Chapter 212: White Jade Swallow’s Nest
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“So many White Jade Swallow’s Nests… Yu Zhao’s luck is truly unmatched!”
“Yu Zhao even found the lair of the White Jade Swallows. Is there any place she can’t reach?”
“Ji Yuan, Yu Zhao discovered such an incredible spot, yet you don’t seem too happy.”
Sect Master Ji Yuan tugged at the corner of his mouth without saying a word.
Of course, he wasn’t happy.
If Yu Zhao had quietly found the White Jade Swallow’s lair, this place could have been a secret stronghold exclusive to the Five Elements Dao Sect.
But now, everything Yu Zhao did was under everyone’s watchful eyes. The White Jade Swallow’s lair had turned into a widely known secret, impossible to conceal.
And it was all Qing Yan’s fault for casting the Water Mirror Technique on Yu Zhao. Now, not only did Sect Master Ji Yuan fail to reap any benefits, but Yu Zhao’s actions kept slapping him in the face. On top of that, the sect’s potential gains were forfeited.
The more Sect Master Ji Yuan thought about it, the angrier he got. He turned his head and shot a fierce glare at Master Qing Yan.
You wasteful fool, just wait until we return, and I’ll definitely lodge a harsh complaint against you!
“Hahaha, everyone, look! Yu Zhao is absolutely adorable.”
Valley Master Fei Ye pointed at the Water Mirror, laughing heartily with a hint of doting affection.
The group quickly turned their attention to the Water Mirror. They saw Yu Zhao crouched low, sneaking along a rock wall. In her hand was a small trowel, and she was cautiously scraping off dried nests.
Fearing the noise might alarm the White Jade Swallows in the nests, her every movement was slow and deliberate. She occasionally glanced around nervously.
The crowd couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
For the past six months, they had grown used to Yu Zhao’s decisive and commanding demeanor. This was the first time they saw her acting so timidly. The stark contrast amused them greatly.
Even Master Qing Yan’s cold gaze softened briefly.
Unaware that her stealthy nest-gathering antics were fully exposed to Sect Master Ji Yuan and the others, Yu Zhao congratulated herself for not letting anyone see her silly side.
Remembering the principle of sustainable harvesting, she only collected ownerless, dried nests, carefully avoiding moist, occupied ones.
Thanks to the Illusion Technique concealing her actions, her nest-gathering efforts proceeded smoothly. In just one day, she harvested nearly a hundred nests.
The next day, however, she encountered a small problem: the White Jade Swallows returned from their hunting trip.
The swarms of White Jade Swallows, darkening the sky, entered the lair through holes in the rock wall above and quickly filled the spacious stone chamber.
Yu Zhao could only huddle in a corner, waiting for them to leave again for another hunt.
Fortunately, her wait wasn’t long. Early on the third morning, the White Jade Swallows flapped their wings and departed in flocks.
Yu Zhao immediately pulled out her tools, seizing the moment to harvest as much as possible.
After several trips, she figured out the White Jade Swallows’ hunting patterns, ensuring she always stopped just before their return.
On the tenth day of her nest-gathering mission, an unexpected event occurred.
“Eldest Senior Brother, I told you something good must be hidden down here!”
A man’s loud voice snapped Yu Zhao out of her focused nest-gathering state.
She frowned, her Divine Sense sweeping the area, and a look of annoyance flashed across her eyes.
Moments later…
Su Ming and Fang Cheng Lang emerged from a corner, stepping into Yu Zhao’s line of sight.
Since Yu Zhao had set up an Illusion Array around herself and the White Jade Swallows’ nests served as a significant distraction, neither Su Ming nor Fang Cheng Lang noticed her crouched on the rock wall to their right.
The two were eagerly inspecting the nests covering the stone wall.
Su Ming’s sharp eyes quickly spotted fresh excavation marks on the wall—evidence of recent activity.
“Eldest Senior Brother, someone has already been here ahead of us. We need to act fast and not let them steal our opportunity,” Su Ming urged anxiously.
Fang Cheng Lang nodded and warned seriously, “Alright, let’s split up. Be careful not to disturb these swallows.”
“Got it!”
Su Ming absentmindedly replied, his eyes almost glued to the White Jade Swallows.
Fang Cheng Lang didn’t think much of it and moved to another section, carefully extracting the White Jade Swallows from the stone wall. His movements were slightly heavier than Yu Zhao’s but still restrained.
Meanwhile, Su Ming completely disregarded Fang Cheng Lang’s warnings. Spotting a White Jade Swallow, he lunged at it. He tried prying it off with his hands first, but when that didn’t work, he resorted to tools. Overexcited, his movements became erratic, and he failed to dislodge the White Jade Swallow on the first try. Growing impatient, he increased his force. The tool embedded itself into the wall with a sharp metallic clang.
“Idiot!” Yu Zhao cursed inwardly, her scalp tingling. She didn’t bother concealing herself anymore. Leaping down from the stone wall, she bolted toward the exit of the cave.
Her sudden movement startled Su Ming and Fang Cheng Lang.
“Someone’s here!” Su Ming shouted, eyes wide, forgetting to pick up the White Jade Swallow that had fallen to the ground.
Fang Cheng Lang, however, recognized Yu Zhao from her retreating figure. Before he could feel any relief, a wave of danger washed over him. He quickly understood why Yu Zhao, who had been hiding so flawlessly, was now fleeing for her life.
Realizing the urgency, he grabbed Su Ming’s wrist and prepared to leave. But to their shock, Yu Zhao, who had already run a fair distance, turned back.
She looked livid.
She had suspected that the cave housed more than just White Jade Swallows. During her search, she had noticed claw marks on some walls. These scratches didn’t match the White Jade Swallows, clearly belonging to a more aggressive species of bird or beast.
Now the mystery was solved.
The claw marks belonged to Wing King Bats.
The Wing King Bat, a third-tier demonic beast, was incredibly fast, carried potent venom, and, worst of all, was a pack animal.
Flap, flap, flap…
Massive Wing King Bats streamed in through the cave entrance, blocking their escape. Their cold, crimson eyes gleamed ominously in the dim light.
Yu Zhao, Fang Cheng Lang, and Su Ming stood at one end of the cave, their faces uniformly grim. There was no point in blaming Su Ming now; their only priority was finding a way out.
Just as this thought crossed Yu Zhao’s mind, a piercing screech echoed through the cave.
The Wing King Bats and White Jade Swallows dived down simultaneously, targeting the trio.
Yu Zhao activated her Heart-Protecting Mirror with one hand, while her other hand flipped the Fleeting Life Mirror, pointing its black reflective surface at the oncoming beasts. Any beast caught in the mirror’s reflection turned on its companions within three breaths, launching frenzied attacks.
This allowed Yu Zhao to focus on taking down the ones that slipped through the cracks.
Fang Cheng Lang’s attacks were swift and decisive. His flying sword danced through the air, sending waves of sword energy that slaughtered the White Jade Swallows and Wing King Bats alike.
Compared to them, Su Ming was clearly struggling. His spells were powerful enough to harm the demonic beasts, but the immense consumption of spiritual energy left him panting, his face pale after just a few rounds of attacks.
Realizing the disaster he had caused, Su Ming’s expression turned despondent. “Senior Brother, Yu Xiao Zhao, this is my fault. You both go on ahead; I’ll cover for you.”
“I would never abandon my junior brother!” Fang Cheng Lang declared righteously.
Su Ming was moved to tears. He turned to Yu Zhao, hope flickering in his eyes, though he didn’t even realize it himself.