94: Chapter 94 Riding the Wind on a Sword!

Valley Master Yan Shuyao felt the warm touch on the back of her hand, and a hint of imperceptible redness welled up in her eyes, which were as clear and flowing as water.

She had always known how to conduct herself; as the former Valley Revered Master of Medicine Valley and now the chief steward of the Immortal Mansion, she did not need to display too much of a young girl's demeanor in front of thousands of Outer Sect Disciples.

She obediently withdrew her hand from Gu Yi's palm and stepped back half a pace, completely returning all authority and the leading position to the tall man in the green shirt before her.

The Grand Elder and several high-level members of Medicine Valley stood to the side, watching the naturally intimate interaction between the two, and lowered their eyes one after another, though they could not hide the smiles in their eyes.

Gu Yi turned around, his deep gaze slowly sweeping over the sea of green Daoist robes covering the plaza.

Thousands of Medicine Valley Disciples held their breath and stood straight, gazing with a near-fanatical reverence at this peerless Prodigy who had quelled the demonic disaster in Sword King City with his own strength and even captured the heart of their own Valley Revered Master.

"Everyone."

Gu Yi did not use an overwhelming amount of True Essence, yet his calm voice, like the morning bell and evening drum, fell clearly into the ears of everyone present.

"The path of cultivation is long and fraught with obstacles. The journey to the Great Wilderness is unpredictable, so I, Gu, shall bid you all farewell here today. I hope you will all devote yourselves to the Dao of Alchemy and cultivate diligently within Medicine Valley; do not let your talent and the Sect's heritage go to waste."

These parting words fell into the ears of the Medicine Valley Disciples as if they were some kind of sacred decree.

It was unknown who stepped forward first, folded their hands, and bowed deeply.

"Respectfully sending off Young Master Gu!"

Immediately following this, like wind blowing through wheat waves, thousands of Disciples on both sides of the plaza bowed in unison. The uniform shouting gathered into a wave of sound, shooting straight into the clouds and echoing for a long time among the mountains of Medicine Valley.

"Respectfully sending off Young Master Gu! Wishing Young Master great martial fortune and a triumphant return!"

After bidding farewell to the outer Sect members, Gu Yi turned to look at the Immortal Mansion's gateway, which was still shimmering with ripples in the void.

For the tenth-tier "creation holy lotus" in the Qingqiu of the Great Wilderness, this trip was imperative.

The Great Wilderness was not like the Central Plains; it was a truly barbaric land, filled with poisonous miasma and rampant with high-tier Yao Beasts.

If he brought everyone from his inner circle along, not only would it be difficult to manage everything, but the Xumi Immortal Mansion, this massive base, would also be left defenseless.

Gu Yi's thoughts stirred slightly, and he sent a secret sound transmission, delivering several instructions into the courtyard of the Immortal Mansion's main hall.

"Revered Master, I have left the formation hub jade token of the Immortal Mansion on the desk in the main hall. For these next few days, I will have to trouble you to hold the fort here. With you, a top-tier combatant at the Deity Transformation Mid-Stage, suppressing the formation, and with Hongxiao guarding the perimeter, I can leave with peace of mind."

A few moments later, Fei Yuechan's voice, carrying a touch of coolness and pride, came from within the Immortal Mansion's gateway.

"This Seat knows. Do not try to fob me off with these pleasantries. In a place like the Great Wilderness, even the Laws of Heaven and Earth are incomplete; even though you have now broken through to the Nascent Soul Peak, you must not act recklessly. If you encounter an invincible old monster, use the Heart-Link Treasure Mirror to send a message immediately; do not be like you were at Sword King City..."

By the end, Fei Yuechan's voice lowered slightly, clearly recalling the tragic sight of Gu Yi vomiting blood and nearly dying that day to block a fatal blow for her, her words filled with deep heartache and lingering fear.

"Disciple will keep Revered Master's teachings in mind."

Gu Yi responded with a smile, then his gaze passed through the gateway and landed on two other figures.

"Elder Liu Qingwan, Senior Sister Mu Qingxue, the two of you will accompany me to the Great Wilderness."

This arrangement was the result of Gu Yi's careful deliberation.

As a Sword Cultivator at the Deity Transformation Mid-Stage, Liu Qingwan had rich practical combat experience, and her personality was lazy and casual; having her by his side was not only an excellent top-tier combat force but also a delightful companion for the journey.

As for Senior Sister Mu Qingxue, she was simple-minded, cool, and introverted. Having been quite frightened by the events at Sword King City over the past few days, leaving her in the Immortal Mansion would only make her worry day and night. It was better to bring her along to look after her personally, and incidentally, let her see the vast world beyond the Central Plains.

As for Junior Sister Lin Wanying, that girl's cultivation was still shallow; leaving her in the Immortal Mansion to help Valley Master Yan Shuyao tend to the medicine garden and consolidate her Realm was the safest path.

Accompanied by two light sounds of breaking through the air.

Liu Qingwan, in a dark red robe, and Senior Sister Mu Qingxue, in a light blue dress, stepped out one after the other from the Immortal Mansion's boundary gateway and landed steadily by Gu Yi's side.

Liu Qingwan stretched, took off the wine gourd hanging at her waist, and her peach-blossom eyes revealed a lazy smile, as if she hadn't yet slept off her hangover.

"Although the Great Wilderness is desolate, I hear that the Ancient Tree Monkey Wine brewed there is quite good. I'll just consider this a long trip to keep you company and relax a bit."

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue was not as casual as Liu Qingwan.

She stood properly beside Gu Yi, her fair, jade-like fingers gripping the sword hilt tightly.

Although she was about to head to the legendary, perilous barbaric land, as long as she could stand beside her Junior Brother, a sense of solid security welled up in her heart.

Gu Yi extended his right hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and formed a simple, clean sword seal.

"Zheng—"

A clear, high-pitched sword hum suddenly rang out, soaring straight into the high heavens like a Dragon's roar.

The Pure Yang True Essence in Gu Yi's Dantian surged out along his Meridians. A long sword, its entire body shimmering with a faint green light, flew out from his storage ring and hovered in mid-air.

Accompanied by the infusion of True Essence, this green long sword expanded rapidly in the wind.

The sword body, which was originally only three feet long, transformed in the blink of an eye into a giant Flying Sword over a zhang long and as wide as a door panel. On the sword body, ancient defensive runes faintly flickered, exuding a heavy and sharp aura.

"Let's go."

The hem of Gu Yi's green shirt was whipped up by the wind; he tapped his toes lightly on the ground, and his whole body, like a light falling leaf, drifted steadily onto the wide hilt of the sword.

Liu Qingwan chuckled, her figure turning into a red afterimage as she landed directly at the tail end of the Flying Sword. Without any airs of an expert, she sat cross-legged, leaned back comfortably, skillfully pulled the stopper from her wine gourd, and tilted her head back to take a swig of strong liquor.

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue took a deep breath, executed her movement technique, and landed lightly beside Gu Yi. She put away her own sword, clasped her hands in front of her, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Gu Yi.

The three stood firm, and the sword seal in Gu Yi's hand changed abruptly.

"Rise!"

The giant green sword hovering in mid-air emitted a low hum, and the air around the sword body was compressed by the powerful True Essence, creating a visible layer of white air waves.

Immediately after, the Flying Sword turned into a brilliant green meteor, rising from the ground and shooting straight into the sky.

Thousands of Disciples on the Medicine Valley plaza looked up, watching that green sword light quickly recede from their sight until it was just a tiny dot of light, their eyes filled with longing and awe.

That elegant demeanor of riding the wind on a sword, traveling to the Northern Sea in the morning and the Cangwu in the evening, was the initial dream that had set them on the path of cultivation.

In mid-air, the wind howled.

As the Flying Sword continued to climb, the mountains, rivers, cities, and villages below shrank at an extremely fast speed, eventually turning into mottled color patches on the ground.

The gale at high altitude was as cold and sharp as a knife, buffeting the outer perimeter of the Flying Sword.

Gu Yi's thoughts stirred, and a robust surge of Nascent Soul Peak True Essence spread out from the soles of his feet, extending along the sword body to form a translucent True Essence barrier around the three of them.

Once the barrier was formed, the deafening sound of the wind outside was instantly isolated, leaving only a faint rustling sound. Inside the barrier, it was as warm as spring, and not even a single strand of hair would be blown out of place.

The Flying Sword continued to climb upward, plunging into the thick clouds without any obstruction.

The surroundings were instantly shrouded in white mist, obscuring their vision. But this mist only lasted for a dozen or so breaths.

Accompanied by a slight sonic boom, the green Flying Sword, like a butterfly breaking from its cocoon, completely pierced through the thick sea of clouds and arrived above the clouds.

The view before them suddenly cleared.

It was dusk, and a huge setting sun hung on the distant horizon. The vast, boundless sea of clouds, illuminated by the setting sun, was dyed a brilliant orange-red. The clouds rolled, like a boiling golden ocean, magnificent to the extreme.

This breathtaking scenery, which could only be appreciated above the clouds, left the three people on the Flying Sword in a moment of brief tranquility.

Liu Qingwan sat at the tail end of the Flying Sword, sipping the spirit wine from her gourd, one mouthful at a time.

The spicy aroma of the wine slowly spread within the True Essence barrier, mixing with the unique moisture of the clouds, brewing a distinct, tipsy atmosphere. She narrowed her peach-blossom eyes, looking at the two figures—one green, one blue—standing side by side in front, and a lazy arc curved at the corner of her mouth.

Gu Yi stood at the hilt of the sword with his hands behind his back, his deep gaze fixed on the direction of the end of the sea of clouds.

The Great Wilderness was the territory occupied by the Yao Race and ancient tribes, possessing survival Laws completely different from those of the Central Plains.

He separated a wisp of his Divine Sense and sank it deep into his Sea of Consciousness.

Within that piece of soul nourishing wood emitting a faint light, the enchanting remnant soul of Ji Meier at the Dao Integration Stage was quietly lying dormant. Gu Yi could clearly perceive that this great being, who was usually full of bawdy talk and full of charm, was currently filled with an undisguisable excitement and anticipation.

The tenth-tier "creation holy lotus" was a rare treasure of heaven and earth that could allow her to reshape a perfect body and truly see the light of day again.

Gu Yi would definitely do what he had promised her.

"The journey ahead is still long; if Senior Sister is tired, you can sit and meditate for a while."

Gu Yi withdrew his thoughts, did not turn his head, but softened his voice and gave a gentle instruction to Senior Sister Mu Qingxue beside him.

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue shook her head gently, her light blue skirt swaying slightly within the barrier. She did not speak, but silently moved half an inch closer to Gu Yi's side, the fabric of their shoulders almost touching.

The green Flying Sword drew a long trail across the golden sea of clouds.