Lei Tao told her they had returned to Wangtian City and hoped to thank her in person.
Chu Lingwei told him she was busy and they would meet again later.
Lei Tao looked at Chu Lingwei's sound transmission talisman in his hand and sighed without speaking.
"Brother Lei, is Fellow Daoist Chu coming?" Shi Tou looked up at Lei Tao with anticipation in his eyes. Fellow Daoist Chu was their savior, and they truly wanted to thank her.
"No, she's busy," Lei Tao shook his head.
Shi Tou deflated instantly, falling silent.
Lei Tao patted Shi Tou's head and smiled, comforting him, "Cultivate well. When you grow stronger, you will naturally be able to meet her."
"Junior Sister, you're back?" Leng Xingzhi sensed his junior sister's presence and walked into the courtyard, meeting Chu Lingwei.
"Yes." Chu Lingwei looked into the courtyard, not seeing their master, Bei Chenfeng. "Senior Brother, where is Master?"
"Master has left."
"Ah, Master has left?" Disappointment flashed in Chu Lingwei's eyes. Was the matter of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance resolved? "Senior Brother, how was the matter of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance resolved?"
Leng Xingzhi didn't speak. He turned his head and smiled at Chu Lingwei, "Junior Sister, some things, once your cultivation improves, you will naturally know. Knowing now will do you no good and will only disrupt your cultivation."
Chu Lingwei's heart jolted. She had a premonition, much like when Chu Chang of Xuanxin Sect had quelled the matter of the Hengtian Secret Realm.
"Junior Sister, cultivate well, and no one will dare to touch you."
No matter how chaotic the Spiritual Cultivation Continent became, it could not deviate from one principle: reaching the apex of the spiritual cultivation path. This was everyone's goal.
Chu Lingwei nodded. The spiritual cultivation world over the past two years had made her deeply realize that only by being strong herself could she face all injustices.
"Senior Brother, I obtained a strange stone in Bei Ming Valley," Chu Lingwei said to Leng Xingzhi, recalling the stone she had retrieved from the underground passage in Bei Ming Valley.
"What stone? Let Senior Brother take a look." Curiosity flickered in Leng Xingzhi's eyes. A stone that even Junior Sister found strange piqued his interest.
Chu Lingwei moved her right hand, and a stone appeared before them.
The stone had been suppressed of its spiritual energy for days and confined in a dark place. Finally seeing the light, its first instinct was to escape.
As the stone flew into the air, it felt as if its body was fixed mid-air, utterly unable to move.
"It already has spiritual consciousness," Leng Xingzhi said, looking at the stone before him with a slight smile. He shook his head, "A pity, it will never take human form. It's just a stubborn rock."
The stone was stunned by Leng Xingzhi's words. When it heard what followed, it almost exploded.
"Perhaps, it can be made into a magic artifact. It might have some use."
The stone struggled with all its might, but its body felt trapped in this small space, unable to move.
"Senior Brother, what use does it have?" Chu Lingwei still couldn't figure out its purpose. A stone capable of forming intelligence should have some use.
"It has no particular use, other than sealing a cultivator's spiritual energy," Leng Xingzhi's voice was calm, yet it caused the stone to constantly shift and shrink until it was the size of a baby's fist.
"So it was this that concealed our spiritual energy."
Chu Lingwei suddenly understood. No wonder she hadn't found any traces of spiritual energy or Qi in that underground passage, nor any formations. It turned out a stone was causing trouble.
"In that case, this stone is for Senior Brother," Chu Lingwei knew the stone could understand their conversation. She added, "Senior Brother, make it into whatever magic artifact you wish."
The stone froze entirely. Chu Lingwei suddenly felt its pain and fear.
"Alright, thank you, Junior Sister." Leng Xingzhi waved his hand, and the stone was collected into his storage bag.
"Junior Sister, Master has returned to the Spiritual Cultivation Academy. Are you returning with me, or continuing your training?" Leng Xingzhi had waited here specifically for his junior sister's return.
She was curious about the marsh, and he didn't want to disturb her.
"Can I continue my training?"
"It seems Junior Sister wishes to train alone." Leng Xingzhi understood Chu Lingwei's thoughts and nodded, "Then Senior Brother will return to the academy first. Junior Sister, don't forget the Centennial Grand Competition."
"Yes, Senior Brother, I will not be late."
Chu Lingwei watched Leng Xingzhi leave, feeling an immediate sense of relief. With Senior Brother gone, she felt much more at ease.
"Feng Ming, Mao Mao, let's pack up and leave here." Chu Lingwei packed her belongings and left the tavern.
Leng Xingzhi had already instructed the innkeeper to let Chu Lingwei leave as she pleased.
...
"May I ask, Senior, why are you following a young girl?" Above the marsh, Leng Xingzhi stood with his back to someone, his gaze clear.
"You juniors, how did you discover me?" Yu Chuan stared at Leng Xingzhi, a slight frown on his face. The junior before him was only a Sky-Ascension Realm cultivator; how could he possibly discover his presence?
"Senior, why are you following my junior sister?"
Leng Xingzhi's voice grew cold, filled with a strong warning.
Yu Chuan was angered by this tone. A mere Sky-Ascension Realm cultivator dared to question him.
"Good disciples taught by Bei Chenfeng, none of you know any manners," Yu Chuan snorted, killing intent in his eyes. A rude junior, better to just kill him.
"Senior, are you intending to kill me?"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Leng Xingzhi's lips, irony flashing in his eyes. Ignorantly courting death.
Yu Chuan's heart jolted. His killing intent had already taken shape, yet it hadn't caused this man any harm. How was this possible?
"You are not a Sky-Ascension Realm cultivator?" Yu Chuan immediately realized that the person before him had hidden his cultivation.
"The Myriad Saints Sect, it seems, truly must withdraw."
A hint of pity was in Leng Xingzhi's eyes. For the past two hundred years, the Myriad Saints Sect had been very low-key, so low-key that others assumed the sect had declined.
Who would have thought that the almost-declining Myriad Saints Sect had a Dominator Realm Great Power behind it?
Unfortunately, from today onwards, the Myriad Saints Sect would truly have to withdraw.
"What do you mean?"
Yu Chuan had a bad premonition, his expression greatly alarmed.
...
"Weiwei, you're leaving?" An Tao received Chu Lingwei's sound transmission talisman and immediately came to the city gate.
"Yes, I want to go and see Su Ling City," Chu Lingwei nodded. She had calculated the time. In about half a year, the Centennial Grand Competition would take place. This half-year was just enough for her to make a trip to Su Ling City.
"Weren't you going to train?" An Tao was surprised. She thought Chu Lingwei was going to seek her own fortune, and there wasn't much fortune to be found in towns.