Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Elder Minglang led the remaining disciples on their journey without stopping until they were completely away from the Moshan Pass and reached a forest full of spiritual energy before they finally stopped.

The group collapsed to the ground, exhausted, their clothes covered in dust and their expressions disheveled. The shock of their narrow escape from the pass had turned into a heavy sorrow, silencing the entire forest.

Yi Azhu's eyes were red and swollen, tears streaming down her face. Holding the trembling Golden-crowned Snow Sparrow in her arms, she choked back sobs and murmured, "Senior Brother... Senior Brother..."

Yunxi gripped her spirit sword tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her cold face was filled with self-blame and desolation. She remained silent throughout, only gazing towards the pass, her eyes filled with helplessness. Ye Qing lowered her eyes and stared at the ground. The wood-elemental spiritual energy around her stirred slightly, but she was ultimately unable to reverse the situation. Chen Dagang clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his honest face filled with grief and indignation.

Hai Lan mingled in the crowd, watching their sorrowful expressions. A fleeting hint of smugness crossed her eyes, but she promptly adopted a somber expression, slowly stepping forward to gently comfort them: "Please don't be too sad. Disciple Lin Yan is exceptionally skilled, and good fortune always favors the virtuous. There is still a chance for him to survive. Once this matter is resolved, I will definitely send someone back to the pass to carefully investigate his whereabouts."

His tone was earnest, his expression compassionate, adopting the demeanor of an elder concerned for his fellow disciples. No one could discern the wolfish ambition hidden beneath this compassionate facade. As he spoke, he secretly transmitted a message using his spiritual power, instructing his subordinates concealed in the mist to completely seal off the pass and the bottom of the cliff, destroying all traces of the struggle, leaving no evidence that could incriminate him, and to keep a close watch on Lin Yan's life or death. If any signs of Lin Yan's survival were discovered, he was to be eliminated immediately.

Elder Minglang gripped the patrol token tightly with his fingertips, his palms almost bleeding from the pressure. Lin Yan's dying words, "Beware of those around you," echoed in his ears for a long time.

But looking at his few remaining disciples, who were exhausted both physically and mentally, he forcibly suppressed the anger and grief in his heart.

"This place is not safe to stay any longer." Elder Minglang composed himself and said in a deep voice, which was hard to hide. "Now that we are safe, we should immediately enter the Spirit Immortal Herb Valley of Mount Mo Ling, gather the spiritual herbs needed by the sect, and return home as soon as possible."

The scenery inside Lingxian Grass Valley is completely different from the dangerous and bloody scene outside. Surrounded by mountains, wisps of pure spiritual energy rise from the valley, turning into a light mist. Spiritual herbs flourish everywhere, including Blood-Coagulating Grass, Marrow-Cleansing Flower, and Dew-Gathering Grass, among other kinds, emitting a refreshing medicinal fragrance. In the center, a spiritual spring gurgles, its clear water shimmering with spiritual light, the very source that nourishes this medicinal valley.

The Valley of Spiritual Herbs was filled with spiritual energy and covered with spiritual herbs. No one had time to linger over the scenery. Under Elder Fenglie's instructions, everyone quickly picked the spiritual herbs they needed.

There were no further obstacles along the way. There were no men in black chasing them, no fog or traps. Hai Lan concealed all her sharpness and accompanied them quietly throughout the journey, acting as a normal companion without making any small moves. She appeared to be safe and sound, completely putting everyone's guard down.

In less than half an hour, all the necessary spiritual herbs had been gathered and carefully stored in the herb bag. Elder Minglang, concerned for the sect and fearing unforeseen changes, immediately ordered a return journey. Without further delay, the group sped back along the original route.

The journey home was smooth. Hai Lan deliberately kept his forces under control, and there were no more dangers along the way. The group hurried along and returned safely to the foot of Laoshan Mountain in just one day and one night.

The majestic main peak of Laoshan Mountain was shrouded in clouds and mist, exuding an ethereal aura. Disciples on duty at the mountain gate rushed forward to greet the returning team that had gone out to gather herbs. However, seeing the somber expressions on everyone's faces and the drastically reduced number of people, their hearts sank.

Upon entering the mountain gate and returning to the outer sect council hall, Elder Minglang immediately led everyone to the main hall to report to the outer sect elder in charge. Elder Hailan also went along, her expression respectful throughout, showing no sign of anything amiss.

When the news spread that "Lin Yan's disciple accidentally fell off a cliff at the Moshan Pass to cover his fellow disciples and has gone missing," the entire Laoshan area was instantly thrown into an uproar.

The news first exploded among the outer disciples, then quickly spread to the inner disciples, various halls, and even the sect's higher-ups. The outer disciples were in an uproar. Those who had cultivated with Lin Yan and received his care were all filled with disbelief and grief. Yi Azhu, Yun Xi, Ye Qing, and Chen Dagang, upon returning to the sect, could no longer suppress their emotions. Filled with self-blame and sorrow, they remained silent all day, the atmosphere around them extremely oppressive.

"How is this possible... Senior Brother Lin Yan is so powerful, how could he have disappeared..."

"They went out together, but only he had an accident. This is too suspicious!"

"It was thanks to Senior Brother Lin Yan's initiative to cover our retreat that we were able to return safely..."

Regret, grief, and doubt spread through the outer sect. Many disciples spontaneously waited at the mountain gate, hoping to hear news of Lin Yan's safe return. Some even discussed privately, concluding that the incident at the pass was by no means a simple accident in the mountains.

Upon hearing this, the inner sect elders displayed a variety of expressions. Those who were on good terms with Elder Minglang all felt deep regret, stating that Lin Yan was exceptionally talented and composed, a rare talent among the outer sect members, and his disappearance was a great loss to the sect. Some elders had solemn expressions and repeatedly pressed for details of the incident, trying to find out the cause. Furthermore, some high-ranking members of the sect sensed something fishy about the matter and secretly instructed their subordinates to closely monitor the subsequent developments.

After returning to the sect, Elder Hailan continued to play the role of a heartbroken elder, constantly expressing her regret for Lin Yan. She shifted all the blame onto the bandits in the mountains, putting on a flawless act and clearing herself of any wrongdoing. In reality, however, she kept a close eye on the sect's movements, afraid of revealing even the slightest clue.

Elder Minglang kept his mouth shut. He was already certain that Hailan was the real culprit, but he was troubled by the lack of concrete evidence and was afraid of alerting the culprit and implicating the remaining disciples. He could only bury all his doubts and grief deep in his heart, and secretly report some abnormalities to the sect's higher-ups, waiting for the right opportunity to reveal the truth.

For a time, Lin Yan's disappearance became the focus of heated discussion throughout Laoshan.

Some lamented the loss of a genius, some were filled with doubt and confusion, some secretly investigated the matter, and some pretended to be unharmed.

While the entire Laoshan Mountain appears to remain shrouded in mist and orderly, undercurrents are surging beneath the surface due to this upheaval.

Meanwhile, beneath the abyss of Moshan Pass lies a secluded stone cave, isolated from the world.

The cave was warm and dry, the stone walls glowing faintly, and pure spiritual energy continuously flowed from the underground veins, surrounding him. Lin Yan sat cross-legged on the stone bed, his eyes closed. The hideous wounds on his clothes had already scabbed over and healed. Pure water spiritual energy flowed slowly around him, and the Guanhai Moyan spiritual light in his dantian was restrained, autonomously absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, gradually repairing his damaged meridians and cultivation.

Beside him stood a Taoist priest dressed in a plain robe, his figure ethereal and otherworldly. His eyes were filled with heartache and unwavering hope. He was none other than Lin Yan’s master, the Taoist priest Guan Hai.

He raised his hand and gently swept a wisp of warm and mellow spiritual energy into Lin Yan's body, firmly protecting the foundation of his heart meridian. Looking at his disciple who was diligently cultivating on the bed and whose aura was becoming more and more stable, Guan Hai Dao Ren sighed softly: "The calamity has just passed. He is cultivating in seclusion and waiting for the right time. When he returns to the mountain one day, he will surely be a beautiful sight."

The spiritual energy inside the cave grew increasingly dense, and Lin Yan's spiritual light intensified. His breathing became steady and long, and his fingertips occasionally emitted faint blue light. The spiritual energy circulating around him became increasingly smooth.