The Sect Leader hadn't arrived, a usual occurrence of his disappearance and being out of contact, which everyone in the Great Evolution Sect knew. Since the unreliable Sect Leader wasn't present to officiate, the various Mountain Lords offered their blessings and expectations before Nine Bonds Elder led them to bid farewell to the mountain gate and depart.
As a small sect, the ceremony was simple.
If any disciples listed on the invitation made it into the top hundred on the "Rookie Ranking," their sect would be invited to spectate, so they had to remain at their sect and await good news.
After bidding farewell to their sect, beams of spiritual light ascended into the sky. Silhouettes of agile figures soared away amongst the clouds in the pale blue firmament.
Typically, sects traveling long distances would opt for large flying shuttles to transport their members. However, the Sect Leader was stingy, and the Great Evolution Sect’s only flying ship was too costly in spirit stones. Nine Bonds Elder had applied for its use once but was unsuccessful, leaving them no choice but to travel individually by their spiritual artifacts.
Nine Bonds Elder's artifact was a green bamboo. He led the way, riding the bamboo, a streak of green light weaving through the cloud-covered peaks.
Suddenly, he felt an unusual quietness around him. He glanced back and almost choked on his breath.
The disciples behind him weren't keeping pace with him. Instead, they were flying at a leisurely pace, forming peculiar formations.
Liu Jiang Fusheng, needing to look after his mortal wife, wasn't chasing Nine Bonds Elder at full speed. Dan Ya, for reasons unknown, was also following him slowly by his side.
Fang Rui wished to be closer to Liu Jiang Fusheng, so she unconsciously slowed her pace. Zi Ying, curious about Gu Junshi's affairs, joined in the playful dawdling.
What a spectacle of stars surrounding the moon!
Gui Ying had no intention of joining them. However, as this was his first time flying on a spiritual artifact, he relied entirely on his divine sense to navigate, making his movements less fluid. He weaved and wobbled, trailing behind them.
The other elite disciples, seeing the core disciples tacitly grouping together and slowing down, despite not understanding why, followed suit out of blind admiration and a spirit of mutual support. They slowed their pace, as if on a leisurely stroll, unhurried.
What a motley crew!
Nine Bonds Elder rubbed his furrowed brow and yelled irritably, "If we don't reach Du Sheng Guan before dark, you'll be wetting your pants from fright!"
These ignorant fools. They hadn't even officially set off, and Nine Bonds Elder already had a premonition that he would be constantly worried sick over these impetuous youngsters.
Wetting their pants?
The words sounded rather chilling.
Dan Ya understood clearly but offered no explanation. Fang Rui had also heard of this, but she was only half-believing. The others, however, were completely clueless, clearly unaware of the matter.
Was there a difference between day and night at Du Sheng Guan?
What difference?
A difference that would make one wet their pants from fear?
Liu Jiang Fusheng glanced at Dan Ya, who was trailing him like a shadow. This fellow was shamelessly sticking around, and he couldn't get rid of him!
Annoyed.
He turned to ask Gu Junshi, his gaze softening slightly, "A Yi, are you feeling uncomfortable?"
He was worried she might get airsick. This time, he hadn't summoned his celestial sword but used the spiritual sword she had given him – Hua Ling. His artifact flying skills weren't perfect; he simply aimed for a steady, smooth pace to prevent her discomfort.
Gu Junshi, preoccupied with thoughts of "Du Sheng Guan," casually replied, "Just proceed as you see fit."
At that moment, Gui Ying, not far away, twitched his ear. He slightly turned his head as if he had heard a familiar voice. He stiffened.
Why was she here?!
Then, who was she really?
When they first met, she had infiltrated the Great Evolution Sect disguised as a mere servant. Afterward, her appearances had been discreet, evading all notice. Had she changed her identity again this time and mixed in with these disciples?
"A Yi, Junior Brother's flying skills are quite ordinary. They're not as steady as when I used to carry you. If you feel unwell, come over here?"
He maneuvered his Golden Bell Cauldron closer and extended a well-manicured hand, fair and with clearly defined joints.
Just then, a hand of comparable beauty reached out and grasped his.
Dan Ya blinked and looked up, asking strangely, "Junior Brother, what do you mean by this?"
A deceptively charming smile appeared on Liu Jiang Fusheng's face. "This is exactly what I mean."
The smile vanished from his face as quickly as it appeared, like a sudden change of expression. A powerful and violent spiritual force surged directly from where their hands were clasped.
Caught off guard, Dan Ya's grip was broken, and he was propelled backward a considerable distance.
He looked at his palm, somewhat surprised.
Liu Jiang Fusheng's spiritual power was far more robust than his current cultivation level. If it were someone of the same realm, it would be difficult to say whether they could withstand such an attack.
Nine Bonds Elder turned and blocked between the two. Someone had already reported their conflict in the training grounds to him. He hadn't expected them to fight even while traveling.
"What's all this commotion? Hurry up!"
Dan Ya nodded with an unreadable smile, his eyes flashing with a mix of amusement and malice as he swept them toward Liu Jiang Fusheng. The future is long, his gaze seemed to say.
Liu Jiang Fusheng, fiercely protective of his own, returned a calm and indifferent glance.
Dare to snatch A Yi from me.
—I will kill you.
Ultimately, they still hadn't reached "Du Sheng Guan" before nightfall because Gui Ying, being a novice flyer, simply couldn't go any faster. Yet, he was stubbornly insistent on not letting the "experienced driver" carry him.
The last sliver of twilight was swallowed by the night. Nestled within a gap between mountain walls over a hundred zhang high was Du Sheng Guan, with its winding path descending inward.
As they slowly descended from above, they saw that Du Sheng Guan was not shrouded in darkness. From the ground, a phosphorescent green light emerged, like fireflies or lanterns. This dim illumination cast the temple's walls, eaves, doors, and steps into partial visibility, creating a mysterious and intriguing scene where the dragon showed its head but not its tail.
But this was still a far cry from the "wetting your pants" the Elder had mentioned, wasn't it?
They landed their artifacts and headed toward the teleportation array to the Twenty-Eight Heavens, located within Du Sheng Guan.
"We're still late," Nine Bonds Elder sighed helplessly.
A disciple anxiously asked him, "Elder, what is late?"
Nine Bonds Elder waved his hand. Considering their youth and inexperience venturing into the martial world, he replied vaguely, "You'll know soon enough. Let's enter the Guan first."
Oh no, this kind of incomplete revelation made them even more uneasy.
The disciples, thinking it was better to face the inevitable sooner rather than later, decided to enter the Guan. They walked along the courtyard walls but found that after circling around, it was all walls with no entrance gate.
They were dumbfounded.
Where did the gate go?
Nine Bonds Elder intended to impart some of his travel experience: "If you keep wandering like this, you won't find the gate even until dawn."
"Could it be a formation?" Liu Jiang Fusheng guessed.
Dan Ya stated directly, "It's an advanced formation—the Night Phosphor Lock Formation. Without the matching Five Elements Key, no one can open it."
The two exchanged a look, their eyes locked in silent combat.
An old face appeared between them. Nine Bonds Elder, with great satisfaction, praised, "Good, you're both correct."
He ascended into the air, formed hand seals, and then produced a five-colored talisman, slapping it against the air. The air rippled, like a stone dropped into a calm lake.
A transparent curtain was pulled open by an unseen force, revealing the true environment within the formation. Five steps led up to a red door.
"Enter!"
The disciples filed in. Seeing that all personnel had entered, Nine Bonds Elder retrieved the five-colored talisman and shot into the formation as a streak of green light.