The Reunion

After returning, Yan was soon summoned by Cisheng and told to wait in the plaza. By noon, the few people who had entered "Micro" at the same time as him had all gathered. It was only then that Cisheng appeared, bringing along another man.

"Junior brothers and sisters, how long has it been since we all last met? Do you all still remember our coordination back in the great desert? The reason for gathering you this time is because the Academy has issued a formal mission, a perfect chance for you to test your cultivation results!" Cisheng took a headcount, confirmed everyone was present, and began explaining the mission. "Some days ago, we launched a siege on Danfeng's main city. Although we were victorious, the city lord managed to escape with a group of remnants. We now know their location and trouble you all to go eliminate this lingering threat!"

"However," Cisheng's tone shifted, growing more serious, "although there won't be any major restrictions on you this time, and this senior brother will be accompanying you, the Danfeng remnants are cunning and treacherous. Who knows what accidents might occur? So don't act rashly; think twice before you do anything!"

After settling everyone, Cisheng pushed the man beside him forward and introduced him to the group, "This senior brother is named Yutian. He isn't much of a talker and might seem a bit solitary, but he's very reliable! As I have other business requiring me to go down the mountain and cannot accompany you, this senior brother will take my place. However, he won't interfere in your battles; if needed, he'll only beat the war drums from behind you."

"Can we go now?" Yutian gestured in sign language. Although no one understood sign language, they somehow grasped his meaning.

Cisheng nodded, patted Yutian's shoulder, and also gestured in sign language, though clearly a bit rusty. "Be careful. Look after the juniors. Senior brother has matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first." Afterwards, Cisheng directly soared into the air and swiftly departed, leaving everyone looking at each other.

"So... senior brother... how are we getting there?" Shaheluo was the first to ask Yutian.

Yutian pointed into the distance and then made a walking gesture with his hands.

"To where?" Chi voiced some dissatisfaction. "That senior brother isn't very reliable! He didn't even tell us the mission address!"

"There are quite a few remnants scattered across that area. We only know the general range. You'll need to search carefully once you're there." Yutian gestured. "You and I were chosen because we weren't part of that siege operation, and being new to 'Micro', we have less exposure to external intelligence. Disguised, we won't be easily recognized."

Seeing the senior brother struggle with gesturing, the group said nothing more. Under his lead, they entered the forest and headed southwest.

The journey offered no particularly scenic views, nor any special encounters. With Yun Feng and Dun present, any enemy ambush would be practically useless.

After crossing another mountain ridge, Yutian handed the map to Shaheluo and then vanished from sight, only saying he would intervene if they truly needed help or faced mortal danger.

The group set up camp on the spot without haste. First, they arranged various formations around their living area. Then, Yun Feng, Shaheluo, Dun, and Lan Jinxi collaborated to set up a sensory array. Finally, Mo Wenxi applied a light shielding against causal perception in the area.

During this time, the remaining five went out to scout. Their task was to roughly mark the enemy's activity range, approximate encampments, and specific numbers. Compared to those who stayed behind to set up the formation, these few were not as adept at perception, but they were more than sufficient for reconnaissance—especially Yan and Fan Cang. The Wind Spirit Root's versatility in all aspects is downright insane, it's just that neither of them had learned how to set up arrays.

By nightfall, the group had mostly scouted the area marked on the map. All necessary markings were made, without omission. Chi even brought back plenty of game, waiting for Shaheluo to cook.

Gathered around the faint candlelight, the group first exchanged their gathered intelligence. They then formulated some battle plans and altered their communication methods. After that came the brief period of relaxation, where they shared their experiences and observations since coming up the mountain.

Shaheluo started, as usual. He was introduced into the sect by Jiguang. However, Jiguang was completely absorbed in cultivation and challenging Cisheng; to be precise, he was no different from the senior brothers up the mountain. Shaheluo himself lived in the original trial desert, only leaving to purchase pills and daily necessities, never participating in major sect events or the like.

Next was Dun, who trained in the mountain forests with a few senior brothers. He basically followed them whenever they went down the mountain and didn't wander around idly.

After obtaining the cultivation method from the being within the Immortal Seed, Yun Feng discovered it perfectly matched her spirit root. So, she too spent her days cultivating in the forests, much like Yan. Whenever she had free time, she would search for information on the Imperial City. By now, she had some guesses about the specific location of the other half of the technique.

Chi, on the other hand, had it rough. His family had specifically instructed his Master, whose demands on him were extremely strict, almost cruel. He was forced to master several fundamental techniques to a transcendent level, along with vast amounts of cultural knowledge—astronomy, geography, he had to learn it all! There was no time for making friends outside, not even enough time to rest; he had to rely on spells to keep going. Good food was out of the question. That's why he was so fixated on Shaheluo's delicious cooking... Once Chi started talking, he couldn't stop. But his attention to detail was impeccable; his story, though long, kept everyone thoroughly engaged.

Lan Jinxi's situation was rather normal, fitting the common perception of sect life. Master Xian taught diligently, answering every question. Her senior sisters, though sometimes at odds with each other, all looked out for her in various ways. Coupled with her own innate talent, she mastered the techniques Master Xian taught quite well. Later, she sought guidance from Lian Fulan as well, greatly advancing her medical knowledge. Recently, she had been following Lian Fulan to treat injured senior brothers. Then, she turned to Yan and teased, "Yan, I've heard Senior Sister Lian thinks about you day and night, terrified you'll mess something up again and cause her trouble!" They knew each other well enough to keep the jesting within bounds, making everyone chuckle. Lan Jinxi didn't expose any more of Yan's old stories.

Next was Qian Dan, but his cultivation and such were fairly average, nothing outstanding, so he glossed over it in just a few sentences.

Due to his special spirit root and his Master having the right connections, Fan Cang was directly sent to the Wind Clan for secluded training. His talent was quite good by the Wind Clan's standards, though he couldn't match a few of their peerless prodigies. He could still hold his own in a few exchanges. The only issue was the Wind Clan's Eldest Princess, whose attitude toward him wasn't very good. According to the elders, she had become rather cold towards her peers ever since returning from the Imperial City, but she would still do her best to help if approached with cultivation questions. Her theoretical insights were particularly enlightening. The only peculiar thing was she constantly had a certain "he" on her lips. She spoke of this "he" being invincible among his peers, but no one knew who it was, and due to certain reasons, no one dared to ask.

As for Mo Wenxi, she spent her days divining. While honing her skills, she also researched the bloodline of the imperial clan of the foreign race, seeking to advance further. However, hindered by not knowing any actual imperial clan members, she could only rely on ancient texts and her own divinations to explore. This round of investigation yielded quite a bit. Finally, she leaned close to Yan, whispered something into his ear, and upon seeing his stunned expression and clueless reply, glanced meaningfully at Yun Feng and Fan Cang with a faint smile. Without another word, she left to rest.

Finally, it was Yan's turn. He didn't hide much, but he had forgotten a lot of what happened. The information he shared was mainly about becoming increasingly proficient with his Immortal Seed, his good fortune with immortal encounters. Regarding techniques, he also had a wind spirit root, different from Fan Cang's he supposed, though they hadn't compared. His cultivation progress wasn't small either. No one mocked him, nor were they particularly envious.

The watch order remained the same as before. However, the setting was different now, so naturally, everyone was much more cautious in their attitude.