Embracing the Light (Thanks to Hengsao Tianya for the Alliance Leader reward)

In the dark Mine Tunnel, Lu Ye followed the old man onward while checking the contents of the Storage Bag.

He quickly found some Qi and Blood Pills and several Healing Pills. Just like the Storage Bag Steward Yang had carried, it also contained a jumble of bottles and jars, none of which Lu Ye recognized.

There were also several chunks of ore, though their quality was inferior to those Steward Yang had collected.

Zhou Cheng held a lower position than Steward Yang, so naturally his wealth could not compare.

Still, Lu Ye was already quite satisfied. After all, he had picked it up for nothing.

He put the longsword in his hand into the Storage Bag as well and tied it around his waist.

With this Storage Bag as a cover, the one he kept close to his body would be safer.

He had wanted to ask the old man about cultivation and Spiritual Pills, but after considering it, he gave up on the idea. The man was a senior expert. Though he looked kind and amiable, no one could know what his true temperament was. They had met only by chance, and Lu Ye had no standing to ask him such things.

The pressing matter was to follow him out of the Mine Tunnel. If some careless remark offended him, that would be putting the cart before the horse.

The old man did not walk particularly fast ahead of him, yet Lu Ye had to jog to keep up. Sometimes, the old man would suddenly vanish, only to return shortly afterward.

Lu Ye secretly guessed that the old man had discovered hidden disciples of Evil Moon Valley and killed them.

The Mine Tunnels within the vein crisscrossed in every direction, and the terrain was complex. Even Lu Ye had to pause and distinguish the paths at each intersection to find the right way, yet the old man strolled as leisurely as if wandering through a courtyard, and every path he took was the correct one.

In less than half an hour, light appeared ahead!

That was the exit of the Mine Tunnel.

As Lu Ye followed the old man out of the dim Mine Tunnel and embraced the light once more, his mind could not help but drift. He even felt the wondrous sensation of being alive in the world again.

"Old Man Tang!"

Several figures stood guard at the Mine Tunnel exit. They were cultivators from the various sects of the Vast Sky Alliance, on watch against disciples of Evil Moon Valley escaping from within.

When they saw the old man emerge, they all saluted him.

The old man gave a slight nod.

One Middle-aged cultivator who seemed to be the leader looked at Lu Ye in puzzlement and asked, "Old Man Tang, he is...?"

The old man said, "A disciple of the Mystic Heaven Sect, which was destroyed a year ago. He was abducted here as a Mine Slave. He helped me a little inside, so I brought him out along the way."

The Middle-aged cultivator understood. He raised a hand and beckoned to a Young Cultivator beside him. "Take him to be registered."

"Yes!" The Young Cultivator accepted the order, then said to Lu Ye, "Come with me!"

Lu Ye turned to look at Old Man Tang. He had intended to offer his thanks, but Old Man Tang had already headed straight into the distance.

The Middle-aged cultivator who had spoken earlier hurried after him. "Old Man Tang, Deputy Alliance Master Pang ordered that once you emerged, you were to go see him. There is an important matter to discuss."

Old Man Tang stroked his beard and complained, "These old bones of mine cannot rest for even a moment."

As he spoke, he shot into the sky and vanished in an instant.

By then, Lu Ye was already following the Young Cultivator in another direction. The cultivator showed no intention of speaking to him, so Lu Ye naturally kept silent.

Thinking back on what Old Man Tang had said, Lu Ye smiled knowingly.

The old man really was quite decent.

He had not helped Old Man Tang with anything in the Mine Tunnel. On the contrary, he had received the old man's kindness. Yet Old Man Tang had said that deliberately.

For a senior expert like him, a casual word could resolve many troubles for Lu Ye.

For example, the Storage Bag hanging at his waist!

To Lu Ye at present, this thing was actually a source of trouble. When he had taken the Storage Bag from Zhou Cheng, he had already been prepared for that.

He had even planned that if someone from the Vast Sky Alliance took a fancy to the Storage Bag, he would give it away. After all, his current identity was merely an Evil Moon Valley Mine Slave, and there were still times when he would need to rely on others.

Only by giving could one gain. He kept the truly valuable things close to his body. There was nothing worth regretting over a Storage Bag from Zhou Cheng.

But with Old Man Tang's casual remark, no one would likely set their sights on this Storage Bag anymore.

Not being able to thank him in person left Lu Ye with a slight regret, but there would be plenty of time in the future. There would always be another chance.

Outside the Mine Tunnel lay an enormous valley, enclosed by mountains on three sides, with only a road to the east leading into it. The valley was bustling now, filled with people coming and going.

Lu Ye looked up and saw many remnants of a great battle throughout the valley. Some patches of ground still bore bloodstains that had not dried, and the entire valley was thick with the stench of blood.

It seemed Evil Moon Valley had suffered considerable losses when the Vast Sky Alliance captured this place.

Great banners stood throughout the valley, each inscribed with different words and patterns, likely representing different sects and clans.

Crowds surged beneath the banners, bustling and teeming.

From what Lu Ye knew, the Vast Sky Alliance was an immensely vast organization. Countless sects and clans, large and small, of every kind had gathered to form such a whole. The forces before him were merely the tip of the iceberg.

Myriad Demon Ridge, which stood opposed to the Vast Sky Alliance, was structured in the same way.

Having regained his freedom, Lu Ye was in high spirits. Everything seemed fresh and fascinating to him, prompting the Young Cultivator leading the way to urge him onward several times.

They reached a corner of the valley, where many people had gathered as well. However, these people could not compare to the neatly dressed, high-spirited cultivators Lu Ye had seen along the way. Most were grimy and sallow-faced, thin and weak. A few looked utterly lost, especially some beautiful young women.

The grimy ones were Mine Slaves who had once labored in the mineral vein. Years of toil and malnutrition had left them looking like refugees fleeing disaster.

Not everyone captured by Evil Moon Valley had been made into Mine Slaves. There were also some beautiful women, whose fates were generally even more tragic. Now that the mineral vein had been captured, they had been rescued, but their miserable experiences were destined to remain forever.

At the sight of these people, Lu Ye immediately understood. They had all been oppressed and enslaved by Evil Moon Valley, and had now regained their freedom. For some unknown reason, they had been gathered together.

Before this group stood a table. Behind it sat a plump cultivator who did not look very old. He leaned back in his chair with his arms folded, dozing.

The Young Cultivator who had brought Lu Ye over stepped forward and lightly knocked on the table.

The plump cultivator jerked awake, nearly falling from his chair. Once he saw who stood before him, he patted his chest. "You brat, you nearly scared me to death."

The Young Cultivator was speechless. He lowered his voice and said, "Senior Brother Pang, registration may be an easy assignment, but you cannot act like this. If the higher-ups in the Alliance see you..."

Before he could finish, the plump cultivator waved impatiently. "I know, I know. You nag all day long like some woman." After a pause, he asked, "What is it?"

The Young Cultivator stepped aside, revealing Lu Ye behind him. "Registration. Verify his identity."

The plump cultivator's eyes were nearly squeezed shut by the flesh on his face, but the moment he saw Lu Ye, his tiny eyes suddenly opened wide, his gaze fixed on the Storage Bag at Lu Ye's waist.

Thanks to Hengsao Tianya for the Alliance Leader reward. Big Brother Tianya is preparing a new book; no one knows when it will be released. Wishing it a blazing success.