Chapter 70 – Spirit Beast: Everyone Goes Out to Eat Together

On the day when disciples of the Four Great Sects were to depart, they all gathered at the Main Peak. According to tradition, the main formation team would go first, followed by the chief disciple team.

The open area on the Main Peak was packed with people. The chief disciple teams of the Four Great Sects hadn’t left yet and were standing in their respective camps, waiting for the Silver Kite to shuttle them.

Sword cultivators could travel by flying sword directly,

but none of the chief disciples left early.

The second-seat team of the Returning Immortal Sect had Luo Qianxue flying off first by sword, leaving behind the second-seat talisman cultivator and Lian Mu. Qu Ruotian chose to stay with the talisman cultivator, so she didn’t follow either.

Lian Mu mingled with the chief disciple team and chatted with Xu Xianxing.

“You haven’t come to find me for meals lately—what’s keeping you so busy?” Xu Xianxing, wrapped in a big fox-fur coat, sidled over to whisper.

Lian Mu replied, “No money, no time… Let me ask you something. Do you know of any magical beasts that get stronger after eating other magical beast materials?”

“Magical beasts eating magical beasts?” Xu Xianxing looked puzzled. “Where did you hear that? Beasts of the seven elements don’t eat their own kind—doing so would lead to backlash.”

Lian Mu: “?”

She had always thought Green Bean was a small magical beast. If that were true, what else could it be?

“Then is there anything that does eat magical beasts?” Lian Mu pressed.

Xu Xianxing thought for a moment and said, “Yes, but they’re probably extinct. Thousands of years ago, many spirit beasts, after being injured and going dormant, would wake up and hunt magical beast cubs to eat. But spirit beasts have long been extinct—no one’s seen one.”

“Spirit beasts ate magical beasts… and went extinct?” Lian Mu didn’t get it. “Did they also suffer backlash?”

Xu Xianxing nodded. “If low-grade ones ate high-grade ones, yes. But most spirit beasts were wiped out by the demon race. The demon clan’s artifact refiners loved to use spirit beasts in forging. You just entered recently, right? Haven’t heard of the demon race?”

Seeing the look on his face—“If you want to know, beg me”—Lian Mu knew his flair for dramatics was acting up again. “Just tell me.”

“It’s not like it’s a secret. Anyone with a little experience knows this,” Xu Xianxing said. “A few thousand years ago, it wasn’t as peaceful as it is now. Back then, not only were there magical beasts, but also demon clans tainted by the Filth Qi. This Filth Qi warped people’s minds but also made them stronger. Many cultivators couldn’t resist the temptation and fell into demonic ways.”

“The demons were brutal and bloodthirsty. For a time, they even overwhelmed orthodox cultivators. They had their own sect—Black Abyss. Their rampant behavior caused chaos across the world, and eventually, they were wiped out by the then-number-one sect, the Penglai Sect. The Penglai Sect’s elders and disciples gave their all to perish together with Black Abyss to eliminate them.”

Lian Mu: “There was another sect besides the Four Great Sects? The Penglai Sect?”

“There used to be, but not anymore. The Penglai Sect even competed in the grand Immortal Sect Tournament with the Returning Immortal Sect. Back then, they were the undisputed number one. After their fall, the Returning Immortal Sect rose to prominence. The Azure Profound Sect was just starting out at that time,” Xu Xianxing said mysteriously.

“The Crimson Sky Sect was founded by the surviving disciples of Penglai. They carry the legacy and glory of Penglai, which is why they act so fearlessly now. Too many people revered them in the past. It wasn’t until the current sect master Chongyang took over that they started stirring up trouble for rankings, even messing with the Azure Profound Sect. Yet no one dared say anything.”

Lian Mu looked over at the Crimson Sky Sect. Every one of them wore an expression of arrogant superiority.

She turned back to the main topic. “Is it possible—I mean, just possible—that some spirit beasts still exist?”

“Unlikely,” Xu Xianxing said. “Why are you looking for a spirit beast?”

Lian Mu: “…Nothing really. I just read something in the library and got curious.”

In truth, she now suspected Green Bean might be a baby spirit beast.

No wonder the people from Flying Sea Pavilion (Feihai Pavilion) wanted to buy it at a glance. Good thing she refused, or she’d have suffered a huge loss.

Lian Mu fell silent, already planning how much to raise Green Bean’s price once they reached Vermilion South.

Things quieted down. After the Azure Profound Sect’s main formation team left, their chief team followed.

Green Bean, hiding in Lian Mu’s sleeve, stirred slightly. Its head poked out, gazing at the sword cultivators in the sky.

“Don’t move,” Lian Mu warned it. “If you bite someone else’s sword again, I’ll throw you out.”

“Who are you talking to?” Wen Yun had come over as well.

Lian Mu looked unbothered. “Talking to myself.”

The Crimson Sky Sect and Azure Profound Sect left together, while the Returning Immortal Sect and Clear Thought Sect boarded the Silver Kite.

The chief disciple teams from both sects were forced to walk together. Neither side spoke, each keeping to themselves.

Most of the Clear Thought Sect’s chief disciples were calm and restrained—except for one, Shen Wuxie. When he saw Wen Yun and Lian Mu in the chief team, he couldn’t hold back.

In the second-seat team, Baili Yu also glared at Lian Mu with open hostility.

Shen Wuxie had never forgotten being ignored last time. He now fully regarded these two from the Returning Immortal Sect as enemies.

Lian Mu naturally noticed two people staring at her. Casually, she moved to stand beside the chief team and exchanged glances with her allies.

Xu Xianxing silently drifted toward the Clear Thought Sect side. The others followed suit, until both teams were nearly mingled together.

Clear Thought Sect disciples: “?”

“You Returning Immortal folks let your second-seat disciples come out without swords? So lax, and yet she still gets to be second-seat? What kind of sect is—”

Shen Wuxie had just opened his mouth when he suddenly felt a bump on his shoulder. The ground was slick with snow—he nearly lost his footing.

Lian Mu squeezed next to him. Baili Que immediately understood and bumped forward, Ji Mingyue tripped him from behind, and Xu Xianxing shouted—

“Ah!”

Everyone turned around to see Shen Wuxie fall into the icy lake nearby.

The Clear Thought Sect leader and other chief disciples looked back and saw Shen Wuxie flailing in the water, momentarily confused about what had just happened.

Guan Huailin turned and realized none of his teammates were behind him—instead, they were standing with Clear Thought Sect. He was stunned.

Wen Yun immediately reached out to haul Shen Wuxie up. “Oh dear, Young Master Shen—watch your step on slippery ice in this cold weather.”

He patted Shen Wuxie’s back vigorously. Soaked and shivering, Shen Wuxie started coughing violently from the pounding.

“You… you all…!”

Tang Wuxun looked over and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Wen Yun smacked him again, rendering him speechless. “He almost drowned just now. Luckily, my friend and I noticed in time. In weather this cold, what would we do if Young Master Shen froze?”

That “Young Master Shen” made Tang Wuxun instantly realize what was going on. Obviously, they had pushed Shen Wuxie into the lake.

Tang Wuxun pressed his lips together. With only two chief teams left—Crimson Sky and Azure Profound already gone—and no elders present, no one had seen what happened.

Tang Wuxun took a deep breath and forced a polite smile. “Then we must thank our fellow cultivators.”

Lian Mu said, “No need to thank us. Better get him checked before he catches a chill.”

Baili Yu in the second-seat team: “!”

Shen Wuxie finally finished coughing out the water, his teeth chattering. “Tang Wuxun! They’re bullying me, and you’re thanking them?!”

Guan Huailin was starting to understand. Shen Wuxie, enraged and ready to retaliate, was yanked back by him, protected behind his junior brother and sister.

“What makes you say we bullied you?”

“They deliberately came over to our side, and now you’re asking why? Obviously it was you all!”

His outburst drew attention, even from the disciples already aboard the Silver Kite, who turned to look back.

Guan Huailin raised an eyebrow. “So just walking the wrong way accidentally means they pushed you into the water? Who saw it happen?”

The Clear Thought Sect side fell into silence. They were already used to Shen Wuxie’s daily tantrums and usually didn’t bother to pay him any attention—who would’ve thought he’d be the one to suffer this time?

With Shen Wuxie’s status alone, hardly anyone dared to touch him.

Tang Wuxun looked a bit embarrassed. “Everyone, let’s calm down. We can talk this through.”

Lian Mu: “Then you talk first.”

Tang Wuxun: “…”

What was he even supposed to say?

“Shen Wuxie, get back in line. Stop making a scene,” Tang Wuxun said sternly.

At just a glance from him, Shen Wuxie bit his lip and rolled his eyes. After a long moment, he finally gave in and returned to his team, soaking wet.

Wen Yun grinned. “Take care on your way back, Young Master Shen.”

Guan Huailin added, “Alright, you all get back in line too. No stirring up trouble on the road.”

Despite his words, Guan Huailin knew in his heart that these younger disciples weren’t the type to start fights with outsiders—especially not with disciples from other sects. It had to be that Shen Wuxie stirred things up first.

After speaking, he looked specifically at Lian Mu. “Junior Sister, protect yourself well in the next illusion trial. Both Crimson Sky Sect and Clear Thought Sect are not to be underestimated.”

Lian Mu: “Don’t worry. If I can’t beat them, I’ll run. My life comes first.”

Guan Huailin gave her a warm smile. “You’ve become more agile than before. After the Immortal Sect Tournament is over, I’d like to treat you to a meal, catch up a little?”

Lian Mu’s heart skipped a beat. What was there to reminisce about all of a sudden?

She was just about to refuse when Xu Xianxing draped an arm over her shoulder. “Senior Brother Guan’s treating us? I want in!”

Wen Yun came over at the sound of it. “Count me in too.”

Baili Que hesitated. “…I guess I’ll come too?”

Ji Mingyue was speechless. These people really had no sense of subtlety.

Guan Huailin froze for a second, then smiled. “Sure, let’s all go together. Junior Sister Ji, will you join us?”

Ji Mingyue glanced at Lian Mu, whose gaze was unreadable. She replied, “Since everyone’s going, I wouldn’t want to be left out.”

In the end, Lian Mu also dragged Guan Shize along. “Senior Brother, this is my friend. He’d like to come too.”

There was no way she was going to reminisce with Guan Huailin alone. That’d just risk exposing herself. The more people, the better—it’d be total chaos, which was exactly what she wanted.

Guan Shize was totally confused. “…When did I say that?”

Lian Mu pinched him. Guan Shize’s eyes widened, then he declared, with firm resolve, “Yes! Senior Brother, I’d love to come!”

Lian Mu: “…”

Guan Huailin paused briefly, still smiling. “…Alright then.”

Time to depart. Guan Huailin turned and mounted his sword, leading the way. Xu Xianxing piloted the Silver Kite, with the rest seated onboard.

Since Lian Mu and Guan Shize were both sword cultivators, they naturally couldn’t ride the Silver Kite.

Taking into account that Lian Mu couldn’t fly a sword, Guan Shize quietly offered, “Wait till they’re gone, and I’ll take you.”

Guan Huailin had already taken off, and Xu Xianxing’s Silver Kite followed.

“No need.” Lian Mu pulled a broom out of her spatial pouch. “I can fly on my own.”

Guan Shize looked shocked. “You’re really going to use that? When we land, there’ll be a crowd watching.”

Lian Mu: “Why not? The elders never said I couldn’t. And your sword may not even be faster than my broom. Want to race to Azure Profound Sect?”

Her words immediately fired up Guan Shize’s competitive spirit.

“Alright! I’m way better at sword-riding now.”

He couldn’t guarantee a win against Lian Mu, but he was sure he wouldn’t fall too far behind either.