Chapter 171: Sage Yuan Lie

The Crescent Moon Bay was as enchanting as ever. There wasn’t a single wave on the clear blue water, making it look like a mirror that was reflecting the beauty of the thousands of islands near it.

The tower ship approached the bay as the sun slowly rose. It didn’t move at a fast speed, nor did it have any flags on it, but the Restriction that belonged to the Luo Sheng Sword School engraved on it stopped a lot of cultivators from approaching it.

“We’re finally back!” Chu Jingsong exclaimed as he stretched his arms.

“Man! You’ve wasted a lot of our time this time. Well, at least you’ve gained a lot from this trip.” Jiang Lin grinned.

“Not as much as you did.” Chu Jingsong shook his head. “You’ve already reached the Complete Foundation Plane!”

“That’s all thanks to Master-Uncle.” Jiang Lin chuckled. “You should’ve been a little more patient and waited. If you had waited and left with Master-Uncle, you might have gotten the chance to reach the Complete Foundation Plane too.”

“Yeah, but it’s hard to find traces of the Blue Glass Sky Whale.” Chu Jingsong didn’t feel like it was a waste of time. “I might not have another chance to find it if I missed that chance. Also, it really isn’t that easy for our lineage to reach that stage.”

“You’re not wrong. Everyone has their own fate.” Jiang Lin nodded in agreement.

Not only did the Sky Whale lineage need a lot of resources to advance to the next stage, but they also had many requirements.

Only those who had seen and touched a real Sky Whale had the chance to fully comprehend their sky scripture and increase their cultivation.

…

Although Chu Jingsong had yet to reach the Complete Foundation Plane, he was only a step away.

He would be able to grow once he had the time to go into Seclusion Training and digest all the things he had gotten over the past few years.

However, the first thing he had to focus on first was recovering from his injury.

Having faced four Golden Core Sages at once, he was heavily wounded.

If his Master-Uncle Zhang had not stepped in in time, Chu Jingsong would’ve been long dead.

“Hey! Focus. We’re leaving,” Chen Jingzhai said.

He grabbed Su Qinghuang’s hand as they stood on top of the tower, looking like a match made in heaven.

“Okay!” Jiang Lin nodded.

The tower ship then rose from the water and flew toward an island near Crescent Moon Bay.

The island was known as Tide Hearing Island and was only two-thirds of East Pole Spirit Turtle Island’s size.

A huge port was built on Tide Hearing Island, and a few large ships could be spotted parked at the dock.

These ships were not even spiritual items and were made by combining a few magic items.

However, to the rogue cultivators, these ships were still hard to come by and very important as long as they could combat the waves. To them, the ships were just transportation.

When the tower ship got close to the port, it suddenly disappeared.

Jiang Lin, Chu Jingsong, Chen Jingzhai, Su Qinghuang, Sage Meng, and Sage Zhang floated in mid-air and slowly descended onto the port.

An old man with white hair, a stern face, and dressed in green robes approached them before laughing, “Old Man Meng! It’s been a long time.”

“Old Man Lie! You old thing! It looks like you have gathered your core as well!” Sage Meng smiled and hugged the old man in green robes.

“What makes you think I can’t do it when you can?” Sage Lie rolled his eyes back.

As the two old friends joked around, the disciples bowed to greet the Sage.

Sage Meng then introduced the group to Sage Lie.

He had already let Chen Jingzhai and the rest know who Sage Lie was.

The Sage was Yuan Lie, an outstation Golden Core Elder of the Mingyuan Dao Sect.

Most who followed the Sage were either deacons or disciples in the Foundation Establishment Plane.

Tide Hearing Island belonged to the Mingyuan Dao Sect, and since Sage Meng and the others had to show themselves despite being guardians, there was no point for them in hiding any longer.

Sage Meng met Yuan Lie on his trip to the Eastern Ocean when he was still at the Foundation Establishment Plane.

They hunted sea beasts, searched for treasures in the ocean together, and became very good friends after that.

However, when Sage Meng returned to the mountain, he managed to gather his core.

Since he chose to stay in the mountains, he barely contacted Sage Lie after that.

And this was actually their first time meeting again after the Eastern Ocean trip.

Yuan Lie welcomed the group enthusiastically and even used a Silver Mane White Horse to pull the cart.

The horse was a tamed Advanced Grade 1 beast and was extremely rare in the Eastern Ocean.

Not only was the horse strong and energetic, but it was also tame.

Other than that, it could also travel on water and fly at low altitudes.

It was hard to see one, and most normal cultivators would never get to see one.

The only reason that Sage Lie would bring the Silver Mane White Horse out was as a form of respect to the guests.

The cart pulled by the horse transported the group to the main city on the island and stopped in front of a huge manor.

That was the Sage’s private manor, situated just a street away from Mingyuan Dao Sect’s business.

As a Golden Core Sage, Yuan Lie had his own reputation despite being an outstation elder.

After learning that Sage Meng and the others had just gone through a huge battle, he ensured the guests were comfortable during their stay.

Sage Lie then dragged Sage Meng out with him to drink and did not disturb the others.

Jiang Lin decided to explore the city alone while Chu Jingsong and Sage Zhang entered their Seclusion Training right away.

Since they had yet to fully heal from their injuries, they needed to cultivate for quite some time.

On the other hand, Chen Jingzhai hugged Su Qinghuang in a part of the garden as they comprehended the methods he had gained from Wang Ju together.

The two had been inseparable on the ship.

They just could not leave each other, and it was a very special feeling that they wholeheartedly enjoyed.

“We can use these spells normally, and they can be mixed into the spell sequence of Hongluan Peak,” Su Qinghuang said, with the veil still over her face. “These methods can be used as references, but they have no use for me.”

“I know.” Chen Jingzhai nodded. “Do you have nothing to tell me after reading the Heaven Essence Realm Summary and the Secrets of the Nine Territories? What is the clan planning?”

“This isn’t as big as you think it is. You should have already guessed that the Golden Core disciples have all traveled through the Woods Ocean Ancient Path to reach Pulao Territory, right?”

“Pulao Kingdom is part of that territory, right?” Chen Jingzhai asked.

“Yes.” Su Qinghuang nodded. “But, the kingdom is unique as it is built on a remote land surrounded by demonic beasts and spirit monsters. The safest way to leave is still through the Woods Ocean Ancient Path.”

“Even one in the Spirit Plane has to use that too?”

“That’s correct. The truth is that only a few Spirit Plane cultivators who didn’t have the courage to try and reach the True Immortal of Tribulation remain in the clan. The others are just their clones, and some even just left a hint of their divine mind on magic treasures.”

“I see…”

“Although Pulao Kingdom is the root of the Luo Sheng Sword School, its leaves are scattered outside.” Su Qinghuang turned her head and gently touched Chen Jingzhai’s face. “You could’ve joined them if you had not chosen to walk the Path of Technique Creation.”

“Well, that’s not something I can change anymore. Also, technique creation has been my foundation. If I had not chosen to walk that path, I would’ve remained a mortal till now.” Chen Jingzhai grinned.

“You might be right.” Su Qinghuang bit her lip. “But, the outside world is huge. You’ll be able to find a lot of things as long as you don’t forget who you are.”

“Aren’t you coming with me?” Chen Jingzhai frowned.

“I’m a failure.” Su Qinghuang sighed. “I had the celestial appearance but could not reach the Nascent Plane until now. So all I can do now is return to the clan and wait for my life to end.”

“Is it really impossible to reach the Nascent Plane without the Nascent passage of the Hongluan Sky Scripture? Are you not willing to change to another celestial scripture? Not even for me?”

“Of course, I would! But I don’t have that much longer to live. If I were to change to another celestial scripture now, I’d have to disperse my golden core, and I’m not sure if my body can handle that. Even if I succeed, I can’t say for sure if I can reach the Nascent Plane in time.”

“I’ll make Life-Prolonging Elixirs for you.” Resolution filled the young man’s eyes. “You have to come with me. Outside is where we can find hope.”

“But, the Woods Ocean Ancient Path has its own rules.” Su Qinghuang shook her head. “Every clan can only send a few cultivators to travel the path, and there’s no way the clan would waste a spot for me unless I reach the Nascent Plane, of course. But, don’t worry. You can head out first and wait for me there.”