Duan Ze put away the storybook, sat up from his bed, and extended his divine sense outside the door. His voice was a bit hoarse from not speaking for a long time, and his tone was distant, “What’s the matter?”

Xie Qingyu stood outside the door, his fingers hidden in his sleeves clenched. Duan Ze didn’t open the door for him as usual, and the cold attitude transmitted through the door made him feel uneasy. The young man hesitated at the door for a while before saying, “There have been some rumors in the sect lately, Shifu, please don’t take them to heart.”

“Mm,” Duan Ze listened to his words, lay back on his bed, and took out the storybook he had read halfway from his storage ring. He flipped a page and saw that Xie Qingyu hadn’t left yet, so he asked, “Is there anything else?”

Xie Qingyu stood respectfully at Duan Ze’s door, nodding slightly. He knew that Duan Ze’s divine sense might be on him, so he didn’t show any unusual expression. The young man took out an invitation from his storage ring, presented it with both hands, and explained the main reason for his visit, “Shifu, the sect leader of the Hunling Sect and the human emperor invite you to visit the Hunling Sect to see their two Sky-reaching Iron Trees.”

“I heard that the iron trees are an ancient miracle, having grown for over ten thousand years, and have recently shown signs of blooming. Therefore, the Hunling Sect sincerely invites people from all realms to come and witness and receive blessings.”

During the time Xie Qingyu explained all this, Duan Ze finished reading the remaining pages of his book, which were the last unread ones in his storage ring. Now, Duan Ze found himself in a book shortage, having to go out even if he didn’t want to.

The Hunling Sect, like the Cangyu Sect, is one of the four major sects. Located northeast of the Cangyu Sect, separated by a vast ocean, it sits on an isolated island. Although its area is only about thirty percent of the Cangyu Sect, it has a similar population size. Their land utilization has amazed the entire continent for years.

Moreover, their sect is particularly skilled in alchemy, maintaining long-term trade relations with the human realm’s royal family, making it a powerful and wealthy sect. The book also described those two Sky-reaching Iron Trees. At the time, the original owner had just recovered most of his vitality and needed a few more days to consolidate, so he didn’t go.

Because of this, the Cangyu Sect left an impression of arrogance in the eyes of the Hunling Sect and the human emperor. As for those who went, their cultivation improved significantly upon returning, and even their uncontrollable talents showed noticeable enhancement.

Later, Duan Ze learned that when they went, the iron trees not only bloomed but also bore fruit. The fragrance filled the entire island, benefiting the cultivators, ordinary people, and even the demon clan present. It even attracted the merman clan from the deep sea, allowing them to hear a rare song.

The author listed that scene as one of the rarest in the book, and Duan Ze was already moved just by reading it. Now that his body was fine, he couldn’t miss this experience. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and after waiting for a while, he asked in a calm tone, “When?”

Xie Qingyu, seeing Duan Ze agree, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was almost used to the situation where the original plot in his memory was disrupted. One change affected many things later on. However, this also avoided many troubles the Cangyu Sect would face in the future.

He took a step back, cupped his fists, and replied, “Tomorrow at Mao hour, the sect leader shixiong will take the invited people there.”

“Alright,” Duan Ze sat up from the bed, “Leave the invitation at the door.”

“Yes,” Xie Qingyu took out a piece of paper from his storage ring, placed it on the ground, and then set the invitation on it. He then bowed and said, “I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”

“Mm.” Duan Ze replied indifferently.

After confirming that Xie Qingyu had left his divine sense detection range, Duan Ze opened the door to take the invitation into the room. The paper used to pad the invitation turned to ash and disappeared in the wind with a thought.

Even after being treated with the cleansing technique several times, the invitation from the Hunling Sect still carried a faint medicinal fragrance. The cover bore the sect’s emblem, and inside was a detachable gold leaf, serving as a pass to the Hunling Sect.

There were no words inside. He injected spiritual power into it, and a small child in a green robe appeared on the open invitation. The child’s body, formed by Duan Ze’s spiritual power, was weightless, semi-transparent, and only palm-sized.

The child glanced at Duan Ze, then, blushing with excitement, repeated what Xie Qingyu had just said. The Hunling Sect always added little touches when making such items.

Duan Ze looked at the little figure, occasionally sneaking glances at him, and suddenly thought that if his storybooks could display like this, it would be quite interesting. However, it would probably consume too much spiritual power, making it impractical.

After confirming the child’s words again, he closed the invitation and sat cross-legged back on the bed. Having finished all his storybooks, he had nothing else to do but meditate and cultivate, waiting for the next day.

A few days ago, Duan Ze had swapped bodies with Xiao Wuchen and had a fight, then fought again after swapping back. During this time, his spirit was highly tense, and every punch landed solidly. When he returned to Zeshuang Pavilion that day, he found signs of loosening in the bottleneck that had trapped him for over a hundred years.

However, despite his high hopes, he still hadn’t broken through completely after several attempts. So, he had to see the Sky-reaching Iron Trees this time, no matter what.

Meditating made time pass quickly. Just as Li Qingyuan reached the staircase at the foot of the mountain, Duan Ze opened his eyes. Li Qingyuan moved unhurriedly, his steps light.

Duan Ze took advantage of this time to change into a more formal robe. As soon as he finished changing, there was a knock on the door, “Shizun, it’s time to leave.”

Duan Ze responded and opened the door. Outside, Li Qingyuan wore a faint smile. He was dressed in a light gray robe, with his white hair tied up, revealing a clean face with a red mole at the center of his forehead, giving him a somewhat immortal-like appearance.

Looking at him like this, who would have known that in his youth, he was the most mischievous of the three apprentices Duan Ze had taken in? At that time, the eldest disciple had not yet sacrificed himself, and his steady and reliable nature made him the first choice for sect leader, so as the second disciple, Li Qingyuan felt no pressure and lived freely.

He roamed far and wide, carefree and unrestrained, until the tragic news of his senior brother’s death reached him. The playful youth turned white-haired overnight, and his nature became steady.

Since becoming the sect leader of the Cangyu Sect, he rarely went out, let alone with his shizun. Thinking back, it seemed there hadn’t been a single time in the past eight hundred years.

“Nice clothes, let’s go.” Duan Ze felt a bit guilty under Li Qingyuan’s expectant gaze. After crossing over, he naturally assumed that Li Qingyuan, as the sect leader of the Cangyu Sect, no longer needed his shifu’s care, so he had focused almost all his attention on Xie Qingyu for the past fifty years.

Now, it shouldn’t be too late to correct that. As the sect leader of the youngest of the four major sects, Li Qingyuan had seen all kinds of storms. Yet, at this moment, he showed a hint of restraint because of a casual compliment from his shizun, “Thank you, shizun.”

“The flying artifact is at the foot of the mountain. I’ll take you there.” With that, Li Qingyuan took out a teleportation talisman from his storage ring. After activating it, the next moment, the two of them appeared at the foot of the mountain.

Since they were representing the Cangyu Sect, the artifact they used had to be impressive. Duan Ze looked up, and it was a flying ship in the shape of a falcon, beautifully and smoothly designed, made entirely of top-grade materials. Just looking at it conveyed a sense of pressure.

Li Qingyuan had really gone all out this time. Duan Ze nodded at Li Qingyuan, who had been watching him, and didn’t hold back his praise, “Not bad.”

Li Qingyuan, having received what he wanted, felt completely at ease. “Second shishu, come on up!” At this moment, a young girl in a blue dress leaned over the railing and waved at Li Qingyuan.

The girl had lively almond-shaped eyes, smiling cherry lips, and fair, delicate skin, as if she had stepped out of a painting. Li Qingyuan’s expression changed when he saw her, “Mind your posture, young lady!”

The girl giggled twice, then, upon seeing Duan Ze, quickly stopped smiling and obediently greeted him, “Hello, shizu.”

The girl’s smile had a natural infectiousness, and Duan Ze’s eyes also showed a hint of a smile, “Mm, no need to be so formal.” With a slight push of his feet, he leaped onto the deck of the flying ship.

The disciples on the deck made way for him, greeting him as he passed. The girl stood among them, her eyes bright as she looked at him. Duan Ze knew who she was. In the original book, she was Xie Qingyu’s shimei, now his shizun’s niece, Su Yamu, the orphan left behind by Duan Ze’s deceased eldest disciple.

The girl inherited her father’s talent and was outstanding among her peers. Su Yamu was naturally lively and kind, able to liven up the atmosphere. However, in front of her shizu, she restrained herself a lot. She no longer chattered around Li Qingyuan or ran around, but instead turned and, slightly nervous, gathered with Xie Qingyu and the disciples she knew. Before long, laughter slowly emerged from their group.

During this time, Xie Qingyu glanced at Duan Ze, but the latter was engaged in conversation with Li Qingyuan and didn’t pay him any attention. Besides Duan Ze and Li Qingyuan, those invited to the Hunling Sect included Xie Qingyu, the first place in the cultivation competition, the second and third places from other sects, and Su Yamu, who ranked fourth.

The rest were a few sect elders and six other disciples with good cultivation. Duan Ze knew his presence would make these people uncomfortable, so he thoughtfully informed Li Qingyuan and turned to the back of the ship, finding an empty corner to sit.

The flying ship was fast, quickly crossing mountains and flying over a vast blue ocean. Huge sea fish leaped from the water and dived back in, seabirds chirped, flying in formation near the ship, and the wind carried a salty scent.

Behind him was the laughter representing the hope of the Cangyu Sect. The man closed his eyes, listening to everything around him. He hadn’t enjoyed it for long when the communication token in his storage ring, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly lit up.

Author’s Note: Communication Token: “Your dao partner is calling, your dao partner is calling…”

——

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or watered me with nutrient solution between 2020-09-11 01:24:23 and 2020-09-11 23:26:05~

Thanks to the little angel who threw a grenade: Winter Melon 1;

Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard!