"Brother, are you about to do something dangerous?"
Xu Qing was no fool. For Xu Yang to give her Starlight at a time like this... it was as if he were getting his affairs in order before his death.
Xu Yang smiled. "Don’t worry. I’m just being my usual cautious self, always planning for every possibility. This sword was always going to be yours sooner or later."
In truth, this was just his cautious nature at work. The affair of the Earth Vein Fire Valley was indeed dangerous, but with the Cold Abyss in his possession, he was quite confident in his ability to escape with his life.
If things went south, he had no intention of fighting to the death.
"Just be careful. I’m so useless, I still can’t even help you," Xu Qing said, blaming herself.
Seeing her adorable frown, Xu Yang felt the urge to boop her on the nose again, but he ultimately restrained himself. "Go on back. I’ll be fine. It’s not safe out there lately, so remember not to leave the Sect."
"I’ll be gone for over half a month. If you absolutely have to leave for any reason, remember to take Starlight with you."
"Mm!"
After Xu Qing left with Starlight, Xu Yang returned to his courtyard. Just as he expected, Sun Tao was already back, though his face was pale and his aura was in disarray.
"Senior Brother Sun, you’re injured?" Xu Yang asked in surprise.
"Junior Brother Xu?"
Sun Tao smiled and got to his feet. "I took a few injuries, but I’m already feeling much better."
He was quite excited. After having Xu Yang sit, he began to speak eagerly. "We got really lucky this time. We teamed up with another group whose assessment mission was also to capture Phantom Leopard cubs. We actually managed to find a whole den of them! Both Zhang Yong and the other guy completed their missions."
"Everyone got hurt, but thankfully there were no deaths."
Xu Yang was surprised. "You guys actually completed that mission? Doesn’t that mean Zhang Yong has already joined Beast King Peak?"
’So in just two months, Zhang Yong had actually managed to lead Sun Tao and the others to a Phantom Leopard in the Yunling Mountain Range.’
Sun Tao nodded. "He joined Medicine King Peak a few days ago. Now, I’m the only one of us left in the Outer Sect."
A hint of melancholy colored his words as he spoke.
His closest friends had all entered the Inner Sect one after another, leaving him to struggle alone in the Outer Sect. He couldn’t help but feel miserable.
"Senior Brother, the Inner Sect isn’t necessarily a better place," Xu Yang said.
’Sun Tao’s talent was only average. If he stayed contentedly in the Outer Sect for ten years, he might live to a peaceful old age. But if he entered the Inner Sect, he could die at any moment.’
’Even if you reach Gang Qi Great Success and enter the Inner Sect, you can’t undergo Marrow Cleansing right away. You still have to spend a huge amount of time on dangerous missions just to earn enough contribution points for a Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill.’
"I know, but I just can’t accept it."
Resentment filled Sun Tao’s face. He didn’t want to end up like Lin Cheng in ten years, returning to Qingyuan County to become a master of a Martial Arts Hall.
It was a decent life, but it wasn’t the life he wanted.
"Oh, right. We managed to gather a stalk of Pure Yang Grass and some Tiger Bone Vine this time. Do you want them, Junior Brother Xu?"
Xu Yang nodded. "I do. What would you like in exchange, Senior Brother Sun?"
Sun Tao replied, "Contribution points. My Gang Qi is still a long way from Perfection, and I need points to trade for a Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pill."
Xu Yang’s brow furrowed. He had contribution points, but he was saving them for a Pill Formula.
The Pill Formula was crucial for his future cultivation and couldn’t be delayed.
As his cultivation deepened, the Gathering Essence Pills were becoming less and less effective. He needed elixirs suitable for the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm.
After some consideration, Xu Yang said, "I don’t have any spare contribution points right now. If you’re not in a hurry, Senior Brother, could you wait a few days? I’ll trade you with Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills."
He still had a few days before his trip to the Earth Vein Fire Valley. He could take the time to go down the mountain and refine a batch of Gathering Essence Pills.
He hadn’t originally planned to risk a trip down the mountain right now, but for the sake of the Pure Yang Grass and Tiger Bone Vine that Sun Tao had, he had to make a trip to Cyan Yang City first.
He hadn’t been to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion in two months. He could buy two Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills from there, which would be more than enough to trade for Sun Tao’s Tiger Bone Vine and Pure Yang Grass.
"Deal!"
Sun Tao nodded. "My injuries still need some time to heal, so I’m not in a rush to cultivate anyway."
With that, he got up, retrieved the Pure Yang Grass and Tiger Bone Vine, and handed them to Xu Yang.
Since it was still early, he immediately returned to Li Fire Peak. He strapped the Cold Abyss to his back, then took twenty contribution points to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall. There, he exchanged them for a thirty-year-old ginseng. Combined with the Tiger Bone Vine and Pure Yang Grass from Sun Tao, he now had a complete set of primary ingredients. Without a moment’s delay, he rushed out of the Purple Sun Sect like a flash of lightning.
He encountered no trouble on the road and arrived safely at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. He bought the Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills and also picked up a set of ingredients for refining Gathering Essence Pills.
Two days later, he returned to the Purple Sun Sect and gave the two Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills to Sun Tao.
"This... this is too much!" Sun Tao protested.
If he had turned the Tiger Bone Vine and Pure Yang Grass over to the Purple Sun Sect, he would have only gotten fifty contribution points—not even enough for two Guiyuan Pills. Yet Xu Yang had given him two Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills.
Xu Yang didn’t mind. It was difficult to make such trades perfectly fair anyway.
He was just about to speak when he suddenly heard a whoosh of air, and a head was tossed in from outside.
The head, bloody and gruesome, rolled to a stop at their feet. Its eyes were wide open, as if it had died with a grievance.
Xu Yang frowned slightly and turned to look. He saw Lu Ren striding in from outside, accompanied by a powerfully built man.
"Is this the man who murdered Senior Brother Jiang Ping?" Lu Ren asked, pointing at the head at their feet.
Hearing this, Sun Tao quickly picked up the head and nodded. "He was one of them."
Lu Ren’s expression was cold. "Good. The rest of the Five Tigers of Profound Saber are already dead. I only brought this head back for you to confirm. I told you I would avenge Senior Brother Jiang Ping."
"I, Lu Ren, am not one to forget a debt of gratitude."
Without waiting for a reaction from Xu Yang or Sun Tao, he and the other man turned and strode away.
Sun Tao stood rooted to the spot, stunned. He never thought that Lu Ren, who had sworn to avenge Jiang Ping, would actually follow through on his promise.