Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The crowd on the lotus flower hesitated. She was the one who killed the other two elders! They looked closer at the crystal and realised that just before Qing Yin died, this woman was standing next to him. Their eyes became filled with alarm. What’s worse is that they could not figure out her cultivation level.
“Hmph, this Fellow Daoist is just talking nonsense. The Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit is the treasure of my Xuan Yuan Family. Since when did it become yours?”
“Are you sure it belongs to your family?”
“Everyone in the Upper Azure World knows that.”
“Then…” Shen Ying narrowed her eyes. “Call it and see if it responds.”
The Traveling Immortals paused. What nonsense is she spouting?!
“Ridiculous! The Vegetation Spirit is formed by the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth. Although it has sentience, it has always seen itself as superior. Even if it had chosen a master, it wouldn’t-”
“If you won’t call it, I will.” He hadn’t completed his sentence before Shen Ying turned around and interrupted him. She called out, “Radish, come out here for a while.”
“Ji…”
She had just completed her sentence when the crowd saw a white ray of light appear from below Lonemoon’s feet. Something appeared before Shen Ying in a flash. Out of its fat, white body grew several green leaves, and between two of these leaves sprouted several dandelions. It raised the flowers up, shouting, “Ji ji ji!”
“Get away from me!” The dandelions shed their petals.
“Ji…” The radish’s entire being immediately seemed dejected.
“Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit!” The people on the lotus flower began to exclaim one after another. They couldn’t believe their eyes. That fat and white body really belonged to that of a Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit! Its sentience was flawless too. It was perfect. They had not thought that the mystic realm would produce such a treasure!
“Radish,” Shen Ying called out again, staring at the radish on the ground. She pointed to the people on the lotus flower and asked, “They say you belong to them?”
The radish hesitated before it turned to look in the direction that her finger was pointing to. Then, it turned back around and made a sound:
“Pui!”
Many people yearn for my body.
The crowd: “…”
Everybody who was present remained silent.
“What do you think… who does this radish belong to?” Shen Ying turned to face the crowd.
The crowd’s expressions reflected absolute confusion. The Xuan Yuan Family was clearest about what the truth was. They had originally come to give the Blackheaven Sect trouble, but they had not expected for them to have really found a Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit in the mystic realm. And yet, there really was one here.
“You… why do you have a Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit?” The Traveling Immortal turned around with a frown and continued, “This is the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit that belongs to my Xuan Yuan Family. They must have cast some sort of evil spell on the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit so that is no longer recalls who its real owner is. That’s why it’s listening to you.”
He stared at the Vegetation Spirit standing on the ground. Now that he knew they had a Vegetation Spirit, he couldn’t leave without it. Even if he had to snatch it from the Blackheaven Sect, he would.
“Who said it has acknowledged an owner?” Shen Ying picked up the radish and turned around in a circle, presenting the radish. Its snow white body had no hint of a contract on it.
No… no owner!
The crowd couldn’t believe their ears, and everyone’s eyes widened. Was this person stupid? Anyone who found a treasure would make it acknowledge themselves as the owner. The expressions of the crowd on the lotus flower darkened. They could no longer insist that the treasure belonged to them. Who would believe that a treasure which had not acknowledged any owner belonged to the Xuan Yuan Family?
Within a moment, they were brought down from their moral high horse. Some of their expressions remained dark, while others seemed to look uncomfortable. The Xuan Yuan Family’s people felt as if they had just shot themselves in the foot.
“You people… have nothing better to do,” Shen Ying sighed. How good would it have been if they used their spare time to savor some delicacies? She then turned around to face the crowd from the Blackheaven Sect. She swept across them with her eyes, not resting her gaze on anyone. Turning around to Yi Qing, she said, “Chef, I’m tired of eating the food from this sect. Let’s change location…”
“Master…” Yi Qing hesitated. After a moment, he understood what she meant. He gritted his teeth and turned around to glare at the crowd behind him. His master was attempting to distract the Xuan Yuan Family—she wanted to turn the attention to herself to help the Blackheaven Sect avert disaster.
How dare this bunch of cowardly, ungrateful people do something like this?
“Yes, Master!” Yi Qing clenched his fists and breathed in deep. Turning around, he said, “Hall Master Qiu, I’ve troubled you. Yi Qing has always been an itinerant cultivator and I have never wanted to conform to a sect’s rules. I hereby ask for permission to leave this sect. May all of you have good progress toward immortality.” Once the words were out of his mouth, he walked toward the exit of the hall. He handed his disciple jade token back to the people of Blackheaven Sect.
“Yi Qing!” Lonemoon’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“Supremacy, I wish you all the best.” Xi Qiu’s hands trembled as he received the jade token. He suddenly felt extremely ashamed of himself. They were the most innocent people in this entire situation. Yet despite that, for the sect…
“Xi Qiu, you!” Lonemoon looked at Xi Qiu with disbelief.
Yi Qing didn’t care that he had just left the sect. He had no feelings toward Blackheaven Sect in any case. He knew better than anyone else how sects worked and he knew how the people of Blackheaven Sect would react the moment he saw the image through the crystals.
The Xuan Yuan Family no longer had any reason to destroy Blackheaven Sect. However, as long as Shen Ying and Yi Qing had the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit, the Xuan Yuan family would count them as one with Blackheaven Sect. The Upper World rarely had to resort to violence to deal with families from the Lower Realms. As time went by, nobody could guarantee that these sects from the Lower Realm would not hate the families of the Upper World, so it would be much more worth it for the Upper World families to make a clean break.
“Master.” Yi Qing turned back, ignoring Lonemoon’s call.
Shen Ying nodded. She raised her head to face the people on the lotus flower and said, “Mr. Whoever… I killed your people and I picked the radish. If you’re not happy, you can settle your scores with me. This has nothing to do with anyone else.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Yi Qing hopped onto his flying sword and flew into the horizon.
“Wait, you…” Lonemoon stepped forward, attempting to stop them.
Yu Yang stopped Lonemoon. “Junior Brother! They are doing a favour for our sect by leaving. Don’t waste their efforts.”
Lonemoon clenched his fists by his side. So much for doing a favor for the sect. Shen Ying cared nothing for the sect. The Xuan Yuan Family’s Traveling Immortals definitely wouldn’t be able to do anything to her. She brought the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit away on purpose, but…. but she only did it so that Lonemoon would not be put on the spot. After all, he was Supremacy Lonemoon of the Blackheaven Sect!
“My two Senior Brothers!” Lonemoon sighed. He had made up his mind. He clenched his fist and turned around to Yu Yang. “Lonemoon doesn’t care about the favors that Shen Ying and Yi Qing did for this sect. They entered the mystic realm for my sake. Blackheaven Sect can’t protect them and I’m not about to stand by and do nothing about it . From now on, please consider Lonemoon as separate from the Blackheaven Sect.” What good would it be even if he were to remain in the sect?
“Junior Brother!”
“Uncle-Master!”
The expressions of those of the Blackheaven Sect changed. Nevertheless, he handed his jade token back to Xi Qiu, turned around and rode his sword after Yi Qing.
“Hold up, you two!”
Seeing that Yi Qing, Shen Ying and Lonemoon had taken the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit with them, the people of the Xuan Yuan Family saw no point in surrounding the Blackheaven Sect.
“Since this was all a big misunderstanding, we will not impose on the Blackheaven Sect any longer.” The Traveling Immortal waved his hand as the entire lotus flower left the Main Peak. The air around them twisted, creating an exit route. The great lotus flower exited from that route, but then the five Traveling Immortals atop the lotus flower suddenly disappeared.