Above the clouds.
Golden clouds unfurled, and kan water flowed freely. Stubborn Lion returned with a young Daoist beside him, dressed in a well-fitted blue-green robe. His face was lean, his eyes bright as he gazed quietly over.
This was Daoist Ying Liu, the current senior disciple of Turtle Longevity Peak. Already at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, he possessed deep reserves of magical power. His gaze shifted slightly when he saw Lü Guan and Xu Xuan beside him, and he said evenly:
"Junior Brother, now that you've returned, I assume you've retrieved the [Qian Metal Military Manual]?"
"Nothing went wrong. We brought it back safely."
Ying Liu had merely asked in passing and had no wish to linger on the subject. He turned toward Xu Xuan and discreetly sized him up. At the sight of the black Daoist robe patterned with Red Sparrows and flaming clouds, his gaze shifted.
"You must be Fellow Daoist Xu Xuan, the abbey master of the Great Red Abbey?"
"I am."
Xu Xuan had just left Victory Cloud Peak. Stirred by the mountain's sword qi, his sword intent seeped faintly from him, keen and fierce, and his eyes had taken on a faint silvery-white hue.
"As a Sword Immortal, you may naturally visit the Origin-Victory Stele."
Ying Liu looked at Lü Guan and gave a slight nod, saying only:
"Unfortunately, our peak's True Person has gone to visit friends in the Western Sea, and there's no telling when he'll return. I'm afraid we'll have to ask True Person [Qingyue] to open the Immortal Stele."
"He has just returned from slaying demons in the southern borderlands. You could ask him."
As he spoke, Ying Liu hesitated briefly, then asked in a low voice:
"When will True Person Wuyi return to the mountain? If he came,