Chapter 16: Even Through Mountains of Corpses and Seas of Blood, We Remain a Righteous Sect!
Chu Xingchen traveled at full speed through the earth, taking Ning Qianqian with him in a desperate rush back toward the ruined temple.
He didn't bother conserving spiritual energy—his only thought was to return as quickly as possible.
However, carrying a mortal without cultivation greatly slowed him down.
Ning Qianqian's body couldn't endure the pressure of a Golden Core cultivator's Earth Escape Technique for long, so they had to stop frequently to let her rest.
Her body was frail, malnourished, and painfully thin.
After a full day of travel, they were only one more Earth Escape away from reaching the ruined temple.
Now, Ning Qianqian sat under a large tree, nibbling on a flatbread.
Beside her, Chu Xingchen sat cross-legged, eyes closed, his divine sense extended in vigilance.
Once she finished eating, Ning Qianqian took a few small sips of water.
Along the way, she had asked countless questions—where they were going, what he planned to do, who he was meeting.
Chu Xingchen had answered most of them patiently, without much concealment.
He even explained that he was going to meet his disciples and discuss a rescue plan.
When the journey grew quiet, Ning Qianqian asked about the cultivation world itself. Though she barely understood, she still listened intently, trying to imagine the world he described.
Now, after finishing her food, she looked at Chu Xingchen in disbelief and asked, "Immortal, is Qingfeng Sect truly considered a righteous sect in your world?"
"In reputation among nearby sects, yes," Chu Xingchen replied without opening his eyes. "They accept government commissions to subdue demons and exorcise spirits. And the evil things they do—they conceal them well. Even I hadn't heard of it before this."
Ning Qianqian could understand that much. She might be inexperienced, but she wasn't foolish.
Still, thinking of her father's fading figure as he left, her eyes dimmed.
"Then what about your sect, Immortal? Would they do such things too?"
At that, Chu Xingchen opened his eyes and said dryly, "If I were that kind of person, I wouldn't have bothered to save you."
All throughout the journey, he had endured her endless stream of questions with remarkable patience.
After all, once he rescued her father, he likely wouldn't see her again.
Ning Qianqian nodded earnestly at his reply—it made sense.
Even so, an uneasiness still lingered in her heart.
She wasn't talkative by nature. The constant chatter was simply her way of easing her anxiety.
Chu Xingchen could see that clearly. Judging by her small frame and timid manner, she was still just a child.
Confronted with things far beyond her understanding, fear was natural. To her, immortals were beings from another world entirely.
So, he spoke first. "My sect may not be perfect, but we act openly and with integrity. We never commit atrocities that defy heaven's will."
"In the cultivation world, others call our sect the leader of the righteous path."
After all, bragging wasn't a crime—and with someone like Ning Qianqian, who couldn't tell truth from falsehood, it hardly mattered.
Whether she believed him or not, she certainly looked impressed—her face was full of awe and admiration.
"Then, Immortal, your disciples must all be good people too, right?"
"Of course," Chu Xingchen said proudly. "My eldest disciple is a true cultivation prodigy—kind, considerate to her peers, and deeply respectful toward her master."
"My second disciple, even more so," Chu Xingchen continued with calm pride. "He has endured the trials of the mortal world yet never lost his true heart. A man of deep feeling and loyalty—his word is as solid as gold. He too is respectful and devoted to his master."
"They both cultivate the righteous immortal path, studying upright Daoist techniques rather than straying into heretical ways. Only one phrase can describe our sect—open and aboveboard."
Ning Qianqian once again praised him politely, exchanging a few more casual words before they resumed their journey.
After another half an hour of earth travel, they neared the ruined temple. But instead of burrowing straight in, Chu Xingchen rose to the surface, carrying Ning Qianqian with him.
A heavy stench of blood rushed toward them from the direction of the temple.
Chu Xingchen's face darkened. Could something have happened to them?
Yet the emergency teleportation charms had not been triggered. With such a thick, metallic smell, a fierce battle had clearly taken place—but if there had been time to fight, the charms should have activated.
Ning Qianqian, having no cultivation, couldn't sense the blood in the air, but she noticed Chu Xingchen's expression and instinctively stayed silent.
Chu Xingchen's divine sense spread outward like a wave, probing toward the temple—and soon he detected two familiar auras inside, both lively and unharmed.
Then what was this blood scent?
Could those two disciples of his have caused trouble again?
Lixing Tian had lived through one lifetime already—how was he still teaming up with Li Yingling to create chaos?
Chu Xingchen sighed and reassured softly, "It's fine. My two disciples are just being… playful."
Ning Qianqian nodded quickly, not daring to question further.
They were close enough now, so Chu Xingchen decided not to use earth escape again. He lifted Ning Qianqian with a sweep of spiritual energy and began flying toward the temple.
Ning Qianqian gasped aloud at the sensation of flight, though she soon adapted, her fear fading into quiet amazement.
Her face—once dull and weary—showed a faint smile.
It was the instinctive joy of feeling free, the weight of her burdens easing as they soared through the open air.
But when the ruined temple came into sight, and the immortal didn't slow down—flying straight toward it—her smile froze.
The temple was old and decrepit, its walls mottled and cracked, exuding a faint chill.
Yet it wasn't the eerie aura that frightened her.
It was what lay outside.
Countless bones and chunks of flesh were scattered across the ground, covering the entire entrance.
Ribs, limbs, and skulls piled together in grotesque heaps. Some were from bears, others tigers, wolves—there were even rabbits and pheasants, their severed heads tossed casually into a grisly mound.
The metallic reek of blood filled the air, thick enough to make her stomach churn.
And from within the temple, faint red light flickered intermittently, as if some monstrous beast were cultivating amid the slaughter.
Ning Qianqian swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "I–Immortal… are you here to… to slay a demon?"
That, surely, was the only reason he'd fly straight into such a terrifying place.
But Chu Xingchen's calm reply nearly made her faint.
"Huh? Slay a demon? No," he said casually. "We've arrived."
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