The head of her little group turned to them as they reached the entrance of the city. His eyes stern and glare fierce. He stated: “I know what you’re all thinking. I understand that you think of this as a holiday. But you are all wrong! This will be one of the greatest battlefields in which you will ever have taken part in!”

“Sure, there should not be blood, though there might…But this remains a very important one for the future of our sect! One of a different kind you all are used to!”

“The three of us brought you here so that you would gain experience in such battles as we believe in your futures! We trust that you will one day succeed us and represent our sect! Be it here or in the mainland!”

“Do not disgrace us! Do not provoke others! And more than anything…”

He smiled as he stated: “Do try to enjoy yourself and make some friends”

The other two elders smiled along as they glanced at each other while the disciples chuckled. They all knew that their elders were never the truly serious and uptight types.

Then again, he was not one to waste his words either. They clearly understood what he meant.

“Have fun but don’t go too far”

The Elder laughed as he turned around with a flourish of his pastel green Daoist robe. The other followed behind him as they entered the city.

She marveled at the sheer size of the tree from the moment she witnessed it but being right under it…and then climbing it up… It was quite the experience in itself. This was one of the reasons she had no regrets about leaving home and going on expeditions to the lower continents.

The other was related to cultivation. She was given far more here. Lower leveled spiritual pills and such were cheap and abundant to their branch here. Where she would have had five pills home, here she got twenty. This propelled her forward to the point where she reached the 22th stage.

She would have to return home after reaching the 30th stage though but that would come in due time.

For now, she could enjoy a safe environment to develop with ease.

Truly, this land was a blessing for low leveled cultivators.

Well, those that came from bigger backgrounds at least. While the Wind Slash Sect was nothing in the grand scheme of things and just as much nothing compared to others from the higher continent it was in, here, in the lower continent, it was considered a powerhouse.

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A small powerhouse to be exact.

Many bigger sects were also here after all.

But even then, none of the natives dared to do anything to them. Home ground advantage did not exist here.

Not that she cared, to be fair. She was not selfish or uncaring but rather, she was not a naïve kid anymore. Fighting the injustices in this world was not her call and not her duty.

…

Soon, they reached the Palace entrance.

It was probably the grandest piece of architecture she ever saw until now. She was from the countryside back home after all. Even though it could not compare to her small sect back home when it came to size, in majesty it triumphed.

At the entrance, they were stopped by a dozen guards. They were of lower cultivation than her. In the tens. Yet, her elders remained respectful and showed them their invitations. After all, what mattered were not those guard but the hegemon behind them.

It did not take too long for the guards to let them in with one of them as guide.

He smiled as he led them through the palace grounds, introducing the different sceneries. If it was majestic from outside, it remained as such while inside.

At least, she enjoyed it greatly.

For one born from such humble bringing, it always came as a shock to her when she saw so much luxuries. And it comforted her in her decision to become a cultivator.

Oh, how many times had she thanked the heavens that her parents let her go down this path!

Oh, how many times she thanked her eldest brother for creating that trauma in her parent’s mind enabling her to have such a present!

She smirked at the thought of that eldest brother of hers. Every time someone gossiped about that great demon Jin, she could not hold it in and laughed.

To be honest, she did not even believe that the wanted man named Jin was her eldest brother. Back then, when she brought back the poster, she was…Well, she was grasping at whatever she could trying to find her path.

Whether or not that man was him, in the end, he had been a clutch that helped her keep going forward.

She would give him her thanks if they met but that was it.

She moved on long ago.

Until she saw him.

That man.

The one that welcomed their sect’s team at the entrance of a palace reserved for them as their residence.

His face was the perfect copy of her brother’s and looked so similar to her father’s.

…But he introduced himself as Baem...

She bit her tongue as she stood rooted on spot, fixing him. Even as the others moved on and he left, she stood there watching his back as he disappeared further away.

One of the elder came back out to pick her up. He chuckled as he asked: “What are you doing here, Ning?”

She turned right away and hurriedly asked with a frown: “Who was that man, elder Frinn?”

One of the elder’s eyebrows rose as he asked: “I didn’t think you were into such older men, Ning?”

She snarled as she rebuked fiercely and they bantered a few times as they went in. After a few exchanges, she came back on topic and received a decent answer: “His name is Baem and he is the vice-commander of the external operations division”

The Elder did not know much more but this was a way to start…

…to start her investigations that is…

Meanwhile, Jin was oblivious to it all, grumbling about having to welcome dozens and dozens of delegations.