The reason they let Xiang Lanxuan go first was both to show loyalty and because they had no choice.
They had all seen the Great Walker knocked to the ground. They could all tell he was badly hurt. That Grand Elder Huan had also made it very clear, the injuries the Great Walker had sustained from the Empress had never healed.
They could basically conclude that the Great Walker in his current state was no match for this Grand Elder Huan.
They did not believe him when he said he would let them go. How could he possibly let them go?
For Kunling Mountain, what had just happened could not be allowed to leak out through any unreliable person.
The Grand Enterprise Bureau also could not tolerate traitors. They would hunt them to the ends of the earth and never let them go. For now, only by keeping the Great Walker alive did they have more possibilities. At the very least, the Great Walker was the one most capable of fighting his way out. If the worst happened, he would also be the most likely to avenge them.
The reason they dared let Xiang Lanxuan go first was also because they had hostages.
They were all people accustomed to this sort of thing. They saw it very clearly. If the hostages were useful, they would be fine. If the hostages were useless, no one could escape.
Xiang Lanxuan glanced at them. At this moment, there were no cries of loyalty or righteousness. Whether these subordinates or she herself, they all knew what the best choice was. She immediately kept her guard up against Huan Yushan and slowly backed away.
Then right under Huan Yushan’s nose, she flashed away and fled toward the mountain ridge.
They were all people with experience in dangerous situations. They knew open wilderness made it hard to conceal oneself. Using mountainous terrain for cover made escape easier.
As for how to meet up with her subordinates afterwards, that was no great problem. Since they knew people had already entered, they naturally had methods of leaving marks to rendezvous.
Seeing Xiang Lanxuan fly away, Huan Yushan instinctively moved a step. Le Shu suddenly shouted in anger, “You just try it!”
He pressed his sword harder. Yan Yao’s neck was already covered in blood. His collar was soaked through with blood.
Huan Yushan had to stop, clenching his fists. Though his face was ice-cold, he did not dare act rashly against these people.
As the other side had said, Yan Yao was indeed his weak spot. Spirit Valley hid Kunling Mountain’s greatest secret, and his lineage controlled the sect’s forbidden ground, Spirit Valley. The fact that he had entrusted Spirit Valley to Yan Yao showed how much he trusted him.
He had no children in this life. He did not exactly regard Yan Yao as a son, but he had indeed treated him as his successor.
It was precisely because they had spotted this that Le Shu and Gan Li had killed the others but not Yan Yao.
In certain respects, the Grand Enterprise Bureau still had some understanding.
Yan Yao cried out in shame, “Master, do not worry about me!”
Le Shu grabbed his hand and quickly tapped his body, directly silencing him. Then he pulled him back.
Gan Li immediately waved her hand to signal. The group of Grand Enterprise Bureau personnel all retreated on high alert.
Huan Yushan said in a deep voice, “I have already let Xiang Lanxuan leave. Will you not release your hostage?”
Le Shu retreated while sneering coldly, “Grand Elder Huan, are you joking? If we hand him over to you now, would that not be seeking death?”
Gan Li added, “Grand Elder Huan, rest assured. As long as we are safe, your disciple will naturally be safe too. Such a good card, why would we easily destroy it?”
Huan Yushan let out a cold laugh. “The mighty Grand Enterprise Bureau. You really are accustomed to this sort of despicable coercion.” Le Shu and the others ignored his mockery and quickly withdrew, rapidly retreating in the direction of the mountain ridge where Xiang Lanxuan had gone.
The group retreated while keeping guard behind them. The fact that Huan Yushan stood motionless in place put them somewhat at ease.
Le Shu, who was holding Yan Yao, quipped, “Brother Yan, it seems your master really does treasure you.”
Yan Yao closed his eyes in shame. Having had his mute acupoint sealed, he could not say anything.
After the group darted into the mountains, they rapidly moved about. Now was not the time to find a place to hide.
At long last, dawn broke. They could finally see the beauty of this immortal abode,
yet none of them had the heart to appreciate the exotic flowers and rare herbs in the mountains. They only focused on running and running, maintaining high alert to their surroundings as they ran.
They ran for a long distance. When they burst into a valley, a sudden muffled “buzz” echoed from within the valley.
Everyone was startled. They quickly guarded their surroundings. Le Shu, who was holding the hostage, rapidly pulled Yan Yao tighter. His sword never left Yan Yao’s neck. He turned in circles holding Yan Yao, vigilantly watching all around.
But just as he turned in circles holding Yan Yao, his back facing a mountain wall on one side, that wall exploded as if heaven and earth were splitting apart.
The shattered rocks from the explosion shot out violently.
It was rather close. Le Shu, turning his head sharply, had no time to react
before he was struck in the back by several rocks of varying sizes. The impact made him spew out a mouthful of blood.
In a flash, he guessed who had launched the sneak attack. The sword that he had wanted to slash across Yan Yao’s neck simply could not exert any more force. His wide eyes seemed about to pop out. There were also gravel stones that directly pierced into his body. Bloody holes spurted blood. His entire person, still holding Yan Yao, was sent flying.
“Ah…”
Under the violent sweep of the chaotic rocks, a wave of screams rang out continuously. Those with slightly weaker cultivation had their bodies pierced by rocks. Some were directly smashed flying by larger stones. The mountain wall opposite was also struck by the tremendous force, half of it collapsing with a rumble.
Gan Li unleashed both palm and sword, desperately defending against the incoming rocks.
A white figure emerged from the collapsing mountain together with the exploding rocks, reaching out to grab Gan Li.
To Gan Li, the opponent’s speed was too fast. Her palm and sword had just hastily split apart the incoming rocks when a clawed hand pressed down on her head. Her hair bun burst apart. Five fingers gripped her skull.
She immediately swung her sword horizontally, intending to perish together with him. But the opponent’s powerful cultivation penetrated directly from her crown throughout her entire body. Her whole person seemed about to explode. Blood sprayed from her nasal cavity. Blood also seeped from the corners of her eyes.
Her legs went weak and she knelt down. The sword she had swung out also subconsciously planted itself on the ground, forcibly supporting her so she did not fall.
The person in white robes holding her head, standing before her, was precisely Huan Yushan.
Blood dripped steadily from the corners of Gan Li’s mouth and nostrils.
On the bloody Le Shu’s face, half of his skull was caved in. Brain matter and blood flowed. His eyes were still wide open, as if still in a nightmare.
Most of the several dozen people were on the ground wailing and groaning. Only about a dozen or so crawled away rolling and scrambling. They could not care about the life or death of the two Walkers.
The disparity in strength was truly too vast. It was practically the difference between heaven and earth.
Grand Elder Huan did not bother with the dozen or so escapees. He stared coldly at Gan Li kneeling before him and said in a deep voice, “I will ask you one more time. Where is that Tanhuailang?”
Gan Li endured the pain within her body, trembling, and gritted her teeth,
“I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything. Please spare me, Grand Elder. The person was not lost. He was taken away by the Great King.” How did she know of that Great King? Huan Yushan’s face showed sudden shock and suspicion. He frowned and thought briefly. Then he suddenly raised his claw. The head was easily plucked off as if picking fruit. With a casual wave, the head flew out and smashed against the rocks opposite with a “splat,” flattening and bursting, to vent his previous hatred.
The reason he killed without asking further was because there was no need to ask more. If what the other party said at this time was false, further torture would not yield the truth. He also had no time to interrogate slowly. If it was true, there was also no need to keep her alive.
The spurting blood could not approach his body in the slightest.
Gan Li, who had been kneeling propped on her sword, thudded to the ground.
Huan Yushan walked to Le Shu’s side. With one kick, he pushed aside Le Shu’s corpse. He spread his five claws and drew up his disciple Yan Yao from a distance. He rapidly moved to undo the restrictions on his body.
Yan Yao, restored to freedom, felt his cultivation resume circulating within his body. Looking again at the bloody surroundings, his heart pounded with shock. It was also the first time he had seen his master kill so indiscriminately. Such a scene actually made him forget his shame for a moment.
Huan Yushan flashed to the mountaintop. He stamped his foot on the ground. The mountaintop rumbled and collapsed, ruthlessly covering the dead below and those still alive who were struggling and wailing.
Yan Yao was greatly alarmed. He leaped into the air, avoiding the landslide. When he landed again, the valley beneath his feet had already been filled in. Dust and smoke billowed in all directions.
Huan Yushan said from not far away, “You failed to keep watch over him. After Elder Qu discovers the anomaly and rushes over, he will certainly lead people to the exit to meet with me. You go to the exit immediately and stand guard. When you see Elder Qu, bring him here at once. Conduct a ground search along the mountain ridge. In short, you must not let that bitch Xiang Lanxuan escape.”
He himself would search from the air. And he would start searching right now. At the same time, this was to intimidate the target, making the target dare not run toward open areas. It would limit the range of the target’s escape, so that when reinforcements arrived later, they could search more easily.
Hearing this, Yan Yao was alarmed once more. “What if Xiang Lanxuan also runs to the exit? What should this disciple do if I encounter her? Elder Qu and the others will certainly be in danger if they encounter her during the search.”
He had just freed himself from being a hostage. If he fell into her hands again, that would be awkward.
Huan Yushan said, “Rest assured. She is heavily injured. She is already at the end of her rope. Even you, she is no match for.”
Hearing these words, Yan Yao immediately gained confidence. He cupped his hands and said,
“This disciple accepts the order.”
Huan Yushan flashed and soared into the air, directly flying into the sky,
beginning his search from high above.
Yan Yao looked up, his face showing gratitude.
At the critical moment, his master regarded him as so important that he would rather let Xiang Lanxuan escape than fail to save him first. How could he not be grateful?
He turned and flew off, obeying the order to guard the exit. As soon as the sun emerged, the divine tree’s radiance also faded from view.
Xiang Zhen, carrying a sword on his back, stood atop a giant tree watching the sunrise. He savored the refreshing atmosphere of the immortal abode. Only the buzzing all around was somewhat disturbing.
Fist-sized multicolored bees flew around the giant tree,
and as more and more bees appeared, they nearly enveloped the giant tree like a thin veil.
The size and height of this tree were extraordinary. For the swarm to be numerous enough to drape the tree like a veil, one could imagine the quantity.
Countless multicolored bees busily came and went, appearing exceptionally industrious.
Only now did Xiang Zhen realize this was no immortal palace at all. It was completely a giant beehive.
After the sun came out, the long night passed. The drum sounds also vanished. The two men and two women in strange attire also went about their business.
The sunlight happened to be shining directly in his eyes, so Xiang Zhen turned around. He saw the flower-robed man lying on a drum snoring, seemingly sleeping quite soundly.
He looked around again. His gaze soon rose to the sun-shading canopy above the open ground.
Actually, it was not a canopy. It was a mass of vines growing on the tree,
intertwined together to resemble a canopy. The leaves were as green as jade, fresh and beautiful.
He noticed a fruit on the vine. A black fruit shaped like a gourd hung in the very center. Looking at the vine’s form, it did not seem to be a gourd vine. He did not know what kind of fruit it was.
Suddenly, the flower-robed man sleeping on the drum rolled over. A plaque at his waist struck the drum surface with a “dong-long” sound.
Xiang Zhen’s eyes immediately locked onto the source of the sound. He discovered it was a waist plaque carved from black wood, smaller than a palm. On the plaque was carved a strange creature. A bird. A bird with three legs.
He thought he had seen wrong. Looking more carefully, the strange bird carved on the plaque indeed had three legs.