"Lü Liu, there's no need to persuade me anymore."
"I ran away from home. Of course I need to join a remote sect like this, somewhere my family won't find me."
"Besides, I've brought plenty of Low-Grade Source Stones and Middle-Grade Source Stones."
"Without Mother's Runic Formation suppressing me, I'm sure my eight-star Spiritual Wisdom will let my cultivation advance a thousand miles a day, even in a small sect like this!"
The woman in white spoke with proud resolve.
"Well... all right!"
Lü Liu knew further persuasion was useless, so she said no more.
"Lü Liu, hurry! I heard the Cloud Offering Sect hasn't recruited a disciple in several rounds. If we're any later, I'm afraid they'll close their doors!"
The woman in white urged her on, quickening her pace without realizing it.
"Miss, wait for me! I'm only a mortal!"
Lü Liu called out urgently and hurried after her.
Cloud Offering Sect.
Outside the Sect.
"Junior Brother, stop sighing."
"Look! Two women have appeared on the mountain path, and one of them is even at Qi Refinement Third Layer!"
As Huang Yanyu shook his head, his senior brother Qin Tingjian cried out in delight.
"Wait, where did that young man in white come from?"
"What's he stopping those two women for?"
In an instant, the delight vanished from Qin Tingjian's face, replaced by confusion.
Hearing this, Huang Yanyu looked up at the mountain path, equally baffled. "Senior Brother, should we go over and ask what's happening?"
"No. That young man clearly has a cultivator's aura, but I can't see through his cultivation. He's no ordinary man. Let's watch from here first."
Qin Tingjian hurriedly raised a hand to stop him.
On the mountain path.
"Huh? Who are you? Why are you blocking our way?"
Lü Liu watched the suddenly appearing Li Moqing warily as she questioned him.
The woman in white beside her said nothing. Instead, she studied Li Moqing with a strange look.
He looks about my age. Why can't I see through his cultivation?
Could his cultivation be that much higher than mine?
How is that possible? With Source Qi so thin here, how could anyone cultivate to such a level?
The woman in white found it deeply strange.
"May I ask why you've stopped us, sir?"
Knowing Li Moqing was no ordinary man, the woman in white gave him a faint smile and asked politely.
It really is a small sect. No one showed up for the Cloud Offering Sect's disciple recruitment, and I waited on the mountaintop all this time for nothing.
This woman in white is at Qi Refinement Third Layer. She must be the person the system said was fated to meet me.
Li Moqing did not answer. He was lost in thought.
"I heard you're looking for a secluded place to cultivate, miss. My Sect is the perfect place. Would the two of you be interested?"
Li Moqing came straight to the point.
"'My Sect'? You're a sect master?"
The woman in white's eyes widened slightly in disbelief.
Most who spoke of "my Sect" were masters of a sect.
She could hardly imagine that someone who looked about her age was a sect master.
Then again, it's possible. His cultivation is unfathomable. It would make sense for him to be a sect master.
The woman in white reconsidered.
"That's right. I am Li Moqing, master of the Heavenly Mist Sect."
Li Moqing answered without a ripple of emotion.
"Heavenly Mist Sect? Is it a sect in Eastern Search?"
"Why haven't we heard of it the whole way here to the Cloud Offering Sect?"
Lü Liu's wide eyes filled with even greater confusion.
"My Sect is in Misttrace Valley in the Seeking Dao Mountains. It's a hidden sect, so it's only natural that you haven't heard of it."
Li Moqing answered with a faint smile.
He raised an eyebrow. They call Search Province 'Eastern Search'? Looks like they're from another domain.
No wonder this woman in white has reached Qi Refinement Third Layer at such a young age.
Understanding dawned on Li Moqing.
"A hidden sect? Hmm..."
The woman in white fell silent, pondering. Compared with the Cloud Offering Sect, joining the Heavenly Mist Sect, which even the people of Search Province haven't heard of, would make it easier to hide.
Even if the Heavenly Mist Sect is worse than the Cloud Offering Sect, I don't mind.
But given Sect Master Li's cultivation, the Heavenly Mist Sect can't be bad!
"All right. I, Dongfang Muxue, am willing to join the Heavenly Mist Sect as a disciple!"
Having made up her mind, the woman in white stopped deliberating and accepted solemnly.
"Please take in my maid, Lü Liu, as well, Sect Master!"
Dongfang Muxue added her plea.
"Of course."
Li Moqing nodded lightly.
After a pause, he said, "But I have one condition. You, Dongfang Muxue, must become my apprentice."
"As for Lü Liu, she can stay in the Sect as a menial disciple."
"Miss..."
Lü Liu's brow furrowed, her expression anxious.
Unable to see what made Li Moqing extraordinary, she naturally felt that becoming his apprentice would diminish Dongfang Muxue's noble standing. She thought it beneath her mistress.
After all, they came from the Dongfang Family of the Southern Domain of Qitian, a family ranked third among all the lineages of Southern Qitian!
"All right, I accept!"
Dongfang Muxue had not hesitated even when she expected to be an ordinary disciple. Why would she hesitate now that she could become a direct disciple?
"Master, please accept three bows from your apprentice, Dongfang Muxue..."
Dongfang Muxue moved to kneel and bow.
"There's no hurry for that. Let's return to the Sect first."
Li Moqing stopped Dongfang Muxue, then waved a hand and carried her and Lü Liu down the mountain through the air.
Flying on the wind? Master's cultivation really is far beyond mine!
Dongfang Muxue's eyes shone with astonishment.
Huh? The Sect Master is a cultivator? One above Foundation Establishment Realm Ninth Layer, at that?
Lü Liu could scarcely believe it. Her misgivings and doubts vanished in a sweep.
Cloud Offering Sect.
Outside the Sect.
"Senior Brother, can you hear what they're saying?"
Huang Yanyu tilted his head and strained to catch the conversation between Li Moqing and the two women, but heard nothing.
"They're so far away. How could I possibly hear—"
Qin Tingjian answered without thinking.
Before he could finish, his expression changed sharply and he cried, "Junior Brother, forget that! They're going down the mountain. No, that young man in white is flying down with the two women!"
"What? Fl-flying down the mountain?"
Huang Yanyu hurriedly looked toward the mountain path, but the three of them were already gone.
"He can fly? That young man in white has cultivation that high? No wonder we couldn't see through it!"
"Senior Brother, what do we do now?"
Huang Yanyu asked with a frown.
"Junior Brother, report this to the Sect Master."
"I'll go down the mountain and see if I can find any clues about that young man in white!"
With that, Qin Tingjian sprinted down the mountain.
"All right!"
Huang Yanyu wasted no time and ran back into the Sect.
Cloud Offering Sect.
Inside the Sect.
The Discussion Hall.
"Sect Master, something unexpected has happened!"
Huang Yanyu rushed into the Discussion Hall to report.
"Hmm?" Lin Shanghai looked up. "What happened?"
"Sect Master, two candidates arrived outside the Sect just now, but a cultivator at least above Foundation Establishment Realm Ninth Layer took them away!"
Huang Yanyu answered hurriedly, his eyes still full of astonishment.
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