Chapter 389: Rendezvous

For Lu Sangjiu, there was no time she needed her friends’ help more than now.

So, she wasn’t one to be coy and nodded without hesitation at the prospect of asking Gu Jue for help.

Before contacting him, however, she first discussed with Xie Ningyuan how to divide their forces.

"If the enemy is watching us, they should have a general idea of our group’s cultivation levels."

"To make it more convincing, I suggest Master go with you."

Duan Xingyun had the highest cultivation among them, aside from Gu Jue. If Gu Jue showed up but Duan Xingyun didn’t, there’s no guarantee the enemy won’t get suspicious and become even more guarded.

As for the rest of us, it’s a different story. They know we have Nascent Soul Cultivation at best, so it would be perfectly understandable for us not to participate in the capture of Ting Chan, who is at the Body Integration Realm.

Xie Ningyuan hesitated. "But if you don’t have anyone at the Body Integration Realm to help you, I’m worried..."

Lu Sangjiu shook her head. "It doesn’t really matter whether I have a Body Integration Realm expert with me or not. If we aren’t discovered, everything will be fine."

"But if we are discovered, with all the disciples of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, not to mention a Supreme Elder at the Body Integration Realm and an ancestor at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, even my master’s presence would be useless."

"For my part, my only gamble is to remain undetected."

Xie Ningyuan’s brow furrowed. He wanted to argue but couldn’t come up with a better counterargument. He knew, in fact, that Lu Sangjiu was right.

But the thought of her facing such a perilous situation alone left him deeply unsettled.

Seeing him frown like that, Lu Sangjiu couldn’t help but smile. She reached out and gently smoothed the crease between his brows.

"Don’t frown like a little old man."

"Xie Ningyuan, I’ve been through tougher things than this. I’ve even killed Upper Realm Cultivators. It makes no sense for me to die here, right?"

"Besides, you yourself said your Tribulation Crossing Ancestor is on the verge of Ascension, so he won’t dare to show himself or use his Spiritual Power lightly."

"I managed to kill someone at the Body Integration Realm back when I was only at the Golden Core Stage. It’s not like I’m guaranteed to lose against your Supreme Elder now, is it?"

Her words didn’t reassure Xie Ningyuan. He glanced at her and mercilessly called her out. "That time in the Forbidden Land of the Western Demon Realm, you only managed to fight him because you took a Heavenly Luo Pill, which shot your cultivation up to the Divinity Transformation Stage."

"If Duoduo hadn’t summoned a Heavenly Tribulation, you wouldn’t have survived."

Lu Sangjiu was a bit embarrassed, but she stubbornly insisted, "But I’ve advanced since then! I’m at the Mid-stage Nascent Soul Stage now! Even an ordinary Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivator is no match for me!"

Xie Ningyuan sighed, stroking her hair. His voice was low. "But, Little Jiu... I don’t know where I could possibly find another Heavenly Luo Pill for you."

Nine-rank Elixir Pills were already exceedingly rare, to say nothing of a Heavenly Luo Pill, which could drastically increase one’s cultivation in a short period without significant side effects. He suspected there might not be any left in the world at all.

Lu Sangjiu had been trying her best to reassure Xie Ningyuan, but hearing the tone of his voice, her own resolve suddenly softened. An inexplicable dread of a final parting crept into her heart.

She couldn’t resist hugging him, burying her face in his chest. Her voice was muffled. "...I can’t promise you I’ll come back alive. Neither of us can make that promise."

"But... Xie Ningyuan, we both know we’ve come too far. There’s no turning back for either of us."

"No matter how scared we are, we have to see this through. Otherwise, even if we buy ourselves some time, we will surely regret it when we see a ravaged Spirit Void Realm in the future."

Xie Ningyuan hugged her back, his arms tightening around her. "If it were possible, I’d much rather be a Carefree Wanderer who doesn’t have to worry about the fate of the world and could just live an ordinary life."

"But alas... in this life, neither of us is fated to have that kind of carefree existence."

Lu Sangjiu sighed wistfully as well. "Who would’ve thought that just by trying to be a good Demon Cultivator, I’d be forced down the path of a world savior?"

’Of course, they called it ’saving the world,’ but wasn’t she also just trying to save herself?’

’Somewhere along the way, she had unwittingly ended up on the enemy’s opposing side. Even if she wanted to run, they would never give her the chance.’

After a moment of silence, Lu Sangjiu heard Xie Ningyuan’s muffled voice from above her. "Your master and I will be enough. Take everyone else with you... I’ll feel a little more at ease that way."

Lu Sangjiu shook off her melancholy, released Xie Ningyuan, and looked up at him. "It won’t just be us two. Everyone will come back safe and sound."

"Pull yourself together! You have to have faith in us!"

Seeing her full of energy again, Xie Ningyuan couldn’t help but chuckle. "You’re right. We can’t be the first ones to lose our nerve."

Having decided to split their forces, Xie Ningyuan drew a detailed map of the entire Ten Thousand Buddha Sect and handed it to Lu Sangjiu.

"I’m not exactly sure where the Abbot is being held, but no one saw him leave his personal courtyard that day. So I think even if he isn’t being held in the courtyard itself, you should at least be able to find the entrance to his prison there."

"However, the Abbot’s courtyard is protected by an array. If they haven’t changed it, it should still be the Nine Square Array. The strength of this Array is equivalent to the Body Integration Realm, so it’s impossible for you to break in with brute force without alerting anyone."

"As for dismantling it properly, the Nine Square Array has nine variations, and I’ve only figured out how to break two of them. I can teach you those two, but if you’re unlucky and run into one of the others..."

Before he could finish, Lu Sangjiu smiled. "You’re forgetting—I have my senior sister with me!"

Xie Ningyuan paused, then it dawned on him. ’That’s right. When it comes to luck, isn’t Luo Linlang’s Word Spirit Technique the perfect tool?’

’Especially since using the Word Spirit Technique to alter luck usually doesn’t come at too high a cost. Now that Luo Linlang is at the Nascent Soul Stage and has fully awakened her Phoenix Bloodline, using it for this purpose should be no problem at all.’

With that settled, there was no need for further discussion. Xie Ningyuan just needed to teach Lu Sangjiu the two methods he knew.

While Lu Sangjiu practiced, Xie Ningyuan contacted the others and gave them a rundown of the plan.

In the end, he arranged to meet up with Duan Xingyun and the others in the mountain range outside Bodhi City.

As for Gu Jue, since he needed to take a Teleportation Array, he would be a little slower than Duan Xingyun’s group. So, the plan remained for him to wait for them at the inn in Bodhi City.

After Xie Ningyuan had made all the necessary arrangements, he and Lu Sangjiu went to meet up with Duan Xingyun and the others.

He then returned the Thousand Faces of Life to Lu Sangjiu. The others also put on light disguises, and the group parted ways.

By the time Lu Sangjiu returned to the inn with Li Qiancheng and the others, Gu Jue had also arrived.

Without any further delay, the group gathered to begin planning their strategy for the mission.