Mysterious Gorge

After leaving Flying Cloud Hall and coming to a deserted spot, the smile on Lin Xuan's face faded bit by bit, replaced by a gloomy expression. A flash of killing intent flickered through his eyes.

He stood silently for a moment. Elder Ma had left a deep impression on Lin Xuan's mind. He would not make any move now, of course—but once he had strength in the future...

Footsteps reached his ears. Someone was coming. Lin Xuan's heart stirred, and the shadowy look on his face swiftly vanished. By the time he raised his head, his expression was normal again, without the slightest trace of anything amiss.

"Ha ha, did you hear? That trash named Lin Xuan received two bottles of Waste Pills."

"What's so strange about that? A Mortal without a Spirit Root thinks he deserves spirit medicine refined from heavenly treasures? Trash goes with Waste Pills, doesn't it?" the other person mocked without restraint, utterly unconcerned that the person they were discussing was right beside them.

Lin Xuan passed them as though he had heard nothing, his expression unchanged. Those who accomplished great things could not act on a moment's impulse. Letting emotion rule one's actions was not bravery, but stupidity. A real man had to endure what others could not endure. He would put these people who had insulted him on the ledger for now...

What mattered most now was cultivating diligently. Strength was the only hard truth. His original plan had been to use the Marrow Cleansing Pill to break through the bottleneck of the second layer of his cultivation technique, but looking at the Waste Pills in his hand, Lin Xuan fell silent for a moment before turning and walking out of Floating Cloud Valley.

Without the aid of pills, with his ordinary aptitude, even coupled with the effort he put in on the Heart Refining Path, breaking through the bottleneck would be difficult. After some consideration, Lin Xuan decided to try his luck.

Not far from the sect lay a small gorge with a hidden entrance, seldom visited by anyone. Lin Xuan had discovered it by chance. Occasionally, he had found some precious medicinal herbs there.

Though the odds were small, Lin Xuan had encountered such herbs several times. Besides spirit pills, certain thousand-year spirit herbs could also help improve one's cultivation.

Lin Xuan considered it carefully. This was his hope of reaching the second layer of the Spirit Movement Stage as soon as possible. And even if he failed to find any spirit herbs, he would lose nothing. Having weighed everything in his heart, Lin Xuan left Floating Cloud Valley.

After leaving the sect's territory, Lin Xuan did not head straight for the gorge. Instead, he wandered aimlessly around the surrounding area several times. He did this to make sure no one was following him. Since precious medicinal herbs could occasionally be found in that hidden gorge, Lin Xuan did not want anyone else to know about it.

After circling around for an hour, Lin Xuan was certain no one had noticed him. Only then did he quietly leave the main road and slip into a secluded path. After winding through countless twists and turns, he arrived at the hidden gorge.

A riot of color filled the gorge. Wildflowers carpeted the grass, and the air was suffused with fragrant scents. What a beautiful sight—but Lin Xuan had not come for an outing. He began carefully searching the area for medicinal herbs that could raise his cultivation.

Time slipped quietly away, yet Lin Xuan had found nothing. Still, he was not discouraged. He had only searched a very small area so far, so he continued looking.

But just then, faint voices drifted into his ears. Lin Xuan froze, then without hesitation hid in the nearby grass.

A streak of red light approached from afar, followed by the sound of something landing with a thud. Two people descended into the gorge, not far from Lin Xuan.

"Master, are your injuries all right?" A young woman's voice rang out, full of concern.

Through the gaps in the grass, Lin Xuan saw that they wore the robes of Floating Cloud Valley. They were members of his own sect. Yet Lin Xuan did not go out to meet them. Better to avoid trouble than invite it; he would wait and watch.

"Cough, cough. I can still hold on. Yan'er, are we near Floating Cloud Valley?" The voice was weak, but it sounded somewhat familiar to Lin Xuan. Which elder of the sect was this?

"Rest assured, Master. We are only a few li from the sect. The enemy would not dare pursue us any farther."

"That is good." The weak voice let out a sigh of relief. It seemed its owner had suffered grave injuries.

"Master, rest for a while first!"

Accompanied by the rustle of robes in the wind, the woman helped the injured man sit against a large tree. Because of his angle, Lin Xuan could see their faces clearly.

"No wonder that voice sounded so familiar."

The man sitting on the ground appeared to be a little over forty. With three long strands of beard, he should have looked like an immortal sage with the bones of the Dao. Yet his face was ash-gray, and his chest was stained with blood. Lin Xuan could not help drawing a sharp breath.

Zhang Yu—the instructor who had taught them the Spirit Power Shield Spell half a month ago. It was said that he had already reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and was one of the sect's protectors.

Lin Xuan also knew the woman. Zhou Yan, a senior sister who had entered the sect several years before him. Though they were of the same generation, she had reached the great perfection of the Spirit Movement Stage. She was among the top three experts of the junior disciples. If nothing unexpected happened, she might successfully reach Foundation Establishment in a few years.

Both were important figures in the sect. How had they ended up fleeing back here in such a bedraggled state?

Moreover, judging from their expressions, they were furtive and jumpy as startled birds. Logically, they had already entered the sect's sphere of influence. There was no need to be so wary. Could they be hiding some secret they did not want others to know?

In the span of a few seconds, Lin Xuan completed all this analysis. With that thought in mind, although he was curious, he hid himself even more carefully.

If they truly carried a great secret and he had happened to stumble upon it, they would surely kill him to silence him. The Cultivation World was a place where the strong devoured the weak, brutally cruel. Lin Xuan had no desire to suffer a calamity falling from the sky for no reason.

Facing an uncle-master at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and a senior sister at the great perfection of the Spirit Movement Stage, even if both were injured, killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant.

After correctly assessing the strength of both sides, Lin Xuan held his breath and concentrated, scarcely daring to breathe. All he hoped was that they would rest briefly and then leave quickly.

"Eh, someone's here!"

Zhou Yan's low cry startled Lin Xuan. Had she discovered him? But before he could react, another miserable scream rang out.

"Y-you ambushed me?" The voice was both terrified and furious, tinged with disbelief. "W-why?"

"Hmph, Master, do not waste your strength. You were the one who gave me this Gold Binding Rope. You should understand its power. In your current condition, you can use at most twenty percent of your spiritual power. You cannot break free no matter how you struggle."