Chapter 170: Paths Are Walked Out

"Bang—!"

With a splash of water, Yu Ye plunged into the raging torrent. He raised his hand, slapped the water hard, and his body shot upward horizontally, taking advantage of the momentum to execute an aerial flip before landing with a "swish" onto a rock, still maintaining his sword incantation in readiness.

"Bang, bang—!"

Two figures subsequently plunged into the turbulent stream, sending water splashing in all directions. They then scrambled upward with all their might, climbing onto the rocks by the water one after the other. Their soaked bodies were draped in cyan Taoist robes; surprisingly, they were a woman and an elderly man.

At the same time, Bai Zhi and Yu Fei had also broken through the water's surface, but they let out a cry of alarm—

"Master Uncle Mo..."

This was an underground cave, with jagged rocks resembling ravines, rushing torrents, and the continuous sound of roaring water.

In such a place, several luminous pearls cast a faint glow. Under this dim pearl light, a few figures sat upon a rock. Among them, a female cultivator leaned against the stone wall, looking weak and frail—it was none other than their instruction-master, Mo Xiao. Two other disciples accompanied her by her side. Neither of them paid any heed to the cries of Bai Zhi and Yu Fei, but instead gazed uniformly at the young man standing a dozen paces away.

He stood on one foot atop a boulder, with his other foot braced against the stone wall, his left hand guarding his front, and his right hand holding a sword incantation poised for action. His brows were furrowed in anger, and his face was brimming with murderous intent. His Taoist robe remained completely dry, fluttering without wind as his spiritual power circulated.

"Yu Ye?"

"Junior Brother Yu, we are family..."

It was Mo Xiao who spoke first, followed shortly by the elderly man who had just scrambled out of the torrent.

Family? That meant fellow disciples of the same sect.

Yu Ye put away his sword incantation, planted his feet firmly, slowly squatted down, and let out a long, deep breath.

Whenever he encountered a formidable enemy, he became like a taut bowstring, ready to unleash his full power at a moment's notice. Who would have thought that the ones pursuing him using earth-escape techniques were actually fellow disciples? Fortunately, he had sensed something amiss, though lingering doubts kept him from lowering his guard completely. Now that the concentrated killing intent had suddenly dissipated, he could not help feeling a brief sense of mental disorientation.

Perhaps it was the sword wound on his shoulder that made the pain unforgettable.

"Master Uncle Mo, Moon Moth Cave..."

"Sigh, just as expected!"

"What has happened?"

"I waited in Moon Moth Cave for many days and had already sent away several batches of disciples. Yesterday evening, another twenty-odd disciples arrived here, only to be ambushed. Only the three of us managed to escape. You lot are quite fortunate to have survived..."

"Who did this?"

"A Foundation Establishment peer and a Golden Core expert, both of whom concealed their cultivation levels. Judging by my deduction, the two of them will not let the matter rest. The next ten days will be the ultimate life-or-death limit for you and me!"

"Master Uncle Mo, this disciple has something to report!"

"Ah, Senior Brother Xin Jian, he..."

Inside the cave, a group of disciples from the Yunchuan Immortal Sect had gathered.

Aside from Mo Xiao, there were two other disciples in their thirties at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation, named Bian Jie and Lu Zheng respectively. The woman who had followed Yu Ye and escaped to this place amidst the chaos was called Che Ju; she was tall, at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation, and around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. The elderly man accompanying her was in his fifties or sixties, named Leng Chen, at the grand perfection of the ninth layer of Qi Condensation. Together with Yu Ye, Bai Zhi, and Yu Fei, there were a total of eight survivors from Moon Moth Cave.

From Mo Xiao's account, she had already sent off several batches of disciples. This time's Yunchuan Heavenly Decision had initially seemed smooth enough. However, last night, over twenty disciples had rushed to Moon Moth Cave, thinking they would be safe and sound, only to be suddenly ambushed in the dead of night. To their shock, the attackers turned out to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Golden Core expert. Mo Xiao was no match for the Golden Core expert and ended up heavily injured; only Bian Jie and Lu Zheng managed to escape underground with her, while the fate of the remaining disciples could well be imagined.

After sustaining heavy injuries, Mo Xiao was temporarily unable to travel far, so she hid here to heal her wounds. Just as she had anticipated, Moon Moth Cave had turned into a trap, and any disciples arriving there could not escape a tragic end.

However, there were three things Mo Xiao had not expected:

First, despite the ambush by the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core experts, five disciples had actually managed to escape Moon Moth Cave;

Second, Feather Immortal Peak had been attacked, fifteen disciples killed, and Xin Jian's life or death remained unknown;

Third, Yu Ye had also been ambushed, yet according to his description, the Foundation Establishment cultivator he encountered was not from the same group that raided Moon Moth Cave.

Shocking or unexpected, just as Mo Xiao feared, once Moon Moth Cave lost its utility as a trap, that Golden Core expert would inevitably hunt them down. The remaining time before the closure of the Kunlun Realm would be the life-or-death deadline for the eight survivors here.

As for what the final ten days would bring, the crowd fell into a heavy silence.

A moment later, Mo Xiao spoke up—

"Yu Ye, how did you anticipate the enemy's moves and escape to this place?"

Yu Ye sat alone a few paces away, silently watching the roaring torrent beneath his feet. He had not participated in the group's conversation, and the report regarding the turmoil at Feather Immortal Peak had been delivered on his behalf by Bai Zhi. Yet Bai Zhi had recounted their mutual experiences, his crisis-response decisions, and his adaptability, earning high praise from Mo Xiao and leaving Bian Jie, Leng Chen, and the others utterly astonished.

After all, he was only eighteen years old with a cultivation base at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation, yet his wit, decisiveness, and unfathomable methods far surpassed those of many senior disciples.

"Master Uncle Mo..."

Yu Ye turned around, hesitating as if he had more to say.

Mo Xiao sat leaning against the stone wall, her face somewhat pale with a trace of blood at the corner of her lips, but she nodded slightly at him.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Yu Ye said, "Having learned from the precedent of Feather Immortal Peak, this disciple was extremely cautious upon arriving at Moon Moth Cave. Being able to see Master Uncle Mo is truly a matter of pure luck!"

This Master Uncle Mo was not only dignified in appearance and gentle with others, but also reasonable and deeply loved and respected by the disciples. During the mid-year grand competition, she had even gifted Yu Ye a flying sword.

Even so, Yu Ye dared not say too much. Born a hunter, he was skilled in setting traps and ambushes. Upon reaching Moon Moth Cave, sensing that the blood scent outside had not dissipated, detecting residual traces of spiritual power inside, and noticing the connected caves and flowing stream, he had already secretly mapped out an escape route. Some things, however, had to remain buried forever in his stomach.

Mo Can's warning had never been forgotten by him.

Mo Xiao did not probe further and instead asked, "If you were in my position, trapped here with disciples, what would you do?"

Yu Ye thought for a moment and replied, "Defend the stronghold in place while sending someone out to seek reinforcements."

"Explain in detail."

"Set up a formation to block the powerful enemy. Then dispatch someone to sneak out of here to ask our sect's elders to come to the rescue, while simultaneously sealing the Kunlun Realm so that not a single person can slip away."

"Putting aside whether a formation can stop a formidable enemy, who could shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"

"This disciple dares to try."

"Cough, cough..."

Mo Xiao coughed lightly twice, lost in thought without speaking.

The others lowered their heads in silence, each harboring their own thoughts.

Even if Yu Ye's martial prowess was remarkable, it was uncertain whether he could successfully escape this place. If he left and never returned, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Yet Yu Ye could not help asking, "Master Uncle Mo, who is it that has made an enemy of our Yunchuan Immortal Sect?"

"This..."

Mo Xiao hesitated slightly, full of misgivings as she said, "Things you ought not to know are better left unquestioned!"

Yu Ye got up and walked away in silence.

As a low-tier disciple, he knew his place. Since he was not allowed to ask, nor was he permitted to go out and deliver messages, there was no need for him to meddle in affairs beyond his station. Yet the grudges between immortal sects should never implicate the disciples below.

A dozen paces away, the rock surface leveled out slightly.

Yu Ye sat down right where he was and closed his eyes.

As a disciple of an immortal sect, there were numerous rules to follow. He could neither escape on his own nor talk back to his seniors. Even if he offered a suggestion, it had to be endorsed by his peers.

Yet the current situation was perilous. If the Golden Core expert were allowed to track them down here, how many of the mere eight survivors would ultimately live?

"Junior Brother Yu!"

An elderly man walked over.

It was Leng Chen. Despite his advanced age, he held the status of a senior martial brother. "Senior Brother Leng!"

Yu Ye had always respected his elders, even if they shared the same generation. Just as he was about to stand up to pay his respects, Leng Chen sat down nearby, waved his hand, and said, "Junior Brother, no need for formalities!"

Senior martial brother, junior martial brother!

With those words of address, they exchanged a smile, instantly dissolving the barrier between them and adding a touch of closeness.

"Does Senior Brother have any instructions?"

"Haha! Inside Moon Moth Cave, I noticed your unusual behavior and secretly kept an eye on you alongside Junior Sister Che Ju. Little did I know that following you would allow me to escape with my life. I have come to thank you on behalf of Junior Sister."

Leng Chen, looking to be in his fifties or sixties, had hair and a beard turning greyish-white, but his facial features remained upright, and one could tell he must have been quite handsome in his youth. He transmitted his voice to explain the origin of the matter and gestured with his eyes.

The person he referred to as Junior Sister Che Ju was currently sitting with the others, nodding slightly in their direction.

"It was merely luck, Senior Brother need not take it to heart!"

"Mm, I am a man who believes in luck!"

"Oh?"

"Without luck, it is hard to survive, let alone seek enlightenment or attain immortality!"

"Attaining immortality or not depends on destiny!"

"And what is destiny, if not luck?"

"Well, that makes sense too!"

"You are young and fortunate. This turning of peril into safety will still rely heavily on your luck!"

"As for Master Uncle Mo..."

"As a senior figure, how could she dare place the safety of her disciples and her own life upon the shoulders of a junior?"

"Senior Brother means..."

Leng Chen stopped talking, smiled meaningfully, and instead got up and walked away.

Yu Ye was lost in thought.

He had experienced countless hardships, endured much suffering, and even dealt with the cunning and treacherous Gui Yuanzi; naturally, he understood the subtext of Leng Chen's words. Yet he had not expected the worldly sophistication and human complexities within the immortal sects to far exceed the secular martial world he knew.

After pondering for a moment, Yu Ye flicked his sleeve, rose to his full height, raised his hand, and said, "Master Uncle Mo, for us to be trapped here is by no means a long-term solution. Please grant this disciple permission to go out and seek reinforcements. If any misfortune befalls me on this trip, I am willing to accept punishment."

"This..."

Mo Xiao glanced at Leng Chen and Che Ju, hesitated briefly, and said, "Very well. Take my token and go seek the assistance of Elder Fang and Elder Tie. Success or failure aside, I alone shall bear the responsibility for this matter!"

As she raised her hand and flicked it gently, a streak of white light flew out.

Yu Ye reached out and caught it. It was a white jade plaque, engraved with the words "Yunchuan" and the character "Mo," clearly Mo Xiao's personal token.

Simultaneously, Bai Zhi, Yu Fei, Bian Jie, Lu Zheng, Che Ju, and Leng Chen all stood up.

"Yu Ye..."

"Junior Brother Yu, take care on your journey!"

Everyone raised their hands in farewell, and even Mo Xiao wore a look of hopeful anticipation. Only Bai Zhi let out a silent sigh, wondering why he insisted on standing out in such a dangerous manner.

Among the surviving disciples, although Yu Ye was young and his cultivation low, he was the only one who had crossed paths with a Foundation Establishment cultivator and saved the lives of his peers. Sending him out to seek reinforcements was the best choice. Or rather, even if he met with an accident, the loss to the sect would be far less than if anyone else went.

Yu Ye, however, gave it no further thought.

He disliked sitting passively waiting for death.

Rather than being holed up in one place, it was better to find a way out.

Paths were walked upon.

And a path of survival had to be forged.

He raised his hand, grabbed a talisman, and prepared to execute an escape technique and depart.

Right at that moment, the sound of rushing water surged violently.

From the turbulent stream not far away, a figure burst downward...