Chapter 139: Ink Treasure Fragments
The journey to Changping had been rushed, and Elder Yu’s cultivation was profound, so there had been almost no stops along the way. Now on the return trip, everyone’s mood was more relaxed, and Xu Ziqing was no exception.
On the way back, when they encountered some well-known large market cities, Xu Ziqing would discuss with several elders and let the sect disciples go down to explore.
On one hand, it was for exchanging goods, to purchase some special spiritual items that were not easily available in Feng’an Prefecture.
On the other hand, it was also to relax.
The path of cultivation requires both tension and relaxation.
After all the tension of Changping, these juniors needed to relax their minds.
They traveled on and off, taking three days to go and five days to return.
High above the clouds, the cultivators finally caught sight of Eastern Abyss Sect’s mountain gate.
Xu Ziqing descended from the flying artifact and safely deposited all the disciples outside the mountain gate.
Two mountain guards must have received advance notice, as they hurried forward to greet them.
“Elders, Senior Brothers, you’ve all traveled far. The mountain protection formation has been opened. You may pilot your spirit boats directly into the sect…”
Xu Ziqing waved his hand. “For this return, most disciples will be staying at Qingye Peak and Lianyou Peak. It’s not far.”
“Yes.”
Normally, after returning to the sect, they needed to go to the Mission Hall to complete the mission handover, to inform the sect that they had returned.
But the Changping mission was special.
It was a large-scale collective mission, so all subsequent procedures would be completed uniformly by the resident chief elder, who was Xu Ziqing.
“You may leave on your own.”
After bringing all the cultivators to Rudao Platform, Xu Ziqing spoke. “The mission records and sect contributions for this trip will be entered uniformly by Elder Huang and myself.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
The cultivators bowed in thanks.
Xu Ziqing and several elders summoned their escape lights and flew toward Taiping Peak.
The cultivators could barely wait. Once the elders left, they headed toward their own cave dwellings.
The news that the border demonic cultivator matter had been resolved had long spread, and naturally, it had reached throughout Eastern Abyss Sect.
The gloom dissipated. Walking through the sect, the originally faint oppressive atmosphere vanished instantly.
Familiar disciples chatted and laughed, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Song Yan even heard his own name mentioned by some passing outer disciples.
“I heard that the last batch of disciples stationed at Changping have returned today…”
“Huh? Has that Senior Brother Song Yan returned too?”
“Song Yan? Isn’t he… a homicidal maniac?!”
One of the female disciples stammered, “Is… is he?”
Li Qingfeng and Junior Sister Xiao Cen, following behind Song Yan, also heard these conversations.
They exchanged a glance and covered their mouths to suppress their laughter.
At the east side of Rudao Platform, they were about to part ways.
“Senior Brother Song, this trip to Changping, I’ve relied heavily on your care. Qinghe is extremely grateful.”
Junior Sister Xiao Cen’s name was Cen Qinghe, an ordinary outer disciple.
Actually, apart from when they first arrived at Changping and he stepped in to help Li Qingfeng and her out of a predicament, Song Yan hadn’t done anything particularly special.
Even that intervention had actually been because of Li Pang.
They were all Eastern Abyss Sect cultivators, and they addressed each other as friends in daily life.
“I wonder where Senior Brother Song’s cave dwelling is? In the future, when I have free time, I can visit.”
Song Yan waved his hand. “Junior Sister Xiao Cen, that’s too formal.”
“My cave dwelling is at Sword Trial Peak, Earth Number 21.”
He said this to Li Qingfeng as well.
Before Song Yan moved into the inner sect and his new cave dwelling, Li Pang had already gone to Changping, so he didn’t know either.
“If you have free time, you two junior brothers and sisters are welcome to visit my dwelling to exchange cultivation insights. I will certainly prepare a warm welcome.”
Song Yan deliberately emphasized the words “junior brother,” and Li Pang’s face darkened.
“Damn it, wait until I enter the inner sect and then I’ll come…”
The three exchanged a few more pleasantries before going their separate ways.
Xiao He in her arms kept urging her on, and Song Yan rushed back to Sword Trial Peak without delay.
He walked toward his cave dwelling. Passing through the mountain path, the courtyard of the cave dwelling appeared before the human and snake.
With a pulse of spiritual energy at his fingertips, the restriction was released, and the scattered bamboo shadows before the fence slowly parted.
“We’re home~”
Xiao He darted out with a whoosh.
After half a year away, the courtyard wasn’t particularly dirty or messy.
Only fallen leaves covered the green stones in the courtyard.
It actually had a leisurely atmosphere.
A flash of spiritual light, and the stone door of the cave dwelling opened wide.
Xiao He had already slithered inside, and Song Yan stepped into the cave dwelling as the stone door slowly closed behind her.
Although the ground had a built-in dust-repelling formation, a thin layer of dust still covered the tables, chairs, and some ornaments.
Xiao He had already returned to her own territory and began playing with her small toys.
During these months at Changping, she had been terribly bored, cultivating diligently for over half a year.
Now that she was finally home, shouldn’t she relax for a couple of days?
Song Yan then activated the dust-removal spell and gave the entire cave dwelling a thorough cleaning.
Only then did he have time to rest.
It was already night.
He removed his Daoist robes and sank into the warm pool.
Threads of spiritual energy swirled in the pool, mixed with the misty vapor.
He turned his head to look past the wooden window by the pool, gazing at the Dongyuan Immortal scenery. The starry night sky filled his vision.
Under the night sky, moonlight poured down.
The immortal mountains by the gorge soared into the clouds, and several escape lights streaked through the night sky and mountains like falling stars.
“Phew~”
This trip to Changping had kept his mind tense, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted.
Only now could he finally relax.
But he didn’t fall asleep by the pool. Instead, he reached for a black jade pendant from his side.
The cave dwelling didn’t have any specially placed luminous pearls, so he simply used the bright moonlight to carefully examine the object in his hand.
That day when the ghost realm dissipated, the Divine Transformation ink treasure shattered and transformed into dozens of ink-colored fragments that scattered.
One of them had become this jade pendant in his hand.
He couldn’t tell what it was, only that it had a faint, familiar feeling.
“…”
He turned it over and over, and in a moment of sudden insight, it came to him.
He remembered.
Previously, when he explored Senior Lin Qinglong’s tomb with Wu and Rong couple and several others, that cultivator named Che Ning had produced a similar jade pendant before entering.
“Friend Invitation Pendant?”
After returning to the sect from Fuyun Peak, he had also consulted some ancient texts.
The Friend Invitation Pendant was essentially a token that those predecessors created themselves.
Only the most intimate person of the cave dwelling’s owner could receive such an item.
Cultivation knows no passage of time.
Those parents, elders, friends, and relatives from the mortal world might be separated from you by life and death after just one unremarkable closed-door cultivation session.
The Great Dao is lonely, so whether it’s finding a soulmate friend who shares life and death, or a compatible dual cultivation partner, both are extremely precious.
The Friend Invitation Pendant was prepared for such people.
It meant: I have no defenses whatsoever against you. You may come and go from my dwelling as you please.
In this world of cultivation where everyone deceives and human hearts are treacherous.
It represented absolute trust.