Hearing this, Yan Yao and Zhan Yunqi roughly understood the sect leader’s meaning. They also knew the matter was of great importance, and dared not delay. Both left to carry out orders with solemn expressions.
Zhao Dengzi then said to Lu Youming, “You must watch over the Spirit Valley side.”
Lu Youming understood his meaning. This matter did not need too many people to know, even internal people. He also left to carry out orders.
Zhao Dengzi stared at the unknown world within the jade stone archway for a while, then turned and flew away. He needed to arrange related matters, such as secretly preparing capable personnel as just mentioned.
Seeing these people had all left, Du Niang, clutching a fluorite stone at the bottom of the abyss, felt greatly relieved.
So the vine tentacles lying under the jade stone archway quickly gathered and retracted, withdrawing from the cave dwelling entrance.
Soon, the cave dwelling entrance flickered. As the vine tentacles fell back, the jade stone archway in the void disappeared without a trace.
But the falling vine suddenly stopped its descent. Du Niang at the bottom of the abyss fell into a contemplative state.
After coming back to her senses, she looked up at the sky again, sighed, and seemed somewhat helpless.
The vine tentacles suspended in mid-air ascended once more. After reaching their original position, they spat out that golden pearl again, causing the image of the jade stone archway to reappear in the air. Then ripples of void energy surged, and the cave dwelling’s great door opened wide once more.
The vine tentacles advanced once more. Just like before, they lay under the jade stone archway, swallowing and hiding that golden pearl.
Xiang Lanxuan’s subordinates moved quickly. Led by her attendants, fifty or sixty people all arrived in less than half an hour.
They flew along the winding vine body in the air to beneath the jade stone archway. After seeing the three characters “Jinghua Garden” on the archway, Xiang Lanxuan’s attendant was shocked, and also believed Zhan Yunqi’s words. He dared not delay, and immediately led all the personnel charging in.
He never thought Kunling Mountain’s action was a trick, and did not even consider it, because he felt Kunling Mountain did not have that courage.
Once these people entered, Zhan Yunqi immediately flew down, and quickly met up with the waiting Yan Yao.
“The personnel arranged by the sect leader have not arrived yet. If the people from the Daye Bureau run into Xiang Lanxuan inside, they will be exposed immediately, and the entire Kunling Mountain will be in danger.”
Yan Yao was clearly somewhat anxious, or one could say nervous.
Zhan Yunqi said, “It should not be too long. The personnel cannot be delayed until dawn. Wait a moment, I will go check.” Having said this, he immediately hurried off to the sect.
Just as he said, it was only a short wait. He went quickly, and returned quickly too.
He returned hurriedly before long, and whispered instructions to Yan Yao, “The sect leader is worried about outsiders’ attention. The matter of secretly mobilizing capable personnel needs to be done carefully and cautiously. It cannot be too rushed, otherwise clues will easily be revealed, so it is not that fast. The sect leader thinks your concerns are reasonable, and wants you to first lead that batch of prepared personnel outside to enter first, and find the Grand Elder first. The remaining personnel, the sect leader will arrange for others to bring in.”
The matter brooked no delay. Yan Yao delayed no longer, and went with him to outside the Spirit Valley.
That batch of people ordered to wait outside were still in their original places, some sitting, some standing.
Zhan Yunqi directly issued orders in the sect leader’s name, telling them to follow Yan Yao to capture the people they wanted to capture who had trespassed into the Spirit Valley.
Everyone in Kunling Mountain basically knew that Zhan Yunqi was the sect leader’s mouthpiece. When he said it was the sect leader’s meaning, no one doubted it. They immediately followed Yan Yao to carry out the order.
Lu Youming was responsible for deploying the Spirit Valley guards, deliberately creating gaps to let the group pass through, trying his best to avoid anyone noticing this group’s entry.
The group was quite surprised to see the vine bridge emerging from the bottom of the abyss, but they did not think much of it. They followed Yan Yao and rushed up.
When they arrived beneath the jade stone archway and saw the three large characters “Jinghua Garden” on the archway, some people gradually reacted.
Before they could express much surprise or doubt, they followed Yan Yao’s call and charged in. Any questions could only be asked on the way.
Zhan Yunqi breathed a sigh of relief and paced back and forth beneath the jade stone archway waiting. The personnel organized by the sect leader had not arrived for a long time, and he was also very anxious.
It was hard not to be nervous. Once something unexpected happened, the entire Kunling Mountain would be beyond redemption. This favored disciple of the sect leader would not have a good time either. The Daye Bureau had not been shy about committing massacres and exterminating sects.
But he also knew that Kunling Mountain had reached this point, and had already been driven to a dead end. If they did not fight desperately to strive for survival, they could only wait for destruction.
After waiting for about an hour, another figure flashed over. It was Lu Youming running up. He also seemed somewhat anxious, “The follow-up personnel the sect leader mentioned, why have they not arrived yet?”
Zhan Yunqi could only comfort him, “The first half of the night has only just passed. It is still early. Do not be anxious. The matter of secretly mobilizing personnel cannot be known by too many people, so it cannot be rushed. You keep a close eye on the Spirit Valley situation. I will wait outside.”
The two flew down one after another.
Du Niang at the bottom of the abyss muttered to herself, “More people entering. Just how many people are going to enter?”
The matter had reached this stage. Besides having deep resentment toward Yu Qing, she truly did not know how to end this herself.
Zhan Yunqi, waiting outside the Spirit Valley, did not wait too long before he saw several figures flying over. It was Sect Leader Zhao Dengzi and five other elders arriving.
Elder Qu, responsible for the sect’s internal defense, remained waiting outside the valley. Zhao Dengzi and the other four strode inside, directly taking them to the immortal palace entrance to see the situation.
Zhan Yunqi was also left at the entrance to accompany Elder Qu.
Before long, people began appearing quietly in twos and threes, carrying large and small bags on their backs, piling them up like a small hill.
The people who came later arrived empty-handed, also either alone or in twos and threes.
These people seemed not to know what they had come here to do. They even gathered together to ask each other what was going on. Elder Qu ordered the arrivals to each take a single person’s ration and carry it with them.
A full one hundred people came. After distributing the piled-up goods, it seemed everyone had arrived. Elder Qu called out to the group to follow him into the Spirit Valley.
Again Zhan Yunqi led the way, and Lu Youming was responsible for diverting the guards.
The group quietly groped their way in the dark to the cliff front. Elder Qu sized up the vine bridge, then looked at Zhan Yunqi.
Zhan Yunqi nodded in understanding, “Just go up along this vine bridge. The sect leader and the others are waiting above.”
Elder Qu immediately waved and called out. He took the lead himself, flying onto the vine bridge, and led a group of Kunling Mountain disciples rushing up.
After arriving at the cave dwelling entrance in mid-air, the Kunling Mountain disciples were greatly shocked. Those with quick minds had already guessed something.
After Elder Qu’s gaze withdrew from the three large characters on the archway, he stared with a solemn expression toward the unfamiliar world ahead.
Sect Leader Zhao Dengzi was the first to cup his hands and bow deeply to Elder Qu.
The other four elders also cupped their hands and bowed deeply to Elder Qu. All were speechless.
Zhan Yunqi and Lu Youming, seeing this, were greatly shaken. They realized Elder Qu was going to personally lead the team into this dangerous and unknown immortal mansion. The Grand Elder had already gone in. They had not expected another to enter.
The two quickly followed by cupping their hands and bowing.
The group of disciples who had followed up, seeing this situation, were all astonished and doubtful.
Elder Qu swept his gaze over Zhao Dengzi and the others. Without any farewell words, he waved his hand and said, “All those who just came up, follow me.”
He flashed inside first, so that group of disciples could only follow obediently.
The few people at the entrance slowly straightened their backs. Watching the group disappear into the night, Zhao Dengzi let out a light sigh, “I hope my Kunling Mountain can smoothly survive this calamity!”
Wan Liqiu said in a deep voice, “Are you certain that girl Fujun also went in?”
Zhan Yunqi replied, “I do not know. No one saw whether she went in or not, but she probably followed them in.”
Wan Liqiu also sighed, “I hope that if she followed Senior Brother Huan in, she can be of help.”
Besides saying this, he did not know what else to say at the moment. If he scolded Qin Fujun now, it would mean he himself had not disciplined his own disciple well.
Zhao Dengzi turned to face them, “Elders, the situation is what it is. I ask you all to return to your respective halls as soon as possible, to avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion.”
The elders understood his meaning. If elders from all halls disappeared at the same time, it would easily arouse the suspicion of observant people over time. In such a large sect, to say there were no outside spies was something even they themselves did not believe. Moreover, they had already grasped some information, and merely did not expose it when there was no need.
Wan Liqiu gestured toward the vine dragon below the steps, “What is going on with this vine bridge? If it stands here in broad daylight, it cannot be hidden from observant eyes at all.”
Zhao Dengzi said, “Do not worry. We can now slowly investigate what exactly is going on. If it does not work, we will cut it down before dawn.”
Once these words came out, Du Niang at the bottom of the abyss was dumbfounded.
Seeing he had already made a decision, the elders did not linger. They flew down one after another, and under Lu Youming’s arrangements, quietly left.
Zhao Dengzi and Zhan Yunqi then personally circled around the entrance, observing up and down, left and right. They discovered that, as expected, it was indeed an angle problem. Only by finding the right angle could one see the immortal palace entrance.
After the two returned to the Spirit Valley, Zhao Dengzi could not stay here all the time either. He handed the matter of cutting down the vine dragon to Zhan Yunqi and Lu Youming to handle.
What the three did not know was that the vine branches resting on the jade stone archway quickly retracted a distance, and that golden pearl quietly flowed down inside the vine dragon.
The immortal mansion entrance in the void flickered and disappeared without a trace.
Considering that knocking down such a tall vine dragon would cause too much noise from the collapse, Zhan Yunqi and Lu Youming, having found tools, prepared to chop it down section by section from the top.
Thus, when the two returned to the top of the vine bridge again, they were naturally stunned, discovering the immortal palace entrance was gone.
After searching up and down, left and right, the two still could not see the immortal palace entrance. They then realized it was not the angle problem they had previously assumed.
The two dared not delay. Zhan Yunqi hurriedly returned to the sect. Before long, he had “invited” back Sect Leader Zhao, who had not long left.
Sect Leader Zhao also climbed up and down searching everywhere. He discovered the immortal mansion entrance was indeed gone. His heart was in turmoil.
After pondering for a long time at the very top of the vine bridge, he still made a decision, “Chop it down!”
No matter what, such a conspicuous thing could not be left until daytime.
Zhan Yunqi and Lu Youming naturally followed orders. Who knew that with one cut, the vine would twitch in pain. With each cut it twitched, and while twitching it contracted, quickly retracting all the way back to the valley bottom.
Inside the vine demon’s lair, Du Niang’s figure shrank. Holding the golden pearl in one hand and the fluorite in the other, she submerged into the thick root and disappeared without a trace. Then vines threaded everywhere, and in the blink of an eye filled the hollow interior completely.
Zhao Dengzi and the others were right above the vine demon’s lair, stepping on an iron chain to stop and hover. They all took out fluorite stones or fire starters to illuminate and inspect.
The damp environment made people feel uncomfortable.
Zhan Yunqi suddenly said, “Master, it seems the opening of the immortal mansion is related to this vine spirit.”
Zhao Dengzi remained silent, pondering, then suddenly asked, “Qin Fujun said Xiang Lanxuan was chasing that Tanhua Scholar?”
Lu Youming said, “That is the gist of it. She could not be certain either.”
Zhao Dengzi slowly took a deep breath. “It is most likely true. Xiao Yunjian was found by that Tanhua Scholar. Now it seems it was not accidental. It appears this Tanhua Scholar truly has some abilities beyond ordinary people, to actually be able to discover the relationship between this vine spirit and the Hundred Flower Immortal’s cave dwelling. No wonder he ran off to participate in the Chaoyang Assembly. It is just… I do not know if that fellow has some other scheme, or if there is a problem with his brain. To do this kind of thing, is it not better to be more low-key? Why make such a grand fuss snatching that first place, as if afraid others would not target him?”
Seeing he still had the mind to ponder this, Zhan Yunqi had to remind him, “Master, the entrance has disappeared. Can the Grand Elder and the others still come out?”
Zhao Dengzi said, “The entrance cannot disappear. That Tanhua Scholar will come out again.”
Zhan and Lu looked at each other. Lu Youming asked, “How can you tell?”
Zhao Dengzi said, “Since he even knows such a secret way to enter, he should have grasped some information about the immortal mansion’s interior. Without any certainty, he should not rashly barge in. Did he not know that if this vine bridge stood here too long, it would be discovered by my Kunling Mountain? The entrance has closed. As long as he holds the method to enter and exit, regardless of whether the Grand Elder or Xiang Lanxuan wins or loses, he only needs to use this to threaten them. No one will kill him, unless he dies inside from other causes. If the Grand Elder wins, he can naturally come out. If he loses, the result for Kunling Mountain will be the same whether he comes out or not. Whether he can come out is no longer important.”
Zhan and Lu pondered thoughtfully.
“Perhaps this vine spirit was inspired by some technique of that Tanhua Scholar, and may erect another bridge into the immortal mansion at the same time tomorrow night.” Zhao Dengzi, whose tone suddenly shifted, looked down at the gloomy vine demon lair. A trace of cunning flashed in his eyes, and his voice suddenly grew louder, “We shall see tomorrow night. If it cannot erect another bridge into the mansion, then eradicate it completely, roots and all!”