A few days before the Flower Festival, several Outer Sect Disciples involved in the task suddenly received a message.

The list of travelers had changed.

The Inner Sect Disciple leading the team, Lin Qing, was replaced by Senior Brother Lu Ziye.

Such things were common, and everyone speculated that perhaps Senior Brother Lin had simply received other urgent duties and thus couldn’t participate.

Lingyuanze Market.

Relief Grocery Store.

"You’re a lucky kid, they’re even sending you to the Flower Festival."

Qin Xijun had returned a few days ago, and now she was back to her lazy self, lying on a lounge chair.

Xiao He sat beside her, playing with the small jade ball.

Song Yan pouted: "No way, last time we went to Jiran Valley, they also said it was for fun, and what happened then?"

"That’s because you were unlucky."

"Then how do I know if I’ll be unlucky this time?"

"Are you going to contradict me for every two words I say? You’re getting a good deal and still complaining."

"Alright, alright, I won’t say anything more."

If he talked back again, Granny Qin might get angry, so he quickly shut up and changed the subject.

"Hey, Granny, I remember the Flower Festival happening every year, why do they say it’s once every three years?"

When he was in Stone Ridge before, he heard about Bei Ya Mountain celebrating the Flower Festival every year.

"Those are minor festivals, only Mortals celebrate them."

Qin Xijun explained: "The one every three years is a grand event. There are some rather special Spiritual Plants and Spiritual Plants that only bloom once every three years."

"Oh..."

"Then what does the letter they sent mean by ’restarting the ancient ritual’?"

Qin Xijun raised an eyebrow: "Ancient ritual? Hmm... I think I heard someone mention it before..."

"Many years ago, the Flower Festival used to have a wishing ceremony, which both Mortals and Cultivators could participate in."

"They would tie flower slips with their wishes written on them to a Peach Blossom Spiritual Tree, and it was rumored that their wishes would come true in the new year."

Is that true or false?

Song Yan muttered to himself.

If it were true, that would be great.

He’d just hang "Eternal Life" on the tree and wouldn’t have to cultivate diligently every day.

"However, that Peach Blossom Spiritual Tree seemed to have withered and died mysteriously many years ago, and no matter how they tried, they couldn’t revive it."

"So, since then, the grand event has never had this ceremony again..." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Qin Xijun was stunned: "No way? Just when you, kid, are going to participate in the grand event this year, that Spiritual Peach got revived this year?"

"How would I know?"

"..."

"So when are you leaving?"

"Now."

Song Yan poked Xiao He’s head, and Snake Babe entered his sleeve.

"I specifically came to bid farewell to you, ’Master’."

...On Entrance Plaza, Li Qingfeng and Song Yan arrived very early and were chatting idly.

Senior Brother Lu Ziye seemed to be in a good mood.

He loved this kind of sightseeing work.

Not far away, from the direction of Lianyou Peak, Gu Qingqing’s figure was seen rushing over.

"Huh?"

Song Yan and Li Qingfeng exchanged glances.

This didn’t seem quite right with the list.

Li Qingfeng asked: "Junior Sister Gu, wasn’t Junior Sister Yang Yuerong on the previous list?"

"Yuerong hasn’t met the requirements for an outdoor mission yet; perhaps the Deacon Elder made a mistake earlier."

"Later, when the list was sent to Senior Sister, it was changed to me."

Gu Qingqing explained: "I just found out myself and quickly packed up."

"So that’s how it is..."

In fact, the rules regarding the requirements for Outer Sect Disciples on outdoor missions were not very strict.

For example, in the previous Jiran Valley mission, due to its extremely low danger, Song Yan, who had joined the sect less than two years ago, also participated.

However, given Yang Yuerong’s situation, it was indeed difficult for her to participate, as her Realm was slightly too low.

However... the more Song Yan thought about it, the more alarmed he became.

Who were the initial people? Lin Qing, Li Qingfeng, Yang Yuerong.

Now the people on the list were being replaced one by one.

Who had they become? Lu Ziye, Gu Qingqing, Li Qingfeng.

How was this becoming more and more similar to the personnel composition of the Jiran Valley incident... After carefully sorting things out, he believed that he shouldn’t be the unlucky one.

It should be Gu Qingqing who was unlucky.

From Jiran Valley to Peach Blossom Dock, she was there every time.

He should try to stay away from her in the future; this girl was quite strange.

Seemingly sensing his gaze, Gu Qingqing smiled brightly at him, two shallow dimples appearing on her face.

"Alright, let’s go."

Lu Ziye summoned the Spiritual Boat.

It was exactly the same as the one used to go to Jiran Valley last time... This time, since there was a Spiritual Boat, Li Qingfeng didn’t sit on his black pot anymore.

Gu Qingqing pulled out a small, translucent bead from her qiankun bag, and with a surge of spiritual power, it slowly floated.

Li Qingfeng was a little curious: "Junior Sister Gu, what are you doing?"

"This is a record bead."

Gu Qingqing explained: "Junior Sister Yuerong couldn’t go to the Flower Festival this time, so she asked me to record the scenes of the grand event for her."

"Then why are you summoning the record bead now?"

"You don’t understand, do you? Just recording the scenes of the Flower Festival, while wonderful, lacks some build-up."

"I’ll record everything from start to finish, so when Junior Sister Yuerong watches it, she’ll truly feel how wonderful the grand event is~"

"Hmph." Li Qingfeng was a little surprised: "You’re an expert..."

Longquan Prefecture is in the north of the Chu Kingdom.

There are two places in the Chu Kingdom that are cold all year round: Jiangyun Prefecture, which is closest to Great Heaven Mountain in the south, and Longquan Prefecture.

Among them, Bei Ya Mountain in Longquan Prefecture has a slightly different climate.

This could be considered the warmest place in the northern region.

The flying speed of the Spiritual Boat was much slower than sword-riding, so the Spiritual Boat flew for nearly three days before reaching the vicinity of the Bei Ya Mountain reception point.

This was a place similar to a tea plantation.

However... there were only Mortals tending to farm work here, but no Cultivators to receive them.

Boom—

Just as the few of them were puzzled, a sound came from afar.

They saw three to five Cultivators chasing a First Stage Middle Stage Demon Beast, rushing towards the tea plantation.

"?"

The four Cave Abyss Sect Disciples looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.

However, with the Demon Beast attacking and Mortals still in the tea plantation, they couldn’t afford to be stunned.

"Xiao Song, you and I will assist them in stopping the Demon Beast."

"Qingfeng, Qingqing, go take those Mortals to a safer place."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

A green light flashed at Lu Ziye’s fingertips, and several thick green vines and branches burst out of the ground below, firmly binding the Demon Beast’s four limbs.

Oink oink—

A cry of agony.

Only now, as it got closer, did they clearly see that this First Stage Middle Stage Demon Beast was a purple-striped mountain pig.

This type of Demon Beast was relatively weak in aggression and very gentle in nature.

Some places called it Dang Kang, under the name of an Auspicious Beast.

Song Yan wondered in his heart what these people did to anger such a Demon Beast.

He summoned Unmoored Boat, about to use his Flying Sword.

However, from a distance, he heard someone among the Cultivators shout: "Fellow Daoist! Fellow Daoist! Don’t kill it!"

With a slight retraction of his spiritual power, the Flying Sword that was originally thrust out veered slightly, heavily "slapping" the purple-striped mountain pig on its forehead.

Oink oink—

Another cry of agony.

The large pig, already exhausted from being chased by numerous Cultivators, now collapsed heavily, panting heavily.

The Cultivators surrounded it, doing something unknown.

A young man walked towards them from the group.

"You must be the Fellow Daoists from Cave Abyss Sect, right?"

The four nodded.

The young Cultivator smiled apologetically, a look of shame on his face.

"I am Yan Xun, a Disciple of the Yan Family from Sword Casting Villa."