Ghost Moon Valley, not far from Shu Mountain Sword Sect, was merely a thousand li away.
However, with over a hundred disciples traveling together in groups, their pace was naturally slow.
It took a full five days for everyone to finally reach Ghost Moon Valley.
The journey was smooth sailing, with no unexpected incidents.
Not to mention the three Elders from Shu Mountain Sword Sect leading the team, the hundred disciples alone were not to be trifled with, each a master of sword techniques. Who would dare provoke them?
Even an army of thousands would pale in comparison to this group of Shu Mountain disciples.
It was like slicing through melons and vegetables!
Thus, such an impressive procession from Shu Mountain Sword Sect could march unimpeded wherever they went!
Upon arrival at Ghost Moon Valley, the members of the Limitless Sword Sect had already gathered, followed by the Kunlun Sword Sect the next day.
Meng Fan, amidst the crowd from Kunlun Sword Sect, unexpectedly spotted Jiang Poyue again.
However, Jiang Poyue, being a cultivator at the Condensation Pill Realm, was restricted from entering the Demon Realm, which was a bit of a pity.
Otherwise, Meng Fan could have taken the opportunity to thoroughly teach that bastard a lesson in the Demon Realm!
What surprised Meng Fan next was that upon the arrival of the Kunlun Sword Sect, Liu Yanping, also appeared in Ghost Moon Valley.
Clearly, she had followed the Kunlun Sword Sect here.
After Liu Yanping arrived at Ghost Moon Valley, she headed straight for the Shu Mountain Sword Sect's group.
She searched around and, upon seeing Meng Fan, immediately rushed over.
"Why did you come with the people from Kunlun Sword Sect?" Meng Fan asked Liu Yanping, a bit puzzled.
Her presence here wasn't strange.
She had mentioned before that although her grandfather disapproved of her leaving Shu Mountain to go to the Demon Realm, she would sneak away and secretly join up with Shu Mountain's main force.
Meng Fan thought she would stealthily follow them, so how did she end up with the Kunlun Sword Sect?
Liu Yanping wore a helpless expression and said with a wry smile, "Don't even mention it. After you all left Shu Mountain, my grandfather kept a tight watch on me. It wasn't until the next day that I found a chance to slip away, and by then I couldn't catch up with you.
Luckily, I had previously heard that the three sects would meet in Ghost Moon Valley, so I headed straight there.
But Ghost Moon Valley is so vast, I couldn't find you at all.
Fortunately, I ran into the people from Kunlun Sword Sect today and followed them here to find you!"
Meng Fan chuckled wryly, feeling that Liu Yanping was really going out of her way. Wouldn't it be better to just stay put and cultivate peacefully within Shu Mountain Sword Sect?
Elder Lin, standing nearby, said to Liu Yanping, "Little Liu, your name isn't on the roster for the Demon Realm mission. Sneaking away from your grandfather won't do you any good; you still can't enter the Demon Realm!"
Elder Lin, after all, was one of the leading Elders of the Shu Mountain disciples on this mission, and he had his responsibilities to uphold.
Liu Yanping immediately replied with pride, "Who says my name isn't there? I registered well in advance."
Saying so, she produced a token, a special token issued only to those participating in the Demon Realm mission.
Elder Lin looked at her token and fell silent.
Since she followed the proper procedure, he didn't bother to meddle further.
Meng Fan curiously asked, "Didn't you say you were grounded by your grandfather and had no chance to register?"
"Being grounded just meant I couldn't go out, not that I couldn't see anyone. A few extra Spirit Stones to ask someone else to register for me did the trick," Liu Yanping casually replied.
Alright, Meng Fan had no more questions.
Money talks, a simple truth that everyone understands.
Elder Lin quietly pulled Meng Fan aside, clearly having something to say.
"Master, what's the matter?" Meng Fan asked curiously.
"Since this Little Liu insists on entering the Demon Realm, try to look after her when you're inside, and don't let her die there," Elder Lin whispered.
"Master, do you have ties with Elder Liu?" Meng Fan asked in surprise.
Liu Yanping had spent so much time in the Sword Pavilion, and Elder Lin often mentioned her, but he never said he had any connection with Elder Liu.
Elder Lin rolled his eyes and said, "Liu Qingyuan treasures his precious granddaughter. If you look after Little Liu in the Demon Realm, I can use that to leverage a deal with him when we return.
You're getting stronger and stronger in your cultivation, and I'm not going to let you squander all my savings.
That old man Liu Qingyuan, as an Elder of the Alchemy Hall, is quite wealthy, perfect for subsidizing you.
Plus, if you take care of his granddaughter, it's only right for him to take care of you, isn't it?"
Meng Fan chuckled and nodded, "Right!"
In fact, even if Elder Lin hadn't mentioned it, he would have taken care of Liu Yanping in the Demon Realm anyway.
After all, she was one of the few friends he had in Shu Mountain Sword Sect.
Well, saying 'one of the few' might even be a stretch.
Apart from Liu Yanping, he didn't really have any friends in Shu Mountain Sword Sect.
If he had to count…
Senior Disciple Luo counted as one?
Senior Disciple Jin, maybe half?
As for Li Xuerou, she wasn't a friend; she was a sister!
After chatting with Elder Lin, Meng Fan returned to find Liu Yanping and Li Xuerou chatting animatedly.
These two young ladies, originally strangers to each other, had become good friends because of Meng Fan, the "middleman."
"Tomorrow at noon, when the Yang Qi is strongest, we will open the entrance to the Demon Realm. Prepare yourselves well, and then you can directly enter the Demon Realm," Elder Lin told the trio of Meng Fan.
The other two Elders from Shu Mountain Sword Sect were very attentive to all the disciples, giving instructions to each one.
But Elder Lin only cared about Meng Fan, not bothering with the others.
Even Li Xuerou and Liu Yanping, if not for being by Meng Fan's side, he wouldn't have bothered to ask after them.
That night, many were too excited to sleep, eagerly anticipating the journey into the Demon Realm.
For most, this mission, this venture, was incredibly thrilling.
Although many had left their Clan for training before, none of those experiences came with such a grand scale!
***
The next day, at noon.
The Elders from the three sects gathered to open the entrance to the Demon Realm.
This Demon Realm was a peculiar space, both part of and independent from the Tianyuan Grand World.
Moments later, a special gate shimmering with ripples appeared in the midst of Ghost Moon Valley.
"Remember, this passage can only be maintained for one month. Once you enter, make sure to keep track of time. You must return here after a month!" the Elders emphasized once again.
They had already stressed this point countless times before, but they couldn't help reiterating it at this moment.
This was the most crucial matter; if the passage closed, everyone would be trapped in the Demon Realm.
However, even if trapped, it wouldn't be a big issue!
Opening this passage wasn't particularly difficult. If someone did get trapped inside, the sects would continue to send people in to search, then agree on a time to bring them out.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
Recheck: Lotas