With cultivation solidified, techniques initially mastered, and even that frying pan and rabbit spirit seeming to have positive changes, Tang Xiaoqi's days at Qingxu Temple were full and peaceful. However, after this kind of nearly seclusion-like cultivation life continued for a while, he vaguely felt that the "Everlasting Spring Art's" cultivation seemed to have entered a plateau period. Spiritual power growth became extremely slow, as if requiring some external stimulation or mental experience to break through this invisible barrier.
This day, as usual, he went to the Merit Hall, preparing to exchange the Dew-Condensing Herb brought back by the rabbit spirit for some contribution points,顺便 looking to see if there were pills or materials suitable for his current stage.
The Merit Hall still had people coming and going, enforcement disciples busy handling various affairs. Xiaoqi's gaze swept over the massive task jade wall on the hall's side, where various sect tasks scrolled and displayed—from collecting medicinal herbs and hunting low-level demon beasts to maintaining formations and assisting in alchemy, with different difficulties and rewards.
His gaze finally stopped on an inconspicuous task:
"D-grade Task: Escort 'Peaceful Merchant House' caravan to Clear River Town three hundred li away. Caravan members are all mortals, cargo ordinary, route flat. Round trip estimated at five days. Requirement: One mid-Qi Refining disciple. Reward: Fifty contribution points, ten lower-grade spirit stones."
D-grade tasks were usually assigned by the sect for outer court disciples to gain experience—the lowest difficulty, smallest reward. Escorting a mortal caravan sounded even more risk-free, even somewhat boring.
But Xiaoqi's heart moved. Going down the mountain, leaving Qingxu Temple's scope, seeing the outside world, contacting secular sights different from sect cultivation—this might be exactly what he needed now. Moreover, the task location wasn't far, the time short, and the risk controllable.
"This one." Xiaoqi walked before the enforcement disciple responsible for task registration, pointing at that task information.
That enforcement disciple looked up at Xiaoqi, clearly recognizing this recently famous junior brother. A trace of surprise flashed through his eyes, seemingly not expecting him to take such a simple, low-reward task, but still quickly processed the formalities for him, handing him a jade slip recording detailed task information and the caravan's assembly location and time.
"The task assembles at the mountain gate at chen hour tomorrow to depart. Remember, though a mortal caravan, it also represents Qingxu Temple's face. Must protect it completely, cannot be neglectful." The enforcement disciple instructed routinely.
"This disciple understands." Xiaoqi took the jade slip, bowed, and left the Merit Hall.
He reported the matter of taking the task to his master. After hearing, his master just nodded lightly: "Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand li. Going down the mountain to look around is also good, seeing the hundred states of the red dust may benefit your mental cultivation. Be cautious in all things, safety first."
"Yes, Master."
Coming out from his master's cave dwelling, Xiaoqi again encountered Third Senior Sister.
"What? You're going down the mountain? To escort some mortal caravan?" Third Senior Sister's voice immediately rose several pitches upon hearing, her brows knitting. "What status do you have now? Core disciple! Just got the sect's reward, don't know how many eyes are watching! Running to take this kind of thankless D-grade task? What if something happens on the way..."
Xiaoqi knew Third Senior Sister was concerned but overly worried, patiently explaining: "Senior Sister, I just feel my cultivation has hit a bottleneck, want to go down the mountain and look around, change my mental state. The task is simple, the route close, nothing will happen."
"No, no, I'm still not at ease." Third Senior Sister circled him twice more, suddenly stopping, hands on her hips. "How about this—I'll go with you!"
Xiaoqi was startled, quickly waving his hands: "Senior Sister, how can that work? This is a D-grade task, and the sect has rules that high-level disciples can't casually interfere in low-level disciples' experience tasks..."
"Who said I'd walk with you?" Third Senior Sister glared at him, lowering her voice with a trace of cunning. "I'll secretly follow—isn't that okay? Not letting the sect know, not letting you discover. Just treating it as... I'm going down the mountain to relax myself, just happens to be on your way! If there really are some blind thieves or small demons or small monsters, Senior Sister can take care of them for you, saving you from exposing that... mm, you understand."
Xiaoqi looked at Third Senior Sister's expression brooking no argument, knowing he couldn't out-stubborn her, his heart both moved and helpless. With a Foundation Establishment expert like Third Senior Sister secretly protecting, safety was naturally assured, but it also greatly reduced the effect of his "experience."
"Then... thank you, Senior Sister." Xiaoqi ultimately could only smile bitterly and agree.
"That's more like it!" Third Senior Sister satisfactorily patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Senior Sister's stealth and concealment skills are excellent, I guarantee not to disturb your 'experience'!"
The next morning, before chen hour, Xiaoqi had already packed properly. He changed into ordinary green disciple robes, put necessary pills, talismans, and that cloth-wrapped frying pan into his storage bag (accustomed to its presence, bringing it always felt reassuring), and also hid the self-defense jade pendant his master had bestowed close to his body. Only then did he leave the little courtyard, walking toward the mountain gate.
After registering together with several other disciples who had also taken other tasks at the mountain gate, Xiaoqi followed the jade slip's directions to a fork in the road not far below the mountain. There, a merchant caravan consisting of five horse-drawn cargo carts, over twenty servants and guards had already assembled. The caravan steward was a middle-aged man with a slightly plump figure and kindly face, named Li.
Seeing Xiaoqi approach wearing Qingxu Temple disciple robes, Steward Li hurriedly led the servants to welcome him, his attitude extremely respectful: "Immortal Master, I am Li Fu, the steward of this caravan. Throughout the journey, I must trouble the Immortal Master!"
Those servants and guards also bowed one after another, their eyes filled with awe and envy for the immortal cultivator.
It was Xiaoqi's first time being so respectfully called "Immortal Master." He was quite unaccustomed, quickly waving his hands: "Steward Li, no need for excessive courtesy. I am under orders to escort everyone—it's my duty. Just call me Xiaoqi."
His attitude was peaceful, without the usual loftiness of cultivators facing mortals, making Steward Li and all the servants let out a breath, their goodwill greatly increased.
At precisely chen hour, the caravan departed on time. Wheels creaking, horse hooves clattering, along the wide official road, slowly heading toward Clear River Town.
Xiaoqi didn't sit on the cart but unhurriedly followed beside the caravan, walking while curiously observing the scenery along the way. This was his first time since coming to Qingxu Temple to truly leave the sect grounds. On both sides of the official road were crisscrossing farmlands, in the distance villages with curling cooking smoke. Occasionally, one could see working farmers and playing children, filled with rich secular life atmosphere, completely different from Qingxu Temple's spiritual-energy-rich, Dao-pursuing atmosphere.
This kind of ordinary yet real scenery gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity and peace. The slight stagnation from days of cultivation seemed to quietly dissolve in this vast world and smoky human realm.
He released his spiritual sense, perceiving his surroundings. On the official road, quite a few travelers and merchants came and went, mostly mortals. Occasionally, he could sense one or two low-level cultivators with weak auras hurrying past, with no abnormalities. He also tried to sense Third Senior Sister's presence, but with his Qi Refining stage spiritual sense, he fundamentally couldn't detect the traces of a Foundation Establishment cultivator intentionally hiding. He could only give up.
The first day, peaceful and without incident. In the evening, the caravan rested at a designated relay station beside the official road. Xiaoqi declined Steward Li's proposal to arrange a superior room for him alone, only taking an ordinary guest room. At night, he still persisted in meditating and cultivating the "Everlasting Spring Art," feeling that though spiritual energy in the mortal realm was far less dense than in the sect, his mental state seemed even more open and peaceful.
The second day, the journey was still smooth. Around noon, the caravan rested beside a small grove, with servants building fires to cook. Xiaoqi sat on a large rock, watching the busy mortals, listening to them discuss family matters and cargo prices, his thoughts wandering. Immortal cultivators pursued longevity and freedom, transcending the mundane—but perhaps this red dust of ten thousand zhang, with birth, aging, illness, death, love, and hate, was itself a kind of Dao?
Just as his mind was immersed in this realization, an extremely faint spiritual power fluctuation carrying a yin-cold aura was suddenly captured by his keen spiritual sense! That fluctuation came from the depths of the grove, and... seemed to be more than one source!
Xiaoqi abruptly opened his eyes, alertly looking toward the grove.
Almost simultaneously, several arrogant whistles came from the grove. Seven or eight figures darted out like ghosts, blocking the official road, stopping the caravan's path! These people wore ragged clothes, held steel sabers and clubs, had ferocious faces, and emitted impure, chaotic spiritual power fluctuations. Most were only at the first or second layer of Qi Refining, with the leader, a one-eyed burly man, only at the third layer.
They were robber cultivators! And a group of low-cultivation rogue cultivators banding together as bandits!
The caravan instantly fell into chaos. Servants and guards showed terror, shrinking back, crowding together. Steward Li's face went pale, forcing himself to call out steadily: "G... good men! We are Peaceful Merchant House's caravan, passing through your territory. A small token of our appreciation—please grant us passage!" Saying this, he signaled servants to bring out a small box of silver.
That one-eyed robber cultivator leader sneered, his steel saber pointing at the caravan's cargo: "Less nonsense! Leave the valuables and women! Otherwise, none shall live!"
Before his words faded, his gaze landed on Xiaoqi standing before the caravan wearing Qingxu Temple robes. A trace of wariness flashed through his single eye, but more was greed and fierceness: "A little brat from Qingxu Temple? Know what's good for you and get lost! Otherwise we'll slaughter you too!"
Xiaoqi slowly stood, his gaze calmly watching this mob. This was his first time alone facing real enemies (the Gale Wolf and secret realm rogue cultivators before had fellow disciples by his side). Though his heart had a trace of nervousness, even more was a kind of eager calm.
He could use these blind robber cultivators to test his current strength.
However, just as he prepared to step forward to try his newly practiced sword technique and that pan, a slightly teasing, cold voice suddenly came from above everyone's heads:
"Oh? Even wanting to slaughter our Qingxu Temple's people? What big talk!"