For them cultivators, time passes quickly when they meditate. Several days later, a cultivator from the Chu family came to inform them that they had arrived at their destination and led them all outside.
Qi Xiu quickly got his disciples to pack up their belongings.
He and Zhan Yuan lifted the large wooden box, and Zhang Shishi, with his Green Spirit Stone Cushion on his back, took the lead and walked out, following the Chu family's cultivator.
Everyone was bracing themselves for more mocking looks, thinking they'd get laughed at again. But, to their surprise, the Chu family's cultivators didn't lead them out through the main entrance. Instead, they headed towards a small guarded one.
The guest rooms of the Chu Qin Sect were situated in the deepest part of the Qi Condensation Stage cultivator area. So on their way out, they had to pass through many public activity areas.
The cultivators, who had ridiculed Qi Xiu and his group before, noticed that they were now being led by a cultivator from the Chu family and heading towards an entrance known for receiving and sending off distinguished guests. This made them rethink their attitudes toward the Chu Qin sect.
Some even gave a respectful nod from afar.
Qi Xiu, carrying the wooden box, couldn't free his hands, so he could only return the gesture with an awkward smile. He exchanged a glance with Zhang Shishi, and both of them felt uneasy. They knew their sect's status all too well and could not understand why the Chu family of South Xinjiang was treating them with such respect. The further they walked, the more they noticed the surrounding cultivators' attitudes shifting from arrogance to respect, and the more obvious it became that this level of treatment was suspicious.
This only made Qi Xiu more anxious, wondering what was really going on.
While Qi Xiu and the others were lost in thought, the young and carefree Gu Ji was in a great mood. The new Chu Qin sect not only had friendlier members, but even the sect leader was quite approachable.
He had even worked up the courage to ask the sect leader for permission to go out and play. Though his request was denied, the refusal was so gentle that it felt like a refreshing change from the bullying he had been used to in the outer sect.
Moreover, he'd gotten to know his somewhat clueless junior brother, Qin Weiyu, over the past few days. They had become close, with Qin Weiyu now happily becoming his little follower, eagerly doing whatever he asked.
Holding the pot of Black-Stemmed Eupatorium for Qin Weiyu, Gu Ji was savoring the sudden respect from the cultivators who had mocked their sect just a few days earlier. Walking down the path with his head held high, he even pointed things out to Qin Weiyu behind him—"That cultivator is leading such-and-such a spirit beast," or "That one is riding such-and-such a magical artifact."
He was clearly enjoying himself, and his attachment to the sect was starting to take root and grow.
As the group was led along, they went higher and higher until they climbed the final stretch of stairs and were stunned to find themselves at the surface of the massive shuttle. Fierce winds swirled outside the green protective formation, creating dazzling rays of light.
"Why haven't we stopped?"
Everyone murmured in surprise.
Zhang Shishi discreetly nudged Qi Xiu and signaled ahead with his head. "Foundation Establishment Cultivator!" he whispered.
Following Zhang Shishi's gaze, Qi Xiu noticed a petite female cultivator who looked no older than twenty years old standing on the back of a flying spirit beast not far away, watching them.
As Qi Xiu approached to pay his respects, she pointed at the large wooden box he and Zhan Yuan were carrying. "Why aren't these things stored in a storage pouch?" she asked, slightly furrowing her delicate brows.
She was wearing a light yellow palace dress with cute pointed-toe boots. Her hair was tied up in a simple bun, and she wasn't wearing any makeup. Her little cherry lips were slightly pouting, and there was still a bit of a childish look in her eyes.
With her petite frame and pretty face, Qi Xiu would never have guessed that such a cute girl was actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator—if not for Zhang Shishi's sharp instincts.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator at such a young age! Considering that Foundation Establishment cultivators live twice as long and age more slowly, this woman could definitely be considered a genius.
Qi Xiu was both shocked and a bit jealous, with a hint of admiration mixed in. Still, he didn't dare to delay. He stepped forward and greeted her like a disciple would greet his elder, before explaining the awkward situation of not having enough space in their storage pouch.
The young woman smiled brightly. "I thought you were carrying something so precious it couldn't go in a storage pouch!" she said. "I'll hold it for you. Hurry up and get on, or we'll miss our mark."
With a wave of her sleeve, a yellow mist descended and enveloped the large wooden box and several other heavy items, storing them away. She then patted the neck of the spirit bird she was standing on—a creature Qi Xiu couldn't quite identify. The bird shot them a reluctant glance before slowly lowering itself, letting the members of the Chu Qin Sect climb onto its back.
The moment they were all on, the bird spread its wings and took off, leaving the protective barrier of the Yimu Wind Shuttles and plunging into the fierce winds outside. It then descended rapidly before leveling off to fly forward at the usual height where most Qi Condensation cultivators would ride their swords.
Even though this spiritual bird might not be as big as the beasts commonly used for carrying people, it's crazy fast. The scenery below—endless stretches of towering ancient trees, all lush and green— rushed past in a blur. The folks from the Chu Qin Sect were completely blown away.
Seeing everyone's astonished faces, the Foundation Establishment female cultivator gave a small smile and started introducing South Xinjiang and its local conditions.
The ancestor of the Chu family in South Xinjiang was Chu Hongshang, a female cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage. She originally came from the Qi Yun Sect and was a distant junior relative of Chu Zhen. Many years ago, during a small-scale territorial war, she had snatched this land from a fierce beast that had been entrenched here and established her own sect.
In order to show that she had not forgotten her origins from the Chu family of Qi Yun, Chu Hongshang had named her sect Southern Chu Sect, and it had now been several decades since.
However, Chu Hongshang herself has no Dao companion or descendants, and her branch of the Chu family was pretty sparse. Not to mention, South Xinjiang was mostly deep mountains and dense forests, which couldn't compare to the state of Qi Yun.
Immigrants were unwilling to move here, so over these years, the sect had been developing slowly, with plenty of land but few people, and its reputation hasn't really grown.
A little while ago, Chu Hongshang personally went to Qiyun Mountain to ask Chu Zhen for help, and that's how this massive migration of cultivators was set up.
But that's not all—mortal families connected to these cultivators would also be relocating to South Xinjiang . For example, the Qin family (mortals) was expected to move in about seven months, joining the migration wave and settling near the new mountain gate of Chu Qin Sect, where they would continue living as mortal vassals under the new Chu Qin Sect.
"Speaking of your new mountain gate..." The female cultivator showed her teeth, smiling wryly, "The territory allocated to your sect is not small by any means, but the location isn't exactly… prime. I hope you won't mind."
"Not at all, not at all," Qi Xiu quickly assured her with a solemn tone. "The Chu family of South Xinjiang is like a parent to us at Chu Qin Sect. We were once lost and without direction, so to have a place to call home is something we're incredibly grateful for. How could we possibly be picky? If we were to complain about the location, wouldn't that make us ungrateful and shameless?"
"It's best if you think that way," the female cultivator said with a crisp laugh.
Seeing that the young woman was so approachable, Qi Xiu took his chance. "We're just low-level cultivators with no significant achievements. Why have we received such exceptional treatment from the Chu Qin Sect?" He asked. He also mentioned the special reception they'd received on the flying shuttle earlier.
The female cultivator let out another string of silver bell-like laughter. "Don't worry about it. You'll understand once you get there."
Hearing the underlying hint in her words, Qi Xiugot the sense that Southern Chu Sect might have placed them in a dangerous area, and he started to worry that Chu Qin Sect's future might not be as he had imagined.. It didn't seem like a good idea to ask more questions, so he just kept his doubts to himself.
After flying for another quarter of an hour, the dense green forest began to thin out, and the terrain started to lower. Before them appeared a valley filled with black, flowing swamps.