Jian Changming rose at her words and bade them both farewell. As he turned to leave the courtyard, his steps paused. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the Immortal-Splitting Saber at Yun Che's waist. An unreadable gleam flashed through his eyes, then quickly vanished, and he calmly left Clear Bamboo Peak.
Only after master and disciple were alone in the courtyard did Yue Mingsha say to Yun Che, "Changming is a steady young man, but he keeps too much to himself. It never hurts to be a little wary when dealing with him."
Then she changed the subject. "Still, what he said about the Demon Cultivators does matter. They have always been vicious, and they're eyeing the Heaven-Mending Pearl. We must make this a quick trip. Once we have the pearl, we leave immediately. Don't get too tangled up with them."
Yun Che nodded. "Understood, Master. I'll follow your arrangements."
That night, Yun Che packed his belongings, put away the Immortal Ascension Pill, then wiped the Immortal-Splitting Saber clean and hung it at his waist. He sat cross-legged and regulated his breathing for most of the night, reviewing the insights he had gained from his recent battles. His cultivation realm grew increasingly stable, and all that remained was to set out the next day.
At first light the next morning, master and disciple left the Divine Prison Immortal Sect, riding an Immortal Ship toward Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountain. Even from afar, they could already see gray-black demonic qi churning on the horizon, blotting out the sunlight across half the sky.
After traveling for most of the day, the Immortal Ship drew closer and closer to Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountain, and the demonic qi in the air grew thicker. The once-clear blue sky gradually darkened with gray-black mist, and