44: Return to the sect

After three days of non-stop, full-speed flying on his sword, Lu Yang finally returned to the Hehuan Sect, covered in the dust of his travels.

He first returned to his simple, humble room, sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing, and slowly recovered the vast amount of Spiritual Qi consumed during the long journey, allowing his slightly depleted Meridians to become full once again.

After regaining some energy, Lu Yang got up, left his room, and headed straight for the Small World.

At the entrance, two guarding Disciples—one fat and one thin—were chatting idly, bored out of their minds.

Lu Yang stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. "Two Senior Brothers, may I ask if Senior Sister Mu Wanqing is still in the Small World, responsible for guarding the Elder's spirit plant?"

Upon hearing this, the two Disciples initially only glanced at him lazily. But when they saw the wave of Spiritual Qi belonging to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer on him, their disdain instantly turned into respect, and they hurriedly stood up to return the salute. "Oh! We dare not accept the title of Senior Brother! You are the true Senior Brother! Senior Brother, you are causing us trouble by addressing us that way!"

The fat one replied hurriedly, "Senior Brother, are you talking about Senior Sister Mu? Oh, she passed the inner Sect Spiritual Plant Cultivator assessment half a month ago and has joined the inner Sect Medicine Garden!"

Lu Yang was slightly stunned upon hearing this. Having had his cultivation stagnate for so many years, he had long been accustomed to calling everyone Senior Brother or Senior Sister. Being treated with such respect now, a strange sense of comfort flitted across his heart. Is this the respect brought by strength?

The other thin Disciple also leaned in and added, his tone filled with envy and mystery. "That's right, Senior Brother! Senior Sister Mu was actually the top performer in this assessment! You wouldn't know, but just last month she was only at the Qi Refining Level Four, and by the time of the assessment, she was already at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer! Tsk tsk, the speed at which her cultivation soared is simply inconceivable!"

Watching the two Disciples marvel, Lu Yang knew in his heart that Mu Wanqing only achieved such results because of their Dual Cultivation. Feeling secretly pleased, he feigned ignorance and asked, "Oh? Is that so?"

Seeing that Lu Yang was interested, the fat Disciple rushed to analyze, "Well, Senior Brother, I heard that Senior Sister Mu performed a great service while guarding the spirit plant and gained the favor of the inner Sect Medicine Garden Elder. Seeing that she knew the Spirit Plant Technique and possessed a pure Wood Spirit Root, the Elder wanted to recruit her into the Medicine Garden. But at that time, Senior Sister Mu's cultivation was not high enough. So the Elder bestowed some precious Spirit Medicine upon her, allowing her to improve in a short time. Otherwise, how could she have broken through four layers in such a short period? And that assessment was really just a formality!"

"So that's how it is." After hearing what the man said and combining it with what he already knew, Lu Yang understood everything in his heart. Learning that Mu Wanqing had truly entered the inner Sect, he felt genuinely happy. With Mu Wanqing in the inner Sect Medicine Garden and appreciated by an Elder, her resources would surely be abundant, and her cultivation would definitely improve faster, which would also be of great benefit to him.

Having learned of Mu Wanqing's whereabouts, Lu Yang said no more. After thanking the two Junior Brothers, he turned and headed toward the External Affairs Hall.

He had been away for half a month on this trip, and he suddenly remembered the sound transmission talisman that Chi Rong had shoved into his hand upon parting. She had originally told him to report back every time he reached a new location, but he had completely forgotten about it! He hadn't reported a single time, and given Martial Aunt Chi Rong's personality, she might truly think he had died out there, right?

Lu Yang rushed into the External Affairs Hall in a panic, but he did not see Chi Rong's familiar figure behind the counter. Lu Yang's heart sank, and he quickly asked another guarding Disciple behind the counter, "This Senior Brother, may I ask if Elder Chi Rong is not on duty today?"

The Disciple was only at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. Sensing Lu Yang's cultivation, he waved his hands in terror, "I dare not accept the title of Senior Brother! I am only at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer; you are causing me trouble! To answer you, Senior Brother, Elder Chi... she was injured by someone a few days ago and is recuperating at home. You don't know about this?"

"What? Who did it?!" Lu Yang's face instantly darkened, and an inexplicable anger flared up.

"It was that Zhai Lingtian, the number one in the outer Sect!" The Disciple lowered his voice. "This guy has always coveted Elder Chi's beauty and has been pestering her incessantly. A while ago, he broke through to the Qi Refining Great Perfection and became even more arrogant. He actually confronted Elder Chi directly, insisting that she become his Dao Companion! At first, it was just verbal, but later, for some reason, they started arguing. Zhai Lingtian was so furious that he directly issued a 'Martial Arts Field' challenge to Elder Chi!"

Lu Yang's brows knit tightly. He knew the rules of the Martial Arts Field challenge well, and he understood Chi Rong's unyielding nature even better; she would never shy away from a fight.

"And the result?" Lu Yang's voice was cold.

"Naturally, Elder Chi won!" The Disciple sighed. "After all, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Even though the Elder's Realm has fallen, her foundation from the Foundation Establishment Stage is still there; she is still capable of handling someone at the Qi Refining Great Perfection. It's just..." The Disciple looked worried. "Elder Chi already had old injuries, and this fight added new ones, compounding her injuries. That's why she asked for leave to recuperate and hasn't appeared for many days."

A wave of rage rushed straight to Lu Yang's head! In his heart, he had long regarded Chi Rong as his own. How could he let it go when his own woman had been injured?

However, the Sect rules stated that people who had competed had a one-month cooling-off period. During this period, no matter how great the grudge, one could not issue another challenge. This was to prevent frequent malicious challenges among Disciples. In other words, if he wanted to challenge Zhai Lingtian again, he had to wait a month. If the other party announced seclusion within this month, he would have to wait until the seclusion ended. This meant that the earliest he could cause trouble for Zhai Lingtian was in a month's time.

"It seems... I can only wait for the Sect Grand Competition." Lu Yang's eyes were cold, and murderous intent churned in his heart, but he had to suppress it for the time being.

He asked in a deep voice, "Junior Brother, do you know Elder Chi's specific residence? I would like to go and pay her a visit."

"The Elder is on Purple Bamboo Peak." The Disciple replied hurriedly and pointed in the general direction.

After expressing his thanks, Lu Yang quickly wrote down the names of the spirit plants needed for several healing Medicinal Pills, handed them to the Disciple to procure, and after receiving them and paying the Spirit Stones, he rushed toward Purple Bamboo Peak like the wind.

Purple Bamboo Peak was not high; compared to the spirit peaks of the inner Sect, it was like a small hill. But in the flat outer Sect area, being able to occupy a whole peak alone was already a symbol of status.

In front of the peak, a layer of pale green Spiritual Qi barrier flickered, enveloping the entire mountain, preventing even birds from entering. It was clearly protected by a Restriction.

Lu Yang stopped at the foot of Purple Bamboo Peak, looking up at the barrier of the Restriction that shimmered with pale green light, like an invisible barrier separating two worlds. He hesitated for a moment, then finally gathered his breath and said in a loud, clear voice, "Disciple Lu Yang requests to see Martial Aunt Chi Rong!"

The sound waves hit the light barrier, stirring up subtle ripples, which then vanished without a trace. In the mountains, only the wind responded; there was no other sound.

Beside the foot of the mountain, a few simple houses built against the mountain were quiet. There was no movement inside, as if they were uninhabited. Could Martial Aunt have really gone out to look for him?

Lu Yang frowned slightly and raised his voice again, his tone even louder than before, "Disciple Lu Yang requests to see Martial Aunt Chi Rong!"

This time, it finally disturbed the person inside. With a creak, one of the doors was pushed open violently. A young Disciple wearing outer Sect attire and looking sallow-faced stuck his head out, his face full of annoyance at being disturbed.

He saw Lu Yang's ordinary Outer Sect Disciple attire, and his tone carried clear reprimand. "Hey! Senior Brother! Elder Chi is seriously injured and is currently in seclusion to heal. It is strictly forbidden to disturb her! Do you not understand the rules?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang's heart tightened sharply. The news of Chi Rong's serious injury was confirmed, and worry and anxiety instantly entangled his heart like vines. He was worried that Martial Aunt's injuries would worsen, and he was even more eager to confirm her condition with his own eyes so that he could refine the most suitable Medicinal Pill for her.

Disregarding the discouragement, Lu Yang gathered his Spiritual Qi and shouted for the third time, "Disciple Lu Yang, worried about Martial Aunt's injuries, has come to visit! I implore Martial Aunt to see me!"

The sound waves rolled, shaking the gravel at the foot of the mountain slightly. The moment the shout fell—hum! The seemingly solid pale green light barrier suddenly rippled with a clear ring at its center! Immediately after, a gap silently split open in the center of the ripples, just enough for one person to pass through, as if an invisible mouth were slowly opening. Behind the gap, the purple bamboo shadows of Purple Bamboo Peak were visible.

It worked! A bright light flared in Lu Yang's eyes, and he did not hesitate for a moment. He tapped his toes on the ground, a flash of light shone from the Storage Pouch at his waist, and the Flying Sword unsheathed with a clang, hovering in front of him. He leaped onto the sword, his Spiritual Qi surged, and he transformed into a fast stream of light, passing through the opened gap, and in an instant, he disappeared into the lush bamboo forest of Purple Bamboo Peak.

The Disciple who had scolded him, along with several other companions who had stuck their heads out upon hearing the commotion, looked at each other in dismay. "The Elder... actually let this old guy in?" "Strange! The Elder hasn't even seen the Deacon Elders while recuperating these past few days!" "Shh... maybe he's a relative or an old acquaintance of the Elder?" The group watched the direction where Lu Yang had disappeared, whispering and debating endlessly.