"Sect Master."
Long Aoyu stepped forward and gave a proper, respectful bow.
With his hands behind his back, Du Busi looked him up and down, smiling like an old fox, then suddenly asked, "Xiao Yu, how old are you this year?"
"Twelve."
"Twelve years old, rank forty-nine, with your body as your Body Martial Soul. No accompanying toxins, and its enhancement of pure physical strength surpasses even my Martial Soul."
Du Busi spoke unhurriedly. "What rank was your brother when he was twelve again?"
"Reporting to the Sect Master, rank forty-three."
Standing behind them, Long Aotian suddenly found himself singled out, and his expression darkened.
Du Busi did not even look at him, continuing to stare at Long Aoyu. "In other words, you're six ranks higher than that little brat Long Aotian was at your age."
"Among the younger generation of the entire sect, you have the greatest talent and the sharpest mind. So-" Du Busi shifted the conversation. "My Young Sect Master, what do you make of our current situation?"
Long Aoyu's heart lurched.
Du Busi rarely called him "Young Sect Master." Whenever he did, he was seriously testing him.
The gazes of Jin Peng and the other nine elders all fell on him, filled with satisfaction and expectation.
Long Aoyu considered briefly. "Sect Master, our first priority is to establish where we are. Elder Wei senses through hearing, and Elder Zhao senses the earth's veins. Having them work together would be the safest approach."
"Send a small team out traveling light to scout for towns and villages within two hundred li in every direction, then act according to the circumstances and gather intelligence."
After hearing him out, Du Busi did not immediately give his opinion.
Elder Wei nodded first. "The Young Sect Master is right."
Elder Zhao also agreed.
Only then did Du Busi wave his hand. "Wei, Zhao, go choose your people and leave immediately. Everyone else, return to your respective halls and stay put!"
The elders dispersed, and the disciples in the square also left as ordered.
"Xiao Yu."
"Sect Master?"
"You've improved. Keeping calm when trouble strikes-that's how you shoulder the sect's heavy responsibilities!"
Hearing this,
Long Aoyu looked up and grinned. "You're joking, Sect Master. You're only growing stronger with age, and every matter of our Body Sect rests on your shoulders! How could it be time for a junior like me to take up that burden?"
Du Busi forcibly suppressed his smile, then slapped him on the back of the head.
"Enough of your glib tongue. Get going and cultivate. How long have you been stuck at rank forty-nine?"
"...Only a month."
"A month is hardly short, and you're still standing here? Will your Soul Power grow on its own? Get going!"
Long Aoyu covered the back of his head and retreated two steps, grumbling inwardly that a month hardly counted as being stuck at a bottleneck. An ordinary rank forty-nine Soul Ancestor would need at least half a year to break through.
"All right, going now!"
Long Aoyu turned and jogged toward the Side Hall. As he passed his older brother, Long Aotian reached out to stop him.
"Wait."
Vina spoke immediately afterward, her clear, cool voice bringing Long Aoyu to a halt.
She walked over, took a tiny jade bottle from the little pouch at her waist, and pressed it into Long Aoyu's hand. "A Concentration Pill. Use it when you're close to breaking through. It's thirty percent more effective than those sold on the market."
Long Aoyu paused in surprise.
Vina was usually a woman of few words, but she truly treated those around her well.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law."
Long Aoyu put away the bottle and grinned.
Vina's ears flushed faintly. "Who's your sister-in-law? I haven't married into the family yet..."
With that, she turned and left. Her steps were perfectly steady, but the blush at her ears could not fool anyone.
Long Aotian watched her retreating figure, fell silent for two seconds, then suddenly asked his younger brother, "What did you just call her?"
"Sister-in-law. What about it?"
The corners of Long Aotian's mouth rose uncontrollably. "Good."
Then he turned and left as well, his steps a little lighter than usual.
Elder Wei and Elder Zhao led six disciples out of the canyon, speeding east along the foot of the mountains.
All of them were skilled at perception and had solid concealment techniques, but having just entered unfamiliar territory, they dared not travel at full speed and stopped after every stretch.
About four hours later, Elder Zhao crouched and pressed his palm to the soil. "Thirty li west. Dense footsteps-a crowd. There are sounds of wheels. It should be a town."
Elder Wei tilted his ear and listened for a moment, then nodded.
They crept onto a small hillside and looked down. Lights shone in the mountain hollow, where a town built of gray stone stood against the mountainside. A wooden sign at its entrance bore the words "Greenstone Town."
The eight of them reined in their Soul Power and entered through the town entrance disguised as ordinary travelers.
The main street was not long,
and shops stood open on either side, with few pedestrians on the road.
Elder Wei's gaze swept over the clothing of the passing pedestrians-coarse-cloth short outfits and hemp robes, entirely different from the clothes they knew.
These styles were far too rustic, like old fashions from several thousand years ago.
Elder Zhao noticed too. The two exchanged a glance, both suppressing the doubts in their hearts.
Elder Wei approached a steamed bun stall, took out a few copper coins to buy buns, and used the opportunity to strike up a conversation:
"Brother, could I ask you something? We're traveling merchants. We lost our way in the mountains and wandered for days before finding anyone. May I ask which city administers this area?"
The old man glanced at them. "Greenstone Town falls under Wulan City. Keep heading east for two more days and you'll get there."
Wulan City?
Elder Wei searched his memory. He had lived for nearly a hundred years and remembered most of the cities, large and small, in the three great empires and the Sun Moon Empire, yet he had never heard the name Wulan City.
He asked again, "Wulan City... which empire's territory is this?"
The old man laughed. "The Heaven Dou Empire, of course. You're traveling merchants, yet you don't even know Wulan City is in the Heaven Dou Empire?"
Elder Wei's and Elder Zhao's pupils contracted at the same time.
The Heaven Dou Empire!
That imperial name had long ceased to exist in their era-it was an old nation of the continent that had split apart more than five thousand years ago.
The Heaven Dou Empire was one of its successor states.
But Elder Wei betrayed nothing on his face. He merely smiled and ventured another question. "The Heaven Dou Empire... then what about Spirit Hall?"
At the mention of Spirit Hall, the old man's tone grew even more relaxed. "Spirit Hall? There's a Spirit Hall Branch right in Wulan City. Every month, they come down to perform Martial Soul Awakenings for the children in the town and villages, free of charge."
"My grandson just had his awakening last month..."
At those words,
doubts rose in Elder Wei's mind.
In their era, Spirit Hall could be called utterly infamous. It was an evil organization that had attempted to overthrow the continent!
Yet from what this old man said, Spirit Hall seemed unlike what the records described...
What sort of person Bibi Dong was, he did not know.
But by awakening commoners' Martial Souls for free and even taking the initiative to visit every village and town, Spirit Hall deserved to be called benevolent and righteous.
Elder Wei's thoughts raced, and he turned to ask:
"I've heard that His Holiness the Pope of Spirit Hall is quite remarkable?"
The old man scratched his head. "His Holiness the Pope? I don't quite remember about that. All I know is that she's a female pope. What was her name again...?"
"Bibi Dong?"
"Yes, that's the name!"
The old man's eyes lit up, but then he realized and hurriedly added, "You mustn't address Her Holiness the Pope by name. Do be more mindful."
At those words, towering waves of shock surged through Elder Wei's heart.
It really was Bibi Dong!
"Thank you, sir."
Elder Wei thanked him, then went elsewhere to inquire about some other information before leading the group out of town.
Elder Zhao's voice was dry. "Bibi Dong... Wei, that's the Rakshasa God from ten thousand years ago!"
Elder Wei closed his eyes briefly. "The Heaven Dou Empire, Spirit Hall, Pope Bibi Dong..."
"We've arrived ten thousand years in the past."
All six disciples went pale.
Elder Zhao took a deep breath. "Back. We're going back immediately!"
Before you continue