Embrace in the Abyss

"They jumped into the ten-thousand-foot abyss..."

"They didn't even hesitate for a split second..."

Yin Huacheng's mind went blank, his pupils constricting to pinpricks.

He had seen many people display ugly cowardice in the face of death.

But he had never seen anyone sprint toward their own demise without a shred of hesitation.

Not even he knew how deep the Clear Abyss was, and it was still saturated with an incredibly potent pressure; once someone fell in, their Blood-Qi, Internal Breath, Form-Will, and even the connection between their inner and outer worlds would be suppressed.

Even the Sect Master, who had reached the External Scene Realm, would likely not dare to descend without thorough preparation.

Two Blood-Qi Realm cultivators? It was a death sentence with no chance of survival.

"Lunatics!"

"You two are even crazier than me!"

Yin Huacheng slammed a fist into the ground, a thick sense of regret rising in his heart.

The only reason he had dodged that sword strike earlier was out of fear of getting injured!

If he were injured, he might have exposed his true colors.

But that was still far better than the current outcome: trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice!

This meant that not only had he failed to secure the high-grade cultivation materials, but he had also committed the grave crime of murdering true disciples!

"The elders will be here any moment."

Yin Huacheng forcibly suppressed the turbulent emotions surging within him.

He quickly stripped off his black robes, tossed them along with the Iron Mask into the Clear Abyss, and then changed back into his true disciple attire.

Once he finished, he prepared to send a message to the elders.

However, before he could make a move:

BOOM—

A fiery meteor crashed into the ground a mere ten feet from the cliff's edge. The impact sent dust and smoke billowing, rocks flying, and created the illusion that the entire Moon-Watching Cliff had shuddered three times.

As the dust settled.

The woman's fire-red palace robes fluttered, her black hair dancing in the air as if tracing the very shape of the wind.

"Where is my disciple?"

Her voice lacked its usual drunken slur, sounding strangely unfamiliar.

Gulp—

Yin Huacheng felt his throat go dry from the scorching heat of her presence; not a single word of the excuses he had prepared could pass his lips.

"Disciple... this disciple also just arrived."

"Shang Wu, speak calmly."

The other elders landed on the peak as well.

"Let's first clarify what happened."

Yin Huaxuan cast a deep, searching look at his son.

Bolstered by his father's presence, Yin Huacheng finally spoke:

"Moon-Watching Cliff is within this disciple's patrol area. Upon hearing the signal flare, I rushed here immediately."

"But by the time I arrived, the cliff was already deserted."

As his words fell.

Everyone's expression turned grim in an instant.

There was only one path up to Moon-Watching Cliff.

They hadn't seen Li Mo or Ying Bing on their way up, and they weren't on the cliff top; that could only mean one thing...

The crowd's gazes shifted toward the Clear Abyss, and their hearts sank to the bottom of a well.

"This longsword belongs to Ying Bing."

"She must have encountered an enemy she could not handle, forcing her to strike with all her might."

Xue Jing's face was dark as he stepped forward, holding a longsword.

The blade was encased in frost, still radiating a biting chill.

"Those two little ones are no ordinary Blood-Qi Realm cultivators. Even if they couldn't defeat an Internal Breath expert, they should have been able to hold out until we arrived at the very least."

"Was it someone from the Divine Observation Realm who attacked them?"

Qian Bufan's words had barely left his lips.

No one had expected that the true goal of the Demon Summoning Cult cultists behind Wang Hu was actually the two true disciples.

BANG—

Suddenly, Yin Huacheng spat out a mouthful of blood and his body flew backward.

Just as he was about to slam into a tree, an invisible force dissipated the momentum, causing him to spin several times before he could stagger to a steady footing.

Yin Huaxuan supported his son, brow furrowed:

"Shang Wu, no one wanted this to happen."

"There are casualties in the trials every year. Overseeing such a vast area makes it inevitable that one might be spread too thin. Must everyone go looking for trouble with the stewards?"

In Shang Wu's narrowed eyes, a flicker of fire vanished in an instant.

She did not move again, only saying coldly:

"Do not let me find out that you have any connection to this matter."

Yin Huacheng acted as if facing a formidable enemy, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.

"Shang Wu!"

Yin Huaxuan roared in fury: "I sympathize with your feelings, but do not go around making wild, baseless accusations!"

Shang Wu turned a blind eye to his rage.

"Enough, now is not the time for infighting."

Qian Bufan asked: "Yin Huaxuan, do the birds you control have any news?"

"Moon-Gazing Cliff is adjacent to Clear Abyss, so the birds cannot get close."

"I will search the surrounding area, and if I discover anyone suspicious, I will notify you all immediately."

Yin Huaxuan nodded.

Xue Jing let out a heavy breath: "Searching for the demonic cultist is secondary; the urgent priority is to determine whether Li Mo and Ying Bing are alive or dead!"

"If they are still alive, we must find a way to rescue them."

Silence.

Upon hearing this, the elders all fell into a hush.

They knew nothing of the conditions beneath Clear Abyss.

Records within the sect regarding this place were almost non-existent.

Many experts of the Clear Abyss Sect had suspected that an exotic treasure existed below, which was why Clear Abyss was plagued by an oppressive pressure that never dispersed throughout the year.

Many had attempted to go down and explore, but they either vanished like stones cast into the sea or retreated halfway down.

To jump down from here, one would likely truly never be seen again, neither in life nor in death...

Suddenly.

Jingle, jingle—

What was that sound?

A strange light flashed in Shang Wu's almond-shaped eyes, and she hurriedly raised her wrist.

It was the Concentric Bell!

Li Mo was still alive!

"Quick, stop her!"

"Junior Niece Shang Wu, don't be so hasty as to jump down just yet."

"Since they are still alive, let us devise a plan; we will certainly be able to rescue them."

Shang Wu intended to recklessly dive down to save them.

The elders rushed to hold her back.

The scene descended into chaos for a moment.

Only the father and son pair, Yin Huacheng and Yin Huaxuan, revealed a trace of astonishment on their faces in unison.

Yin Huacheng just started to speak, but was glared back by his father's gloomy eyes.

"Get back to Rare Beast Peak!"

"...Yes."

Master should know that I am still alive now.

Li Mo gripped the Concentric Bell tightly, thinking to himself.

After flying through the clouds for so long, one seemed to lose all concept of time and space.

What was certain was that they were falling very deep.

That oppressive pressure was also growing heavier; Li Mo could barely perceive anything around him, as if all things had vanished along with the howling, frigid wind.

Only the chill of the small hand in his palm granted him a sliver of reality.

Li Mo cast a blurred glance at the owner of that small hand.

Within her narrowed eyes remained that same cool, pristine detachment that had never wavered from the very start.

Whether it was because she held a winning hand, or simply because she feared death not at all.

"From this height, if you weren't a Daughter of Destiny, you'd be dead for sure."

"Probably wouldn't even be a scrap left of us..."

"At this height, even if there were protective measures below, we'd likely be knocked unconscious or injured from the fall."

That unknown site of inheritance could never be explored without Ying Bing.

If it were so easy for others to find, it wouldn't still exist to this day.

Therefore...

The Ice Cube could not come to harm.

At this thought, Li Mo pulled her close as if moved by some inexplicable force.

Soft jade entered his embrace.

A steady, powerful heartbeat transmitted from her supple body.

Ying Bing: "?"

She did not struggle, merely watching in confusion as the youth moved, inch by inch, to position his own back toward the ground.

Is he preparing to act as a meat cushion for me?

Even with a heart as still as stagnant water, she could not help but feel a sense of absurd, wry amusement.

From this height, if we truly struck the ground, what use would you be as a cushion?

She had never been this close to a man before.

In her past life, no man had dared to come within three meters of her.

Ying Bing bit her lip lightly.

If I move, it might alter the trajectory of our fall...

In the end, she did not push the youth away.