Chu Xingchen raced through the earth with Ning Qianqian in tow.
He no longer cared about conserving his spiritual power. All he wanted was to return to the Ruined Temple as quickly as possible.
But he was carrying a mortal without any cultivation, so his speed was inevitably hampered.
Ning Qianqian was particularly ill-equipped to withstand Golden Core-level earth evasion, forcing him to stop every so often to let her rest.
After all, her constitution was hardly robust. Malnourished, she was little more than skin and bones.
After a full day of travel, they were only one earth evasion trip away from the Ruined Temple.
Ning Qianqian was currently leaning against a large tree, nibbling on a flatbread.
Chu Xingchen stood nearby with his eyes closed, remaining vigilant as he extended his spiritual sense.
After finishing the entire flatbread in her hands, Ning Qianqian took two small sips of water.
During their earlier stops along the way, Ning Qianqian had asked plenty of questions.
She had asked where Chu Xingchen was going, what he intended to do, and whom he was looking for.
Chu Xingchen had answered quite patiently, without hiding much.
He had also explained clearly to Ning Qianqian that he was going to find his disciples so he could discuss a plan with them.
When they had time on the road, Ning Qianqian would also ask about the cultivation world. Though she only half understood what she heard, she would use what understanding she had to imagine it.
Watching Chu Xingchen with his eyes closed, Ning Qianqian pushed all the crumbs around her mouth inside, then asked in a somewhat incredulous tone:
"Great Immortal, is the Clearwind Sect really a reputable, righteous sect in your world?"
"As far as its reputation among the nearby sects goes, yes." Chu Xingchen did not open his eyes. "They also accept commissions from the authorities to subdue demons and vanquish evil. And when they do bad things, they cover their tracks well. At least, I'd never heard about any of it before."
Ning Qianqian understood that reasoning. After all, she lacked experience, not intelligence.
But hearing that answer brought back the sight of her father's retreating figure when he left.
Still somewhat dispirited, she raised her eyes. "Then what about your sect, Great Immortal? Would it do things like that too?"
At that, Chu Xingchen could not help opening his eyes. "If I did things like that, I wouldn't have gone softhearted and taken you with me," he said irritably.
Throughout the journey, Chu Xingchen had been quite patient with Ning Qianqian's endless whys and wherefores.
Once he rescued her father along the way, he probably would never see this girl again anyway.
Ning Qianqian nodded with wholehearted agreement at his answer. After all, the facts bore him out.
Yet she still felt a lingering unease.
Ning Qianqian was not actually talkative by nature. She simply wanted to ease the anxiety in her heart by talking.
Chu Xingchen could naturally see that she was anxious. Her appearance and height alone made it clear that she was young.
It was normal for her to feel anxious when confronted with things beyond her abilities and understanding. After all, in her world, immortals already belonged to an entirely different realm of existence.
Chu Xingchen took the initiative to speak. "Whatever else you might say about my sect, we certainly act openly and honorably. We don't do things that provoke the wrath of heaven and man."
"Throughout the cultivation world, our sect is known as the leader of the righteous path."
Bragging was not a crime, anyway. With someone as uninformed as Ning Qianqian, he could lay it on as thick as he liked. She could not tell truth from fiction.
Whatever else might be said, whether Ning Qianqian was sincere or not, her expression certainly gave him an appreciative audience. Her face was full of yearning.
"Then, Great Immortal, your disciples must all be very good people too, right?"
Chu Xingchen nodded without hesitation and said proudly, "My eldest disciple is a cultivation genius. She's also kind to others, cares about her fellow disciples, and deeply respects her master and the teachings."
"My second disciple is even more impressive. After weathering the mortal world's trials, he still holds true to his heart. He's a good disciple, loyal and devoted, whose word is worth a thousand pieces of gold. He respects his master and the teachings just as much."
"And they both cultivate the open and honorable path of immortality, practicing righteous cultivation methods. They never stray down crooked side paths. Open and honorable is the only way to describe our sect."
Ning Qianqian once again obliged him with a few suitably appreciative remarks. They chatted a little more and rested for a while.
Then the two set off on their return journey once again.
After roughly another hour of earth evasion, they had nearly reached the vicinity of the Ruined Temple. But Chu Xingchen did not go straight back. Instead, he brought Ning Qianqian up to the surface nearby.
Here, a powerful stench of blood came rushing at them from the direction of the Ruined Temple.
Chu Xingchen's expression darkened. Had something happened to them?
Yet the teleportation talismans had not activated. Such an intense stench of blood surely meant there had been a bitter battle, rather than an instant kill upon meeting the enemy. In that case, the teleportation talismans should have had a chance to trigger.
Without any cultivation, Ning Qianqian could not sense the bloody aura ahead. Still, she cautiously glanced up at Chu Xingchen. Though she did not know what had happened, she understood that she should keep her mouth shut now and said nothing.
Chu Xingchen frantically swept his spiritual sense toward the Ruined Temple. Soon, he located two familiar presences inside. They were even alive and kicking.
Then what was going on with this bloody aura?
Had those two disciples stirred up some new nonsense again? Li Xingtian had already lived a second life. How could he still be fooling around with Li Yingling?
Chu Xingchen reassured the girl beside him. "It's all right. My two disciples have been a little mischievous."
Ning Qianqian nodded in response.
They were already very close now. Rather than continue using earth evasion, Chu Xingchen manipulated spiritual energy and took Ning Qianqian into the air.
Experiencing flight for the first time, Ning Qianqian could not help crying out in surprise.
She soon grew accustomed to the sensation of flying freely, however, and began to feel at ease with it.
A faint smile unconsciously appeared on the face that had never shown one before.
It was human instinct to yearn for freedom. This flight also unwittingly released much of the pressure weighing on Ning Qianqian's heart.
But when the Ruined Temple came into view, and the Great Immortal continued flying straight toward it, Ning Qianqian could no longer smile at all.
The Ruined Temple looked as though it had been neglected for years, with a rather sinister air about it.
But a mere sinister atmosphere was not enough to frighten Ning Qianqian.
What truly frightened her was the mass of flesh and white bones outside the Ruined Temple, almost completely covering the ground before its entrance.
Rows of ghastly ribs still bore scraps of scarlet meat that had not been stripped away cleanly. Several heads from animals she could not identify had been carelessly tossed aside.
There were all kinds: huge bears, tigers, and wild wolves.
There were even plenty of rabbit and pheasant heads, tossed to one side to form a heap. It looked utterly horrifying!
The wind now carried the heavy stench of blood into Ning Qianqian's nose.
Her stomach churned, and she felt like retching.
More frightening still, dark red energy flickered inside the Ruined Temple from time to time.
It looked utterly uncanny. This was plainly the scene of some demonic beast making its lair here, devouring people to cultivate!
Ning Qianqian swallowed and timidly asked, "...G-Great Immortal, are you planning to subdue demons and vanquish evil?"
After all, at this moment, that was the only explanation she could find for why the Great Immortal was flying straight toward that dangerous Ruined Temple.
But Chu Xingchen's answer nearly made Ning Qianqian faint:
"Huh? What do you mean, subdue demons and vanquish evil? We're here."
Before you continue