Everyone ascended, but I didn't get on board

Chapter 128 Interrupted Retreat

It was common for monks to remain in seclusion, often for periods as short as ten or eight years, or as long as a hundred years. Qiu Ci therefore considered her retreat a natural excuse, one that wouldn't draw attention. She had also inquired around the city and found that the inn she was staying in offered retreat services, with many practicing in seclusion there. This was why she felt safe staying there and renewed her lease for five years.

In fact, she did stay in the inn peacefully for two years. During these two years, both Lan Yuan's original body and her current clone had pushed the thunder-based skills to the limit. She could feel that most of the thunder stored in the psychic machine had been consumed, and it might take less than half a year to completely digest it, and then she could start her junior high school entrance examination.

But she didn't expect that after only two years, the restriction on the rented cave would be triggered, and the voice of the inn waiter could be heard outside the door.

"Sir, the city lord wishes to see you. The guards are already waiting in the lobby. Please move over." The waiter spoke respectfully.

Qiu Ci was stunned. His first reaction was that he was exposed, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was impossible. If the Zhao family really found out about this, the waiter would not be so polite and would come directly to arrest people.

She hesitated for a moment, but finally removed the restrictions in the cave and walked out.

"Guest!" The waiter immediately bowed to her when he saw her, his expression becoming even more enthusiastic.

"My fellow Daoist, I don't know the city lord. I wonder what he wants to see me about?" She took the opportunity to ask.

"That's good, that's good." The waiter smiled broadly, but didn't give a direct answer. "You'll understand once you go to the lobby."

As he spoke, he suddenly thought of something and immediately took out another bag of spirit stones. "This is the room fee the innkeeper instructed me to refund to you. Your five-year lease hasn't expired yet, and we interrupted it without permission. Naturally, the cost will be borne by my inn."

Qiu Ci took it with full of doubts. Seeing that the man in front of him brought some fawning waiters, he felt even more confused. He could only remain still and follow the other party to the lobby.

Just as she turned the corner, she ran into four or five people, all led by a waiter. They seemed to have been interrupted from their retreat like her. There were old and young among them, but their cultivation level was the same as hers, all at the Jindan stage.

Several people seemed to know what had happened, but their expressions were different. Some frowned and looked worried, while others were excited and eager to try. Qiu Ci was even more confused.

Sure enough, several people were heading in the same direction as her and were led to the lobby, where a group of monks who looked like guards were standing. The leader was a middle-aged man. Seeing that everyone was present, he glanced at them and said, "You're lucky. The city lord would like to summon you now. Follow me."

After saying that, he turned around and walked out the door. The others followed him out without saying a word.

The guards led them all the way to the largest mansion in the city, the City Lord's Mansion, and stopped in a courtyard. Qiu Ci then realized that there were not only the few of them, but also more than a dozen people standing in the courtyard, all of whom seemed to have been summoned from other parts of the city.

Qiu Ci took a quick look and saw that most of these cultivators were at the Jindan stage, with only two at the Yuanying stage. Including them, there were over twenty of them. She mentally estimated the area her spiritual sense had scanned when she entered the city earlier, and found that almost all the Jindan and Yuanying cultivators in the city were here.

what's the situation?
Could it be that something happened in the city and they were summoned to fight the enemy?
Qiu Ci speculated, but before long the gate to the courtyard opened, revealing a gaunt, elderly man. He appeared, seemingly unable to walk, and was wheeled out in a wheelchair. A thick black blanket covered his lower body, yet he exuded the aura of a high-ranking cultivator. Is this... a Tribulation Crossing Stage?

Qiu Ci was stunned. This level of pressure was all too familiar to her; after all, she'd beaten up a few people back in Lanru Continent. But why was a Tribulation Crossing cultivator so disabled? Normally, at this level, regenerating a limb should be easy, unless the spirit was damaged.

Under the pressure, the cultivators present turned pale and showed expressions of pain. Qiu Ci's actual cultivation level was the Divine Transformation Realm, only one major realm lower than the other party, but the others were not like that. The gap of two or three major realms was still very large, so it was normal for them to be suppressed.

"Greetings, City Lord!" Everyone saluted with their fists, and Qiu Ci also followed suit. It turned out that this person was the City Lord.

"Hmm." The skinny city lord nodded in satisfaction, then retracted his imposing aura. He glanced at everyone with a clear gaze and said, "Everyone has been summoned here, and I'm sure you've guessed why. You're lucky. The elders of the sect all have important matters to attend to for a while, so they're looking for 'walking' in advance."

As soon as he finished speaking, many people present looked delighted, but the eyes of the two Nascent Soul cultivators over there darkened and they lowered their heads silently.

"In a moment, the sect will send someone to pick you up," the city lord continued, "but whether you can be selected depends on your ability."

"Thank you, City Lord, for the promotion!" As soon as he finished speaking, a young monk stepped forward and respectfully replied, "We will definitely live up to your expectations."

The city lord looked the man up and down, his eyes filled with an indescribable strangeness. He nodded in satisfaction, chuckled, and said, "Well, not bad, he's a sensible person."

Seeing this, other Jindan cultivators also came forward to express their gratitude.

The city lord smiled even more deeply. After a while, as if he had heard enough of the compliments from everyone, he waved to the servants behind him listlessly, was pushed back into the house, and ignored everyone again.

Qiu Ci's doubts grew even greater. She could only guess that the city lord had gathered them here to select some kind of 'walker' for the Lianshen Sect. These cultivators obviously knew something and hoped to be selected. This shouldn't be the first time it happened, and it was something everyone knew. She was the only one who didn't know about it.

Qiu Ci couldn't help but become more cautious. She originally wanted to take the opportunity to slip away and go back into seclusion, but now she gave up this idea. All the cultivators above the Jindan stage in the city are here. If she goes back, it will be too obvious. Even if she leaves the city directly, it is not safe. The Zhao family is definitely looking for her all over the world now, so she decided to stay put for the time being and see how the situation develops.

They didn't stay here for long. About a quarter of an hour later, a large shadow suddenly fell from the sky. Looking up, they found that it was a large flying boat with many magic array symbols flashing around it. It was a top-grade magic weapon.

After seeing the cross-continental ferry like the one in Yuanhai City, this kind of flying boat seemed ordinary to them. However, the other cultivators were obviously very excited, staring at the gorgeous flying boat with burning eyes.

"It's the flying boat of the Lianshen Sect!" someone exclaimed.