Shan Yun fell silent. What did she want?
Back then, she had left her tribe with Xiao Man to escape its ignorance, foolishness, and cruelty, wanting to see the outside world. After following Xiao Man, she witnessed the chaos and brutality of the Land of No Return. Just as she was about to despair, they finally entered Wuji City.
Wuji City was like a paradise for them, yet even such a paradise had its dark side. "Shi Lan, did I make the right choice leaving the tribe?"
Shi Lan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Although we've encountered many things since entering Wuji City, I've never regretted it."
"Never regretted it?"
"Yes, if I had stayed in the Land of No Return, I would have been a struggling ordinary person my entire life. But after leaving, I saw a different path," Du Niang Zi said unhurriedly. "So, I'm very fortunate to have met Xiao Qin. If it weren't for her, I might never have escaped the Land of No Return in my lifetime."
"I'm also very fortunate to have met her. If it weren't for her, I would have become food for the Serpent God long ago. How could I be here now?" Shan Yun looked back one last time at where the Five Poisons Sect was located. "I've fulfilled my duty as a tribeswoman. The rest is his path, and it has nothing to do with me."
"A sharp tongue and a soft heart. If that brat were truly in trouble, how could you remain unmoved?"
Shan Yun glared at Du Niang Zi with her beautiful eyes. Du Niang Zi gently patted her. "Let's go back. Don't let the boss worry."
Shan Yun nodded, and the two walked away side by side.
Seeing that the two were safe, Xiao Man finally breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to go to the Thousand Mechanisms Sect. However, bringing Ze Fang along made things inconvenient.
"I'll take you back to the City Lord's Mansion first. Will you wait for me obediently at the Mansion?"
Ze Fang immediately hugged Xiao Man's neck tightly, showing a stance of wanting to go wherever Xiao Man went.
Xiao Man sighed and could only take Ze Fang along.
The Hou brothers were right. The Thousand Mechanisms Sect was surrounded by a magical formation. If it were triggered, it would surely alert the people of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect. Moreover, there was a Golden Core stage expert guarding the sect. If that person were alerted, they would be in danger.
"Magical formations and array formations are, in a sense, similar, aren't they?" Xiao Man murmured to herself.
"Brother, I know the way," Ze Fang said softly.
"You know?" Xiao Man was very surprised. "You can do this?"
"A little," Ze Fang said, pinching the tip of his index finger. "This magical formation is very simple."
Xiao Man smiled. "I didn't expect to have picked up a treasure."
Ze Fang grinned from ear to ear. "If Brother wants to learn, I can teach you."
"Alright, then you lead the way for me." Xiao Man held Ze Fang and quickly approached. Guided by Ze Fang, they easily infiltrated the Thousand Mechanisms Sect. Fortunately, it was getting dark, which made it easier for them to hide.
Xiao Man lurked in the shadows, blending her presence with the surrounding environment. If Zhu Qing were awake, it would be great. Zhu Qing had been injured and had been in a deep sleep. If Zhu Qing were here, it could quickly search the entire Thousand Mechanisms Sect outpost.
"Brother, try to extend your senses, not too far. Search piece by piece, and you won't alert anyone."
Xiao Man tried extending her senses, attempting to find Xi Wen. The Thousand Mechanisms Sect outpost didn't have many people. Perhaps they were overly confident in their magical formation. Even at night, there were very few patrols.
Xiao Man searched piece by piece, then suddenly withdrew her senses and quickly darted away, hiding in a different spot. Just as they hid, a figure appeared where they had just been.
"Strange, it should be here. Could my senses be mistaken?" A hint of doubt appeared on the elder's face. He turned to leave, then returned a moment later, looking at the empty space with a bewildered expression. "Is it really my hallucination?"
Xiao Man, not far away, was on high alert. Fortunately, she had reacted quickly; otherwise, she would have been caught by this person. Ze Fang also broke out in a cold sweat, looking at Xiao Man. Xiao Man had reacted so quickly that even he hadn't noticed before she sensed it. What kind of vigilance was this?
When the elder had completely left, Xiao Man finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, before she could fully relax, a face appeared before them. "Found you!"
Xiao Man instinctively threw a handful of powder. The smile on the elder's face froze, and he fell straight to the ground. What was this? How could it incapacitate him, a Golden Core realm cultivator? Was the rumor in the city true, that someone intended to incite conflict among the seven major sects for personal gain?
Xiao Man hugged Ze Fang and quickly left. She couldn't find the person. No wonder the Thousand Mechanisms Sect had no guards; such a powerful person existed. Her proud invisibility technique had been seen through by this person.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the elder could move. He sprang up from the ground with a flip of his body and twisted his neck. "Not poisoned? Just a stupefying powder?"
After a moment of thought, the elder quickly pursued. However, after a short distance, he stopped. Standing on the crowded street, the trace disappeared. Before being tricked, he had marked the person, but the trail vanished here.
"Cunning little thing," the elder clicked his tongue and turned back. The other party was so vigilant that they couldn't be an ordinary person. If they used poison, would it... The elder's expression changed slightly, and he quickly headed towards the Five Poisons Sect's outpost.
As expected, when the elder arrived, he saw the person he was tracking scaling the wall and entering the Five Poisons Sect. His brows furrowed into a deep frown. The Five Poisons Sect was looked down upon by other sects because of their use of poison. Normally, everyone turned a blind eye. Now, the Five Poisons Sect had crossed their bottom line, and they could no longer pretend not to see it.
On the day of the recruitment大会, many people gathered at the recruitment points of the seven major sects to register. Rogue cultivators who met the registration requirements could enter the assessment of the seven major sects. Passing the assessment meant becoming an outer disciple of the seven major sects. A few outstanding individuals could be directly promoted to inner disciples, or even direct disciples.
When Xiang Jian returned to the City Lord's Mansion early, Xiao Man and the others were dining. The City Lord glanced at Xiang Jian, and a mouthful of dim sum got stuck in his throat. He choked, rolling his eyes and pounding his chest.
Yan Yan quickly handed the City Lord a cup of tea. The City Lord took it and drank it down, swallowing the dim sum stuck in his throat. He looked at Xiang Jian with disbelief, unable to discern Xiang Jian's cultivation.
"You... you've advanced?" the City Lord asked tentatively.
"Mm," Xiang Jian walked to Xiao Man's side and sat down, taking the bowl and chopsticks from the maid. "Boss, have you found Xi Wen and Qi Hong?"
"Qi Hong has been found. He is now the direct disciple of Elder Wu of the Five Poisons Sect. His status is noble, and he's no longer on the same path as us," Xiao Man said while feeding Ze Fang. "So you don't need to worry about him."