Chapter 256 Reinforcements

“Have all the new batch of disciples come back?”

“More or less. They counted heads at the teleportation gate. Most of the disciples came out safely.”

In the Azure Profound Sect camp, the elders were tallying the disciples. Just moments ago, the barrier of another teleportation gate had opened, sending out the last group of disciples.

Ever since Black Moon began, the elders exploring within the domain had been doing their utmost to search for surviving disciples. A total of five teleportation gates had been set up, and each had received a steady stream of people. With Sect Master Shen helping from inside, the rescue went much faster.

“It is a pity that some disciples could not be saved. They are probably already…” an Alchemy Cultivator Elder said.

Before entering the exploration domain, every disciple had resonated with a Life Lamp in the camp. Once a Life Lamp went out, it meant that disciple was in danger.

With so many people going in, it was inevitable that some unlucky ones would be eaten by the Demonic Creatures. They were in the prime of their youth, their lives just beginning, only to die in such a cold, lightless place.

An Azure Profound Sect sword cultivator elder sighed. “What a tragedy. Of all times, this had to happen now.”

No one could speak lightly of such a heavy topic. The expressions of the Four Great Sects’ disciples in the distance were all grim.

Ying You looked at the elders, then stepped forward on his own and asked, “Elders, may I see the detailed records of the Life Lamps?”

The Alchemy Cultivator Elder glanced at him, then said earnestly, “Xiao You, this is not a place you should be. You would be better off staying out of this.”

Ying You met his gaze, his tone puzzled. “Elder, are you looking down on me?”

The Alchemy Cultivator Elder paused. “Xiao You, you…”

He had never spoken like this before.

“I know that in my current condition I still cannot come into contact with Demonic Creatures, but I cannot keep running away from this issue,” Ying You said. “At the very least, let me learn more about them.”

The Alchemy Cultivator Elder sighed. “Fine, fine, I cannot win against you.”

He pulled out a stack of folded booklets from his sleeve and handed them over.

“See for yourself.”

The Alchemy Cultivator Elder did not understand what lay behind this stubbornness. This was not the first time Ying You had tried to quietly inquire about what was going on inside the exploration domain. They all tried their best to avoid the topic with him, but whenever he saw an opening he would come over and ask, so there was no avoiding him.

Ying You took the booklets and opened them, his target very clear. In one glance he turned to the page of the Returning Immortal Sect and its Life Lamps.

Those who had come out were all stable. Guan Huailin’s Life Lamp was still shining. Only…

Ying You’s fingers tightened slightly and a frown formed between his brows. “…”

How could this be… Lian Mu’s Life Lamp had turned gray.

“Elder, what is going on?” he asked.

The Alchemy Cultivator Elder took a look and, seeing the name he pointed at, could not help freezing for a moment. “The Returning Immortal Sect’s Second Seat has gone beyond the range of the search.”

Ying You said, “So… it does not necessarily mean something happened to her?”

“Perhaps she went somewhere that forcibly severed the Life Lamp’s connection. At the moment, her status is unknown.”

However, anyone who could reach such a place had at least an eighty percent chance of never coming back.

The Alchemy Cultivator Elder did not say that part aloud. He could see that Ying You seemed to care a great deal about this Lian Mu. Having watched this child grow up, his heart softened and he could not bring himself to strike such a blow.

“Xiao You, do not get any ideas you should not have. It is very dangerous in there. Not just the sect master, your master would never agree to let you go in,” he reminded him. “If there is someone important to you still inside, do not panic. From what we have observed, the Black Moon is already fading. The sect master has also invited people from the great clans to help. It is not your youngsters’ turn to take risks.”

Ying You lowered his eyes. “I understand…”

As the two were speaking, a flash of white light appeared at the teleportation gate. At the last possible moment before this round of teleportation closed, someone came out.

Everyone turned toward the gate at once, hoping that this time it would be one of their sect’s missing people.

The one who stepped out was Azure Profound Sect’s Elder Shang Liu, and what he was carrying in his hand shocked everyone.

“Elder Shang, why did you bring a Demonic Creature out here?”

Shang Liu was dragging half a blood-soaked Demonic Creature corpse. Its long, spindly legs trailed across the ground, making it a terrifying sight.

He was about to speak when he saw Ying You in the distance. His brows drew together. “Xiao You? Who allowed you to come here?”

“Master sent me,” Ying You replied.

He could not help looking at what Shang Liu had brought.

So… this is a Demonic Creature?

It was even stranger than he had imagined.

Shang Liu was silent for a moment, then moved his lips. “I am sorry.”

Ying You’s heart sank. “Elder Shang…”

Shang Liu took the green sword at his waist and unfastened it. “I only found her sword. I did not find her.”

The Returning Immortal Sect group froze when they saw the sword.

Guan Shize’s eyes went wide. “This…”

Was this not Lian Mu’s sword!?

Even Qu Ruotian was stunned for a moment. “…”

The color and the carved pattern on the hilt could not be mistaken.

“I found her sword in the Withered Bone Swamp, lying on the ground,” Shang Liu said. “This Demonic Creature was prowling around near the sword. After I killed it, I followed its nest to search further and found only a pool of fresh blood and some shredded flesh.”

At those words, everyone fell silent.

Under normal circumstances, a sword cultivator would never abandon their sword. In that kind of environment, abandoning one’s sword was the same as seeking death.

The Withered Bone Swamp was at the boundary between the Inner Source Circle and the Red Scorched Circle. It was a place where demonic qi surged, a place ordinary people could not even set foot in. For a new disciple like Lian Mu, who had barely seen the world, to enter such a place, her chances of survival were very slim.

If Shang Liu had already picked up her sword of inheritance, then Lian Mu was as good as dead.

Even Shen Wuxie of Clear Thought Sect was a little dazed. “…”

Lian Mu was really dead?

Impossible. Was that person in the Inner Source Circle really her?

“What is wrong with you people from Azure Profound Sect? Why were you the one going to rescue Lian Mu?” Shen Wuxie demanded. “Wasn’t my uncle handling this? He has not come out to say a word, and you pick up a broken sword and decide she is dead? You better not be doing this on purpose to cover things up so others will not go save her.”

Shen Wuxie always liked to stir the pot and contradict others. No matter what the matter was, he had to jump in and say something. He did not mean anything else by it, he was simply targeting Azure Profound Sect.

He held a grudge. He remembered very clearly how the Azure Profound Sect people had bullied him before. Now that he finally had something on them, he naturally would not let it go.

Shang Liu glanced at him and could not be bothered to argue with a child. He handed the sword to Ying You. “I did not expect her to be in the Inner Source Circle either. When I traced the signs to her, I had no idea why she had broken into that place. I feared you would worry, so I rushed back as soon as I could.”

Shen Wuxie cut in again. “Heh, what is wrong with you? Lian Mu is from the Returning Immortal Sect. Even if she is really dead, her sword should be handed to the Returning Immortal Sect. What do you mean by giving it to them?”

The moment he finished speaking, Ying You suddenly turned to look at him. His gaze was a little frightening.

Shen Wuxie’s heart skipped a beat. “Why are you looking at me? I am only speaking the truth. You carry someone’s sword as a keepsake like that, are you not afraid she will turn into a ghost and come find you in the middle of the night?”

The air fell silent for a moment. Under all those stares, Shen Wuxie felt his hair stand on end, swallowed hard, and quietly shrank back.

Tang Wuxun’s vision almost went dark. This brat’s mouth was going to be the death of him; he practically itched to slap him.

Anyone with eyes could see that Ying You cared about Lian Mu. Even if it was not romantic, their relationship was clearly out of the ordinary.

After all, even Shang Liu had personally stepped in to rescue Lian Mu. Azure Profound Sect almost never helped outsiders. That alone was enough to show how unusual their connection was.

Shang Liu had never once declared that Lian Mu was dead. The only one who kept talking about “death” from start to finish was Shen Wuxie.

The person already cared so much, yet he had to bring up something so ill‑omened right in front of him. Was he not just begging for a beating?

There was nothing Tang Wuxun could do about it. He could only cover his face and pretend he did not exist.

Even with him playing dead, Ying You still looked his way, his voice a little cold. “I hope your sect can keep its people in line. Otherwise, the next time you run into someone with a blunt temper, you might not get another chance in this lifetime.”

A chill ran down Tang Wuxun’s back. “…”

Taking the blame again.

Why had he ever run for Team Leader? He wanted to die.

Tang Wuxun forced a stiff smile and kept his mouth shut.

Chaotic as things were, he had to admit Shen Wuxie was not entirely wrong. Lian Mu’s sword really should be handed over to the people of Returning Immortal Sect.

Qu Ruotian stepped forward and said, “Chief Disciple Ying, this sword should be left in our care.”

Ying You lowered his eyes and passed him the green sword, then said, “She is not dead.”

Shang Liu said, “Xiao You, go back and rest. Stop letting this weigh on you.”

He did not understand why he was so fixated, but Ying You really was not suited to go near the Shifang Nether soil.

“I can be sure,” Ying You said. “She is not dead.”

Shang Liu was starting to guess what he intended to do. “I will say this one last time. Go back.”

Ying You did not move. His hand, of its own accord, pressed down on the Flying Swan sword at his waist.

With so many people watching, Shang Liu of course would not fall out with his own junior here, so he said, “Come back with me. We will talk after we return.”

“I want to stay here and wait until everyone has come out.”

A vein jumped at Shang Liu’s temple. He knew this brat’s thoughts were never that simple. He claimed he only wanted to stand guard, but who knew how many little tricks he was planning behind his back.

As he was thinking this, Guan Shize suddenly spoke beside him. “Senior, did you see anything else in there?”

“No,” Shang Liu replied.

“Then it really is unlikely to have been Lian Mu,” Guan Shize said. “Abandoning the sword may have been nothing more than an accident. I must ask all you seniors not to give up on someone from our sect.”

Before he had even finished speaking, several figures flashed across the sky, riding silver kites. At their head was Hua Qiuxin herself.

“The Sect Master is back!”

“Great, the Sect Master brought reinforcements!”

Hua Qiuxin led her group down to the ground. Compared to before, she looked a bit fatigued, but as Sect Master, she could not afford to show anything out of the ordinary right now.

“I just heard the words ‘give up.’ Is there still someone inside?”

Shang Liu explained the entire sequence of events. Even Hua Qiuxin could not help frowning.

“This Lian Mu, that girl really has a stubborn life…”

The Alchemy Cultivator Elder at the side said, “We have already rescued everyone who could be rescued. The rest are either gone, or missing. At present this Lian Mu clearly belongs to the latter.”

“Since she is only missing, we cannot simply leave it be.” Hua Qiuxin looked toward the Returning Immortal Sect contingent. “After Black Moon ends, I will give Returning Immortal Sect an answer.”