Chapter 416: Unity Talisman

On the third day of aimlessly drifting in the flying boat, Lu Sangjiu received a message from Duan Xingyun.

"The Immortal Gates have finished their discussions. Come back."

As Lu Sangjiu was reading the message, Xie Ningyuan had just finished cooking and was bringing the dishes to the table.

"Hurry over. This is from the demon beast we just killed this morning, so it’s fresh. I prepared it a few different ways. Want to try?"

Lu Sangjiu looked at the steaming dishes on the table, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite. "Delicious."

Xie Ningyuan smiled. "As long as it’s delicious. But my cooking skills should be better than a kitchen disaster like you, no matter what."

Lu Sangjiu smiled along with him, but her chopsticks didn’t move to take another bite.

After a long moment, she spoke softly, "Xie Ningyuan... we have to go back."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the air around them seemed to freeze for a moment.

This peaceful, quiet life, detached from worldly affairs, had only lasted for three days, and now they had to face reality again.

The smile on Xie Ningyuan’s face gradually faded. After a while, he raised his hand, picked up some food with his chopsticks, and put it in his mouth.

"It really does taste good... Let’s eat first. After we’re done... we’ll go back."

Neither of them said a word about their reluctance to leave, yet they both knew their hearts were full of it.

But this stolen time of peace was bound to run out eventually.

Choosing the path of cultivation was, by its very nature, a destiny of wandering.

A smile appeared on Lu Sangjiu’s face. She picked up her chopsticks again and said, "Alright!"

Upon returning to the Joyful Union Sect, Lu Sangjiu didn’t even have a chance to see her master and the others before she was taken directly to the main hall.

No one else was there; only Hua Jianzhi and Master Qian He were waiting for her.

"We’ve finished our internal discussions. The location for the peace talks has been set for the City Lord Mansion in Yuelin City, three days from now."

"To ensure fairness, we will clear out Yuelin City a day in advance. If the Western Demon Realm is concerned, they can send people to inspect it beforehand."

Lu Sangjiu nodded. "Alright. Is there anything else I need to convey? If not, I’ll inform the Western Demon Realm."

Hua Jianzhi thought for a moment and said, "The representatives from our side will be the Sect Leaders of the Seven Emotions Sect and the Lingjian Sect. In addition, for security, there will be four Integration Stage cultivators and one at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage stationed within the city."

"For fairness, the Western Demon Realm should bring the same number of high-level cultivators. As for juniors below the Nascent Soul stage, there is no limit to their number."

"The same applies to our side. Your master, Duan Xingyun, and Xie Ningyuan can each take one of the Integration Stage spots. As for you and your senior brothers and sisters, your cultivation levels are all below Nascent Soul. If you’re not afraid of the danger and want to see the world, you can come along as well."

Lu Sangjiu nodded in understanding, then sent messages to both Cangming and Fa Shan, clearly explaining all the details.

Both of them quickly replied, stating they had no objections.

Cangming, however, added a personal reply: "In three days, you will return with me to the Cold Crow Sect."

Lu Sangjiu stared at the reply. After a long moment, she sighed silently and sent back a single word: "Fine."

After leaving, Lu Sangjiu and Xie Ningyuan went back to find Duan Xingyun and the others.

She had already informed everyone via voice transmission about the feedback from the Lingjian Sect and the Golden Elephant Sect. The moment she returned, she was surrounded by Luo Linlang and the others.

"Little Junior Sister, does this mean you still have to go back to Cangming?"

Lu Sangjiu nodded. "The grudge between us was always going to need a conclusion."

’I originally thought that as long as he agreed to the peace talks, I could set aside our personal history and wipe the slate clean.’

"But since he’s made another demand and threatened me like this, my own offer is naturally off the table."

"This is better, anyway. If we had really wiped the slate clean, I might have always felt unsettled about it."

"Just think of it as a chance for me to resolve this once and for all. You don’t need to worry so much."

Luo Linlang said tearfully, "How could we not worry? Forget about the Love Gu in your body—even without it, you’re facing someone at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage!"

"No matter how strong you are, a Nascent Soul fighting a Tribulation Crossing is no different from an egg hitting a rock."

"And the chances of success for that method you mentioned are just too slim!"

Lu Sangjiu wiped her tears. "Senior Sister, you’re already a Nascent Soul Cultivator. The Seven Emotions Technique shouldn’t affect you much anymore, so why are you still such a crybaby?"

"It’s not like you don’t know me. I cherish my life, so unless it’s absolutely necessary, I won’t go for a head-on confrontation."

Li Qiancheng couldn’t help but retort, "You cherish your life? From what I see, it’s more like you’re always risking it!"

"You’re either injured or on your way to getting injured. How could anyone not be worried?"

Shen Yuzhao also mustered his courage. "What if... Little Junior Sister, what if you take us with you?"

"Our Spiritual Power is low, so Cangming definitely won’t care about us. Even if we can’t be of much help, it would be good just to be there with you."

Seeing their concerned expressions, Lu Sangjiu felt a warmth in her heart, but she still decisively refused.

"I don’t want to drag you into danger with me. Besides, what if something happens and Cangming uses your lives to threaten me? So, it’s better for me to go alone."

"Right now, after the peace talks, we’ll most likely have to take the initiative and deal with He Guang’s people. Senior Brothers and Sister, your priority now is to focus on your cultivation, so you can contribute to the battles ahead. The Cultivation World needs you more than I do."

"He Guang has been developing in the shadows for so long, and their influence has already infiltrated various sects. Although the major sects conducted investigations before, there’s no guarantee some spies didn’t slip through the cracks."

"Besides He Guang, we know they have at least two Integration Stage Cultivators, Ting Chan and Qin Miao. Who knows how many others we don’t know about. On top of that, the Demon Flowers they were raising are extremely powerful. This will definitely be a tough fight, and we can’t afford to be careless."

Originally, Li Qiancheng and the others had thought that once the peace talks were settled, everything would start moving in the right direction.

But now, hearing Lu Sangjiu’s words, they realized that another tough fight was waiting for them, and they couldn’t let their guard down.

The group exchanged glances and finally, reluctantly, gave in.

"Alright, Little Junior Sister, don’t worry. We’ll be out here. But you have to be careful, you hear? We’ll be waiting for you to come back!"

Duan Xingyun, who had been silent until now, looked at Lu Sangjiu with a gentle gaze and said, "When you go to the Cold Crow Sect, Cangming will most likely forbid you from contacting the outside world."

"I bought this Unity Talisman from the Gold and Silver Gate. You and Xie Ningyuan should each use one. Afterward, if you need help, you can injure yourself to make him sense it, allowing you to contact him."

"As for what injuring a specific place signifies, the two of you can decide that for yourselves."

Luo Linlang couldn’t help but interject, "Why not let Little Junior Sister and I use the Unity Talisman? I’m scared of pain, so I’d sense even the slightest ache immediately! Mr. Xie looks so thick-skinned. What if Little Junior Sister calls for help and he doesn’t even notice?"