Chapter 22: Yang Xiangtian

Jiang Ning returned to his residence.

The more he thought about it, the stranger the Idle Cloud Sect seemed.

“These past few days, the Idle Cloud Sect has been far too quiet!”

Suddenly, he became aware of this fact.

It seemed that ever since the outer court competition and the selection of personal disciples, the Idle Cloud Sect had grown noticeably more subdued.

Even the inner sect disciples remarked that many elders had not appeared recently, assuming it was because they were all in seclusion, seeking breakthroughs.

But it was just too quiet.

Jiang Ning reviewed the sequence of events in his mind.

No one knew who had instructed Wang Shuo, but he had first provoked Jiang Ning, seemingly just to force him to reveal his true strength.

In the past, such large-scale provocations that stirred up the inner sect would at least draw the attention of the Enforcement Division, if not the Elders’ Seat themselves.

But there had been no reaction at all.

After exposing his strength, Jiang Ning had worried about those old monsters from the Elders’ Seat or the sect leader himself, watching from the shadows and discovering his physique. In reality, though, nothing happened.

Then, Zhao Feng disappeared.

Again, the Enforcement Division showed no sign of action!

And, by the calendar, two days ago should have been the distribution of Clear Spirit Elixir by the sect.

All disciples would normally gather at the stone platform in the main square to collect their monthly elixir for cultivation, but once more, there was not a single sign of movement...

Considering all these recent events, Jiang Ning realized he had always kept an exceptionally low profile over the past half year, as quiet as a chicken.

Everything seemed to have changed from the moment he was chosen as a personal disciple.

“Tomorrow, I’ll leave the Idle Cloud Sect.”

He made up his mind.

The Idle Cloud Sect was shrouded by a protective formation; he couldn’t just barge out.

Even if he did, it would cause a commotion.

“I’ll simply move the plan forward. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the Mission Hall, take an assignment to leave the sect, and depart that way.”

His thoughts settled. The original plan was to first obtain Lin Qian’s concealment technique, then pick up an external mission and leave directly.

Now, he could no longer count on Lin Qian’s technique, but he had reached a point where departure was his only option.

Erhuang wandered around him, tail wagging, as carefree as ever.

Jiang Ning sighed, patting its head.

“Erhuang, tomorrow we’re leaving this place of trouble.”

In truth, there were still many concerns.

For example, the mark of the Great Dao hadn’t been completely erased. Outside the Idle Cloud Sect, he would have to be even more inconspicuous. He absolutely could not expose his Celestial Spirit Physique. He would need to be cautious in all dealings with others...

But staying in the sect had become too dangerous.

He had no choice but to opt for the relatively safer path.

“Idle Cloud Sect…”

Jiang Ning looked up at the palatial buildings floating in the night sky, still bathed in moonlight.

Under countless silver rays and beams, he seemed to glimpse strands of deathly aura swirling, merging with the tranquility of the night, forming a chilling harmony.

...

The next day, Jiang Ning did not hesitate.

He packed his belongings into his spatial ring, let Erhuang perch on his shoulder, and sped straight toward the Mission Hall.

“That’s Jiang Ning.”

Everyone noticed his arrival.

“Isn’t he the one who never sets foot outside the sect? Why is he here to take a mission?”

“I heard he’s never earned a single contribution point.”

“That’s not true. Look, he’s got a spatial ring, doesn’t he…”

Sect missions, or external training tasks, were available.

If you met the requirements or contributed something special to the sect, you could earn contribution points.

These points could be exchanged for various goods.

The difficulty of missions and the points awarded varied according to one’s strength. Only you knew how many contribution points you had accumulated.

Jiang Ning ignored the chatter, walking straight to the elder who oversaw mission assignments.

No one knew how many years this elder had served the Idle Cloud Sect. His eye sockets were sunken, his whole body emanated the aura of ages, and every gesture seemed to carry the weight of the Dao—ancient, solemn.

Most astonishing of all, this elder looked almost identical to the old man who watched over the Medicine Garden.

Some said it was a clone technique.

Some said they were twins...

Others insisted these two elders, whose time in the Idle Cloud Sect was unfathomable, were the true hidden masters of the sect.

“Senior, inner sect disciple Jiang Ning, here to accept an external mission,” Jiang Ning said, cupping his fists in salute.

The elder opened his eyes to glance at Jiang Ning, his gaze landing on Erhuang atop his shoulder.

Erhuang shrank back timidly, hiding behind Jiang Ning’s neck.

“Ahem...” Jiang Ning coughed awkwardly.

Though he didn’t know the real relationship between this elder and the one at the Medicine Garden, Erhuang had certainly been shameless, having pilfered who knows how many things from that place…

“Missions are not being assigned today,” the elder said.

At his words, the entire mission stone platform fell silent in an instant.

“What?”

“No missions today?”

“So the one I just claimed was the last?”

“Wow, lucky you…”

“That was a good one—a cushy task.”

Still, many became anxious.

There had been no Clear Spirit Elixir distributed for two days, and many needed contribution points to exchange for it.

Without it, their cultivation would stall.

“Senior…”

Jiang Ning, too, was anxious.

He needed to leave the Idle Cloud Sect!

He also saw the names on the stone wall, those who had taken external missions the previous day.

“Li Qiaochan and Li Zhenyu!”

Both of them had taken missions and left the sect.

No wonder he hadn’t seen them lately, and Li Zhenyu hadn’t come looking for him.

At such a critical moment, Jiang Ning couldn’t help but worry further. Why had these two, who had no shortage of contribution points or need for elixirs, chosen to leave now?

The elder gazed at Jiang Ning for a long moment, saying nothing, then simply waved his hand.

In that instant, the ancient aura of the Dao swirled, and before anyone could react—

A whole group of people vanished from the stone platform!

In a blink, the square was deserted!

...

“Where is this…”

Jiang Ning felt reality twist as the elder waved his hand, and the space around him shifted as if the stars spun.

Everyone felt the same disorientation. When they regained their senses, they realized they were no longer on the stone platform…

Before them lay the sect’s protective formation!

The floating palaces and towers hovered behind them.

Just a single step forward, and they would leave the Idle Cloud Sect!

“This is a great spatial transposition!”

The group was utterly stunned.

Jiang Ning was even more so.

One wave of the hand, and a crowd was transported to another space.

What kind of transcendent cultivation was this?

“He knows what I intend—he’s helping me!”

The realization flashed through Jiang Ning’s mind.

Without hesitation, for the first time since entering the Idle Cloud Sect half a year ago, Jiang Ning took the initiative.

“The sect mission—give it to me!”

He moved with lightning speed, riding a streak of light to the inner disciple holding the jade slip.

There was no pause; his actions were smooth as flowing water. In the stunned silence of the crowd, Jiang Ning unleashed a punch!

Just then, the space behind Jiang Ning suddenly twisted.

A formless sword intent howled through the air, and a blue-robed man with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes appeared exactly where Jiang Ning had been standing, as if emerging from the void.

“Stop!” he shouted, his spatial ring flaring.

Several flying swords materialized behind him, launching straight for Jiang Ning’s back!

“That’s Senior Brother Yang Xiangtian!”

The turn of events was so abrupt: first Jiang Ning struck, then Yang Xiangtian arrived.

Just as everyone realized what was happening, two of Yang Xiangtian’s flying swords aimed at Jiang Ning exploded!

“Boom!”