Chapter 329: Conclusion 11.

He swallowed.

"Fine."

The groups separated.

The blue-robed cultivators took the bell.

Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing continued.

After they had gone a few kilometers, Su Yubing started laughing.

Mo Yuxin looked at her.

"What?"

"You sounded like a school teacher."

"How?"

"Stop fighting. Give it back."

Mo Yuxin shrugged.

"It worked."

"That is true."

They walked for another hour.

Then they reached a huge stone road filled with people.

The Central Spiritual Highway.

This was the major road connecting the heart of the continent to the surrounding regions.

Unlike the smaller roads, this highway was maintained jointly by dozens of sects and merchant organizations.

There were official rest stations every fifty kilometers.

There were patrols.

Emergency teleportation formations.

Medical halls.

Spirit beast stables.

Food markets.

Repair shops for spiritual weapons.

Even inns that catered specifically to high-level cultivators.

Su Yubing looked around.

"Now this is a real road."

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"Yes."

The highway was so busy that they eventually stopped walking.

There was a giant crowd around a formation gate.

A sign explained that every traveler had to pass through the gate so the administration could identify dangerous demonic energy, forbidden artifacts, or contagious spiritual curses.

Mo Yuxin looked at the formation.

"It is poorly designed."

Su Yubing smiled.

"Do not touch it."

"I was not going to."

"You were looking at it."

"Looking is allowed."

They waited.

After half an hour, an alarm suddenly sounded.

Red spiritual light filled the checkpoint.

The gate had detected something dangerous.

Guards immediately surrounded a young man carrying a small wooden chest.

The young man looked terrified.

"I did not do anything."

An officer opened the chest.

Inside was a sleeping bird.

It was tiny.

Its feathers were blue.

But its spiritual energy was astonishing.

Even Mo Yuxin noticed it.

The officer’s expression changed.

"Where did you get this?"

The young man shook his head.

"I found it in the mountains."

The bird suddenly opened one eye.

A wave of spiritual energy swept across the checkpoint.

Everyone froze.

Su Yubing looked interested.

"That is not an ordinary bird."

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"It is a juvenile cloud phoenix."

The officer turned toward them.

"Senior, are you certain?"

"Yes."

The young man looked frightened.

"Will you take it?"

Mo Yuxin shook her head.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It belongs to someone else."

The young man stared.

"How do you know?"

Mo Yuxin pointed at the bird.

"Look at its claws."

The young man did.

There was a tiny silver ring around one claw.

A clan symbol was engraved on it.

The officer recognized it immediately.

"That is the symbol of the Cloud Phoenix Clan."

The checkpoint became tense.

The young man looked guilty.

"I found it injured. I only wanted to sell it."

Mo Yuxin said, "That is still stealing."

The young man lowered his head.

The guards escorted him away.

Su Yubing looked at the tiny phoenix.

"Poor thing."

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"It will be returned."

"Good."

They continued through the gate.

This time, the formation did not react to them at all.

The checkpoint officer stared after them.

He would later tell his colleagues that the most suspicious people that day were not the ones whose artifacts triggered the alarms.

It was the two women whose presence triggered absolutely nothing.

The highway became even busier after dark.

They stopped at a large rest station called Moonriver Station.

The station was practically a small city.

There were inns on both sides of the road.

Restaurants stayed open all night.

Cultivators traded information around tea tables.

Merchants hired escorts.

Travelers repaired their spirit beasts.

Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing booked a room on the highest floor.

Their room had a private balcony.

Su Yubing opened the windows and looked down at the road.

Thousands of spiritual lights moved below.

Mo Yuxin stood behind her and wrapped both arms around her.

Su Yubing leaned back.

"You really cannot stop, can you?"

"No."

"Even when we are in public?"

"Especially then."

"Why?"

"Because I like holding you."

Su Yubing smiled.

"You are lucky I like being held."

Mo Yuxin rested her chin on her shoulder.

"Very lucky."

Su Yubing placed her hand over Mo Yuxin’s.

"Stay like this."

"Okay."

They watched the traffic together for a long time.

There was something strangely peaceful about seeing thousands of strangers traveling in the same direction while they stood apart from the noise.

The next morning brought a completely different problem.

A large sect convoy blocked the highway.

Dozens of disciples stood around a broken spirit carriage.

The carriage belonged to the Star River Academy.

Their lead disciple was a tall young woman with a sword at her waist.

She was arguing with the road officials.

"Our protective array was sabotaged. Someone is trying to delay us."

The official looked irritated.

"That is a serious claim. Do you have evidence?"

The young woman pointed at the formation stone.

"This was tampered with."

The official sighed.

"We will investigate."

Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing were trying to pass when the young woman suddenly noticed them.

"Wait."

Mo Yuxin stopped.

The woman looked embarrassed.

"I know this is rude, but did you two see anyone near our carriage?"

Mo Yuxin thought.

"No."

Su Yubing said, "But the carriage was not sabotaged from outside."

The woman’s eyes widened.

"What?"

Su Yubing crouched beside the formation stone.

"The spiritual flow was reversed from the inside. Whoever did it was already inside the convoy."

The young woman immediately looked at her own disciples.

Panic spread.

An inner disciple suddenly ran.

Mo Yuxin sighed.

She flicked her finger.

The escaping disciple was pulled back by an invisible force.

He landed on the road.

The young woman’s face became furious.

"You!"

He refused to speak.

After a short interrogation, the reason turned out to be petty.

He had been jealous of another disciple receiving a better mission reward.

He wanted to delay the convoy and embarrass her.

The young woman looked like she wanted to bury herself in the road.

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TO BE CONTINUED.