CHAPTER 527: CHAPTER 526: BLACK SAND LAND_1

"Brother Ling Chen, long time no see."

Xue Wu Ya and Wei Qingyi’s eyes brightened upon seeing Ling Chen, greeting him with smiles.

"Oh, it’s both of you. It has been a long time."

Surprise passed over Ling Chen’s face, but he returned their greeting with a fist-and-palm salute.

"It’s been two years since we last met at the Martial Arts Convention. Brother Ling Chen, your fame in the Martial World has grown considerably since then," Wei Qingyi said with a smile.

"Indeed," Xue Wu Ya nodded. "Wreaking havoc in the Sky Void Palace, slaying Ye Nantian with your sword, and then escaping the siege of many experts from the Sky Void Palace. Such deeds are enough to crown you number one among the younger generation in the Martial World."

"Let’s leave the past in the past," Ling Chen said, shaking his head. "Let’s discuss the details of this mission."

Liu Feiyue nodded. "Alright." She then turned to Xue Wu Ya and Wei Qingyi. "Regardless of Ling Chen’s past status, he’s a member of the Cyan Robe Association now. From now on, we’re all family and should support and help each other."

"Our mission this time is to go to the Black Sand Land, three hundred miles away. Our association has a branch there responsible for managing our meteorite iron mine. However, they recently reported that a powerful Exotic Beast has appeared, causing a significant disturbance and has already claimed several lives."

Xue Wu Ya nodded at this and then looked at Ling Chen. "The Black Sand Land stretches for thousands of miles and is beyond the Imperial Court’s control. It’s a melting pot of all sorts of people, far from the four great first-class sects—the Myriad Dao Sect, Sky Void Palace, Chiyu Mountain Manor, and the Divine Intent Sect—and it doesn’t belong to any of the Five Kingdoms. It’s a true land of chaos."

"This trip to the Black Sand Land can be considered a form of training. That place is home to many fierce individuals, ruthless characters who frequently appear on the wanted lists of the major sects."

Wei Qingyi also looked eager and ready for action.

Upon hearing this, Ling Chen pondered for a moment. Those who made it onto the wanted lists of major sects were no ordinary people. At least, those sects hadn’t been able to capture them quickly; otherwise, they wouldn’t have bothered issuing wanted posters.

"Junior Brother Wei, you’re being too modest," Xue Wu Ya said with a teasing smile. "When it comes to prominent figures on the Martial World’s wanted list, who can compare to Ling Chen? He’s undeniably the most notorious figure on it; no one would dare rank above him."

Ling Chen was taken aback, then couldn’t help but smile wryly. Indeed, with his past ’achievements,’ all the Righteous Path sects now viewed him as an enemy. To have offended so many great Martial Arts Great Factions and still be living freely, he truly was number one.

"There’s been some disturbance there recently that has interfered with the mining operations," Liu Feiyue said. "Our mission is to investigate. It’s likely the work of an Exotic Beast. The mission itself isn’t too difficult. If all goes smoothly, we should be able to return in about half a month."

Ling Chen nodded slightly. He knew a little about meteorite iron mines; they were the primary material for forging famous swords, and such iron deposits were quite important resources for all major sects.

Xue Wu Ya chimed in with a laugh, "Hehe, with Sister Liu leading, I imagine this mission won’t be too difficult. We can just treat it as an outing. Although the Black Sand Land is chaotic, its underground market is quite developed. We might encounter all sorts of strange items. Perhaps we can even go take a look when we get there."

"There’s no time to lose. Let’s set off immediately."

Liu Feiyue whistled, and a Qingfeng Jue flew over, landing before the four of them.

The back of the Qingfeng Jue was about ten meters long and wide, more than enough to carry four people. A journey of three hundred miles would only take a few hours.

Standing on the Qingfeng Jue’s back, Ling Chen gazed down at the rapidly passing scenery and suddenly thought of Xia Yunxin. He wondered if she had encountered any danger after he was rescued by the Cyan-robed Guest. If not, where would she have gone? Most likely, back to the Saint Witch Religion. But the Saint Witch Religion, having lost Liu Xiling’s Saintess Hall, was probably in a precarious position now. If Xia Yunxin returned, her situation would likely be worrying. If possible, he would have liked to write her a letter immediately to ease her worries about him.

"What’s on your mind, Ling Chen?" Liu Feiyue noticed his unusual quietness and asked.

"Nothing." Ling Chen shook his head. He would have to visit the Saint Witch Religion at some point, but now was not the time.

Pushing his thoughts aside, Ling Chen began to chat casually with the other three.

From their conversation, Ling Chen managed to learn a few things about the Cyan-robed Guest. However, even Liu Feiyue didn’t know much about him. The Cyan-robed Guest spent most of his time away from Green Cloud Mountain, his whereabouts erratic and unknown to anyone.

Therefore, after a few inquiries, Ling Chen didn’t press further. There was no point in asking more; he wouldn’t get any useful information anyway.

Among the four of them, judging by their apparent abilities, Liu Feiyue seemed to be the strongest. Her cultivation had reached the Half-step Sky Apex Realm. Lin Dong, however, also faintly sensed some unusual fluctuations emanating from her, hinting that this woman was far more complex than she appeared. According to the latest rumors in the Martial World, all Four Outstanding Talents possessed the power to rival the Sky Apex Realm. That meant if Liu Feiyue fully unleashed her power, he would certainly be no match for her. However, Liu Feiyue was not an enemy. He knew that even though he might not be her match now, the future was unpredictable.

「Two hours passed quickly.」

Ling Chen looked up into the distance. As far as his eyes could see, the lush forest abruptly ended, replaced by an expanse of somewhat dark-colored land that stretched to the horizon. The color was like that of earth tainted by pollution, and a faint, baleful aura rose from the ground.

As they neared this region, Ling Chen could clearly feel the surrounding worldly energies becoming more chaotic and numerous. These energies mostly contained a trace of ferocity. From shadowy corners, vicious and cold gazes swept over the Qingfeng Jue flying across the sky. This was the Black Sand Land, a notorious place of ill repute.

From his high vantage point, Ling Chen could see people in strange attire clashing, even engaging in brutal fights to the death, in many places below. There were no rules to speak of.

This place truly is as chaotic as Liu Feiyue described, Ling Chen thought, his brows furrowing.

"We’ve entered the territory of the Black Sand Land," Liu Feiyue announced. She stretched languidly and then said with a smile, "Let’s head to the branch first. We need to find our people there and ask about the situation."

Xue Wu Ya and Wei Qingyi naturally had no objections. Ling Chen, being new to the area and unfamiliar with the routes, also deferred to Liu Feiyue’s decision.

With a light wave of Liu Feiyue’s hand, the Qingfeng Jue flapped its massive wings, changed direction, and swiftly accelerated.