After Nangong Yao finished speaking, shame surfaced on Jiang Bailu's face. He could only bow and admit his fault before sinking dejectedly back into his seat.
Liu Yunjian and the other elders wanted to offer comfort, but they did not know what to say. Their hearts were heavy too.
"Sect Master, the sect is consuming a great deal of resources right now. If this continues, I fear that in another two months, we won't even be able to distribute the disciples' and elders' monthly spirit stones."
Liu Yunjian's face was full of bitterness as he spoke.
The sect's ban on leaving had been in place for quite some time now, and resource consumption and replenishment had fallen badly out of balance.
Resources were always the core of keeping the sect running smoothly, but that balance had now been broken.
Of course, the Heavenly Dao Sect still had a large reserve of hidden resources in its stores, but those could only be used when the sect faced a crisis of life and death. The current situation was still far from that point.
Nangong Yao remained silent, and no one knew what he was considering.
"Sect Master, in my opinion, why not lift the ban? So much time has passed already. I refuse to believe the Demonic Sect is still lying in ambush nearby. Besides, those demonic sects must have their own apprehensions about our Heavenly Dao Sect."
Second Elder Liu Xuan Yin spoke gravely.
Jiang Bailu hurriedly said, "I agree. Recently, I left the sect and secretly patrolled the surrounding area. I found no trace of the Demonic Sect."
Liu Yunjian said coolly, "You two elders are taking too much for granted. The Demonic Sect is in the shadows while we stand in the light, not to mention their formidable concealment methods. If they could be discovered so easily, they wouldn't be the Demonic Sect."
At Liu Yunjian's words, Liu Xuan Yin and Jiang Bailu faltered, their faces sheepish.
"The ban absolutely cannot be lifted."
Suddenly, Nangong Yao said, "I do have a method. It may not restore balance to our resource stores, but it will allow the sect to keep operating for longer."
The elders were puzzled. For the moment, they could not understand how the stores could be replenished without lifting the ban.
Could he be planning to use those hidden reserves?
Nangong Yao tightened his grip on the list in his hand and said solemnly, "Fifth Elder, Ninth Elder, receive your orders."
At once, an elder on either side rose, stepped out from his seat, and came to the center of the hall to bow. "Present."
The white-haired old man on the left was the Fifth Elder, Wang Tianfu.
The youthful-looking man on the right, who had taken an Agelessness Pill, was the Ninth Elder, Zhou Tong.
Nangong Yao nodded and said, "After leaving here, select some disciples and elders from Human Mystic Peak and Earth Profound Peak to venture outside. You two Core Elders will personally lead them."
At this, the elders were startled, but they nodded slightly.
At a time like this, having two Core Elders lead a portion of the inner and outer sect's disciples and elders outside was a relatively safe option.
The elders also understood what the Sect Master had meant earlier. This method could indeed keep the sect running for the time being.
As for why the sect had chosen the Fifth Elder and Ninth Elder, they quickly understood that too.
There was no need to explain the choice of Ninth Elder Zhou Tong. He had a Treasure-Seeking Spirit Pet, a Mystic Yellow Mouse, making him the ideal person to lead an expedition.
As for Fifth Elder Wang Tianfu, he was the strongest elder they could send out.
Liu Yunjian, Liu Xuan Yin, Jiang Bailu, and Chu Ningshang were frequently occupied with affairs within the sect and could not free themselves.
"As you command."
Wang Tianfu and Zhou Tong bowed in acceptance.
Just as the two were preparing to leave the Inner Pavilion with their orders, a sudden remark from Chu Ningshang stopped them in their tracks.
"Sect Master, are we not sending any Purple-Robed Disciples out this time?"
At this, pain and shock flashed through Jiang Bailu's eyes, while some of the other elders who had True Inheritance Disciples averted their gazes.
What a joke. One Purple-Robed Disciple had already been abducted by the Demonic Sect. Purple-Robed Disciples were so precious-how could they send any more outside?
Nangong Yao was slightly surprised. "What do you mean, Fourth Elder?"
Chu Ningshang bowed and said, "Sect Master, my disciple Zhao Ting has immersed himself in cultivation for years, and his cultivation has reached a bottleneck. Could the Fifth Elder and Ninth Elder take him along?"
At her words, Nangong Yao's eyes flickered.
Before Nangong Yao could say anything, however, the elders could no longer sit still and began speaking up.
"Absolutely not, Fourth Elder! Zhao Ting is the most gifted of all our sect's disciples. How could you send him out at such a dangerous time?"
"Exactly. Zhao Ting is too important. He would be safer staying within the sect."
"..."
"Hmph." Chu Ningshang snorted coldly. "Even I, Zhao Ting's master, am willing to let him go out, yet you elders refuse?"
The elders faltered.
Chu Ningshang continued, "It's one thing if you elders are unwilling to send out your own True Inheritance Disciples, but why are you stopping me?"
With that, Chu Ningshang turned to the contemplative Nangong Yao and said earnestly, "Sect Master, with the Fifth Elder and Ninth Elder leading this expedition, it will naturally be relatively safe. And forgive my bluntness... Purple-Robed Disciples are disciples too. We mustn't coddle them too much. When they need tempering, they must be tempered. The path of immortal cultivation is full of countless uncertainties and ever-present danger. If they never endure trials and hardships and remain in a hothouse year after year, how can their character ever grow?"
The elders nodded, unable to argue, and felt some measure of shame.
Jiang Bailu said gravely, "Fourth Elder, my disciple has already been abducted by the Demonic Sect, and his fate remains unknown. What if something happens to Zhao Ting too?"
Chu Ningshang said calmly, "It isn't that I, as his master, don't cherish my disciple. I only mean to say... if something truly happens to Zhao Ting, then that is his fate. When has immortal cultivation ever been a smooth road?"
Jiang Bailu was shaken and fell silent. He felt that his understanding in this regard lagged far behind Chu Ningshang's.
"Very well. Let Zhao Ting go out with them too. Zhao Ting has only recently entered the cultivation world. Though his cultivation has risen rapidly, he has no experience whatsoever and is like a young child. Fifth Elder, Ninth Elder, take good care of him along the way."
At that moment, Nangong Yao spoke.
"Yes."
Wang Tianfu and Zhou Tong accepted the order.
The elders sighed and had nothing more to say. They truly did not know what else they could say, for Chu Ningshang's words had struck straight into their hearts.
After Wang Tianfu and Zhou Tong left the Inner Pavilion, they sent word to the elders in charge of Human Mystic Peak and Earth Profound Peak, conveying the Sect Master's order to select a group of disciples and gather them outside the sect gates.
Upon hearing this, the elders in charge of the two peaks hurriedly accepted the order and went to select disciples for the expedition.
After Chu Ningshang returned to the Punishment Hall, she also told Zhao Ting about it. She had expected him to be afraid, but to her surprise, he was exceptionally excited.
After bidding Chu Ningshang farewell, Zhao Ting flew toward the sect gates on his sword. Three years had passed, and he was no longer the mortal without a shred of cultivation he had once been, but a True Person in the late Foundation Establishment Realm.
Halfway there, Zhao Ting thought there was probably no great hurry just yet, so he changed direction and flew toward Servant Disciple Peak.
Servant Disciple Peak.
Some Servant Disciples saw a figure flying toward them on a sword and hurriedly bowed, calling out, "Senior Brother." Only after the figure swept westward and vanished did they slowly straighten up.
The Servant Disciples exchanged bitter smiles.
By now, who on Servant Disciple Peak did not know that was Senior Brother Zhao Ting, a Purple-Robed Disciple? He often came to Servant Disciple Peak to visit Chen Xun, and the disciples had long since grown accustomed to it.
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