World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 524: Bu Yu Sets Out

"Spirit Stone generator, voltage stabilizer, power bank, six hundred curated manga, and a personal theater... Senior Sister, everything should be in there!"

Wang Xiaomiao reluctantly handed over her jade bracelet.

"There are also a few spare phones and the instant text-to-speech converter from the research institute. They all run on Spirit Stones for power. Anyway, please take good care of yourself out there. My brother can get gloomy sometimes. I'm seriously counting on you!"

Mu Wanxuan accepted the bracelet and slipped it onto her wrist. She then hugged Wang Xiaomiao and gently patted her lovely back, which she admired so much that she had to fight the urge to perform cupping therapy on it.

Ahem.

This serious farewell was supposed to be extremely emotional. Hence, she stopped herself from looking too pleased.

I can finally go and see Junior Brother!

Mu Wanxuan would have to fly for over a year. By the time she arrived, a century would have passed for Wang Sheng. Even so, she could now at least do everything in her power to rush to his side.

Huai Jing and the other two had passed through the wormhole again a few days earlier. They contacted the Hua Republic from the Realm of Exiled Immortals' exit, and in response, the Hua Republic sent back news that Spiritless had returned to Earth and that Wang Sheng had escaped the blood mine.

Following Yaoyun's instructions, Nameless and the trio were told to leave an address to a safe place in the endless space, hide there, and wait. Once she had returned to Wang Sheng, she would go and find them.

They now stood before the great palace of the Pure Yang Sword Faction, where many representatives of the Daoist heritages had gathered to see them off.

Mu Wanxuan wasn't heading beyond the Realm of Exiled Immortals alone. Four Daoist masters accompanied her, each ranked within the top fifty of the Heavenly Rankings. None of them belonged to the oldest generation.

Fei Lianzi and Gao Shixing had volunteered to aid Wang Sheng.

Two instructors from the Special Warfare Unit were also joining them: Zhang Zikuang, who knew Wang Sheng well; and a short-haired woman named Fan Tuantuan. Zhang Zikuang kept calling her Rice Ball[1].

She was only at the Nascent Soul Realm, the lowest among the five, yet she was famous in the Special Warfare Unit for her careful planning and sharp thinking. Her role was to increase the strategic capability of the small squad stationed near the Realm of Exiled Immortals.

Wang Xiaomiao wanted to come, but her cultivation was far too weak. Considering even the aftermath of a battle between immortals could erase her, she had to stay home and focus on cultivating.

Besides, Wang Sheng would be enraged if he learned that his younger sister had been sent to places as harsh as the thirteen qi planets.

He risked his life outside only so that his family and friends could cultivate safely at home, hoping that they could one day walk out of the Realm of Exiled Immortals safely and step into a larger world of cultivation.

"Bu Yu, these are some specialized items that the research institute developed." Mou Yue placed a small box in Mu Wanxuan's hand. "There are seven storage artifacts inside, each labeled by category. They could help in urgent situations."

Mu Wanxuan answered softly, "Mm."

She looked at Mou Yue but said nothing further.

Spiritless hovered nearby with a faint hum. A medium-sized Shadowless Shuttle floated above the plaza. Rather than showing herself, Yaoyun simply flew into the shuttle.

Zhang Zikuang and Fan Tuantuan rose into the sky and entered. Gao Shixing and Fei Lianzi exchanged farewells with their sect members and masters, then followed them inside as well.

Mu Wanxuan looked at her three junior siblings warmly and proudly.

Wei Lin, Li Jing'an, and Zhou Liuji saluted her. Wei Lin then said, "Senior Sister, may you reunite with Second Martial Brother soon."

Mu Wanxuan smiled gently. "Mm."

"Little Xuan, come here," Qing Yanzi called.

Mu Wanxuan turned at once, finding her master standing before many elders and Daoist masters. She lifted her skirt slightly and knelt, her dark hair cascading down her back.

"Eh? Why kneel all of a sudden?"

Qing Yanzi tried to help her up, but the yin-yang qi around her allowed her to bow without resistance. It felt awkward since Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan had long surpassed him in cultivation.

The crowd quieted down.

When she rose, Qing Yanzi handed her two thick envelopes. "I know you recorded a video of Little Sheng's parents at his home, so I won't record anything myself. Here are two letters. One's from me, and the other is from the Daoist masters of each Daoist heritage. Deliver them both to Little Sheng."

Mu Wanxuan accepted the letters courteously. "Yes."

Qing Yanzi sighed. He wanted to speak to her more, but he stopped himself. Looking at his first disciple, who could now stand on her own, his eyes filled with deep reluctance.

He had different feelings for his disciples. Toward Wang Sheng, he felt expectation and trust. Meanwhile, his affection for Mu Wanxuan, whom he had raised since childhood, was deeper than what he would feel for a daughter.

"Remember, when you find your cultivation lacking, stay discreet and avoid being reckless. Little Sheng sometimes acts on impulse, too. As his senior sister, you have to restrain him and stop him from taking risks.

"Considering how beautiful you are and how chaotic the endless space is, you're going to have to protect yourself at all times. Do not speak casually with strangers. Discuss everything with Little Sheng, and don't—ah, I'm getting naggy. If I keep talking, the sky will turn dark. Go quickly."

Mu Wanxuan nodded. "Mm."

She turned and rose into the air. Her embroidered shoes glimmered as she flew toward the sky. Like the maiden who chased the moon, she entered the Shadowless Shuttle.

The door closed slowly, the defensive arrays activated, and the shuttle gradually turned transparent. Right after, it shot into the sky, leaving only the faintest trace behind.

Below, Qing Yanzi raised his hand and quietly wiped the corner of his eye. His gaze showed comfort, worry, a touch of guilt, and a bit of calm.

Mu Wanxuan's journey would take a full year before they reached the Realm of Exiled Immortals' exit. For Wang Sheng, that would be another hundred years before he could see her and the others again.

A century...

It sounded long, but in truth, it would pass quickly. He would be busy with cultivation, and he had joined the Xinghai Sect, where he had already begun laying out a plan to swallow the entire sect.

***

Wang Sheng was only one man, but ambition could exist regardless. From the entry test alone, it was clear that the sect's leadership lacked any real sense of crisis and placed too much faith in their own arts and divine abilities. Moreover, after staying in it for half a month, he realized that its problems ran much deeper.

The sect master and the vice sect master seemed unable to manage anything.

They had spent three months recruiting immortals and gathered more than twenty Protectors, including twelve True Immortals, six peak Primordial Immortals, and nine mid-stage Primordial Immortals.

And then... nothing else happened.

Once a sect recruited people, it was common sense to build cohesion, strengthen the group, boost loyalty, and hold activities that made the sect feel like family. However, the sect master and vice sect master did nothing at all. The silence across the Xinghai Sect felt so heavy that it bordered on oppressive.

When Jing Ke went to assassinate the Qin Dynasty's Emperor, he knew it would cost his life. Nevertheless, he gave everything because Prince Dan of Yan had treated him with sincerity and honor, granting him high status, fine feasts, luxuries, carriages, and beauties.

Only then did the verse arise about the wind, the cold river, and the warrior who never returned.

From Wang Sheng's perspective, these Protectors had been recruited and then treated like a formality. They received maids, Spirit Stones, and alchemical pills, yet the sect master and vice sect master never appeared to build any real connection. It created the clear impression that the sect was raising them only so they could be "sacrificed" when the Celestial Wind Sect eventually attacked.

The hearts of unaffiliated practitioners were not difficult to win over. Most had walked a harsh road to become a True Immortal or Primordial Immortal. A bit of respect, recognition, and genuine regard would easily build their loyalty to the Xinghai Sect.

At the very least, the sect master could hold a banquet so the new sect members could dine together and form the first threads of belongingness. Having capable elders visit often, sit with them, discuss the Dao, or share drinks was far more valuable than gifts of maids or Spirit Stones, too.

With a deep enough trust, even those who had joined with ulterior motives could be moved into providing unexpected yields.

From this alone, Wang Sheng was already certain that the Xinghai Sect was heading for trouble.

Another half month of cultivation passed, and everything in the Xinghai Sect reverted to its old self. It felt as if this batch of newcomers were already long-time members.

After a month in his loft, Wang Sheng decided to head out, look around, and probe the sect's foundation. He left his quiet cultivation room, shut down the qi-gathering formation, and walked toward the loft's courtyard with his hands behind his back.

Whispers reached his ears. Two beautiful girls in matching gauze dresses sat in the courtyard, speaking to each other.

"Protector Pi glanced at us once and never paid us any attention after. Looks like the rumors were right. He is a man devoted to his childhood sweetheart."

"Even so, we should think about our future. If Protector Pi never looks our way, we might not see any opportunities even after hundreds of years."

"Let fate decide. I heard that some of the girls who practice guqin with us have already been undressed by the Dao protectors they serve..."

"Is that not something we all expected from the start?"

"Haaa... We did, but if that happened to me, I would still feel a bit sad."

A cough sounded from upstairs. "Ahem!"

Both girls turned pale, leaped from their seats, and knelt side by side with their heads lowered, hardly daring to breathe.

Wang Sheng descended the stairs and calmly said, "Stand up. From now on, focus on your cultivation and stop speaking nonsense behind anyone's back."

"Yes, yes..."

He glanced at the two trembling girls and added, "I am going out for a walk. Clean the cultivation room while I'm gone and buy me some immortal wine."

Ten Immortal Stones flew from his sleeve and landed before them. After a moment of thought, he set four more Immortal Stones, two bottles of alchemical pills, and two jade slips inscribed with basic immortal arts before the girls. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Once he had stepped outside, the two girls rose slowly and looked at the pile of treasures before them.

"This is..."

"Could Protector Pi be hinting for us to take the initiative? Considering he's a respected immortal, he might be too embarrassed to say it outright."

"Huh?"

"Haaa... Honestly, we're lucky. At least the one we serve is young and handsome. He's much better than those Protectors who are old in years yet young in appetite."

Wang Sheng, who was outside the door, heard every word. A corner of his mouth twitched.

He felt that the two maids were spinning fantasies, but he had no way to prove otherwise.

1. Rice ball in Chinese is "饭团" (fàntuán), which has the same phoneme as Fan Tuantuan's name. ☜