Chapter 212

Chapter 212: White Jade Swallow Nest
Someone exclaimed: “There are so many White Jade Swallow Nests, Yu Zhao’s luck is really something!”

Another person laughed and said: “Yu Zhao even found the White Jade Swallows’ nest. Is there anywhere she can’t go now?”

Someone teased Sect Master Ji Yuan: “Ji Yuan, Yu Zhao discovered such a good place, why do you look so unhappy?”

Sect Master Ji Yuan tugged at the corner of his mouth and did not say a word.

He was of course unhappy.

Originally, with Yu Zhao finding the White Jade Swallows’ nest, this place could have become a secret base known only to the Five Elements Dao Sect.

But right now, every move Yu Zhao made was taking place under everyone’s eyes. The White Jade Swallows’ nest had also turned into a “secret” everyone knew. There was no way to hide it.

It was all Qing Yan’s fault. He just had to set the Water Mirror Art on Yu Zhao. Now he had gained no benefit at all, been slapped in the face by Yu Zhao again and again, and even sacrificed the sect’s interests.

The more Sect Master Ji Yuan thought about it, the angrier he became. He turned his head and shot Master Qing Yan a fierce glare.

[You spendthrift troublemaker, just wait until I file a full complaint against you when we get back!]

Valley Master Flying Leaf pointed at the Water Mirror and laughed loudly as he said: “Hahaha, look at Yu Zhao, she’s way too cute.”

Everyone hurriedly looked toward the Water Mirror. They saw Yu Zhao bent over, sneaking along the rock wall. She held a small shovel in her hand and was carefully scraping off the dried nests.

She must have been afraid that any sound would startle the White Jade Swallows in the nests, so every move she made was extremely cautious. From time to time, she even glanced left and right.

Everyone was delighted and could not stop laughing.

For the past half year, they had gotten used to Yu Zhao’s swift and forceful way of doing things. This was the first time they had seen her so timid and careful. The strong contrast made them find it very amusing.

Even Master Qing Yan’s cold gaze softened for a moment.

Yu Zhao had no idea that her sneaky nest-digging was being seen completely by Sect Master Ji Yuan and the others. She was still secretly glad that no one had seen this silly side of her.

She remembered the lesson about not draining the pond to catch all the fish. She only dug up ownerless dry nests and did not touch any moist nests that still had owners.

Under the cover of her Illusion Art, the process of digging out nests went quite smoothly. In one day, she dug out nearly a hundred nests.

On the second day, she ran into a bit of trouble. The White Jade Swallows that went out to hunt for food came back.

The sky-darkening flock of White Jade Swallows flew back into the cave through the holes high in the rock wall and soon filled the wide stone wall.

Yu Zhao could only shrink into a corner and wait for them to go out to hunt again.

She did not have to wait long. On the morning of the third day, the White Jade Swallows flapped their wings and flew out in flocks.

Yu Zhao immediately took out her tools and raced against time to dig out more nests.

After going back and forth a few times, she grasped the White Jade Swallows’ feeding pattern and each time was able to stop at the last moment before they came back.

On the tenth day of digging, something unexpected happened.

The man’s loud voice woke Yu Zhao from her focus on digging nests as he shouted: “First Senior Brother, see, I told you there had to be something good hidden down here!”

She frowned. Her divine sense swept out in a flash, and a trace of disgust flickered in her eyes.

A moment later, Su Ming and Fang Cheng Lang came around the bend one after the other and appeared in front of Yu Zhao.

Because Yu Zhao had set up an Illusion Array outside, and because the White Jade Swallow Nests drew all the attention, Su Ming and Fang Cheng Lang did not notice that Yu Zhao was lying flat on the rock wall just ahead and to their right.

The two of them were eagerly looking over the stone wall covered in White Jade Swallow Nests.

Su Ming had sharp eyes and soon noticed marks where someone had already dug into the wall.

The marks were very fresh. They did not look like something left from long ago.

Su Ming urged anxiously: “First Senior Brother, someone got here before us. We have to hurry and start, we can’t let someone else take advantage.”

Fang Cheng Lang nodded and warned him seriously: “All right, then we’ll split up. Be careful and don’t startle these swallows.”

“Got it,” Su Ming answered perfunctorily. His eyes were almost glued to the White Jade Swallow Nests.

Fang Cheng Lang did not think too much about it. He went to the other side and began to dig at the nests on the stone wall. His movements were a bit heavier than Yu Zhao’s but he was still trying hard to control himself.

Su Ming, on the other hand, threw Fang Cheng Lang’s warning to the back of his mind the moment he turned around. Whenever he saw a White Jade Swallow Nest, he rushed straight at it.

He first tried to pry it off by hand. When he found he couldn’t, he took out a tool to dig it out. He was too excited, so his movements got a little wild, and he was not able to knock the nest down on his first try.

He grew anxious, and the force in his hands increased. His tool bit into the wall and made a crisp clang of metal on stone.

[Idiot!]

Yu Zhao’s scalp went numb. She cursed in her heart, stopped caring about hiding, leaped down from the rock wall, and ran toward the mouth of the cavern.

Yu Zhao’s figure flashed past, shocking Su Ming and Fang Cheng Lang.

“Someone!” Su Ming shouted. His eyes went wide, and he even forgot to pick up the White Jade Swallow Nest that had fallen to the ground.

Fang Cheng Lang recognized Yu Zhao just from her back.

He did not even have time to feel happy before he sensed a dangerous aura rapidly pressing toward them.

He suddenly realized why Yu Zhao, who had been hiding so flawlessly, would suddenly bolt for the exit.

He rushed forward in two long strides, grabbed Su Ming’s wrist, and was about to pull him away when he saw that Yu Zhao, who had already run far ahead, had actually turned back.

He froze in place.

Yu Zhao’s face looked terrible.

She had known that the cavern did not only hold White Jade Swallows.

While digging out nests, she had also paid attention to the surroundings and found claw marks on some of the rock walls.

These claw marks did not match the claws of White Jade Swallows. They clearly did not belong to them but to another kind of avian beast that was far more aggressive.

Now the puzzle was solved.

Those claw marks came from Wing King Bats.

Wing King Bats were Third Rank demonic beasts. They were extremely fast, their bodies carried deadly poison, and most importantly, they also lived in groups.

Flap flap flap.

One huge Wing King Bat after another flew in through the entrance, blocking the way out. Their cold eyes glowed a dark red.

Yu Zhao, Fang Cheng Lang, and Su Ming stood at one end of the cavern, their faces equally solemn.

There was no point in blaming Su Ming now. What mattered was figuring out a way to break out of here.

Just as this thought flashed through Yu Zhao’s mind, sharp screeches rang out.

The Wing King Bats and the White Jade Swallows dove down together. Their target was the three of them.

Yu Zhao lit up the Heart-Guard Mirror with one hand and flipped the Mirror of Fleeting Lives with the other, turning its black surface toward the demonic beasts swooping at her.

Any demonic beast caught in the reflection of the mirror would, within three breaths, turn around and attack its own companions.

Yu Zhao only needed to deal with the few that slipped through the gaps.

Fang Cheng Lang’s attacks were even more clean and direct. He swung his Flying Sword, and his Sword Qi swept in all directions, wildly cutting down White Jade Swallows and Wing King Bats.

Compared to Yu Zhao and Fang Cheng Lang, Su Ming was clearly having a much harder time.

His magic arts could also deal great damage to the demonic beasts, but the spirit power they consumed was just as great. After a few rounds of attacks, he was already gasping for breath and his face had turned pale.

He also realized he had made a huge mess. Feeling worn out and hopeless, he said in a low voice: “First Senior Brother, Yu Xiao Zhao, I’m the one who caused all this. You two go first, I’ll stay behind and hold them off.”

Fang Cheng Lang said firmly, with righteous determination on his face: “I will never abandon my Junior Brother!”

Su Ming was deeply moved. He then looked at Yu Zhao, his eyes shining with a hope he himself did not notice.