Volume 10, Chapter 654 – Saving Senior Sister (Part 1)

“So the three of them went missing in Gaosheng Kingdom?”

Cheng Hongling steadied herself and asked.

“Yes, but we don’t know the exact location where they disappeared.”

Xu Mei confirmed.

“What on earth happened? Could they have encountered some powerful fiendish specter?”

Cheng Hongling began pacing back and forth anxiously.

“Don’t worry. They have the Divine Grade Protective Talismans I gave them. Ordinary fiendish specters shouldn’t be able to threaten their safety at all. Maybe there’s something wrong with the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube.”

Qi Huang tried to comfort her, though she herself knew the possibility was slim.

“Better safe than sorry. We must go find them immediately.”

Cheng Hongling rushed toward the door in panic.

“Wait! Searching blindly like headless flies would be a waste of time. Let’s bring Mu Ruoyi along. She’s an expert at finding people.”

Qi Huang suggested.

Cheng Hongling hesitated but eventually agreed. After all, the situation was urgent, and this was no time for petty rivalry.

Soon, Qi Huang and her main body found Mu Ruoyi and set off toward Gaosheng Kingdom with her.

As they traveled, Qi Huang kept in touch with Ruan Lingyu, and before long, they met in Fenggu Prefecture on the eastern side of Gaosheng Kingdom.

“What exactly happened?”

Qi Huang immediately asked anxiously upon meeting them.

Ruan Lingyu, choking back her sobs, explained everything from start to finish before adding, “After they entered Gaosheng Kingdom, we stayed in touch. Later, we were busy searching for clues about the Golden Fate Blossom seeds, so we didn’t contact them for an entire day. But when we tried to reach them again, there was no response.”

“What did you talk about the last time you contacted them?”

Mu Ruoyi asked calmly and rationally.

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“They said they went to look for the cultivator from Gaosheng Kingdom who obtained the Golden Fate Blossom seeds last year, but it turned out he’d already used them. They complained about it a bit.”

Ruan Lingyu recalled carefully.

“If you were them, what would you do next?”

Mu Ruoyi asked Ruan Lingyu and Shen Yuan.

“Either continue asking the cultivators who obtained the seeds the year before last, or go to other countries to inquire.”

Ruan Lingyu answered without hesitation.

“And if you had to choose only one path?”

Mu Ruoyi pressed further.

“Then I suppose the first is more likely. They’d probably confirm first whether there were any seeds left in Gaosheng Kingdom before heading elsewhere. No one wants to travel unnecessarily, especially when fiendish specters roam everywhere in times like these.”

Ruan Lingyu paused briefly before answering.

“Mm, I thought the same.”

Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling both nodded in agreement.

“In that case, let’s start by investigating the cultivator who obtained the Golden Fate Blossom seeds the year before last. Let’s see if the three of them went to find him.”

Mu Ruoyi proposed, and the others agreed unanimously.

Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling both put on veils to avoid attracting unnecessary trouble due to their beauty.

The group chose a nearby town to gather information and soon learned that the cultivator who obtained the Golden Fate Blossom seeds at the Evergreen Conference two years ago was from Nanshan Sect, located in Fenggu Prefecture.

Without delay, they hurried straight to Nanshan Sect. However, they didn’t barge in immediately but decided to investigate discreetly first.

Since there was abundant vegetation near the Nanshan Sect gates and the time frame they needed to investigate was just a few days ago, determining whether the three Honghua Sect disciples had visited would be an easy task.

“Do you need blood for this?”

Cheng Hongling asked resolutely.

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“If I needed blood just to check something from a few days ago, wouldn’t that be shameful for me as the Holy Maiden?”

Mu Ruoyi smiled confidently, then walked toward a large tree and placed her delicate hand on its trunk, channeling a special wood-attribute True Qi into it.

The tree, once wilted and lifeless, gradually regained vitality. Soon, a faint phantom image appeared above it.

Mu Ruoyi released her Soul Tether and began accessing the tree’s memories.

Nearby Nanshan Sect disciples quickly noticed their strange behavior, but since one needed at least Unity Realm cultivation to perceive soul-related phenomena, they remained unaware of what was happening.

After a brief communion, Mu Ruoyi withdrew her hand, her expression lighting up as she turned to her companions. “The three of them were indeed here, and they even went inside.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!”

Ruan Lingyu’s excitement made her practically dance with joy.

“Why would Nanshan Sect allow them entry?”

Qi Huang found it puzzling.

“You underestimate your own influence now. You’re currently recognized as the number-one prodigy of the Western Continent and the first person ever to survive under the suppression of the Immortal Stele. As the saying goes, when one rises to immortality, even their chickens and dogs ascend. As long as they showed their waist tokens, a sect like this would naturally give them face.”

Mu Ruoyi explained patiently.

“I see.”

Qi Huang nodded in sudden realization.

“Did they come back out afterward?”

Cheng Hongling quickly asked from the side.

“They came out not long after entering, so it doesn’t seem like they disappeared within Nanshan Sect.”

Mu Ruoyi added, explaining what she had seen.

“Then do we still need to go in?”

Ruan Lingyu asked nervously, seeking the group’s opinion.

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“Of course we do. We need to know what they discussed inside. That might give us clues about their whereabouts afterward.”

Mu Ruoyi made the decision firmly, and the others agreed. They headed toward the gates of Nanshan Sect.

“Restricted grounds of the Immortal Sect, unauthorized personnel are forbidden from entering!”

The male disciples guarding the gate were briefly dazed by the beauty of the approaching women but quickly masked it with feigned righteousness.

“Senior brothers, we’d like to meet with your Senior Brother Gao Yingjie.”

Ruan Lingyu, as the eldest senior sister, made the request politely.

“Senior Brother Gao Yingjie was once our sect’s top-ranked prodigy. Not just anyone gets to see him!”

“Exactly. Even we, his fellow disciples, have to schedule an appointment, let alone outsiders.”

“If you want to meet him, you can always join Nanshan Sect. That way, you might have a chance.”

Their condescending tones made their intentions obvious.

“If I wanted to join your sect, who among you would even be qualified to take me as a disciple?”

Cheng Hongling impatiently revealed her Cultivator’s Token.

“Honghua Sect’s Cheng Hongling? Why does that name sound familiar?”

“Have you just come out of a cave? You don’t know Cheng Hongling of the Western Radiance Dynasty? She’s the number-one prodigy of the Western Continent, reached the Divine Realm before turning twenty, and is the only one who survived the suppression of the Immortal Stele!”

“Exactly. Her cultivation surpasses even our Grand Elder’s. Who here could possibly take her as a disciple?”

The male disciples gasped in shock.

“Well? Am I qualified to meet your top prodigy now?”

Cheng Hongling asked impatiently.

“P-please wait a moment. I’ll report to the Sect Master right away!”

One of the male disciples stammered, pulling out his Thousand-Mile Communication Tube to notify the Sect Master.

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Before long, Nanshan Sect’s higher-ups came out to welcome them with a grand display, like mortals receiving imperial envoys.

“I want to see Gao Yingjie!”

Cheng Hongling didn’t give them time to fawn and stated her demand directly.

Nanshan Sect’s elders, meeting resistance, had no choice but to lead Qi Huang and the others to Gao Yingjie.

Gao Yingjie, formerly Nanshan Sect’s top prodigy, had reached the second stage of the Incarnation Realm. Two years ago, he ranked in the top twenty on Gaosheng Kingdom’s Immortal Seed List, which earned him a Golden Fate Blossom seed. But this year, having turned thirty, he lost eligibility to participate in the Evergreen Conference, hence his title of “former top prodigy”.

Reaching the second stage of the Incarnation Realm by thirty made him one of the few true geniuses in Gaosheng Kingdom. So, when he heard the Sect Master say someone was looking for him, he coldly replied, “I’m busy!”

“Honghua Sect’s Cheng Hongling is looking for you. Whether you’re busy or not is for you to decide.”

The Sect Master said helplessly.

Qi Huang was about to lose her temper when suddenly, “ PA! ”,  the door swung open. A young man in his late twenties stepped out nervously.

“Fairy Hongling wants to see me?”

The young man lowered his head humbly, his earlier arrogance nowhere to be found.

“Yes. I want to ask you about something.”

Cheng Hongling answered expressionlessly.

“Please, come in!”

Gao Yingjie invited them respectfully. In the cultivation world, strength commanded respect.

Qi Huang and the others followed him inside. Without wasting time, they explained the situation.

Gao Yingjie thought for a moment before replying, “Yes, about five days ago, three female disciples from Honghua Sect came to see me. Their purpose was to purchase a Golden Fate Blossom seed.”

“And then?”

Shen Yuan asked impatiently.