He Qing ignored Yu Ci and continued in an indifferent tone:
"Your punishment is due. From today onwards, you need not concern yourself with Cliff City. You have two choices. One, you can head to the newly opened mine in the northern part of Sect's Mountain Gate and work for a year. Two, you can go to the western Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock, and take on the duty of patrolling and guarding for a year. You can choose either of these two options. Regardless of what you do, you must be diligent and cannot slack off."
"Mine work, patrolling?"
Yu Ci understood the first part, which was nothing more than hard labor in the mines, but what did the latter part mean?
He asked He Qing. The female cultivator replied simply: "The Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock is only two thousand miles away from Sky Rift Valley. There are occasional invasions by roaming Demons and beasts, so someone must be on guard."
"Sky Rift Valley!"
So that's how it was. Yu Ci nodded in understanding. Recently, although the unrest in Sky Rift Valley had subsided and most of the Golden Elixir Stage demons had been hunted down by the cultivators of Lichen Sect and Sunset Valley, it was normal to have some that slipped through the net in the vast mountainous wilderness. Being two thousand miles away from Sky Rift Valley was indeed the front line of danger!
However, compared to the danger, what Yu Ci was considering now was something else. This thought suddenly sprouted, but in fact, it had been buried in his heart for a long time. He spoke:
"Immortal He, I have a question."
"Speak."
Yu Ci pointed to the little creature floating nearby and said softly, "Without the Qi of the Heavenly Dragon True Form, this Fish-Dragon..."
"Is useless."
He Qing glanced at him and didn't bother asking what the abrupt question meant, she answered simply and decisively.
Yu Ci grunted, his thoughts becoming clearer. He remembered that during his time in Cliff City, Zhou Youde, a steward of Random Heart Pavilion, had promised to search for a treasure that could prolong life in the pavilion due to the matter of the Golden Bone Jade Disc. This was intended for Old Daoist Yu Zhou.
Just now, when He Qing mentioned Yu Zhou, it reminded Yu Ci. Now that the Fish-Dragon in his hand had lost its value, even though the hope was slim, if there really was a result, he wouldn't have anything valuable to exchange. Wouldn't that be a joke?
Of course, he also knew that if there was news, Xie Yan and Elder Jie Liang would not let it fall through. But others are others, and he is himself. The responsibility he should bear and the things he should do, he still has to do.
Apart from this, there was another reason he had to consider: was his sword meant to be used for mining in the northern mountains?
Thus, he no longer hesitated and said, "I am going to the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock."
*********
In the dim underground stone chamber, Monk half-closed his eyes, forming a seal with his hands. Black flames flowed between his fingers, like writhing serpents, with an astonishing spirituality. In response, the body that had been lying quiet for months on the stone platform also bloomed with a layer of lacquer black flames. The leaping tongues of fire almost licked the palm of the Monk.
The Monk did not avoid it, but slowly lowered his hand, resting his forearm in the black flames sprouting from the body on the stone platform. The concentrated Black Flame Spirit Snake in his hand naturally merged into it, surging up and down in the flames, as if bathing and frolicking inside, then buried its head and moved upward, quickly reaching the mouth of the body on the stone platform, slithering in without any hesitation.
Raising his hand, the Monk changed to another Dharma Seal, recondensing the Black Flame Spirit Snake. Following the previous example, he made it climb onto the face of the body on the stone platform, this time entering through the nostrils, repeating this three times. The Monk condensed seven black flame spirit snakes in total, each entering the body's five senses and seven orifices on the stone platform. The last two "spirit snakes" were formed simultaneously and also simultaneously inserted into the eyes of the body on the stone platform.
Stimulated by this, the body on the stone platform suddenly opened its eyes wide, black flame light shooting out half a foot, and the body began to tremble. The Monk remained unmoved, lightly touching the top of the body's head, the third eye, the chest, the bottom of the sea, the soles of the feet, and other places. After confirming there was no mistake, he took a deep breath, clasped his hands together, and heavily hammered the chest of the body on the platform.
"Karmic Obstacles, awaken!"
The body on the stone platform let out a sharp hiss, its body unnaturally bouncing a foot high, then falling back onto the platform. The flame in its eyes diminished, revealing its cold, dull pupils behind, its pupils were clearly vertical!
The Monk met its gaze, sneered coldly, and paid it no more heed. He wiped his hands clean and walked straight out of the stone chamber.
In the dark underground, Monk walked slowly. Under the thick soil, there were various sizes of secret rooms and complex passages connecting them, spread across seven layers. For those unfamiliar with the interior, they would easily get lost. The Monk would not get lost, but he did not follow the layout of the passages, he walked in a straight line. Under the drive of the pure Five Elements Escape Technique, whether it was the space excavated underground or the dense soil, it had no meaning to him.
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This was Lu Mingyue's favorite method.
At this moment, Monk Yi Xin was unhindered underground, but his heart was not so clear.
Lu Mingyue was dead. After lingering for ninety years, he finally died under the "Great Mysterious Star Lock". Years of cultivation and reverence for the gods had made Monk's heart as firm as iron, unmoved by ordinary situations. But Lu Mingyue's death was different.
From the day they met, Yi Xin had never respected Lu Mingyue. Although he had the True Immortal Cultivation Level that all cultivators in this world dreamed of, he acquired it dishonestly, and his nature was extremely weak. When he joined the sect, apart from being charmed by the heavenly maiden of the sect, he was more afraid to face the endless Tribulation of the Realm of the True Being, hoping for the protection of the Bodhisattva.
It was such a man, who, due to his connection with Rui Zhu Palace, was partnered by Bodhisattva with Yi Xin. They seized the opportunity of the battle between Rakshasa Ghost King and Great Mysterious Demon Mother, and in collaboration with several strong figures from their sect, they plotted an ambush against Yu Qingxuan. Their plan was largely successful, with Yu Qingxuan poisoned and injured, her powers dwindled to a mere fifth of their original strength. However, this man could not bear the awe-inspiring might of Yu Qingxuan, and was the first to collapse, causing their well-laid plans to fall apart in an instant.
The seven Thunderbolt Tribulation Cultivators who set up the ambush, including a Thunderbolt Tribulation Expert, were almost completely annihilated by Yu Qingxuan in a blink of an eye. Yi Xin and Lu Mingyue were slightly luckier, with only their True Form Immortal Bodies destroyed and their Yang Spirits damaged as they escaped. However, their cultivation levels were stagnant, and they could only engage in disgraceful deeds within Cliff City.
The death of such a man brought a sense of relief, and the Monk did not deny harboring such feelings. However, he also remembered how Lu Mingyue was brimming with excitement and joy before leaving. For Lu Mingyue, all he needed to do was complete a seemingly insignificant task, and his nightmare of nearly a hundred years in Broken Realm Mountain would end. Yet, he fell during this "insignificant" task, and all his past joys and sorrows vanished into thin air.
In the not-too-distant future, would such a fate befall him?
Yi Xin didn't know.
However, after a brief sigh, this question lost its meaning to him. He had Bodhisattva in his heart, but what did Lu Mingyue have in his?
Taking a step forward, the spring sunlight shone down. Yi Xin had broken through the surface and arrived at the main hall of the Pure Water Sect in the southern suburbs of Cliff City. His appearance did not surprise the surrounding monks, who merely paid their respects before going about their business. At this point, a disciple approached from the front, addressing him as the abbot and relayed a message:
"Master Bi Chao of the Xuan Yin Sect has come to visit."
Yi Xin showed no emotion, merely nodding slightly before heading towards the temple. In less than a moment, he arrived at the main gate, where a carriage was parked. Yi Xin recognized it as the Bu Nian, the favorite of the previous Red Yin Immortal. It was about twelve meters long and eight feet high, resembling a small house. It was opulently furnished inside and out, originally carried by eight strong men, but now it had been transformed into a fragrant carriage, drawn by four majestic Step Cloud Beasts, with only one coachman. It might be slightly less imposing, but its luxury was undiminished.
As the Monk stepped out of the main gate, he saw a female cultivator already standing in front of the carriage. Compared to the tall guards standing by her side, she appeared even more delicate and exquisite. Her hair was coiled up high, and she was dressed in a cloud robe. Despite the unknown length of her wait, she wore a patient smile. With a twinkle in her eyes, she saw the Monk come out. A smile bloomed on her fair and delicate face, and she stepped forward, calling out from a distance:
"In the presence of Master Yi Xin, I, Bi Chao of the Xuan Yin Sect, respectfully greet you."
Monk Yi Xin chanted a Buddhist mantra, his demeanor dignified and his gestures reverent. "Fairy Bi Chao's arrival from the West brings a breath of fresh air to the Xuan Yin Sect."
With that, he welcomed the female cultivator into the temple. The guards of the Xuan Yin Sect followed suit, creating a grand procession. The temple's reception monk guided the sect's coachman on where to park their carriage. The coachman, without uttering a word, led the Step Cloud Beast towards the side gate.
At this point, Monk Yi Xin, who had already entered the temple, glanced back, his serene expression unchanged.
**********
Spring was late in the mountains, but as time passed, the spring breeze finally reached the heart of the mountain. From a high vantage point, one could see the landscape draped in a veil of verdant green, its hue deepening day by day.
On a tree that had started to sprout, a Gray Monkey half the height of a human leaped and bounded, covering miles in a blink of an eye. Wherever the Gray Monkey passed, the birds in the mountains fell silent, and the beasts bowed their heads, rendering the forest eerily quiet. The Gray Monkey, seemingly tired, took a brief rest on a pine tree that had just sprouted new branches. With a swift movement, it reached out its long arm and plucked a trembling squirrel from another branch.
The Gray Monkey grinned. Its wrinkled face, with a strangely hooked nose and blackened nostrils, split open to reveal four distinctively iron-blue fangs among its teeth.
The squirrel was petrified upon capture, its body stiff and devoid of any struggle. The Gray Monkey examined it, its mouth opening wider, wide enough to fit a human head. Swallowing the squirrel whole would be no issue.
But at that moment, the temperature around the branch the Gray Monkey was on surged.
The beast reacted quickly, twisting its body and swinging its long arm in defense. However, a void sword aura was faster, splitting its head in half from the cheek upward.
Beneath the verdant canopy, a wave of bloodlust quickly spread.
"Great sword!"
From the other side of the forest, a middle-aged man dressed in green and short clothes jumped out, cheering. The Gray Monkey's body fell to the ground. With the Gray Monkey's death, the squirrel in its hand was freed. It darted up a tree and disappeared after a few leaps.
The middle-aged man jogged over to the Gray Monkey's corpse, picked up the severed half of its head, examined it, and laughed heartily.
"Indeed, it's a Hawk Monkey. These four blue fangs will fetch us a small fortune."
He looked up at the tree and gave a thumbs-up. "To be able to sneak within ten feet of the Hawk Monkey without alerting it, and behead it with one stroke... Yu, your swordsmanship is becoming increasingly formidable."
Upon hearing this, Yu Ci sheathed his sword, smiled, and jumped down from the tree. Before he could respond, a thunderous rumbling echoed from the sky.
The middle-aged man looked up, startled. "The Guiding Cloud Shuttle is here!"
**********
Ah, Brother Fishbone has started his life of labor reform. New characters and gains are right in front of us. Let's cheer for a better tomorrow with your votes!
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