Chapter 145: It's Fine If You Don't Get the Treasure, But You Must Stay Safe

Chapter 145: It's Fine If You Don't Get the Treasure, But You Must Stay Safe

At the sect entrance.

Shen Mo had just landed when Murong Yue arrived with a group of people surrounding him.

His beautiful master appeared haggard, clearly having been worried for quite some time.

"Mo'er, you've finally returned. As your master, I…"

Murong Yue's eyes reddened.

There were things she, as the sect master, could not say openly in public, but she knew that Shen Mo understood her heart.

Shen Mo nodded. "Master, I had some unexpected encounters, which delayed my return. I made you worry. Please punish me."

Murong Yue shook her head and took his hand. "As long as you're safe, that's all that matters. Come, let's go to my place. We need to have a good talk."

With that, she grabbed his hand, and the two turned into a streak of light, swiftly returning to the sect master's courtyard at the mountaintop.

"Now that the young sect master has returned safely, I can finally relax," Elder Li sighed in relief.

"Everyone disperse, back to your duties," Song Chaofeng waved his hand.

"Lu Xinyue was killed by that man in the fire-marked mask, and the White River Sect is now in chaos. We can seize this opportunity to gain some advantage," Wei Xiongtie whispered.

"Exactly. The sect master surely has the same idea. Let's gather the other elders and take as much as we can," Song Chaofeng nodded repeatedly.

Elder Li quickly added, "Count me in. I still haven't forgotten the harm White River Sect did to our Qingxuan Sect all those years ago!"

The three of them continued discussing as they strode out of the sect gate.

---

In the sect master's courtyard.

Murong Yue held Shen Mo's hand, carefully examining him. Seeing that he was indeed safe, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mo'er, I was worried sick these past few days."

"You're the young sect master, the future hope of our Qingxuan Sect. The position of sect master will eventually be passed to you. Please don't do this again."

"It's fine if you didn't get the treasures in White Stone, but you, as a person, must remain unharmed."

Her words were filled with care and concern, her tone surprisingly gentle, quite different from her usual cold and elegant demeanor.

Shen Mo couldn't help but laugh.

Murong Yue looked puzzled, "What's so funny?"

Shen Mo chuckled softly. "Master, you don't seem like a master right now—you're more like an older sister."

Murong Yue's face flushed slightly. "What are you saying!"

She raised her hand as if to hit him, but after thinking about it, she couldn't bring herself to do so.

With a cold huff, Murong Yue said, "Tell me, where exactly have you been these past ten days? I mobilized all of Qingxuan Sect's intelligence networks, yet we couldn't find any trace of you."

Shen Mo smiled, "I did enter White Stone, but I wore a mask and concealed my identity."

"That night, the air was filled with the scent of flowers, and everyone was fighting over treasures. Seeing how complicated things were, I decided not to get involved."

"In the end, I witnessed the man in the fire-marked mask kill Lu Xinyue. After he escaped from White Stone, I followed him, thinking I might be able to recruit him as an elder for Qingxuan Sect."

Murong Yue's eyes sparkled. "If he could kill Lu Xinyue, he must be incredibly powerful. If we could recruit him, he'd be a great asset to our sect. Did you manage to catch up with him?"

Shen Mo, seeing her excitement, couldn't help but laugh again.

"Of course not. Not only did I fail to catch up, but he also warned me not to follow him. I had no choice but to back off."

Murong Yue looked a bit disappointed but didn't say anything. "It's fine. He's probably used to the freedom of being a rogue cultivator. It's normal that he wouldn't want to be recruited by a sect."

"The fact that he didn't attack you is a good thing. I was worried that your approach might provoke him into killing you."

Shen Mo smiled faintly.

Though his story was entirely fabricated, seeing Murong Yue's shifting emotions amused him.

"And then? What other encounters did you have?" Murong Yue asked again.

Shen Mo shrugged and immediately recited the story he had prepared earlier.

"Not much else. While chasing a Golden-Seeking Mouse, I accidentally found a hidden cave where I discovered the corpse of an ancient cultivator. From him, I obtained a Pure Essence Replenishing Pill."

"I spent the past few days refining that pill, and in doing so, I reached the late stage of Core Formation."

In truth, Shen Mo had already reached the late stage of Core Formation some time ago.

However, he had kept it a secret from everyone.

Now, he was not far from completing Core Formation, so revealing his progress wasn't an issue.

Murong Yue was stunned. "A Pure Essence Replenishing Pill? You were fortunate enough to come across such a rare pill!"The Essence Replenishing Pill can be refined by the Five Great Sects of Xuanjiang and is mostly circulated within these sects.

At most, they might release a portion of the pill to reward first-rate sects.

As for the Great Essence Replenishing Pill, even the Five Great Sects cannot refine it. They purchase it from the major sects of Yuzhou.

As for the Pure Essence Replenishing Pill, it is extremely rare in the entire Xuanjiang territory. To date, less than five have ever appeared.

It is said that even within the major sects of Yuzhou, the Pure Essence Replenishing Pill is a very precious item and rarely leaves their hands.

The more Murong Yue looked at Shen Mo, the more satisfied she felt. "Good, good! You've reached the late stage of Core Formation so quickly. It's only a matter of time before you surpass me."

"When you reach the peak of Core Formation, the position of sect master will be yours."

Shen Mo chuckled, "Master, you're still young. Why are you so eager to give up being sect master?"

Murong Yue shook her head. "I'm indecisive by nature. Under my leadership, Qingxuan Sect will at best maintain its current state, but it won't rise to greater heights."

"But you're different. In you, I see the hope of Qingxuan Sect's rise."

Looking at his beautiful master, Shen Mo felt a warmth in his heart.

His master truly cared for him.

"Let's set that aside for now. What has been happening in White Stone City recently? I heard the White River Sect has fallen into chaos. Has Heavenly Water Sect made any moves as well?" Shen Mo asked casually.

Murong Yue nodded and began to explain, "Of course. According to the information we've received…"

At Heavenly Water Sect, Shengshui Peak.

This was where the sect master, Zhang Mo, resided.

Normally, Yin Xuege also lived here.

However, Yin Xuege had recently become disillusioned and moved to another peak.

Now, Bai Ziyue had taken up residence.

At this moment, in the sect master's courtyard.

Bai Ziyue was practicing his swordsmanship.

His sword moved like a nimble snake—quick, agile, and deadly.

Clearly, he had grasped the true essence of this sword technique.

Zhang Mo watched from the side, her eyes sparkling.

"Under the shadow of Yin Xuege's brilliance, I failed to notice a genius like Bai Ziyue."

"Although his constitution is somewhat inferior, his determination and diligence more than make up for it."

"In just half a month, he's advanced from the sixth to the eighth level of the Nine Serpent Sword Technique, and he's only one step away from the ninth level."

"It seems I was wrong from the start. I should have focused on nurturing Bai Ziyue, not Yin Xuege."

Knock, knock, knock.

At that moment, knocking interrupted Zhang Mo's thoughts.

"What is it?" she asked, slightly displeased.

"Reporting to the sect master, Lu Xinyue, the sect master of White River Sect, is dead."

Zhang Mo's eyes widened, and it took her a while to regain her composure. "Come in."

An elder hurried inside.

"What happened? Tell me everything!" Zhang Mo asked coldly.

The elder nodded quickly, "White River Sect intentionally spread rumors that the Thousand Miles Fragrance was appearing in White Stone City, hoping to lure Shen Mo."

"They succeeded. Shen Mo indeed left Qingxuan Sect for White Stone City, but as soon as he arrived, he disappeared without a trace."

"A few days later, the Thousand Miles Fragrance did appear, and White River Sect, Stormy Rain Sect, and Purple Star Sect all fought for it."

"However, a man wearing a fire-marked mask suddenly appeared and took the Thousand Miles Fragrance. Sect Master Lu immediately chased after him, but in the end, the masked man killed Sect Master Lu and left without a trace!"

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