Chapter 404: The Unspoken Secret Friend

"Hmph, some things are worse than murder, and that's why we of the Celestial Realm dislike Celestial City! In my view, if the Dark Clan attacks Celestial City and the Celestial Realm in the future, the first to fail will surely be Celestial City!" Ji Qiuhé said.

"Ha ha, Old Ji, you underestimate my Celestial City. The Celestial Realm does have many masters, but Celestial City has even more, and besides, we're not all from the same cultivation lineage here; countless extraordinary talents and odd cultivators abound. Compared with the Celestial Realm, we're just as strong, if not stronger!" Qin Wu said with a disdainful laugh.

"They're just a ragtag mob!" Ji Qiuhé mocked.

"Fellow cultivators, let's drop the discussion. Let me first wish you all to go to the Celestial Realm in the future; if you don't like living there, moving back to Celestial City later is fine, ha ha!" As the voice rang out, the tightly shut door opened, and Wei Yuning stepped out with a smiling face.

Apart from Qin Wu, everyone loved to hear those words.

"Lord Wei, you seem in good spirits; your cultivation must have advanced greatly, right?" Ji Qiuhé complimented.

"A bit of progress, a bit of progress!" Wei Yuning laughed. "Miss Shui, what's the background of the Blood Sha Gang? Is the matter settled now? Want me to intervene on your behalf?"

Hearing that, Qin Wu hurriedly said, "Lord Wei, better not stir up trouble. The Blood Sha Gang, out of respect for me, is already planning to let this pass. This gang's influence around Celestial City is considerable; it's best not to provoke them!"

"Your 'face'? Heh, if it weren't for you, fellow cultivator Shui, slashing the enemy's weapon with a single sword, the matter wouldn't be so simple! We still can't take the Blood Sha Gang lightly!" Ji Qiuhé sneered.

Wei Yuning found it odd; in his impression, Ji Qiuhé was a fairly gentle person, and he didn't know when his relationship with Qin Wu had become so strained.

"Lord Wei, it's all my fault; who could have thought that the words spoken in love would be taken seriously by others? I feel so wronged!" Shui Xiuer said, eyes brimming with tears.

"Hmph, if you hadn't been courting attention, our team wouldn't have this problem!" Qin Wu continued to snort unrelentingly.

"The sect technique is as it is; this little lady has no choice. To achieve the Dao, disciples of the Fragrant Breeze Sect can only act like this. Rather than fellow cultivator Qin dismissing me as indecent, it'd be better if you introduced me to some reliable people in Celestial City. You're an elder there with many friends; our sect's techniques benefit both sides and will never let your friends suffer!" Shui Xiuer's big watery eyes gazed at Qin Wu.

"I… Hmph!" Qin Wu's complexion suddenly flushed red, and he fell silent.

"Forget the Blood Sha Gang or the Fire Sha Gang; I don't offend people, and they don't offend me. If anyone truly provokes us, we'll beat them back. I'm not without allies in Celestial City!" Wei Yuning said bravely.

He still had no clear grasp of his own strength; after eating the peach from the withered tree, if it weren't suppressed, the blood‑qi force in his body would have surged skyward. Even if a Great Immortal Giant Tree came, he would still want to grapple with it, let alone a mere gang.

Besides the blood‑qi, his internal spiritual energy was equally vast as a sea of smoke, and that was the benefit of inhaling a whiff of Huang Zhong Gen.

When he first saw the fruit, he only saw the front characters "Huang" and "Zhong"; the latter character flickered in and out, and he didn't see it clearly.

After he received the peach that Mei Xuan handed him, he spotted a "gen" character somewhere on the peach; linking the front and back, he finally realized that after the two characters "Huang Zhong" there was indeed a "gen" character.

Qin Wu, hearing this for the first time, couldn't help asking, "May I know which friend of Lord Wei's in Celestial City? Perhaps I know them too!"

"The exact name is inconvenient to state, but she is a Great Immortal!" The person Wei Yuning mentioned was, of course, Feng He Fairy; however, his connection with Feng He is under the guise of Shadowless Blade Jade Dragon Mountain—a secret that must not be spoken. Yu Long Shan, that individual, has enemies both in the Celestial Realm and in Celestial City.

"Sss…"

A group of people let out inhaling sounds.

After Wei Yuning returned from the outer realm, everyone felt morale surge; in this team, only he wielded such influence.

Everyone admired not only his cultivation level but also his cohesive influence.

The main combat force in this team is the Heart Sword Sect, comprising sixteen members; the only outsider they truly trust is Lord Wei.

Adding Wei Yuning's own six‑member squad, three film enthusiasts, and later recruit Zhi Hua, they all follow him as leader.

What further piqued Ji Qiuhé, Qin Wu and others was that the Dung Beetle Cultivator, three female cultivators of the Fragrant Breeze Sect, the Fire Cloud Daoist, and even the Messy Daoist all looked to Lord Wei as their leader.

As for claims of personal charisma or leadership ability, Ji Qiuhé and Qin Wu both sneered, perhaps describing him as rich and ostentatious is the most accurate.

As long as you follow Lord Wei, you not only eat the good and drink the spicy, but also dress well; the Messy Daoist is proof—he's constantly wearing clothes supplied by Lord Wei, sometimes the Divine Martial Sect's garb, other times the Cloud Hidden Sect's, utterly ridiculous; the living conditions are also great, whether in the Small Thick Earth Realm or the current Four‑courtyard Residence, everything belongs to Lord Wei, even the Celestial Shuttle used for travel is Lord Wei's.

Unconsciously, everyone had come to regard Wei Yuning as the natural leader.

Everyone waited for Wei Yuning's return, and as soon as he arrived, they sprang into action.

In no time, the group arrived at the teleportation array entrance of the "Borderlands".

The inspecting cultivator was stout, sported a tangled beard, and had sharp eyes; he wore golden battle armor, a black coat over it, emblazoned with a splattered blood‑red tattered flag.

Behind him stood a valiant young man in white‑gold battle armor; his moon‑white cloak bore the image of a gray city, beneath stormy clouds crackling with lightning.

"Those in black cloaks belong to the Blood Sha Mercenary Corps; together with the Phantom Shadow Mercenary Corps and the Celestial City Official Vanguard, they guard this teleportation array. Those in white cloaks are from Celestial City!" Monk Cheng Xin transmitted the message in time.

Hearing this, Wei Yuning thought for a moment and took out the envoy token that Wan Jun had given him.

The Blood Sha mercenaries held a mirror, reflecting it onto each passerby.

The process went smoothly; when it reached Qin Wu, he smiled, produced his Celestial City identity token, and flashed it at the Vanguard. The valiant young man nodded, though without a smile.

At the end, Wei Yuning saw the female cultivator of the Fragrant Breeze Sect pass through successfully and he breathed a sigh of relief.

When it was his turn, the bearded inspector waved the mirror, then froze, looking up at Wei Yuning with terror in his eyes.

"Lord Sha, Lord Sha, this… senior…"

Qin Wu and the others all halted, unsure of what had happened.