Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
Yong Ji was well-recognized by many as a high-level expert from the sect, and specifically one from the main peak of the sect, second only to the Grand Elder in status.
These low-level cultivators didn't follow Mi Xiaojing's team out of admiration; it was simply too dangerous outside. Traveling alone meant facing a high chance of being robbed by rogue cultivators—up to 80 or 90 percent—and a fifty percent chance of being killed. They had no choice but to seek protection from the powerful, finding safety in numbers.
Qi Refining cultivators were extremely weak in the Cultivation World, practically prey for the strong. They had to be exceedingly cautious to avoid danger. These cultivators from the sects had never seen the outside world's cruelty. Their initial excitement quickly turned to shock when they experienced robbery and murder, leaving them helpless and in agony for the first time.
Mi Xiaojing said, "Let's not rush off today. Rest up, and we'll set off tomorrow."
The journey back had been relentless, without a moment's rest, leaving everyone utterly exhausted. Mi Xiaojing didn't want to push to the point of complete fatigue. Maintaining peak condition was a concern for every cultivator.
Yong Ji took one corner, Yang Shan another, and Mi Xiaojing, Tian Cang, and Guan Shangli took the third, forming a triangle. Luo Bo, with the others, sat in the middle, with him and Li Huai responsible for everyone's safety.
The other low-level cultivators from the Heart Sect huddled together outside, a classic case of sticking together for warmth.
As soon as Mi Xiaojing sat down, he began to regulate his breathing and absorb the starlight. His cultivation had been irregular lately, and having just advanced to the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage, he needed time to consolidate his power. This was one of the main reasons he didn't want to leave immediately, though he knew the sooner they left, the better.
After accumulating the power of the Starry Sky, Mi Xiaojing began to silently recite the true words, a habit of his.
At dawn, Mi Xiaojing, Luo Bo, Mu Xiaoyin, and a few others climbed a tree and faced east to breathe in and absorb the Qianyang purple qi.
This was a technique unique to Mi Xiaojing, which Luo Bo, Mu Xiaoyin, and others, including Zhang Ke, had learned. Some could absorb only a breath or two, while Mi Xiaojing could take in seven or eight breaths of Qianyang purple qi.
What delighted Mi Xiaojing most was that the Qianyang purple qi could perfectly merge with the power of the Starry Sky, even refining it to a purer state.
The Qianyang purple qi and the power of the Starry Sky complemented each other.
After completing their cultivation, the group descended from the tree, leaving Yong Ji and the others utterly confused. They had no idea that Mi Xiaojing and his group were absorbing Qianyang purple qi, a method of cultivation rarely known except to a few high-level cultivators.
Mi Xiaojing said, "Elder Yong, go ask around and see who wants to come with us. But keep the numbers in check, we can't take too many."
Yong Ji nodded and said, "No problem, I'll find out." He wouldn't go himself but waved over Guan Shangli and instructed, "You go ask who wants to come, and remember to limit the numbers. We have limited space."
Guan Shangli asked, "Yes, Elder, but how many can we take?"
Mi Xiaojing replied, "About thirty, no more than that. "
As Guan Shangli turned to leave, a whooshing sound came from the sky, drawing everyone's attention upward.
A hundred-meter-long mid-sized Flying Boat swiftly passed overhead, causing a whooshing sound and stirring the surrounding trees with the wind it generated.
Mi Xiaojing squinted at the sky and asked, "Which sect's Flying Boat is that?"
Yong Ji asked, "Did you see the emblem at the front of the boat?"
"I didn't notice, couldn't see it clearly!"
Yong Ji was exasperated and explained, "It's a Spirit Horse, from the Spirit Horse Sect of the Green Source Plains."
"A Spirit Horse is no ordinary horse, not one for pulling carts or plowing fields, but a creature with spirit, capable of low flight," Wang Weijun explained from the Heart Tower.
"Can fly? Does a Spirit Horse have wings?"
Mi Xiaojing had always thought only animals with wings could fly.
"Do you have wings? Can you fly?"
Mi Xiaojing instantly understood. No wonder they said the horse had spirit; it could fly without wings, just like a cultivator. However, a Spirit Horse couldn't fly high. Its so-called flight was more like long leaps, covering hundreds of meters in a single bound, which was quite frightening.
"How odd, what's the Spirit Horse Sect doing here?"
Someone pointed to the sky and shouted, "They're coming back!"
The expressions of Yong Ji, Yang Shan, and Mi Xiaojing darkened.
Luo Bo was still confused and asked, "What's wrong?"
Mi Xiaojing said, "If they went past and came back, it means one thing: they're interested in us."
Luo Bo became excited and said, "Are we going to fight?"
Mi Xiaojing patted his head and replied, "Don't always think about fighting. I hope they're not here to provoke us." He finally saw the Spirit Horse emblem at the front of the Flying Boat, but it was too abstract for him to discern the true form of a Spirit Horse.
A simple figure of a horse with just a few lines, and nothing else discernible.
The hundred-meter-long Flying Boat hovered above them, and a portal opened instantly, with about ten people flying out.
The atmosphere immediately tensed.
Mi Xiaojing whispered, "Is this sect very powerful?"
Yong Ji casually replied, "They're slightly inferior to our Heart Sect. Their high-level combatants are decent, but their disciples are much weaker. The plains have fewer people, so they have even fewer disciples to train. On the Green Source Plains, they're the tyrants and act very domineering."
Mi Xiaojing's heart skipped a beat, sensing trouble.
The cultivators landed, and Mi Xiaojing watched closely. After a moment, Wang Weijun reminded him, "There are no Elemental Infant stage cultivators, the strongest is at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage."
There were four other Foundation Establishment cultivators: two at the early stage, one at the mid-stage, and one at the late stage—a total of five Foundation Establishment cultivators, with the rest being at the Qi Refining stage.
Mi Xiaojing breathed a sigh of relief. If there had been an Elemental Infant stage cultivator among them, they would have been in real trouble. Even with his Poison Lotus and the Qingmu Formation, he couldn't defeat an Elemental Infant stage master.
Facing only Foundation Establishment cultivators, he felt a bit more confident. After all, Yong Ji and Yang Shan, two Foundation Establishment cultivators, were with them.
With Mi Xiaojing's Qingmu Formation and Poison Lotus, there was some hope against Foundation Establishment cultivators. He remained calm, waiting to see what these people wanted.
Mi Xiaojing's group was divided into two: his own and the low-level cultivators who had followed along the way. Seeing a group of experts descend from the sky, they too were frightened and instinctively ran towards Mi Xiaojing's side.
The leading cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage landed right in front of Yong Ji. His sharp eyes quickly discerned that Yong Ji had the highest cultivation level among them, so naturally, he approached him first for a talk.