The Plot Goes Live

Ling Yunzi's expression immediately turned somewhat ugly.

His pride was strong. Taking the initiative to ask Chang Wei whether he wanted to become his disciple had already been his greatest concession. After being so bluntly rebuked, he could no longer save face.

Casting a cold glare at Chu Zeming, who was covering his smile with a fist, Ling Yunzi left with a livid face and a sweep of his sleeve.

Chang Wei stood where he was, watching Ling Yunzi's fuming retreating back. Puzzled, he asked, "Brother Chu, I was the one who insulted him. Why did he glare at you?"

Chu Zeming lowered his fist and smiled. "Because he's sick."

Ling Yunzi returned to the hall where sect affairs were handled. Looking at the jade slips and scrolls on the desk, with no one else around now, he thought of Chu Zeming's smile and Chang Wei's words from earlier. The rage in his mind could no longer be suppressed, and he viciously smashed everything on the desk to the floor.

More than a hundred years.

For more than a hundred years, he had never been this furious.

Ling Yunzi's hands trembled. His originally rather handsome face had become somewhat savage with anger.

He sat in the high seat, his chest heaving incessantly. Only after calming down somewhat did he rise again and pick up the jade slips and scrolls from the ground one by one—these were all sect affairs, major matters Qin Elder had screened and left unresolved for him to decide.

Suddenly, one blood-red jade slip caught Ling Yunzi's attention.

Only extremely dangerous and urgent sect affairs would be submitted by Qin Elder in a red jade slip. Ling Yunzi picked up the glaring slip, and with a thought, sent his divine sense into it to inspect its contents.

Thus, the next day.

Chu Zeming was still practicing his swordsmanship in the bamboo grove when he saw a messenger disciple hurrying over.

"Senior Brother, the Sect Master requests your presence in the main hall."

Chu Zeming had a headache.

He was most annoyed by hearing those words now. Whenever Ling Yunzi summoned him, nothing good ever came of it.

Stopping his sword practice, Chu Zeming followed the disciple to the sect's main hall. The moment he entered, he saw Chang Wei standing there as well—still wrapped up tightly, terrified that even the slightest sunlight or breeze would cause his skin to age.

Chu Zeming walked over to Chang Wei's side and stood there expressionlessly.

Chang Wei then asked in a very soft voice, "Brother Chu, you came too?"

Chu Zeming said, "Mm."

Suddenly catching a faint, elegant fragrance, Chu Zeming turned a strange look toward Chang Wei. "What's that smell on you?"

Chang Wei said mournfully, "Naturally, it's body fragrance I deliberately prepared for meeting Lian'er."

He had dressed up splendidly today, intending to go to Lian'er's residence and give him a surprise. Who would have thought that Ling Yunzi would summon him to this hall halfway there? Chang Wei was truly unhappy.

Raising his head to look at Ling Yunzi seated high above with an icy expression, Chang Wei added, "He didn't call us here today because he's holding a grudge over me refusing to become his disciple yesterday and wants to make things difficult for us, did he? No way. The leader of a sect couldn't possibly be that narrow-minded, right?"

Chu Zeming coughed and said quietly, "Chang Wei, it's enough to think that in your heart. Don't say it aloud. He can hear you."

Chang Wei said, "...Oh."

Up in the high seat, Ling Yunzi looked calm and unruffled on the surface, while secretly nearly crushing the armrest in his grip.

Letting go, Ling Yunzi slowly said, "Silence! Stop whispering. I have an important task for the two of you. Two disciples of our sect who went out to train accidentally entered Torch Dragon Valley and became trapped inside. I am assigning you both to rescue them."

At the words "Torch Dragon Valley,"

Chu Zeming knew that the plot, which had long been offline, had returned.

Torch Dragon Valley lay in the southwest of the Blackfeather Continent, hidden deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains. It was Demon Race territory, where demon beasts roamed freely. It was exceedingly dangerous, and few cultivators ventured there. In the original novel, Chu Zeming had also gone to Torch Dragon Valley. Of course, he had not been sent there by Ling Yunzi to make things difficult for him, but had taken up the duty of senior brother and led a group of junior brothers inside to rescue the sect disciples.

Now that he was no longer the senior brother, he had not expected that he still could not escape this plot.

At the thought, Chu Zeming could not help feeling infinitely emotional.

Before Chu Zeming could finish feeling emotional, Ling Yunzi ordered, "Set out immediately. Do not delay!"

Yet just as his words fell, a clear voice rang out from outside the hall—"Wait."

Following the sound, they saw Qin Elder leading Xuan Mo, Ling Tian, and a group of sect disciples inside.

Qin Elder stepped forward, bowed to Ling Yunzi, and said, "Sect Master, Torch Dragon Valley is dangerous. More people should be sent, or else not only might we fail to rescue our sect disciples, we may end up trapping two more people inside. That would truly be more loss than gain."

Hearing this, Ling Yunzi felt somewhat displeased.

He had deliberately intended this task to increase the difficulty for those two, yet Qin Elder had appeared again. Still, Qin Elder's words were reasonable, so Ling Yunzi could not say anything further. He could only hum in acknowledgment. Yet he remained unwilling to compromise so easily, and after some thought, he said, "However, wicked people have recently infiltrated the sect, and manpower is already scarce. Bringing too many people to Torch Dragon Valley would be wasteful. Choose only four more to accompany you."

Qin Elder praised, "The Sect Master is wise. Come, Zeming, choose four junior brothers to accompany you." With that, he stepped aside.

Immediately, all the disciples straightened their postures and looked expectantly at Chu Zeming.

They were not afraid of danger. They had heard that any junior brothers who had trained under Senior Brother, entered secret realms with Senior Brother, or participated in the Joint Grand Tournament with Senior Brother had received his guidance. Quite a few junior brothers stuck at minor bottlenecks had even broken through.

They wanted such an opportunity too.

Chu Zeming stepped forward. Looking at the rows of junior brothers with bright eyes and faces full of expectation, he could not help feeling a little strange.

Why did it feel like he was choosing consorts?

Torch Dragon Valley was dangerous, after all, so Chu Zeming did not stand on ceremony with Ling Yunzi. He directly chose Ling Tian, Xuan Mo, and Wu Qi, Junior Brother Wu, who had previously gone with him to the Divine Wood Secret Realm. One final spot remained, and everyone grew excited, almost wishing they could step forward and shout, Pick me, pick me.

Suddenly, someone tugged on his sleeve. Chu Zeming turned and saw Chang Wei pointing at Yue Lian among the disciples, who was gazing toward them as though his eyes could pierce through autumn waters. Chang Wei said quietly, "Brother Chu, bring Lian'er along. I'll protect him well and definitely won't let him hold everyone back."

Chu Zeming said, "..."

After thinking about it.

That would work too.

So he pointed at Yue Lian. "That one."

Elder Qin fell silent for a moment, then sincerely suggested, "Zeming, would you like to choose another? Lian'er's cultivation is low..."

Chu Zeming shook his head. Looking at Yue Lian, he said to Elder Qin in a complicated tone, "Elder, there is no need to worry. Junior Brother Yue will be fine. He... is very strong."

Yes, very strong.

Whether as a treasure-hunting hound or a search-and-rescue hound, he was extremely capable.

As the original novel's protagonist bottom, Yue Lian possessed a powerful aura that turned danger into safety. Torch Dragon Valley was difficult to locate, and the trapped disciples had to be rescued quickly to prevent an accident. Bringing Yue Lian along should greatly improve their efficiency.

After entering the depths of the Ten Thousand Mountains and avoiding the habitats of fierce demon beasts all the way, the group once again stood at a fork shrouded in mist and overgrown with trees.

Chu Zeming hesitated.

This time, which path should they take?

"Senior Brother, my feet hurt. Could you carry me for a while?"

Yue Lian's voice sounded beside him. Too lazy to think for himself, Chu Zeming grabbed Yue Lian over and asked kindly, "Come, Little Junior Brother. Tell me again—which path do you want to take?"

Yue Lian said, "..."

He casually pointed toward the path on the right.

Having received directions, Chu Zeming unhesitatingly tossed the tool man aside again. "Mm, good. Everyone, be careful not to split up. We'll take the right path together. Be cautious, so we don't encounter danger."

Yue Lian: ...

Even when he threw me aside, he looked so good doing it.

What a thrill.

Yue Lian happily got to his feet. Before he could catch up to Chu Zeming, however, he saw a massive figure blocking his way.

Chang Wei said shyly, "Lian'er, do your feet hurt? I'll carry you."

Yue Lian immediately went expressionless. "Get lost. My feet are perfectly fine."

With that, he jogged off at remarkable speed to catch up with Chu Zeming.

Chang Wei turned to stone once more where he stood.

Lian'er... to avoid me, he could even run so fast with aching feet.

All at once, Chang Wei felt a little sad.

Chu Zeming did not know what had happened between Yue Lian and Chang Wei. He had always been the one walking at the front to scout for danger, and after entering this path, he instinctively felt that something was slightly off around them.

Chu Zeming said, "Wait. Don't move."

Everyone held their breaths.

They remained where they were, each bringing out their magical artifacts and staring intently at their surroundings.

Suddenly, a strange, low sound came from the distance, like something cracking. It drew closer and closer, and in the next instant, the entire ground began to shake and tremble without end. The earth split open, mountains and rocks crumbled... The trees, grass, stones, and everything around them changed and reassembled.

Immediately afterward, the scene before them abruptly changed.

Before them appeared an astonishingly vast canyon, covered in countless enormous stones of bizarre and grotesque shapes. Blood-red maple trees grew from cracks in the rocks. Looking out from the canyon entrance, the farther outward the canyon walls extended, the wider they spread. The entire canyon grew ever larger, with no end in sight, like a gigantic funnel. As for where the funnel's end lay, no one in the entire cultivation world knew.

This place was a world unto itself.

Yue Lian really was useful.

This was the hidden Torch Dragon Valley, the Demon Race's dwelling place.

The trapped disciples had accidentally entered this place while training in the Ten Thousand Mountains. Before Chu Zeming could feel happy, a sense of danger suddenly descended upon his heart.