A knock at the door made Hu Tutu, who had been eating candied hawthorns in her dream, groggily open her eyes.
Hu Tutu rubbed her eyes with both hands. She had only just sat up and had yet to realize where she was.
Ouyang, dressed in a blue-green robe, pushed the door open and walked in.
"S-senior Brother? Is it time to eat?" Hu Tutu asked sleepily.
"It's still early for that. Besides, we're not eating on Little Mountain Peak today. We're going to Azure Cloud Peak to freeload a meal. Get up-we're lighting your Ever-Burning Lamp today," Ouyang said with a smile.
Then he glanced at Hu Yan, who was nestled obediently at the head of the bed, but Hu Yan did not get up.
Hu Tutu groggily dressed and followed Ouyang out of the room. When she looked up, she saw Bai Feiyu standing on a tree branch with his hands behind his back.
"Senior Brother Bai is cultivating so early! He's really diligent!" Hu Tutu exclaimed.
"Showing off first thing in the morning. Who's he even trying to impress? Come on, come on. Any later and we'll miss lunch at the Azure Cloud Sect." Ouyang glanced at Bai Feiyu, then turned to urge Hu Tutu along.
"Um, Senior Brother, we're not walking there again, are we?" Hu Tutu looked at her eldest senior brother. Although she did not know why he was only at the ninth level of Qi Refining, someone at that level could not fly on a sword.
Were they going to climb that seemingly endless mountain path again?
Ouyang shook his head and said with a smile, "No climbing today. Someone from Azure Cloud Peak will come to pick us up."
Just as Ouyang finished speaking, a clear birdcall rang out.
Hu Tutu looked up to see an enormous white crane circling above Little Mountain Peak.
A boy's voice, amplified by true essence, rang out across Little Mountain Peak:
"By decree of the sect master, I am here to escort the newly admitted Inner Disciple Hu Tutu to Azure Cloud Peak to light her Lifebound Ever-Burning Lamp! Hu Tutu, step forward to receive the decree! All unrelated persons, stand aside!"
"All unrelated persons, stand aside?"
Ouyang narrowed his eyes and looked at the white crane still circling overhead. Someone dared act this arrogantly on Little Mountain Peak's own turf?
Where did he get the nerve? Was he new?
Still, that white crane looked pretty plump!
"Xiao Bai, shoot that flying thing down for me. We're having an extra dish at lunch!" Ouyang called to Bai Feiyu, who stood in the tree with his hands behind his back.
Bai Feiyu opened his eyes in displeasure. He was stabilizing his cultivation, and someone actually dared amplify his voice with true essence to disturb his concentration?
Was he tired of living?
The Three-Foot Greenedge Sword at his waist seemed to sense its master's shifting emotions. It immediately left its sheath and shot toward the white crane overhead.
"Senior Brother Bai! Spare the bird beneath your sword!"
A golden streak of light raced closer and slammed into the circling white crane, knocking it far away.
The golden streak stopped, revealing a handsome young man in white Daoist robes standing on a flying sword with his hands clasped in greeting.
"Junior Brother Bai, Junior Brother Zu only recently entered the inner sect. If he's offended you, please forgive him."
Seeing the newcomer, Bai Feiyu closed his eyes again.
The flying sword, which had missed its target, whisked back into its sheath.
Ouyang looked at the newcomer's status panel and immediately knew who he was.
Name: Ling Feng {Sect master's eldest disciple} Cultivation: Nascent Soul Third Layer Realm Root bone: 8 Charm: 8 Luck: 8 Sword Dao aptitude: 8 Exclusive skill: Twin Swords Splendid Slash Evaluation: An unremarkable dual-blade-wielding eldest disciple of the sect master.
"Old Ling, what's this supposed to be? How can you send just any stray cat or dog to Little Mountain Peak?" Ouyang asked unhappily.
Ling Feng smiled apologetically. "I was delivering a letter to Jade Maiden Peak for Master just now, so I had Junior Brother Zu come in my place. I did remind him to be careful and respectful. Perhaps he's a little proud and hotheaded, being young. Please forgive him, Senior Brother Ouyang."
His words were courteous, and the smile in his eyes carried a gentleness like a caress of spring breeze.
"Senior Brother, they actually dared attack the sect master's mount!" An outraged cry came from the white crane, and a boy poked his head out to complain to Ling Feng.
Looking at the boy who had appeared, Ouyang's expression shifted almost imperceptibly, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
Name: Zu Yuan (Devil Race Sacred Son) Cultivation: First stage of Core Formation Root bone: 10+1 Charm: 8 Luck: 7 Blade Dao aptitude: 10 Exclusive skill: Myriad Transformations Demon Image Evaluation: A somewhat conspicuous major villain.
The Devil Race Sacred Son?!!
That old sect master actually took a Devil Race Sacred Son as his disciple?
And the Devil Race actually sent their own holy son to be an undercover agent? Were they really staking that much on this?
Looking at Zu Yuan's status panel, Ouyang felt dazed by the string of question marks flashing through his mind.
The Dao and the devils could never coexist. That had been an ironclad law since the Elder Ancient Era.
He and Xiao Bai had confirmed this before. During one of their devil-slaying missions, Ouyang had once asked Xiao Bai a probing question.
After completing the mission, Ouyang had said with a sigh, "Xiao Bai, countless wars have been fought between the Dao and the devils, haven't they? Why do you think that is?"
Bai Feiyu had replied indifferently, "Nothing more than a struggle between traditions. It's been that way since the Elder Ancient Era."
In other words, the conflict between the Dao and the devils had already existed in Xiao Bai's previous life, and Xiao Bai had considered it perfectly natural.
Ouyang frowned at the arrogant-looking Zu Yuan atop the white crane. His panel's attributes were indeed extraordinary, even surpassing those of Xiao Bai, the reincarnated Ancient Sword Immortal. He fell only slightly short of Ouyang's own little junior brother.
But that was not what worried Ouyang. Any genius who had yet to mature posed no concern, as long as they were never given time to grow.
Ouyang only worried that taking in this Devil Race Sacred Son might ruin the old sect master's good name in his twilight years.
After all, the sect master of one of the Nine Great Sacred Lands had actually taken a Devil Race Sacred Son as his personal disciple!
For the Azure Cloud Sect, which proclaimed itself a vanguard of the righteous path, this was an utter humiliation!
As Ouyang sank into thought, Ling Feng remained standing on his flying sword with his hands clasped, neither impatient nor agitated.
Bai Feiyu, however, opened his eyes in surprise from his perch in the tree. His eldest senior brother had never been one to press an advantage like this. He always acted like an easygoing nice guy. Why was he not answering today?
Bai Feiyu turned toward the contemplative Ouyang. Something stirred in his mind, and he drifted down beside Ouyang, asking evenly, "What's wrong?"
Ouyang came back to his senses. Looking at the puzzled Bai Feiyu, he asked quietly, "Xiao Bai, what do you think of that boy riding the crane?"
Bai Feiyu's gaze sharpened. He looked at the boy atop the white crane, then nodded. "Although he's not as outstanding as Second Senior Brother, his talent is extraordinary as well. It seems the sect master has taken in a fine disciple."
Ouyang was a little surprised. Even Xiao Bai, the reincarnated Ancient Sword Immortal, could not tell that the boy before them belonged to the Devil Race?
Could it be because of that exclusive skill?
The corners of Ouyang's mouth curled slightly.
"Interesting!"
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