"What?! You're saying Demonic Path Cultivators infiltrated the team?!"
Upon hearing his Disciple's reply, Chai Song's expression turned extremely grim.
His eyebrows twitched uncontrollably, and the Aura of his Jindan Stage remained restrained.
But it was clear he was furious.
According to these Disciples' statements,
those Demonic Path Cultivators either had spies planted in their Schools long ago,
or they used some Secret Art to change their appearance.
Chai Song had dealt with the Demonic Path many times and naturally knew their methods.
If they merely used a Secret Art to change their appearance, then so be it.
In that case, his only fault as the leading Elder would be a lapse in oversight.
At worst, he would accept punishment upon returning to the Sect.
After all, a group of Qi Refining youngsters actually managed to deceive a Core Formation True Person's Divine Sense.
Wouldn't that be a joke?
However, there was another possibility.
If the School had already been infiltrated by Demonic Path spies…
Chai Song looked elsewhere.
The Elders from other Sects had also learned about the Demonic Path Cultivators in the Secret Realm from their Disciples.
They all looked at each other.
After exchanging glances,
they wasted no time and immediately set off on their return journey.
These matters needed to be reported to the Sect Leader.
The Sect Leader and the Grand Elder would make the final decision!
After Su Bai and the others boarded the flying boat,
she realized that only thirteen people, including herself and Xu Changge, had returned alive.
Only one-tenth of them survived.
After the flying boat took off,
Elder Chai Song needed to tally the gains from this Secret Realm trip and then take the portion belonging to the Qingzhu Sword Sect.
Su Bai had naturally known this beforehand.
However, when Elder Chai Song took the Spirit Medicine,
he also checked everyone's Storage Pouch and whether the remaining few were Demonic Path Cultivators in disguise.
Su Bai didn't know how powerful a Core Formation True Person's Divine Sense was.
It could actually penetrate the owner's awareness and inspect the Storage Pouch.
But even if she knew, she wasn't afraid.
After all, the only Demonic Path Spiritual Artifact, the Resentful Soul Nail, had already been used.
Her Storage Pouch contained nothing suspicious except for some Spirit Medicine seeds and various Legacies she had purchased.
All her truly valuable items were in another Storage Pouch, hidden in the deep mountain Spirit Medicine garden of the Da Wu World.
Su Bai never carried all her belongings around.
Even her money pouches, she kept one on her waist and hid another in her sleeve.
After Chai Song's inspection, he found no suspicious points.
As a Core Formation True Person, he was quite confident in his own strength.
Those who returned alive were all Disciples with pure backgrounds.
The only thing that surprised Chai Song was that only four Family Cultivators had returned alive.
Su Bai and Xu Changge were fine.
The other two were completely terrified.
Heaven knew how hard they had worked to avoid the Demonic Path Cultivators these past few months.
Their Dao Heart was completely shattered at this point.
Chai Song snorted coldly at the performance of those two, clearly showing some disdain.
He turned to the remaining Disciples and said,
"Although this was a calamity, it was also an Opportunity. Upon your return, the Sect will refine Foundation Establishment Pills for you. I believe this experience will help you strengthen your Dao Heart and completely Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment."
Chai Song's voice was not loud, but it was quite encouraging.
Upon hearing him, the Disciples were all invigorated, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
Their eyes were filled with longing.
Foundation Establishment, ah.
The dream of countless Qi Refining Cultivators.
Chai Song did not deceive them. Having experienced this life-and-death calamity,
the surviving Disciples still had the ambition to continue Cultivating.
Their willpower was naturally up to par.
Having grown up in the Sect, with their Cultivation Technique allowing their Spiritual Qi to reach Perfection, and now with their firm willpower,
with the help of the Foundation Establishment Pill,
all three conditions—essence, Qi, and spirit—would be met, and Foundation Establishment would naturally follow.
Upon returning to the Qingzhu Sword Sect,
Su Bai and Xu Changge were still arranged in the area provided for guests.
They did not leave immediately.
Going to the Secret Realm naturally came with rewards.
Besides the Spirit Medicine obtained from the Secret Realm,
the Qingzhu Sword Sect would also help refine Foundation Establishment Pills.
Without this temptation, no one would risk their lives.
However, Alchemy takes time, and distributing Foundation Establishment Pills also takes time.
Xu Changge waited for two months.
Finally, her Master delivered the Foundation Establishment Pill.
It was then that Su Bai learned Xu Changge's Master in the Qingzhu Sword Sect was a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
She was indeed a powerful backer.
Given Xu Changge's Master's age and seniority, if the Qingzhu Sword Sect had Core Formation resources available next time, it was highly likely to be her turn.
This was a future Core Formation True Person!
I knew I hadn't chosen the wrong powerful ally!
After seeing her Master off, Xu Changge came before Su Bai and said to her,
"Next, I will attempt to Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. Please wait here for a while."
"Mm."
After Su Bai nodded, Xu Changge chased after her Master.
Breaking through to Foundation Establishment at the Qingzhu Sword Sect was ideal. The Spiritual Qi here was abundant, the Spiritual Vein was of a high Rank, and she had her Master as a Protector.
For her, there was no better place to Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.
Watching Xu Changge's departing figure,
Su Bai stroked her smooth chin.
When the other party returned again, she would be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
No longer on the same level as herself.
"Sigh, who made my Aptitude poor? My Cultivation speed is just like this."
She didn't concern herself with anything else.
The Spiritual Vein of this Qingzhu Sword Sect was truly excellent.
It felt like Cultivating here was twice as fast as on Wumu Island.
Due to the presence of a Formation, Su Bai was unsure if Xu Changge's Breakthrough was successful.
She simply stayed in her small room and Cultivated.
After another three months,
Xu Changge returned.
The Aura around her was even more profound.
The moment she saw Xu Changge, Su Bai bowed in greeting.
"Congratulations, Sister Xu, on successfully reaching Foundation Establishment."
"Hehehe, yes, I finally reached Foundation Establishment."
Xu Changge's tone carried a hint of melancholy.
Becoming a Foundation Establishment Cultivator not only increased her lifespan, allowing her to live two or three hundred years, but she could also continue to receive support from the Qingzhu Sword Sect.
This was the true reason Xu Changge felt relieved.
From now on, her Xu Family could finally truly be stable in the Star Luo Archipelago.
Since Xu Changge had successfully reached Foundation Establishment,
there was no reason for them to remain here.
Recently, due to the matter of the Demonic Path Cultivators in the Zhenyi Secret Realm,
the atmosphere within the Qingzhu Sword Sect had been somewhat tense, and everyone within the School had been inspected one by one.
At this time, it was indeed not advisable to stay long.
Su Bai only had some connection with Xu Changge, being fellow Cultivators from the Star Luo Archipelago.
That was why they hadn't been driven away.
Since Xu Changge had already reached Foundation Establishment, there was no need to stay any longer.
Internal Sect affairs had nothing to do with outsiders like them.
The fire wouldn't burn them.
However, the two did not return to the Star Luo Archipelago but went back to Tianyun City first.
They had rented an Immortal Cave there, after all.
They might as well live out their stay.
After all, they had spent so many Spirit Stones.
This time, Xu Changge carried Su Bai while flying.
Although Xu Changge was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Su Bai was still a Qi Refining Cultivator, so the two still used a flying Magical Artifact.
Propelled by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the flying speed increased significantly.
It originally took two months to arrive, but this time it only took half a month to return.
Xu Changge stood with her hands behind her back, gazing into the distance from atop the flying Magical Artifact.
Her face was filled with confident radiance.
It truly was different after becoming a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
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