Rumble!
Under the devastating impact, the clay statue disintegrated into powder, obliterated without a trace of a corpse left behind.
Old Horse gave a smug snort and returned to its normal size.
That felt good.
The commotion here quickly drew the attention of the authorities. The City Lord hurried over with his men to investigate the situation.
"City Lord, you've arrived at just the right time. A person named Mu Xi was casting a curse on someone, and we caught her red-handed." Lu Yang hauled Mu Xi forward. Had Lu Yang not shielded her just now, whether she could have survived at all would have been up in the air.
At the same time, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou produced their Dao Seeking Sect identity jade pendants to verify their status.
The City Lord looked between the two with uncertain astonishment. Were these truly disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect? To think that arresting a mere mortal could cause such a terrifying disturbance!
"Ahem, well, it wasn't just about catching this mortal. Originally, an Immortal Temple stood here, enshrining an ancient Body Integration cultivator," Meng Jingzhou explained awkwardly. The Immortal Temple had already been leveled to the ground in the battle moments before.
Upon hearing Meng Jingzhou's explanation, the City Lord broke into a cold sweat of lingering dread. To think that an ancient Body Integration cultivator had been lurking so close to the lands under his jurisdiction!
"Thank you both for your noble intervention."
"We were merely doing our duty."
"We still have other business to attend to, so we'll take our leave." The two cupped their fists in farewell and handed Mu Xi over to the City Lord to handle. Then, accompanied by Old Horse, they headed back toward the city.
They still had unfinished business.
"Shall we test Gu Junye's spiritual root?" Lu Yang asked.
As long as Gu Junye possessed the aptitude of three spiritual roots or better, he would be eligible to take part in the Dao Seeking Sect's trials.
By now, it was the dead of night, an hour when people should have been sound asleep. However, the battle had kicked up such a massive commotion that everyone had woken up, including Gu Junye.
Gu Junye stood in the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back. A cool breeze gently rustled the tips of his hair as he stared unblinkingly in the direction of the battlefield.
"Has the enemy... finally come?"
Concealing his presence, Meng Jingzhou waved a root bone stone beside Gu Junye. Within the stone, a sphere of pure, flawless water formed, about half the size of a fist.
"Oho, a Water Spiritual Root! This kid's actually pretty decent."
Seeing that there was no issue with either his character or his aptitude, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou revealed themselves, giving Gu Junye quite a fright.
Fortunately, Gu Junye possessed an unchanging Dao Heart that had weathered countless eons, and he quickly regained his composure.
He quietly looked at the two of them and let out a gentle sigh. "Has this day finally arrived after all?"
"...We are disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect. You might have heard our names before. I am Lu Yang, and he is Meng Jingzhou."
Both of them were regular fixtures in popular pingshu tales.
Upon hearing their names, Gu Junye's gaze shifted dramatically. "The Xuanyuan Sword Master and the Unbreakable Sage... To think that both of you have reincarnated as well."
Lu Yang: "..."
Meng Jingzhou: "..."
Meng Jingzhou stood in silence for a moment before speaking up. "...After our evaluation, the two of us have unanimously agreed that your character and aptitude meet the entry requirements of our Dao Seeking Sect. On the second day of the second lunar month next year, you may come to the Dao Seeking Sect to take part in the entrance trial."
"Here is a map to the sect and traveling funds." Meng Jingzhou handed Gu Junye a map along with some spirit stones.
With everything settled, the two were about to leave when Gu Junye called out to them.
"Wait! Could you grant me one wish? I will do whatever you ask in return."
...
The next day, the academy was abuzz with discussions about the battle from the night before. Some claimed high-level cultivators had clashed, some said someone was undergoing a lightning tribulation, and others argued that the demon race had launched an attack. Opinions varied wildly.
When class began, everyone realized that Mu Xi had not shown up today.
Remembering the authorities searching her home late last night, Mu Yu seemed somewhat dazed and distracted.
Gu Junye sat in his corner seat, listening attentively to the lesson as always.
Suddenly, two slender figures appeared at the classroom door. Backlit by the morning sun, their faces could not be clearly seen.
The teacher and all the students seated below froze in unison, wondering who these two newcomers were.
"Who are you people?!" the teacher barked in reprimand.
The two figures stepped into the classroom as though completely deaf to the teacher's challenge. Walking straight up to the stunned Gu Junye, they cupped their fists and spoke with absolute gravity.
"Fellow Daoist, we have finally found you! We have encountered an unprecedented crisis that only you can resolve—this world needs you!"
Chapter 709