Chapter 629: Origins of the Southern Border

The dense forest was enveloped in an extremely eerie atmosphere.

Song Yan remained hidden, while the girl sat alone on the giant toad, surrounded by the sounds of Demon Beasts chewing.

A moment later, a giant scorpion slowly crawled out of the dense forest and stopped beside the girl, standing next to the giant toad.

Two blood-stained qiankun bags from the black-robed Cultivators dangled precariously from its scorpion tail.

The girl casually plucked them off, weighing and toying with them in her hand.

With the jingle of silver bells, the girl retracted her feet and sat cross-legged on the giant toad’s head.

"Why are you still hiding? You’re such a coward."

The girl smiled, two shallow dimples appearing at the corners of her lips.

She was innocent and naive, yet utterly chilling.

The scorpion tail suddenly extended again, striking fiercely towards his hiding place!

He leaped into the air, dodging the sting, and landed in the clearing.

He could feel that this time, the scorpion tail’s speed was not fast, seemingly without ill intent.

However, Song Yan still watched her warily, his fingertips subtly retrieving the Spirit Talisman he used for escape.

Fleeing in disarray from an eight or nine-year-old girl might seem laughable, but it was better than getting entangled with this strange girl here.

Although her spiritual energy fluctuations were not strong, the venomous scorpion she controlled could instantly kill a Level 8 Qi Refining Cultivator!

This was the strangest part.

The spiritual energy intensity the girl displayed was only about the Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level.

Click.

The scorpion tail suddenly elongated, blocking his retreat, subtly encircling him in front of the girl. Drops of blood clinging to the tail hook dripped one by one onto the ground beside his feet.

"Senior Brother Song..."

The girl tilted her head and chuckled softly: "You ran off with the Ming Jue Pill, but Ling’er’s hard-earned fee hasn’t been paid yet."

With a gentle hook of her finger, the scorpion tail retracted, forcing him to take a few steps forward.

Her fair little hand reached towards Song Yan’s face.

There were no spiritual energy fluctuations; she merely gently caressed the edge of his face, then slowly peeled off the human-skin mask.

Revealing his original face.

Rustle... The scorpion tail retracted, and there was no longer any obstruction behind him, as if he could leave at any moment.

The girl held the human-skin mask in her hand, toying with it, occasionally putting it on her own face and making a funny face at him.

"This... Fellow Daoist."

Song Yan steeled himself and cupped his hands in a bow.

She called him Senior Brother, but he dared not call her Junior Sister.

This person clearly looked like an old Senior pretending to be young, just like Granny Qin.

"Thank you for your help in this escape."

Seeing his formality, the girl giggled: "Don’t thank me, I just wanted this fake face."

"My name is Xiang Zhaoling."

She leaned forward, resting on the giant toad’s head, her little feet dangling behind her, watching Song Yan with interest.

"Senior Brother Song, Qingqing often talks about you. Are you two... a couple?"

Gu Qingqing?

Could this person be an Elder in the Foundation Establishment Realm on Lianyou Peak?

Now that the crisis was over, listening closely, this person spoke with a unique accent.

And she also lacked common sense.

Song Yan shook his head and truthfully replied: "Uh... Fellow Daoist, you’ve misunderstood. Junior Sister Qingqing and I are good friends, not romantically involved."

"Oh..."

The girl suddenly understood, then said something astonishing.

"Then be my sweetheart?"

"...?"

Song Yan was stunned, momentarily speechless.

"Oh dear..."

The girl looked at Song Yan’s dazed expression, suddenly appearing a little troubled: "The rules of the Central Plains are really troublesome, feelings have to be cultivated slowly..."

Central Plains?

Song Yan’s heart skipped a beat.

He wondered if this person was from the Southern Border?

"Hmph, never mind, never mind. If there’s a chance, let’s be lovers."

No, isn’t this fellow disciple’s choice of words a bit too crude?

She patted the giant toad’s head with her small hand, and the giant toad turned around, ready to leave.

On the giant toad’s back, the girl still held the human-skin mask, turning back to wave at him.

"Senior Brother Song, remember to come find me for a tryst when you return to the Sect!"

Before her words faded, the grayish-green giant toad, carrying her, leaped high.

Jumping into the twilight.

"..."

Watching the disappearing figure, Song Yan was silently speechless. After a brief thought, he did not linger.

He simply re-activated a Wind Escape Spirit Talisman and hurried back in the direction of the Sect.

The Chu Kingdom and these small border countries never referred to themselves as the Central Plains.

The Northern Border was too far away; perhaps they didn’t even know about the Nine Border Countries.

So, the other party was most likely from the Southern Border, south of Great Heaven Mountain, or the Eastern sea Sea Region.

"Are there such people in the Sect?"

Song Yan had no impression.

He hadn’t seen this person before when he went to Lianyou Peak.

Why did she help him?

Fellow disciple’s camaraderie?

Unlikely.

After much thought, he concluded she probably just found it amusing.

As for the inexplicable things she said, Song Yan didn’t take them to heart.

He rushed back to Green Leaf Peak without stopping.

Stepping into his Immortal Cave, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Actually, if Xiang Zhaoling hadn’t helped, Song Yan was confident he could have escaped, but it would have involved a fierce battle.

Fortunately, the situation later reversed, saving him a precious Earth Escape Spirit Talisman.

He expended some spiritual energy and one sword essence, but didn’t even sustain any injuries.

Sitting cross-legged in the center of his Immortal Cave, he meditated and regulated his breathing, slowly recovering his spiritual energy.

After a long while, he finally opened his eyes.

He took out a jade box from his qiankun bag and gently opened it.

The Medicinal Pill in the box was roughly the same size as ordinary Medicinal Pills.

It was pale yellow all over, with a glossy surface and a translucent pill coating, faintly revealing subtle patterns on the Medicinal Pill.

These were not pill patterns, but merely traces left by the unique Alchemy technique of the Hanging Sword Mountain’s pill workshop.

It was equivalent to Granny Qin stamping her seal on the Medicinal Pills.

Held in the hand, it was shaped like a perfectly round jade bead, with a warm and smooth touch.

The Ming Jue Pill had an approximate market price of around five to six hundred Spirit Stones.

However, because such Medicinal Pills were less circulated on the market, their prices were generally much higher than this range.

Song Yan’s purchase this time was quite a bargain.

"..."

Putting away the Medicinal Pill, he began to ponder other matters.

This Breakthrough Pill was a rare find.

If he were to start from scratch and pick up Alchemy to become self-sufficient, it would be unrealistic in the current situation.

Now that he had acquired the Ming Jue Pill, many of his original ideas had changed.

The immediate priority was naturally to proceed steadily, Cultivating spiritual energy until he broke through to the Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level and advanced to the inner Sect.

However, his plans for the future had slightly changed.

"Senior Brother Lin Qing said that guarding the Border Region for one year would provide enough resources to exchange for a Breakthrough Pill."

"After the mission deadline, there’s also the Sect Grand Competition, which also offers Medicinal Pills as rewards."

Song Yan clenched his fists, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes.

He could, of course, seek stability by breaking through to the Late Stage of Qi Refining, then hiding in the Sect to Cultivate, remaining in seclusion.

But opportunities wouldn’t last forever; one missed step could lead to missing every step.

He never believed himself to be a chosen one, only that fate would give everyone opportunities.

It’s just that when this opportunity is presented to you, at the very least, you have to reach out and grasp it!

The Dao is a struggle.

If one doesn’t contend or strive, it’s better to be buried early.

"If Senior Brother Lin Qing’s words are true, then there are at least three more months until the matter of guarding Changping..."

"Moreover, the mission deadline is two years; one only needs to guard for one year to earn enough contributions to exchange for Spirit Pills."

"No rush..."

Time was ample, enough for him to proceed steadily and break through to the Late Stage of Qi Refining.