Before Liu Yunqing could explain, the group had already squeezed out the door and boarded the flying boat to their destination.
Looking in the direction the flying boat had left, Liu Yunqing exclaimed in surprise;
"The destination isn't the Sunset Mountains?"
Hearing this, Ai Min smiled and explained to Liu Yunqing:
"We could have gone there, but the Sunset Mountain Range is closed for the hunting competition six months from now, so we have to go somewhere further away."
"Won't this interfere with the hunting competition?"
Liu Yunqing was somewhat annoyed, blaming herself for being too presumptuous and not asking about the mission location.
Aijie, who was piloting the airship ahead, turned around in surprise upon hearing Liu Yunqing's words, and said with envy:
“Fellow Daoist Zhenru can participate in the hunting competition? Your spot…hehe, sorry, it’s alright, don’t worry, Fellow Daoist Song is also participating in the hunting competition, there’s plenty of time.”
Realizing he had said something wrong, Aijie didn't mention the hunting competition spot again for the rest of the journey. Occasionally, his gaze would fall on Liu Yunqing, who would notice and give him an embarrassed, sheepish smile.
Fortunately, this somewhat awkward time did not last long, and everyone sat down to meditate and regulate their breathing. On the evening of the third day, the group of five landed at the foot of a mountain.
"The habitat of the crested goshawk here is in the territory of a giant ape, so we need to be careful."
The cultivator surnamed Zuoqiu, who had been extremely low-profile throughout the journey, spoke up after landing, which made Liu Yunqing suspect that the giant ape was unusual. Upon asking, he found out that was indeed the case.
The cultivator from Zuoqiu gave Liu Yunqing an approving look and said:
"As you say, fellow Daoist, that giant ape is indeed extraordinary."
"I happened to pass by last time, and that giant ape was at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, but that was three years ago. I don't know if it has already broken through."
Ai Minsheng is petite and delicate. When she speaks, she likes to smile and tilt her head slightly, which makes her look exceptionally sweet and playful.
After listening to the monk Zuoqiu's words, he pretended to be unconvinced and said:
"Is Fellow Daoist Zuoqiu lacking in self-confidence, or does he not trust us?"
"It's just a giant ape in the late Foundation Establishment stage. Fellow Daoist Song is a sword cultivator in the late Golden Core stage. If we join forces, we might be able to overcome it."
Fellow Daoist Zuoqiu was unmoved by the beautiful face, and upon hearing this, he coldly snorted:
"You're so arrogant and ignorant!"
"That Green Wood Giant Ape is a mutated species. When it goes berserk, its strength can rise by one major level."
"If your cultivation level hasn't advanced to the Golden Core stage, that's fine. But if it has, even if Fellow Daoist Song can challenge opponents of higher levels, I'm afraid he won't be able to handle those in the Nascent Soul stage, right?"
Feeling slighted, Ai Min pouted, somewhat unconvinced, and said angrily:
"Fellow Daoist Zuoqiu, why are you so discouraged? Advancing as a demon beast is already difficult enough; how can you expect to reach the Golden Core stage in just three years?"
The monk Zuoqiu chuckled softly, whether it was mockery or genuine laughter, and didn't respond to Aimin's words.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Ai Jie quickly glared at Ai Min, then smiled sheepishly and tried to smooth things over:
"Hey, it's my fault for not knowing the actual situation here. I should have known better than to take this mission."
"What does this have to do with my brother? Apart from Fellow Daoist Zhenru, isn't this mission something we all coveted?"
Seeing Ai Jie taking the blame upon himself, Ai Min pouted and muttered under her breath, glancing at the monk Zuo Qiu with a dissatisfied look.
At this moment, Liu Yunqing, who was using his divine sense to investigate the situation, suddenly sensed someone approaching him.
Turning around, I was surprised to find that it was the cold-faced swordsman who hadn't said a word from beginning to end.
"Fellow Daoist Song?"
Liu Yunqing withdrew her divine sense and looked back at the cold-faced swordsman with a puzzled expression.
"Your weapon?"
Along the way, the others all displayed their weapons to some extent, or rather, they all knew about each other beforehand. Only Liu Yunqing had remained empty-handed until now.
At this moment, the cold-faced swordsman asked a question, and the other three people, who were in an awkward atmosphere, also turned their attention to him.
Liu Yunqing didn't hesitate; with a flick of her wrist, the Purple Spirit Bow appeared in her hand.
The other three, except for the cold-faced swordsman, suddenly brightened up and looked at Liu Yunqing with a mixture of realization and curiosity.
Only when Liu Yunqing flipped his hand and put the Purple Spirit Bow away again did the three reluctantly turn their gaze away and silently head towards the territory of the Phoenix-headed Eagle.
However, the cold-faced swordsman seemed to have taken a liking to Liu Yunqing and took the initiative to approach her, saying:
"Song Jiansheng".
Liu Yunqing was stunned for a moment before realizing that the other person was referring to her name. She quickly nodded to indicate that she knew, and then transmitted her thoughts to everyone:
"The giant ape has discovered us and should have advanced to the Golden Core stage."
"ah?"
As soon as Liu Yunqing sent his telepathic message, the others could no longer care about their own thoughts and all looked at Liu Yunqing in astonishment.
You should know that they are still far away from the giant ape's territory, and even a Foundation Establishment cultivator with the strongest divine sense would not be able to see it.
Upon hearing this, the cultivator Zuoqiu immediately walked up to Liu Yunqing and said:
"Fellow Daoist Zhenru, this is not the time for jokes. What makes you think that the giant ape has advanced and discovered us?"
Liu Yunqing gave him a strange look and said:
"Naturally, it was what I saw with my divine sense. If that giant ape had brown fur and golden eyes, then it was the one I saw."
Clearly, Liu Yunqing had hit the nail on the head. After hearing her words, the cultivator Zuoqiu's expression immediately turned grim. He thought for a moment and said:
"Let's take a detour."
Liu Yunqing and Song Jiansheng immediately nodded. Ai Min and Ai Jie, the siblings, seemed a little hesitant, but after exchanging a few glances, they nodded under the gaze of the three of them.
After forcibly reaching a consensus, the cultivator Zuoqiu turned to Liu Yunqing and said:
"Since you discovered the Aoki Giant Ape, then you can lead us on a detour."
Seeing that no one objected, Liu Yunqing simply nodded in agreement.
"Please follow me, everyone."
As Liu Yunqing spoke, she turned her heel, opened her mind to the full, and walked in another direction.
The four sensed the overwhelming divine sense rushing towards them, and each of them had a different expression.
Song Jiansheng was alright; his eyes gleamed with the eagerness of a swordsman facing a challenge.
The monk Zuoqiu's gaze deepened, then he quickly lowered his eyelids, making it impossible to discern his expression.
The most interesting were Aimin and Aijie, whose expressions were not pleasant as they looked at each other.
Ai Min's face was also filled with worry, no longer showing her previous delicate and lovely appearance. Ai Jie, who always had an honest and simple look, now had a somewhat sinister expression.
Liu Yunqing seemed completely unaware of the situation, focusing intently on leading the way for the group.
At first, the four didn't notice anything, but gradually, one of them started breathing rapidly, and the others realized something was wrong.
No? They're all at the Foundation Establishment stage, so why can some people keep using their spiritual power to travel without fear of encountering unexpected situations or running out of spiritual power?
Moreover, even if he was using spiritual power to travel, wasn't Liu Yunqing moving a bit too fast?
"Fellow Daoist Zhenru, could you please slow down a little?"
After a while, Ai Min couldn't help but ask for help.
Liu Yunqing didn't even turn her head, her voice calm and indifferent as she said:
"It can't be slow, that giant ape is following the scent."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com