Ye Gucheng propped up his weakened body and slowly sat up. Looking at Ye Lin and Gu Ruyan before him, he gave a bitter smile.
"I have implicated you both. Let me offer you my apologies here."
Ye Gucheng bowed to the two of them. When he had sought out Ye Lin earlier, he had not held much hope. After all, he and Ye Lin were not familiar with each other, and there was even a Heavenly Immortal expert pursuing him from behind.
It would have been perfectly reasonable for Ye Lin to ignore him. He had never expected Ye Lin to risk offending a Heavenly Immortal just to save him. He had been wrong.
"There's no need for that. Fellow Daoist Ye, you should think about how we're going to leave instead. That Heavenly Immortal may be waiting at the secret realm's exit for us right now."
Ye Lin raised a hand to cut Ye Gucheng off, as though he did not care about the matter at all, then spoke again.
At those words, Gu Ruyan also looked expectantly at Ye Gucheng.
"To be honest with you both, if I were at my peak, I could hold that Heavenly Immortal back for a short while. But in my current state, I fear there is nothing I can do."
"However, I am not one who clings to life and fears death. If you two are determined to leave, then if I risk my life, I can still hold that Heavenly Immortal expert back for a time. You may take the opportunity to depart."
Ye Gucheng swayed as he rose to his feet, his expression solemn. Battle intent surged from his body, as if he had already prepared himself to die.
Many years ago, his parents, family, and clansmen had all