As Xu Yi and the other three were about to leave Qiming Academy, Tutor Qi suddenly appeared from behind and called out to them.
"Tutor Qi, do you have something you wish to say to me?" Xu Yi turned around and looked at Tutor Qi.
"Xu Yi, come here. I have a few words of advice for you."
Xu Yi stepped forward as instructed, standing at Tutor Qi's side with his hands clasped.
Tutor Qi said solemnly, "Are you going to look for the Saintess Sect now?"
"Yes."
"The death of the Holy Attendant will surely alert the Saintess Sect. Your journey is fraught with danger, so be extremely cautious." Tutor Qi said earnestly.
Xu Yi nodded, "Rest assured, Tutor. We are prepared."
The dangers of this trip had already been discussed by Xu Yi, Xiong Zhuangzhuang, and the others. They had also prepared many life-saving treasures, confident that even if they couldn't deal with the Saintess Sect, they could still retreat safely.
Tutor Qi was still somewhat uneasy. He reached into his sleeve and fumbled for a moment before finally taking out a piece of yellow jade and handing it to Xu Yi.
"This is..."
Upon first glance, Xu Yi could sense the extremely dense spiritual energy contained within the yellow jade, which originated from the same source as Tutor Qi's spiritual energy.
"This piece of yellow jade contains an attack I sealed. It should be able to buy you some time at a critical moment. Be sure to return safely."
Tutor Qi's last sentence was particularly heavy.
Xu Yi took the yellow jade, thanked Tutor Qi along with Xiong Zhuangzhuang and the others, and then quickly walked out of Qiming Academy under Tutor Qi's watchful gaze.
Only when the figures of the group disappeared did Tutor Qi remain standing in the same spot, unwilling to leave for a long time.
In another tea room at Qiming Academy, Tutor Liu and Tutor Wang picked up their teacups from the table and sighed in unison.
From the day they stepped into the academy to become tutors, the troubles of the Jiuzhou Continent could no longer be a reason for their worry.
Their duty was to remain in the academy and teach.
As for matters outside the academy...
For the first time, the two disregarded their image and tilted their heads back, draining the tea from their cups. A faint bitterness bloomed on their tongues.
...
Chen Long plopped down on the ground, casually wiping away nonexistent sweat with his sleeve, and finally cursed, "What kind of lousy place did this Saintess Sect choose! It's exhausting me! Why haven't we arrived yet!"
Five full days had passed since he received the news, yet he hadn't even seen the entrance to the Saintess Sect?
Thinking that he had joined the Saintess Sect for five years, and apart from the sect members, he had only seen a Holy Attendant who hid his head and concealed his face, unwilling to show his true features, he was filled with anger.
If he had known this earlier, he might as well have remained a rogue cultivator. At least then he wouldn't have these restrictions and could go wherever he pleased.
He was naturally solitary and didn't have many close friends, always going his own way over the years. This time, he truly felt like he had been possessed by a demon.
But since he had come this far, he was unwilling to turn back.
Chen Long sat there to rest for a moment, then took out the map he had received and compared it. He confirmed that in another hour, he would reach the location marked on the map. He flicked his sleeve and set off again.
Shortly after he left, a furry little mouse suddenly poked its head out from where he had been sitting.
The little mouse stretched its head out and sniffed the air. It finally glanced in the direction Chen Long had left, then burrowed back into the ground and disappeared.
One day later.
Chen Long looked at the vast crowd ahead, then turned to glance at the cultivators still rushing towards them from behind, his eyes widening in surprise.
The reason he chose to join the Saintess Sect was entirely because his cultivation had been slow for years, with no progress. He thought joining a sect would help him pass the time, and perhaps even help him break through.
But he never expected that this sect, which he considered dispensable, would have already grown to such a scale.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe, and his previous thoughts of leaving the sect were completely dispelled.
There were many cultivators with similar thoughts to him gathered here.
Their eyes held a gleam of surprise, feeling as if they had been struck by a pie while walking down the road.
When there were more people, there would be communication.
Although Chen Long disliked dealing with others, at this moment he couldn't help but follow the local customs. He naturally stood next to a group of cultivators who seemed to be around his age, and silently joined them.
These people were discussing who the Saintess of the Saintess Sect truly was.
They naturally didn't believe things like the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden.
But they all believed that the person must be a figure of great importance with a profound background and deep cultivation.
Although they had not seen the Saintess, they had seen the Holy Attendants who followed her. These Holy Attendants were all unfathomably profound and possessed extraordinary abilities, so the Saintess must be an even more formidable figure.
Chen Long nodded silently upon hearing their conversation.
He thought the same way.
"The Saintess must have an important announcement this time. I wonder if it will be related to us?"
"I believe the Saintess must be appearing this time to formally establish the Saintess Sect on the Jiuzhou Continent, to found a lineage and become a true Dao tradition."
"If what you say is true, then we are the first generation disciples of the Saintess Sect, and perhaps great fortunes await us later."
"Hahahaha, I wish you well, fellow Daoist!"
"..."
The conversations entered Chen Long's ears, making his blood boil.
Judging by the cultivators gathered here, one could see the great scale of the Saintess Sect. Even if it couldn't compare to the Five Great Sects, it should be comparable to ordinary sects.
Chen Long had never imagined that he would one day be able to hold his head high and bring glory to his ancestors. A hint of pride couldn't help but show on his usually gloomy face.
At the same time, he developed a sense of closeness to the Saintess Sect.
As he was filled with ambition, he didn't notice a inconspicuous mark on the hem of his clothes faintly flashing.
In the distance, Xu Yi and the other three, hidden within a magic formation, learned of the conversation through Xiong Zhuangzhuang's narration.
Xu Yi looked at Xiong Zhuangzhuang, his expression somewhat grim.
The words of these people revealed a very clear message.
That is, although they did not yet have a strong sense of belonging to the Saintess Sect, they were happy to see its development.
And this might become an obstacle for Xu Yi and the others in dealing with the Saintess Sect.
"Therefore, we must expose the true face of the Saintess Sect today and find out whether it is a human or a ghost behind it."
Xiong Zhuangzhuang's desire to reveal the true face of the Saintess Sect was even more urgent than Xu Yi's.
After all, the sect had inextricable ties with the Beast Taming Sect. If the Saintess Sect continued to develop, the future dire consequences might be blamed on the Beast Taming Sect.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang could not stand idly by and watch the reputation accumulated by the Beast Taming Sect over a thousand years be ruined by such people.
His eyes held a fierce glint, and his face showed an expression of determination.
Xu Yi nodded. They could only act according to the circumstances now.
Another two days and two nights passed, and the cultivators gathered here had already exceeded seven hundred people. From a distance, it truly gave people a strong sense of oppression.
On this night, as the moon rose high, the Holy Attendant appeared.