With no one wanting to prolong their time in the subterranean world, the Rolling Tide disciples escorted their guests back out onto the surface. There was some friction in the air, but they were all professional enough to avoid any conflict while they retreated.

Naturally, the person who was getting the most attention was Long Yi, the now proud owner of a piece of heavenly earth. Even if it was only a fragment, it still stirred the jealousy of many cultivators, but the knowledge that the main body of the heavenly element remained on their territory comforted them for the moment.

Before long, they managed to regroup with one of their elders, who was hovering in the air on the outskirts of the Magnolia Forest.

"Elder Han, we have an urgent report to make," the leader of the expedition declared as he clasped his fist to his superior.

As the Rolling Tide disciples debriefed amongst themselves, Li Lang's group vacated to an area out of earshot and held their own discussion. It consisted of Li Lang, Long Yi, and their two minders from Sword Saint Isle.

"Didn't expect any of us to get pulled into a big mess on our first outing," Li Lang wistfully commented. "What made you dive headfirst into this Magnolia Forest in the first place when I hear that the locals had warned you off? Didn't you hear it's dangerous right now because of the mating season? You're lucky there was a heavenly earth there to keep the Qi beasts in line."

Long Yi chuckled bashfully as he rubbed the back of his head.

"We were only going to visit the safer areas for a brief moment. I didn't think anything there would pose a threat. I guess we were wrong, haha."

"So you admit you went there, braving the dangers just for the fun of it? You weren't even doing something important, like looking for clues about the Abductress?"

"Well, of course I was doing that too," the towering fellow weakly muttered under the sharp gaze of his Headmaster. "Well, it wasn't the most likely place for her to be, but I wanted to be—thorough."

Li Lang held a stern gaze on his friend for a few moments before sighing.

"I'm not in the position to reprimand you, my trip wasn't all smooth sailing either, but if we as teachers can't even investigate the territories nearby safely, how are we going to send our students to do it in the future?"

"We're accumulating experiences on what not to do for them, of course!"

"What's the use if we can't guide them on what to do?"

"I'm sure Wei Ping will have that covered. I'm sure it'll all work out."

Li Lang sighed again, but before he could continue, the Rolling Tide elder approached.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I believe we have many matters to discuss? Unfortunately, I don't have the authority to make the decision needed, so I think it's best if you make a trip to our sect with us."

"Understood, elder. Please lead the way," Li Lang replied.

The elder nodded and took the lead. Once he was a distance away, Li Lang leaned in and continued the conversation in a low voice.

"What's their headquarters like?"

"No idea," Long Yi instantly replied. "I only went to Qingluan City and spoke with their liaison."

"Well, I guess we'll be finding out shortly, won't we?"

***

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On the shores of the Azure Mist Province, a seaside town was bustling with activity. There were dozens and dozens of boats docked in a large port, with even more out on the seas. They covered as far as the eyes could see, filling the scenery with sailors plying their trade. It wasn't hard to discern that it was a flourishing mortal city that relied on fishing for its livelihood.

Strangely, the fishing ships avoided a large circular area, with every ship choosing to detour around it when returning to port. The younger crew members even stood on deck, watching the empty waters with anticipation.

Their excitement wasn't let down as one of them soon stared with wide eyes as he pointed to the skies above the town.

"Look, something is coming!"

The young men barely had time to look up when they found the small dot in the distance rapidly growing larger. Within a moment's notice, a Skyrunner arrived above the empty waters and plunged into the ocean without hesitation.

The fishermen cheered at the spectacle in a festive mood, contrasting the air of solemnity within the Skyrunner that just passed by.

Once fully submerged, the Skyrunner didn't slow down and made haste toward the depths of the ocean. It got darker the deeper they went, but that soon abruptly changed. The moment it passed through a threshold, the entire world around the vehicle lit up, as numerous buildings appeared around them. Thousands of people could be seen below, going about their day, showcasing the lack of water around the area despite being in the depths of the ocean.

That was naturally due to the protective barrier of the Rolling Tide Sect!

However, it wasn't the owner of the Skyrunner's first time here, so there was no need to marvel at the sight. They simply sped toward the largest structure in the center of town.

With superhuman speed, a sturdy young man zipped by the weaker disciples without them noticing and soon stood before a grand set of doors. Instead of knocking, he simply bowed his head and waited.

"Come in," a soothing voice, that was both masculine and feminine at the same time, rang out.

The doors opened automatically, revealing a grand study, where each material used in its construction emanated with a powerful aura. A figure sat behind the desk, with a veil obscuring their face entirely.

The man stepped forward and clasped his fists deferentially.

"Sect Master, I have an urgent report from the task force at the Magnolia Forest."

"Speak. What has Elder Yun found?"

"The cause of the disappearance of our guests was due to the treants in the forest acting up, but they have now been rescued. However, our disciples have discovered the reason Han Zemei failed in returning with the guest is due to an anomaly."

"Anomaly?"

"Yes, it's been reported that a heavenly earth, by the name of Voracious Mire, has been discovered in the underground networks of the forest. The disciples on site suspect that it has at least a Saint-grade existence. It's been reported that this Voracious Mire isn't very hostile, though. It is the type to co-exist with Qi beasts to feed off them. It had no intent to harm our disciples until they crossed its line, killing too many of the surrounding Qi beasts."

"They provoked such an existence and survived?"

"That's correct, Sect Master. Apparently, the initial guest from Star Gem Academy managed to subdue a fragment of it, thus establishing communication with it. They're on their way back now to discuss how to handle the heavenly earth."

"Star Gem Academy…" the Rolling Tide Sect Master muttered as they mulled over the issue for a moment. "We can't afford to appear too aggressive with our approach here. Go find out everything you can about these guests of ours before they arrive. I do not want any details, no matter how frivolous they may seem, to be omitted. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Sect Master. I'll get Elder Gu right away."

The messenger quickly excused himself from the study, leaving the veiled Sect Master alone. As they waited, they rhythmically tapped a brush against the table, appearing to be deep in thought.

"Star Gem Academy," they muttered. "A name can hold countless hidden meanings. Just what is yours hiding?"

They didn't dwell on it for long, as the presence of someone waiting outside the room soon disrupted their chain of thought. They received the report they wanted, which didn't tell them too much.

While the information was detailed, any mind that wasn't too dull could tell there was something wrong. The records of its supposed leaders were too clean, too normal. It couldn't explain their rapid rise, even if they attributed it to being geniuses. It was obvious there was someone behind them. Otherwise, it would be too difficult for a bunch of talented kids to have grown to the point of having caught their attention in such a short time span.

However, no matter what they thought, it was just suspicion at the end of the day. They lacked concrete information. Left with no other choice, they wrote down a new directive and sent it off to the intel gathering division.

It would have to do for now.

While that meant their sect wouldn't have the upper hand in the upcoming negotiations, the Sect Master deemed it worth it if they could use it as an opportunity to carefully monitor these guests of theirs.

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