Chapter 279: Chapter 71: Senior Brother and Junior Sister, Two Travel Together
In the Jade Void Palace, sword lights darted like shuttles.
Countless message-conveying flying swords shot from the Heaven Pillar in all directions, and numerous members of the Kunlun Taiqing Sect took to the skies with their sword control technique, converging towards the direction of the Jade Void Palace.
Qiu Changtian, along with his junior sister Xu Yinglian, rushed to the Scripture Lecture Hall of the Ziwei Master, only to see their master standing in the center of the hall, the Tai Yi Dividing Light Sword strapped to his back, and the Seven Treasures Duster resting across his arms.
“Members of the Demon Cult have besieged the Penglai Jade Pure abode, claiming to be a hundred thousand strong,” the Ziwei Master said gravely upon seeing Chief Disciple Qiu Changtian arrive. “The Shushan Shangqing Faction is trapped in the Southern Border and finds it inconvenient to send reinforcements.”
“Out of the thirty-six cave heavens of the East Sea, almost two-thirds have betrayed us and are in league with the Demon Cult. Therefore, currently, the only one who can support the Penglai Jade Pure abode is our Kunlun Taiqing Sect.”
“We’ll follow Master’s orders,” Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian said in unison.
The Ziwei Master cast a solemn glance at Xu Yinglian.
He had originally only sent a message with a flying sword to Qiu Changtian alone, which is to say he had not planned for Xu Yinglian to enter the battlefield, for two reasons:
First, Qiu Changtian had been hunted by the Demon Cult for many years, to the point where he could not leave the Kunlun Mountain Range, truly making him the most frustrated Chief Disciple in the history of Foundation Establishment Realm.
Although he reclaimed some of his dignity through Sect debate, it still wasn’t enough.
This time, with the protection of various senior members of the Sect, it was an opportune moment for him to join and erase his disgrace!
Second, Qiu Changtian’s strength was indeed sufficient for this mission.
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Daoist Heart Clarity is a peerless talent in cultivation, not combat strength. If Qiu Changtian were not capable of defending himself on the battlefield of the East Sea, the Kunlun Taiqing Sect naturally would not allow him to go.
But his actions during the last expedition to the Divine Flame Path secret realm proved that Qiu Changtian was not just a fool obsessed with cultivation—he also possessed the tact and vision befitting of a Chief Disciple in the Foundation Establishment Realm.
For these reasons, the Ziwei Master chose to have Qiu Changtian accompany them on the journey.
As for Xu Yinglian, she neither needed to take such a risk nor had her strength been verified. If the Ziwei Master had to choose, he would have decided against it.
But of course, he understood the temperament of this disciple of his. She had already expressed her resolve to “await Master’s instructions.” If he said, “Your senior brother can go, but you should stay,” Xu Yinglian would likely burst into tears right away, and perhaps decide to retire to her abode and resign right after.
Resign by sending a letter, from then on forsaking the great Dao and living the life of a secluded Daoist…
The Ziwei Master quietly sighed and thought, well, if she wants to go, let her go.
If nothing else, he could arrange for a real person to protect her individually.
“Return and make ready for battle,” commanded the Ziwei Master with solemnity. “Gather in the grand hall of the Jade Void Palace within three-quarters of an hour!”
“Yes!” The two responded promptly.
After leaving the Jade Void Palace, Xu Yinglian finally spoke:
“The demonic forces are besieging Penglai? With immortals stationed on both sides, our strength, not having reached Golden Core, would be of limited use on the battlefield. Why would Master want us to go?”
In his heart, Qiu Changtian thought, it’s not ‘us’ he wants to go, but ‘me,’ yet he said aloud:
“No matter how outstanding the cultivation talent, if one lacks the ability to fight, how are they different from the statues in temples? Although we haven’t formed our cores, our combat prowess is second to none in the Foundation Establishment Realm.”
“Plus, there was the achievement of defeating a Golden Core Realm armored warrior in the secret realm of the Queen Mother of the West. It’s not unreasonable for Master to have us join the seniors this time.”
“That makes sense,” Xu Yinglian nodded.
Though she didn’t have much experience in magical competition, she certainly wasn’t one to shy away or fear battle.
Qiu Changtian understood her thoughts completely, as if they were an open book.
That’s why, right after concluding matters with Luo Yan, he immediately teleported to Kunlun, as he knew full well of the “historical fact” that Kunlun would come to Penglai’s aid.
He also thoroughly grasped the Ziwei Master’s intentions, knowing that it was highly likely he would be arranged to join the battle… If his calculations were wrong, he could at worst volunteer himself, holding a great chance of persuading his master.
As to why he wanted to join the battle, there was indeed a part of him that wished to redeem his past shame, but the main reason was to gather news of the Hell Path.
Being the Chief Disciple of the Kunlun Taiqing Sect, he could not afford to show excessive interest in the Hell Path. However, if he went with the elders, he could overhear intelligence during daily meetings, and perhaps gain some insights.
In short, going might not guarantee any news, but staying would certainly bring none!
For the sake of gathering intelligence on the Hell Path, I went to the extent of establishing a separate identity as Wei Dongliu, this opportunity was naturally not to be missed.
Besides that, taking Xu Yinglian to the battlefield also involved a bit of Qiu Changtian’s personal motives… the obvious need not be mentioned here for now.
Anyway, from the test of the Great Bright Fire just now, Qiu Changtian felt that his junior sister might be even more suitable for the battlefield than himself.
The two returned to Golden Ridge Cave Abode, and Qiu Changtian began to check his luggage.
Elixirs were a must – they were vital for enhancing endurance…
“Senior brother,” Xu Yinglian arrived at the entrance of the cave dwelling and asked, “How many elixirs should we bring?”
“The more, the better,” Qiu Changtian replied casually.
“There’s no more room in the storage bag…” Xu Yinglian said in a low voice.
Qiu Changtian: ?
“How many elixirs did you bring, so many?” he asked incredulously, snatching the storage bag from her hand and sweeping his divine sense inside.
“I brought them all.” Xu Yinglian said earnestly, “Master said that the Demon Cult was besieging Penglai, but he didn’t specify their numbers. If the war drags on, the local price of elixirs will surely skyrocket. It’s not realistic to carry more from Kunlun later on…”
“You don’t need that many,” Qiu Changtian said succinctly, “Just keep a two-day supply, and clear the rest to make room for other items.”
In fact, it was all sorted out in just one day.
“Okay.” Xu Yinglian did not question further, she nodded slightly, took the storage bag, and left.
After a while, Xu Yinglian came back and said:
“Should we bring talisman scripts? I received some from the clan a few days ago.”
“Of course,” Qiu Changtian said subconsciously, then remembered that he was not Luo Yan.
“Why?” Xu Yinglian asked curiously, “With elixirs and Daoist magic, it seems that talisman scripts are not really necessary…”
“You’ll need them when your True Yuan is exhausted and you need to take elixirs, talisman scripts can buy you crucial time,” Qiu Changtian answered, “Of course, Sword Control Technique works too, but sometimes your Flying Sword might get entangled by the opponent.”
The senior brother’s experience is indeed vast. Xu Yinglian thought to herself, while saying:
“So we should choose those talisman scripts that are quick to activate, prioritising those that can conceal one’s presence?”
“Exactly.”
So Xu Yinglian went back again to select talisman scripts.
After a short while, she appeared again at the entrance of the cave dwelling and said:
“Senior brother, the spare Flying Swords…”
“I’ll come over and help you pack!” Qiu Changtian said irritably.
“Thank you, senior brother,” Xu Yinglian said softly, relieved in her heart.
It wasn’t that she had to bother her senior brother, it’s just that since it was her first time participating in a great war, she inevitably wanted everything to be perfect…
Hurriedly rushing to his junior sister’s cave dwelling, Qiu Changtian quickly scanned the surroundings and asked:
“Where are all your things?”
“Here, here, and here…” Xu Yinglian began to direct him.
“Got it,” Qiu Changtian scanned each location with his divine sense and casually said, “Junior sister, now that we are Daoist companions, wouldn’t it be better to live together in the future? That way, whether it’s helping you pack or coming to see you, it’ll be more convenient.”
Xu Yinglian: ?
Somehow, she felt her face suddenly starting to burn.