"Since the decision's been made, let's leave this place as soon as possible. After all, apart from that spring, there's nothing else here that could be called a treasure."
"Now that the spring is gone, there's no reason to stay."
Chu Haoyan's grandfather said.
"Wait a moment." After speaking, Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather waved his large sleeve, and to everyone's surprise, he painted a map in midair.
"Is this… the route we came by?" Chu Ruoshi asked in astonishment.
"Ruoshi, sharp eyes — yes, this is indeed the route we came by. Speaking of which, the fact that we were able to reach this place is all thanks to that kid Chu Feng."
"But without him, I suppose none of you would know how to get back, right?" Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather asked.
"We really wouldn't know." Both Chu Zhiyuan and Chu Ruoshi shook their heads, their faces flushing with shame.
They understood clearly that even Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather hadn't known how to reach this place.
The only one who had been able to find it was Chu Feng.
Even now, Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather had only produced this route map because he had secretly memorized the path on the way in.
Although it was a simple thing to do, Chu Zhiyuan and Chu Ruoshi had both overlooked it.
That was precisely why they felt ashamed.
After all, if Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather hadn't memorized the route out, they truly wouldn't have known how to return. They'd likely have been trapped here until they died.
The path in had been extraordinarily treacherous — practically a massive labyrinth.
At the same time, they couldn't help but marvel that experience truly was the best teacher. Having someone like that by their side, the younger generation certainly had a sufficient sense of security.
"Zhiyuan, remember this well."
"Although you didn't manage to break through to the second rank of Heavenly Immortal this time, with your talent, it won't be long before you advance to the first rank."
"The Heaven's Chosen Assembly is your best opportunity to prove yourself."
"So now is the time for you to show your edge." Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather said to Chu Zhiyuan.
His meaning was clear — he wanted Chu Zhiyuan to lead the younger generation out of this place.
After all, right now in the hearts of the Chu Heavenly Clan's younger generation, Chu Zhiyuan was nothing more than a useless pretty boy.
But if he could successfully lead everyone out and save their lives, then his standing among them would naturally rise considerably.
"Understood, Grandfather."
Chu Zhiyuan was, after all, a prodigy of exceptional talent. After merely glancing at the map and committing it carefully to memory, he had the entire route out memorized in his mind.
After that, Chu Zhiyuan and the others departed from the cave.
In order to frame Chu Feng, they went even further and made the act convincing — injuring themselves badly along the way.
The two Supreme Elders, in particular, pushed themselves into a near-death state of grievous injury. This served a very important purpose.
First, the two young hosts were already dead, and the two Supreme Elders couldn't continue borrowing their bodies indefinitely.
So as long as they left this place in a critically injured state, they would be at constant risk of death.
Once they helped Chu Zhiyuan and Chu Ruoshi prove that Chu Feng had tried to hoard the treasure and had attacked them, the two of them could simply die.
That way, their deaths would not only tarnish Chu Feng's name, but the two Supreme Elders would also be able to slip away scot-free.
It was practically perfect.
However, they hadn't anticipated that when they emerged from the cave, all of the younger generation had vanished. Only one person remained — Chu Lingxi.
Chu Lingxi lay collapsed on the ground, already unconscious.
Chu Zhiyuan and Chu Ruoshi went forward to check on her, only to discover that Chu Lingxi had no external injuries, yet her life force was incredibly fragile — she was on the verge of death. It was her soul that had suffered severe damage.
But even when the soul was injured, the physical body should have been affected first. Yet Chu Lingxi's soul was damaged while her body remained completely unharmed.
In any case, this injury was exceedingly strange.
"Grandfather, what happened here?" Chu Zhiyuan asked, perplexed.
"It's the Yin-Yang Life Pearls."
"Chu Lingxi's Yin-Yang Life Pearls merged with Chu Feng's. From the moment they stepped through the Gate of Yin and Yang, their fates became bound together." Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather said.
"Then that means Chu Feng…" A gleam of delight appeared in Chu Zhiyuan's eyes.
"Chu Feng is naturally dead. Setting aside the fact that falling into that lake should have killed him beyond any doubt, Chu Lingxi's condition serves as even more conclusive proof of his death." Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather said.
"In that case, let's just leave Chu Lingxi to die. We can even blame her death on Chu Feng." Chu Zhiyuan said with a cold laugh.
Though Chu Feng was dead, Chu Lingxi's talent was not to be underestimated. In Chu Zhiyuan's eyes, she was still a tremendous threat, and he wished nothing more than for her to die.