Chapter 1189: The Ruby Cloud Sect

Whoosh~

Beneath the sunny and clear sky, Zhuo Fan darted across the land, his eyes holding a strange light as he used the stars to be his guide.

Glancing at the sky, he squinted and smiled. He was getting close to the last of nine stars' position, close to the one he wished to see.

Zhuo Fan got excited. Ever since he saw the stars inside the black orb, he felt odd, like there was something connecting him with every little thing in the world. He could even see the stars in broad daylight.

"Senior sister, master had us take the Purple Gold Glazed Cup and meet up with senior aunt's group in Mist City for a treasure competition, to make sure we get our hands on the map to the Nether Sea. But I just don't feel right leaving junior sister behind all by herself."

"And why not? That dumb girl is as plain of talent as she is of strength. Not just I, but even all of you are stronger than her. What's the point in bringing a dead weight?"

"She's just relying on master's favor to come along and get a share no matter how much in the wrong she is..."

"But master said so..."

"Quiet! That sickening girl must've strung master along with her sweet words. All she's good at is sucking up. There's no way I'm about to share credit, for such an important mission, with her! We'll just say she was too slow and couldn't keep up."

Their nagging echoed through the thick forest, reaching Zhuo Fan's sharp ears.

Nether Sea?

[Isn't that the Nether Sovereign's place? Although I've caught a glimpse of it in the mortal domain's World Wind Tunnels, I had no idea how to enter it. But could such a map be real?]

Zhuo Fan paused and rushed over to the forest. He got his clothes in order and casually walked through the vegetation.

Rustle~

"Who's there?" A sharp cry came as six sharp swords glinted as they shot for the bush.

Zhuo Fan felt their bloodthirst before he saw their faces.

Zhuo Fan snickered, but still faked panic, "Wait, wait! I lost my way and don't mean any harm!"

Zhuo Fan rushed out of the bush, shaking in fear. Before him were six pretty girls, all perfect beauties in their own right, yet their cold eyes ruined the image.

They sized him up and noticed him in the Bone Tempering Stage. They sighed with ease and the leader, their senior sister, mocked, "You're so old yet only in the Bone Tempering Stage? Never knew someone like you existed in Sacred Domain. Humph, so weak and yet you're wandering around a forest? A spiritual beast might pounce on you at any time and leave only your bones behind."

"Very true, I also know this is dangerous, but I have to earn a living. There's nothing else I can do besides picking herbs, ha-ha-ha..."

Zhuo Fan gave a silly laugh, his face foolish as his sharp eye inspected their cultivation.

[Oh, three Spirit Kings, one mid-stage, two early-stage, with the rest being at peak Genesis Stage. Quite a strong team.]

Zhuo Fan snickered and bowed again pretending to be confused, "Misses, may I ask you what is up ahead? I've been in this forest for three months, unable to come out."

"A mere Bone Tempering cultivator got what he deserves being stuck out here when you can't even fly."

The senior sister relished in his predicament, with the other girls shooting him mocking smiles. She said again, feeling proud for some reason, "Boy, you're better off turning back before you meet your end in this forest. And don't go any further, lest you want a painful death."

"Why?"

"Ahead is the Ruby Cloud Sect!" The senior sister sneered.

Zhuo Fan exclaimed, his face sinking.

[I was wondering why this place felt familiar, it turns out to be close to the Ruby Cloud Sect. Humph, I've been following the nine stars for so many months, ignoring the places I pass, all so I can find my wife.]

Oblivious to his reaction, or better yet, never even registering anything about Zhuo Fan's person, the senior sister arched her slim eyebrow and kept on patronizing him, "You must've heard as well of my sect's rules. Any man that dare come uninvited is to have a fate worse than death. Dying in a spiritual beast's mouth is heaven compared to that. So be smart and get lost, humph."

[Ha-ha, you think I don't know that? Who doesn't know of those old biddies and their menopause.]

Zhuo Fan snickered inside, showing a weird smile on the outside, "Does that mean you're all Ruby Cloud Sect disciples?"

"Yes, scared now?"

The six girls thrusted their chest out in pride, their eyes holding nothing but loathing, "We're on a mission right now and even though we're on a tight schedule, you should be honored for us to look after a nobody like you. If you had met our master, he-he..."

Clang!

Zhuo Fan's smirk grew wider, clenching his fists, "If I really had met your master, it would've been really bad indeed. As for you..."

Zhuo Fan's Qilin arm gave a cold aura.

"Senior sister, please wait up..."

A gentle voice sounded and a girl of around twenty, dressed in white, huffed as she entered their sights.

[Just another corpse.]

Zhuo Fan huffed inside.

The others were annoyed, "How did this girl even follow us? She's worse than a ghost!"

"Senior sister!"

The girl giggled as she landed on the leader's side, "Why didn't you wait for me and went ahead? I could hardly keep up."

The senior sister rolled her eyes in disdain, "Junior sister, the road is dangerous and we didn't want you to tire and meet with danger. You should go back. Master cares for you so much and won't punish you for returning. Just say that I told you so."

"Senior sister, don't say that. We're close sisters, and I can help you when you're in trouble. It's also my very first mission outside the sect. I can't just fail it."

The girl was quite lively, totally oblivious to her senior sisters' disdain. She was like a sheep raised in the pen that had never braved the dangers of the wild outdoors.

Zhuo Fan snickered, giving her a long look, "Your senior sisters only think of you when they say you should stay in the sect. The world is fraught with dangers, ha-ha-ha..."

Zhuo Fan clenched a fist behind him, his eyes gleaming coldly.

"Hey, who are you? You can also tell they're nice to me?" With a pure smile, the girl turned to Zhuo Fan.

Zhuo Fan held the same odd smile as he nodded.

[Yes, they're so nice to send you to hell, but now I see you came for death yourself...]

Ugh!

Zhuo Fan shuddered just then, looking deep in the girl's eyes and felt his heart racing.

[She's really plain, no amazing beauty, but delicate and innocent.]

Those eyes gave him a familiar feeling.

The girl looked into his eyes at the same time, lost for a moment, "Have we met before?"

"What is your name?" Zhuo Fan's heart jumped.

"Qingcheng!" The girl spoke without hesitation, considering Zhuo Fan as one of her friends on the spot, "Chu Qingcheng!"

Zhuo Fan froze as he took her in fully and muttered like in a dream, "Chu Qingcheng, still the same name..."

His numb mind looked in the distance then turned to the girl's lost eyes, the fist behind relaxing as he smiled.

[Qingcheng, I found you at last...]

The rough hands held Chu Qingcheng's soft cheeks, his eyes looking only at her and appreciating her for who she was with a soft gaze.

Chu Qingcheng showed no revulsion to this stranger. She felt an odd sensation inside, like she knew this man but could not recognize him...