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Chapter 28: A Fortuitous Coincidence:
Wanjie Valley.
Located in the midst of a vast wasteland, it was a treacherous terrain filled with magical beasts, posing great danger to both ordinary mortals and cultivators.
Leng Youran chose this place for Xu Ze's departure to maintain secrecy. As Leng Youran's most beloved direct disciple, Xu Ze's treatment was exceptional.
Within Wanjie Valley, the mysterious carriage was ready.
Several mystical griffins stood before it, their sharp eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
Besides three elite secret guards for protection, Leng Youran had also dispatched ten Spirit Transformation Realm experts from the Heavenly Dark Sect to wait there.
"Holy Son, please board the carriage." said the leading Spirit Transformation Realm expert Xiao Yong, whom Xu Ze recognized.
Xiao Yong was a well-known figure in the Profound Realm, renowned for his loyalty and reliability as a guard.
Xiao Yong lifted the curtain of the carriage and respectfully invited Xu Ze to board. After Xu Ze got on, Xiao Yong closed the curtain and turned to the remaining five disciples.
"The Sect Master has ordered that to ensure the Holy Son's safety, the identities of the five disciples accompanying him must be thoroughly verified."
The five disciples were visibly surprised.
What was the Sect Master planning?
"Please be patient, Holy Son." Xiao Yong whispered to Xu Ze inside the carriage. "The Sect Master fears that there may be spies from other sects within the Heavenly Dark Sect, who might use this opportunity to harm you, so she instructed us to be extra cautious."
"Very well" Xu Ze nodded, understanding his master's extreme caution regarding his safety.
With the Holy Son's approval, Xiao Yong turned to the five disciples. "Show your identity tokens."
The disciples reluctantly produced their identity tokens for Xiao Yong to inspect. Among them, Gu Ling'er, who had been disguising herself, swallowed nervously.
"Hmm, Senior Disciple Li Xing."
"Senior Disciple Zhou Yang."
"Senior Disciple Zhang Tianle..."
The identities of the first four disciples were quickly verified. Xiao Yong then approached Gu Ling'er, scrutinizing the hooded girl.
"Identity."
"Senior Disciple... Zhou Lin." Gu Ling'er replied in a low voice, and presented her identity token.
"Remove your hood." Xiao Yong demanded after checking the token, confirming it was genuine, but still looking at Gu Ling'er suspiciously.
Her heart pounded rapidly. Under normal circumstances, being scrutinized by a Spirit Transformation Realm expert could cause an ordinary person to faint. However, Gu Ling'er maintained her composure and slowly removed her hood.
"Hmm?" Xiao Yong frowned.
As an expert of the Heavenly Dark Sect, he rarely interacted with the disciples and wasn't familiar with their faces. His method of verifying their identities relied on their eyes—while words and expressions could deceive, the eyes could not.
To his surprise, Gu Ling'er's eyes, aside from a faint pink glow, revealed nothing. They were terrifyingly lifeless, like dead water in a living person. Xiao Yong was taken aback.
"Your state of mind seems troubled. Be careful during your cultivation to avoid going astray." Xiao Yong warned, and returned her identity token.
Gu Ling'er silently took back her token.
The other four disciples, under the watchful eyes of the Heavenly Dark Sect experts, were drenched in cold sweat, staring straight ahead, not daring to glance at anyone.
If any of them had looked around, they would have realized that 'Zhou Lin' wasn't the real Zhou Lin. However, by sheer coincidence, Gu Ling'er's identity remained miraculously hidden. She put her hood back on and lowered her head.
...
The group set off.
The griffins flew across the sky, pulling the mysterious carriage. With the ten experts guarding them, Xu Ze enjoyed a comfortable journey. He lounged in the stable carriage, legs crossed, munching on the snacks Xiao Lan had prepared, and gazing at the vast wasteland outside the window.
The five disciples weren't as fortunate. In the plain carriage trailing behind, they sat uncomfortably.
"This seat is so hard, it's killing me..."
"I'm so thirsty. Did anyone bring water?"
"We've been flying for hours. I'm so dizzy..."
"When are we going to eat? It's been a whole day..."
The disciples complained incessantly. Although the ten experts were supposed to protect everyone, in reality, they were solely focused on the Holy Son. Only the weakest expert drove the carriage of the disciples, while the other nine surrounded Xu Ze's carriage, maintaining its defensive formation.
"The difference is too stark. I'm so jealous of the Holy Son."
"Shut up. You're just a disciple. How dare you envy the Holy Son?"
Amidst the bickering, Gu Ling'er sat in a corner, curled up with her legs hugged, eyes closed in meditation. Her unapproachable demeanor discouraged the others from speaking to her.
"Was Junior Sister Zhou always this aloof?"
"Maybe she's in a bad mood. She paid dearly for this chance to accompany the Holy Son but hasn't spoken a word to him."
"Ah, women. Who knows what's going on in their minds, going to such lengths to suffer..."
The four male disciples shook their heads, unable to grasp the thoughts of their female counterparts.
-To be continued!