After a quick break and preparation, Ouyang Xue announced to the party that it was time to go into the Misty Desolate Valley.
Leng Qiuyue lifted her head to say to Ouyang Xue, "Since senior brother is here, you should allow him to make the call."
Ouyang Xue: …
Lu Qingyun smiled weakly, "It doesn't matter who makes the call. This is my first time with everyone. It is wiser that I heed the advice of the more experienced hands."
Leng Qiuyue said coolly, "In terms of experiences, I have done more experiential missions than anyone here. So you should all heed my call?"
Ouyang Xue said coldly, "In terms of rank, you are my junior now. Should I remind you not to overstep your boundaries. Surely you know what I mean."
Leng Qiuyue: …
But she added with a cold hum, "You may be my senior in rank but you are not the one with the highest rank in this experiential mission. This honor belongs to our senior brother here."
Lu Qingyun smiled weakly as he muttered, "Alright, we shall break camp. Alright?"
Ouyang Xue and Leng Qiuyue replied at almost the same time, "Alright…"
As they replied, they began to look coldly at each other…
Lie Xingyuan, Rushuang and the rest of the ordinary protégés were all smiling weakly as they started to break camp.
As Lu Qingyun started to walk into the Misty Desolate Valley, he noticed that Leng Qiuyue and Ouyang Xue were also walking behind him.
He thought, "Actually I don't mind following their leads but why is that they are now following my lead? I don't even know the way."
As he walked to the front, he noticed that the rest of the ordinary protégés were also giving way to him…
Lie Xingyuan whispered to him with a weak smile, "You are the senior brother, naturally you are expected to lead the way now. Did you not hear what Leng Qiuyue said earlier? You are the most senior in the party."
Lu Qingyun smiled awkwardly before he had an idea.
He turned around and said to Leng Qiuyue and Ouyang Xue, "Junior sisters, why don't we walk together? It is easier this way. I honestly do not know the way."
Without replying to him, both Leng Qiuyue and Ouyang Xue had quietly walked next to him while they were exchanging cold glances at each other.
Standing in their midst, Lu Qingyun could feel the frosty bitterness that was in the air…
This experiential mission was totally out of his expectations.
He began to make a sigh soft before he turned around to continue the walk into the Misty Desolate Valley.
The Misty Desolate Valley was below the desolate mists that blankets the mountains below. As he had lived in the mountains before he came to New Empyrean City, he knew that certain mountain vicinities were danger zones and he could sense a similar feeling in this place.
The spiritual aura in this mountains were poor which means that the desolate aura below the desolate mists were particular thick here and was a good breeding grounds for the desolate beasts below. Usually it was a place where non-cultivators would dare to venture.
Although he seemed to be taking the lead, it was actually Ouyang Xue and Leng Qiuyue who were leading the party and they took the party down a trail that led to below the mountains.
Several hours had passed and they had entered the desolate fog and visibility was poor. Along the way, they had met seven other celestial clans that were on their way back to the top. All of them were solemn and there were many injured cultivators in their group.
Because the Heavens Ridge Villa was a respected celestial clan, some of the clans greeted their party politely and looked a little relieved. It was because they were almost out of danger and the sight of a large experiential party of thirty odds gave them some courage to hurry back to the top.
Ouyang Xue said quietly, "It doesn't look too good for these celestial clans this time hence their solemn expressions."
Even Leng Qiuyue was forced to agree with Ouyang Xue as she nodded lightly, "I don't think they have the strength to venture deep into the valley and they seem to be capable of handling only the third rank desolate beasts. But from the look of it, it seemed that they may have encountered some fourth rank desolate beasts."
Ouyang Xue took a quiet glance at her rival and nodded, "You are right."
Leng Qiuyue was a little startled that her rival had actually agreed with her. She just smiled weakly and did not say anything more.
It was because deep down, the two of them knew that they had to be on full combat readiness and they also had the responsibility to take care of the ordinary protégés that were with them.
Although they did have some rivalries with each other, now it was not the time for it. Moreover, they had actually felt a little guilty for upping the difficulty of the experiential mission.
When Lu Qingyun had heard them, he was already smiling weakly as he took a cautious look around the trails.
"How long must we continue down the trail? The further we go, the more dangerous it is." He said solemnly. He had never stepped down into the desolate mists before but there were frequent attacks from the desolate beasts as they emerged to run rampage above the mountains.
Ouyang Xue said, "Sometimes if we are lucky, within a few hours. Sometimes a few days."
Lu Qingyun was startled, "A few days? You mean we have to go deeper? That is really some risk taking."
Lie Xingyuan was smiling weakly as she stole a glance at Rushuang. With Ouyang Xue and Leng Qiuyue around, she did not dare to even talk to Lu Qingyun or to voice out her concerns…
Ouyang Xue replied, "This is a known trail. Dozens of celestial clans have been using this familar trail. Even the desolate beasts are smart enough to avoid it unless it is some powerful desolate beasts that suddenly decide to emerge from their dens."
Leng Qiuyue nodded, "It is said that the Misty Desolate Valley is a gathering place of thousands of desolate beasts below. It is like a separate divine realm for these desolate beasts below. That is why the entrance of the Misty Desolate Valley is marked as particular dangerous and by the decree of the Patriarch Heavenly Fragrance Villa, all the celestial clans around this area must send their protégés for experiential missions to regularly clean out the desolate beasts here."
Lu Qingyun asked, "What if we should encounter a seventh rank, eighth rank or even a ninth rank desolate beast?"
Leng Qiuyue smiled weakly at him before she said, "Then we should run. As fast as possible. However as long as we don't go too deep, we will be alright. After all, these high ranking desolate beasts do not like the poor desolate aura above the mountains."
Lu Qingyun smiled weakly, "I've once seen a nine rank golden roc near New Empyrean City."
Leng Qiuyue smiled as she took a knowing glance at him, "And you survive the encounter?" It was obvious or else Lu Qingyun would not be standing right here now.
Lu Qingyun nodded weakly.
It was at this moment that Ouyang Xue gave a soft gap as she had suddenly thought of something. When she had gasped, even Leng Qiuyue was gasping. It was because they had both thought of the same thing too!
They whispered at almost the same time, "And you have killed the Golden Roc or else how did you get your golden roc flame?"
Ouyang Xue was particular interested in studying Lu Qingyun's golden roc flame. It was because she needed a breakthrough to the energy level to become a fourth realm expert. Likewise, even Leng Qiuyue was aroused with interest in his golden roc flame.
Leng Qiuyue asked quietly, "Don't tell that a low level first realm cultivator like you can actually kill it?"
Ouyang Xue was also looking at Lu Qingyun with disbelief and she was interested to know more as well.
Lu Qingyun laughed softly, "Actually I had met sect leader at that time. She was the one that had killed it, not me. Naturally she was also the one that had given me the golden roc flame."
Behind Lu Qingyun, Lie Xingyuan was secretly startled. She had never asked how senior brother got his sentient spirit. So it was from Qin Keqin. Now that she knew, there were many things that had suddenly made sense to her now…
Ouyang Xue and Leng Qiuyue were also startled. They had all thought that Lu Qingyun had some lucky occurrence and managed to obtain a wisp of the golden roc flame. But it seemed that he got more than just a wisp and it had come directly from the ninth rank desolate beast.
At the same time they were exchanging startled glances silently. It was because Qin Keqin was only a fifth realm expert. How was it possible for her to be able to defeat a powerful ninth rank desolate beast that could even trampled a seventh realm expert?
Just as they were about to ask more for more details, there was a deep howling sound that echoed aloud and the earth seemed to be trembling!
Ouyang Xue was alarmed as she quickly shouted panicky, "Everyone, on your guard and drawn out your swords for battle."
Leng Qiuyue was also shouting, "All the first realm protégés, form a defensive line behind the second realm protégés. Ready the sword formation immediately!"
Lu Qingyun was also alarmed as he quickly unsheathed his divine sword from his spatial ring as he muttered, "We are in a real battle with a desolate beast this soon?"