Chronicles of Heaven's Chosen - Chapter 52

He had never given her that secret-treasure key!

Back then, he had tossed a secret-treasure key into the crowd and let everyone fight for it.

Then that damned Weng Mingshu shoved Lu Xiangxiang, sending her into the secret-treasure realm with the others. At her current cultivation, she had been incapable of contending for all the treasures inside and had obtained only a few things.

Cang Li’s voice suddenly pulled her from her thoughts.

“The little bird grew up and wanted to fly, of course.”

Lu Xiangxiang was speechless.

In the end, no one disturbed Yuan Yao.

Roughly four hours later, the spirit vessel arrived outside the Xiaoyao Sect.

Hearing Eldest Senior Brother call for her, Yuan Yao immediately calmed the energy inside her and answered, “Coming!”

She quickly opened the cabin door and looked up into Song Yan’s handsome, refined face.

Yuan Yao stared at him for a long time.

Song Yan paused. “What’s wrong?”

“The Saint-grade Skin-Restoring Salve really works. It didn’t leave even the slightest scar.” Yuan Yao grinned.

Understanding dawned on Song Yan. He laughed and stroked the top of her head. “Thank you, Yaoyao.”

Yuan Yao arched a brow.

“Let’s go.”

They walked side by side through the corridor and found Xiao Lingwei and the others waiting for them.

“You look a little better.” Cang Li studied Yuan Yao’s face.

Yuan Yao smiled. “Let’s go home!”

The group disembarked. As they approached the gates of the Xiaoyao Sect, everyone took out their personal disciple jade token.

Yuan Yao retrieved hers from a forgotten corner of her storage space and wiped it clean with her sleeve.

Then she held it aloft.

“Yuan Yao of Heavenly Martial Peak, Xiaoyao Sect!”

She passed successfully through the sect’s formation barrier.

Yuan Yao immediately turned toward her senior brothers and sisters and waved her disciple jade token with obvious pride.

Song Yan and the others laughed, their eyes full of indulgence.

Just then, a chorus of wildly excited voices rang out nearby.

“Little Junior Sister! Little Junior Sister! Little Junior Sister!”

Yuan Yao turned and saw more than twenty young men and women running toward her, waving enthusiastically.

They were disciples of Heavenly Learning Peak.

Yuan Yao waved back just as excitedly.

“Senior brothers! Senior sisters!”

Lu Xiangxiang froze at the sight. She knew these people. They were the renowned inner disciples of Heavenly Learning Peak, who usually devoted themselves to studying profound medical arts, pill refinement, artifact forging, and other such disciplines.

The young woman leading them was Zong Yu’er, daughter of Second Elder Zong Rao and the current Eldest Senior Sister of Heavenly Learning Peak.

“Little Junior Sister really is loved wherever she goes,” Cang Li said sourly.

Yuan Yao jogged forward and took Zong Yu’er’s hand. “Senior Sister Zong!”

“My mother said you went out to train. How was it? Did you adjust? Why is your face so pale? You look haggard too.” Zong Yu’er’s brows drew tighter with every question. She turned to the Heavenly Learning Peak disciples behind her. “Form ranks!”

They sprang into motion and arranged themselves by height in a perfectly straight single-file line.

“Come. Check Little Junior Sister’s pulse.”

Yuan Yao’s brow twitched. She had witnessed formations like this many times since childhood, though never for herself. They were usually assembled to examine and treat other injured Xiaoyao Sect disciples.

“Senior Sister Zong, I’m fine.” Yuan Yao hurriedly caught her hand and changed the subject. “Are all of you heading out?”

That reminded Zong Yu’er of their purpose.

Her face became grave. “Heavenly Learning Peak received a message from Mentor Cui of Heavenly Letters Peak. Every person in Yunming City has fallen unconscious. We’re going there to investigate and help the city’s residents.”

“The entire city is unconscious?” Xiao Lingwei asked as she approached.

Zong Yu’er nodded.

“I’ll go with you,” Xiao Lingwei said. “I’ll protect you.”

Song Yan pursed his lips and frowned. “I’m going too.”

Xue Jin came over as well, his manner making it clear that he intended to join them.

Zong Yu’er had no reason to refuse. “All right!”

As System 250’s voice rang out, Yuan Yao raised her hand too.

【Ding! The System has detected a large number of targets in Yunming City. Host, please proceed there and complete your mission.】

“I’m going too!”

Everyone looked at Yuan Yao, most of them visibly surprised.

“You are not going.” Xue Jin’s chilly gaze settled on her. His tone left no room for argument.

Yuan Yao had barely opened her mouth when Youngest Senior Brother Ying Wuji caught her wrist and marched her away.

“She’s not going.”

“Youngest Senior Brother!”

Yuan Yao pouted and tried to break free, only for Third Senior Brother Cang Li to seize her other arm.

Assuming an air of authority, Cang Li declared, “You’re not even healed, and you still want to go, go, go? The Buddha may be merciful, but even he has no patience for a little weakling determined to court death. Today, I, Cang Aotian, shall save your life!”

He looked back and waved.

“Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Sister, Jin, and everyone from Heavenly Learning Peak—you’ll surely return unharmed. We’ll await your safe return!”

“Keep an eye on Yaoyao,” Xiao Lingwei said uneasily.

“We will!”

“Goodbye, Little Junior Sister!” Zong Yu’er and the others called, waving.

Yuan Yao kept looking back at them.

Song Yan turned to Lu Xiangxiang, who had been left standing alone. “Seventh Junior Sister, go back to Heavenly Martial Peak with them.”

Lu Xiangxiang came back to herself and answered distractedly.

“All right.”

Yunming City…

She followed the others, her thoughts returning to memories of her previous life.

She had heard only a little about what happened in Yunming City. What she remembered most clearly was that Zong Yu’er’s party had been almost completely wiped out. Zong Yu’er survived by sheer luck, but she lost both legs and became unable to walk.

Her temperament changed completely after that, leaving her barely human.

The Xiaoyao Sect had not been the only sect to send aid to Yunming City. Several others had sent teams as well.

Those teams were also nearly annihilated.

Among the dead was an unmatched young genius who had ranked second in the Grand Sect Tournament three years earlier.

Lu Xiangxiang looked back at Song Yan, Xiao Lingwei, and Xue Jin. A faint smile spread across her lips.

Meanwhile, Yuan Yao glared repeatedly at Cang Li and Ying Wuji as they practically dragged her along.

Feeling her murderous stare, Cang Li coughed lightly. “Don’t be unreasonable. Your cultivation is so low that you’d only cause trouble if you went. Look at me. I’m not going either, because my cultivation is low.”

“Third Senior Brother, isn’t that just because you’re a coward?” Yuan Yao exposed him at once.

“Nonsense!” Cang Li retorted. “I, Cang Aotian, am the bravest and most fearless person in the world. Some tasks simply aren’t suited to everyone.”

Before Yuan Yao could answer, he covered her mouth with one hand.

“You’re still young. You wouldn’t understand.”