Zou Jing looked at Xu Mu, appraising him from head to toe, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"I didn't expect you to have such a sense of humor."
"Alas, speaking of Xu Mu, that fellow has played the entire cultivation world for a fool. Nearly every sect has been searching for him, digging three feet deep, yet they can't find hide nor hair of him."
Upon hearing this, Xu Mu smiled. "Aren't you the one who found me?"
Zou Jing let out a cold chuckle.
"You rascal, are you addicted to deception? Even though I haven't met that Xu Mu, I can confidently say you are not him, because he would never appear in Tianshi Mountain. The most likely scenario is that he's returned to the forbidden land, Alfheim, where he's most familiar, which is why he's been able to evade everyone's pursuit."
Xu Mu shrugged his hands, offering no confirmation or denial.
"But seriously, what's your name?"
"My surname is Xu, and my given name is Mu."
"Really?"
"As true as can be."
"Alright, Xu Mu."
As Zou Jing spoke, he suddenly stopped, his gaze sharp as he looked up at the sky.
"What's wrong?"
Xu Mu also sensed several fluctuations in energy, heading directly towards them.
"Xu Mu, a good name."
"Those who can enter Xianyou Peak indeed have names that are out of the ordinary."
As the voice echoed, two handsome young men in Taoist robes, along with a graceful and beautiful woman, descended from above the bamboo forest. The three of them stood before Xu Mu.
Zou Jing frowned upon seeing them.
"What is your business, sirs?"
The three looked at Zou Jing with respect. They had heard about a cultivator at the fourth stage among the newly admitted disciples, so they dared not be disrespectful.
"Greetings, senior."
The leading handsome young man, holding a Taoist sword, bowed and smiled. "We are here to find this young brother, Xu Mu."
Xu Mu blinked in surprise. "Me?"
The handsome young man nodded with a smile.
"Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Ning Yuanchen, an inner disciple of Biyun Peak, with strength at the peak of the second stage, on the verge of entering the third. Beside me is my junior brother from Biyun Peak, named Zhe Hao, in the upper realm of the second stage. And this is Mu Yunshu, an inner disciple of Tianguang Peak, also in the upper realm of the second stage."
"We've come to find you because we are preparing to take a team mission from the Hall of Merit. We're short one person for a five-person team, so we heard Xianyou Peak has a new disciple and came specifically for you."
Xu Mu frowned. "Why me? You've never even met me, yet you dare to ask me to team up? Aren't you afraid I'll drag you down?"
The three exchanged glances, then inexplicably chuckled, leaving Xu Mu and Zou Jing looking quite perplexed.
Ning Yuanchen smiled and said, "Because you are a newcomer to Xianyou Peak. You know, Xianyou Peak is different from other peaks; its disciples receive many privileges. One of these privileges is that you will enjoy extraordinary convenience when accepting missions, allowing you to quickly gain experience. And if we team up with you, we will also benefit. But don't worry, we are not ordinary individuals, and we won't let you suffer any losses."
As Ning Yuanchen spoke, he subtly released his innate energy, which swept out, disturbing the bamboo forest. Dewdrops splashed down, only to be cut into countless tiny pieces by invisible sword qi, eventually dissipating into the wind. Beside him, Zhe Hao, also an inner disciple of Biyun Peak, looked on with a hint of envy.
This sword technique, named "Hundred Rivers Flow," was only accessible to disciples at the peak of the second stage, a stage he was one step away from.
"It's alright."
"Just so-so."
Xu Mu and Zou Jing thought to themselves.
Xu Mu's expression remained calm. "You mentioned just now that this mission is for five people, but counting me, there seem to be only four."
Ning Yuanchen's face showed envy and a hint of jealousy. "The remaining person is named Li Yuan, an inner disciple of Xianyou Peak at the third stage, also a sword cultivator. He will be our team leader for this mission. All command and actions will be arranged by him, including finding the last teammate, which is why we came to find you, not him."
"Xianyou Peak, third stage..." Xu Mu pursed his lips, feigning thought and hesitation. He had come to Tianshi Mountain with the sole intention of finding Zuo Mingqiu, teaching him Fuxi's Innate Eight Trigrams, and then studying the mission given to him by True Person Chongming. He cared about nothing else, so he had no intention of accepting missions like ordinary disciples. However, even so, he couldn't refuse too directly, as it might arouse suspicion about his identity.
"What are you hesitating about?" Ning Yuanchen saw Xu Mu deep in thought for a long time, his smile gradually fading, and he spoke earnestly. "You must understand that while this mission isn't special, it's not always easy to find a team. For a newcomer like you, without our help, you might need two years of cultivation to even have a chance to approach this level of mission. We will gain some advantage from you, but in the long run, it's you who is gaining the advantage!"
Xu Mu listened to Ning Yuanchen's words, appearing dazed on the surface, but inwardly scoffing. He knew without a doubt that there must be some hidden trick behind this so-called mission and the convenience offered to newcomers. Ning Yuanchen was clearly trying to deceive him, and he didn't believe a single word. But how to refuse? Xu Mu was about to speak directly.
However, before he could open his mouth, the woman behind Ning Yuanchen, Mu Yunshu of Tianguang Peak, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
"Ah, look!"
"That's Senior Brother Zuo Mingqiu!"
"Where?!"
Upon hearing the name, everyone raised their heads. Above the bamboo forest, a young Taoist in a simple robe, with a Taoist sword at his waist, looking somewhat dejected but possessing exceptionally strong vitality, was flying towards the sun. That person was indeed Zuo Mingqiu.
Xu Mu looked at Zuo Mingqiu's back, his eyes suddenly brightened, and an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face. Excellent, he had been worried about how to find Zuo Mingqiu, and here he was!
"Judging by the direction and his posture, Senior Brother Zuo is likely heading to the Thunder Pool for body tempering again. I wonder how far he'll get this time," Zhe Hao of Biyun Peak mused, gazing at Zuo Mingqiu's retreating figure.
Xu Mu, curious, asked, "Body tempering? What body tempering?"
"You don't know?" Zhe Hao looked at Xu Mu in surprise, then seemed to recall. "Ah, right, you've only just joined."
"Let me explain," Ning Yuanchen said. He glanced at the well-proportioned Mu Yunshu, who was gazing with infatuation, a flicker of desire flashing in his eyes, but he quickly masked it. He looked at Xu Mu and calmly stated, "Since the Myriad Races Assembly, Senior Brother Zuo Mingqiu has been obsessed with heavenly thunder tempering. It's been over three months now, and he often spends many days deep within the Thunder Pool. Seeing your expression, you must also admire Senior Brother Zuo Mingqiu. The location of our mission is precisely within the Thunder Pool where Senior Brother is cultivating. If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of him there a couple of times."
Xu Mu's eyes lit up. "Is that true?"
Ning Yuanchen nodded. "Naturally. Our mission is to collect meteoric iron from the Thunder Pool. Senior Brother Zuo Mingqiu cultivates in the Thunder Pool, so if you're lucky, you'll see him."
"Then I accept," Xu Mu said with a smile, nodding without any hesitation. "Senior Zou Jing, you can go back now. No need to wait for me."
Zou Jing raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding Xu Mu's intentions, but he nodded.
"Alright, call me anytime if you need anything. I owe you a debt, and I must repay it."
Xu Mu waved his hand, watching Zou Jing leave, then turned eagerly to Ning Yuanchen. "Shall we go now?"
"You're quite impatient," Ning Yuanchen said with a faint smile. "However, whether we go or not isn't up to me. You all go to the Hall of Merit first. I'll inform Senior Brother Li Yuan. After he arrives, we'll receive the mission, and then we'll enter the Thunder Pool together!"