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墨書 Inktalez
Lu Chen returned to the Empty Mountain Cave, sitting alone at the table, lost in thought, his back straight and motionless.
At this moment, the stone chamber was empty, containing only a table with two Cedar Boxes on it, one holding the Iron Treasure Sword and the other the Longevity Pill. There was nothing else.
Princess Zhulan had already left for the tavern outside the Five Element Sect's mountain gate, where she was waiting for Lu Chen.
Logically, the grievances between Lu Chen and Yuan Jia had been resolved, and he could leave the Five Element Sect at any time without looking back.
However, there was still one matter he needed to resolve before he could depart.
This matter was a knot in his heart that needed to be untied; otherwise, it would hinder his Dao Heart.
If this hindrance was not removed, his future progress in understanding would become very difficult. Even if his physical realm were high, his mental state would struggle to grow or might not grow at all. Therefore, he had to complete this matter before leaving.
The stone chamber was very quiet; apart from Lu Chen, there was no one else. Lu Chen sat beside the table with his eyes open, like a stone statue, motionless and not exuding any sign of life. The atmosphere reached an eerie level.
If someone were to pass by the cave entrance now, they would mistakenly think it was empty.
Time passed slowly; Lu Chen remained seated but had closed his eyes, unlike before when he sat wide-eyed and unmoving like a person unable to close their eyes in death.
The sun set in the west as the moon gradually rose. By now, it was completely dark outside, and the sounds of insects chirping filled the air.
Suddenly, Lu Chen's ears twitched as he opened his eyes wide and looked towards the path leading up the mountain. He sensed someone approaching.
Sure enough, after a few breaths' time, a young girl entered the stone chamber.
"Princess, what are you doing here? Didn't I ask you to wait for me at the tavern? Actually, I should have let you take Old Mu and the others to leave first and wait for me in Haining County City. We could meet up later."
Lu Chen said slowly. Haining County City is about a hundred miles away from the Five Element Sect, which can be reached by horseback in half a day's time.
Because Lu Chen was unsure whether the Five Element Sect would send people to hunt them down, he wanted to be cautious. If he were alone, it would be easier for him to escape without any burdens, making it convenient for him to maneuver.
However, bringing Princess Zhulan and the others along could complicate things.
"What difference does it make if we run to Ninghai City? If the Five Element Sect really sends someone to pursue us, even if we escape to the ends of the earth, the outcome will still be the same," Princess Zhulan said anxiously, her face flushed and breathing heavily, indicating that she had just engaged in a vigorous run.
What Princess Zhulan meant was that if the Five Element Sect wanted to chase them, they would definitely send skilled experts, not ordinary people. No matter how far Lu Chen and the others escaped or how much defense they put up, it would all be in vain.
Lu Chen nodded; Princess Zhulan's words made sense. He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before softly saying, "Regardless, it's better to be prepared. You all go ahead first. If someone really comes after us, I'll hold them off. If Haining County City isn't enough, then we'll meet at Tebalzuo Town."
Tebalzuo Town is the last city before entering the desert from the Great Plains. The names of people and places there are quite long and peculiar, making it difficult for ordinary people to remember.
Lu Chen meant that he would personally hold them off and lead any pursuers away. After that, he would head alone to Tebalzuo Town to reunite with Princess Zhulan and the others.
Upon hearing this, Princess Zhulan remained silent. It was Lu Chen who paused for a moment before asking in return, "By the way, what are you doing here?"
Princess Zhulan should have been at the tavern but had rushed over to Empty Mountain Cave, indicating that something must have happened.
"Lu Chen, Yuan Jia is dead. Did you know? I came back specifically to inform you," Princess Zhulan said with an extremely serious expression.
"What? Dead?"
Although Yuan Jia's Dao Heart has collapsed, his Flesh remains strong enough to survive without food or water for two to three months. Even if he were to die quickly, it would take about a month.
In such a short time, Yuan Jia has died, and the cause cannot be natural death unless he was assassinated or ambushed, and the attacker could break through his Divine Power Body.
This indicates that anyone capable of killing Yuan Jia is certainly not an ordinary person but a Qi Gong Master who could deliver a fatal blow.
Lu Chen slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, shocked. "How is that possible? I have been sitting here in this stone chamber and had no opportunity to kill him."
Yuan Jia's death is indeed a serious matter. If he had died at Martial Arts Peak, it might not have been as severe, but everyone saw that Yuan Jia was carried down from Martial Arts Peak by several trusted aides and returned to the Cave.
At that time, although Yuan Jia was delirious and somewhat dazed, he was still intact.
But now that Yuan Jia is dead, the prime suspect must be Lu Chen. Anyone with common sense would suspect Lu Chen.
Moreover, with Yuan Jia being a True Disciple and a master on the Renowned List, the Five Element Sect will undoubtedly conduct a thorough investigation into this matter to uncover the true culprit; otherwise, they would not be able to explain it to the Yuan Family of Sui Mo Kingdom.
"Lu Chen, don't be foolish. With things happening at this moment, what good does it do to investigate who killed him? We should leave quickly and get far away from here."
Princess Zhulan advised from the side, hoping Lu Chen would leave soon. As long as they could escape successfully, once the Five Element Sect clarifies the true culprit, they would naturally let Lu Chen go.
Otherwise, given Lu Chen's current notoriety and his somewhat legitimate status as a True Disciple, it would be strange if he wasn't captured and thrown into Demon Prison.
Demon Prison is a place specifically used by the Five Element Sect to imprison evil masterminds; it is truly impenetrable. The doors are made of steel one foot thick, which even a Qi Master with a Divine Power Body cannot breach. Inside there are mechanisms controlled from the Celestial Palace of the Sect Leader; without the leader's orders, not even a fly could escape.
Even if you are a Yin Spirit or Dharmakaya, the Five Element Sect has elders who specialize in crafting Talismans to counter you. Once you enter Demon Prison, you will never get out.
Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, then resolutely said, "You all go ahead. I'm not leaving. I still have unresolved issues at the Five Element Sect. If I don't resolve them, it will be difficult for me to break through my cultivation in the future. Even if Yin Boqing comes, I won't leave."
Lu Chen returned to sit by the table. At this moment, he was as stubborn as a rock; he simply would not leave, and even Princess Zhulan could do nothing about it.
The stone chamber fell into silence for a long time. Princess Zhulan held back several times before finally speaking, her delicate face slightly pale. She then said, "Fine, if you’re not leaving, then I won’t either. We can wait here together; at worst, we’ll both end up in the Demon Prison."
Princess Zhulan staying here was of no use. With her Qigong cultivation level, she would be eliminated in the second round of the competition. If someone came to capture Lu Chen, she would only become a burden.
If the Five Element Sect truly suspected Lu Chen because of Yuan Jia's death and sent people to capture him, they could directly dispatch True Disciples to surround Empty Mountain. In that case, no matter how capable Lu Chen was, he would not be able to escape.
However, the reason Princess Zhulan stayed was not to help; only she understood her true intentions, which no one else could comprehend.
Seeing that Princess Zhulan also refused to leave, Lu Chen took the initiative to stay and glanced at her. Both of their personalities were incredibly stubborn; neither could persuade the other, so Lu Chen did not urge her to leave.
As the moon rose over the western building, the night sky was exceptionally clear. Shortly after Princess Zhulan arrived, faint voices and the roars of magical beasts could be heard outside Empty Mountain Cave—now distant, now close.
They exchanged glances but said nothing. They understood that this meant the Five Element Sect had begun sending disciples to patrol the mountains.
Due to Yuan Jia's death, the Five Element Sect first suspected external enemies. Therefore, every checkpoint was on high alert, increasing the number of Mountain Patrol Disciples to thoroughly search every corner and leave no clue overlooked.
Patrolling and searching the mountains was just the first step; naturally, the second step for the Five Element Sect would be a thorough investigation of their own ranks and begin cleaning up their internal members.
The speed of the Five Element Sect was quite fast and timely. Princess Zhulan had connections among the higher-ups of the Five Element Sect; she received firsthand information and immediately rushed to inform Lu Chen after learning about Yuan Jia's death.
From the tavern to Empty Mountain Cave, with Princess Zhulan's speed, it wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes. Then they chatted in the stone chamber for less than half an hour before the Five Element Sect began their search of the mountains.
"Who?"
Lu Chen shouted and rushed out of the Empty Mountain Cave at a frantic speed. From a distance of twenty to thirty steps, he saw a Mountain Patrol Disciple from the Five Element Sect sneaking around, peering into the stone chamber while riding a Giant Claw Demon Leopard.
The arrival of Lu Chen immediately startled the Giant Claw Demon Leopard, which let out a loud roar and nearly threw its rider off.
"Senior Brother, I'm here to patrol the mountain."
The disciple hurriedly calmed his mount. Upon recognizing Lu Chen's attire and appearance, his expression froze in surprise. "Ah, it's Senior Brother Lu Chen! I'm so sorry!"
In just a short time, he recognized Lu Chen, and fear was evident on his face. The news of Lu Chen defeating the renowned expert Yuan Jia on Martial Arts Peak had already spread throughout the entire Five Element Sect.
Everyone had heard about it and passed it along, almost painting a vivid picture of Lu Chen's appearance. Thus, after taking a few more glances, the disciple was able to identify him.
He quickly apologized and explained, "Due to the unexpected death of Senior Brother Yuan Jia—no, I mean the one with the surname Yuan—the elders have issued orders to strengthen vigilance and patrols. I saw some movement over here just now, so I came to check it out."
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