Seeing that Mo Yu was still the same as ever, Feng Qiwu’s expression softened considerably.
“I received Martial Aunt Jiang’s message, so I’ve been waiting here. Martial Aunt Jiang, Elder Mo, you’ve finally returned. Those young disciples on Alchemy Peak have practically been raising the roof.”
Speaking of Jiang Chan’s disciples, Feng Qiwu smiled gently too. Ever since hearing that Jiang Chan and Mo Yu were coming back, they had been running to her cave dwelling every day to confirm whether the two really were returning.
Had the Sword Sect’s elders not kept a strict watch over them, the disciples might well have swarmed down to the foot of the mountain to wait at the gates. When these disciples first arrived at Jiang Chan’s Alchemy Peak, the oldest were only eleven or twelve, while the youngest were just five or six.
They had spent only around ten years with Jiang Chan before Jiang Chan, Mo Yu, and Feng Qiwu left to travel and train together. After Feng Qiwu returned from those travels, Jiang Chan and Mo Yu spent another twenty-odd years in the forest of magical beasts. Having gone decades without seeing Jiang Chan, it was only natural that the disciples could no longer sit still.
Although Jiang Chan was absent from Alchemy Peak, she had not abandoned her disciples. The pill recipes and other resources on Alchemy Peak remained available to them. Naturally, she had entrusted the arrangements to the Sword Sect’s elders.
Therefore, whether Jiang Chan was physically present on Alchemy Peak did not really make much difference. The disciples simply missed her.
Feng Qiwu had now reached the Nascent Soul stage. In this cultivation world, people outside would respectfully address her as an Ancestor. Yet she remained thoroughly respectful toward Jiang Chan and Mo Yu.
The two disciples guarding the gate could hardly believe their eyes when they saw how respectfully Feng Qiwu treated the two women. They were outer disciples who had joined the sect only in recent years.
As soon as they entered the sect, they had heard about this Nascent Soul ancestor’s formidable strength and extraordinary talent. Who would not respectfully address her as Eldest Senior Sister when they encountered her?
Yet this legendary figure was now showing such respect to two female cultivators. The two gatekeepers could not help wondering who they were. After a brief exchange of greetings, Feng Qiwu led Jiang Chan and Mo Yu up the mountain.
Once they had passed the Sword Sect’s gates, Feng Qiwu summoned her flying sword. Jiang Chan and Mo Yu both jumped aboard. There was a magical artifact ready to carry them. Why not use it?
Seeing faint streams of light flowing across the flying sword, Mo Yu’s lips curved slightly. “Has this fellow awakened?”
The flying sword beneath Feng Qiwu’s feet emitted a humming sound. Feng Qiwu nodded. “Yes. I must thank Martial Aunt Jiang for the Geng Metal Essence she gave me back then.”
The Geng Metal Essence had been smelted into the flying sword. After Feng Qiwu reached the Nascent Soul stage, the consciousness within the Geng Metal Essence naturally became the flying sword’s artifact spirit. Ordinarily, it was nurtured within her dantian.
The fellow was delighted too. Carrying Mo Yu and Jiang Chan, it circled up and down several times. Mo Yu’s eyes shone. This was her first time seeing a spiritual artifact that possessed an artifact spirit, and she could not help wanting to examine it carefully.
Jiang Chan knew Mo Yu’s nature. She was now fascinated by artifact refining and loved tinkering with little objects. The sound-recording stone from before was one of her creations.
“Qiwu, when we reach your cave dwelling, let me borrow your flying sword to study it,” Mo Yu said casually.
Feng Qiwu frowned. “Alright, Martial Aunt, but please be careful. Don’t hurt Xiao Geng.”
Mo Yu teased her. “If you’re worried, you can watch from the side. I absolutely won’t hurt your Xiao Geng.”
Feng Qiwu nodded, evidently accepting Mo Yu’s suggestion. To a sword cultivator, a sword was even more precious than life itself. If anyone else had made such a request, Feng Qiwu would already have struck them with her sword.
It was only because the person asking was Mo Yu. Jiang Chan shook her head. “Don’t worry. Mo Yu is simply curious about something new. She won’t do anything to Xiao Geng. We happened to bring back a few rare ores. We can see whether they can be incorporated into Xiao Geng.”
Mo Yu blinked, also understanding Feng Qiwu’s earlier hesitation.
Feng Qiwu hurriedly explained, “Martial Aunt, that isn’t what I meant. It’s just that Xiao Geng is so important to me. A sword cultivator’s sword is almost never for outsiders to touch.”
Mo Yu understood Feng Qiwu’s concerns too. “Do I seem that petty? It’s alright. We’ll try improving your Xiao Geng later and see whether we can raise its quality further.”
Meanwhile, back at the gate, the two guarding disciples watched the streak of light cross the sky before whispering to one another.
“Who were those two ancestors just now? One of them only glanced at me, and my back was soaked in sweat.”
The disciple on the left was still shaken. The female cultivator in black had merely looked at him, and he had nearly dropped to his knees on the spot. That would have been far too embarrassing.
“I don’t know either. I’ve never seen them before. Have they been traveling all this time?” The disciple on the right was just as confused. Life was hard for outer disciples. They didn’t even recognize all the elders in their own sect.
“Those two have quite impressive backgrounds.” A lazy voice sounded behind them. Both disciples startled and turned around, immediately breaking into delighted smiles.
“Senior Brother Liu, do you know who those two ancestors were?”
Standing behind them was a male cultivator with a somewhat carefree, irreverent expression. He was looking at the two young disciples with a faint, knowing smile.
“As for those two ancestors, the one in golden robes is Ancestor Jiang Chan. She usually stays on Alchemy Peak. The one in black is Ancestor Mo Yu. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know her now. You’ll have a chance to see her in the Swordsmanship Hall later.”
As Senior Brother Liu spoke, he frowned, evidently recalling the days when Mo Yu had beaten him until he cried for mercy. But at the sight of the two inexperienced youngsters before him, a gleam of glee at their future misfortune flashed through his eyes.
Fortunately, he had already reached the Golden Core stage, so he no longer needed to attend the Swordsmanship Hall.
“Alchemy Peak? So she’s the alchemist of our Sword Sect?” One of the disciples was quick-witted and immediately blurted out what he was thinking. Senior Brother Liu shot him a sharp look.
“Don’t go around saying things you shouldn’t. Everyone in the Sword Sect keeps their mouths tightly shut about Elder Jiang. From now on, you mustn’t discuss anything concerning Elder Jiang.”
The two disciples exchanged glances and immediately nodded vigorously. At the same time, they secretly felt a sense of satisfaction at having learned one of the Sword Sect’s great secrets.
After giving the two disciples a few more warnings, Senior Brother Liu once again mounted his flying sword and headed in the direction Jiang Chan and the others had just taken, toward Alchemy Peak.
On Alchemy Peak, Mo Yu had already dragged Feng Qiwu away to study her flying sword, while Jiang Chan was surrounded by a crowd of disciples. Jiang Chan had originally accepted twenty young disciples, roughly half boys and half girls.
Now even the weakest among them had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, which filled Jiang Chan with satisfaction. After all, she had not taught these disciples for very long, and she had only instructed them in alchemy. Their cultivation in other areas had been handled by the Sword Sect’s other elders.
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