"Senior Sister, I'm not afraid. I've been through things far more cruel and heartbreaking than this."
The female cultivator was slightly taken aback and looked at Alaric Ye with a hint of surprise.
"Such a young age, yet you seem so mature. Quickly, tell me your name. Senior Sister needs to register you. You… you should be the only one still alive. The others are either dead or captured by the Demonic Sect. Ah, poor children."
"Reporting to Senior Sister, my name is Alaric Ye."
"Alright, my name is Emily Lin. From now on, you can call me Senior Sister Lin. I'm currently an Inner Disciple."
Alaric Ye was slightly stunned.
"Do you know Lucy Lin? Your names are quite similar. She's the daughter of the Lin Family's cloth merchant in Silk Cloud Prefecture."
Emily Lin's face suddenly changed dramatically.
"I-I know her. She's my sister, my own sister!"
Emily Lin couldn't care less about asking more questions and immediately started searching through the collected corpses on the ground. Finally, she choked up and said,
"Lucy… she might have been taken!
I remember when I left the Lin Family, she was only six years old, with long ponytails, a very smart and adorable little girl… She's only twelve or thirteen now, only twelve or thirteen…"
Emily Lin could no longer control her emotions and began to wail.
Alaric Ye was somewhat puzzled, "Senior Sister, didn't you just say that being alive is already a blessing? At least she's still alive! We can rescue her from the Demonic Sect in the future!"
Emily Lin just shook her head frantically, as if her world had collapsed.
"You don't understand!"
At this moment, a male cultivator sighed and explained to Alaric Ye, "To her, dying here might be a relief. Junior Brother Ye, do you know what a Furnace Cauldron is?"
Alaric Ye shook his head.
He indeed did not know.
The male cultivator said, "You will understand in the future. In short, it's a fate worse than death!"
Alaric Ye vaguely understood something. He bit his lip and fell silent, feeling as if a heavy stone was pressing on his heart, making him unable to say another word.
As night fell, a raging fire was lit in the forest, turning all the dead cultivators and children into ashes.
During this time, several more groups of cultivators arrived, most wearing the robes of the Top Xuan Sect, though there were also those from other sects, but Alaric Ye didn't know which ones specifically.
There were a few Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, but most were Qi Refining stage cultivators.
Seeing the tragic scene on the ground, they could only shake their heads and sigh before leaving.
As the fire burned out, their ashes were collected into a large urn, which Emily Lin then placed into the Universe Bag.
"Everything's taken care of, let's go."
Emily Lin had somewhat recovered from her grief and pain, but she remained silent, her face pale, clearly having suffered a great blow.
In the sky, standing at the bow of the flying boat, the Mysterious Spirit Daoist witnessed everything.
One of the male cultivators jumped onto a flying sword, grabbed Alaric Ye, and lifted him up towards the flying boat.
***
"Greetings, Uncle Master!" Alaric Ye imitated the others and respectfully saluted the Mysterious Spirit Daoist.
The Mysterious Spirit Daoist was a handsome male cultivator with graying temples but no wrinkles on his face. His gaze seemed to penetrate the soul, and when it swept over Alaric Ye, Alaric felt as if all his secrets were laid bare.
The Mysterious Spirit Daoist said calmly, "No need for formalities, child. Your name is Alaric Ye, correct? You are the only one who survived this disaster until rescue arrived. Now, answer a few questions for me."
Alaric Ye nervously replied, "Please ask, Uncle Master."
"The Top Xuan Talisman only mentioned that the flying boat was attacked by an unknown force. How exactly did the flying boat fall apart?"
"The flying boat was struck by lightning twice in succession, but a shield managed to block it. Then the bottom of the flying boat was attacked, causing it to break apart. I clung to the ship's side and hid in a recess, luckily avoiding being crushed." Alaric Ye answered truthfully.
"I see. It seems the Blood Shadow Sect anticipated today's thunderstorm and knew the route of the reception flying boat. They hid in the mountains, using a lightning array to strike twice, depleting the flying boat's spirit shield, and then attacked from below."
The Mysterious Spirit Daoist asked again, "How did you hide without being detected by the Demonic Sect? The Blood Shadow Sect disciples are adept at raising man-eating bats, which can smell living humans from hundreds of meters away."
Alaric Ye said, "After the flying boat crashed, I hid in the bushes, trying not to breathe or make any noise. When the demonic people came, I held my breath completely. Only after they left did I try to breathe lightly."
"Later, the Demonic Sect's man-eating bats found me, but by then, Uncle Master had arrived, and the demonic people fled, not having time to capture me."
The Mysterious Spirit Daoist nodded slightly upon hearing this.
"You hid your presence well, but surviving was largely due to good luck. In a rainstorm, the man-eating bats' noses aren't very sensitive."
The Mysterious Spirit Daoist took out an ancient bronze compass from the Universe Bag.
"The disciple who was supposed to test your Spiritual Root has perished. I'll test you again for entry registration."
With that, he injected a stream of spirit power into the compass.
The compass buzzed and flew above Alaric Ye's head. Under the gaze of dozens of people, the words "Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth" all shone brightly.
The Mysterious Spirit Daoist was slightly stunned, and the others also showed expressions of surprise.
"All five elements are of medium grade… This is rare. Not quite a Chosen, but still an excellent cultivation talent!
Child, you can cultivate all five elemental spells in the future, with no restrictions. But remember the principle of mutual generation and restraint of the five elements. If your mental techniques are incompatible, you risk exploding and dying!"
Alaric Ye bowed deeply.
"Though I do not yet understand the principle of mutual generation and restraint of the five elements, I will remember Uncle Master's teachings!"
The Mysterious Spirit Daoist nodded slightly and took out a small porcelain bottle from the Universe Bag, causing the surrounding cultivators to look on with envy.
"These are five Gathering Qi Pills. After consuming them, your efficiency in absorbing Spiritual Qi will greatly increase. Each pill's effect lasts for three days. Take them to enhance your cultivation and enter the first level of Qi Refining as soon as possible."
Alaric Ye did not refuse and accepted the pills with both hands.
"Thank you, Uncle Master!"
The Mysterious Spirit Daoist continued, "You survived a life-and-death situation, perhaps indicating great fortune. Cultivate diligently in the future, do not squander your opportunities, and strive to serve the sect and eliminate demons for the world!"
"Yes!" Alaric Ye placed the small porcelain bottle containing the Gathering Qi Pills into a small pouch at his waist and respectfully saluted the Mysterious Spirit Daoist again.
With that, the Mysterious Spirit Daoist waved his hand, and the large flying boat slowly ascended into the clouds, heading towards the Dragon-seeking Mountain Range, towards their destination—the Top Xuan Sect!
Emily Lin respectfully reported, "Uncle Master, in this disaster, one Inner Disciple died, two Outer Disciples died, twelve uninitiated children died, twenty-four are missing, and only one survived!"
The Mysterious Spirit Daoist gazed into the distance, his face solemn as he nodded slowly. He said, "The Demonic Sect's activities are becoming more frequent. The Cultivation World in the Dragon-seeking Mountain Range is turbulent. Our future is uncertain… Everyone must cultivate well. If your strength is insufficient, the next to die could be you!"
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
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