After half an hour, the borders of the Deer Mountain Range were already in sight, though technically it wasn't a real border but a deep ravine that separated the range from the next place.

Ling Qi and Xin Zephyr held each other's hands tightly when they saw the ravine. They couldn't help but turn their heads backward, taking in the expansive range filled with trees, terror, and memories, both good and bad.

Yang Qing's gaze lingered on them for a moment as they were turning. The complex emotions running through were evident for all to see.

Yang Qing couldn't help but wonder if they would ever be able to get over the mark the events left on them. What they saw was likely to follow them for quite some time.

"Hopefully it doesn't end up growing into heart demons for them. Luckily they have each other and time to sort through whatever they are going through.." he thought to himself as he saw how close they were to each other.

His earlier suspicions of something going on between the two had already been proven. If one were to go through a storm, having someone you cared for deeply to go through with it, helped.

The two were already in the late stages of the core formation realm and from a rough scan of their bone age, Yang Qing could tell none of them had reached 1,000 years. The 5,000 years afforded to them as core formation experts would give them enough to process everything and maybe get their life back. At least that was what Yang Qing hoped.

Their greed aside, Yang Qing couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

In a few minutes, they had already crossed the ravine and were in unclaimed territory, making their way to the territory of the Spiritual Temperance Sect.

The town that they were headed to, the Violet Hickory Town could be considered one of the many hubs of the territory.

Many organizations around the area, especially the weaker ones, liked to head to the town for trade. It was one of the safer areas where they could trade their wares or buy something without fear of being robbed after the deal was done.The town had been created by three sworn brothers, both rogue cultivators. One of them was a seasoned saber cultivator, the other a spear user, and the last one a weapon refiner. Other than the Summerfield Kingdom, they could be considered one of the earliest settlers within that territory and unlike the rest, they were one of the few who had tacit approval from the sect itself to settle within their territory.

One of their inner disciples had been saved by the three brothers when he was out roaming the continent for tempering. They helped bring the disciple back to his sect for treatment and in exchange for their efforts, the Spiritual Temperance Sect gave them a piece of land within their territory that they could use for themselves without paying tribute.

In addition, they were also given the sapling of a violet hickory tree. The tree could improve a cultivator's meditative abilities while strengthening their souls, and the stronger it became, it could even help in preventing heart demons from gaining ground within a cultivator.

The three cultivators decided to settle down in the territory abandoning their rogue days. The area was rich in resources and spiritual qi capable of supporting their cultivation and they had the friendship of the Spiritual Temperance Sect which was the best form of protection they had.

The organizations that came after, knew of their relationship with the sect, they therefore avoided them, though even without the sect's backing, the three sworn brothers had some skill. When Yang Qing went there to do his evaluations, the report handed to him indicated that the spear user was already a quasi-palace realm expert while the sword user and the weapon refiner were already at the peak stage of the core formation realm.

Such a lineup was capable of inspiring fear and awe among the inhabitants of that territory. The only one who came close to them was the Summerfield Kingdom.

Because of their respectable reputation, strength, and connection to the Spiritual Temperance Sect, most organizations within the area had a feud with each other usually came to them to serve as mediators in their conflicts or witnesses, and through that, the Violet Hickory Town came to be. A town of fairness and Impartiality. Every deal would be upheld from start to finish by all parties as long as it was done within the town.

With its growing reputation, the town grew into a hub where all goods and services were traded without worry of being cheated. Yang Qing had frequented its market once or twice and was exactly as advertised. Even though it didn't have goods that would catch the eye of someone of his level, what the town provided was enough to support an up-and-starting cultivator.

It wasn't long before they finally crossed over into the territory of the Spiritual Temperance Sect and after twenty minutes they were already above the Violet Hickory Town.

When they were close to the town, Ling Qi had already made a call to Wu Shen to find out if he was still there and where they would find him.

Luckily for them, Wu Shen hadn't left and was still in the town, settling in the Bamboo grove courtyard, which was the area they had agreed to meet.

"Let's go...Jinjing stay with Ellie here, I'll be right back after I'm done.." Yang Qing said as he gently lept off Ellie's back while covering Ling Qi and Xin Zephyr in his qi.

Since they couldn't yet execute their cultivation arts, Yang Qing decided to help them with the journey downward. With their cultivation base, along with the height they were in, leaping off Ellie's back wouldn't hurt them, but the force of their fall would create a disruption to those below, which Yang Qing would rather avoid.

They landed about a few hundred meters away from the entrance of the town and made the rest of the journey on foot. Though Yang Qing did so to avoid drawing eyes, some cultivators already caught sight of them, both those leaving or coming into the town. Their gazes were a mixture of curiosity, wariness, and awe, especially when they felt the auras of Ling Qi and Xin Zephyr.

Because of how superior Yang Qing's cultivation base was to them, they saw him as an unassuming youth, which was scary in and of itself since they saw him float from the sky which was something someone with seemingly no cultivation base couldn't do, which only meant one thing, Yang Qing had an unfathomable cultivation base that they couldn't even perceive.

This led to most of them avoiding eye contact with him and throwing clumsy, fear-filled, and awkward nods as greeting whenever Yang Qing smiled at them in greeting.

Yang Qing, Ling Qi, and Xin Zephyr were soon swallowed in the bustling atmosphere of Violet Hickory Town.

There was no guard at the gate and none on the bustling streets but everything seemed orderly and lively. The streets were swarmed with stalls, storied buildings, and cultivators of all genders, ages, and cultivation bases moving from shop to shop with excitement in their eyes as they browsed the goods put on sale.

A cacophony of different noises and sounds filled the area adding to the beauty and life of the town. There was haggling, arguments, exaggerated advertising of wares, and laughter blending in together.

Yang Qing expertly guided Ling Qi and Xin Zephyr through the boisterous crowd. It seemed like a formless force was parting the crowd, allowing smooth passage for the trio, and for some reason, none of the cultivators seemed to notice the oddness.

Before long they were standing before the entrance made of blue star bamboo poles that released a pleasant refreshing bamboo scent.

There was a signboard above it with the words 'Bamboo Grove Courtyard'.

Yang Qing spread his palace sense and covered the entirety of the courtyard and sensed about 700 individuals.

The courtyard wasn't the most luxurious, but it was one of the largest ones in the town, and one of the few known to be owned by the three sworn brothers.

Yang Qing instantly spotted Wu Shen in the midst of the 700, and he seemed to be talking with two other figures. One of those figures had the same qi aura as him and a cultivation base that was at the 11th stage of the core formation realm, while the other figure was a quasi-palace realm expert with a vigorous qi, the kind you'd find on someone who has weathered countless life and death battles.

"Elder Wu Shen, we have arrived.." Yang Qing said as he transmitted his voice to Wu Shen via his palace sense causing him and the two figures to hurriedly stand up in shock.