Chapter 54: Support

After returning to the camp, Song Qingming took out the materials from the Flame Rat once more. After reorganizing them, he went to find Shi Mifeng early the next morning, carrying the Flame Rat's iron claws. He got straight to the point, expressing his idea and offering ten spirit stones to hire him to refine a magic tool.

Shi Mifeng looked at the demon beast materials and the spirit stones Song Qingming had produced, letting out a meaningful smile. As soon as he saw the fresh demon beast materials in Song Qingming's hands, he knew these things must have been obtained only within the last few days.

However, he did not ask further. He readily agreed to Song Qingming's request and even patted his chest, guaranteeing that he would help Song Qingming refine a mid-grade magic tool.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Song. This old man still has some Profound Essence Iron on hand, which is just enough to refine a magic tool. I guarantee I can refine a suitable tool for you within half a month," Shi Mifeng said to Song Qingming with a serious expression, stroking his grizzled beard.

"Then I shall entrust this to you, Senior," Song Qingming said with a smile, cupping his hands in respect.

Seeing that the matter had gone smoothly, Song Qingming hurried away from Shi Mifeng's place. The old man hadn't questioned the source of the materials, saving him a great deal of trouble.

Not long after walking out of Shi Mifeng's tent, Song Qingming received a distant transmission talisman. Upon opening it and reading the content, he realized it was Lu Yunfei, the leader of their Flying Cloud Guard squad, calling everyone to assemble urgently at the western side of the camp.

"How strange. It's only been half a month since we arrived, and some areas haven't even been fully explored yet. Why are we moving the camp so quickly?"

In the months since joining the Flying Cloud Guard, Song Qingming had never seen Lu Yunfei issue such an urgent assembly talisman, aside from the regular monthly camp transfers. A hint of confusion crossed his face.

As he was pondering this, Shi Mifeng also emerged from his tent, holding an identical transmission talisman. Clearly, he had received the news as well.

By the time the two reached the western side of the camp, five or six people had already gathered there. Lu Yunfei was standing a short distance away, whispering something to two cultivators from the Xiaoyao Sect.

The people who had already arrived also looked somewhat bewildered. Seeing Jia Sixing in the crowd, Song Qingming intended to step forward and ask him what was happening.

Seeing Song Qingming approaching, Jia Sixing quickly shook his head with a smile, indicating that he also had no idea what was going on. Seeing this, Song Qingming simply walked over to stand beside Jia Sixing and closed his eyes to rest, waiting with the others for those who had not yet arrived.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, almost all the cultivators of the Eleventh Flying Cloud Guard squad had arrived. Old Ghost Feng also walked up to Jia Sixing's side, looking somewhat displeased and muttering a few words to him.

Song Qingming counted; including himself, there were sixteen cultivators in the Eleventh Squad. Aside from a few who were already out on missions, basically everyone remaining in the camp had arrived.

Seeing that most people were present, Lu Yunfei and the other two finally stopped their conversation and walked toward the group.

After looking over the crowd, Lu Yunfei spoke with a heavy expression: "Fellow Daoists, earlier today, I suddenly received a red distress talisman from Fellow Daoist Luo Ping. It seems Fellow Daoist Luo encountered some danger while scouting demon beasts. I have just consulted with my two junior brothers, and we have sent a talisman requesting Martial Uncle Liu to come and support us. In a moment, Junior Brother Chen will be responsible for staying behind to guard the camp and await Martial Uncle Liu's arrival. The rest of you will follow me to assist Fellow Daoist Luo immediately."

"What exactly did Fellow Daoist Luo encounter to send a red distress talisman? Could it be a Level Two demon beast?" asked a young cultivator who was roughly the same age as Song Qingming and had only recently joined the Flying Cloud Guard.

"With Fellow Daoist Luo's cultivation at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, why would he send a red distress talisman? He must have encountered something more than just an ordinary Level Two demon beast."

As soon as the young cultivator finished speaking, someone nearby immediately chimed in.

Hearing this news, the crowd began to discuss it fervently.

The Flying Cloud Guard possessed two types of distress talismans. One was a common blue talisman, which was only effective within a hundred-mile radius. Generally, they were sent when encountering troublesome or multiple demon beasts that made it difficult to escape quickly, seeking support from nearby fellow Daoists.

Song Qingming had sent such a blue talisman before, and he had received timely support from Old Ghost Feng. Such talismans were merely mid-grade and not particularly valuable; they were commonly used by Flying Cloud Guard cultivators and were nothing unusual.

The other type, the high-grade red distress talisman, was vastly different. Its effective range was more than twice that of the blue talisman, and Flying Cloud Guard members typically only sent it when facing life-threatening danger.

Once such a talisman appeared, it meant the sender was undoubtedly facing a massive crisis. Deep within the Fuyun Mountains, the most likely threat to the Flying Cloud Guard was the elusive Level Two demon beasts.

Lu Yunfei interrupted the crowd again: "As you all know, the Flying Cloud Guard has never abandoned any of its members. Regardless of what danger Fellow Daoist Luo is in, we must rush to his aid. For this mission, I hope everyone works together with one heart and does not act half-heartedly. Hurry back and prepare; we will set out in one incense stick's time."

Everyone nodded and returned to their respective tents to make preparations.

After returning to his own tent, Song Qingming felt a strange sensation in his heart. In the months since joining the Flying Cloud Guard, no one in their squad had ever encountered a Level Two demon beast during scouting.

Lu Yunfei's decision to organize over a dozen people to go as support showed some confidence. If they acted together, even if they faced a Level Two demon beast, even if they couldn't save the unfortunate Luo Ping, they would have a high chance of retreating safely.

Before departure, Lu Yunfei had also notified the Foundation Establishment seniors of the nearby Flying Cloud Guard units. Foundation Establishment cultivators, traveling on magic tools, could arrive in no more than half a day. Although this news brought some surprise, most people felt no fear.

Despite this, Song Qingming felt an inexplicable, lingering sense of unease. Although he desperately wanted to opt out of this support mission, he could find no suitable excuse and could only take things one step at a time.

The time for one incense stick passed quickly, and the group reassembled in the camp. Under Lu Yunfei's leadership, they headed toward the northern side of the camp. The once bustling camp soon fell silent.

After they had traveled for about an hour, a streak of green light pierced through the sky and landed quickly on the clearing beside the camp.

As the green light descended, it transformed into a small boat, from which three young women stepped off.

One of the women, dressed in yellow, looked at the now-empty camp and said respectfully to the woman in the center wearing palace attire

"Master, it seems Senior Brother Lu and the others have already gone to provide support. I will go see if anyone is left guarding here."

The woman in palace attire did not speak, merely nodding slightly.

As the woman in yellow entered the camp, a middle-aged cultivator of slightly older age ran out of a nearby tent upon hearing the commotion.

The middle-aged cultivator was named Chen Ziyang, the one Lu Yunfei had assigned to stay behind and guard the camp.

Seeing the woman in yellow, Chen Ziyang's tension eased, and he said with a smile, "I thought a demon beast was attacking. It's just Junior Sister Gao. Has Martial Uncle Liu arrived?"