Wood Spirit Peak.
Zheng Huaiyuan watched the Azure Feather Ship disappear, unable to withdraw his gaze for a long time.
He had taken two disciples in his life. He was closest to Ji Fenghe and held the greatest hopes for Ye Xuan's future.
Now that both disciples had left the sect together, he could only pray for them in his heart, hoping they would return safely.
Azure Feather Peak.
Ling Ziling watched the Azure Feather Ship depart. She knew the Dao Sect disciples would reap rich rewards from this trip to the Spirit Medicine Realm. All she needed to do was secretly meet them when they returned in half a year.
In the meantime, the Dao Sect disciples heading to the Spirit Medicine Realm would face no danger.
At this moment, Ling Ziling also understood why the Blood Demon Sect would choose to strike when the Dao Sect disciples returned.
First, it was to deal a blow to the Dao Sect and hinder the growth of a generation of disciples.
Second, it was for the Azure Feather Ship. With the Southern Region's Five Upper Sects gathering, the Dao Sect would certainly display its strength by using the Azure Feather Ship to escort its disciples.
A hundred years ago, the Blood Demon Sect had experienced the Azure Feather Ship's power firsthand. Now that it had emerged once more, they had naturally begun hatching crooked schemes. That was why Qi Yue had volunteered for the escort mission, willing to risk exposing his identity to attempt to seize or destroy the Azure Feather Ship.
Ling Ziling chuckled.
Only she knew that the Azure Feather Ship could no longer unleash a full-powered strike.
For the Azure Feather Ship to unleash a full-powered strike, it required not only vast resources, but also an owner whose strength had reached the Spirit Transformation Late Stage.
Ling Ziling was only at the Spirit Transformation Early Stage now, and could not control the Azure Feather Ship at its full power at all.
"This is no weapon the Dao Sect can master!"
Ling Ziling still remembered her father's exclamation when he gave her the Azure Feather Ship.
After learning about the Azure Feather Ship, Ling Ziling had voiced the same sentiment.
The Azure Feather Ship was too powerful. Without the Immortal Alliance's conscriptions, perhaps the Dao Sect's prodigies could have mastered it after several thousand years.
Unfortunately, the Immortal Alliance's conscriptions were too frequent, giving the Dao Sect's prodigies no time to grow at all.
"Immortal Alliance, just what are you after?"
Ling Ziling looked up at the sky. The Dao Sect had few records concerning the Immortal Alliance. All they knew was that it was an existence above the Southern Region's five sects, holding everyone's lives in its hands.
Of all the Southern Region's prodigies who had been conscripted over the past several thousand years, not one had ever returned.
"Grand Elder, I'll have to trouble you to devote more effort to the sect's affairs. I'll be entering seclusion for a while."
Withdrawing her gaze, Ling Ziling spoke to Luo Yun expressionlessly.
"Yes."
Luo Yun cupped his fist. His thoughts had already flown far away. Having planned the ambush, he now wished time would pass faster.
The Azure Feather Ship.
Qi Yue sat at the bow with his eyes closed, resting his mind.
The three thousand disciples separated into inner and outer disciples, gathering in groups of three or five to discuss how they would rendezvous after entering the Spirit Medicine Realm.
Quite a few disciples also formed alliances, agreeing to attack and defend together as fellow disciples.
The largest group among them was led by Lin Wan'er and numbered over a hundred.
Ye Xuan also spotted Ye Tian among the inner disciples, and Ye Tian saw them too.
After his last defeat, Ye Tian seemed to have matured considerably. He merely shot Ye Xuan and Ji Fenghe a vicious glare without coming over to trouble them.
Danger lurked on every side within the Spirit Medicine Realm, and every additional person meant another measure of strength. Even Ye Xuan and his companions were drawn into a team of outer disciples.
Ye Xuan planted a sliver of divine sense on Ji Fenghe, which could save his life if he faced mortal danger.
Ye Xuan had no intention of following the team. Since only Qi Refinement disciples would enter, the dangers inside could not be too great. Now that Ye Xuan had reached Golden Core, he could run rampant inside.
I wonder what good things I can get by checking in inside the Spirit Medicine Realm.
The Azure Feather Ship was extremely fast. Before everyone had finished forming alliances, they had already reached their destination.
Yellow Moon Valley.
The other four of the Five Upper Sects had already arrived.
The Blood Demon Sect rode an enormous skull banner. On closer inspection, the thousand-zhang banner was made entirely of skulls pieced together, giving off a sinister chill.
Now, seeing the Azure Feather Dao Sect arrive, most of them revealed bloodthirsty gazes.
The two sects had hated each other for a long time, and many Blood Demon Sect disciples took pride in possessing the severed heads of Azure Feather Dao Sect disciples.
The Shadow Demon Sect rode a pitch-black warship, a thousand zhang in size. Almost everyone aboard hid in the shadows. Without looking closely, one could not see anyone at all.
At Flame Moon Valley's side, disciples had been sitting cross-legged in meditation atop a burning mountain, only to have their gazes drawn by the Azure Feather Ship.
The Puppet Sect's warship looked more like an insect-shaped flying vessel. Its wings, numerous legs, and compound eyes were constructed with lifelike precision.
As soon as the Azure Feather Ship arrived, representing the leader of the righteous sects, the elders leading Flame Moon Valley and the Puppet Sect flew over.
The elders of the Shadow Demon Sect and the Blood Demon Sect also gathered together, casting sinister looks their way.
"The three righteous sects have always advanced and retreated together. This time will probably be no different. Flame Moon Sect disciples are experts at playing with fire, and the Puppet Sect's puppets and mechanical beasts are unparalleled too. Facing them is practically the same as being besieged."
The speaker was Yang Ming, the leader of Ye Xuan's current team and the runner-up in the previous outer disciple selection.
"Blood Demon Sect disciples are a pack of lunatics. Be cautious if you encounter them. Shadow Demon Sect disciples are like rats hiding in the dark. They aren't strong, but they're disgusting to deal with. At night, they'll be even stronger."
Everyone present was a Qi Refinement disciple. Even when they left the sect to gain experience, they stayed near the Dao Sect. None had ever interacted with people from the other four sects. Even Yang Ming's understanding of their disciples came only from hearsay.
Roar!
A deafening sound came from afar, and a streak of golden light instantly appeared in everyone's midst.
The golden light dispersed, revealing a bald, burly man. It was Ao Jin, who had delivered the message earlier.
Members of the Demon Race could take human form after reaching Nascent Soul, but there were no transformed Demon Beasts within the Dao Sect, so Ye Xuan had never seen one before.
"Greetings, Senior."
The elders of the five sects saluted simultaneously. They could clearly feel the immense pressure emanating from Ao Jin.
"Good. Everyone's here, so I won't waste words."
Ao Jin spoke in a booming voice, directly tossing out a golden ring and forming a hand seal.
The golden ring expanded in the wind, reaching a thousand zhang in size in the blink of an eye.
Ye Xuan looked up and saw ripples spreading through the space within the golden ring. It appeared to be the passage to the Spirit Medicine Realm.
"Everyone, listen! Only Qi Refinement disciples can pass through to the Spirit Medicine Realm this time, and nothing with capabilities exceeding Golden Core may be carried inside. The Spirit Medicine Realm will inspect everyone. If it discovers anything, it will hold those things outside."
Ao Jin swept his gaze across the five sects' disciples and shouted loudly.
"After you enter the Spirit Medicine Realm, where you appear will be random. I advise all of you to do your best to improve your cultivation and gather spirit medicines. This will probably be your first and last opportunity to enter another world."
"You can only remain inside for half a year. After that, you'll be teleported out. Of course, if you're already dead, you won't be coming out."
"All right, hurry inside. I still have to rush to the next place!"