“Junior Sister Yu…”
Zhou Jin Yue’s words were cut short as her expression abruptly shifted. She cast Yu Zhao a profound look before turning and heading towards the Scarlet Flame Lion, leaving behind a resolute silhouette.
“Sixth Junior Sister, Little Junior Sister, wait for us to return,” Fang Cheng Lang said in his usual gentle tone.
Without looking back, he followed Zhou Jin Yue.
Next were Lan Zi Yu, Zhang Jun, Zhu Ming…
Yu Zhao watched her familiar fellow disciples abandon fear of death, marching towards a gamble where their lives were the stakes. Her heart churned with countless emotions.
In that instant, Yu Zhao finally understood the true meaning behind Senior Sister Zhou’s sacrifice.
Shame engulfed her.
Her emotions were narrow and selfish.
Boom!
It was as if a thunderclap exploded in her mind.
The confusion in Yu Zhao’s eyes cleared entirely, replaced with a bright and steadfast gaze.
At the same time, the spiritual energy around her seemed to answer an unspoken call, surging toward her and forming a small vortex. This energy poured into her limbs and bones through every pore.
Her spiritual power surged upward, breaking through the bottleneck of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage to reach late-Foundation Establishment.
Now, among those who remained, only Yu Zhao, the five disciples of the Green Wood Sect, and Ye Cong Xin lingered.
The commotion caused by Yu Zhao’s breakthrough was impossible to ignore. The Green Wood Sect disciples were dumbfounded; achieving enlightenment and breaking through during such a dire moment? What kind of monstrous talent was this?
Jealousy burned in Ye Cong Xin’s eyes.
She suddenly recalled that long ago, Yu Zhao had also been a prodigy of the Five Elements Dao Sect, a genius filled with promise. If not for Yu Zhao’s excessive attachment to emotions, wasting time on trivialities, she would not have stagnated for years.
A trace of alarm and fury flashed in Ye Cong Xin’s eyes.
The former Yu Zhao was back!
The feeling of enlightenment was surreal. Yu Zhao lost control of her body but could vividly sense everything around her.
She saw Ye Cong Xin’s subtle expressions, her senior brothers and sisters battling the Scarlet Flame Lion, and the corpses strewn across Dragon Roar Valley. She even saw, thousands of miles away, the Five Elements Dao Sect perched atop a verdant mountain.
“Who dares spy on the Five Elements Dao Sect?!”
Yu Zhao’s body jolted, and her drifting consciousness snapped back into place.
She took a deep breath. That voice—so familiar—it seemed to belong to the Sect Master…
This wasn’t an illusion.
Yu Zhao felt certain that her peculiar experience would profoundly affect her future.
Despite her disappointment at being interrupted, she felt immense gratitude. If the Sect Master hadn’t broken her trance, Senior Sister Zhou and the others would have been in peril.
Infusing spiritual power into her feet, she shot forward like a comet, disappearing into the forest in mere moments.
Mu Ye was shocked.
Yu Zhao was clearly heading towards the Scarlet Flame Lion.
She stomped her feet anxiously.
With Yu Zhao’s current cultivation, going there was akin to throwing away her life.
“She’s too reckless!”
Gritting her teeth, Mu Ye followed after her.
No matter what, she had to go all out as well.
“Junior Sister Mu!”
The four other Green Wood Sect disciples paled. Seeing Mu Ye’s unwavering determination, they exchanged hesitant glances, unable to muster the courage to follow.
Ye Cong Xin noticed their hesitation, her eyes mocking.
Golden Core cultivators, yet so afraid of death—such individuals were unworthy of Heaven’s favor or great fortune.
Deeming them useless, Ye Cong Xin wasted no more time pretending. She lifted her chin and left, seeking a hidden spot to wait for the final outcome.
What was once a lush and vibrant Dragon Roar Valley had turned into scorched earth, with thick smoke rising from cracks.
Sparks of fire scattered like stars, distorting the air with searing heat.
Zhou Jin Yue stood on the parched ground, holding a dark golden longbow in her left hand. Her right hand, riddled with red marks, trembled uncontrollably at her side.
Her once elegant Daoist robe clung to her in disarray, bearing marks of burns and revealing her battered state.
She surveyed the surroundings.
The others were in worse condition than she was.
Fang Cheng Lang’s usually pristine azure robe was stained with blood and grime.
Lan Zi Yu, unable to dodge in time, had his face scorched, with blood dripping continuously from his wound.
Several junior brothers and sisters had already lost their ability to fight, hovering on the edge of unconsciousness.
Zhou Jin Yue’s heart grew heavier than ever.
They were nearing their limits.
After only three rounds against the Scarlet Flame Lion, they had exhausted all their usable artifacts, talismans, and hidden weapons, managing only to inflict minor injuries on the beast.
Now drained of spiritual energy, they struggled to even mount another attack, let alone defend against the next onslaught.
The fourth-tier demonic beast’s intelligence rivaled that of humans. Realizing its opponents were at their wit’s end, it paused its assault, sweeping its cruel gaze over them as if selecting its prey.
Each person froze under its scrutiny, holding their breath instinctively, their bodies rigid. The shadow of death loomed over them all.
Under the crushing pressure, someone let out a soft sob.
That faint sound immediately drew the Scarlet Flame Lion’s attention.
Its gaze locked onto the source of the noise. It bared its sharp teeth, its eyes gleaming with sadistic delight.
No!
Zhou Jin Yue’s pupils constricted. Suppressing the fear and uncertainty buried deep within her heart, she summoned endless courage.
“Fang Cheng Lang, Lan Zi Yu, take everyone and leave. Leave the rest to me!”
Her voice, carried by the howling wind, reached every disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect.
“No! Senior Sister! I won’t leave!” Zhang Jun cried, tears streaming down his face.
Everyone knew what staying behind meant for Zhou Jin Yue. She intended to sacrifice herself to carve a path to survival for them.
“I am the leader! This is an order!” Zhou Jin Yue said coldly. “The Five Elements Dao Sect can go without Zhou Jin Yue, but it cannot lose all of you! Even if you won’t think of yourselves, think of the sect! Now! Go!”
A single life versus twenty—it was a choice Zhou Jin Yue didn’t need to deliberate on.
“Go!”
“We… will leave!”
It was Fang Cheng Lang who spoke.
Overshadowed by Zhou Jin Yue’s leadership, his presence as the deputy leader had always been minimal.
But at this moment, he had to step up and make a decision, even if it meant facing the sect’s scorn upon their return.
Duty left no room for hesitation.