Chapter 115: Departure

  The Hidden Dragon Sect did not travel alone.

  Every generation, a limited number of quotas were handed down by the Verdant Sky Hall to regional sects—tokens of favor, and reminders of their place. Only Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation cultivators were permitted to enter, and those with a quota were granted a Verdant Token—a jade talisman that shimmered with living qi.

  The journey itself became a rite of passage.

  They set out in a flying spirit barge, a long vessel carved from Thousand-Year Ironwood, inscribed with runes of wind stabilization and silence—floating like a ghost across the sky. The outer sect disciples gathered in formation, robes crisp, faces taut with tension and excitement.

  Xu Mo stood quietly at the rear, the wind tugging at his sleeves, his eyes scanning the horizon with detached calm.

  It had already been three days since they had taken flight, yet the Verdant Sky Hall was still nowhere in sight. It seemed the journey would take far longer than expected.

  Xu Mo’s heart began to beat faster, even though he wasn’t quite sure why. Was he nervous? Excited? Or simply looking forward to whatever the future held?

  On the flying spirit barge, no one recognized him. Xu Mo had made an effort to dress a little better today. He had noticed that, even in the world of immortals, mortal customs and ideology still carried weight. Using the five mid-grade spiritual stones rewarded by the system, he had first converted them into low-grade stones—just to be cautious.

  He didn’t dare use system rewards directly, even if it was just money. If he had tried to convert the stones himself, he would have been bombarded with thousands of questions, and the hassle would have consumed far too much time. Instead, Xu Mo had asked the Head Elder for help, and the elder had simply handed him the change without another word.

  Fortunately, the Hidden Dragon Sect was a top-tier sect and owned its own flying spirit barge, capable of carrying all the selected disciples. Xu Mo turned his head and saw three other flying barges. On the opposite side were two more, slightly smaller in size but still carrying their own imposing presence.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  These five smaller flying spirit barges belonged to the five vassal sects under the Hidden Dragon Sect’s command.

  “What are you doing here alone again? Look around you—and look at you. A handsome young man, all brooding and mysterious,” came a familiar voice.

  “I don’t understand how you manage to say things like that with a straight face,” Xu Mo replied without turning his head. “Especially after seeing your own fake expressions.”

  It was Xu Mo’s first time flying so high in the sky. Looking down at the mountains, valleys, sects, villages, and cities from above—and realizing how hard humans worked all their lives to build something for their future—yet from this height, it all converged into a single, insignificant dot.

  “So serious… Did something happen?” Wei Rong walked up and stood beside him.

  “Nothing,” Xu Mo said with a smirk, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

  He still wasn’t sure whether he’d even make it out alive—or whether the people he knew would.

  Xu Mo understood what Wei Rong meant. Around them were countless disciples—both inner and outer sect members. This was a rare opportunity for him to form connections and gain a foothold within the sect.

  “Aren’t you enough?” Xu Mo glanced at Wei Rong. “But I haven’t built any connections myself—so how can I share what I don’t have? That said, Mei Xueyin is quite popular, and there are already plenty of male disciples hanging around her.”

  Both Mei Xueyin and Wei Rong had successfully become inner sect disciples. Wei Rong now wore the sky-blue robes that marked his new status.

  “You still haven’t forgotten Mei Xueyin?” Xu Mo asked.

  Wei Rong gave Xu Mo a wise look that suggested he was capable of deeper thoughts than expected.

  “How can I?” Wei Rong said. “She’s the only one I love. Recently, I read a book that said, if you love someone and they don’t love you back, then seeing them happy with someone else should bring you peace. If you keep pursuing them after they’ve already chosen someone else, then it’s not love anymore. It’s obsession—and that kind of obsession could destroy both me and the person I love.”

  Xu Mo raised one eyebrow, his expression laced with sarcasm, as though surprised by Wei Rong’s sudden wisdom.

  “Hey, what’s with that look? Show some respect! I’m not the same as you anymore—I’m a respected inner sect disciple now. You’re just a mere outer sect disciple. How dare you look down on me?” Wei Rong puffed out his chest dramatically.

  “Yeah, yeah, I can see... how respected you are,” Xu Mo replied dryly.

  The two bantered as usual, unaware of the many eyes watching them from behind. Eyes that did not look upon them with delight.

  Not everyone appreciated seeing an inner sect disciple lower himself to befriend someone from the outer sect.