Chapter 1000: Sneaking Out

Leaving the Shattered Star Peaks, it did not take long before he found traces of Bai Ning who had already rushed out of the city located at the base of the Ninth Star Peak. Even more worrisome was the fact that it was rather obvious that he had not left the city alone, but instead together with a group of people numbering at least a few hundred.

What in the world is that disciple of mine up to...

Feeling even more than before that something was wrong, Xuan Hao took a step forward as the space around him twisted before he disappeared in the direction that Bai Ning had left in.

...

A short time earlier, Bai Ning had come to a stop just outside the sect as he nervously looked around himself. "To think that would happen now of all times..." Muttering this to himself at this time, he suddenly remembered the short conversation he had earlier over the communication talisman before spotting a petite figure approaching him rapidly.

"Hui Ying..." Seeing the person approaching him, Bai Ning muttered the young girl's name as he instantly recognized her as none other than the same person who had ended up stuck inside what he believed to be a secret realm in the past.

However, similar to himself, she was also slightly nervous as she quickly made her way over towards him while glancing around at the people constantly moving in and out of the entrance to the sect located at the base of the Ninth star Peak where he was currently standing.

"Bai Ning... Let's go, or they will leave without us!"

"..."

Hearing what Hui Ying said, Bai Ning just nodded his head before following her as both of them soon made their way outside the city where a large caravan filled with both people and demon beasts were getting ready to leave the city at any moment.

If not for the fact that most of the people in the caravan consisted of disciples from the Star Shattering Sect and other young people who had all at least reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, it would have been no different from the countless similar sized caravans that would constantly enter and exit the city located at the base of the Ninth Star Peak every single day... And of course, this oddity did catch the attention of the few nearby people, who were all left wondering if the Star Shattering Sect was preparing some sort of training excursion to help the younger disciples get some real-life experience.

But... If this was the case, there would almost certainly have been a group of Nascent Soul Realm elder present to guide them and ensure their safety, something that was clearly missing from this mixture of Star Shattering Sect disciples and younger cultivators who had most likely come from the branch sect or the Explorer Union.

"Good, looks like everyone is here now, let's set out before any of the elders notices us..." Seeing Bai Ning and Hui Ying appearing, one of the older disciples in the Core Formation Realm nodded at both of them before informing the rest that it was time for them to leave-

Rumble~

And no more than a minute later, the caravan set off from the city and headed in the direction of the Azure Sky Kingdom at a speed far faster than that of a usual caravan of this size.

"Haaa... We managed to make it in time..." Slumping down inside one of the carriages attached to a demon beast, Hui Ying let out a sigh of relief as she muttered this to herself before turning to look back at the Shattering Star Peaks growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

"Indeed, my master just came back, and I thought I wouldn't be able to get here in time because of it..." Nodding his head as he said this, Bai Ning could not help feeling a shiver run down his spine when he remembered how he had just decided to run away before greeting his master. Hopefully his junior sister would convince their master that he had always been out adventuring and would return in a few days.

Although, at the back of his head, he had a feeling that there would be no way that Mui would be able to deceive their master...

"Huh...? Your master returned to the sect!? But isn't that Grand Elder Xuan!?"

"Yes? Why?" Hearing Hui Ying suddenly call out to him with a shocked expression plastered all over her face, Bai Ning could not help tilting his head in confusion as he said this. Not understanding why she had suddenly gotten so worked up.

"Nothing... Just... You are really brave, to run away just when your master returns after a month away from the sect. Not to mention, this is Grand Elder Xuan we are talking about, he probably used his powerful divine sense to scan the entire sect the moment he returned. Meaning that he should already know that you suddenly decided to run away..."

"Huh... This..."

Suddenly realizing just how flawed his attempted cover up by using his junior sister was after hearing this, Bai Ning could not help freezing on the spot before nervously looking back in the direction of the Shattered Star Peaks that was growing smaller and smaller. Part of him was already expecting his master to show up at any moment to scold him for suddenly running away like that.

Only when the Shattered Star Peaks had completely disappeared beyond the horizon did he let out a sigh of relief before slumping back into his seat again.

If his master had noticed him leaving, he should have caught up by now. Meaning that he should have been lucky that his master hadn't used his divine sense after returning to the sect and his junior sister had managed to convince him that he had already gone out adventuring before he returned to the sect.

"Hehe, look at you, so scared of your own master."

"Hmph! You are one to talk? Don't forget how you acted after entering the carriage just a few minutes earlier!" Hearing the teasing voice coming from Hui Ying laying on a row of seats opposite of him, Bai Ning rolled his eyes as he said this.

"Ah..." Freezing on the spot after hearing what Bai Ning said, Hui Ying decided not to try and tease him anymore. After all, all of the people present in the caravan were the same as him, as they had all gathered together and essentially run away without informing the elders of their sect. The only people who were not like this was the ones from the Explorer Union.

Compared to them, they had all the time in the world and didn't have to inform any elders when they were leaving the city. On the other hand, they didn't really have much of a backing either, as the Explorer Union normally wouldn't meddle in the affairs of their outer members and would only care about those who were part of the core of the Explorer Union...

"I hope the thing mentioned by senior brother Yang is really as useful as he said. If it really is, this will be a good opportunity for us to increase our strength- Ah, but I guess you are more interested in the spiritual metals that can be found around that place.

After all, without something that could help improve your blacksmithing, there would have been no way someone like you would have ever left the sect willingly, hehe~"

"Not only spiritual metal, but also the notes left by an ancient blacksmithing prodigy from the past era in that place! If there really is something like that, I might be able to surpass the Expert Blacksmithing Realm faster than I expected and step into Artisan Realm!"

Not feeling offended at all by the slightly teasing tone in Hui Ying's voice as she mentioned the place they were going to and the spiritual metal that was rumored to be around that place, Bai Ning instead corrected her and also mentioned the notes of an ancient blacksmith that one of their seniors in the sect had mentioned when describing the place, they were going.

As for the reason why, they had all decided to leave the sect without informing any of the elders about it, it was due to the fact that the person who knew about the location of the spiritual metal, ancient blacksmith notes and the rest of the things that should be useful for increasing their cultivation base, was someone from the Explorer Union.

Due to not having the ability to enter the place on his own, he decided to ask a group of disciples from the Star Shattering Sect, but... Given just how powerful the Star Shattering Sect was, he did not feel that he would be able to get anything if he involved the elders of the sect given that he was only in the Core Formation Realm himself.

For this reason, he had specifically asked some disciples of the sect for help and required them to not inform any of their elders about it or he wouldn't take them to the place... And in the end, word had gotten to Hui Ying, who then asked Bai Ning if he wanted to join...