Luo Jianqing saluted and said in respect, “Sir, I’m okay.”
Words got to the tip of Yu Qingzi’s tongue but she swallowed them back, stepping away in sorry.
Luo Jianqing turned to Wei Qiongyin and Fo Zi.
As soon as Tai Hua Mountain heard the news that Luo Jianqing was kidnapped, all the Peak Masters left the Mountain in search of Luo Jianqing except Sir Hao Xingzi and Huo Mingzi who had been in seclusion for years.
Almost every Elders and disciples joined the mission of searching for Luo Jianqing, only a handful of them stayed on the Mountain in case it was under attack.
Totally aware of these, Xuan Lingzi still left Tai Hua Mountain. Thanks to him, Luo Jianqing was found and brought back successfully. All the other cultivators of Tai Hua Mountain who were secretly searching Luo Jianqing in the Fiend Realm finally felt relieved. They headed to Gui Yuan Sect, ready to meet with others.
Gripping the sword in her hand, Wei Qiongyin greeted, “Senior Brother.”
Luo Jianqing nodded, “Why are you still here?”
Wei Qiongyin wasn’t a cultivator who achieved high-level cultivation, so she couldn’t go on and search for Luo Jianqing in the Fiend Realm, given that the cultivators who were sent to the Fiend Realm for this mission all achieved at least Out-of-Body Period. None of the Nascent-Soul-Period cultivators was granted the permission.
Wei Qiongyin replied, “I stayed here, waiting for you to come back safe and sound.”
Though she said expressionlessly, Luo Jianqing was still touched.
His care and solicitude for his Younger Brothers and Sisters wasn’t wasted at all!
After Wei Qiongyin stepped away, Fo Zi approached Luo Jianqing and saluted. From his sleeve, Fo Zi took out a Buddha Beads Bracelet made by sandalwood and presented it to Luo Jianqing.
Beaming brightly, Fo Zi said, “Amitabha, congratulations, Cultivator Luo, for your improved cultivation base. I really admire that. Nonetheless, things like breaking through Period in danger are always the less the better. I’ve been wearing this before I reached the Gold Core Period. It could at least be considered as a blessed item since this Buddha Beads Bracelet has stayed by my side for more than fifty years. Now that I give this to you as a gift of celebrating…” Fo Zi paused for a moment and then continued with a smile, “As a gift of blessing you breaking through the next level successfully.”
Luo Jianqing accepted the gift right away and asked, “What’s your original toast?”
“I was going to say ‘hope you break through Out-of-Body Period safely and successfully’.”
“Haven’t met you for only several days, you are making a great deal of progress as well, aren’t you? Late-stage Nascent Soul Period already, huh?”
Eyes meeting in the air, they smiled.
What happened later was not Luo Jianqing’s concern.
One hour later, Guang Lingzi and the others arrived at the gate. Scanning Luo Jianqing all over as soon as they saw him, they finally let out a sigh of relief and started to ask Luo Jianqing what happened to him after they assured that Luo Jianqing was unharmed.
Hearing the name “Blood Pill Master”, Yu Qingzi frowned, “That Blood Pill Monster?”
Luo Jianqing nodded, “Right.”
Suinted in detest, Yu Qingzi told them what she knew about the man.
Yu Qingzi had cultivated for almost a thousand years. Though only a late-stage Tribulation Passage Period cultivator, she knew much more tales than Xuan Lingzi did, given that the latter put all his attention on cultivating. Moreover, just like the Blood Pill Master, Yu Qingzi was a Master of Pill Forging. Mentioning a little bit of Blood Pill Master’s evil plan of forging Human Pills, Yu Qingzi summarized, “I remember hearing the rumors three hundred years ago that the Blood Pill Master created a receipt for a Ninth Grade Godlike Pill. I once thought it was just nonsense because, you know, creating a pill receipt is such a difficult task, not to mention it was a receipt for a Godlike Pill. Now, looking back, the rumor might actually be true.”
Crowding together, the Peak Masters of Tai Hua Mountain let out of a sigh.
This was such a weird scene. A Deity Transformation Period cultivator, three Da Sheng Period cultivators and five Tribulation Passage cultivators plus many other Body Fusion Period cultivators and Out-of-Body Period cultivators all gathered together at the gate of another sect, chatting, discussing and gossiping. Anyone would have a feeling that they were here to… make troubles for Gui Yuan Sect.
The Great Elder of Gui Yuan Sect was practicing seclusion, so Master Zhi Shan came to welcome them, “Amitabha. Arriving at our sect, you are our guests. Do you mind coming in? I prepared some chambers for you. It might be a good idea if you take a rest first and then decide what comes next.”
Hearing the invitation, Yu Qingzi was going to say yes, but Xuan Lingzi rejected it before she could say anything, “That is very kind of you, but thanks. We are going back right now.”
Master Zhi Shan was still smiling kindly, “No problem. Indeed, you should head back as early as possible.”
Nodding at Master Zhi Shan, Xuan Lingzi summoned Xuan Ling Sword and took Luo Jianqing with him. The other cultivators of Tai Hua Mountains were confused at first, but quickly recalled something serious. Their faces fell and they hurried their way back to the Tai Hau Mountain and soon went out of the monks’ sight.
The novice monk who was guarding the Mountain Gate stroke his head in confusion, “Why do they have to leave this early?”
Hearing this, Fo Zi smiled. He didn’t move away his gaze which followed the direction where Luo Jianqing and the others went for. Time passed; smile gradually vanished from Fo Zi’s visage. Fiddling the Buddha Beads Bracelet with his left hand, Fo Zi stretched out the right hand and caught a drop of rain which was falling from the sky.
“I once heard the untold tale, that we mantra at the first night of transiency. There is no edge of the sea of vexation, nor there is an end of the circle of samsara. Jingxin, you are still too young to understand the reason behind this. I wish a care-free cultivation path for you. The sea of vexation is so deep and full of danger. Ferrying, you must not try. The war is inevitable. The war… is approaching.”
Confused, the novice monk looked at Fo Zi and then saluted with respect, “Amitabha.”
Fo Zi beamed and replied, “Amitabha.”
Gui Yuan Sect was still standing on the land of Cen State as a dam ready to resist the flood of army coming from the Demon Realm and, perhaps, from the Fiend Realm. The aroma of sandalwood was wafting in the forest, granting every creature a sense of relief. The bell echoed among the mountain range, harmonizing with the sound of mantra.
Now, since Luo Jianqing was brought back in one piece, they had to shift their focus on another important thing.
They got back to Tai Hua Mountain as quickly as they could. Nonetheless, when they finally arrived, they noticed a bunch of Ghost Cultivators and some flamboyant cultivators gathered together at the Mountain Gate.
A Ghost Cultivator who looked like the leader of the crowd stepped forward, infusing Spiritual Power into his voice and making it hearable for miles, “The contract between two clans were broken! Today, we come here to ask for a reasonable explanation!”