Another Conflict Arises

The intense pain didn't knock Shen Yi unconscious. Instead, it made him more alert. The moment he leaped into the blue light of the teleportation point, the raging flames on his body were instantly extinguished. Even so, Shen Yi was left with lingering fear.

"Shen Yi!"

A familiar voice called out, filled with surprise. Shen Yi then saw that it was Wu Liujian.

"Old Wu!"

Shen Yi was equally surprised. He hadn't expected to run into his friend here; it was truly fortunate.

Both were overjoyed and quickly found a secluded spot to talk.

"The number one in the Immortal Academy Grand Competition, how did you end up in such a sorry state?"

Wu Liujian punched Shen Yi's chest, his tone teasing, though his expression was full of concern.

"Ran into some trouble."

Shen Yi sighed. He took out a complete set of clothes from his Cosmic Ring and changed before recounting his encounter with the bizarre blood vines and molten flames to Wu Liujian. He then asked, "What about you? You look serious, you've clearly encountered unusual obstacles too."

As expected, Wu Liujian had also encountered danger, though it was different from Shen Yi's. He listened, his heart pounding with apprehension.

Seeing more and more cultivators teleporting in around them, Shen Yi said gravely, "If my guess is correct, if Jiang Miaoyi and the other two manage to break through their obstacles, they should also be teleported here."

Wu Liujian nodded in agreement, constantly glancing around warily. Both of them were depleted, and if they were attacked, they might not be able to escape easily.

"How about this, you meditate and recover first, I'll scout around."

Shen Yi noticed that the people around them were all recuperating. He called out to Wu Liujian, telling him to recover while he stood guard. As for Shen Yi's own injuries, he had already recovered thanks to the Essence of Flora within him.

Wu Liujian didn't say anything further and immediately sat down to recuperate, leaving Shen Yi to scout the surroundings.

The area was quite spacious, enough to accommodate several hundred people. Shen Yi walked around and found that it was a circular structure. On the map, there was a corresponding circular area, which he assumed was another teleportation destination. If Jiang Miaoyi and the others weren't sent here, they should be at that corresponding location on the map.

Indeed, after waiting for two full days, none of the three, Jiang Miaoyi, appeared. They must have been sent to another location. Instead, Wang Mingxuan showed up.

The two instantly recognized each other in the crowd. Wang Mingxuan made a death gesture towards Shen Yi, who smiled faintly and slowly gave him the middle finger.

"What? Ran into an enemy?"

Wu Liujian had mostly recovered and noticed the exchange between Shen Yi and Wang Mingxuan, quickly stepping forward to ask.

"Wang Mingxuan, the eldest son of the Qingxuan Sect's Grand Elder, has also arrived here."

"So, want to find an opportunity?"

Upon hearing Wang Mingxuan's name, Wu Liujian frowned slightly, clearly showing his dislike for the man. He whispered to Shen Yi.

Shen Yi shook his head. Five people from the Qingxuan Sect were all here. Acting rashly would likely put them at a disadvantage. Moreover, he couldn't discern Wang Mingxuan's cultivation level.

Fortunately, there were many cultivators around, and no one paid particular attention to the conflict between Shen Yi and Wang Mingxuan.

In the following days, more cultivators were successively teleported in. The first batch of people to arrive had completely recovered. When the power levels became unbalanced, conflicts arose.

"People from the Longevity Sect, hand over your protective treasures, and we, the Jiaxiang Sect, will spare your lives."

"Dream on! The Jiaxiang Sect killed our fellow disciple. My Taiyi Sect demands an explanation. Fellow cultivator from the Longevity Sect, why don't we join forces to deal with these villains!"

Old grudges and new animosities erupted simultaneously within this small structure, stirring up a storm. In an instant, the building was filled with shouts of killing.

Wang Mingxuan's group also seized the opportunity to attack Shen Yi and Wu Liujian. Unfortunately, although the Qingxuan Sect had a numerical advantage, Shen Yi and Wu Liujian were no ordinary cultivators. For a time, the two sides fought to a standstill, neither able to gain the upper hand.

"You are Shen Yi, aren't you? The number one in the Immortal Academy, yet you're only at the Qi Refining Third Layer. Truly laughable."

Wang Mingxuan faced Shen Yi, attacking while mocking him, trying to disrupt his state of mind.

"It's a pity that even though you're at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, you still can't do anything to me."

Shen Yi said, but his movements were extremely cautious. He could feel that Wang Mingxuan wasn't using his true strength, seemingly holding back. As they spoke, they exchanged a punch and each retreated a step.

Shen Yi and Wu Liujian stood back-to-back, surrounded by the five members of the Qingxuan Sect. Both sides probed each other, resulting in a stalemate.

"This isn't working. We'll be slowly worn down. Let's find an opportunity to break out!"

Shen Yi and Wu Liujian whispered to each other, discussing a plan. Then, Wu Liujian thrust his sword, attacking one of them. Shen Yi's Dragon Elephant Fist followed closely. The opponent blocked the sword strike but had no time to react to the fist technique. He could only leap high, and precisely at that moment, the two seized the opening and broke through.

"What good is breaking out? Today, I will make sure you two are buried here!"

Wang Mingxuan's eyes were fierce. With a command, he led his four fellow disciples in pursuit.

Shen Yi and Wu Liujian fought as they retreated, but they were forced into a corner, seemingly with nowhere left to go. Suddenly, a loud bang came from the opposite side, and a stone door slowly opened.

Spiritual energy emanated from within the stone door, incredibly pure, causing everyone in the area to cease their fighting and rush towards it.

"The sect's affairs are paramount. You two are lucky today, we'll spare your lives. Next time we meet, I'll spill your blood!"

Wang Mingxuan, fearing he would be the last to arrive and be beaten to the punch, disregarded his father's orders and charged forward, scrambling with the others to get through the stone door.

Shen Yi and Wu Liujian let out a long sigh of relief, exchanging wry smiles. However, their eyes burned with anger. Who would live and who would die the next time they met was still unknown.

"I fear what lies beyond this stone door is still fraught with danger. Be careful!"

They approached the stone door side-by-side. On the door, a character "Yang" was carved. Shen Yi looked at the map and instantly understood:

"This ruin should be constructed according to the Eight Gates, Five Elements, Yin Yang, and One Origin. This is the Yin Yang area ahead. Beyond that lies the true core area of the ruin."

Wu Liujian was greatly astonished upon hearing this. Shen Yi was indeed extraordinary, able to deduce the entire structure of the ruin from such simple information. He truly deserved to be the number one in the Immortal Academy.

"I'll follow your lead!"

Wu Liujian was now completely convinced of Shen Yi's capabilities and immediately expressed his willingness to follow Shen Yi's decisions. They were already friends, and now they were bound by life and death. He naturally trusted Shen Yi implicitly.

"Perfect. Wang Mingxuan and the others are in the same area as us. Why don't we eliminate his companions first, leaving him without his claws and teeth, and then kill him. As for how we'll act, we'll play it by ear once we're inside."