Chapter 1144 Travel Companions

"Well, it's about time for me to leave. Thank you for your help over the past two weeks, I will make sure that Elder Song sends over enough spirit stones to cover the cost of the spiritual metal I used during our time together."

Admiring an artifact at the Peak of the Soul Realm that he had just made, Xuan Hao informed Yi Min standing beside him about leaving as he put away the artifact. Thinking about giving it to one of his disciples after he returned to the sect.

"Huh? You are leaving already!?" Not having expected Xuan Hao to suddenly declare he was leaving all of a sudden, Yi Min could not help panicking as she said this out loud without thinking before looking towards him filled with disbelief written all over her face.

The reason for this was rather simple, as he had still not asked her about joining the Star Shattering Sect during the past two weeks they had spent together!

"Yes? Is something wrong?"

"No, no, it's nothing… I was just wondering where you are going now. After all, it doesn't look like you are going back to the Star Shattering Sect from what I can tell." Feeling Xuan Hao suddenly turning his attention towards her with a confused expression on his face after her surprised exclamation in response to him leaving, Yi Min quickly shook her head before trying to steer the conversation in another direction.

"Indeed, I'm planning to visit a Grandmaster Blacksmith who happens to be friends with one of my sect's elders and see if I can improve my blacksmithing even further." Luckily for Yi Min, Xuan Hao didn't think much of it and happily explained that he was going to find a Grandmaster Blacksmith to learn more about blacksmithing.

Given that Yi Min could already be considered a part of the Star Shattering Sect in his eyes, he didn't bother hiding this from her.

"A Grandmaster Realm Blacksmith!?"

Hearing that Xuan Hao was actually going to meet a blacksmith in the Grandmaster Realm, Yi Min could not help exclaiming even more loudly than before as she stared at him with disbelief. Not having expected Xuan Hao to actually know a blacksmith in the Grandmaster Realm.

Even more surprising, he was planning to meet this blacksmith and learn from him!

Thinking about this, Yi Min could not help feeling a bit jealous.

Given that she had been stuck in the Master Realm for quite a long time, she really wanted the opportunity to meet a Grandmaster Realm blacksmith and learn from them. Unfortunately, it was already rare for there to be a Master Realm blacksmith like herself in a small empire like the Sky Empire, let alone someone who had managed to reach the Grandmaster Realm.

If not for the fact that her strength was too weak before she broke through to the Soul Ascension Realm, she might already have left the Sky Empire for the core region of the empire in search of opportunities to further her understanding of not only blacksmithing, but also formations.

"Do you perhaps want to come as well?" Not knowing anything about the thoughts going through Yi Min's head, Xuan Hao could not help asking this after seeing the expression on her face.

Although he had originally planned to just visit the friend of Pei Yang by himself, he didn't mind taking Yi Min along if she wanted to come. After all, she was already a Master Blacksmith and would undoubtedly benefit from meeting a Grandmaster Blacksmith… And considering the fact that he already treated her as part of the Star Shattering Sect, he didn't think too much about it.

Hearing what he said, Yi Min could not help freezing for a short moment as she pointed at herself in disbelief. "Join? Me?"

"Yes? Do you perhaps have something important to attend to?"

"No! Not at all, I'm… I'm just worried about the safety of my kingdom during my absence, you should know that a few Soul Ascension Realm Experts from the different empires show up from time to time and I have to scare them off." Shaking her head as she said this, Yi Min could not help letting out a reluctant sigh.

Indeed, even if she wanted to go and Xuan Hao said she could join, she also understood that the Iron Sky Kingdom would be helpless in the face of a Soul Ascension Realm Expert without her around. Not to mention, the Star Shattering Sect at the other side of her borders would also get affected as a result of this…

"Hm… If that's what your worried about, we can let this little one guard your kingdom while we are gone-"

Swish~

Thinking about what Yi Min said for a short moment, Xuan Hao soon reached into his sleeve and pulled out the rabbit demon beast and the squirrel. Squeak!? Not having expected to suddenly be pulled out of what it now considered to be its home, the rabbit demon beast could not help letting out a surprised noise while the squirrel next to it remained silent. Fearing that it would end up accidentally offending Xuan Hao.

"This is- Fourth Tribulation of the Soul Ascension Realm!?" A rabbit pulled out his sleeve is actually stronger than me!?

Seeing the rabbit demon beast, Yi Min was just about to question Xuan Hao about why and how he had suddenly pulled a rabbit out of his sleeve when she realized that the rabbit demon beast was actually at the Fourth Tribulation of the Soul Ascension Realm.

"Indeed, this little one should be more than strong enough to keep your kingdom safe during your absence, even if can't use your formation." Nodding his head like there was nothing wrong with the fact that he had just pulled out a demon beast that had reached the Fourth Tribulation of the Soul Ascension Realm from his sleeve, Xuan Hao began to instruct the rabbit demon beast about its task. Giving it a small interspatial ring filled with spirit stones to use while guarding the Iron Sky Kingdom.

Squeak!

Feeling overjoyed that it was suddenly handed such a large number of spirit stones for simply watching the Iron Sky Kingdom and ensuring that nobody destroyed it for a short time, the rabbit demon beast didn't hesitate to grab the small interspatial ring before leaving together with the squirrel to find somewhere for them to enjoy the- cultivate and watch over the Iron Sky Kingdom.

"Okay, now that the problem has been settled, we should be leaving- Ah! Almost forgot, make sure to inform your subordinates about the rabbit demon beast and the squirrel."

"Sure…"

As things developed far too fast for her to fully comprehend, Yi Min almost mindlessly nodded her head in response before informing her most trusted subordinate about the situation through her divine sense.

"Done?"

"Yes-"

Whoosh~

"Huh…?"

Before she could even answer properly, she found herself being carried by Xuan Hao as he used his mastery over the Dao of Space to teleport both of them out of the underground forge that they had spent the past two weeks inside of.

"I will be carrying you, as you are far too slow on your own. The location of the Grandmaster Blacksmith is not anywhere inside the Sky Empire and will take at least a few months to reach with your speed."

"This… Okay…"

Not knowing how to respond, Yi Min paused for a short second before deciding to nod her head in agreement. Indeed, she didn't want to spend longer than necessary travelling. Especially when she knew they were going to meet a Grandmaster Blacksmith.

After all, who knew if the Grandmaster Blacksmith would still be at the location after they arrived? The worst possible thing would be if her only chance to meet a Grandmaster Blacksmith disappeared because she happened to miss him or her by being a few days slower.

Swish-!

Not wasting any time after getting Yi Min's agreement, Xuan Hao directly used the Drifting Cloud Steps and disappeared from the Iron Sky Kingdom together with Yi Min.

The main difference between now and the time he had carried Pei Yang back to the Star Shattering Sect, was the fact that he wasn't using his domain to carry Yi Min. The reason for this was rather simple, as he had realized that the burden caused by his movement technique being far smaller when carrying someone like that instead of using his domain.

Although it wouldn't make much of a difference over smaller distances that took a day or two to travel, the same could not be said for longer distances that took a week or longer.

In the end, Xuan Hao had calculated that it would at least take two weeks for them to reach the location that Pei Yang had given him before he left the sect. Resulting in Xuan Hao picking the travelling method most suitable for him to waste as little time as possible to reach the Grandmaster Blacksmith…