Chapter 529

Yuan Yao and Qian Yunzhou chatted for a long time in the teahouse, leaving only after it closed.

The two reached an agreement.

Qian Yunzhou also stayed at the inn where Yuan Yao and the others were; at the moment of parting, the two walked to the fork leading to their respective rooms, and the lanterns below the corridor cast a dim yellow glow, stretching their shadows thin and long.

Just as Yuan Yao was about to push the door open, Qian Yunzhou suddenly spoke, his voice low but tinged with inquiry: "Xiao Liu, Xie Yan isn't dead, is he?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao paused her steps, slowly turned around, and gazed at him calmly with her clear eyes in the night, without directly answering, instead lightly asking back: "Does it matter?"

Qian Yunzhou merely smiled and did not pursue the question further.

The two returned to their respective rooms.

…

Throughout the cultivation world, people were still discussing what had happened at the Immortal Sect Grand Competition.

Among the disciples who participated in this Immortal Sect Grand Competition, the most famous were Yuan Yao and Xie Zixu.

Next were the Six Disciples of Thousand Mountain, who led the Ninth Province to turn the tide against the wind.

Moreover, people all over the cultivation world were discussing topics such as "Xie Zixu is actually a half-demon," "Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord protects his own, angrily severing an arm of the Formless Immortal Lord," "Yuan Yao defended the half-demon and confronted the immortals," "the Six Disciples of Thousand Mountain actually gave up their Heavenly Pride Tokens," "the Buddha Emerges from the Mountain," and "Tian Jiaocheng has opened, and the Heavenly Pride Rankings are about to be refreshed."

In the blink of an eye, one and a half months passed quietly.

Although the discussion of the Immortal Sect Grand Competition in the cultivation world had somewhat cooled down, it remained a favorite topic of conversation.

After bidding farewell to their own masters and families, Ling Huya and Zhai Qianyé rushed to the First Province's Immortal Spirit Capital to meet up with Yuan Yao and the others.

After a brief rest, Yuan Yao's group began purchasing supplies in the Immortal Spirit Capital.

They carefully selected various necessary pills, talismans, and some handy magical devices and spiritual materials, making final preparations for the upcoming journey into the Realm Abyss.

That night before departure.

Qian Jue Shan looked at his six youthful disciples and said in a deep voice: "On this journey into the Realm Abyss, seize the opportunity to act and eliminate all dangerous beings."

"We understand, Master." Song Yan stood up and gave a solemn nod.

Qian Jue Shan pressed his lips, his eyes complex, and said: "As your master, I hope you all return alive."

Immediately afterward, before Song Yan and the others could react, he placed a life-saving talisman on each of them.

"Master..." Xiao Lingwei's expression slightly tightened.

Qian Jue Shan's face turned slightly pale as he looked at them: "Your safety is as important to me as the entire cultivation world."

"Therefore, you must also put your own safety first."

The six were moved upon hearing this.

During their time in the Immortal Spirit Capital, the master had continually guided their cultivation and told them about the dangers of the Realm Abyss.

The Realm Abyss is a place where a single thought decides life or death.

Over a hundred years ago, the master had friends and senior fellow disciples who perished in the Realm Abyss.

Cang Li stroked his chin, grinning, and said: "Master, rest assured—with them around, I will definitely come back alive!"

Qian Jue Shan looked at him, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Seeing this, Cang Li immediately waved his hands and said: "Master, don't try to dissuade me—I want to go to the Realm Abyss together with the Eldest Senior Brother and the others."

"Your cultivation is low..."

Cang Li interrupted: "Master, my cultivation is only a little lower, isn't it? If I don't go, what will happen if they get hurt? They fight recklessly, and without me looking after them, they'll surely fail to take care of themselves."

Yuan Yao actually also felt a bit uneasy: "Third Senior Brother, didn't you say earlier that you didn't want to go?"

"But I want to go now." Cang Li raised his eyebrows, arms crossed, and said: "Don't worry, I'll try not to hold you back."

Xiao Lingwei said: "We're actually not afraid of you dragging us down."

Cang Li immediately clasped his hands together: "Benefactor Xiao, you're truly kind."

Qian Jue Shan: "Just be careful in everything."

Song Yan and the others nodded solemnly.

…

The next day, as dawn just broke, a group had already gathered at the First Province's Peak Mountain Abyss.

Qian Jue Shan wore a white Daoist robe, hands behind his back, standing at the edge of the abyss; the mountain wind stirred his robes and silver hair, enhancing his immortal aura.

Before him, Yuan Yao and the ten others were fully prepared and ready to depart.

All ten wore matching dark black tight-fitting outfits, cut sharply for ease of movement; each was covered with a black hooded cloak, its wide brim pressed low, nearly covering their entire faces.

On their faces they wore peculiar black masks etched with ferocious fang patterns, which glimmered coldly hard in the dim morning light.

Thus, at a glance, one could not tell who was who—only ten black-clad figures of varying builds, with steady breaths, exuding a mysterious and deadly aura.

Among them, Xue Jin's signature pink-white long hair was now tightly bound up, neatly tucked beneath the black cap, with no trace of its usual flamboyance.

A group of ten.

Specifically, they were the Six Disciples of Thousand Mountain, Qian Yunzhou, Ling Huya, Xiao Zhufeng, and Zhai Qianyé.

As Qian Jue Shan looked at the ten before him, about to speak, he seemed to sense something; his brows twitched slightly, he lifted his gaze, and saw that the previously clear sky suddenly rippled without warning, then a fissure appeared out of nowhere, rapidly expanding and emitting a palpitation-inducing spatial fluctuation from within.

Soon, three figures stepped slowly from the rift and stood steadily in midair.

Yuan Yao and the others focused their gaze: the newcomers were not enemies, but Dong Jiao, together with her two renowned immortal-parent figures—Dong Ning Immortal Lord and Xiang Li Immortal Lord.

Dong Jiao instantly spotted the ten black-clad figures below at the abyss's edge—each in black robes and caps, wearing fang masks—and her eyes lit up slightly.

"Dong Jiao?" Yuan Yao blinked in surprise.

Dong Jiao flashed forward, her pretty face showing some determination: "I've decided—I'm also going into the Realm Abyss!"

"Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord." Dong Ning Immortal Lord and Xiang Li Immortal Lord also approached Qian Jue Shan, giving him a slight nod.

Qian Jue Shan returned the nod.

Immediately, Qian Jue Shan asked: "Are you sure you want to let her go?"

Dong Ning Immortal Lord's face grew grave as he sighed: "We naturally don't want her to take such a risk, after all she is our only daughter. But this child is stubborn; she wants to go, and as her parents we cannot forcibly stop her."

Xiang Li Immortal Patriarch took over the conversation, worry filling his eyes, yet his tone carried a hint of pride: "Moreover, her journey is to protect the safety of our entire cultivation world; for such a great cause, what right have we to oppose? It's just…"

She said, her expression slightly hesitant, voice worried: "If their secret entry into Jie Yuan is discovered by those thirteen elders, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Qian Jue Shan, his demeanor steady, spoke: "All the consequences, I will bear alone."

Hearing this, Xiang Li Immortal Patriarch and Dong Ning Immortal Patriarch exchanged a glance, and felt a little reassured.

Meanwhile, as they were talking, Dong Jiao had already donned her clothes and mask; she stood beside the other ten, noticeably a head shorter.