Only three seconds? He's already the Lord of All Realms, so it doesn't matter.

The next day at dawn, when Ye Xuan arrived outside the mountain gate, Tang Zhao was already waiting beside the teleportation array platform.

Three simple wooden carts were parked beside him, each pulled by two strange beasts that resembled oxen but were not quite oxen. The beasts' bodies were covered with blue scales, and they exhaled a faint white mist from their nostrils.

The wooden cart was piled with burlap sacks half a person's height, the openings of which were tied tightly with straw ropes, and a faint smell of medicine wafted out.

Ye Xuan glanced at the convoy. "That's all?"

"Of course, it's not just that."

Tang Zhao took out a cloth bag from his bosom, poured spiritual energy into it, and the opening of the bag opened outward, revealing a vague space inside.

"The ones in the car are fake; the real ones are in the bags."

The storage bag contained mostly low-grade spiritual herbs cultivated in the Holy Sect's medicinal garden, totaling three hundred catties.

The herb was unremarkable, yet Tang Zhao remained so cautious. Ye Xuan's interest was piqued, and he asked:

"There's no need to be so cautious, Senior Brother. Who would dare to rob goods escorted by disciples of the Holy Sect?"

Tang Zhao, however, said, "Don't underestimate Qingxia Town."

"The town is going to hold a herbal fair in the next few days. It's a big event, so they're naturally going to be very generous."

As for whether anyone would dare to rob it... who knows?

Ye Xuan's gaze fell on the storage bag in Tang Zhao's hand, and his eyes lingered briefly on a spiritual herb called "Mist-Hidden Flower".

This flower has a mild hallucinogenic effect. Although it is not considered high-class, it is often used by low-level cultivators to refine things like mind-altering powder.

"Why do we need so many Mist-Hiding Flowers for a festival?"

"Who knows?"

Tang Zhao put away the storage bag, his smile meaningful. "Perhaps someone in town has a taste for this."

The two stopped talking and followed the convoy to the teleportation array. With Tang Zhao activating the array, everyone, including the vehicles, was teleported to the wasteland.

He jumped onto the lead wooden cart, patted the sideboard, and said, "Junior brother, sit in the back cart. If you encounter any trouble on the road, just listen to my orders."

Ye Xuan got into the second car as instructed. The driver was a withered old man with no cultivation, clearly not a disciple of the Holy Sect.

Upon seeing Ye Xuan approach, the old man simply nodded silently and then whipped his beast to spur it on.

"I didn't expect them to be so well-behaved."

The wheels rolled over the soil and rocks, making a monotonous creaking sound. Ye Xuan couldn't help but recall watching Hongtian Escort Agency escort goods in the martial arts world. He never expected that he would be able to experience it firsthand in the cultivation world.

However, this caravan, escorted by the Holy Ancestor, could not travel as quickly as usual.

Tang Zhao casually tossed out two low-level travel talismans, and the entire caravan, including the people and goods, was enveloped in the talismans' flowing light, enough to travel thousands of miles a day.

"This is the only option, since it only has a hundred or so points, so we need to save where we can."

Tang Zhao said to Ye Xuan in the flowing light, and after the power of the two travel talismans dissipated, the caravan would have to proceed on foot.

It was several dozen miles from Qingxia Town. The road ahead gradually narrowed, and hills rose on both sides, forming a natural pass.

Tang Zhao suddenly raised his hand to signal the car to stop. He jumped out of the car, walked to the pass, squatted down, and ran his fingertips across the ground where there were still a few messy tire tracks.

"It seems the rumors were true."

Ye Xuan also got out of the car, his senses quietly spreading out and scanning the surrounding hills.

Behind the rocks were seven auras, the highest of which was no more than the fifth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, and the lowest was just entering the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Bandits?"

"That must be it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Zhao drew the large sword that was glowing black light from his back, and walked towards the pass with the sword, while his spiritual power quietly emanated from his body.

Ye Xuan retreated to the side of the caravan. The gaunt driver gripped his whip nervously, while the other two drivers shrank back, not daring to breathe.

"Didn't you become a ghost here...?"

At this moment, a sharp whistle suddenly came from inside the pass, and seven figures darted out from behind the rocks. The leader was a scarred man with the highest cultivation level.

However, in Tang Zhao's eyes, these people were nothing more than ordinary individuals.

Before the other side could speak, he raised his hand and unleashed a series of sword strikes, slashing a deep, bone-revealing gash across the chest of the leading man who had surged forward.

The scarred man staggered backward, and the other bandits, seeing this, not only did not flee, but roared and pounced on him.

Tang Zhao sneered, unleashing his sword strike, the black light spreading out like splashed ink.

His men faced seven bandits, their swordsmanship ruthless and skillful, each strike aimed straight for vital points. In just a few breaths, three bandits had already fallen to the ground.

The remaining four realized they had kicked a hornet's nest and turned to run away, only to see Tang Zhao not chasing them. Instead, he took out three talismans from his storage bag and threw them out.

The talisman transformed into three streaks of purple lightning, precisely catching up with the fleeing bandits and exploding with a deafening roar!

The stench of burning flesh wafted on the wind. Tang Zhao sheathed his sword, walked up to the dying, scarred man, and ended his life with a single stroke.

He got up and walked back to the caravan, while Ye Xuan looked at the sacks on the wooden cart. "They came for the spirit herbs?"

"That's probably it. They don't seem like employees being ordered around; they're just trying to make a living."

Two grooms in the caravan then cautiously cleaned up the bodies of the bandits, and the group set off again, passing through the pass.

Ye Xuan remained seated in the car, unaware of what Senior Brother Tang was planning.

He was originally thought to be staging a scene where he pretended to be a bandit, and then the bandits would work together with him to kill him in this wasteland.

The result was quite good; the bandits were fine, and Tang Zhao also seemed to be fine at the moment.

This seemed to be just an ordinary C-level task, which would be extremely simple for a formal disciple like Tang Zhao who had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. But why did he insist on dragging me into it? What was his intention?

After traveling another hundred li or so, the sun gradually rose higher.

The three grooms, who had no cultivation level, were already quite tired and had to stop and rest.

As everyone got out of the car, they saw Tang Zhao handing over a bowl of tea meant for the cook. Ye Xuan subconsciously scanned it with his senses.

The tea was cloudy, with a few tea leaves floating on top. It wasn't poisonous, but it tasted bad.

Tang Zhao smiled. "How is it, Junior Brother Zhao?"

"I'm used to drinking spiritual liquids, so it seems nice to have some of this clear tea once in a while, doesn't it?"

That being said, Tang Zhao was drinking from the water bag he had brought with him, which was probably filled with some kind of fine wine.

He simply wanted to see Ye Xuan's embarrassed expression...

After a short rest, the city walls of Qingxia Town finally came into view around noon.

The town is small, with city walls no more than three zhang high, made of rammed stone bricks. The city gates are usually open, and most of those entering and leaving are ordinary merchants, with the occasional cultivator passing by.

As the convoy entered the city gate, shops lined both sides of the street, and the aroma of medicine mixed with various other odors wafted over. Ye Xuan suddenly felt as if he were living a life of debauchery.

"The family of the host here is surnamed Li. The sacred herbs of the Holy Sect need to be sent to the Li family's medicine storehouse for inventory. Once they are there, the mission is accomplished."

Ye Xuan nodded, and the convoy drove through two streets before finally stopping in front of a large courtyard made of blue bricks.

Servants were already waiting inside the courtyard, and the sacks were unloaded one by one and carried into the storeroom.

After handing the dismantling work over to the servants, Tang Zhao led Ye Xuan into the main hall, where a middle-aged man in a brocade robe sat. He had a fair complexion, no beard, and shrewd eyes.

"Our esteemed guest has come from afar; we have failed to properly welcome him."

"I am Li Muyun, the head of the Li family."

Tang Zhao returned the greeting, suggesting that he had some prior interaction with the head of the Li family, and the two appeared to be fairly familiar with each other.

"This is my junior brother, Zhao Wu."

Li Muyun's gaze lingered on Ye Xuan for a moment, then he smiled and said:

"You two have worked hard. The Hundred Herbs Gathering will open tomorrow, and the town has prepared guest rooms for the disciples of the Holy Sect."

If you two are not in a hurry to return to your clan, you may stay and observe the ceremony.

Tang Zhao looked at Ye Xuan and subconsciously refused:

"No, my junior brother has matters to attend to at the sect."

However, seeing that he was behaving strangely, Ye Xuan simply waved his hand and said, "It's alright."

"Senior brother, I haven't even seen the Hundred Herbs Gathering yet. As for sect matters, I can return before noon tomorrow."

Ye Xuan put away the merit token, ignored Tang Zhao's reaction, and followed the Li family steward outside alone.

His guest room was located in the east wing of the Li residence, a secluded courtyard that was quite quiet and elegant.

After the steward left, Ye Xuan spread his senses outward and found Tang Zhao, who was staying in the side courtyard.

Now, this senior brother's face is beaming with joy.