Chapter 35: Urgent Assembly
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
When Zhou Jin Yue and her team arrived at the rendezvous point, a group of disciples from the Five Elements Sect was already there, anxiously awaiting their arrival.
Upon spotting Zhou Jin Yue, their faces lit up with palpable relief.
“Senior Sister Jin Yue…” a disciple began, stepping forward eagerly, only to be silenced by her stern gaze as she swiftly surveyed the group.
“Eight are missing,” she noted briskly. “Get in touch with Fang Cheng Lang and Zhu Ming immediately. We need their status now.”
No sooner had she issued the command than Fang Cheng Lang, Lan Zi Yu, and Ye Cong Xin appeared, breathless from haste. Shortly thereafter, Zhu Ming and the remaining five disciples joined, completing the group.
Zhou Jin Yue’s tension eased slightly; everyone was accounted for. Now, her focus shifted to leading them all to safety.
“Listen up! Training’s cut short. We’re evacuating now,” she announced authoritatively. “Fang Cheng Lang, you’re up front. I’ll cover our backs. Disciples with basic spiritual foundations, center yourselves within the formation. Make sure no one gets left behind.”
Her tone brooked no argument, and the disciples snapped to attention, responding with a resounding “Yes!” Together, the group, over twenty strong, moved quickly and orderly toward the valley exit.
The path they took was grim. The corpses of creatures, not slain by the disciples but trampled in a frantic stampede, littered the ground. Blood soaked the earth, releasing a foul stench into the air, transforming the once-idyllic valley into a scene from a nightmare.
For many disciples, it was their first exposure to such brutality. Their faces whitened, and nausea threatened to overcome them.
“Don’t look! Just keep moving!” Zhou Jin Yue commanded from the rear, her voice icy as she masked her own discomfort, evident from the pallor touching her lips.
Her words spurred them on, focusing their minds away from the horror surrounding them.
Then, a deafening roar shattered the tense silence, followed by an oppressive force that swept through the valley like a tidal wave.
“Defend yourselves!” Zhou Jin Yue’s command was instantaneous.
The disciples barely managed to activate their spiritual shields before the wave hit, hurling them through the air. Yu Zhao was among those thrown, her body crashing through trees before coming to a stop.
As she regained her bearings, she saw it—a massive beast charging toward them. Its fur blazed like fire, distorting the air around it with its heat. Its muscular limbs pounded the ground, and its tail, metallic and whip-like, cut through the air with lethal force.
Yu Zhao identified it immediately. “A fourth-level demon beast, the Crimson Flame Lion,” she whispered, recalling how this very creature had once claimed the life of Senior Sister Jin Yue.
Yet in Yu Zhao’s eyes, there was no fear—only a steely resolve and a chilling readiness to fight.
“Fang Cheng Lang, Zhang Jun, keep leading everyone out. I’ll hold it off,” Zhou Jin Yue declared, her voice steady and resolved.
Her statement stunned the other disciples.
“Senior Sister! Are you insane? That’s a fourth-level demon beast!” Zhang Jun protested loudly.
Zhou Jin Yue’s expression remained firm. She knew the odds were against her, but the slightest chance to give her fellow disciples a fighting opportunity was worth the risk.
“I’ll stay too!” Yu Zhao suddenly announced, stepping forward.
“Don’t be foolish!” Zhou Jin Yue rebuked her, then turned to Zhang Jun. “Lead them to safety, that’s an order!”
“I’m not leaving either!” Zhang Jun said defiantly, his youthful face set with resolve as he summoned his life-bound flying sword.
“I’m staying too!” another disciple chimed in, determination etched on his features.
Soon, a chorus of voices rose:
“Five Elements Sect disciples, live and die together!”
“As cultivators, we should fear no battle!”
Even the nearby disciples from the Green Wood Sect were taken aback by this display of solidarity and bravery.
Mu Ye, a highly talented alchemist from the Green Wood Sect, was especially impressed. She had always believed that the Five Elements Sect’s strength lay merely in the number of their elite cultivators, but now she recognized the true depth of their unity and spirit. This realization deepened her respect for them.
“Junior Sister Mu, what should we do?” Tian Han from the Green Wood Sect asked, his voice uncertain. He admired the Five Elements Sect’s bravery but wasn’t prepared to join a seemingly hopeless fight.
His reluctance was clear, prompting a sharp look from Mu Ye. “If you want to run, then run alone. I’m staying,” she declared, her pride as a top alchemist refusing to let her abandon the battlefield while others fought.
Tian Han and the others were left pale and conflicted. Leaving would mean a disgraceful return to their own sect, especially under Mu Ye’s protective assignment.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
As the Crimson Flame Lion closed in, Zhou Jin Yue and the Five Elements Sect disciples prepared for battle, knowing well that persuasion was pointless. Running was no longer an option—they stood united, ready to face their fate.
“Fang Cheng Lang, Lan Zi Yu, Zhang Jun,” Zhou Jin Yue called out, quickly outlining a strategy. “Attack from the front to draw its attention. Everyone else, be ready to strike from other angles. Call for help if you’re in danger. Do not act recklessly. Understood?”
“Understood!” came the resolute reply.
Zhou Jin Yue then turned to Yu Zhao and Ye Cong Xin. “You two won’t make a dent with your current power. Stay back and stay safe. Got it?”
Ye Cong Xin nodded vigorously, “Yes! I won’t cause trouble!”
Zhou Jin Yue’s gaze lingered on Yu Zhao, who met her eyes with a quiet, unyielding determination.