Chapter 35: Emergency Assembly
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
When Zhou Jin Yue and her group arrived at the meeting point, several disciples from the Five Elements Dao Sect were already waiting.
The moment they spotted Zhou Jin Yue, their faces lit up with relief.
“Senior Sister Zhou…” one of them stepped forward hesitantly, as if wanting to speak. However, Zhou Jin Yue silenced him with a sharp glare before swiftly turning to count their numbers.
They were still eight people short.
“Contact Fang Cheng Lang, Zhu Ming, and the others. Find out where they are,” Zhou Jin Yue ordered.
Not long after, Fang Cheng Lang, Lan Zi Yu, and Ye Cong Xin arrived in a rush. Shortly afterward, Zhu Ming and the remaining five disciples also showed up.
The weight on Zhou Jin Yue’s heart eased slightly. Everyone was accounted for. Now, she had to get them out safely.
“The training is terminated early. Everyone will follow my commands and retreat immediately! Fang Cheng Lang, you lead the way. I’ll stay at the rear. Foundation Establishment disciples stay in the middle of the group. No one is allowed to lag behind during the journey!”
Given the current situation, Zhou Jin Yue didn’t need to explain further. Her tone carried an undeniable authority as she laid out their evacuation plan.
“Yes!”
The disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect responded in unison. The group of over twenty people moved swiftly and in an orderly manner toward the valley’s exit.
Along the way, the path was littered with the mutilated bodies of demonic beasts.
These beasts hadn’t fallen to cultivators; rather, their slow speed during their panicked escape had caused them to be trampled by their own kind. After repeated crushing, their blood and flesh had merged with the soil, filling the air with an overwhelming stench of blood.
The once serene and harmonious valley had turned into a living hell in the blink of an eye.
Many disciples, witnessing such a gruesome scene for the first time, turned pale, their stomachs churning.
“Don’t look! Keep moving!”
Zhou Jin Yue remained stoic at the rear of the group, urging them forward with a cold voice.
Only the pallor of her lips betrayed her discomfort. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to tell that she, too, was affected.
The disciples, hearing her command, forced themselves to focus, doing their best to ignore the harrowing surroundings and continue their march.
“Roar!”
Suddenly, a deafening beastly roar echoed through the valley, followed by an overwhelming pressure that spread like waves in all directions.
Zhou Jin Yue reacted instantly. “Defend!”
The disciples barely had time to raise their spiritual energy shields before a powerful blast of air threw them into the air.
Yu Zhao was among them.
She tumbled forward for over ten rolls, crashing into three trees before finally coming to a stop. Turning around, she saw a massive beast approaching them with alarming speed.
The creature’s fiery red fur resembled a blazing flame as it ran, distorting the space around it. Its powerful limbs propelled it forward, and its long tail, resembling a whip forged from minerals, sliced through the air with sharp, whistling sounds.
Even from a distance, the sheer pressure exuded by this demonic beast was suffocating.
“Fourth-tier demonic beast, Scarlet Flame Lion,” Yu Zhao muttered, her gaze fixed on the rampaging beast.
This was the very creature responsible for Senior Sister Zhou’s tragic death.
Her eyes showed no hint of fear—only fierce determination and cold killing intent.
“Fang Cheng Lang, Zhang Jun, continue leading the group away. I’ll find a way to buy you some time,” Zhou Jin Yue commanded, her voice steady.
Her words caused the already shaken disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect to falter further.
“Senior Sister! Are you insane? That’s a fourth-tier demonic beast!” Zhang Jun shouted, his voice hoarse.
Zhou Jin Yue remained unmoved.
She knew she stood no chance against such a beast, but if she could buy even a sliver of hope for her fellow disciples, she was willing to make the sacrifice.
“Senior Sister Zhou, I’ll stay!” Yu Zhao suddenly stepped forward.
“Don’t be reckless!”
Zhou Jin Yue’s eyebrows furrowed as she barked at Zhang Jun, “Zhang Jun, lead the others to retreat now. That’s an order!”
“No! I’m not leaving!”
Zhang Jun summoned his Life-Bonded Flying Sword, his youthful face full of defiance.
“I’m not leaving either!” another disciple shouted, wiping his face with determination.
“Disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect live and die together!”
“How can a cultivator fear a single battle!”
One by one, the disciples declared their resolve, none willing to abandon their comrades.
The nearby disciples of the Green Wood Sect were deeply moved by this display.
Mu Ye, who had always believed the difference between the Green Wood Sect and the Five Elements Dao Sect lay solely in the number of elite cultivators, realized there was more to it.
At this moment, she saw clearly that the unity and resilience of the disciples were also what made the Five Elements Dao Sect a dominant force in the cultivation world.
In their presence, even life and death seemed trivial. Their unwavering beliefs were their eternal strength.
A sense of admiration for the Five Elements Dao Sect began to grow in her heart.
“Junior Sister Mu, what about us…” Tian Han from the Green Wood Sect hesitated.
While he respected the courage of the Five Elements Dao Sect disciples, it didn’t mean he was willing to die with them. With a chance to survive, why throw it away?
His thoughts were easy to read. Mu Ye shot him a sharp look. “If you want to leave, go ahead. But I won’t. I have my pride as a disciple of the Green Wood Sect.”
As one of the most talented alchemists of her generation, Mu Ye had her dignity and backbone.
Letting the Five Elements Dao Sect fight to the death while the disciples of the Green Wood Sect fled would destroy her reputation. How could she face the world?
Tian Han and the other four disciples’ faces turned red.
They could leave Mu Ye behind, but returning to the Green Wood Sect after abandoning their mission to protect her would lead to severe punishment.
Staying or leaving—neither option seemed favorable.
Meanwhile, the Five Elements Dao Sect disciples had reached a consensus.
Zhou Jin Yue and the others realized there was no convincing anyone to leave. The Scarlet Flame Lion was now so close that escape was no longer an option. Their only choice was to fight together.
“Fang Cheng Lang, Lan Zi Yu, Zhang Jun…” Zhou Jin Yue called out several names in one breath. “In a moment, we’ll attack from the front to draw its attention. The rest of you will strike from other directions. If you encounter danger, call for help immediately. Don’t overestimate yourselves. Understand?”
“Understood!”
Finally, Zhou Jin Yue turned to Yu Zhao and Ye Cong Xin. Her expression turned stern. “The two of you don’t have the strength to harm the beast. I only have one request: stay away from the battlefield and protect yourselves. Can you do that?”
Ye Cong Xin nodded fervently. “Yes! I won’t cause any trouble!”
She breathed a silent sigh of relief.
With her newfound caution, Ye Cong Xin was determined to survive, and Zhou Jin Yue’s arrangement gave her a perfect excuse to avoid combat.
With Zhou Jin Yue and others at the forefront, she felt confident she could make it out alive.
Zhou Jin Yue’s gaze fell on Yu Zhao.
Yu Zhao remained silent, her expression unreadable.