Chapter 285

Jiang Yu, Jiang Tu, a city gate guard (generic), and an illusion technique (possibly unnecessary).

Jiang Yu, household registration, travel permit, transportation, and the capital city (generic).

She instructed, "Jiang Tu, I already contacted Jiang Bai yesterday; for the next few days, do not look for him again."

Jiang Yu, the capital city, the National Preceptor's mansion, and a cultivator (generic).

"Hope is only Foundation Establishment." Jiang Tu's wish was beautiful, but on the second day after entering the city, a prince accompanied the Guoshi back to the city.

Jiang Yu, a tea house private room (generic), Jiang Tu, the National Preceptor, driving a carriage (generic), and foundation establishment.

A carriage curtain (generic), wind (generic), the National Preceptor, golden core formation, and a female cultivator (generic).

Jiang Tu clicked his tongue, "No wonder it's the Spirit Realm; even a Jie Dan can be dispatched to the mortal realm as a Guoshi."

Perhaps because she had been watching for a while, the female cultivator's spiritual sense swept across the tavern; fortunately, she currently has no spiritual power in her body—just a mortal.

Jiang Tu: "That's sharp enough; aren't you going to retreat yet?"

"Retreating now would only raise suspicion." So Jiang Yu immediately wore a curious expression, her gaze following that carriage convoy for a long time before pulling back.

Thus, the Jie Dan female cultivator withdrew her spiritual sense and said to the fire fox that had emerged from its spirit beast pouch, "No cultivators have been detected so far."

"Could it be that my perception was wrong?" It turned out that the fire fox had caught a trace of spiritual essence.

But it wasn't Jiang Yu; instead, in a private room of the neighboring tea house, there were also two cultivators.

At this moment the two were still discussing, "The Guoshi's spirit beast is quite alert."

"If a fellow Daoist is interested, they may come to discuss in person."

"No, no, no, people from the Divine Sword Sect are not easy to get along with."

"Huh," the fellow Daoist said, looking at the city gate, "it seems two more cultivators have just entered."

(none)

They didn't know each other, but Jiang Tu was familiar; he pointed at the dragon stele: "Jiang Bai, Jiang Bai has arrived."

"Where?" Since entering the city, Jiang Yu no longer used her spiritual sense; hearing him mention the city gate, she immediately opened the gate and went downstairs.

In less than a moment, they met the two Jiang Bais leading horses into the city.

"Jiang Yu, are you alright?" Jiang Bai, seeing Jiang Yu's slightly fatigued look, promptly tossed the reins to Lu and hurried forward.

Under normal circumstances, a cultivator who has rested for a long time without using their cultivation should have a healthy complexion.

"It's okay, just that I've been traveling for days without much rest." Several thousand li is truly far for Jiang Yu, who has no cultivation power.

Jiang Bai and medicine (generic).

"Come, let me introduce a friend to you."

As he led Jiang Yu toward Lu, his back faced the second floor of the tea house, where two cultivators standing by the window nodded at them.

At this moment Jiang Bai and Jiang Yu also realized the other was a cultivator, they nodded in greeting one after another, then turned to speak with Lu.

But Jiang Yu was startled, stared at Lu and said, "Senior Brother? Lu Zhou?"

"Who are you?" Lu Zhou also was taken aback; since the junior sister fell, no one had called him Senior Brother, could the master have taken a new disciple?

"Jiang Yu, the master's third disciple." Jiang Yu bowed respectfully; she hadn't expected to meet a senior brother she had never met before in the Spirit Realm, but fortunately the sect had a portrait of the direct disciple, otherwise she wouldn't have recognized him face to face.

Lu Zhou hurriedly lifted her, "Come, let's find a place to talk; how has the master been lately?"

Now Jiang Bai, leading his horse, followed them; at this moment he really wanted to talk with Jiang Tu.

Jiang Tu, the True Lord of the Yearly Law, the Eastern Province, and possibly the nickname "Great Disciple".

Jiang Bai could not converse through the dragon pearl at that moment, so he first shook his head then nodded, listening to Jiang Yu say, "The master learned there was trouble on your side and set out immediately to rescue."

"I had planned, after leaving the pass, to go find you all, but I ended up going to Dragon Emperor Island."

Having discovered other cultivators nearby, she spoke more cautiously.

"I couldn't contact the outside world at the time, and never saw the master." Lu Zhou began to worry for the master; each disciple could not be under his protection, and the elder had to search everywhere for rescue.

The senior brother and sister looked at each other and sighed together.

Jiang Yu hinted, "Senior Brother, let's stay for now; perhaps in the future we'll find a way to see the master."

Lu Zhou could only console himself this way, and followed Jiang Yu to the inn she had rented.

Upstairs in the tea house, the two Jie Dan cultivators were transmitting thoughts to each other: "That female cultivator has no spiritual power; she must be a cultivator. With two Jie Dan present, I can't investigate further."

The other nodded, "Their conversation isn't hidden; they must have suffered some injury."

"You say, which sect are these people from?"

"I think they'd be wandering cultivators; I'd like to invite them to the mountain villa as guests to bolster our strength."

"No, we don't know the background of these three; it's better to be cautious."

(none)

These two didn't linger much; they wouldn't leave the city.

Jiang Tu kept watching them, and as soon as they left, he immediately informed everyone.

Lu Zhou hesitated slightly, "Junior sister, are you still carrying a spirit beast?"

"Jiang Tu is not a spirit beast; it's a companion, a sect-assigned one." Jiang Yu clarified at once, and with the two Jie Dan nearby, she confidently asked the senior brother to set up a formation in the guest room.

When the formation was set, Jiang Tu couldn't wait and leapt out, "Finally I can have a moment of freedom."

It also produced a spirit fruit spirit tea, enthusiastically offering everyone a taste.

Lu Zhou had no mood for that; after getting to know each other and thanking it, he kept asking the junior sister about the master and the sect's situation.

Jiang Yu felt a bit insecure; she had spent little time in front of the master, mostly in secluded cultivation, so she could only do her best to recount everything she knew.

Seated on the other side, Jiang Tu and Jiang Bai whispered to each other, mentioning the old shopkeeper and the underworld ghost path, which caught Lu Zhou's attention.

He drew a conclusion: "So, the Spirit Realm and Dragon Emperor Island are connected?"

Jiang Yu nodded slightly, handed him a lingering stone that recorded the location near the Broken Dao Temple, which Jiang Tu had noted as an exit: "It's about right; the Purple Gold Thunder Bamboo is easy to say, but our cultivation level is the biggest obstacle."

Even after passing the transformation divine ability, they all suffered serious injuries; the ninth‑stage demon king, like me, temporarily lost spiritual power.

Lu Zhou, delighted after seeing it, handed it to Jiang Bai and said, "No fear; as long as there's a place, our cultivation can increase."

To be honest, if we hadn't fallen into the secret depths of the sea, I would already be at the Nascent Soul stage now.

We should enter a cultivation sect as soon as possible, so we have a place to practice.

Jiang Yu felt a stir in her heart and asked, "Which sect are you planning to join?"

Jiang Bai also wanted to join a sect, and Hua Jing, leaning against a big tree for shade, said, "Yes. Along the way we found that many sects are recruiting disciples, and they give priority to those who already have cultivation."

Jiang Yu paused briefly, also agreeing, and said, "I recall the Nascent Soul ghost cultivator mentioning that the Thunder Sect is one of the three major sects; we could go take a look."

By the way, have you seen Thus: Xuantang Xingjun? He shouldn't have passed away, right?

Jiang Bai and Lu Zhou exchanged glances and sighed, "The Thunder Sect is almost nonexistent. After we emerged from the cave realm with Thus: Xuantang Xingjun, the senior ghost cultivator summoned a Peng Bird demon spirit, which led us through a torn space to reach the Thunder Sect."

But there, aside from the main peak being sealed, everything else is complete wasteland.

The moment we appeared, we were spotted by cultivators from other sects stationed there; the senior ghost cultivator immediately sent us away, with Thus: Xuantang Xingjun staying with him.

We have no idea what's happening now; the messenger star lord has not replied.