Chapter 67: Shouting and Charging Forward

Zhuo Wanqiu suddenly realized she had misunderstood.

Ji You has a fiancée; naturally, he would have no connection with his own Mirror Master.

My mind… I don’t know why, but even back at Lingjian Mountain, I always assumed any man and woman walking together were lovers.

At that moment, the immortal mountain behind them emitted another hum.

This was the third time the central immortal mountain at the ruin’s deepest core had burst forth with boundless immortal light, plunging the outside world into darkness while illuminating Qiling all around them.

Wen Zhengxin gripped his longsword, looked back over his shoulder, and felt his heart tremble.

“Withdraw quickly!”

“You, the one from Lingjian Mountain, come with us.”

Hearing this, Zhuo Wanqiu snapped back to awareness, glanced between the direction into the mountain and the direction out, hesitated for a long while, then followed the disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy.

They’re going to save their fiancée—you can’t go running over to stop them.

Thus, the group swiftly retraced their steps along the path they had come, and since they had already traversed it once, the return was much faster.

After running for a long while, Zhuo Wanqiu gradually regained her thoughts, watching the Heavenly Book Academy disciples stride away from the boundless immortal fortune without the slightest hesitation or backward glance, and she felt astonished.

The Lingjian Mountain disciples withdrew on command because the Mirror Master’s order had to be obeyed.

But why were the Heavenly Book Academy disciples leaving?

She wouldn’t be so naive as to think her single remark had changed the minds of those who had previously been enemies of Lingjian Mountain.

“You were planning to withdraw all along?”

“My younger brother said what’s inside the mountain isn’t immortal fortune—it’s disaster—and told us not to make pointless sacrifices.”

Wen Zhengxin replied.

In truth, the main reason she had believed Zhuo Wanqiu was that she, like his younger brother, had urged them to leave.

Zhuo Wanqiu blinked in surprise: “You believed him just because he said that?”

“Mm.”

Wen Zhengxin nodded and continued walking out without looking back.

From entering the mountain to leaving, suspicion ran deep here.

Some suspected a conspiracy within the mountain; others distrusted their companions. But from start to finish, not a single disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy—or the other immortal sect disciples who fled with them—ever doubted Ji You’s character.

Nor did anyone, seeing him go against the flow to urge others to turn back, assume he was trying to monopolize the immortal fortune.

After a long trek, the group finally exited the ruin and entered the rolling, endless mountains beyond Qiling.

At this moment, the demonic seeds had spread throughout the valleys, their ferocity awakened, eyes glowing crimson as they surged outward, flooding into the darkness in all directions.

Beisha Town had been utterly overrun; the streets were filled with civilians who had not escaped in time, their terrified screams rising and falling.

The Lingjian Mountain disciples had arrived earlier at the mountain entrance, where two mid-stage Tongxuan cultivators knelt before a pile of black ash, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Ding Yao stood nearby; hearing footsteps, she immediately glared at the Heavenly Book Academy disciples with fierce hostility.

This was the sight of enemies meeting—eyes blazing with hatred.

Ban Yangshu glanced at them, then looked up at the impenetrable night sky, falling silent for a long while.

On the way back, he had received a secret message from his family: enter the central immortal mountain and seek immortal fortune for the clan, to revive its declining fortunes.

In truth, the other disciples were much the same—they only realized after emerging that beyond their immortal sect identities, they were also scions of noble families, large or small.

“This feels a bit like the night in my younger brother’s story.”

“Mm.”

Seeing Wen Zhengxin nod, Ban Yangshu drew his longsword.

None of them had ever been the protagonist of their own lives; even if they had briefly shone, they always ended up realizing they were merely bystanders in someone else’s tale.

But one could choose—choose not to be part of their story.

By the time they emerged, they had exhausted the spirit stones brought by Pei Ruyi; now their spiritual energy overflowed, surging powerfully.

Seeing this, Ding Yao instantly drew her sword, assuming they meant to seek revenge—her killing intent surged instantly.

This sight startled Zhuo Wanqiu, who immediately shouted to stop them.

Though she didn’t know the exact relationship between the young Mirror Master and Ji You of the Heavenly Book Academy, she was certain they were not enemies—so they must not deepen their enmity.

But to her surprise, Ban Yangshu did not raise his sword toward Lingjian Mountain—he turned, sword in hand, and charged toward Beisha Town.

Wen Zhengxin stood frozen for a long moment, then drew his sword and followed after him.

After him came Pei Ruyi, Bai Ru Long, Xu Jin… finally, even those disciples Ji You had casually saved turned and charged toward the demonic seeds surrounding Beisha Town.

Throughout, none of those charging the demonic seeds spoke a word or exchanged a glance.

It was as if this were an act of waste, a moment of emptiness—a temporary shedding of their burdens, following the heart’s impulse.

The Lingjian Mountain disciples stared in stunned silence as they heard the disciples shouting things like “One man can hold the pass against ten thousand,” “No one shall pass my sword circle,” “Human and demonic seed, forbidden ahead,” and then charged forward.

“Senior brother, after we wipe them out, I’m carving the most arrogant phrase on the wall!”

“No.”

“Is it because we can’t damage a single brick or tile of the townsfolk’s homes?”

“No—it’s mine to carve.”

Ban Yangshu muttered coldly and charged ahead, cleaving through a vast swarm of demonic seeds with a single slash.

He was, after all, a high-stage Tongxuan cultivator; with his spiritual energy fully charged, his killing efficiency far surpassed Ji You’s, who relied on technique.

But just as he cut clean through the entire official road into town, he suddenly halted.

That brief pause nearly cost him his heart to a demonic seed lunging straight at him.

Bai Ru Long rushed forward, swinging his sword to block the claw, then severed the creature’s head in one motion.

After spending half a month in the ruin, Bai Ru Long had changed—he was no longer the frail noble youth who only knew how to shield Ji You with his own body.

“Senior brother, what’s wrong?”

Ban Yangshu looked up dazedly at the pitch-black night: “I thought I heard something singing…”

Bai Ru Long strained his ears: “There’s nothing. Senior brother, you’re imagining it.”

“Alright. I thought I’d see immortal light, like in the story.”

“That’s just a story.”

After saying this, Bai Ru Long swung his sword cleanly and turned to Ban Yangshu: “Senior brother, the immortal sect prince carved his Dao on the wall—what Dao did Ji Bochang point to beneath his feet? What Dao lies there?”

Ban Yangshu shook his head and slashed his way to the town’s front gate.

Bai Ru Long followed close behind, afraid his senior brother would steal the final grand moment.

But as they fought their way here, they suddenly saw eight massive characters carved into the wall—and burst into curses.

“Who carved this?!”

“Damn it—that was supposed to be mine!”

Wen Zhengxin sat atop the wall, one hand holding his sword upright, smiling brightly: “Sorry—I got here first.”

Bai Ru Long raised his sword: “I’ll carve a smaller one…”

Ban Yangshu also raised his sword against the wall: “I’ll carve the biggest one.”

Meanwhile, the Lingjian Mountain disciples could no longer see them, nor knew if they lived or died, muttering under their breath: “They’ve gone mad.”

Zhuo Wanqiu had intended to lend them aid, but her waist pendant suddenly glowed faintly—so she slipped away silently, heading toward Ningcheng County to the north.

(End of Chapter)