The morning mist over Golden Sword City had yet to disperse when a thirty-man force gathered in the northern gate plaza—Ling Yun, Xiao Zhan, and Chu Feng led the original five-member squad, joined by twenty cultivators dispatched by the Sword Alliance. Every one of them wore Lightning Repelling Armor, carried Demon Breaking Pills at their waist, and held weapons glowing faintly with the righteous sword intent. Standing before Ling Yun, Su Qingyuan handed him a cloth bundle embroidered with spiritual herb patterns. Inside were three bottles of Sword Soul Pills and five fresh stalks of Soul Awakening Grass.
"This Soul Awakening Grass was picked from the medicinal garden at dawn. It can temporarily stabilize a Sword Soul. If you encounter demonic cultivators who contaminate Sword Souls, chew up a stalk to ease the effects." A thread of pale green spiritual light gathered at Su Qingyuan's fingertips as she gently tapped Ling Yun between the brows. "I've reinforced the Wood Spirit Mark. If you encounter danger, I'll be able to sense it even from Golden Sword City."
Ling Yun clenched the bundle, warmth surging through his heart. "Don't worry. I'll be careful. Once we deal with the demonic cultivators at Clear Water Pool, I'll come back and stay with you."
"Go. I'll refine stronger Demon Breaking Pills in Golden Sword City and wait for your triumphant return." Su Qingyuan smiled, stepped back, and waved as she watched the group depart.
Chu Feng controlled three flying sword artifacts, and the team boarded them in three groups, racing toward the border of the Spirit Realm Southern Domain. The borderlands of the Spirit Realm were utterly different from the southern interior—the dark red in the sky was deeper, all vegetation on the ground had withered away, and black demonic patterns crawled over the rocks.