Imperial Scepter

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten.

Gao Chun stood up, full of energy, his breathing as steady as a mountain.

Through his boasting and concealment yesterday, he skillfully controlled everyone's emotions.

Bronze Realm Level 4, Level 3 Thunder Shadow, and accelerated cultivation of bloodline divine abilities were all the trump cards he revealed.

However, his true Bronze Realm Five-Star, Five-Colored Dao Seed, and Heaven-Defying Bloodline remain deeply hidden.

Now that our strength is secured and we have a valid excuse, it is the perfect time to set out in search of the Mysterious Vein Origin Pearl.

He will not act alone.

As the captain of the high-purity team, he had to bring his team members with him.

Firstly, it serves to conceal their identities; secondly, it allows them to support each other; and thirdly, it enables everyone to learn and grow together.

Seeing that it was already broad daylight, Gao Chun didn't delay any longer and headed straight for Huang Xiaoming's house.

In the Huang family's courtyard, Huang Xiaoming had just finished feeding the chickens.

Upon catching a glimpse of Gao Chun, his face instantly broke into an extremely obsequious smile.

He rubbed his hands together and hurried over to meet them.

"Brother Chun! What brings you here? Is there something you need?"

Huang Xiaoming was overjoyed.

Captain Gao Chun is now a fourth-star Bronze Realm expert, making him a true standout among his peers in Jiuyang Town and even the entire Ping'an County.

With the addition of his heaven-defying bloodline abilities that accelerate his cultivation, his rise to power is inevitable.

Before long, the team leader will surely leave Gaojia Village and go to Jiuyang Town and Ping'an County, becoming famous far and wide.

And I was one of the first to cling to this powerful figure.

The secret to currying favor with powerful figures, passed down from my father, is indeed the greatest truth in the world.

Not only will they enjoy a life of luxury and make a fortune in the future.

Even now, he can stand tall in front of his peers in various villages.

Because he is a member of the High Purity Team, and his captain is the number one genius in Jiuyang Town!

Thinking of this, Huang Xiaoming's usually slightly hunched back straightened unconsciously.

A strong sense of pride welled up from the bottom of my heart.

Gao Chun leaned leisurely against the courtyard gate, his gaze sweeping over him indifferently.

"Xiao Ming, I heard you're quite familiar with all the young cultivators in the thirty-six villages of Jiuyang Town?"

Huang Xiaoming's eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately straightened his back, patting his chest and talking non-stop.

"Of course! Wang Xiaopang from Wangjia Village and I are as inseparable as brothers!"

"Zhang Lei from Zhangjia Village even gave me a black iron dagger! Wu Cui's father from Wujia Village is the village chief, and they always provide meals when I visit..."

He frantically rattled off names on his fingers, as if he wanted to bring up everyone he knew to demonstrate his worth.

Gao Chun listened quietly, tapping lightly on the door frame with his fingers, and only spoke when he was tired of talking.

"Alright, I know you have a lot of connections."

"Let's go to Li Family Village first. Are you familiar with the young Xuan practitioners there?"

Huang Xiaoming nodded hurriedly, his tone full of certainty.

"We're friends! Li Dashi and I grew up together; his family is a prominent Xuan-level family in Li Family Village!"

"That's good." Gao Chun turned and left. "Come with me, let's go call Cheng Zhi."

Huang Xiaoming followed along eagerly, muttering to himself.

"Brother Chun, what are we doing in Li Family Village? Is something big going on?"

Gao Chun didn't turn around, only casually uttering a sentence.

You'll know when you get there.

Soon, the two arrived at Gao Chengzhi's house.

Inside a spacious room, the little guy was sitting cross-legged on a futon, diligently practicing his cultivation.

He was deeply stimulated after learning that his uncle had broken through to the fourth level of Bronze and gained the power of acceleration.

His former lazy nature has been greatly curbed, and he spends his days in seclusion, diligently cultivating himself, unwilling to be left too far behind.

Gao Chun pushed the door open with a crisp, clean sound.

"Chengzhi, stop practicing and come with me."

Gao Chengzhi opened his eyes, and upon seeing it was him, his face immediately fell.

A surge of displeasure and resentment welled up inside me.

I finally made up my mind to practice diligently, and I was about to make a breakthrough.

Just as he got into the zone, his uncle abruptly interrupted him.

His tone was languid and full of reluctance: "Where are we going? I'm currently comprehending the essence of wood, and I'm about to enter the minor success stage."

Gao Chun walked up to him, his hands behind his back, exuding a calm and composed aura.

"Go to Lijia Village to carry out a team mission."

Gao Chengzhi pouted and shook his head like a rattle drum.

"No, no, I need to cultivate."

Gao Chun's eyes darkened, and his tone instantly became serious.

"What did you say? Personally speaking, I'm your uncle. How dare you make excuses?"

He took a step forward, exuding an aura of authority, and raised his voice.

"Officially speaking, I am the captain of the High Purity Team. With the mission at hand, do you dare refuse? Want to leave the team?"

Gao Chengzhi was speechless after being rebuked, his face turning bright red.

He had already cursed Gao Chun eight hundred times in his heart.

Hmph! You stinky uncle! You deadbeat uncle! You always use those two tricks to intimidate people!

But he dared not argue back—if his mother knew he had talked back to his uncle, she would definitely give him a good beating.

He was filled with resentment, but he could only reluctantly stand up.

She kicked the prayer mat at her feet away, puffing out her cheeks in anger, "Fine, I'll go, okay?!"

Gao Chun nodded in satisfaction, his tone softening slightly.

"Hurry up and pack your things, don't dawdle. You can bring the book you like too."

Gao Chengzhi's eyes suddenly lit up.

He immediately ran to his bookshelf and carefully put the two storybooks into his storage bag.

He muttered under his breath, "That's more like it."

The three of them traveled together and soon arrived at Li Daoqiu's residence.

Li Daoqiu was still diligently cultivating in his room.

Gao Chun didn't stand on ceremony and went straight in.

He was already aloof and taciturn, and now with a worried expression on his face, the chilling aura emanating from him became even stronger.

Gao Chun called softly, "Daoqiu, let's stop for a moment."

Li Daoqiu slowly opened his eyes, saw the three people, and frowned slightly.

His face remained etched with an unyielding melancholy; he simply asked, "What is it?"

High purity is straightforward and doesn't beat around the bush.

"Come with me to Lijia Village."

A thought flashed through Li Daoqiu's mind in an instant.

His childhood friend was a notorious cultivation fanatic.

Now that he has broken through to the fourth level of Bronze, he has also gained a heaven-defying divine ability that accelerates cultivation.

Logically speaking, he should be in seclusion now, cultivating diligently to reach a higher level.

But he chose this very moment to lead his team to the remote Lijia Village.

There is only one explanation: Li Family Village has the rare and precious natural treasures he desperately needs.

Li Daoqiu instantly grasped the key point.

But his face remained calm and expressionless, showing no sign of anything amiss.

Some things are better left unsaid; it's enough to understand them in your heart.

Li Daoqiu habitually wiped away non-existent sweat from his forehead, his eyes calm.

"Okay, I'll go pack my things. Please wait a moment."

He turned and went back into the house, his steps steady and light.

He secretly planned to be extra careful when he arrived at Lijia Village.

The four of them gathered together, and their final stop was Wang Hu's house.

Wang Hu was lifting stone weights in the yard, doing physical training.

He was drenched in sweat, but he refused to stop for a moment.

Captain Gao Chun had already broken through to the fourth level of Bronze and had been born with heaven-defying bloodline supernatural powers.

He didn't want to be left too far behind by the older brother he respected most.

In his heart, Gao Chun was the first elder brother who truly won his heart and respect.

He must do everything in his power to keep up with his older brother.

He wouldn't even acknowledge his own brother, Wang Long, when he called him.

Just then, Gao Chun and his group appeared at the gate of the courtyard.

Wang Hu's eyes suddenly lit up in a frightening way.

He quickly dropped the stone lock and hurried to meet it.

He tried his best to appear calm and aloof on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.

Chun-ge is here! He actually came to see me in person!

No matter what it is, whatever Brother Chun says goes! I must do my best!

After holding it in for a long time, he finally managed to utter two words, his ears turning red:

"Brother Chun!"

Gao Chun looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips, her tone relaxed.

"Wang Hu, come with us to Lijia Village to carry out a team mission."

"good!"

Without a second thought, Wang Hu immediately patted his chest and loudly agreed.

The sound was so loud that it made the courtyard tremble slightly.

Their execution is so strong that they act without hesitation, and loyalty and obedience are ingrained in their bones.

"Don't worry, Chun-ge! No matter what happens, I'll be at the forefront!"

He was overjoyed, so happy he felt like he could fly.

Being able to act alongside Brother Chun is simply the happiest thing in the world!

At this point, all five members of the Gao Chun team had arrived.

Gao Chun glanced at the four people in front of him and nodded inwardly.

"Huang Xiaoming is the team's support player. He is good at socializing, has a wide network of contacts, and is well-informed. He is responsible for intelligence communication."

Li Daoqiu is a team assassin, and he is calm, composed, and meticulous, which can help him make judgments and analyses.

Wang Hu is the team's controller and also serves as the second assassin. Most importantly, he is obedient, has strong execution skills, and is willing to risk his life to save his teammates.

Although Gao Chengzhi is usually lazy and arrogant, he is never ambiguous when it matters and dares to fight to the death.

With his overall leadership, the five of them working together seamlessly, each fulfilling their respective roles and complementing each other, they should be able to handle any situation in Li Family Village and successfully obtain the Mysterious Vein Pearl.

"More importantly, having a team to accompany you allows you to completely conceal your whereabouts when searching for and acquiring the Mystic Vein Origin Pearl."

Thinking of the Xuanmai Origin Pearl that he was about to obtain, Gao Chun couldn't help but smile, his blood rushed, and his whole body trembled slightly with excitement.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and his tone became serious.

"Meet under the old locust tree at the village entrance in ten minutes. Don't be late!"

"yes!"

The four spoke in unison, their voices full of confidence.

Huang Xiaoming ran home with a fawning smile.

Li Daoqiu turned and went back into the house, still as composed as ever.

Gao Chengzhi hung his head, unwilling, his mind filled with his storybook.

Wang Hu rushed into the house excitedly, eager to leave immediately.

Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

The five people arrived at the old locust tree at the village entrance on time, none of them late.

Gao Chun glanced at everyone one last time, his voice crisp and powerful.

"Set off!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he took the lead and walked towards Lijia Village.

His steps were light and quick, his gaze firm.

A young team embarks on a treasure hunt for the Mystic Pearl.

A secret struggle surrounding the Profound Vein Origin Pearl has officially begun!

As the procession moved away, two figures slowly emerged from behind the courtyard wall.

It was Gao Xuemei and Gao Qingfeng.

Gao Xuemei gazed in the direction the children had gone, her brow furrowed, her face full of worry.

"No, I'm not comfortable with that. I want to follow them secretly."

Seeing his wife's anxious expression, Gao Qingfeng spoke softly.

"They've grown up; they need to learn and grow on their own."

Gao Xuemei immediately glared at her, her tone urgent and firm.

"Training is training, but this team is full of geniuses; their brilliance is too conspicuous, making them easy targets!"

"My younger brother, my son, Uncle Quan's son are in there, and I watched Wang Hu and Xiao Ming grow up too!"

"How can I feel at ease if we encounter bad people, provocation, or sabotage?"

She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, revealing her fiercely protective and domineering nature.

"I must follow them discreetly. If nothing goes wrong, all is well; but if anything does, I'll act immediately!"

Gao Qingfeng remained silent for a moment, gazing at the intersection where the children had disappeared, and sighed softly.

He was certainly worried.

Gao Chun's progress is too amazing, and the team members are all exceptionally talented, making them too dazzling.

The saying "to possess a treasure is a crime" is never just an empty phrase.

After a long while, he slowly nodded, his tone steady.

"You're right, these kids need someone to protect them from the shadows."

"Leave the guard duties to me; you stay in the village. Father and Uncle Li Quan are both away, so someone needs to stay in the village."

Gao Xuemei was somewhat reluctant. She knew that her husband would never easily interfere with the children's training unless it was a matter of life and death.

In the end, however, she had no choice but to compromise.

My husband is always calm and wise, and is far more suitable to protect me in secret than I am.

She also understood that a young eagle must undergo trials and tribulations before it can soar high.

Gao Chun is an eagle, and so are Li Daoqiu and the other three.

Their future extends far beyond the small town of Jiuyang; their stage is the vast Ping'an County, Wenshan Prefecture, and even further beyond.

(This chapter contains 3500 words; there will be another chapter this evening.)