"If we leave very early on the first day of the luminary week, we should be able to be back same day. Well, I guess."
"Difficult to say for certainty. I think we should prepare for more days in the face of any uncertainties."
"Yes, it's possible to stay longer than anticipated."
"So, we should prepare for all the uncertainties. How safe's the place by the way?"
"Grandpa said it was a totally safe place."
"But we still need to get ourselves ready for any danger."
"Yes, we should."
"I also agreed. That's settled then."
"What about any addition to our group?"
"Ju Feng asked. There was strength in numbers they would say. The more they were, the more the safety. Or at least, he hoped.
"We don't have anyone yet. Do you?"
"I may have someone in mind. But I need to ask him first."
"Someone you trust?"
"I guess so."
"Ok, we'll see about that. By the way, where should we meet?"
"Outside the gate will be fine. Not too many eyes."
"Okay, outside the gate."
After they all agreed to meet outside the sect's gates early in the morning in two day's time, they went their separate ways.
Ju Feng headed towards the market. He would have to get a sword. He didn't have any weapon to use if he needed one. Although he wouldn't want the situation where he would have to use it, the situation might be looking for him. Even if he was not using it, it was better to know he had a weapon in his possession.
He arrived at the market and found the stalls for weapons and amours. He quickly chose one and entered. The stall was full of different weapons of different sizes to one side and amours of various forms to the other side. He didn't need any armour since he wasn't going to battle, he was only going to a place full of fruits and plants. Would he be using armour to defend against fruits and plants? But the amours looked great, nevertheless.
The merchant noticed Ju Feng looking at the weapons, and raised his voice a little.
"Are you in need of a weapon, young man?"
"Yes, senior. I need a sword."
"Alright. It depends on the type and grade you want. Low grade, high grade, iron swords, bronze swords, steel swords, any particular one you need."
"I want a very cheap, but good one?"
"The iron swords are the cheapest at five gold coins, the bronze swords are ten gold coins and the steel swords are fifteen gold coins. Those are the arranged prices for the sect disciples. They are more expensive outside."
All the money on him totaled five gold coins. The combination of his own savings, money from his mother and grandparents for his time in school. Should he put all of it on the purchase of a sword? Costly, but he took solace in their soon to be adventure. He was using his money to purchase a sword for the greater good. Anyway, he had been wanting to get a sword after the incident at the Dale of beasts on the planet of Charat.
"Okay senior. I'll take an iron sword."
He paid the five gold coins for the sword and left the market place. All the time, his mind was on the forsaken palace of the Jade emperor, Wan Bao. His mind kept refreshing the words of the twins' grandfather he had read in the journal. He was so captivated with the written experience, he was beginning to imagine the description of the place filled with spirit fruits and plants.
He could even see himself eating one fruit to advance to golden core stage, then another fruit to take him to nascent soul and another one to make him a god. What kind of a place was that? A place containing what many could only imagine.
With his mind still occupied with those thoughts, he didn't pay much attention to where he was going. Before he could realize what was happening, he had walked into an invisible force-field of an extreme power, and simply vanished.
The force-field's attack on him was a devastating one. His body and soul were almost ripped apart by the sheer power of the force-field. With the instinctive reaction of a premier, he subconsciously pushed the maximum amount of Chi energy into his body to strengthen it. An average Zhuji cultivator would've been dead instantly, while the soul of a weaker one would've been disintegrated.
Despite lasting for a few seconds only, Ju Feng's body was vomitting blood profusely, while his soul was knocking on the doors of reincarnation. By the time his body reappeared, it was sent flying from the impact of the force-field. His body was on collision course with a group of disciples who were coming out from one of the sect buildings, when the space contorted, allowing them to move out of the way.
This group was of core disciples and at the front was Shao Cheng. A spacetime element cultivator who had already formed his foundation four pillars, and was knocking on the gates of the bronze core. He was one of the top geniuses of the Last Sages sect. Instinctively, Shao Cheng had distorted the space just before Ju Feng's body could barge into them. That also slowed down Jufeng's flight, making him hit the ground a little more gentler.
After his unconscious body landed a few feet behind them, it was still vomitting blood.
"Who are you?"
"Where do you come from?"