My best friend asked me if I was still doing system tasks.

"I disagree. Our skill levels are too different. Wouldn't splitting us into two teams just lower the overall level?"

Ruan Chayan spoke frankly, "We are both rogue cultivators. Don't be fooled by my high cultivation level; to be honest, it's purely luck that I've reached my current level. We really have no fighting power."

In case of any danger, it would be good if I didn't hold you back.

Since you say this might be a conspiracy by demonic or evil cultivators, then let me ask you, Senior Brother Lin, what are the cultivation levels of the two disciples who went missing in the Yaoxiang Secret Realm?

Assess our overall capabilities yourself. Are you confident that we can emerge unscathed?

You have high cultivation and strong combat power, you can't just abandon your fellow disciples, can you?

Even if the sect has already sent disciples, if we find ourselves in danger and need to wait for their rescue, we'll probably be dead before they even arrive.

Lin Zhuzui was rendered speechless.

Lu Xizhou, always eager for a good show, said, "Hahaha~ This is the first time I've ever seen a peer who can make Lin Zhuzui suffer a loss."

"Senior Brother Lin, you see, I told you saving these two fairies was the right thing to do, didn't I? They thought of everything much more thoroughly than you."

Luo Hanying mustered her courage and said, "We don't want anyone to be in danger, but after all, we're going to investigate with you."

I admit we are both cowards, but when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. I swear we will do our utmost to help our fellow disciples.

If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't reveal her encounter with Zhou Shuxiang and the others in the secret realm, Luo Hanying would have wanted to tell them this clue.

But if she were to reveal this, they would likely become suspicious of her and Ruan Chayan.

Sheng Meixu reassured everyone: "Of course, Junior Sister Han, it's not that we don't believe your sincerity, it's our fault for not considering everything."

Since splitting into two teams won't work, let's just go straight to the Crystal Cave.

It's always better to find clues safely in one place than to rush to two places and end up in danger.

After a few more words of discussion, they decided to go to the Stone Crystal Cave and immediately set off on their swords.

During a break in their journey, Lu Xizhou sat on his wooden kite and asked, "Would you two junior sisters like to sit on my wooden kite? It's much more comfortable than flying on a sword."

Ruan Chayan: "No need, I just want to familiarize myself with my spirit sword."

She tried her best to keep up with Lin Zhuzui's back, secretly lamenting that she couldn't outrun him even if they were trying to escape for their lives.

Luo Hanying: "...Uh, no need. I just need to familiarize myself with my protective spiritual energy."

She covered her mouth with her hand, adding a thin layer of protective spiritual energy to herself, so that she would be less exposed to the wind.

Although her cultivation level was already quite high, traveling non-stop meant she could only focus her spiritual energy on her sword, leaving her unable to protect her own spiritual energy.

Lu Xizhou was not discouraged by his initial setback. He flew forward a bit and approached the two of them, asking, "I wonder which peak you two junior sisters wish to join?"

"If you join our Weapon-Seeking Peak, I can recommend you to my master."

Ruan Chayan perked up upon hearing this and said, "I plan to enter Yuling Peak."

Luo Hanying was constantly on edge, afraid of bumping into Lu Xizhou who was getting close, and said, "I'm fine with either one, I'm a Confucian scholar."

"What? You two actually want to tame beasts and cultivate Confucianism, one of you?"

Lu Xizhou exclaimed in surprise, "I can't tell at all!"

"Although you don't know much swordsmanship, you use your swords very skillfully. I thought you might want to join Blade's Roar Peak."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Chayan felt a longing: "It would be good if I could learn swordsmanship."

I only have one spirit beast, Sichuan Pepper, right now. I can't possibly let that little thing charge ahead of me.

Luo Hanying said confidently, "Does not joining Blade Echo Peak mean I can't learn swordsmanship?"

"Since I study Confucianism and Taoism, I naturally need to be proficient in everything."

Lin Zhuzui slowed down and reminded the two girls, "We at Blade Echo Peak practice asceticism, and swordsmanship training requires special focus. You two are not suitable for this."

Luo Hanying felt uncomfortable hearing Lin Zhuzui's words: "Hey, look at what you're saying. How do you know if it's suitable if you don't try it?"

Besides, isn't your Jade Dust Daoist Master capable of everything? Otherwise, why would he be called a Daoist Master? How can you say he's not focused?

Lin Zhuzui frowned: "You are not allowed to blaspheme the Daoist Master."

How could we possibly compare to the Daoist Master?

Ruan Chayan laughed and said, "Senior Brother Lin, I think what you said is wrong."

Why can't we be compared to the Daoist Master?

Daoist Master is a cultivator, and so are we. Aren't the things we do the same?

He was striving to achieve his own path, competing with heaven and earth, with nature, with himself, and with others.

Luo Hanying nodded repeatedly: "That's right!"

Besides, what's this talk of blasphemy? I didn't disrespect the Daoist Master; I was just stating the facts.

Why can we use the Daoist deity as a metaphor in a positive context, but not in a negative one?

Since Daoist Yu Chen is so accomplished in his chosen path, how could he be so narrow-minded as to be unable to tolerate our words?

Lin Zhuzui was a stubborn and taciturn man: "That won't do! I don't care what you think, you must not create negative karma by speaking ill of the Daoist Master."

Luo Hanying was exasperated by Lin Zhuzui's stubborn, unyielding attitude: "What's wrong with you? You just..."

Lu Xizhou could tell that Luo Hanying was a little angry, so he quickly interrupted her self-defeating remarks: "Hey, hey, it's not that serious, it's not that serious."

"Junior Sister Han, don't pay him any attention. He has the utmost respect for Daoist Yu Chen. Don't stoop to the level of a fanatic whose heart is only set on the sword."

As Lu Xizhou spoke, he approached Luo Hanying, but unexpectedly, she forced him to jump off his sword.

Everyone was startled and immediately swooped down, knowing that a fall from a hundred meters in the air could be fatal.

Lin Zhuzui, however, possessed superior cultivation and agile swordsmanship, and successfully caught Luo Hanying.

He placed the still-unresponsive Luo Hanying onto Sheng Meixu's flying artifact, which was huffing and puffing as it followed behind them.

Sheng Meixu's flying artifact was a jade gourd engraved with the Bagua and equipped with an array. He straddled the gourd's waist, while Luo Hanying sat crookedly on the gourd's belly behind him.

Luo Hanying accepted the spirit sword handed to her by Lin Zhuzui without saying a word and thanked him awkwardly.

Her face was pale as she pointed at Lu Xizhou and cursed, "Stay away from me from now on!"

Didn't you see I've been avoiding you? Why are you getting closer to me?!

Lu Xizhou never expected that after trying to mediate the fight for so long, the two seemed to have reconciled, but he ended up being scolded instead.

Lu Xizhou, on the other hand, took it in stride: "Oh? What a novel feeling this is? I'm actually getting scolded one day?"

"Alright, alright, it's really hard for me to be a good person."

Everyone was overjoyed.

After rushing around day and night for a full day and night, they finally arrived at the Stone Crystal Cave.