Chapter 11: I have something on my mind, but I'm not sure if I should speak of it.

Xia Ningxue's information appeared in the Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator.

[Xia Ningxue]

[Talent: Lingwa Holy Body, Innate Spiritual Vein, Water Spirit Root, Turn Misfortune into Fortune, Virtuous Wife and Good Mother]

[Cultivation: First Layer of Dao Palace Realm]

[Dao Bone: 20 years]

Dao Bone of 20 years?!!

"The system can't be broken, can it?"

Lu Changsheng, seeing that Xia Ningxue only had a Dao Bone of 20 years but her Cultivation was at the first layer of the Dao Palace Realm, feared that there had been an error with the Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator.

If the information displayed by the system was indeed true, then Xia Ningxue's aptitude was terrifying.

A 20-year-old at the Dao Palace Realm was even more incredible than Li Changye; she had a never-before-heard Lingwa Holy Body and the life pattern of Turn Misfortune into Fortune, undoubtedly a cultivation genius that appears once in ten thousand years.

No wonder the system suggested that he should take Xia Ningxue as his disciple.

It was only that Xia Ningxue was a direct disciple of the Fairy Pavilion Master.

Let alone whether Xia Ningxue would consent, if he succeeded in making her his disciple, the Fairy Pavilion Master herself might come after him with a sword.

As for the life pattern of Virtuous Wife and Good Mother, he didn't know what effect it could possibly have on cultivation.

"Fairy Xia, I have a matter I am unsure whether to mention."

Lu Changsheng didn't hold out much hope, but to miss such a cultivation prodigy was regretful to his Dao heart.

"Please speak."

Xia Ningxue was somewhat puzzled, what did this Elder from the Shu Mountain Sect want to do?

"I wonder if Fairy Xia would condescend to become a disciple under me?"

Lu Changsheng still took the plunge and asked shamelessly.

"Hah?"

Xia Ningxue was stunned.

Had she heard wrong?

A Nascent Soul Realm cultivator like Lu Changsheng wanted to take her as his disciple?

Not just Xia Ningxue, but Elder Ku Mu, Luo Feng, and the others were also open-mouthed with astonishment.

If it had been Taiyuan of Mount Shu coming to the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion to poach disciples, that would have been one thing, but a common Elder from Mount Shu wanting to take a Fairy Pavilion Elder as his disciple?

Moreover, Xia Ningxue's position in the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion was far more important than that of most Elders.

"Elder Lu is quite humorous; unfortunately, I already have a master."

Xia Ningxue, indeed a direct disciple from a major sect, did not reject him outright but gave Lu Changsheng an out.

"Truly regrettable."

Lu Changsheng was serious.

If he weren't afraid of offending the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, Lu Changsheng would have found a way to make Xia Ningxue acknowledge him as her master.

The Disciple Apprenticeship System was perfect in every way, except that when it automatically searched for disciple candidates, it never considered the backgrounds of those it selected.

"Lu, let's not joke about such things; this matter is urgent, and we should quickly proceed to the Great Wilderness Frontier to investigate."

Elder Ku Mu too treated Lu Changsheng as if he were joking, not taking it seriously.

Over two dozen streaks of light set out from Zhen Nan Pass, flying towards the southern mountains.

"Why did the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion establish a branch in Huang State; what was their objective?"

"It's simple: one reason is to keep an eye on the movements within Huang State, the other is to recruit tribespeople from the Huang Tribe with better aptitude. We suspect that the Demon Race perpetrated a bloodbath upon our branch. The Demon Race of Huang State might not necessarily be weaker than your Mount Shu. We must be extremely cautious on this journey."

Elder Ku Mu's face grew solemn as he spoke about this matter.

Lu Changsheng had indeed learned from the archives of Mount Shu that the so-called Huang Tribe were descendants from ancient times, scattered about the mountains of Huang State.

Though members of the Huang Tribe belonged to the human race, they had always lived in a tribal manner.

Because they were descendants from ancient times and were few in number, yet physically robust, the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion occasionally recruited disciples from the Huang Tribe to strengthen their sect.

Huang State was named after the Huang Tribe.

To the south of Zhen Nan Pass lay endless mountains. Lu Changsheng and his group traveled by Sword Flight for two days before finally arriving at the branch of the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion here.

The branch was established in a Huang Tribe village, which was left in ruins when Lu Changsheng and his group arrived; corpses lay scattered everywhere, broken stone houses, dried riverbeds of blood, and stone axes covered in cracks could all be seen.

"Indeed, it was the work of the Demon Race."

Xia Ningxue looked at the huge claw print below, a trace left by a Great Demon during battle.

The scent of the Demon Race still lingered in the valley where the Huang Tribe resided.

"It's not just the Demon Race, but also remnants of the Demon Sects' presence."

Elder Ku Mu's expression grew even grimmer as he detected the traces of the Demon Sects.

Lu Changsheng's expression also became increasingly serious.

In Xia State, although the six major sects of the Righteous Dao competed, they joined forces to suppress the four Demon Sects, with the Dao always triumphing by a measure over the demons.

But if the four Demon Sects collaborated with the Demon Race of Huang State, it would disrupt the balance.

The waters are deep indeed.

No wonder the eldest senior brother is so concerned about the events unfolding here.

"Split up and search, see if there are any survivors."

"Yes."

The group from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion dispersed in different directions, looking for survivors.

Four powerhouses of Dao Palace Realm stood on their Flying Swords above the Huang Tribe's village.

"It's very likely that none have survived. Did the Demon Race aim to annihilate this Huang Tribe and incidentally destroy our branch, or did they come specifically for our branch?"

Luo Feng's face was ugly.

"That is exactly what I'm worried about. We can only glimpse the truth if we find survivors."

Elder Ku Mu's face was as wrinkled as tree bark, filled with concern.

Xia Ningxue's brows were slightly furrowed, and she stayed silent.

The tens of thousands in the Huang Tribe, wiped out in a single night.

"Elders, we haven't found anyone over here."

"Neither have we."

"Aaahhh!!!"

A scream came from several Inquiry Immortal Pavilion disciples responsible for searching the nearby woods.

Lu Changsheng, Elder Ku Mu, Luo Feng, and Xia Ningxue all immediately turned their gaze to the south, where a beast's claw, a hundred zhang wide, appeared, striking at an Inquiry Immortal Pavilion disciple from the Golden Core Realm.

The Golden Core Realm disciple attempted Sword Flight to escape the range of the beast's claw attack, "Elders, save me!"

Boom!

The merciless beast's claw struck down, slamming the Golden Core Realm disciple to the ground, erasing him with a single swipe!

The earth shook, and dust and stones flew around!

"We're ambushed, this is bad!"

Lu Changsheng immediately held his breath and focused, concentrating all of his attention.

This assessment mission was fraught with extreme danger!

"Hahaha, we didn't find that one person, but instead, you came to us. Since you're here, we'll take you down as well!"

Around the valley, hundreds of figures appeared, led by a man with a scar from a sword on his face, dressed in black sword attire, and radiating fierceness.

Over twenty people from the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion were terrified as they looked around, realizing they were completely surrounded by Demon Sect disciples.

"Evil Sword, an Elder of the Reincarnation Hall, is at the same level as I am in the Dao Palace Realm. I will hold him off while you lead the team and break through the siege."

Elder Ku Mu secretly messaged Lu Changsheng, Luo Feng, and Xia Ningxue.

"Then what will you do, Elder?"

"I'll find a way to escape when the time comes, but you absolutely cannot die here, or else I cannot explain it to the Pavilion Master."

Elder Ku Mu was resolute, determined to save the disciple most valued by the Pavilion Master no matter what.

"Ku Mu, you have two Dao Palace Realm helpers there, and I also have two Dao Palace Realm Elders here, but I've also called upon the Demon Race's Black Tiger Daoist. Today, you will all be buried here! Hahahaha!!!"

Evil Sword laughed wildly. Four Dao Palace Realm cultivators and hundreds of Demon Sect disciples were facing the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion's team of only three Dao Palace Realm cultivators, a nearly certain victory.

"..."

Lu realized that Evil Sword seemed to have forgotten to count him, another cultivator of the Dao Palace Realm.