Chapter 872

Yan Buji walked along the winding passage of the cavern, the Dao patterns on his bronze arm glowing faintly in the darkness. Suddenly, his steps halted as he keenly sensed a surge of spiritual energy ahead.

He restrained his breath, his figure merging like a ghost into the shadow of the rock wall. Turning past a stalactite pillar, the scene before him opened up.

In a naturally formed circular cavern, two groups were engaged in fierce combat.

Seven or eight corpses lay on the ground, blood winding through the stone cracks into an eerie pattern.

On the left side, one party wore dark green robes embroidered with an ancient "Gu" character insignia; on the right, they wore indigo-blue tight clothing with cloud patterns of the "Fang" character on the cuffs. The Gu worms released by both sides intertwined in the air into a deadly net, poisonous mist and golden light constantly colliding in the cavern.

"Gu Yue! Hand over the Divine Wood Cauldron if you know what's good for you!" a Fang family cultivator shouted sternly, the Gold-Winged Centipede Gu he controlled spewing foul-smelling poisonous mist.

Yan Buji's eyes narrowed, and he spotted that familiar figure in the Gu family camp.

Gu Yue had matured considerably since then, her blue robe stained with blood, the silver bell at her hair jingling with her movements. She held aloft a small bronze cauldron, its body entwined with verdant vine-like patterns.

"Fang Qingyang, your Fang clan violates the ancestral teachings by ambushing your own kin—aren't you afraid the Elders will punish you?" Gu Yue's voice carried suppressed anger.

The old man beside her suddenly spat a mouthful of black blood, obviously poisoned. Gu Yue glanced at him anxiously, but dared not avert her gaze from the enemy before her.

Fang Qingyang gave a sinister grin: "Once you're all dead here, who will know the truth?" Saying this, he suddenly produced a wholly blood-red Gu worm, "Taste the might of my Six-Revolution Blood Slaughter Immortal Gu!"

Blood light surged, and the Gu family members all changed color.

Gu Yue gritted her teeth and activated the Divine Wood Cauldron; a green light rose from within, but it was clearly insufficient.

Yan Buji watched coldly, not intending to meddle in their family affairs.

After all, though the Gu cultivators are rare in the Nan Ting Mountain Region, that doesn't mean outsiders can bully them at will. For now they are fighting among themselves, but if an outsider like me interferes, it's hard to say what will happen.

Besides, he and Gu Yue aren't that close.

The battle situation deteriorated rapidly, and two more Gu family members fell.

Gu Yue's blue robe was soaked through with blood, yet she still clung tightly to the Divine Wood Cauldron. Just as Fang Qingyang's Blood Slaughter Gu was about to strike her heart—

"Clang!"

A flash of light passed, and the Blood Slaughter Gu was cleaved in two midair.

Fang Qingyang stumbled back in shock: "Who are you?"

Yan Buji hid in the darkness, squinting as he watched a youth slowly emerge from the shadows on the other side. The Dao markings on his body flowed like water.

He seemed to stand casually at the edge of the battlefield, yet it made all the Gu worms restless.

"Just passing by," the youth said lightly, his gaze falling on Gu Yue, "Do you need help?"

Gu Yue was first startled, then her beautiful eyes widened: "It's you..." Before she could finish, she spat another mouthful of blood.

Fang Qingyang's face shifted between gloom and clarity, then he gave a sinister laugh: "No matter who you are, daring to interfere in Gu clan affairs..." He hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly screamed.

At some point, a needle-like Gu worm had already pierced his nape.

"Silver... Moon Gu..." Fang Qingyang collapsed to his knees, silver spiderweb-like patterns appearing beneath his skin.

Gu Yue wiped the blood from her lips, coldly saying, "This is to repay you." In her hand she now held a crystal-clear jade cicada, though its aura was extremely withered, and it vanished into light within moments.

"Silver Moon Immortal Gu..." Gu Yue looked with regret as the immortal Gu in her hand disappeared.

Seeing their leader slain, the remaining Fang cultivators scattered like birds and beasts. Gu Yue tried to give chase, but staggered and fell forward.

A pair of strong arms steadied her!

The youth smelled a familiar herbal fragrance, the unique scent of Gu Yue.

"After all these years, you're still as headstrong." He spoke in an even tone, yet a gentle stream of spiritual power flowed from his hand to her.

Gu Yue leaned against his shoulder and gave a weak smile: "You... haven't changed at all..."

The surviving Gu cultivators eyed the youth warily, when one suddenly cried out: "Miss, be careful! He is....."

Gu Yue merely shook her head: "It's fine." She looked at the youth, her eyes holding complex emotions, "I never expected to meet you here."

The youth smiled faintly, then suddenly turned his head, looking toward Yan Buji's hiding place: "You've been lurking in the dark for a while—why not come out and meet?"

Yan Buji gave a slight smile, stepped forward, and looked at the counterpart: "Brother Nan Gong, long time no see."

"You are...?" the youth looked at Yan Buji with a puzzled expression; Yan Buji naturally recognized him.

This person was none other than the talented artifact refiner Nan Gong Ping of the Ji Shan Sect's Accumulation Device Peak in the Qian Dao Earth Realm; one could say Yan Buji's artifact refining techniques, from his initial training to the present, have had their theoretical foundations almost entirely learned from Nan Gong Ping.

"Brother Yan?" Gu Yue beside him froze in place, not expecting to run into him here.

"Brother Yan... are you Huang Hao's junior brother Huang?" Nan Gong Ping suddenly recalled that aged face.

He vaguely recalled that a few hundred years ago, an old man at the Lianqi Phase had once been his junior brother.

In the blink of an eye, five hundred years of worldly changes have passed—who would have thought he too had become a Nascent Soul cultivator like myself?!

Gu Yue's expression was not good; she had parted with Yan Buji in the Dongxing Sea Region years ago, and although they had some contact, his appearing here after hiding for so long boded ill.

Nan Gong Ping also knew this, and thus asked: "I don't know what business Brother Yan... Huang... has here."

"This should be my question to you all," Yan Buji said with a slight smile, stating his attitude: "I was chased by enemies and unintentionally fell into this secret realm, then after narrowly escaping feral beasts I arrived here, only to see you fighting; hearing it seems to be an internal Gu clan matter, I didn't want to intervene. Nor did I expect to meet two old acquaintances here."

Seeing that Yan Buji had no intention of acting, Gu Yue and Nan Gong Ping relaxed.

Especially Gu Yue; the Gu worms on her body emitted a huge warning signal, which left her again shocked by Yan Buji's current combat power.

If he harbored any ill intentions, probably few present could match him.

Yan Buji's combat power, Gu Yue had seen before.

"Our clan's affairs are not to be spoken of lightly; Brother Yan, since you're in this secret realm, have you ever seen an altar?"

"Not at all." Yan Buji blurted out, shaking his head to say he hadn't seen one.

"What treasures does the altar you're seeking hold?" Yan Buji asked bluntly.

Gu Yue's face darkened, and she said nothing.

Nan Gong Ping smiled: "Brother Yan, if you're looking for treasures, why not travel together?"

"This probably isn't necessary; I, Yan, see that you folks aren't exactly welcoming me." Yan Buji narrowed his eyes, looking at the several Nascent Soul cultivators behind Gu Yue, each more wary of him than the last.

Having said that, Yan Buji smiled: "If so, then I'll take my leave, being sensible. Do you all happen to know how to exit this secret realm?"

Gu Yue remained silent for a long time, pointing at a direction: "Going three thousand li in this direction, one will surely find the exit."

"Thank you."

After saying that, Yan Buji turned and left.