Upon seeing the arrival of people from Heavenly Spring Sacred Land and Heavenly Snow Sacred Domain, Guo Jing and the others' expressions became extremely strange. Then, their eyes lit up, and they exclaimed in surprise, "So many people from powerful forces have come to the Mountain and River Academy Ruins! Could it be that the secret treasure of the Mountain and River Academy Ruins has been discovered?"
The woman surnamed Feng gasped and said, "If something unexpected happens, will we be able to find Black Sand?"
"That's not necessarily true. It's just that we don't know if these people will still allow us to search for black sand here after they arrive."
It was clear that Guo Jing was deeply worried when he said this, which startled Yang Zhen, who asked in surprise, "What does their search for the secret treasure have to do with your search for the Black Sand? Have these major sects become so domineering?"
Guo Jing smiled wryly upon hearing this and said, " Zhaxin Xin, you may not know this, but there's nothing we can do about it. Whenever these major sects have any plans, they will definitely clear the area, saying they're afraid that someone with ulterior motives might sabotage their operations and cause them losses."
Yang Zhen suddenly realized that, upon closer examination, this was not unreasonable. Such actions were generally dangerous, and very dangerous at that. Who knew what powerful restrictions might exist within the secret treasure? If the area wasn't cleared, and someone with ulterior motives infiltrated and caused trouble, what would become of them?
Hmm, thinking about it that way, Yang Zhen understood these major sects. After all, if it were him, he would do the same. Why hide your strength and not use it?
Just then, a group from the Heavenly Spring Sacred Land and the Heavenly Snow Sacred Domain suddenly rushed past, sending a few people over to stand above Yang Zhen and his group of six. They frowned and reprimanded, "Qingren, disciple of the Heavenly Spring Sacred Land, you lot, leave the Mountain and River Academy Ruins immediately."
Yang Zhen's eyes widened as he looked at his arrogant disciples with astonishment. No wonder so many people crave power or seek powerful backers; they can be this arrogant!
These cultivators were only at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm stage, not even at the Heaven Realm level. Their arrogant and domineering manner was even more overbearing than the Yin Slave and Black Puppet that Yang Zhen had seen at the Spirit Transformation Realm. They ordered people to leave without any explanation, clearly showing that they didn't take Guo Jing and the others seriously at all.
Of course, they didn't take Yang Zhen seriously either.
Yang Zhen looked at Guo Jing with a strange expression. To his surprise, Guo Jing did not show any anger on his face, but rather some distress. He clasped his hands and said, "I am Guo Jing. I will immediately lead my men to leave this place!"
The cultivators nodded, glanced at Yang Zhen, and then flew away on their swords!
After everyone left, Guo Jing turned to the woman surnamed Feng and said, " Junior Sister Feng, now that the people from Heavenly Spring Sacred Land and Heavenly Snow Sacred Domain have arrived, we... we should leave for now and come back to look for Black Sand after they leave."
"But..." A hint of hesitation flashed across the woman's face, and she said sadly, "If they don't leave soon, my grandfather's injuries might..."
"This... Junior Sister Feng, the people from Heavenly Spring Sacred Land are only warning us that if we don't leave on time, they might become ruthless towards us. Don't misunderstand, it's not that I'm afraid of Heavenly Spring Sacred Land and Heavenly Snow Sacred Land. Even if they are unreasonable and domineering, they should understand that human life is at stake. But think about it, if we get injured in a conflict with them, where will we find the strength to search for Black Sand again?"
At this point, Guo Jing sighed heavily, gave a bitter smile, and continued, "We... have no choice but to gamble!"
"What are you betting on?" the woman surnamed Feng said sadly. "Are you betting that they'll leave soon? Senior Brother Guo, Lingqiao thanks you for your kindness, but Grandpa's injuries urgently require Black Sand. We've already wasted too much time searching for it. Lingqiao simply doesn't have time to wait for the people from Heavenly Spring Sacred Land to search for the secret treasure. Don't worry, Lingqiao will find a way to avoid them and only search around the Mountain and River Ruins. You... leave."
" Junior Sister Feng, what are you saying? I am not the kind of person who would be afraid of death. It's just... but if they find out, we won't be able to save Master's life!"
Junior Sister Feng shook her head, said nothing, and continued walking forward with her head down.
Guo Jing, pale-faced, exchanged glances with the other four and said bitterly, " Junior Sister Feng, since you insist, then be careful. One person is a smaller target. We... we'll go back and see if we can acquire some Black Sand."
Upon hearing Guo Jing's words, Junior Sister Feng trembled, leaning back with a look of utter desolation and helplessness.
Yang Zhen watched helplessly as Guo Jing led his men away with a gloomy expression. He shook his head and sighed. He was always the first to rush in when searching for the secret treasure. He never expected that something like this would happen behind the scenes.
Although Yang Zhen had not experienced it, he knew that this was obviously not an isolated incident. Perhaps when Yang Zhen and the disciples of those major sects were vying for the secret treasure, there were ordinary cultivators around the secret treasure who dared not enter because of the intimidation of the disciples of those major sects.
As Guo Jing was leaving, he glanced back at Yang Zhen, hesitated, then sighed and left without saying a word, leading the four of them away.
Yang Zhen stood there, all alone, as if no one cared about her, and couldn't help but feel a little self-deprecating.
Damn it, why are you getting so sentimental? The Cultivation World is inherently a world of deceit and treachery, a world where people eat each other. Anyone who embarks on this path must be prepared to sacrifice their life and conscience. What cultivator hasn't experienced this kind of grief and helplessness, yet they still struggle to survive?
What exactly is being cultivated in the practice of immortality?
The moment this question popped into Yang Zhen's Yang Zhen, it startled her, and she quickly dismissed it.
There can't be a chicken-or-egg problem like this; it's a complete obsession with no solution.
When faced with such a problem, just go for it! Even if you die, you'll live a long and healthy life.
Yang Zhen was never a coward who feared death; otherwise, he wouldn't have offended so many people wherever he went. And this was the path he was destined to walk in his life.
After clearing his mind of all distractions, Yang Zhen took a deep breath, walked to Feng Lingqiao's side, and said with a grin, "Girl, it's quite boring to be alone in the wilderness. How about we keep each other company?"
Feng Lingqiao turned to look at Yang Zhen with a surprised expression, clearly taken aback. "You're not leaving?"
"Why leave?" Yang Zhen pursed his lips. "I'm here to do things, how could I leave just because of what a few people say?"
Feng Lingqiao wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, smiled sweetly at Yang Zhen, and said, "Why did you help me?"
Yang Zhen shook his head and said casually, "Who said I was helping you? Don't misunderstand, I just wanted to keep you company and chat. If we encounter any danger, I might be the fastest to run away."
Feng Lingqiao stared blankly at Yang Zhen for a long time before chuckling and saying, "Junior Sister Huo is right. You're really interesting. Aren't you afraid that the people from Heavenly Spring Sacred Land and Heavenly Snow Sacred Land will attack you?"
Yang Zhen grinned, put his hands behind his head, and swayed as he walked forward. "I'm just here to see a good brother of mine. As for the rest, I won't take the initiative, I won't refuse, and I won't be responsible!"
"No initiative, no refusal, no responsibility?" Feng Lingqiao was taken aback, took a deep breath, and said, "If those people try to attack you, I'll stop them for you, and you leave!"
This time, Yang Zhen was stunned. He looked at Feng Lingqiao with a strange expression and asked, "Why?"
Feng Lingqiao suddenly smiled and murmured, "When I was at my most helpless, having someone stay and talk to me was enough, even if it cost me my life."