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Two hours later, Elder Yao's figure appeared in the dark Passageway. His gaze swept over the blood and flesh splattered on the stone walls, landing on the Jade Tablet left behind by Ling Daozi on the ground. Elder Yao floated forward, picked up the blood-stained Jade Tablet, and examined it, his expression growing increasingly grim. After a moment of silence, he turned and left, heading back to Nine Li Cave Heaven.
"Is he dead?"
"Dead beyond any doubt; he has turned to dust."
"Well. I'm getting lazier and don't want to hide anymore. You handle these people; I will go to the Scripture Repository to find what I need."
"Understood. We bid farewell to the Sect Master."
The black mist rapidly contracted, surprisingly taking on a human shape. Moments later, a smooth-skinned man suddenly appeared in place. With a wave of his hand, a white robe draped over him. The man leisurely shook off his clothes and turned his face; Yue Mangzi and the others were immediately shocked and terrified as the black mist-like Old Demon transformed into Ling Daozi!
Ling Daozi coldly scanned the crowd and arrogantly lifted his chin at Elder Yao before soaring out of the hall, swaggering into the sky towards the Scripture Repository.
The disciples at the entrance were astonished; they had clearly seen Ling Daozi, Master Uncle, fly away just moments ago. How could another Ling Daozi, Master Uncle, emerge from the main hall?
Someone raised their doubts but was immediately struck on the back of the head: "Fool! Can't Ling Daozi, Master Uncle, enter from behind and leave from the front? You really are dense!"
"Oh..." The disciple rubbed his head, half-convinced, but had already accepted this explanation in his heart.
The hall doors closed tightly again. Sitting prominently in the Sect Master's position was now Elder Yao, flanked by the pale-faced Ling Jizi, Yue Mangzi, Ling Xiaozi, Chu Li, Chulin... Elder Yao's gaze swept over everyone with a hint of obvious pride as he spoke in a low voice.
Listening to him, everyone's hearts sank once more to rock bottom; even Ling Jizi felt an unprecedented sense of extreme shame.
The crowd hung their heads dejectedly; most people's nails dug deeply into their palms without them even realizing it. Chulin knew she would be looked down upon by that traitor but couldn't help but burst into tears. She thought about how wonderful it would be if Chu Hongzi succeeded as Sect Master and if he and Junior Sister were still in Nine Li Sect...
The Array Hall fell once again into a cloud of sorrow.
After more than ten years of confinement, all Elixirs like Fire Origin Pill had run out, leaving everyone's cultivation reduced to barely one or two-tenths of their former selves. Even the best True Microbe only retained thirty percent of its power. If they were trapped any longer, they might face complete dispersion of their powers. Despite this, the ten elders here had not given up hope; they hoped that one day Chu Hongzi would return with the Vermilion Bird Nine Li Blade to open this place and bring them all out.
Hope was shattered once again. Nine Li Cave Heaven had completely fallen into the hands of Yandao Demon Lord! Even the Ancient Spirit Arrangement had not altered the passageway; during that previous invasion by demons, they had not been conquered, yet this time Yandao Demon Lord took it effortlessly!
True Microbe Yueyangzi was heartbroken, pounding his chest and crying uncontrollably.
Seeing the pained expressions of the elderly White Hair, Yun Jiuzi furrowed his brows tightly, feeling somewhat unconvinced.
If one were to speak of feelings towards the Nine Li Sect, Yun Jiuzi could be said to have the faintest attachment among them all. He did not care about the legacy of the Ancestor or the lives of people like Ling Jizi; what mattered to him was the last remnants of kinship and friendship by his side. And these were given to him by Li Hong. To Yun Jiuzi, Li Hong was his last family member and friend in this world, which is why he could remain trapped in the Array Hall for him.
Now it was time to leave. It was already difficult to turn back at this point. Here, it was time to give up and go find Li Hong. After all, the truth was clear, and the evidence was irrefutable; Li Hong was not a traitor, the real traitor was Elder Yao.
Yun Jiuzi raised his hands: "Everyone, please hold your sorrow for a moment and listen to me." He said slowly: "Ling Daozi's last words have been heard by all. We now know how to leave; the cost may be that we could be discovered by the Yandao Demon Lord. However, I still suggest everyone leave because if we remain trapped here any longer, we will all die!"
The tenth elder remained silent. But seeing their expressions, Yun Jiuzi knew that they would find it hard to accept his suggestion. For them, they would rather die than hand over their last line of defense, the Li Fire Formation, to the Old Demon.
Yun Jiuzi smiled bitterly; for the sake of so-called Ancestor's legacy and their stubborn sense of honor, these masters of the Nine Li Sect, who had cultivated for thousands of years, were willing to give up their lives. They were great, but he did not feel that great!
Yun Jiuzi said solemnly: "No matter what you think, I am leaving here. I suggest you leave with me. Because once I go out, this passage will be easily exposed. If the Yandao Demon Lord comes in, you will not be his match at all. This is not about boosting others' morale while diminishing our own; remember that as long as we keep our heads above water, we need not fear running out of fuel. As long as we break through together and meet with Chu Hong, we can surely make a comeback and reclaim the Nine Li Cave Heaven from the Old Demon, bringing glory back to our sect! I guarantee it!"
Believing this was the longest and most inspiring speech he had ever given, Yun Jiuzi felt slightly emotional. However, when he looked at the ten people again, he felt deflated once more, knowing it was all in vain.
Yueyangzi spoke up: "Yun Jiuzi, you should go alone. You have already reached the Heavenly Fusion Stage, having glimpsed a thread of heavenly Dao; it would indeed be a pity to die here in vain. We are different from you; if we truly follow you out, we would spend our remaining time in guilt and self-blame, and our cultivation would not progress at all. So rather than going out and losing our power due to guilt, it is better to make one last stand against the Old Demon. If we are fortunate enough to kill him, it would be a great fortune for the Nine Li Sect!"
"Yes!"
"Well said!"
The elders, who had just been like wooden statues moments ago, suddenly erupted with fervor, everyone expressing their agreement.
Yun Jiuzi could only smile bitterly once more.
Yueyangzi took something out from his bosom and handed it to Yun Jiuzi, saying earnestly: "Take this to Chu Hong, and tell that child he is my good disciple!"
Yueyangzi's words meant that he had officially acknowledged Li Hong as the leader. Yun Jiuzi took it and tucked it into his bosom, nodding vigorously.
Following Ling Daozi's instructions, Yun Jiuzi activated a mechanism hidden in the shadows.
The entire Array Hall shook violently, the tremors even reaching outside. In the depths of the Scripture Repository, Ling Daozi squinted his eyes as he felt the disturbance. Moments later, he dropped the Silk Scroll in his hand and turned to leave.
The Array Hall swayed back and forth, stone dust falling like rain, filling the air with dust that made it hard to open one's eyes. Yun Jiuzi stood on the high platform at the center of the Li Fire Formation, extending his Divine Consciousness to sense the changes in the force field.
According to Ling Daozi's last words, this mechanism should not be triggered lightly; if it was, the resulting noise would be immense. At this moment, it seemed to be true. Ling Daozi also mentioned that no one, including himself, knew which specific passage would open or where it was located. This passage was originally just an emergency backup route, existing only in secret oral traditions among the leaders, and had never been opened before. Today was its first activation.
The shaking of the stone chamber grew increasingly violent, making it hard for everyone to maintain their balance. Suddenly, however, the shaking came to an abrupt stop. Dust continued to fall from above, but everything was calm as if the earlier chaos had never occurred.
Looking around, Yun Jiuzi saw no passage opening and felt a chill in his heart. Just then, a bright light caught his attention; a circular beam of light three feet in diameter shone directly onto him. When he looked up, he was overjoyed. A perfectly round exit appeared at the top of the stone chamber, presumably connecting directly to the outside world, allowing sunlight to pour in. The sunlight, as large as a water tank, cast a white beam on the high platform amidst swirling dust.
Without hesitation, Yun Jiuzi turned and bowed deeply to True Microbe, Yueyangzi, and others before leaping into the passageway and speeding outward.
The sunlight grew brighter until he could see the familiar deep blue sky of Nine Li Cave Heaven, adorned with wisps of fiery red clouds. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Yun Jiuzi executed the Skyward Technique at full capacity and shot out of the exit like an arrow. Looking around, he immediately recognized his surroundings.
He found himself amidst the vast structures of Elder Peak Artifact Hall. The small garden had wilted flowers and plants devoid of life. Surrounding him were tall walls with no apparent exits. In front stood a solitary small house. The house was dilapidated with no windows, only a small door at the front.
A wave of sorrow washed over Yun Jiuzi. He lifted his robes and knelt down respectfully before the remains of his late master, Heavenly Danzi, bowing three times. Rising up, he charged toward the wall. Strangely enough, it was as if he was swallowed by the wall and disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a perfectly round exit that had suddenly appeared.
He quickly entered the Li Fire Formation Passageway. Without needing guidance, Yun Jiuzi knew exactly how to proceed.
The route through the Li Fire Formation Passageway had changed every three months previously to prevent clever individuals from memorizing it. However, for some unknown reason over the past year, it seemed that the route had become stuck and could not be altered. This was why Yun Jiuzi could effortlessly remember how to navigate it.
Before long, he burst out of the South Mountain Exit. It was just past noon; the sun shone brightly as Yun Jiuzi stretched his arms comfortably and savored the long-missed sunlight before soaring into the sky.
Two figures emerged from behind a canyon: Ling Panzai and Ling Shizi. They exchanged glances in disbelief: "Is my vision deceiving me? That person looks exactly like Yun Jiuzi Ancestor! Did he really come out from the Array Hall!?"
Ling Panzai felt a stir in his heart: "No, we need to follow and see clearly!"
The two shared the same thought and without further ado, they rushed in the direction where Yun Jiuzi had disappeared.
At the same time, Elder Yao and Yandao Demon Lord, transformed into Ling Daozi, searched everywhere in the Artifact Hall.
"I clearly sensed a fluctuation of force here, and the source is inside. Why can't I find it?" Ling Daozi said with some confusion.
Elder Yao replied, "I heard that the Artifact Hall has deliberately set up many mechanisms, secret passages, and hidden rooms. It's like a maze, second only to the Li Fire Formation. To find out what just happened, we can only call those old fellows over. Even if they refuse to speak, I have ways to make them talk!"
"Go ahead." Ling Daozi said lightly, with his hands behind his back.
The next day at noon, the emergency exit of Array Hall was discovered by Yandao Demon Lord.
No one knew what had happened inside Array Hall, but afterward, the Nine Li Sect suddenly had many "experts."
The more observant disciples were greatly puzzled as to why some of them looked so familiar. Why did they remind people of that night when they attacked their sect alongside Yandao Demon Lord? Why did they emanate an aura that made others feel extremely uncomfortable?
The more astute disciples ultimately vanished, as if bubbles dissolving in water, completely disappearing. Those who survived were mostly slower-witted and timid disciples who obeyed orders.
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