The cold river water was fast, rushing downstream with the two of them in its grip.
Zhu Yinxi held his breath, protecting Feng Weilan's head against his chest. With his other hand, he gripped his jade flute tightly. His spiritual energy was restrained, making him like a solid rock at the riverbed as he let the current push him along.
The water was bone-chillingly cold, and divine sense was almost entirely isolated here. The surroundings were pitch black, filled only with the sound of rushing water.
While this provided excellent cover, it also meant unknown dangers; there could be reefs on the riverbed or lurking aquatic demonic beasts.
Zhu Yinxi was fully focused, sensing the subtle changes in the flow and the surrounding environment.
He had to find the right moment to go ashore—one that would avoid their pursuers while ensuring the landing spot was relatively safe.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of the water ahead grew into a roar, and the slope of the riverbed steepened sharply!
"A waterfall?!"
Zhu Yinxi's heart tightened.
If they were swept over the waterfall in Feng Weilan's current state...
He no longer hesitated. He kicked off a rock on the riverbed and surged upward, pulling Feng Weilan with him!
Splash!
The two of them broke through the surface!
Zhu Yinxi's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.
They were at the upper edge of a waterfall, with a roaring pool of water below.
The banks were steep, slippery rock walls covered in moss.
But just behind and to the side of the waterfall, there was a depression partially hidden by the water curtain, looking like a small natural cave!
Right there!
Zhu Yinxi made a snap decision. He tapped the jade flute lightly against the rock wall, using the leverage to swing sideways. He narrowly passed through the water curtain and landed in the depression.
The cave was not large, barely enough to hold two or three people, but it was sufficiently concealed. The water curtain blocked the entrance, forming a natural barrier.
Placing Feng Weilan carefully in a relatively dry corner, Zhu Yinxi immediately checked his injuries.
Feng Weilan's face was as pale as paper, his breath weak, and several wounds on his body were still seeping blood. Fortunately, he was not in immediate mortal danger.
With a furrowed brow, Zhu Yinxi took out healing pills from his storage bag, carefully feeding them to Feng Weilan and using spiritual energy to help dissolve the medicine.
He then produced external medicinal pastes to treat the wounds on Feng Weilan's body.
Only after finishing all this did he breathe a small sigh of relief, though his expression remained solemn. Pills could only temporarily stabilize the injuries; a full recovery would require time and a safe environment.
He sat cross-legged near the cave entrance, recovering his consumed spiritual energy while vigilantly sensing for any movement outside.
The roaring water effectively masked their presence, but he didn't dare lower his guard.
Di Yunkuang and the others would not give up easily.
...
Meanwhile, along the downstream riverbank.
Di Yunkuang, Cang Dongqing, and Lu Tingyun led their disciples as they searched several miles along the bank, but they found nothing.
The water was rapid, leaving no traces, and the thick fog severely interfered with their divine sense probes.
"Dammit! They got away!" Di Yunkuang smashed his fist into a nearby rock, his face livid.
Letting his prey escape time and again made him lose all face in front of Cang Dongqing and Lu Tingyun.
Lu Tingyun looked at the rushing river and mused, "The environment here is complex. If they are determined to hide, it will indeed be difficult to find them. Continuing the search might just waste our energy and potentially lead us into other dangers."
Cang Dongqing also nodded slightly. "Senior Brother Lu is right. The others from the Five Elements Dao Sect have likely regrouped by now. If we scatter our forces and linger here, we might be targeted by others."
Though she also wanted to eliminate Zhu Yinxi and Feng Weilan, she prioritized the overall situation and her own safety.
Despite his frustration, Di Yunkuang knew they were right.
He glared hatefully into the misty depths of the river and spat through gritted teeth, "Hmph! Consider them lucky! Let's go. We'll regroup with our fellow disciples first and plan from there! We will settle this account sooner or later!"
The three groups eventually abandoned the search, turning away to vanish into the thick fog.
...
Inside the natural cave, Zhu Yinxi used his weak perception to vaguely sense that the pursuers outside had retreated.
However, he did not relax immediately, continuing to quietly regulate his breathing and wait for Feng Weilan's condition to stabilize.
A few hours later, Feng Weilan's breathing finally grew steady, and a hint of color returned to his face. Though he was still unconscious, his external injuries were no longer a major concern.
Only then did Zhu Yinxi fully relax.
He looked at the roaring water curtain outside the cave, his thoughts swirling.
In this encounter, they had suffered heavy losses. His sixth junior brother was seriously injured, and he himself was exhausted. Fortunately, neither of them had been eliminated.
"Xuan Tian Sect, Sword Heart Sect, Water Moon Sect..." A cold light flickered in Zhu Yinxi's eyes. "I will remember this."
While Zhu Yinxi and Feng Weilan were hiding and recovering in the cave behind the waterfall, five people—Li Nanzhu, Jiang Yifan, Feng Qingping, Duan Xianxing, and Ling Suxin—were gathered in a relatively open valley taking a short rest.
They had just finished a skirmish with a small team of Beast Taming Sect disciples and were counting their spoils after a comfortable victory.
Suddenly, a small bell at Feng Qingping's waist let out an extremely weak yet urgent vibration, and the body of the bell even emitted an ominous faint red light.
"It's Sixth Junior Brother's Soul-Sound Bell!" Feng Qingping's expression changed drastically as she stood up abruptly, her previously smiling face instantly frosting over. "The signal is extremely weak, and the fluctuations are chaotic... Sixth Junior Brother is seriously injured!"
At those words, the faces of everyone present darkened.
Li Nanzhu's heart tightened. "Sixth Senior Brother is seriously injured? How? He was with Second Senior Brother!"
Duan Xianxing also grew anxious. "Second Senior Brother is at the Golden Core peak! Who could push them to this point?"
Jiang Yifan's brow furrowed as he said deeply, "Stay calm! The Soul-Sound Bell is warning us, but it hasn't gone silent, meaning Sixth Junior Brother's life is not in danger. Furthermore, Second Junior Brother's bell has no reaction, which suggests he is likely still by Sixth Junior Brother's side."
Reminded by him, the group felt slightly more at ease.
Indeed, Zhu Yinxi's strength was obvious to all; with a cultivation at the Golden Core peak, he was among the top tier of existences in this secret realm.
Unless they were besieged by several experts of the same level or encountered a terrifying existence at the Nascent Soul stage, he should be able to protect himself.
Furthermore, under the rules of the secret realm, if one truly encountered fatal danger, they could crush their jade pendant to be teleported out—survival was the first priority.
Even if there wasn't time to crush the pendant, the elders outside would forcibly control the transmission of a disciple if they faced a true life-and-death crisis.
Feng Qingping took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down as she carefully sensed the subtle fluctuations from the Soul-Sound Bell. "The sound is weak, but it has stabilized; it's no longer worsening. It seems Second Senior Brother has stabilized Sixth Junior Brother's injuries. Their current position... is to the northwest, not too far from us, but they seem to be in a place that isolates divine sense. The signal is very blurry."
Duan Xianxing immediately said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry and regroup with them! Sixth Senior Brother needs medical care, and Second Senior Brother probably went through a bitter battle and needs backup!"
In truth, everyone had already made the decision the moment the bell rang.
Regroup!
Feng Qingping also rapidly performed hand seals, her body glowing with a faint spiritual light as she carefully caught the weak but steady direction of the bell's sound.
Her face was full of worry, but her gaze was exceptionally determined. She would not let anything happen to Feng Weilan!
The group no longer had time to rest and set off immediately.
Led by Feng Qingping, with Jiang Yifan and Ling Suxin providing support on the left and right and Li Nanzhu and Duan Xianxing in the center, the team sped toward the northwest. They even ignored the potential vibrations of flags they passed along the way.
After all, they understood that any opponent capable of forcing Zhu Yinxi and Feng Weilan into hiding for treatment was certainly no easy mark.
The path to regrouping was unlikely to be peaceful.
Rate on N.U.
