As they sped along at top speed, whistling through the air, a shield sprang up around the ship, creating a barrier against the wind. Although they could hear the wind buffeting the shield, the inside of the ship was very calm.
Meanwhile, back on Fragrant Cloud Peak, in the Journeyman Apothecary Hall, Elder Xu, who had been in charge of the promotion test, was looking at a jade slip and frowning slightly.
“The Hall of Justice circumvented Fragrant Cloud Peak to force Bai Xiaochun into accepting an outside mission?” After examining the jade slip a bit further, his frown faded away. After examining the details of the mission, he realized that although there might be some danger involved, it was nothing deadly.
Then he thought about what Li Qinghou had mentioned about Bai Xiaochun’s personality. “If the kid’s a bit lazy, then some punishment isn’t uncalled for.”
Finally, he put the jade slip down and continued to concoct medicine.
At the same time, Qian Dajin stood outside his Immortal’s cave in the Inner Sect, watching the ship flying off into the distance, and a cold smile appeared on his face.
“With Feng Yan’s cultivation base, secretly killing Bai Xiaochun should be as easy as flipping over his hand. Bai Xiaochun… you might have exceptional skill with plants and vegetation, but unfortunately, you’ll never have a chance to do anything with it. You’re dead!” A sinister gleam appeared deep within Qian Dajin’s eyes. Smiling, he turned and headed back into his Immortal’s cave.
The azure sky stretched out in all directions. Bai Xiaochun sat there on the ship, feeling somewhat nervous, but at the same time looking out excitedly as the scenery changed.
Off in the distance he saw numerous mountain peaks that looked like swords sticking up into the sky, part of a mountain range that looked like a slumbering dragon. There was also… a massive, shocking river!
“The Heavenspan River….” he said, taking a deep breath. After becoming an Outer Sect disciple, had done a lot of research, and had learned that the entire cultivation world relied on the Heavenspan River.
It was actually the source of all spiritual energy.
That was why all of the sects were located in areas near it. Furthermore, the further you went into the Upper Reaches of the river, the stronger the spiritual energy was.
Although the Spirit Stream Sect was technically in the Middle Reaches, even that position had allowed them to stand strong and tall for ten thousand years. According to what Bai Xiaochun had read, the Spirit Stream Sect hadn’t always existed in its current position. It had previously been located in the Lower Reaches. But then an extraordinary Patriarch had appeared among the countless sects and cultivator clans there. After distinguishing himself in intense fighting, he gained the approval of a higher ranking sect, and thus earned the qualifications to establish his own sect in the Middle Reaches.
“Supposedly, the sects in the Upper Reaches of the Heavenspan River are so powerful that the Spirit Stream Sect can’t even compare to them. Furthermore, according to the legends… there are even more terrifying sects at the source of the river.” Bai Xiaochun forced himself to calm down, and reminded himself that he needed to be extra careful in this mission.
Off in the distance, the Heavenspan River looked golden, almost like a huge churning sea. Furthermore, hugging the river were four towering mountain peaks.
“That must be the north bank of the Spirit Stream Sect,” Bai Xiaochun thought. Also visible was the main peak of the Spirit Stream Sect, which arched over the Heavenspan River like a huge bridge!
“Mount Daoseed!” Bai Xiaochun had actually seen all of this when Li Qinghou had first brought him to the Spirit Stream Sect. However, at that time he had been a mere mortal. Now that he was an Outer Sect disciple, he got a completely different feeling when looking at it.
The ship shot away from the sect at top speed, following the rippling water beneath as they headed toward the Lower Reaches.
“Junior Sister Du, Junior Brother Bai, I presume both of you have already examined the details of the mission,” Feng Yan said coolly, his voice so light that it was almost hard to hear. “We’re heading to an area in the Lower Reaches of the Heavenspan River called the Fallenstar Mountains. Junior Brother Hou’s last message came from that area. The Fallenstar Mountains mark the boundary of the Spirit Stream Sect’s sphere of influence. The rest of the mountains count as the territory of the Blood Stream Sect.
“We might find ourselves in some danger on this mission. However, by preparing ourselves mentally, and also being as cautious as possible, we will likely avoid any major problems.
“However, our final destination is quite a distance away, and will take quite a few spirit stones to get there. Most of our time on this mission will be spent traveling, but with our Windskiff, we will be able to bypass some of the more difficult terrain.” With that, a cold gleam flickered in his eyes before he closed them in meditation.
Du Lingfei ignored Bai Xiaochun and began to perform breathing exercises.
Bai Xiaochun felt more vigilant than ever. Despite also sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes, he was really pondering which among these two had been sent by Qian Dajin.
“It’s unlikely to be Du Lingfei,” he thought. “Which means… there’s an eighty to ninety percent chance that its Feng Yan!”
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Chapter
48: The Big Wide World
A day later, when the first spirit stone was completely used up, Feng Yan put the Windskiff away, and the three of them stood atop a mountain peak under the evening sky, watching the sun slowly set over the horizon. Soon, darkness blanketed the lands.
At the foot of the mountain, the dense jungle echoed with the roars of animals and wild beasts. The air was very humid.
“After we get past this jungle, we can rest,” Feng Yan said coolly. “What do you two think?” He looked at Du Lingfei and Bai Xiaochun.
“It’s dark,” Bai Xiaochun pointed out. “That jungle might have some dangerous wild beasts in it; why don’t we just fly over it with the Windskiff?”
“Take a break on your own, if you want,” Du Lingfei said with a cold snort. “It’s just some trees.” Not concealing her disdain for Bai Xiaochun’s fear of death, she flashed into motion, heading directly toward the jungle.
A glimmer of scorn stirred deep in Feng Yan’s eyes, but he smiled nonetheless and then shot down the mountain.
Bai Xiaochun frowned as he watched the two of them leaving. Finally he sighed, and followed them down the mountain toward the jungle, more vigilant than ever.
The humidity increased when they entered the jungle, and there were even some spots which were marshes or bogs. Animals appeared occasionally, but these were three Qi Condensation cultivators. They didn’t slow down at all as they proceeded along, gradually forging their way deeper and deeper into the jungle.
Time passed. Eventually, the night deepened. By the time the moon rose, they were already about halfway to the others side. So far they hadn’t encountered any fierce beasts. The trip had gone very smoothly. Bai Xiaochun was in the rear position, and even the slightest sound or movement would cause him to leap in fright. Du Lingfei’s scorn grew stronger.
“Watch out!” Bai Xiaochun suddenly blurted, stopping in place with a very uneasy expression on his face.
Du Lingfei laughed coldly, and was just about to say something sarcastic when all of a sudden, a wild wind blasted toward them, along with an acrid odor. Du Lingfei’s face flickered, and she looked out into the jungle to see countless eyes staring back.
They were bright red, and in almost the exact same instant that she saw them, the sound of flapping wings could be heard. Numerous bats appeared, each one about the size of a hand, flying in their direction.