CHAPTER 528: CHAPTER 527: BAI XU’AN_1

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 numerous human figures.

Liu Feiyue seemed familiar with this place. She merely 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 came from nearby. Soon, a dozen figures flashed over, their attire and emblems clearly marking them as members 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 demeanor. 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 Extreme 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 merging 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 member of our Cyan Robe Association."

"A new member?" Hearing this, Sister Xuan seemed taken aback. She glanced at Ling Chen and asked doubtfully, "A new member 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. Someone 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 me 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 memory for the name... Ling Chen?

Suddenly, a look of shock flashed in Sister Xuan’s eyes. She covered her red lips and exclaimed, "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 someone 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 member."

"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 me 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 name Ling Chen tends to attract trouble in the Jianghu," he then said. "Henceforth, I wish to go by the name ’Dustless’ to avoid being recognized by others in the Martial World."

When I left the mountain, Liu Feiyue helped me with a simple disguise. Unless it’s a close acquaintance, no one should be able to recognize me.

Changing my name 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 name was indeed too conspicuous.

At this point, Liu Feiyue inquired about the mission, "Sister Xuan, please tell us about the problem this time. If it’s just some troublesome Exotic Beasts, I believe we can handle it without difficulty." If it weren’t something particularly thorny, Bai Xu’an probably wouldn’t have requested aid from the main headquarters.

Hearing this, Bai Xu’an’s expression turned somewhat grave. "The problem this time 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 immediately 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 someone lift them, they revealed bodies underneath.

These corpses, some 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 same 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 members 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 methods, only deep-seated hatred could drive someone to commit such vicious acts.