Chapter 145
Chapter 145: Yun Wu Ya Meets Yu Ruan Ruan
Lin Dao formed a Flying Sword Incantation with one hand. A Flying Sword condensed beneath their feet, bearing the two of them aloft and away from the scene.
Standing on the Flying Sword, Rong Shu looked down at Dragon Ridge Palace, which had become a battlefield, and said, “Senior brother, all of Dragon Ridge Palace’s formations have failed. These Demonic Cultivators really did come prepared.”
Lin Dao nodded slightly: “I saw it on the way here.”
Rong Shu hesitated, then asked, “Has the sect not responded?”
“This is a struggle between two great camps,” Lin Dao said. “The high elders of the sect naturally have their own opponents to deal with.”
“Then what should we do next?” she asked.
By the time they spoke, the Flying Sword had already carried them beyond Dragon Ridge Palace. Only then did Rong Shu notice that, at some point, an enormous formation had come to shroud all of Cloud Link City.
That sight made her think of the formations she had encountered while disguised as a Demonic Cultivator earlier. Could those have been part of this grand array?
“The city’s great formation has been activated as well,” Lin Dao said after sweeping a glance across the heavens. “We will leave Cloud Link City through the weakness you set before.”
“Mm.”
All along the route, Rong Shu gave directions while Lin Dao guided the sword to the edge of the city’s formation. She pointed out the loophole she had left; Lin Dao studied it, lifted his hand, and stirred a Nested Formation. A small doorway condensed from the great array itself, disturbing no one.
The moment it opened, Lin Dao took Rong Shu and flew out.
Once outside Cloud Link City, Rong Shu patted her pounding heart. Staring back at the city still sealed by the formation, she scratched her head and asked, “Senior brother, which side do you think will win in the end, the sects or the Demonic Cultivators? They’ve made such a grand move; their plan must be meticulous. Do they have the better odds?”
Her little face puckered. If the righteous sects waned because of this, the days ahead would be hard for ordinary disciples like her.
“The Demonic Cultivators have plotted for a long time,” Lin Dao said, eyes on distant Cloud Link City where silhouettes of fighting cultivators flashed now and again in the sky, “but the righteous sects are not entirely unprepared.”
“Then, by your judgment, the righteous sects should not be beaten to the point of breaking their bones, right?”
Lin Dao shook his head slightly: “The outcome is not yet known. We will need some days to see it clearly. For now, watch and wait with a quiet heart.”
“Mm.”
In a short while, the city had fallen far behind; even its walls vanished from sight. “Let us find a place to settle first,” Lin Dao said. “On my way to Cloud Link City, I noticed a small town nearby. We will rest there for the time being.”
“All right. I leave it to you, senior brother.”
…
Elsewhere, inside Dragon Ridge Palace.
Under his protector’s cover and with the aid of his own life-preserving treasure, Yun Wu Ya barely escaped with his life from Lin Dao’s sword. Even so, he suffered serious injuries, and all his subordinates had died, leaving him alone.
“Damned it all,” he hissed. “You… I will remember you. One day I will take your head to wash away today’s humiliation.”
As he turned a corner, he ran into several figures. He recognized a dozen or so from Soul Severing Sect among them, besieging four righteous disciples.
Those four wore the robes of Heaven’s Evolution Sect, three men and one woman. “Senior brother, be careful,” someone cried. Another snapped, “Ruan Ruan, fall back.”
Yun Wu Ya’s gaze fixed on the female disciple; his eyes narrowed. “Her…”
What a coincidence. It was Yu Ruan Ruan, the one he had met on the street earlier. According to the information he had received, Yu Ruan Ruan was deeply favored by Jun Xiu Ran; her three senior brothers also cherished her—Feng Lin, Huo Yi Han, and Qin Yuan.
A pity. If his subordinates were still alive, they could seize all four at once. Capturing Jun Xiu Ran’s four disciples alive would be a towering achievement.
But as he was now—alone and injured—he had no confidence he could take the four of them.
“That woman…” His gaze lingered on Yu Ruan Ruan, and the corner of his mouth curled as a thought took shape.
Yu Ruan Ruan, still unaware, stood calm within the protection of Feng Lin and the others. With the three spirit beasts Qin Yuan had left at her side, the Soul Severing Sect Demonic Cultivators could not approach her at all.
“I’ll help too,” Yu Ruan Ruan said after watching for a while and deciding these Demonic Cultivators were nothing to fear.
Her gaze circled the field. Picking out a target that seemed comparatively weaker—a mid Foundation Establishment Stage Demonic Cultivator—she gripped her Spirit Sword and charged.
“Ruan Ruan, be careful!” came the shout.
The moment she stepped outside the circle guarded by the three spirit beasts, a Golden Core Stage Demonic Cultivator’s movement turned ghostly fast. “Die,” he snarled.
Golden Core pitted against Foundation Establishment—rank alone could crush half the latter’s fighting strength. Yu Ruan Ruan’s earlier confidence fled, panic spilling into her eyes.
Feng Lin saw the danger and wheeled back at once to cover her. But someone moved a step faster.
Yun Wu Ya suddenly appeared and blocked the Golden Core Stage Demonic Cultivator’s enraged strike.
Seeing this, Feng Lin, a beat slower, drove his sword clean through the Golden Core Demonic Cultivator’s back. With a wet rip, the blade burst out the front. A flash of hard ruthlessness crossed Feng Lin’s face; he wrenched the sword free and followed with another cut that took the Demonic Cultivator’s head.
“Ruan Ruan, are you all right?” he asked.
Startled, Yu Ruan Ruan blinked herself back to the present. She looked at the man before her—Yun Wu Ya with a different face—and felt a trace of familiarity. Her system chimed in: [He is the fortune-bearer you encountered before.]
“We meet again, young lady,” Yun Wu Ya said, turning with polite grace to cup his hands. “I am Jin Yu, personal disciple of the grand elder of Tranquil Abyss Sect, Golden Core mid stage.”
With a sweet smile, Yu Ruan Ruan replied, “I am Yu Ruan Ruan, Foundation Establishment mid stage, personal disciple of Immortal Venerable Ze Yu of Heaven’s Evolution Sect.”
“Ah,” Yun Wu Ya said with feigned surprise, “so young lady is the famed talented disciple under Immortal Venerable Ze Yu. I have long heard your name. It is an honor to meet you today.”
Buoyed by the compliment, Yu Ruan Ruan nevertheless demurred with proper modesty: “It is only an empty reputation.”
She noticed that Jin Yu kept one hand pressed to his chest and asked, “Senior brother Jin Yu, were you injured fighting Demonic Cultivators?”
“Yes,” Yun Wu Ya sighed, then offered a bitter smile. “My luck was poor. I ran into a Nascent Soul Stage Demonic Cultivator. Several fellow disciples lost their lives, and I barely escaped…”
At that, indignation kindled on Yu Ruan Ruan’s face. “My condolences, senior brother Jin Yu. Those Demonic Cultivators will not rampage for long. Once my master arrives, they will pay dearly.”
She had been fretting over how to approach this fortune-bearer; now the opportunity came of its own accord. She shifted the topic lightly: “If you do not mind, come with us for the time being. We can defend against these invading Demonic Cultivators together.”
Yun Wu Ya’s lips curved. He nodded: “Very well. I will do my utmost to protect young lady.”
…
The battle between righteous and demonic in Cloud Link City raged for a full seven days before ending with a temporary withdrawal by the Demonic Cultivator factions.
Though the righteous sects held Cloud Link City, the cost was heavy. Worse, during the chaos, demonic spies within several great sects made their moves, causing no small amount of trouble.
Among the Five Great Sects, both elders and disciples suffered losses. Some second- and third-rate sects even had their ruling sect masters slaughtered by Demonic Cultivators.
Having plundered vast cultivation resources, the Demonic Cultivator factions withdrew to the Northern Coldlands.
After they retreated, the righteous sects within Cloud Link City, large and small, began tallying losses. Disciples scattered in the melee were notified through their identity tokens to return and assemble.
In the small town near Cloud Link City, Rong Shu received the notice as well. She informed Lin Dao, who brought her back to the city. Then she went alone to Heaven’s Evolution Sect’s assembly point to report and register.
After registering, Rong Shu took the chance to ask the elder in charge, “Elder, can we return to the sect now?”
He did not look surprised; he had fielded this question from more disciples than he could count that day, all eager to go home. “The demonic chaos has only just passed. The city is full of the injured and dead, everything in disorder. We will not return to the sect immediately.”
Rong Shu asked again, “The sect competition is over. May disciples act freely now—for example, leave Cloud Link City?”
“You may,” the elder said after a brief glance at her, “but if you travel alone, your safety is your own to manage. The elders accompanying this mission cannot guarantee your protection.”
“Disciple understands,” Rong Shu said, bowing out and taking her leave. She returned to find Lin Dao.
“What are your plans next?” Lin Dao asked when she came up. “Stay in Cloud Link City, or go back to the sect?”
Rong Shu shared the thought she had mulled over for many days: “Senior brother, I plan to go out and temper myself. I will not return to the sect for now. I already spoke to the Task Pavilion in advance and accepted several outside assignments early, so I will have a proper reason to travel.”
There were four tasks, one in each of the four directions, most with a time limit of two to three years. Anyone trying to use the tasks to pinpoint her location would be wasting their time.
Her plan was set. There was no rush to complete the assignments. First, find a place for seclusion and prepare for Foundation Establishment. When roughly half a year remained on the deadlines, she would begin doing the tasks, which would be more than enough time.
“You are only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining…” Lin Dao was briefly taken aback. Meeting the steady resolve in her eyes, he thought for a moment and changed tack: “Since you have decided, then go.”
Not returning to the sect for now was not a bad choice. After all, Heaven’s Evolution Sect might not be peaceful inside. Though not crippled, the sect had spent much of its strength dealing with demonic traitors; going back now would mean chaos in the halls and might slow her cultivation.
“Since this is training, I will not follow you,” he said, patient and thorough in his reminder. “But if you meet a crisis you cannot resolve, do not force it. Contact me at once.”
Rong Shu nodded: “I will. I know.”
Lin Dao had always treated her well, but she had never intended to shelter under his wing forever. In the end, only growing strong on her own was the true foundation for standing tall.
She had little to pack; everything she owned was on her person, so leaving was easy. As for the place to seclude for Foundation Establishment, she had already chosen it: Great Celebration City, one of the twelve principal cities south of Cloud Link City.
The main cities were linked by Teleportation Arrays for instant travel, though the fees were steep enough that ordinary cultivators were reluctant to pay. On foot, it would take ten days to half a month to reach Great Celebration City, with safety far from guaranteed on the road. So Rong Shu chose to go by Teleportation Array.
Cloud Link City’s Teleportation Array had been damaged by the Demonic Cultivators and would need three days to repair. Rong Shu waited out the three days. Before departing, she sent message slips to Cheng Bu Fan and Fu Yong Kang, then bid Lin Dao farewell and stepped into the Teleportation Array, leaving Cloud Link City behind.
Great Celebration City.
Arriving in a new place, Rong Shu disguised herself as a rogue cultivator and familiarized herself with the lay of the land. After some careful inquiries, she learned there were three channels for purchasing a cave residence in Great Celebration City’s domain.
The first was the city lord’s manor, the second was Unity Pavilion, and the third was private brokers.
Purchasing through the city lord’s manor was the most secure, but carried the highest handling fees and the longest processing time. Unity Pavilion was a privately run market for trading cultivation resources, certified by the city lord’s manor. It had stood for centuries with a solid reputation, lower fees than the manor, and a convenient one-on-one process. Private brokers were the cheapest in both price and fees but least secure and easiest to get swindled.
After weighing the options, Rong Shu chose Unity Pavilion.
Once she stated her intent at the front desk, a private room was arranged at once, and a Unity Pavilion agent was assigned to negotiate with her. The agent recommended three cave residences in succession.
“Fellow Daoist,” the agent said of one option, tapping the map, “this one is secluded and hidden in mountain forest. It is not far from the city lord’s manor, and few dare make trouble near there. It is an excellent retreat for closed-door cultivation. For only three hundred thousand Spirit Stones, it will be yours.”
Rong Shu studied the map for a few moments and said, “Then this one.”
She took out the Spirit Stones she had prepared. The three hundred thousand were already packed into a Storage Pouch; she set the pouch on the table. “Let us sign the contract.”
“Right away,” the agent chirped. After verifying the sum, he produced the agreement for her signature. When all was signed, he handed her the key to activate the cave residence.
“The contract is in triplicate—one for you, one for the city lord’s manor, and one for Unity Pavilion,” he said. “This cave residence is now yours. If you wish to sell it in the future, you need only come to Unity Pavilion, and we will handle the sale on your behalf.”
Rong Shu nodded lightly: “Good.”
From the ease in his tone, he had clearly said the same to many clients. Rong Shu did indeed plan to sell the cave after her seclusion ended.
With the formalities complete, she left Unity Pavilion and made for her new residence.