In less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Fei Hua couldn't contain his excitement, his voice hushed, "Xiao Bao has already entered the barrier."
"Junior Brother Fei, is there a way for us to hear what they are saying?" Yin Li asked.
"Yes!"
Rarely given an opportunity to shine, Fei Hua was exceptionally enthusiastic.
He reached into his robes and rummaged around, pulling out a small mirror.
He formed a hand seal with his right hand and touched the mirror.
The mirror's surface flickered slightly, and the next moment, the figure of the purple-robed man appeared on it.
Through the mirror, they still couldn't discern the purple-robed man's face, but a clear voice emanated from it.
"...Below are the decrees passed down by the Saintess. Have you all committed them to memory?"
"We respectfully obey the Saintess's holy decree."
Fei Hua's grip on the mirror tightened, and he lowered his head in regret.
Xiao Bao had been a step too late.
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang also felt a bit disappointed but was quickly relieved, remembering the harvest they had already gained today.
He reached out and patted Fei Hua's shoulder in comfort.
As the two interacted, the light screen below disappeared, and some cultivators turned to leave.
After everyone gathered here, they spoke only a few words before concluding. Their cautious actions explained why the disciples of the Five Great Sects had not been able to gather more information.
Just as Xiong Zhuang Zhuang was contemplating whether to follow the purple-robed man to find the Saintess Cult's altar, an accident suddenly occurred.
"Beast! Show yourself at once!"
The purple-robed man, who had already turned to leave, suddenly froze. With a flick of his sleeve, a bolt of purple lightning struck the ground to his right.
Boom!
The earth was sent flying by the force of the lightning, scattering in all directions.
The cultivators who had not yet left were startled by the purple-robed man's action, looking around with surprise and uncertainty.
"Xiao Bao!"
The spot where the purple-robed man attacked was precisely where the Treasure Seeking Rat was hiding. Fei Hua cried out, suddenly rising, his expression anxious.
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang and the others' faces changed.
Bad, they were exposed.
As expected, the next moment, countless magical treasures and spiritual lights were hurled towards their hiding place. Xiong Zhuang Zhuang grabbed Fei Hua by the collar, stomped his right foot, and launched himself forward.
Yin Li and Zuo You didn't need Xiong Zhuang Zhuang to remind them; they immediately dodged.
The rumbling sound of breaking rocks was particularly loud in the silent night.
Fei Hua, being dragged by the collar, paid no mind to his own situation, his heart continuously calling out Xiao Bao's name. Only when he received a response did he breathe a sigh of relief.
It was truly wonderful that Xiao Bao was safe.
Fei Hua was about to smile, but the curve of his lips instantly froze.
Countless pairs of eyes below were focused on him, giving him a sense of utter exposure and crisis.
It was then that he realized the grave mistake he had just made.
"Senior Brother Xiong..."
"Followers of the Saintess Cult, heed my command! Those who dare to eavesdrop on the sacred edict shall be killed!"
Fei Hua's words were drowned out by the purple-robed man's furious roar.
The cultivators, having received the purple-robed man's orders, had already summoned their respective magical treasures and lunged towards the four of them.
"Kill!"
A biting killing intent surged like mountains and seas.
Fei Hua looked at the ferocious faces of those cultivators, their chilling gazes making him feel as if he had been doused with a basin of cold water, the chill piercing to the bone.
This was his first time facing such a situation.
Were those people insane?
They hadn't done anything, so why were these people acting like lunatics, trying to kill them?
While Fei Hua was being carried by Xiong Zhuang Zhuang, he still had the mental capacity to let his thoughts wander. Xiong Zhuang Zhuang, however, had only one thought: how to escape.
"Junior Sister Yin!" Xiong Zhuang Zhuang looked at Yin Li.
The tacit understanding between senior and junior siblings meant they didn't need to exchange words to comprehend each other's intentions.
"You Ge."
Yin Li unfastened her spiritual beast pouch from her waist and tossed it forward. A nightingale with a red feathered crest appeared before the four of them, flapping its wings.
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang and the others quickly jumped onto the nightingale's back.
"Ee—"
A clear and melodious bird cry suddenly rang out. By the time the purple-robed man and his followers caught up, they could only see a dark shadow vanishing into the night.
"Damn it, they got away!"
The purple-robed man stared in the direction they had gone, killing intent surging in his eyes.
...
"Senior Brother Xiong, I was wrong, hit me, woo woo woo."
Having just jumped off the back of the Phoenix-Crowned Nightingale and finally regained his senses, Fei Hua hugged Xiong Zhuang Zhuang's leg, crying.
Upon hearing this, Xiong Zhuang Zhuang's eyebrows shot up, and he raised his arm high.
Fei Hua closed his eyes, adopting an expression of facing death unflinchingly.
After waiting for a moment and feeling no pain, Fei Hua tentatively opened his eyes, only to see Xiong Zhuang Zhuang with his arms crossed, looking at him helplessly.
"Senior Brother Xiong, you're not going to hit me?"
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang impatiently pushed his hand away, "Would hitting you make you learn your lesson?"
"I've truly learned my lesson this time, Senior Brother, I promise."
"Get up. I'm not blaming you. Xiao Bao is your contracted spirit beast, we can all understand. I'm just wondering how Xiao Bao was discovered by the other party."
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang's mind was now entirely occupied by the Saintess Cult.
This Saintess Cult was stranger than any sect he had encountered.
The followers' magical treasures were diverse, and their spiritual energy fluctuations varied, clearly not originating from the same source.
Therefore, the Saintess Cult was not recruiting talented young disciples but rather rogue cultivators who had wandered the Kyushu Continent for many years.
If one were to speak of the largest number of cultivators on the Kyushu Continent, it would undoubtedly be the rogue cultivators, not disciples of sects or scions of noble families.
Most of these rogue cultivators had poor innate aptitude and were not accepted by any sect, having learned their skills through unconventional means. Consequently, most of them only reached the Nascent Soul stage.
Only a very small number were talented cultivators who were unwilling to be constrained or had voluntarily left their clans.
Another characteristic of rogue cultivators was their disobedience and lack of cohesion, making them as scattered as a pile of sand.
Thus, despite being the most numerous, rogue cultivators belonged to the lowest tier of cultivators on the Kyushu Continent, with no sect willing to recruit them.
Yet, the Saintess Cult accepted anyone and everyone, rapidly expanding by recruiting a large number of rogue cultivators in a very short period.
What astonished Xiong Zhuang Zhuang even more was how these rogue cultivators were completely obedient to the purple-robed man. As soon as he gave an order, they would immediately attack, without any consideration for potential injuries.
How had the Saintess Cult achieved this?
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang couldn't figure it out, but his apprehension towards the Saintess Cult deepened.
He had a feeling that if the Saintess Cult were allowed to continue developing, it would pose a threat not only to the Beast Taming Sect but also to the Five Great Sects.
"Squeak!"
The Treasure Seeking Rat, Xiao Bao, pushed aside the debris and poked its head out from the ground.
"Xiao Bao." Fei Hua quickly stepped forward, cradling Xiao Bao in his hands and examining it to see if it was injured.
"Squeak—Squeak—"
The Treasure Seeking Rat let Fei Hua examine it perfunctorily before immediately wriggling out of his fingers. It stood upright in his palm, gesturing with its paws and emitting a drawn-out sound.
The Treasure Seeking Rat's actions immediately drew the attention of Xiong Zhuang Zhuang and Yin Li.
As disciples of the Beast Taming Sect, they were quite adept at understanding beast language. Coupled with the Treasure Seeking Rat's intelligence, its expressions and movements were remarkably accurate. Soon, they understood what the Treasure Seeking Rat intended to convey.
They exchanged glances, their faces showing a turn of fortune.