Chapter 181 - The Imperial Court and the Sects (1)

After a moment of thought, Xu Yuan did not refuse Xu Xinyao’s request. He glanced at the sect disciples nearby, the ones who looked as if they wanted to eat him alive, then said softly, “Suit yourself. But I suggest you make it quick. If you drag this out too long, knowing your personality, you’ll probably regret it later.”

He did not trust those sect disciples, so naturally he would not explain the reason out loud a second time. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

A trace of confusion appeared in Xu Xinyao’s lovely eyes. She said quietly, “All right. I just need to explain a few things to Ziqing and the others.”

Xu Yuan shrugged, telling her she could go.

Xu Xinyao hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she turned and walked toward the sect disciples.

The tense, drawn-sword atmosphere on the official road eased a little.

Standing where he was, Xu Yuan studied the various sect disciples. Each of them had fine looks in their own way.

After a dozen breaths, Xu Yuan suddenly asked inwardly, “What are their cultivation levels like?”

After a brief pause, the Sage’s remnant soul answered, “Other than the two who spoke to you just now, most of them are at Body Integration. A smaller number are at Soul Condensation.”

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow and swept his gaze across their faces. “They’re all pretty young. With that kind of cultivation, they ought to be outstanding even within their sects. Looks like this fourth sister of mine only makes friends with geniuses and second generation heirs. She doesn’t just take in any stray piece of trash.”

The Sage’s remnant soul gave a low laugh, his tone teasing. “They are not trash, true enough. But Xu boy, I thought you were going to kill that man.”

Xu Yuan’s expression went cold for an instant. He glanced at Li Zhonghua, who was still off to the side apologizing to Xu Xinyao over and over again. “Kill Li Zhonghua?”

“Naturally,” the Sage’s remnant soul said.

Xu Yuan shook his head lightly. “Why would I kill him? Aside from making things difficult for Xu Xinyao, what good would it do me?”

The Sage’s remnant soul chuckled. “Did you not find him noisy?”

“He was noisy.” Xu Yuan agreed, then went on, “But this wasn’t some duel where blades and swords have no eyes. A third rank Grandmaster that young is probably the true disciple and chief successor of some major sect. Everything needs a proper pretext. If it were Xu Changge, at most he would have beaten him into serious injury. Why would I do something that brings a hundred harms and not a single benefit?”

After a pause, he glanced at the dark soul ring on his finger .“Earlier, if I hadn’t used the Divine Sakura Dao Essence to strike that old man and that burly fellow first, those three hidden agents from the Myriad Manifestations Sect would almost have made us capsize in a ditch. A third rank Grandmaster who has mastered Dao essence is no easy thing to deal with. Even if we managed to kill them in the end, how much soul power would you have left, old man?”

As his words fell, Xu Xinyao, dressed in blue with brows and eyes gentle as water, had already turned and was walking back toward Xu Yuan.

It seemed she had taken his words to heart. She only gave the others a few simple instructions, soothed their feelings, arranged what they were to do after she left, and then returned to his side.

“Third Brother, let’s go.”

Xu Yuan looked her up and down, then asked, “You still plan to keep traveling with them?”

He had heard their conversation just now. Xu Xinyao had told that group to return to Yellow Dragon Market and wait for her there.

Xu Xinyao nodded. “Father promised me.”

Xu Yuan stared at her for several breaths, then shook his head lightly and said nothing more. “Can you fly?”

In Azure Point, this former female lead’s direct combat strength had not been weak. At the very least, she had been quite strong in the early and middle stages, to say nothing of her attainments in formations.

Xu Xinyao gave a small nod. “The formations carved into these boots allow me to stay airborne. I can fly, but not for very long...”

“Don’t resist.” Halfway through her answer, Xu Yuan raised a hand and cut her off. Without even looking at the sect disciples, he used the Sage’s soul power to lift this fourth sister of his into the air, then said to Ran Qingmo beside him,

“Let’s go.” Ran Qingmo nodded slightly.

“Mhm.”

As soon as the word fell, three figures rose straight into the air and sped off toward Sageridge..

Along the way, Xu Xinyao asked Xu Yuan many questions. Xu Yuan ignored every one of them, just as Ran Qingmo had ignored him earlier on the road.

Still, Xu Xinyao was gentle by nature and did not grow angry. Instead, she switched to voice transmission and began sharing with Xu Yuan all she had seen and heard since leaving home to travel.

She spoke of the suffering under heaven, of amusing incidents along the way, of friends she had made, and even of a few troublesome pursuers who had been giving her headaches.

Of course, Xu Yuan still ignored her.

As they drew closer to their destination, however, Xu Xinyao gradually spoke less. It was not because Xu Yuan was ignoring her, but because the surrounding terrain had begun to look familiar.

She realized that the place they were heading to was Sageridge. She also faintly understood why her third brother, who had not said a word all this way, had struck her earlier.

ᯓ➤

One day later.

The illusory mist array of Sageridge still stretched across the edge of the Myriad Ascents Mountain Ridge like a heavenly moat. Xu Yuan brought Xu Xinyao straight to the Myriad Manifestations Sect’s array control node.

It was another moonless night. In the pitch-black forest, an occasional clear beast roar still rang through the dark.

They landed at the entrance of the cave where the control point was located.

Xu Yuan still said nothing. He only glanced sideways at the silent Xu Xinyao.

Xu Xinyao had her head lowered, her soft hair blown down along her temples, hiding her expression.

Without a word, she walked quietly into the cave.

Xu Yuan did not move. He watched her slender figure disappear into the darkness of the cave, then gave a soft snort whose meaning was hard to read. He walked slowly to the side of the cave entrance and sat down against the stone wall.

He had not closed his eyes for two days and two nights. The moment he stopped circulating his cultivation method, a heavy wave of exhaustion crept over him.

Ran Qingmo sat down quietly beside him and removed her veiled hat. Her clear, secluded eyes looked out at the pitch-black forest around them as she said softly, “Xu Yuan.”

“Mhm?” Xu Yuan sounded tired and did not open his eyes.

Ran Qingmo said in a low voice, “This younger sister of yours is actually quite good.”

Xu Yuan murmured, “How so?”

Ran Qingmo thought for a moment, then said softly, “When I was traveling the world before, I heard of her reputation. Before I came down the mountain, Master said I should learn from her.”

“That master of yours is at least someone who understands reason.” Xu Yuan said quietly. As he spoke, the corner of his lips curved slightly. “But the sects really would want the imperial court to have more people like her.”

Ran Qingmo thought about it, but could not understand. She asked, “Why?”

“Because if there are more people like her, my father’s plan will become difficult at every step. Everyone will remain safe and sound, and nothing will happen.”

“Mhm.” Ran Qingmo thought for a moment, then asked, “Isn’t it good for everyone to remain safe and sound?”

“Naturally, it is good.” Xu Yuan slowly opened his eyes. “No one wants war. That includes my father. The people who truly want war, and even enjoy it, are all madmen.”

When Ran Qingmo heard the topic turn this way, her eyes flickered. She asked in a low voice, “Then why does your father want to move against the Sword Sect?”