Chapter 64

Upon receiving Elder Xu's summons, the martial artists gathered and handed over their registration number plates to the Wind Sword Sect's deacons for verification. Once confirmed, they boarded the giant sword-shaped flying treasure one after another.

As all the martial artists boarded, Elder Xu immediately activated the giant sword, which slowly rose from the ground and quickly ascended into the sky. At the same time, a pale blue light barrier was released, enveloping everyone.

"This light barrier will protect you from the gales. Now, all martial artists, sit cross-legged. Do not move until we reach the Wind Sword Sect," Elder Xu's voice rang out again.

Hearing this, the martial artists quickly sat down, jokingly thinking that if they fell from such a height, their bodies would surely be reduced to nothing with their current strength.

"Now, I will introduce the structure of our Wind Sword Sect. Our sect is divided into nine major branches: the Sword Branch, the Saber Branch, and so on..."

Taking advantage of the journey to the Wind Sword Sect, Elder Xu began explaining the nine major branches to the martial artists, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the sect and decide which branch they wanted to join.

Although Lu Xuan had already heard this from Elder Xu once, he still listened attentively, showing respect to Elder Xu.

"Now, you need to make your decision. When we arrive at the Wind Sword Sect, representatives from the nine branches will lead you to your respective branches. However, you don't need to be too nervous. If you feel your choice is unsuitable, you will have the opportunity to change it after half a year."

Although he was an elder of the Sword Branch, Elder Xu did not deliberately promote it. This was the pride of a swordsman. Even if the Sword Branch declined, he would not resort to such tactics to attract people. Besides, he knew that those who should stay would stay, and those who wanted to leave would still leave.

After Elder Xu finished his explanation, the martial artists on the giant sword began to whisper among themselves, clearly discussing which branch to choose.

Lu Xuan had already decided to cultivate the sword, so he closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing. For a while, the only sounds on the giant sword were the low discussions of the martial artists and the whistling wind, indicating that the giant sword was flying at an extremely high speed.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Xuan felt the giant sword's speed suddenly slow down. He opened his eyes and looked out, seeing a lush forest. He couldn't help but admire the beautiful scenery.

At this moment, the giant sword began to descend slowly and soon landed on a flat area. Lu Xuan looked around and saw that there were still many people waiting.

"All disciples, follow me down," Elder Xu called out again. The martial artists got up and followed Elder Xu off the giant sword.

"Ha-ha, Elder Xu, your group is the slowest to return. I've been waiting for a long time. Hey, where's Elder Sun?" A middle-aged martial artist with a long sword on his back greeted them.

"He had something to attend to and left first. Because we were one person short to operate the giant sword, only Elder Li and I were left, so the speed was delayed," Elder Xu explained casually.

The martial artist didn't ask further, stepping past Elder Xu and standing in front of the martial artists. He scanned the crowd and then shouted, "Who is Xia Chenxi? Follow me to the core disciples' cultivation area now."

Upon hearing this, all the martial artists' gazes turned to Xia Chenxi, their eyes filled with envy. From Elder Xu's words, they had already learned about the three levels of disciples in the Wind Sword Sect. Core disciples were undoubtedly the highest level, and most of them were only outer branch disciples, not even inner branch disciples, let alone core disciples.

Hearing this, Xia Chenxi stepped forward and bowed to the middle-aged martial artist, saying, "Elder, I am the disciple."

Seeing Xia Chenxi, the middle-aged martial artist couldn't help but be slightly surprised by her stunning beauty. However, he quickly nodded and said, "I'm not an elder. There are no elders among the core disciples. I am the core disciples' instructor. You can call me Instructor Yang. If there's nothing else, let's set off now. I'll explain the details on the way."

"Please wait a moment, Instructor. I would like to say goodbye to my companions. Is that possible?" Xia Chenxi said apologetically.

"Sure, but don't take too long," Instructor Yang replied. The status of core disciples in the Wind Sword Sect was very high, so he wouldn't impose the same restrictions as on ordinary disciples.

With his permission, Xia Chenxi walked to Lu Xuan and the others, first holding Lin Xinyi's hand and smiling, "Xinyi, you are lively, but the Wind Sword Sect is not like Lincheng. Don't be too reckless in the future. I was a bit worried about you before, but now that Lu Xuan is here, I feel more at ease. Listen to Lu Xuan more in the future."

Hearing this, Lin Xinyi's eyes welled up. She and Xia Chenxi had been close friends since childhood and had rarely been apart. Now, the sudden separation was very hard for her.

"Don't worry, Chenxi. With Lu Xuan here, no one will bully me. I will practice hard in the future and strive to become a core disciple to find you one day."

Xia Chenxi nodded, wiping away the tears from Lin Xinyi's eyes, and then looked at Xia Ye.

"Cousin, although you are two years older than me, I still have a few words to say. You are too proud and think too highly of yourself. However, there are always people better than you, and the Wind Sword Sect is full of talented individuals, far surpassing Lincheng. Don't be too arrogant in the future to avoid trouble."

Xia Ye laughed, "I used to be like that, but after meeting Lu Xuan, I realized that my so-called second-best talent in Lincheng was just a joke. I will be more careful in the future, and now, Lu Xuan is my goal!"

After advising the two, Xia Chenxi turned to Lu Xuan, her eyes filled with a hint of indescribable melancholy. She didn't know why, but in less than half a month, Lu Xuan had somehow quietly entered her heart, opening the door to her inner world.

Biting her lip, Xia Chenxi said briefly, "I'll be waiting for you in the core disciples' area."

Looking deeply into Xia Chenxi's eyes, Lu Xuan saw the tenderness hidden in her gaze. His mind involuntarily recalled the scene on the second floor of the Treasure Pavilion, where he taught Xia Chenxi the ancient enchantment technique.

Thinking of this, Lu Xuan couldn't help but smile, "It won't be long. I will definitely come to find you within a year! If you have time, practice the enchantment technique more."

Xia Chenxi, of course, knew what Lu Xuan meant. Recalling the time she was held in his arms, she couldn't help but feel her ears turn red. She quickly shot Lu Xuan a glare when no one was paying attention.

"Since that's the case, I'll go first. I will definitely come to see you when I have the chance." Xia Chenxi said and then turned to leave.

Seeing that she had finished her farewells, Instructor Yang didn't say much more. He waved his hand, and a无形的元力 instantly enveloped him and Xia Chenxi, and they soared into the air.

---

(Note: The last sentence "无形的元力" translates to "intangible elemental force" or "invisible elemental power," but it was left in the original Chinese in the provided text. I have translated it here for clarity.)