cloud Offering Sect.

Inside the sect gates.

The sect grand assembly hall.

"Sect Master, we have an emergency situation!"

Huang Yanyu rushed into the assembly hall and reported.

"Mm?" Lin Shanghai raised his head. "What situation is it?"

"Sect Master, two trial-seekers came to the sect gates just now, but they were carried off by a cultivator who is at least at Foundation Establishment Realm tier-nine or higher!"

Huang Yanyu hurried to reply, his eyes full of astonishment.