Leaving the sect

As soon as Su Fuyun finished speaking, the blue-robed female cultivator who had spoken first rolled her eyes. "What does her failure to break through have to do with anyone else? Does she really think being an elder's daughter means she can do whatever she wants? Junior Sister Fuyun, you're Immortal Venerable Yanchen's disciple too, and you didn't make everyone wait like she did! What's a Qi Refining Realm cultivator doing here, snatching a Foundation Establishment Realm fortuitous opportunity?"

The blue-robed cultivator had a fiery temper and spoke bluntly, so she had accidentally offended someone.

Fortunately, the person beside her reacted quickly and hurried to smooth things over. "Junior Sister Fuyun, don't misunderstand. Junior Sister Chen Xiu was only making a passing complaint. You're about to reach Foundation Establishment yourself, so it's perfectly fitting for you to come on this training expedition."

"Right, right!" The cultivator named Chen Xiu also realized she had misspoken and hurriedly said, "I just can't stand people who are stuck in the Qi Refining Realm but still snatch someone else's spot on a Foundation Establishment Realm training expedition..."

Seeing Chen Xiu's attempts to make amends growing more awkward by the moment, Sang Ying couldn't be bothered to keep watching the show.

She stepped forward of her own accord and offered a sword salute to the leader of the expedition—the sect master's disciple, Mu Xuan.

"Senior Brother Mu, I'm Sang Ying of Crimson Snow Peak. I'm very sorry I'm late. I was in seclusion earlier and only just received word and hurried here. I'm truly sorry for making everyone wait."

The girl in moon-white robes was tall and slender, and her frost-and-snow-like face made people wonder whether she was real.

If Sang Ying had been a rare beauty before, then after reaching Foundation Establishment, she could be said to possess the grace of an immortal.

Though she was only fifteen, it wasn't hard to imagine what a beauty she would become when she grew up, one who would make the sun and moon pale in comparison.

Most of the group stared at her in a daze. Only Mu Xuan recovered after a brief moment of distraction.

He had long since heard from his master that Immortal Venerable Yanchen had stuffed both his disciples into the team headed for the Qishan Secret Realm trials.

One of them was at the Tenth Level of Qi Refining, while the other was at the Twelfth Level of Qi Refining.

Although Mu Xuan respected Immortal Venerable Yanchen, he still felt the man's actions were somewhat inappropriate. Leaving aside whether it was fair to the other disciples, how two Qi Refining Realm cultivators were supposed to survive in a Foundation Establishment Realm secret realm was a major problem in itself.

But the sect master had already given him his orders, and Mu Xuan had no way to refuse. He could only do his utmost to keep the two of them safe.

Now that the day had come for the group to set out, Su Fuyun was still in the Qi Refining Realm, but she at least seemed close to breaking through. She had also arrived at the gathering place early and said she would obediently follow his arrangements and cause no trouble.

This made Mu Xuan's impression of her somewhat better.

The other one, Sang Ying, however, had yet to arrive, and when he asked Su Fuyun, she didn't know why either.

Mu Xuan hated people who weren't punctual more than anything, and he promptly developed a grievance against Sang Ying.

But now that he had met her in person and seen the presence around her that had yet to settle, he knew she had reached Foundation Establishment.

Mu Xuan was naturally not the only one who could tell. The other disciples who had reached Foundation Establishment before Sang Ying also immediately noticed the presence of a Foundation Establishment cultivator about her.

The two female cultivators who had mocked Sang Ying openly and subtly earlier felt their faces sting. They silently retreated into the crowd and said no more.

After hearing Sang Ying's explanation, Mu Xuan said nothing about whether he believed her and simply had her join the group.

Su Fuyun's cultivation was too low for her to tell that Sang Ying had reached Foundation Establishment. She only wondered why Sang Ying looked a little prettier today than before.

As soon as Sang Ying joined the group, Su Fuyun deliberately came over and asked, "Junior Sister, Master has been in seclusion these past few days, so the sect master ordered me to tell you when we were leaving for the training expedition. I sent you so many voice transmission jade talismans, but you ignored them all."

"Is that so?" Sang Ying recalled what she had seen outside her cave abode. "I didn't see any voice transmission jade talismans when I came out of seclusion."

Only an angry Zhou Heng'an had been standing outside.

"That's impossible. I really did send the jade talismans. Please believe me, Junior Sister. I could never lie!" As Su Fuyun spoke, her eyes reddened again.

Sang Ying didn't know how to comfort people, and women's tears were what she feared most. Seeing this, she had no choice but to say, "Then I suppose I must have been mistaken. Thank you for telling me, Senior Sister."

Caught short by Sang Ying's reply, Su Fuyun didn't know whether she should keep crying.

She wanted to say something else, but Mu Xuan, standing at the front, gave her no chance. He began a brief speech before their departure.

"This journey to the Qishan Secret Realm is fraught with danger. Since I, Mu Xuan, have been ordered by the sect master to lead this expedition, I must shoulder the heavy responsibility of keeping everyone safe. I hope that on this journey, all of you, my fellow disciples, will follow my arrangements and not delay the entire group for the sake of your own selfish interests." Mu Xuan paused.

He soon continued, "Whatever competition there may be among us in the Flowing Light Sword Sect, it is our own business while we are within the sect. But once we are outside, I hope everyone will look out for one another and not give the other sects cause to laugh at us. If I learn that anyone has taken this chance to play tricks and frame a fellow disciple, then don't blame me for dealing with them according to sect rules!"

Mu Xuan was the sect master's disciple and had reached Foundation Establishment at a young age, so he had some prestige in the inner sect. By the time he finished speaking, Sang Ying could truly discern something of the sect master's bearing in him.

He spoke so seriously that no one dared take his words lightly, and they all obediently assented.

Not long afterward, a Nascent Soul elder arrived. With a sweep of his long sleeve, a flying boat bearing the mark of the Flowing Light Sword Sect appeared, floating above the clouds and mist.

Sang Ying knew this Nascent Soul elder as well. His Daoist name was Yanhua, and he cultivated the Wrathful Sword. She had heard that, back when Elder Yanhua was still in the Golden Core Realm, he had once flown into a rage and leveled a sect's main peak with a single stroke of his sword.

Later, after he became a Nascent Soul Cultivator, even fewer people dared provoke him.

Because of this, a saying had even spread through the cultivation world: "Those who cultivate the Wrathful Sword are all madmen!"

Sang Ying felt extremely safe knowing that such a mighty expert would be protecting them on their way to train in the secret realm.

Perhaps because he cultivated the Wrathful Sword, Elder Yanhua's temper was somewhat peculiar in everyday life as well. The disciples had long heard of his fearsome reputation and didn't dare behave recklessly in front of him.

They were even cautious when boarding the flying boat and passing by him, and Sang Ying was naturally no exception.

To her surprise, just as Sang Ying had paid her respects to Elder Yanhua like the people before her and was about to move on, Elder Yanhua, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke.

"Are you from Sang Zheng's family?"

Sang Ying was startled, then nodded.

Sang Zheng was her father's name.

She had thought Elder Yanhua had something else to say, but after receiving her answer, he merely nodded and closed his eyes again.

Though Sang Ying still found it a little strange, she didn't linger. She turned and walked toward the inner part of the flying boat.

She didn't see Elder Yanhua open his eyes again after she turned around. His gaze rested on her back and did not move away for a long time.

Sang Zheng, oh, Sang Zheng, did you really think you could save the world? But look at yourself now. You can't even protect your own daughter anymore.