Over the following week, everyone was busy preparing for the journey.
On the morning of departure, they gathered at the sect's gate. Both Master Gu and Qing Feng stood to bid them farewell.
"Safe journey, and may fortune be with you," Master Gu said, raising his hand in farewell. "Remember, you represent the Purple Star Sect."
Wang Fei nodded seriously. "Don't worry, Master. We will uphold our sect's reputation."
"Don't worry, I'll guard the peak and make sure the shop runs smoothly," Qing Feng said as he saw them off. "Return safely."
"Now I'm even more worried about leaving you here" Liu Yan said, casting a sarcastic glance toward Qing Feng.
Liu Yin took Liu Yan's hand. "Sister, there's no need to lose all hope in Qing Feng , he's a person you can rely on"
Everyone looked at Liu Yin for a moment in surprise. Since when did Liu Yin have such confidence in Qing Feng?
After exchanging final farewells, the group set off, leaving the Purple Star Sect behind.
After leaving the sect's territory, they purchased some horses for travel.
"I still don't understand why we can't fly using flying swords," Liu Yan grumbled as she mounted her horse, with Liu Yin sitting behind her.
"Because flying would waste our energy unnecessarily, especially on such a long journey. Additionally, some areas we'll pass through may be dangerous or have flight restrictions," Wang Fei replied patiently, holding his horse's reins.
Su Ming, who was leading the group, turned back with a smile. "Horses aren't so bad. At least we can enjoy the scenery."
Zhang Yong smiled as he mounted his horse. "And don't forget the bandits we might encounter, and the beasts as well."
After days of travel, they reached the border of another province.
The landscape began to change, and the atmosphere became colder.
"According to the map, we should cross the Tranquil Spirit Forest tomorrow," Wang Fei said, studying the map carefully. "It's said to have powerful beasts, so we need to be cautious."
"Pfft," Liu Yan scoffed. "What could be there? That forest only has fourth-rank beasts, and fifth-rank at best."
"Liu Yan, don't underestimate the danger," Wang Fei warned, advancing his horse cautiously. "The Tranquil Spirit Forest is known for its intelligent and predatory beasts. Even if their levels are fourth or fifth rank, they can pose a threat if they attack in groups."
"Meh, I'm just saying it might not be a problem. No harm in being cautious," Liu Yan said, shrugging nonchalantly.
The next morning, they entered the forest. Its trees were tall and dense, blocking most of the sunlight. The atmosphere was cold and eerily quiet.
Suddenly, Zhang Yong's horse stopped and began pawing the ground anxiously. "There's something," Zhang Yong whispered, his eyes blazing with caution.
He released his spiritual sense to scout the area and smiled calmly. "Everyone, we have company."
Suddenly, a pack of blue-furred spirit wolves emerged from among the trees, surrounding them with synchronized movements. Their eyes glowed green, and their fangs were sharp and long.
"Blue Shadow Wolves, fourth-rank beasts," Su Ming said, gripping his sword.
"Is it worth all this trouble?" Zhang Yong looked on, raising an eyebrow slightly.
The wolves approached slowly, then suddenly pounced like arrows. Zhang Yong raised his hand and burned them using the Great Sun Flame.
Liu Yan throw a fourth-rank Flood waves with a first-rank Lightning Arrow talisman
Su Ming waved his hand and released his Sword Intent precisely, cutting them down.
The wolves didn't know what hit them till their lives ended quickly
After the brief battle with the Blue Shadow Wolves, the group resumed their journey through the Tranquil Spirit Forest. Zhang Yong was leading the group since his detection abilities were the best, his red eyes constantly scanning the area with intense focus.
Zhang Yong used the Six Desire Mantra. Since this technique didn't operate on spiritual energy, it was usable.
He closed his eyes and used the Desire of Smell. Within his field of awareness, thin lines appeared in the air, each in different colors, and each scent had a distinct form.
Zhang Yong extended his nose toward the gentle, refreshing green fragrance before opening his eyes again.
"There's a rare herb nearby," Zhang Yong suddenly said, turning his horse toward the northeast. "The scent resembles Moon Star Grass."
The others perked up immediately. Even Wang Fei, who was always cautious, didn't object this time. Moon Star Grass was truly valuable and worth a slight detour.
After passing through a few dense trees, they arrived at a hidden low-lying area. At its center was a small sapphire-colored pond, emitting a cool blue mist. On the edge of the pond, a few silver herbs grew, their crescent-shaped leaves glowing with a soft light.
"It really is Moon Star Grass!" Su Ming whispered in admiration. "And it looks over five hundred years old!"
"Wait a moment," Zhang Yong stopped for a moment before looking at Su Ming. "Su Ming, use Heart of the Sword on the pond."
Su Ming didn't question it. The blind trust he had in Zhang Yong made him comply immediately. He closed his eyes, his focus sharpening, then released an invisible but sharp wave toward the pond's water.
The moment the wave touched the water's surface, the pond suddenly trembled and a high wave surged from it! From beneath the surface, a massive dorsal fin resembling a sword appeared, followed by two golden glowing eyes the size of dinner plates.
"A fifth-rank beast, huh," Wang Fei said, dismounting from his horse and charging toward the beast.
His eyes gleamed with calm determination, as black symbols began to appear on his arms, writhing like venomous serpents.
The beast, resembling a savage hybrid shark, lunged with an open mouth full of scalpel-sharp teeth. But Wang Fei did not retreat. Instead, he raised his hands, and the black symbols detached from his body, forming a network of dark energy in the air.
The energy network pounced on the beast, wrapping around it like living serpents. The moment it touched the beast, the symbols began to glow with a deep purple light, and the beast screamed in pain as its body began to rapidly decompose.
Smoke rose from where the symbols touched, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. The beast tried to resist, but the black network tightened with force, rendering it completely helpless. After moments, it stopped moving, its body turning into a charred black skeleton.
The others could only smile nervously. They had forgotten how dangerous Big Brother Wang could be when he wanted to be.
With Wang Fei possessing the acquired Heavenly Poison Body, he could store poison in his body and use it skillfully in battle.
Wang Fei bent down and began storing the herbs in his spatial pouch.
Then he walked toward the beast, took its inner core, and tossed it toward Su Ming. "There should be enough energy in this to help you break through to the tenth rank."
Su Ming caught the glowing inner core, a feeling of gratitude washing over him.
He smiled with a slight bitterness, shaking his head. "Thank you, Big Brother Wang. But I don't think I need it," he said, returning the core. "I want to advance steadily, without relying on external resources."
Wang Fei looked at Su Ming with a mixture of admiration and surprise, then nodded slowly. "I respect that. If you change your mind later, you can have it." Then he put the core back into his pouch.
Zhang Yong turned toward Su Ming, his red eyes flickering with deep understanding. "That seems like a reasonable decision."
Then the group continued on their way. Zhang Yong couldn't help but slow down to walk beside Su Ming. "So, Su Ming, what stage have you reached in the Sword Path?"
Su Ming looked at Zhang Yong and smiled. "Why don't you guess?"
Zhang Yong looked back at him with a smile of his own. The Heart of the Sword ability was a mystical power that could be perceived laterally in the Sword Path.
The Sword General back then was called a genius because he mastered it at the age of forty, and that was because he focused heavily on developing the Talisman Path compared to the sword.
But the Heart of the Sword ability was taxing, as it gathered mental energy and focused it into a single penetrating attack.
And certainly, Su Ming most likely hadn't reached the Sword Will stage, as it required transforming Sword Intent into a tangible form, but Zhang Yong hadn't seen Su Ming use it.
Zhang Yong sighed bitterly. "Seriously, you wouldn't tell me even if I guessed correctly."
Su Ming shrugged with a smile. "Well, who knows?"
"Tch, you bastard," Zhang Yong said sarcastically.
After additional days of travel, they crossed the forest without major incidents and finally reached the border of the Iron Flower Province.
Only after crossing it could they reach the Deep Truth Province where the Buddhist Sect was located.
The Emperor had allowed the Buddhist Sect to expand and settle in three provinces.
And there were no different organizations or factions under the Buddhist Sect. They all followed one path and had no divergent opinions.
"According to the map, we should reach Tianfu City before sunset today," Wang Fei said, carefully folding the map. "At least you can enjoy a comfortable bed tonight."
The group finally arrived at the high walls of Tianfu City at sunset.
"Finally!" Liu Yan said, dismounting from her horse. "I feel like my bones are going to break from all this riding."
After passing through the city's massive gate, a bustling scene opened before them.
The streets were filled with vendors and buyers, bargaining voices filling the air, and the aroma of delicious food wafting from food stalls on both sides of the road.
Red lanterns hung everywhere, illuminating the city with a warm glow as darkness fell.
"Let's first find an inn to rest," Wang Fei said, leading the group through the crowd.
After a few minutes of searching, they found an inn that looked clean and quiet. They entered to find an old man sitting behind the counter.
"Rooms for five, please," Wang Fei said to the man.
The old man looked at the group over his glasses. "Two double rooms and one single room. Cost is 10 spirit stones per room per night."
Wang Fei paid the fee, and the rooms weren't really bad. They were clean, although they were just third-rank rooms. After settling into their rooms, they met downstairs for dinner.
The dining hall was full of other guests, mostly travelers and merchants.
They chose a table in the corner, and Wang Fei ordered several dishes and a jug of wine.
As they ate and chatted about the journey and the upcoming event, a group of large-built men entered the inn, appearing to be drunk.
They were chattering loudly and walking in a staggering manner. One of them, a large man with a scar on his cheek, bumped into a nearby table without apologizing.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" said a merchant sitting at the table the man had hit.
"What did you say?" The large man turned toward him with eyes clouded by alcohol. "Do you want trouble?"
The merchant raised his hands in retreat, indicating he didn't want any trouble.
The scarred large man, completely drunk, stumbled back after bumping into the merchant's table.
In his unsteady retreat, he collided forcefully with Zhang Yong and his team's table, causing the wine bottle Zhang Yong had been enjoying to fall and shatter on the ground, scattering shards and red liquid everywhere.
Silence fell for a moment. Zhang Yong slowly looked at his empty hand, then at the puddle forming on the floor, and finally at the large man who was trying to regain his balance.
Zhang Yong's red eyes, calm moments before, now gleamed with sharp coldness.
Then, in an instant, he smiled. "Hello. Aren't you going to apologize for what you just did?"
The scarred man looked at Zhang Yong with a defiant gaze, his heavy alcohol-laden breath filling the air. "Apologize? Me? To a kid who hasn't even grown hair yet?" He laughed loudly and mockingly.
Zhang Yong raised his hand calmly, wiping a drop of wine from his face. "Just a Grand Master realm? Yes. You. Now."
The innkeeper, a slender old man, rushed toward them anxiously. "Please, gentlemen, no trouble here. I'll bring you a new bottle of wine for free."
Zhang Yong looked at the old man and smiled. "I'll accept the offer. I won't cause any problems without reason."
The slender young man accompanying the large man appeared worried. "Big brother, maybe we should apologize and leave..."
"Shut up!" The large man roared, pushing the young man away. Then he looked at Zhang Yong with contempt. "And who do you think you are to speak to me that way?"
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yong moved.
Almost no one saw how he transitioned from sitting to standing before the large man. His right hand was extended, holding a sharp shard of the wine bottle in front of the man. "Brother Wang Fei, I don't expect you to stop me. I wanted to avoid a fight, but he insists."
But before Zhang Yong could move, Wang Fei's hand was already on his shoulder. "Not here," Wang Fei whispered in a low but firm voice. "Killing is forbidden inside the city. The penalty is permanent expulsion."
Zhang Yong froze for a moment, his red eyes still fixed on the large man, who was now beginning to show confusion after realizing the seriousness of the situation.
"Fine," Zhang Yong finally said, smiling again, though the coldness in his eyes hadn't disappeared. He dropped the shard in his hand. "It seems luck is on your side today."
He turned to the innkeeper. "A new bottle of wine, please."
After the atmosphere calmed, they returned to their table while the other group quickly left the inn, the large man looking more unsettled now that the alcohol's effect had partially worn off.
"That was close," Su Ming said, drinking from his cup. "I didn't know about the no-killing law."
"It's a strict law in most major cities," Wang Fei explained. "Especially those directly under the imperial provinces. The guards here aren't just for show."
Zhang Yong nodded, examining the new bottle. "Yes. But just in case something happens tomorrow, I'll handle it alone."
No one commented on that, but everyone understood the implication. Those individuals weren't alone. Most likely, they belonged to some gang. And if Zhang Yong's suspicions were correct, they would cross paths with them tomorrow.