Cultivating Disciples to Breakthrough

"By the way, Chi Hu, have you met Zhu Lian yet…?" Having finished asking Gong Bo about what he knew about the Iron Sky Kingdom, Xuan Hao moved the Great Raven over towards Chi Hu flying close by on his own flying demon beast. Not paying too much attention to Qing Yi as she seemed to be deep in thought of something after talking with Gong Bo.

"Zhu Lian? No, I haven't met her yet, last time I saw her was on top of the Third Star Peak…" Showing a bewildered expression upon hearing Xuan Hao's question, Chi Hu answered his question. Not knowing why Xuan Hao had suddenly asked him about one of his past companions whom he ascended the Third Star Peak together with…

"Hm… I see…" Not intending to ask anymore after hearing Chi Hu's answer, Xuan Hao quickly realized that Zhu Lian had not even made her way to the Flying Sword Sect yet.

Maybe something had come up that had ended up delaying her along the way?

After all, she might not be like Chi Hu who was a wandering cultivator without any family or relatives before joining the Flying Sword Sect.

Thinking about it, Xuan Hao was not too worried about anything happening to Zhu Lian. If something serious really did happen, she could always contact him through his communication talisman. Other than that, she was also someone in the Nascent Soul Realm and was at the same time an experienced wandering cultivator…

Xuan Hao doubted that she would be someone to easily end up in trouble in the first place, or she would have long since ended up dying during her travels. The world was a dangerous place and one needed to know when to stay low, especially so for wandering cultivators who often had no one to back them up.

"Did you perhaps happen to meet Zhu Lian? Did she manage to breakthrough and on the Third Star Peak!?"

Not one to back down after having heard about one of his old friends who had gone together with him to do a last-ditch attempt on breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, Chi Hu moved the demon beast he was flying on a little closer to Xuan Hao's Great Raven, as he asked expectantly.

"Yes, I did meet her, and she did indeed breakthrough like you! I invited her to come and join the Flying Sword Sect like I did with you a few months back, but I just realized she has not showed up yet… Do you perhaps have any idea what might have caused her delay?" Hearing what Chi Hu said, Xuan Hao decided to answer him truthfully and at the same time ask him if he had any idea what might have delayed Zhu Lian.

"Really?! And she broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm like me?!"

"Yes…"

Seeing how excited Chi Hu had become upon hearing that one of his old friends had managed to break through just like him and even agreed to join the Flying Sword Sect like himself, Xuan Hao just answered plainly as he waited for him to calm down before asking if he knew about anything about why she hadn't showed up even after a few months had passed.

"Hm… From what I know, Zhu Lian still kept in touch with her family after becoming a wandering cultivator. Even visiting them once every few years. If I'm not wrong, she should have headed back home to visit her family before officially joining the sect… Her family is located quite far away from the Flying Sword Sect.

After all, both me and her came here from far away due to a few rumours we had heard of the Third Peak through a few friends. Back then, we used a few years to reach the Third Star Peak, but given that she reached the Nascent Soul Realm, she should not take too long to get back home and come back, she might even have arrived when we return to the sect again!" Thinking over it for a short moment before answering Xuan Hao's question, Chi Hu soon fell silent as he looked forward to meeting his old friend upon returning to the Flying Sword Sect.

"Hm… I understand, that would indeed make sense…" Nodding his head in understand upon hearing what Chi Hu said, Xuan Hao still felt that there was something wrong with the fact that Zhu Lian had not yet reached the Flying Sword Sect…

Maybe it was because of his talk with her back at the Third Star Peak that had convinced him that she would have rushed over to the Flying Sword Sect and reach the sect even before him, Xuan Hao unknowingly felt a little worried about Zhu Lian.

No use thinking about it, if something dangerous really happened to her, she should have contacted me by now…

Thinking this to himself as a quiet atmosphere had descended upon the group, Xuan Hao soon closed his eyes and began to meditate on top of the Great Raven. No longer concerning himself with the outside world.

Their journey would last for at least a few weeks, and one would quickly grow bored of the ever-changing terrain below. At that point, one could at the very least meditate to make time go by.

This was also one of the reason Xuan Hao had decided to use a flying demon beast instead of flying by himself.

Sitting on top of the Great Raven, while it was slower than flying himself, he could at the very least spend his time cultivating.

If he flew by himself, he would still have to wait for the others anyway…

Carrying all of them with his domain…?

There were more than a dozen people and he did not exhaust his strength by carrying everyone there a little faster.

How awkward would it be for him to end up facing a possibly hostile Domain Lord just after he had exhausted his strength to carry everyone? Even if the chances were low, Xuan Hao did not want to risk it!