The two of them hurriedly moved up beside Cang Wuji, joining him to listen to the low murmur of voices that came from just up ahead. They exchanged glances before nodding to each other, slowly moving forward as one as they made their way forward through the jungle.
They spread out as they approached, putting a bit of distance between them. Yu Chen moved from tree to tree, doing his best to remain hidden as he moved through the underbrush, listening as the sound of voices slowly became clearer. He was getting closer, almost close enough to begin making out words, when Cang Wuji let out a startled shout.
All hell broke loose.
“Protect the princess!” A wild shout had come from the man who’d leaped down from a tree to grapple Cang Wuji. Yu Chen watched as multiple qi condensators responded to the sound. He could see their shadows leaping through the trees as they approached the source of commotion.
Yu Chen swallowed a curse, cycling his movement technique as he ran to help the other boy.
Cang Wuji was rolling on the floor in a desperate struggle with the strange cultivator. He pushed the man away and leapt to his feet but before he could do much else he was forced to react as more cultivators appeared. They set upon him from all sides, and it was all he could do to defend himself, unable to even unsheathe his staff.
Yu Chen arrived, driving a fist into an unsuspecting foe, creating some breathing room for his friend. The others were surprised at his sudden arrival. He managed to get a few more hits in before they readjusted, accounting for his presence.
Attacks flew towards him, smothering him from each side. It wasn’t enough. He threw a punch, blocking two more as they came, grinning as he felt the pressure mounting. He bobbed, weaving around the attacks that came his way before launching a counter.
He fought back, but he was slowly being overwhelmed. That was when Ling Xia arrived, a determined look on her face as she waded into the brawl. She lay about, the Condensing Fist looking strangely graceful in her hands.
Now that the three of them were together they began to regain some ground in the fight, pushing the others back a little. They exchanged more blows, fighting their strange foes when a voice cut through the chaos.
“Stop.” The light voice of a young girl sounded out over the jungle carrying the weight of command. “They’re among those I invited.”
Yu Chen frowned in disappointment as the men stopped their assault, pulling back upon hearing the words. He’d hardly had a chance to enjoy the fight and it’d already come to an end.
A familiar figure stepped into view, coming out from behind a tree. She gave him a coy smile as she noticed him looking her way, her long lashes blinking slowly as she observed him in return.
“So the brave warriors managed to arrive in time, and it looks as though they’ve found a friend along the way.” She said, looking over at Ling Xia.
Cang Wuji scowled towards her, resting his staff over his shoulder.
“That was quite the greeting.” He said with a huff.
“Hmm.” She replied, her tone noncommittal. “You’ll have to forgive me, it seems the jungle is much more dangerous than we had first assumed.”
“The reavers.” Yu Chen stated, crossing his arms.
Surprise flickered across Lingxuan’s face. “So you are aware. I take it you’ve encountered them then?”
“Yes. Three of them attacked Ling Xia, but we managed to fight them off.”
“Three…” Lingxuan muttered to herself. She looked towards the ground, brows furrowed in thought. A moment passed before she looked up again, casting a beaming smile towards them.
“Well, come on then. No point in standing around here.”
Yu Chen and the others followed behind the young girl as she led them into the sect itself, passing through a shattered gate that rose near as tall as the trees. A crumbling wall ran from it, disappearing into the depths of the jungle.
It was grand, far grander than the entrance to the Golden Mist Sect, and Yu Chen felt suitably awed stepping through it. There was a stark contrast between the inside and outside of the gates, the stone flagstones of the sect proper having given little in its silent struggle with the jungle outside.
Although the inevitable greenery covered everything, the trees were sparse and few between, having found little purchase within. They continued following Lingxuan as she led them further in, flanked by the five men they’d fought outside.
He could see them more clearly now that they were out in the open. Each one was a hard man, evidently well trained, and they formed a defensive cordon around the young girl. They wore fine robes as well, emblazoned with a symbol that marked them as members of the Imperial guard.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Once grand buildings, now deteriorated, lay all around. Yu Chen examined them in curiosity as they walked past, wondering about the lives of the people who had once called this place home. However, his musings were interrupted as they entered into a vast open square, in which dozens of people milled.
They came to a halt. This was the space the princess, Tianyun Lingxuan, had claimed, making a base camp where she’d gathered a number of cultivators from within the secret realm.
“Rest and get your bearings. I have some things to attend to, but I'll send someone for you in a few hours. We’ll talk then.” Lingxuan said as she flashed them her charming smile.
She was about to leave when Yu Chen interrupted her.
“Wait, what about the hidden trials you told us about?”
She paused, before turning back towards him.
“We will finish preparing today, and hopefully enter them tomorrow. I’ll fill you in on the details later ok?” She asked, but it was clear it wasn’t a question.
Yu Chen could do nothing but watch as she strolled away, surrounded by her bodyguards. Cang Wuji gave a dissatisfied grunt.
“Doesn’t like explaining herself does she?” He said, and Ling Xia shook her head helplessly.
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It had been a few hours since Yu Chen arrived, waiting for the princess to share her plans.
She’d asked them to be patient, and after consulting with the other two, they’d gone their separate ways, planning to meet up later. Ling Xia simply wanted to rest, while Cang Wuji had plans of his own. With nothing else to do, Yu Chen strolled around a bit, observing the people she’d gathered.
There were all manners of strange cultivators here, coming from all walks of life. He saw at least eleven different designs among their robes, each as unique as the cultivators that wore them. More than a few were embroidered in the manner his own were, and he realized that this was fashionable among the sects, as a means of identifying their members. Others, like Cang Wuji, wore simpler garments, and he fancied he could point out every rogue cultivator in the bunch.
He couldn’t help but notice that many were wounded, sporting injuries of one sort or another. Some of them seemed to have come from encounters with spirit beasts, but many others carried wounds that could only be caused by weapons.
Perhaps they weren’t the only ones who’d encountered the reavers.
Although Lingxuan had managed to gather dozens of cultivators together, Yu Chen found he only recognized three of them, having seen them before entering the secret realm. One of them was a cold girl with silky blonde hair who emitted a chilling aura. The other two cultivated the sword, and appeared aloof, sticking to themselves and not paying attention to the others.
Neither of them were wounded, and Yu Chen recognized one of them as the strange boy who carried three swords on him, as if one wasn’t enough.
To his dismay, despite wandering the crowd he didn’t find Xue Lan among them. He could only hope she was safe. With Yan Tie dead, she was the only disciple from the Golden Mist unaccounted for.
He sighed as he thought about the other boy’s death. He’d never known him, to really feel sorry, but it brought a sharp reality to the risks involved in pursuing his path. Cultivation was a dangerous pursuit.
The sect had known the risks, accepting them. They’d sent four children into danger, risking the lives of their best and brightest in the hopes that the experience would temper them. That they’d return stronger and more capable, bringing treasures back with them. Some did of course. Others were reserved as payment, the harsh price paid to pursue the peak.
Who knew how many fell on that path towards the peak?
There was still time left so he walked around, exploring the ancient sect, and the broken buildings within. Most, if not all of them, had been ransacked at some point in the past. Yu Chen explored a few, finding nothing except a few broken shards of pottery and the remains of what might have once been chairs, tables and beds, except they were so ancient and decayed that only the memory of them remained to give some indication of what had been.
To his surprise another wall ran throughout the sect, dividing it in half. It was still perfectly intact, not even a hint of the surrounding greenery staining the tall marble walls. They were smooth to the touch, incredibly so, and he could feel a slight tingle coming from beneath his fingertips. A mystery for later.
Finding nothing else of interest, he returned back to the square in the heart of the sect.
He found the others, exchanging some small words before turning to look towards the princess, who was in an animated discussion with one of her bodyguards, gesticulating wildly. She looked around, and upon seeing him began walking towards Yu Chen and the others.
“We don’t have time to wait for tomorrow, We’ll be entering the hidden trials soon so get prepared. Movement has been spotted through the trees. The guards worry the reavers are approaching.”
Ling Xia looked around at the crowd around them before hesitantly speaking up.
“We have the numbers, surely they aren’t a threat here?”
Lingxuan shook her head, before pointing around the square. “Those cultivators over there were attacked by five men yesterday. At roughly the same time, that group and that one,” She said, pointing out even more people. “Were attacked by groups of three and four.”
“The icy one over there,” Lingxuan said, pointing towards the girl with the cold aura. “Arrived hours before you did. She lost three sect members. They were attacked by a group of over ten cultivators.”
Cang Wuji cursed under his breath.
“I suppose there is no chance it was a single ship then.” He said with a sigh, looking forlorn.
“Well, it was nice knowing you all. Even if we survive this realm, there is no telling what we will find outside.”
Lingxuan pinned him with a serious gaze. “Don’t be foolish. Experts from my family are in the surrounding area, we have nothing to fear from some demonic cultivators.”
Cang Wuji gave a dissatisfied grunt. He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t say anything else either.
Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden commotion as a bloody cultivator dashed into the large square, making a line for Lingxuan.
“Young miss, young miss! You must hurry, the enemy is upon us!” He said, gasping as he fell before the princess. She bent down, talking to him in a low voice.
Yu Chen looked back the way the man came, drawing in a sharp breath as he saw a black-robed qi condensator enter the square, flanked by two more. They all gave off a dense aura, but the one in front was on another level. Even Yu Chen felt threatened, seeing the man.
He could see more shadows moving in the distance, passing between broken buildings as they approached.
He looked at the princess, expecting her to react, or say something, but for the first time she had nothing to say, a look of fear slowly spreading across her face.