Chapter 7: You Will Die
Mingyan gritted his teeth, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists. Beside him, Liu Mengli clutched his robe, still reeling from the news.
Huang Feiyan, burdened by guilt, could only lower her head in silence.
Mingyan took a deep breath. “Let’s go, Mengli, Celestial Sister…”
“Brother, my daddy, he…” Liu Mengli whispered, her voice filled with worry.
“Master will be fine. Elder Li didn’t say anything happened to him, right?” Mingyan interrupted gently. “Master just doesn’t want anything to happen to us, so he asked me to look after you. Don’t worry, Mengli. As long as we’re safe, we’ll see Master again soon.”
“Brother… are you lying to me?” Liu Mengli’s innocent eyes searched his face, filling Mingyan with guilt. He forced a smile and stroked her head. “Brother wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Okay…” Liu Mengli nodded. She always trusted her brother… and she had no one else to trust.
Huang Feiyan bit her lip. “I… I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
“There’s no need to apologize, Celestial Sister.” Mingyan shook his head, quickly gathered his things, and slung the cloth bag Elder Li had given him over his shoulder. “Let’s not linger. We need to meet up with the others!”
Huang Feiyan nodded, knowing they couldn’t waste time. Mingyan picked up Liu Mengli, and they headed towards the back mountain.
Although half of the Yin toxin had been purged, Huang Feiyan’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, and she remained weak. However, as an early Qi Sea Realm cultivator, even at a fraction of her full strength, she was faster than Mingyan.
They reached the back mountain and found the other disciples and elders gathered there.
“Young Mingyan! Little Liu!” An elderly woman among the elders approached them. “Are you two alright?”
Mingyan shook his head. Liu Mengli whispered, “Grandmother Qi…”
“This must be Celestial Huang. Now that everyone’s here, let’s depart.” The elderly woman, addressed as Grandmother Qi, was Elder Qi Zhen, second only to Sect Leader Xia Yanming and Elder Li in power. Xia Yanming had entrusted the disciples and the Blessed Land to her and the other elders. She was highly respected and managed the sect’s affairs, so even in this crisis, she remained calm.
Huang Feiyan hesitated, then shook her head. “Let’s split up. They’re after me. If I stay with you, I fear they’ll harm you as well. If we separate, they’ll likely pursue me instead of wasting energy on you.”
If Elder Li hadn’t lied, then Sect Leader Xia Yanming and Elder Li were currently holding off her enemies. If stalled, those enemies might turn their anger and murderous intent towards the disciples. If Huang Feiyan stayed with them and they were caught, it could turn into a massacre. She didn’t want these innocent disciples and elders to suffer because of her.
The disciples also needed to escape, as there was no guarantee the enemies wouldn’t take their frustration out on them if they couldn’t find her.
“Celestial Huang, if you’re captured, then the Sect Leader’s efforts to buy us time will have been in vain.” Grandmother Qi frowned and shook her head. “We elders are all Qi Sea Realm cultivators. I’m at the peak, and the other two are at the early stage. Even if they catch up, we might be able to hold them off for a while… But if you leave alone…”
The choice was clear. If Huang Feiyan left alone and was captured, Xia Yanming and the other elders’ sacrifice would be meaningless. However, the enemies would likely have no reason to pursue the remaining disciples and elders, increasing their chances of survival.
If Huang Feiyan stayed with them and was captured, then everyone, including her, the disciples, and the elders, might be killed. The sect leader and the elders could only stall… This indicated that Huang Feiyan’s enemies were far more powerful than they could handle.
Moreover, with so many disciples, many of whom were at low cultivation levels, they were a large target. In a fight, these disciples could easily get caught in the crossfire. The aftershocks of a battle between Qi Sea Realm cultivators could easily kill those at the Spring Gushing and Gathering Stream Realms.
Every level in cultivation was a vast chasm. Even the Yin Tomb Realm disciples couldn’t harm Qi Sea Realm cultivators. The disparity in power was overwhelming, especially since the enemy seemed to have someone far stronger than Xia Yanming… This wasn’t a battle they could win with numbers.
Mingyan frowned. This was his fault. If he hadn’t brought Huang Feiyan back, Rain Terrace Blessed Land wouldn’t be facing this disaster.
He stepped forward. “I’ll leave with Celestial Sister. Elder Qi, you take everyone else and leave…”
“No! Mingyan! You’re the sect’s future hope!” Another elder immediately objected. They all knew of Mingyan’s talent. Without him, the task of revitalizing Rain Terrace Blessed Land would be greatly delayed. Xia Yanming himself had said that the sect could survive without him, but not without Mingyan. Even if Mingyan eventually left to seek greater opportunities, his contributions to the sect would far surpass those of the sect leader.
In ten or twenty years, Mingyan might become the next Xia Yanming, and beyond that, his achievements would likely be even greater. Even if he left, he wouldn’t forget his time at Rain Terrace Blessed Land, his master Liu Yunfeng, or his junior sister Liu Mengli…
“Don’t worry, Elder… I have a plan… We’re not lambs to the slaughter.” Mingyan shook his head. “This started because of me. Now, let me resolve it…”
“What can you possibly do?!” The elder was anxious. Mingyan had potential, but that was in the future. Currently, he was just a Gathering Stream cultivator. Qi Sea Realm cultivators could crush him like an ant.
Huang Feiyan looked at Mingyan, her eyes filled with a strange light. She hadn’t expected such courage from this young man with low cultivation but immense talent. However, she couldn’t let Rain Terrace Blessed Land lose him because of her. She shook her head. “Don’t waste any more time, Mingyan. Leave with them…”
“Celestial Sister, are you confident you can escape?” Mingyan asked.
Huang Feiyan wanted to say yes, but looking into his calm, clear eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to lie. She opened her mouth, then closed it silently.
“Brother!” Liu Mengli cried out, seeing Mingyan’s intention to leave with Huang Feiyan. “Brother! I’ll go with you too!”
Mingyan shook his head, about to speak, when the ground suddenly trembled violently. A booming sound echoed through the air. Many disciples lost their balance and fell. Mingyan steadied himself and looked up towards the mountain. The floating islands began to circle the peak, surrounded by blinding light. Several rings of light enveloped the summit. Then, a giant, pale blue ring appeared around the mountain’s waist, slowly tightening its grip.
“It’s the mountain protection formation! The Sect Leader has activated it! Everyone, help each other up and leave the mountain immediately, or we’ll be trapped!” Grandmother Qi’s expression changed. She quickly directed the disoriented disciples, who scrambled to their feet and followed the group down the mountain.
Shortly after they descended, a final ring of light formed at the foot of the mountain, sealing the formation completely. A golden light flashed, and the scene on the mountain blurred and became invisible.
As Grandmother Qi counted the disciples, she realized Mingyan and Huang Feiyan were gone. Frowning, she knocked out Liu Mengli, who was frantically searching for Mingyan, and led the remaining disciples away.
Mingyan and Huang Feiyan had taken advantage of the chaos to slip away.
“Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to change your mind…” Huang Feiyan sighed, looking at Mingyan.
“Why would I regret it?”
“You will die…”
“Who will die is yet to be seen.” Mingyan shook his head. “Celestial Sister, we should go… Can you leave some kind of trail for your enemies to follow, so they don’t pursue my fellow disciples?”
“You want us to be the bait?” Huang Feiyan instantly understood. She thought for a moment, then nodded. “Of course…”
Bending down, she tore a strip of cloth from the hem of her dress, revealing a glimpse of her smooth leg. Infusing the cloth with her spiritual energy, she said, “Those people have high cultivation. Their divine senses should be able to detect my spiritual energy. Leaving these cloths along the way should lure them here… But where should we go?”
“Dragon Ridge.” Mingyan frowned. “Divine sense? What’s that?”
“You likely haven’t reached that level yet. Let me explain. Humans have five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and thought, corresponding to the eyes, ears, nose and mouth, limbs, and brain… Divine sense is a sixth sense cultivators develop using spiritual energy. It can detect marked objects nearby. For example, those people have marked me with their spiritual energy, so they can sense my presence.”
“…How much can divine sense detect?” Mingyan frowned. If it was too powerful, his plan might not work.
“It’s quite limited. Without prior marking, it can only detect faint white auras of living beings… With a mark, the target’s aura changes color. It can’t discern much else, at least not at my current level. Unless one reaches the pinnacle of cultivation in this world… the so-called Emperor Realm… divine sense remains a vague sense. Upon reaching the Emperor Realm, it undergoes a dramatic transformation… I don’t know the specifics.”
Emperor Realm? Mingyan had never heard of such a realm. However, learning the limitations of divine sense reassured him. His plan could still work.
“Let’s go then, Celestial Sister, to Dragon Ridge… to prepare some gifts for your ‘friends’.”
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