Chapter 57 : True Person Duanyue
Chapter 57: True Person Duanyue
The preparations of the cloud vessel proceeded quite smoothly and did not take much time.
With the arrival of the final two team members—the leader, True Person Duanyue, and the spider demon Luo Yusi—the “Lianxing” wasted no time and soon lifted into the air, heading toward the southeast.
The newly joined demon race member, Luo Yusi, almost immediately attracted everyone’s attention upon boarding.
This was only natural.
Spider demons were already an extremely rare species, let alone such a special existence—an exotic golden-haired beauty from the waist up, paired with a lower body formed of a golden spider.
Whether male or female disciples, anyone passing by could not help but take a few extra glances at her.
Of course, some were there to admire her beauty, while others were simply curious to see something novel.
“Fellow Daoist Long Tao, does your waist still hurt?” Luo Yusi asked softly, concern visible in her six bright eyes.
“Ow, it really hurts… Yusi, could you help massage it a bit more?” Long Tao lay on the deck, deliberately dragging out his tone and putting on a pitiful expression.
At his direct use of “Yusi” to address her, the spider demon showed not the slightest displeasure.
Instead, her eyes held a hint of amusement.
As she gently pressed with her slender hands, she also exhaled fine strands of spirit threads from her mouth.
When those threads touched the injured area, they brought a cool sensation that effectively alleviated Long Tao’s pain.
“But how come you’re the only one who came? Where’s your brother?” Having finally recovered from the sharp pain of that kick, Long Tao now had the energy to ask other questions.
At his words, a trace of dejection flickered across Luo Yusi’s face.
“Sigh… The elder who reviewed our application did highly approve of the résumé you helped us write, but his temperament was rather conservative, and he didn’t dare let both siblings join the team at the same time. Later, it just so happened that Vice Sect Master True Person Shi Manyu passed by. After she carefully read the résumé, she immediately granted a special approval for one slot. My brother then gave that opportunity to me.”
Shi Manyu? The moment Long Tao heard that name, his head started to ache.
That woman seemed to have designs on making him work like an ox or horse for the sect, but Long Tao still wanted to walk a proper cultivation path.
At the very least, before Foundation Establishment, he did not want to stir up too much trouble.
Damn it—having one System was already enough of a headache.
He really did not need an additional domineering female boss to complicate things.
“So that’s how it is? That’s fine then—it’s a pretty good start,” Long Tao comforted her.
“Look, people are coming over one after another just to see you. You should know by now how eye-catching you are, right?”
“That’s not true…” Luo Yusi gently shook her head, a few strands of golden hair lifting with the motion.
“They’re probably just here to see something new. After all, a golden-haired giant spider really is rare.”
As one human and one spider chatted idly, the most weighty figure in the team approached with steady footsteps.
This man was covered in dark, robust muscles, with a huge wine gourd hanging at his waist, a face full of thick beard, and dressed in a plain gray training outfit.
He looked nothing like a cultivator and more like a wandering martial hero of the jianghu.
Yet this person was a genuine top-grade Golden Core great cultivator, and the leader of this expedition—True Person Duanyue.
As mentioned before, among the three sects that formed the Nine-Xia Heavenly Sect, one originated from the martial world: the Red Blood Great Banner Sect.
Through generations of effort and sacrifice, their predecessors forcibly elevated what had once been crude and unremarkable internal techniques to the Golden Core realm.
Although they had never produced a Nascent Soul cultivator, they still earned the recognition and respect of the other two sects.
True Person Duanyue hailed from the Great Banner Sect.
His entire body exuded a fierce, powerful aura that could almost be perceived with the naked eye, giving others a sense of steadiness and reliability.
“Oh? You two are both here,” True Person Duanyue said, his voice booming yet tinged with warmth.
“By the way, Fellow Daoist Luo, I need to have a private talk with this little friend Long Tao. Would you mind giving us some space for the moment…?”
Since Luo Yusi had not yet formally joined the sect, True Person Duanyue was quite meticulous in etiquette, addressing her as “Fellow Daoist” and maintaining a very courteous attitude—an interesting contrast to his rough and bold appearance.
“O-okay, True Person, please go ahead,” Luo Yusi replied softly.
Her six long legs moved lightly, her massive body displaying an unexpected elegance as she slowly departed.
Long Tao hurriedly stood up and respectfully bowed to the Golden Core True Person before him.
“No need for such formality,” True Person Duanyue said with a sincere smile, reaching out to pat his shoulder.
Unexpectedly, despite appearing powerful, the hand landed with extreme gentleness.
A warm, soothing current of spiritual energy flowed straight into Long Tao’s injured waist and abdomen, greatly easing the pain.
Just as Long Tao was about to open his mouth to thank him, the other party smiled mysteriously and continued, “However, while I was inspecting the ship earlier, I discovered a rather large bundle. It smelled somewhat of pills—quite familiar, actually, and rather similar to those prepared for this trip to the secret realm…”
“Uh… well…” Long Tao was momentarily at a loss for words.
This man was far too attentive—completely at odds with his outward appearance.
“As far as I know, everyone on this ship except you has a storage-type artifact. So… that bundle must be yours, right?”
Seeing Long Tao hesitate, True Person Duanyue did not press further.
Instead, he showed an understanding expression and spoke earnestly.
“I don’t really want to say much about your little schemes. Back in my day, I myself only had four spiritual roots, so I can understand the mindset of a bottom-tier cultivator like you—grasping desperately at any sliver of opportunity. I don’t know what plans you have for that secret realm, or why you insist on going along, but I do admire this willingness of yours to stake everything.”
He paused, a trace of complicated emotion flashing through his eyes, before continuing, “In any case… I won’t ask too many questions, and once we enter the secret realm, I won’t interfere much either. The road ahead is dangerous. Everything will depend on your own fate.”
After the True Person left, Long Tao sat there alone, sighing inwardly.
These Golden Core cultivators who had lived for several hundred years were indeed not simple characters.
His little schemes were probably completely transparent to them—they simply chose not to make an issue of it.
Sigh.
When dealing with these old monsters in the future, he really would have to be extra cautious.
Before long, Luo Yusi returned to continue tending to him.
Many members of the team also appeared before Long Tao one after another, using the excuse of coming to visit Luo Yusi.
These sect prodigies who usually stood high above others were figures he normally had no chance to interact with up close.
This time, it was a rare opportunity.
The first worth mentioning was the person everyone tacitly regarded as the leader of this team: Fang Wuqi.
If one were to ask who the most outstanding disciple of this generation in the Nine-Xia Heavenly Sect was, almost everyone would give the same answer—Fang Wuqi.
He came from a legitimate internal inheritance family of the sect, the Fang family.
From a young age, he had already displayed astonishing talent and intelligence.
At the age of ten, when he was tested and found to possess a Heavenly Spiritual Root, he cultivated diligently under the strict guidance and urging of his family, never once showing slackness or complacency.
Now he had already reached the mid-to-late stage of Foundation Establishment, and that was only because he had chosen the most difficult cultivation method within the sect.
It was said that if he had chosen a faster or simpler method back then, he would likely already be preparing to form a Golden Core.
Worthy of his aristocratic background, Fang Wuqi, upon seeing the two of them, first nodded politely to Long Tao in greeting, then exchanged formal courtesies with Luo Yusi.
In conversation, he expressed that the upcoming secret realm expedition would require everyone to work together to overcome difficulties.
His manner and speech were calm and appropriate, as refreshing as a spring breeze—so flawless that even someone as picky as Long Tao could not find the slightest fault.
After that, several peak masters’ personally transmitted disciples came over, mostly to greet Luo Yusi.
Some exchanged a few pleasantries and then took their leave, while others asked more detailed questions about Luo Yusi’s abilities and the characteristics of her techniques.
Without exception, all maintained proper etiquette and showed no hint of condescension.
Among the crowd was also an old acquaintance of Long Tao’s, Senior Brother Chu Yuanbai.
However, the other party had long since forgotten a small fry like Long Tao.
Even so, being selected for this elite team despite not being a personally transmitted disciple spoke volumes about Senior Brother Chu’s strength and capability.
The last to arrive was Zhu Huaisu.
This princess probably knew that her earlier kick had been a bit too heavy, so she brought over a pill as an apology.
Long Tao did not stand on ceremony and swallowed it right away.
He then asked why Nan Yuchen had not come—after all, in his impression, that kid was usually quite mindful of etiquette.
The answer he received left him both amused and speechless.
That kid was afraid of spiders.