“That is true. Their strength is low, so they might not be able to execute them,” Sect Master Yu said, looking at the others. “In that case, we can only select disciples from within our own sects to go.”
“There are not many disciples within our sects who originally came from the mortal realm. Even if there are, their strength is lacking by quite a margin.”
Ye Qing watched them speak without saying a word, but his hand under his sleeve quietly clenched into a fist.
He seemed to recall his disciple mentioning that she came from the mortal realm...
He lowered his head to hide the gleam in his eyes.
“Master, is something the matter?”
Just as Jiang Lu finished putting away the magic treasures gifted by the various factions, Chi Li and the other beasts sent her a mental transmission, telling her that her master had arrived.
Jiang Lu immediately went out to greet him.
“Disciple, I recall you mentioning before that you came from the mortal realm?”
The moment he saw Jiang Lu, he got straight to the point without any pleasantries.
Jiang Lu was startled, a hint of confusion appearing on her face before she nodded.
“Master, is there some sort of problem?”
Seeing this, a smile tugged at the corner of Ye Qing's mouth. He walked over to the window and looked up at the white clouds in the sky.
He informed her about the demonic cultivators and instructed her not to speak of it to anyone else. Then, shifting the topic, he continued:
“When a cultivator goes to the mortal realm, their strength is suppressed, and there is a very high chance they might never return. However, you possess an excellent advantage that I only learned of by chance, which is precisely why I am telling you this.”
“First, you came from the mortal realm and share the same origin as it. The Heavenly Dao will not reject you too severely. If you go, your life will not be in danger.”
“Second, your strength is only at the Golden Core realm—neither too high nor too low. Going there, you will not easily be harmed by the demonic cultivators, nor will you attract the attention of the Heavenly Dao due to excessive strength.”
“Third, your master believes you can find a way back to the cultivation world. After all, you managed to come here from there once before.”
“Lastly, and most importantly, your master wants you to go there to conduct a test. Demonic cultivators entering the mortal realm will undoubtedly commit countless atrocities. Going there to punish them is an act of goodness.”
“Those who perform good deeds and accumulate virtue will be graced with the power of merit!”
After speaking, he turned around and looked at Jiang Lu with a serious expression, his eyes filled with anticipation.
“If you are graced with the power of merit, perhaps there will be greater hope for your ascension in the future.”
Hearing this, Jiang Lu pondered for a moment before looking up at him.
“Do you mean, Master, that I should go to the mortal realm to obtain merit?”
Ye Qing nodded, looking at Jiang Lu with a complex expression.
“Indeed. However, this is merely my suggestion. Whether you go or not is entirely up to you. After all, the journey carries immense risk.”
Jiang Lu thought about it. She scooped Qiming into her arms, rubbed its shell a few times, and then set it down. Qiming poked out half of its head to peer curiously at its surroundings before quickly shrinking back inside.
Jiang Lu then formed a hand seal and began to mutter under her breath.
A purple light flashed from Qiming's body, vanishing in an instant.
Jiang Lu felt relieved.
Qiming possessed the bloodline of the Spirit Turtle. Holding it while performing divination made the results far more accurate.
The flash of purple light just now indicated that this trip would yield great benefits.
Had it been a red light, it would have signified extreme danger, meaning she absolutely must not go.
“Master, I will go!”
Jiang Lu told him, then blinked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“But, Master, since your disciple is volunteering to handle this danger for the sake of the cultivation world, shouldn't there be some compensation?”
Hearing this, Ye Qing was delighted. He knew his disciple was certainly no coward.
“Of course. Rest assured, your master will secure everything you deserve.”
After all, Jiang Lu was cleaning up their mess this time. There was no way those old fellows could get away with offering nothing.
Now that the matter was settled, he immediately took Jiang Lu to the main hall.
Upon hearing the news, Ye Qingluan glared at Ye Qing.
She really didn't know if his taking a disciple was a good thing or not. What kind of master behaved like this? Wasn't this just pushing his disciple into a pit of fire?
What did the karma of the cultivation world have to do with this girl? It was all because that bunch of old fogies was incompetent. Even if this girl was suited to go, as long as she was unwilling, they would protect her so she wouldn't have to get involved in such troublesome matters.
“Lu'er, are you certain?” she asked, looking at Jiang Lu again.
Jiang Lu nodded. “Martial Aunt, I am willing to go.”
Jiang Lu spoke with conviction. Since she had already made up her mind, she naturally had no reason to regret it.
“In that case, go ahead.”
She rubbed Jiang Lu's head. She also felt that this girl wouldn't fail to return. In the path of cultivation, the greatest taboo was to be plagued by hesitation.
After contacting the other sect masters, they quietly made their way to open a passage to the mortal realm.
They brought Jiang Lu to the place where the demonic cultivators had escaped. Since they had fled from here, it proved that the barrier was weakest at this spot.
Each of them stood in their respective positions, spiritual energy flashing from their hands.
An aura unique to the powerful enveloped the entire space. Jiang Lu felt as though everything around her had fallen completely silent, as if she had entered the void.
Ye Qing immediately shielded her behind him to prevent her from being injured by the pressure.
Feeling the air around her fluctuate, with the power of spatial laws surging wildly, she watched as a tear slowly ripped open in space.
The interior was pitch-black, carrying a hint of temptation.
“Go on.”
Ye Qing patted her shoulder, his expression full of concern and a touch of reluctance.
Jiang Lu waved to him. “Don't worry, Master, I'll be back very soon!”
With that, she leaped forward and stepped into the passage.
The passage snapped shut instantly. Looking at the thunderclouds gathering in the sky, Ye Qingluan and the others quickly retracted their auras.
Only after the tribulation clouds confirmed that the auras had completely vanished did they disperse.
Upon returning to Xuwu City, Ye Qing stayed in the rear of the main hall, keeping his divine sense constantly focused on the lotus lamp. It contained a trace of Jiang Lu's bloodline; as long as she was safe, the lotus lamp would not go out.
Truth be told, he regretted his decision slightly after speaking, given how young Jiang Lu was.
But she possessed the Chaos Spiritual Root!
She was the person with the greatest hope of ascension.
He truly did not want to let any opportunity slip by. In the cultivation world, obtaining the power of merit was incredibly difficult.
Although this trip carried risks, if she succeeded, her ascension would be much more secure. He simply could not bear to let this chance go.
He sat cross-legged on the spot, unable to calm his mind no matter what.
Jiang Lu opened her eyes and found herself in a bamboo forest.
Feeling the spiritual energy still fluctuating within her, she let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she was fine.
She had placed her spirit beasts inside her space, so she was currently all alone. Strapping Qianming to her back, she followed the path leading out of the forest.
A temple stood not far away, and she quickly walked toward it.
Just as she was about to enter, she was stopped by guards on both sides.
“Unauthorized personnel are not allowed inside.”
Jiang Lu was taken aback. She looked around and noticed carriages and palanquins parked nearby, realizing that some prominent figure must be inside.
Without another word, she turned and left.
If she couldn't go through the front door, couldn't she just go over the roof? She wasn't stupid.
Once she slipped into the courtyard, she heard voices coming from the hall.
“Daoist, if immortals truly exist, why do they stand by and watch the common people suffer without saving them?”
“This prince trusts no one but himself. Now that chaotic times have begun, this prince will naturally contend for a place.”
“I have long heard of your esteemed name, Daoist. I came here today only wishing to know: does this prince have a chance to unite the world this time?”
Rate on N.U.
