This flight lasted only about half an hour. Afterward, Ling Chen saw a mountain range appear in his view. Amidst the ranges, he caught vague glimpses of buildings and nurous human figures.
Liu Feiyue seed familiar with this place. She rely glanced down, then directed the Qingfeng Jue to slow down. They circled the mountaintop once before landing slowly.
They landed right on a square. Not long after the Qingfeng Jue touched down, the sound of rushing wind ca from nearby. Soon, a dozen figures flashed over, their attire and emblems clearly marking them as mbers of the Cyan Robe Association.
When these dozen or so people saw Liu Feiyue, the caution on their faces vanished, replaced by respectful expressions.
"Fei Yue."
At the head of these dozen people was a woman with a dignified air. Though not strikingly beautiful, she possessed a gentle deanor. Upon seeing Liu Feiyue, delight lit up her face, clearly showing their familiarity.
"Sister Xuan."
Liu Feiyue warmly embraced the woman. They were clearly well-acquainted. Afterward, the woman’s gaze turned to Xue Wu Ya and Wei Qingyi.
"Greetings, Branch Master Xuan."
Xue Wu Ya and Wei Qingyi both bowed slightly and cupped their hands in greeting.
Despite being just a Branch Master, she is a Half-step Heavenly Extre Realm strong. Ling Chen sensed the aura emanating from this "Sister Xuan." It was close to Ye Nantian’s; she was only a step away from breaking into the Sky Apex Realm by rging with the Heavenly Earth Energy.
"And this is?"
After greeting Xue Wu Ya and Wei Qingyi, Sister Xuan’s gaze fell upon Ling Chen, her expression showing surprise at the unfamiliar face.
After a brief exchange, Liu Feiyue gestured with a slender jade-like finger towards Ling Chen and said, "Sister Xuan, this is Ling Chen, a new mber of our Cyan Robe Association."
"A new mber?" Hearing this, Sister Xuan seed taken aback. She glanced at Ling Chen and asked doubtfully, "A new mber is participating in such an important mission?"
The Black Sand Land was known for its chaos, with various Dark Forces rampant. Typically, the Cyan Robe Association disciples sent here were quite powerful. Soone like Ling Chen was a rare sight.
Indeed, it wasn’t just her; even the disciples accompanying her stared at Ling Chen in surprise, apparently confused as to why a new recruit with seemingly low Cultivation was sent to such a dangerous place.
"Don’t underestimate this fellow. He’s quite famous now, Sister Xuan. Don’t tell you don’t recognize him."
A playful smile touched Liu Feiyue’s lips as she spoke.
"Oh?"
The woman was slightly taken aback. She searched her mory for the na... Ling Chen?
Suddenly, a look of shock flashed in Sister Xuan’s eyes. She covered her red lips and exclaid, "Could he be that Ling Chen, the wanted criminal decried by the entire Martial World?"
"Cough, cough..."
Hearing this, Ling Chen coughed forcefully. Although it was true, hearing it said aloud by soone else still made him feel rather uncomfortable.
Seeing Ling Chen’s reaction, Sister Xuan understood that the man before her was indeed the person she was thinking of.
No wonder there had been no news of Ling Chen in the Jianghu for so long. To think he had joined their Cyan Robe Association! And I, a Branch Master, knew nothing about it!
"Sister Xuan, Ling Chen joined the Cyan Robe Association four months ago," Liu Feiyue said calmly. "The Sect Leader himself granted him the Cyan Robes Token, making him a core mber."
"So that’s how it is."
Hearing this, Sister Xuan was visibly moved. Not many people received such attention from the Cyan-robed Guest. For Ling Chen to be personally awarded the Cyan Robes Token by him, he must possess extraordinary qualities.
"Ling Chen, this is Senior Sister Bai Xu’an," Liu Feiyue said to Ling Chen with a smile. "She is the Branch Master of this Black Sand Land branch, responsible for all our Cyan Robe Association’s affairs here."
"Greetings, Branch Master Bai Xu’an." Ling Chen cupped his hands respectfully. A Branch Master is considered high-ranking within the Cyan Robe Association. There are only eight of them in the entire organization.
"No need for such formality, Junior Brother Ling Chen. Like Fei Yue and the others, you can just call Senior Sister."
Ling Chen’s respectful address further softened the woman’s expression; clearly, his deference had earned her goodwill.
"Then I shall defer to your wishes, Senior Sister."
Ling Chen nodded. "The na Ling Chen tends to attract trouble in the Jianghu," he then said. "Henceforth, I wish to go by the na ’Dustless’ to avoid being recognized by others in the Martial World."
When I left the mountain, Liu Feiyue helped with a simple disguise. Unless it’s a close acquaintance, no one should be able to recognize .
Changing my na should ensure I can operate incognito.
"Naturally, that’s no problem."
Bai Xu’an nodded her assent. They, too, naturally wished to avoid unwarranted trouble. Ling Chen’s na was indeed too conspicuous.
At this point, Liu Feiyue inquired about the mission, "Sister Xuan, please tell us about the problem this ti. If it’s just so troubleso Exotic Beasts, I believe we can handle it without difficulty." If it weren’t sothing particularly thorny, Bai Xu’an probably wouldn’t have requested aid from the main headquarters.
Hearing this, Bai Xu’an’s expression turned sowhat grave. "The problem this ti is rather strange," she said. "I’ll take you to see."
With that, she turned and darted off. Liu Feiyue, Ling Chen, and the others imdiately followed.
Everyone followed Bai Xu’an into the heart of the branch, a large courtyard. Upon entering, however, Ling Chen detected a putrid stench, clearly emanating from decaying animal carcasses.
Sure enough, their gaze fell upon several white cloths. When Bai Xu’an had soone lift them, they revealed bodies underneath.
These corpses, so recent and others older, all shared a common, horrific feature: they were all grotesquely mutilated.
Each corpse had a large cavity in its chest, empty of internal organs. There were clear bite and tear marks. The entire bodies were mangled and bloody, with barely an inch of skin left intact.
Even with their considerable experience, Liu Feiyue, Ling Chen, and the others turned pale at the sight, feeling a wave of nausea.
"These individuals all died similarly, so we’ve concluded it’s the work of the sa culprit—likely an Exotic Beast, not a human," Bai Xu’an stated calmly.
"Could it be the work of another faction?" Liu Feiyue asked, covering her nose and frowning.
Bai Xu’an shook her head. "Our Cyan Robe Association branch in the Black Sand Land is one of the strongest factions here. We have over a hundred mbers stationed in this place. While that number might not seem large for a place like the Black Sand Land, our Cyan Robe Association’s reputation precedes us. Normally, no individual or faction would dare to provoke us, not even the Black Market that thrives here."
"So, it’s unlikely to be the work of another faction."
Hearing this, the others nodded. Indeed, considering such brutal thods, only deep-seated hatred could drive soone to commit such vicious acts.
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