Qing Chen patiently traded cups with Ding Buxing and reminisced about the past.
The trivial events of those years seemed to unfold again before them, clear yet distant, as though they belonged to a previous lifetime.
They spoke of several old acquaintances who had entered the immortal sect with them from the Land of Seven Kingdoms.
The proud young woman, Xue Yubing, had won the favor of a Foundation Establishment High Person and been accepted as a disciple;
a few years earlier, she had broken through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining and smoothly advanced into the Inner Sect. Now she was riding high, with the brightest prospects of anyone in their cohort.
Xie Yu, by contrast, had endured a far rockier fate. After eight wasted years, he had still failed to enter the Outer Sect and had ultimately been dispatched to a remote strategic holding of the sect-Mysterious Dawn Island.
As for the honest, loyal Yue Ting, he had volunteered for a long-term assignment to follow his master, accompanying Xie Yu to Mysterious Dawn Island.
After hearing this, Ding Buxing fell silent for a moment, tipped his head back to drain a cup of wine, and heaved a heavy sigh.
"Ah... I never thought Brother Xie would end up a menial disciple just like me. That lad Yue Ting really does value loyalty and affection..."
Seeing that he never mentioned Xue Yubing, Qing Chen knew that this fellow still had not let go of his old grudge over her mocking his "grand, unrealistic boasts" aboard the spirit ship all those years ago.
A few cups of spirit wine eased the atmosphere somewhat.
Qing Chen quietly steered the conversation toward the matter at hand, lowering his voice a little:
"Brother Ding, as Deacon Chu led us here, I noticed