“Hey, what’s the point of this expulsion? Will the Chanu Hehuan Sect outside still acknowledge whoever takes over the sect as its leader, and then issue proclamations across the land to conquer it?” Sheng Yuan-yao complained helplessly.

Pei Chu-yun immediately lost her coquettish demeanor from before, smiling and raising the list in her hand. “Direct expulsion is useless, of course, but if we follow the clues and control all these people, Xuan-nu will become isolated. As for her whereabouts, with the reward of top-grade pills, clues will emerge sooner or later.”

“Is it really that simple?” Sheng Yuan-yao was suspicious.

“The Demonic Path is heartless; they value profit over righteousness and fear death more than anything. Where is true loyalty among them? If there is any loyalty, it’s only to Xuan-nu’s power, out of fear of retaliation,” Pei Chu-yun sighed. “What I’m truly worried about is Xuan-nu not seeking anyone, just hiding and cultivating alone. It will be real trouble when she emerges from seclusion.”

No force can withstand the crazy retaliation of a top-grade cultivator. Even if one can endure it, being hunted down by such a person will eventually lead to the collapse of the entire force.

Moreover, Xuan-nu is no ordinary top-grade cultivator.

Shen Tang said, “If she wants to hide, no one can do anything. We’ve done the necessary searching and issuing of wanted notices. Consolidating ourselves is the most important thing. Once we become strong enough, Xuan-nu won’t even dare to show her face. If she really wants to kill us, wouldn’t she be afraid of falling into a trap and being surrounded?”

Pei Chu-yun smiled, “I had a bit of worry initially, but looking at the spiritual energy of Danxia Mountain, I have no worries at all. Why does Xing-zhou still need to go out for trials when we have such a formidable spiritual land?”

Shen Tang said, “Xing-zhou needs actual combat experience; it’s different.”

“You believe him. I bet he’s in Long Qing-huang’s bed right now.”

Shen Tang and Sheng Yuan-yao simultaneously ground their teeth.

They both knew this guess was likely correct. Even if she was pregnant and they couldn’t do anything, Lu Xing-zhou would undoubtedly go to visit her.

Shen Tang ground her teeth, flicked her sleeves, and left. “Many reclusive sects are hidden in the Shiwan Dashan. The Chanu Hehuan Sect has been here for a long time and should know their locations. Let them issue proclamations to these sects, demanding they come to Xiazhou for an audience within seven days. Those who fail to comply will find the Chanu Hehuan Sect serving as an example.”

The word “audience” in Xiazhou revealed its hidden meaning. It was about subjugating the reclusive sects from outside the world, but it had nothing to do with Da-qian; it was merely the power of the King of Xia.

Gu Yi-heng suffered the most here compared to Gu Zhan-ting. He lacked Gu Zhan-ting’s prestige, so it seemed normal for others to harbor rebellious intentions, and no one would care about his attitude.

Shen Tang was like this, and naturally, others were too.

As early as his ascension to the throne, powerful sects like the Huanhua Sword Sect no longer obeyed his decrees. Even for the enthronement ceremony, they merely sent perfunctory congratulations, and their gifts were extremely superficial. This was still based on inertia; otherwise, not showing up would have been normal.

Only Lingtian Pavilion showed some respect because their son held an official position in the court, but even that was one of Lu Xing-zhou’s people.

This was also a concrete manifestation of Ye Ting-lan’s words about the decline of the Qi-mai. The Da-qian, which was considered powerful under Gu Zhan-ting, almost overnight visibly showed signs of a dying dynasty, all within less than a month.

While Shen Tang was vigorously building her foundation here, Lu Xing-zhou and Du-gu Qing-li finally bid farewell to Long Qing-huang, preparing to head to Dongyue Hanchuan.

The turning point was that Du-gu Qing-li, after several days of intensive training, broke through to the first rank during combat, which meant it was time to leave.

Her smooth breakthrough made even Long Qing-huang somewhat apprehensive. Although it was partly due to the powerful effects of the pills Lu Xing-zhou provided, Du-gu Qing-li’s seemingly effortless breakthrough felt somewhat overpowered.

Breaking through in combat is a protagonist’s setup in storybooks; ordinary people can’t do it. After all, breakthrough requires a calm mind. Who can maintain such an unruffled mind during combat? Either they have a cheat, or it’s Du-gu Qing-li.

What kind of monsters and demons are these people around Lu Xing-zhou…?

However, Lu Xing-zhou himself made no progress in cultivation these past few days. All his energy was dedicated to practical combat training.

Both being at mid-first-rank, his current skill level had indeed improved significantly compared to a few days ago when he was chased and cut down by Xiaobaimao. However, the result was that he was even less capable of defeating the post-breakthrough Xiaobaimao.

Listeners grieved, and observers shed tears.

A-nuo was left behind and went with Long Qing-huang to send Lu Xing-zhou off at the city outskirts, waving tearfully, “Master, I won’t miss you.”

“Listen to Mistress Long,” Lu Xing-zhou bent down and pinched A-nuo’s cheek. “Don’t run around normally. Be careful of being abducted and sold by old beggars. Longya is one of the safest places.”

A-nuo: “…I became immune to that kind of threat seven or eight years ago. Can’t you be less cliché?”

“This little thing is starting to dislike Master for being cliché, huh?” Lu Xing-zhou bared his teeth. “If you’re so capable, grow up a bit. How can people talk to you when you look like such a tiny bean sprout?”

A-nuo mumbled, “Aren’t you just afraid Maha will target me?”

“Just knowing is enough,” Lu Xing-zhou said. “You’ve also observed the breaking of Qian-yuan and gained experience. You can assist Mistress Long, and it will be even more stable once she also reaches Qian-yuan.”

“So you still care more about the little Dragon-man.”

“…Is that what you deduced from that statement?”

“Isn’t it?”

Lu Xing-zhou flared up. “Isn’t this primarily for your safety! Is Maha easy to deal with?”

A-nuo ‘hmmphed’ and turned her head away from him.

There were still tears in her big eyes.

No matter how much she complained, she had indeed spent very little time apart from her master in the past decade or so, and she was particularly reluctant to part.

Separation for individual tasks didn’t count. The last time they were separated was when Lu Xing-zhou and Ye Ting-lan were trapped deep in the ice of Dongyue Hanchuan, forced apart. Afterward, that scoundrel Lu Xing-zhou, who prioritized his wife over his disciple, shamelessly hid with Ye Ting-lan in Tianshuang Country for a long time, letting Ji Wen-chuan take A-nuo and leave her at Danxia Mountain.

This time, it was Dongyue Hanchuan again.

A-nuo felt that ghostly place was at odds with her… Although this time she also wanted to stay, A-nuo wanted to grow up.

Lu Xing-zhou then said to Long Qing-huang, who was smiling and observing the master-disciple farewell, “I’ve given the alchemy furnace to A-nuo. I suspect A-nuo’s growth problem is related to her congenital deficiency, possibly a ‘premature birth.’ You can also look into this aspect and research it with A-nuo.”

Long Qing-huang smiled, “I understand. I know about premature pig births.”

A-nuo, riding Yu-yu, both looked up at her, their chubby faces full of question marks.

Lu Xing-zhou: “…”

Speaking of this, he suddenly felt that Yuan Mu-yu’s divination might not be a half-baked effort. She went to Danxia Mountain two years late; if it were according to the normal time, should A-nuo have been “born” two years later?

He didn’t believe Yuan Mu-yu had that much substance; the image of an omnipotent older sister, once admired greatly, had long since completely collapsed.

The memories now surfacing were of a naked, slender, and childlike figure.

Lu Xing-zhou shook this inexplicable thought out of his head and gently kissed Long Qing-huang, embracing her. “Wait for my news about the earthquake. I suspect it’s related to the Ice Demon. I’ll go check it out first. Of course, it’s best if it’s caused by something else. Qing-li isn’t quite suitable for encountering the Ice Demon right now.”

“Understood,” Long Qing-huang said softly. “Don’t force it if it’s impossible. Even if the Ice Demon is truly released from the abyss, we can still suppress it back.”

No matter how reluctant, there would always be a parting. Lu Xing-zhou said nothing more, took Du-gu Qing-li, and flew away on a cloud.

The original plan was to bring a few dragons, but in the end, they didn’t.

It wasn’t for some “two-person world” reason… If these were considered trials, of course, they couldn’t bring many guards, otherwise, the value of the trials would be greatly diminished.

Looking back while flying, Long Qing-huang and A-nuo were still standing there, gazing into the distance. As if sensing his gaze, both the big and small figures waved their hands.

Du-gu Qing-li said, “Reluctant to part?”

“Of course.”

“Logically, this kind of sticky, sentimental love entanglement should be very detrimental to cultivation. It’s truly strange.”

Lu Xing-zhou turned his head to glance at her.

Du-gu Qing-li’s face was frosty. “What are you looking at?”

Are you trying to say I’m one of them? I’m not!

Lu Xing-zhou said, “Back in the Yuanci Cave, you and I had a disagreement about this.”

Du-gu Qing-li didn’t shy away. “The fact proves that after that incident, my heart was troubled for a long time, especially when your Shen Tang asked me a few questions, which stirred me up so much that I almost couldn’t break through the third-rank barrier.”

“But you still broke through, didn’t you?”

“That’s precisely because the ripples subsided, otherwise it’s hard to say.”

“Did they really subside?”

“Otherwise?” Du-gu Qing-li said coldly, “You are my Martial Ancestor now. Do you still want to flirt with me?”

Lu Xing-zhou said, “So you mean, if I weren’t your Martial Ancestor, flirting with you would be normal?”

Du-gu Qing-li was very calm. “If you weren’t my Martial Ancestor, saying these things would at least not be a moral issue. Whether I like listening to it or not is another matter.”

Lu Xing-zhou said, “So do you like listening to it?”

“No, get lost.”

Who trained this person to be so aggressive?

However, their conversation was still very interesting, because Lu Xing-zhou had indeed expressed his desire to pursue Du-gu Qing-li. In Du-gu Qing-li’s database, this underlying logic still existed; even she herself did not deny that her heart was troubled at the time.

But now it’s not troubled?

Look at how you always draw your sword to cut people. Do you believe yourself when you say that?

Lu Xing-zhou didn’t tempt fate by provoking her to draw her sword, only saying, “Anyway, I still feel that if one truly becomes emotionless and cultivates oneself to be like a block of ice, or a sword, then one would truly be like an ice demon, not a human. You were born as a human, surely not to be an ice demon again. Fortunately, the Tengyun barrier didn’t turn you into that. Or perhaps Huiyang will be closer?”

Du-gu Qing-li fell silent. This might also be the key reason why her master and Long Qing-huang both believed this matter should be resolved by top-grade cultivators. When that level is reached, the two will have more in common.

Currently, she was still a “xiaobaimao” in the eyes of her elders. No matter how cold she was, her youthful demeanor was still evident, a far cry from the Ice Lord.

So, is being the Ice Lord truly her direction?

It seems a bit better than being a human, at least she wouldn’t have to deal with various emotions and couldn’t actually kill him. Being human is truly difficult.

How could Lu Xing-zhou know she had calculated this answer? He continued, “Anyway, we’re not heading directly for the Ice Demon this time, and you shouldn’t constantly dwell on that matter. We’re first investigating the earthquake. Come with me to inquire around before making a decision.”

Du-gu Qing-li said, “Then aren’t we still going to find Ling Qi-xuan of the Bingyu Sect?”

“There’s someone closer, whom I know well.”

“Where?”

“Hanlan City.”