Free Web NovelChapter 162: Chapter 162: The Journey
The Hengyuan giant bird soared through the sky.
The increasingly fierce sun beat down, shining upon the group.
But the astral winds were biting, and Bai Mo felt none of the intense heat.
The only female cultivator among them, Wuyin, even subconsciously pulled her clothes tighter.
Seeing Mo Tianshu remain silent, Zhao Jingyu shouted to those around him:
"Why did we have to pick a Hengyuan giant bird? Riding this thing is not a pleasant experience!"
His voice was extremely piercing, carrying clearly to Bai Mo’s ears even amidst the howling astral winds.
Bai Mo looked over at him and saw the man’s body glowing faintly, unaffected by the astral winds. He had clearly practiced Body Refining Techniques.
Wuyin said lightly:
"The Fire Cave Dynasty is in turmoil right now. Didn’t your senior brother tell you?"
"The Hengyuan giant bird has impressive combat strength. It can handle most attackers while in flight."
Her voice was somewhat faint in the wind, but everyone understood her meaning, their expressions turning grim.
In the sect, they were merely newcomers to the path of cultivation, having at most passed the initial stage of recognizing the Dao.
They were still far from ready for real combat.
After flying for half a day, the Hengyuan giant bird spotted a low peak and landed with a BOOM.
Its sharp talons plowed three furrows into the mountainside before the massive bird came to a stop.
The group leaped down and watched the giant bird fly off to hunt for food.
Zhao Jingyu rubbed his hands together.
"I’ll go hunt some game for everyone to try..."
Bai Mo quickly stopped him.
"Don’t rush, Brother. I have food right here."
With that, he tossed out a slab of meat ribs, which came from the sternum of some demon beast.
Ever since getting the stomach pouch from the Green Water Salamander, Liu Ji had volunteered to help him find a cultivator who could process it.
For fifteen Spirit Stones, a shriveled magic pouch was made.
The pouch was only the size of a palm, and Bai Mo had sewn it into his sleeve.
Zhao Jingyu’s eyes lit up at the sight of the ribs, and he couldn’t help but give Bai Mo a few extra glances.
His plain-colored robes looked ordinary, but the silver threads at the collar revealed they were anything but.
"Junior Brother Bai, you’re quite well-off. If I’m not mistaken, there’s more to those robes than meets the eye, isn’t there?"
Bai Mo smiled but said nothing.
’These robes were something Brother Wei went out of his way to find for me. They offer some minor protection.’
Before long, the ribs were propped over a fire, SIZZLING as the fat rendered.
Zhao Jingyu stood by, turning it from time to time to ensure it cooked evenly.
Mo Tianshu took out a scroll and unrolled it to reveal a map.
Bai Mo didn’t recognize most of the area. Only after a careful search did he find the sect’s location on it.
Mo Tianshu’s finger landed on a place northwest of the sect.
"This place is the Fire Cave Dynasty."
"It’s a small dynasty, a vassal to our sect. Its national power is, at best, only slightly stronger than a sect with an unbroken legacy."
The Fire Cave Dynasty wasn’t actually very large. Part of its thousand-li territory was in the desert.
Bai Mo couldn’t find any great rivers or lakes within its borders, only some tributaries and streams flowing through the country. It was a typical landlocked dynasty.
Mo Tianshu glanced around at the group, his face expressionless.
"There’s a rebellion in the Fire Cave Dynasty. The rebel army is closing in on the royal court, so the ruler sent a message to the sect asking for support."
CRACKLE!
The firewood popped loudly, and a spark landed on Zhao Jingyu’s hand.
His expression didn’t change as he simply said:
"How are a few of us supposed to repel a rebel army?"
"Brother Mo, do you have a plan up your sleeve?"
If they could besiege the capital, the rebel army must have Foundation Establishment cultivators. They wouldn’t be of any use.
Mo Tianshu said coolly, "Foundation Establishment cultivators are not unkillable."
"Especially those who barely reached Foundation Establishment. Their cultivation path is bound to have flaws. If you can spot them, taking their lives isn’t difficult."
The few sect newcomers were stunned, all feeling that their senior brother had a powerful killing intent.
Ignoring their feelings, Mo Tianshu instructed:
"Let me teach you something."
"When you’re out on missions, just generally act according to the sect’s wishes. For everything else, play it by ear."
"The Fire Cave Dynasty has been acting hot and cold with the sect lately. No need to be polite with them."
This senior brother clearly had a plan; he just hadn’t revealed it.
The ribs were cooked and eaten, but the Hengyuan giant bird had not yet returned.
There were no large mountain forests nearby, only a patch of marshland exuding miasma.
It probably wouldn’t be that easy for it to hunt something to fill its stomach.
With nothing to do, the group decided to rest or walk around on their own.
Bai Mo found a random spot and took out Wei Xianxing’s Pill Book to study.
This Pill Book was a relic from a past master, and the viewpoints within were quite different from modern ones.
It had outdated parts, but also moments of brilliance that made one’s eyes light up.
’This Pill Book mostly records methods for mineral-based alchemy, using metals and stones in pills. That’s an area I’ve rarely dabbled in.’
’However, it contains a lot of hearsay and is full of holes and errors. I can tell the author was quite fanatical, so I have to be careful of any biased fallacies.’
Despite its many flaws, some of the bold ideas in the Pill Book were still a breath of fresh air for Bai Mo.
That was where the book’s true value lay.
Suddenly, a figure approached. Bai Mo looked up and saw it was Wan Shenxiu, from the Jade Gold lineage.
The man was fair-skinned and carried himself with refined poise. One look and you could tell he wasn’t a cultivator without backing.
"Brother Wan."
Bai Mo was the first to greet him.
He had only been in the outer sect for a few months, so naturally, everyone was a senior brother to him.
Wan Shenxiu walked over and sat down beside Bai Mo on the stone surface.
"Reading a Pill Book, Junior Brother Bai? You’re truly diligent."
Bai Mo nodded and sighed.
"The Alchemy Dao is vast. If cultivators of our generation rely only on our own explorations, I’m afraid we wouldn’t even be able to grasp a corner of it."
"We must rely on the wisdom of our predecessors and the ingenuity of our contemporaries. Only by combining the two can we attain the Great Dao."
Wan Shenxiu looked at him with approval.
"Brother Xin said you were an extraordinary person, Junior Brother Bai, and told me to get close to you."
"Now I see that he was right."
Bai Mo was curious.
"Brother Wan, are you an array master?"
Wan Shenxiu nodded.
"I’ve only just begun to dabble in it."
"The Array Dao is just as vast. Even with talent, if you lack luck, a famous teacher, and Spirit Stones, it’s still difficult to achieve anything."
"To be accepted as a disciple by Master Ge and truly become Brother Xin’s junior in the sect hierarchy—that is the luck and famous teacher I seek."
His pursuits were different from Bai Mo’s, and the path he walked was not entirely the same.
It was just that their starting points and goals were similar, which is why he felt such a connection.
The two talked for a moment, and Bai Mo learned that Wan Shenxiu was highly regarded by Xin Meng, who genuinely wanted his own master to take on another disciple.
But before they left, the one who saw Wan Shenxiu off was another cultivator.
"Is Brother Xin unwell?"
Bai Mo recalled their meeting before the life-severing divination.
"It’s nothing serious. He just went in and out of a grand tomb and was tainted by its yin and foul energies, so his body is acting up."
Wan Shenxiu replied.
Bai Mo wasn’t entirely convinced.
"I’ve seen Brother Xin. The state he was in didn’t look like it was caused by ordinary yin and foul energies..."
"Is there something he can’t talk about?"
"There is something else," Wan Shenxiu hesitated for a moment.
"It’s because he took a personal belonging from the female tomb owner. Old Man Gai said he deserved it..."
...
The journey to the Fire Cave Dynasty was long.
They flew for eight consecutive days before its lands finally came into view.
「This day.」
The group stopped to rest.
Looking out from a high slope, the distant land was a yellowish-red color.
Zhao Jingyu’s eyelid twitched.
"Coming here at this time of year... it’s really not a good time."
Bai Mo estimated the remaining distance. The dynasty’s territory was in sight, but it was a classic case of "so close, yet so far."
"It’ll probably take another three days to get there."
The cry of the Hengyuan giant bird echoed, and the group packed up, ready to depart.
Zhao Jingyu, with his sharp eyes, suddenly noticed that the giant bird, returning from its hunt, was clutching a bloody collar in its talons.
There were strange, curving characters on it.
Mo Tianshu took it for a look, then casually tossed it aside. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly, his expression cold.
"It’s from the Fire Cave Dynasty."
