Chapter 117: Does Brother Ming have a girl he likes?

The Ascension Mountain of the Tianxuan Sect, also known as the Dao-Seeking Mountain or Heart-Questioning Mountain, holds great significance. Legend has it that this mountain was carried over from the southern demon territory's Heavenly Mountain range by the sect's founding ancestor when the Tianxuan Sect was established.

When cultivators set foot on this mountain, the path they have chosen to cultivate is put to the test, and their Dao hearts are repeatedly questioned. The higher one climbs, the firmer their Dao heart is proven to be.

Among the younger generation, only Qin Qingwan has ever reached the summit of Ascension Mountain, doing so without a moment's hesitation. In contrast, the outer disciples participating in the inner sect selection pale in comparison.

These outer disciples are chosen through a competition within the outer sect. According to the sect's rules, reaching halfway up the mountain qualifies them to pass the selection and officially become inner sect disciples. However, Qin Qingwan believes that less than one-tenth of these outer disciples will make it this time.

As Elder Chen put it, "This is the worst batch of outer disciples I have ever seen." But then again, he said the same thing last time.

As expected, out of the 300 disciples climbing Ascension Mountain, only 25 managed to reach halfway up. The highest climber fell short of the summit by nearly fifty zhang.

Regardless, the inner sect trials had finally concluded. Before Xia Donghua and the others could invite Qin Qingwan to visit the neighboring Watching Sea Peak, she hurriedly flew back to her home at the Valley of a Thousand Blossoms.

When Qin Qingwan returned, she found her master waiting for her amidst a sea of flowers.

"Master," Qin Qingwan stepped forward and bowed, "Why have you come?"

"There's something I need to discuss with you," Wang Xuan said slowly.

Qin Qingwan tilted her head curiously. "What is it, Master?"

Wang Xuan extended a hand and ruffled her hair. "Qingwan, you've reached the late stage of the Sea Observation realm. I've had you suppress your breakthrough into the Dragon Gate realm for two reasons. First, to prepare for the trial in the Rootless Secret Realm. Second, to ensure that when you 'leap over the dragon gate,' it will stand higher. Now, it's time for you to descend the mountain."

"Descend the mountain?" Qin Qingwan froze for a moment before her beautiful peach blossom eyes lit up with joy brighter than the sea of flowers around her. "Master, does this mean I can return to Wudu?"

Wang Xuan shook his head with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. "I'm sending you down the mountain, but not to return to Wudu."

"Oh," Qin Qingwan's peach blossom eyes dimmed with disappointment. "Then why am I going down the mountain, Master?"

Wang Xuan looked into her eyes. "Didn't I just explain? You've reached the required cultivation level and have nearly mastered the Tianxuan Heart Method, but your experience of the world is too shallow. This descent is both a training exercise and a mission to retrieve a treasure."

"Another treasure hunt?" Qin Qingwan felt a bit bored at the thought.

She recalled her first task upon joining the Tianxuan Sect years ago—retrieving a treasure. In the end, she acquired a Dao Heart Lotus, which her master had her consume. Yet, she hadn't noticed any difference since then.

"What kind of treasure this time, Master?" Qin Qingwan asked.

"This time, even I do not know what the treasure is," Wang Xuan replied. "But I have divined that an extraordinary item will emerge in Baiwa City, located in Qingyang County on the border of Wu Kingdom. Baiwa City lies at the boundary between Wu Kingdom and the Southern Demon Kingdom. It's likely that other sects have also divined this and sent their cultivators there.

"This mission will involve the personal disciple of White Crane Peak's master, the sect leader's son, and the Sword Peak master's son accompanying you. You will set off tomorrow. Prepare yourself well and remember to be cautious during this journey."

"Understood," Qin Qingwan responded with a bow.

After assigning the task, Wang Xuan said no more. He spent some time discussing her recent insights into Dao techniques before leaving. Once her master departed, Qin Qingwan began preparing for her journey.

Qin Qingwan quickly strode forward, her long legs beneath her dress carrying her to the flower garden in front of the small wooden house. Squatting down beside the patch of blood-red Toras flowers that were still in bud, she gently caressed them and murmured, "Hurry up and bloom, okay? It would be perfect if you waited until I returned to blossom. Once you bloom again, I'll finally be able to see Brother Ming."

As if the Blood Toras flowers understood her words, they swayed gently in the breeze, nodding slightly.

"Speaking of which, after all these years, does Brother Ming still remember the promise he made to me? I wonder if he has someone he likes now," she mused, resting her fair chin on her hand and pouting softly.

The young girl, nearing the prime of her youth at sixteen, felt a tinge of melancholy.

---

"Move faster, you dead dog!"

"I'm already moving as fast as I can!"

"Fast? My foot! You take a few steps and then rest. At this pace, it'll take us half a year to find the princess!"

"Oh, come on, don't rush. We've already locked onto the princess's direction. Finding her is only a matter of time. Humans have a saying: 'Haste makes waste.'"

"Shut up!"

The one-legged fiery bird perched atop the large black dog jabbed it forcefully with its beak.

The black dog yelped in pain, baring its teeth, but didn't retaliate. Feeling wronged, it could only quicken its pace in silence.

"Honestly, I really don't want to go back to Wu Kingdom," the black dog sighed as it trudged forward. "Last time I was there, I almost got killed by the Wu Emperor and turned into dog meat hotpot."

"And you still have the nerve to bring that up! Not only did you fail the mission, but you also wasted a Void Shard! When we returned, the prime minister scolded you so harshly it was unbearable!" the fiery bird, Bi Fang, snapped in irritation.

"Think about it, though. At least we discovered the Eternal Spirit Root, right?" The black dog chuckled slyly. "That counts as making up for it, doesn't it?"

"That was pure luck on your part!" Bi Fang turned its head away in disdain. "Still, I have to admit, Wu Kingdom really has been blessed in recent years. First, there were the Innate Sacred Physique and the Innate Sword Bone, and now the Eternal Spirit Root."

"It's not surprising," the black dog said with a smirk. "Wu Kingdom borders the Southern Demon Kingdom, and its geographical location is terrible. The Heavenly Dao compensates for such things. Since Wu Kingdom has a bad location, it naturally receives some blessings to balance things out."

"Enough of that! We have two main objectives this time!" Bi Fang declared, its tone sharp. "First, find the princess and awaken her memories. Second, eliminate that Xu Ming and extract his Eternal Spirit Root!"

"If we fail this time, dead dog, you know what the consequences will be!" Bi Fang fixed the black dog with a piercing gaze.

The usually frivolous black dog dropped its playful demeanor, nodding solemnly. "You don't need to remind me—I already know."

----------------------

If you want to read advanced chapters, you can read around 70 advanced chapters on Hiraethtranslations(.)com