Ling Jian stood at the mouth of the gorge, waiting anxiously, muttering under his breath. Sun Yu still hadn't shown his face from within the Dragon Valley, and no matter how long he waited, there was no sign of him.
Gradually, Ling Jian even began to suspect that his disciple had perished amid the terrifying display of heavenly power just moments ago.
Just as he stood there in a daze, at a loss for what to do, a tall, slender figure came sprinting from the direction of the Dragon Valley. Ling Jian's body jolted, and he couldn't help but widen his eyes to get a better look.
The figure bore some resemblance to Sun Yu, but seemed taller and sturdier than what Ling Jian remembered. His old eyes weren't what they used to be, and for a moment he couldn't be sure, so he kept his gaze fixed on the approaching person.
A short while later, the figure's features finally came into focus. Once Ling Jian confirmed it was indeed Sun Yu, tears of joy streamed down his weathered face in an instant. He laughed and cursed at the same time: "You little rascal, you finally came out! You worried me sick!"
"Master!" Sun Yu looked thrilled as he rushed up to Ling Jian and performed a deep bow. But before he could say much, Ling Jian grabbed him and said urgently, "Come with me!"
Sun Yu looked at him with suspicion. "Where are we going?"
"The Youhan Grotto-heaven has come to attack. The Mansion Master and the others are fighting them off, but they have two Saint Realm cultivators—we can't hold them. Before the Mansion Master left, he ordered me that once you came out, I had to take you somewhere safe. The sect's future revival depends on you."
"Somewhere safe?" Sun Yu frowned.
"The Twin Pavilion... Our Dragon Phoenix Mansion has always been on good terms with the Twin Pavilion. We'll go there and lie low for a while, wait for the storm to pass."
Ling Jian had already worked out the destination. His disciple Sun Yu had inherited the Dragon Emperor's legacy and was sure to grow into a dominant power in the future. Moreover, Sun Yu desperately needed to find a woman to inherit the legacy in the Phoenix Nest. Once the Twin Pavilion learned of all this, they would surely protect them well.
As long as they accepted this favor, it wouldn't be out of the question for Sun Yu to find a Phoenix Queen among the Twin Pavilion's members.
—After all, the Phoenix Queen's legacy couldn't be left for the likes of the Youhan Grotto-heaven, those sworn enemies.
"I'm not going!" Sun Yu suddenly broke free from Ling Jian's grip and stood his ground with a cold shout.
Ling Jian froze, turning to stare at him. He stamped his feet in frustration: "You little rascal, even at a time like this you won't listen to your master? You trying to anger this old man to death?"
Sun Yu snorted coldly. "The sect is in danger—how can I just run away? The Youhan Grotto-heaven dares to attack us? I'll make them pay the price!"
Ling Jian was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at his own disciple. For a moment, he couldn't quite process what was happening.
Sure, his disciple had inherited the Dragon Emperor's legacy, but where did he get such confidence, claiming he'd make the Youhan Grotto-heaven pay? Did he even have the ability?
He extended his divine sense, sweeping it around Sun Yu. The moment he detected his current cultivation level, Ling Jian nearly popped his eyes out of their sockets. He gasped: "You—"
"Make us pay? Hahahaha, what an arrogant little brat!" A burst of laughter suddenly rang out from the side.
Accompanying that eerily mocking voice, several figures materialized from all directions like ghosts. Each one wore moon-white robes that made them appear immaculate and pristine.
Sun Yu's expression changed, and he instinctively shrank behind Ling Jian. Ling Jian's face was equally grave as he shielded his disciple, coldly scanning their surroundings. He barked out: "People from the Youhan Grotto-heaven!"
It was indeed the Youhan Grotto-heaven. Five of them, and every single one was a Transcendent Realm cultivator.
Against that many Transcendent Realm fighters, facing Ling Jian who was only at the first level of Transcendent and getting on in years, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
That was why they had revealed themselves without a care in the world, leisurely observing the master and disciple with mocking expressions.
The leading figure, a middle-aged man, studied Sun Yu with a sinister smile. "Kid, was it you who just said you'd make our Youhan Grotto-heaven pay?"
Sun Yu's face went pale, and he shrank back too afraid to make a sound.
Although he had been personally groomed by Yang Kai—his aptitude transformed and his cultivation skyrocketing—he was still just a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy who had never seen real danger. Now, suddenly confronted with five Transcendent Realm cultivators, his courage evaporated before he even fought. The bravado he'd shown moments ago was gone. If not for his master standing in front of him, he would have lost his will to fight entirely.
Hiding behind Ling Jian, he glanced around nervously, as though searching for something. After a moment, a flash of joy crossed his face, and his panicked expression gradually steadied.
The middle-aged man said his piece and didn't bother with Ling Jian and his disciple any further. He and the other four turned their gazes toward the depths of the Dragon Valley, stroking their chins. "That celestial phenomenon just now must have come from inside here, right?"
"That's right. This place is said to be the Dragon Phoenix Mansion's Dragon Valley, where some Dragon Emperor's legacy was hidden. We never believed it, but it seems it might be real. For the past two years, Chen Zhou and his group have been stationed here."
"If that's the case, then some disciple of the Dragon Phoenix Mansion must have obtained the Dragon Emperor's legacy?"
"Mm, we've already confirmed it. The person who went in is named Sun Yu—only at the seventh level of the Zhenyuan Realm!"
"Lucky brat. Let's go in and grab him!"
These five Transcendent Realm cultivators completely ignored Ling Jian and his disciple, chatting among themselves as if the two didn't exist.
Ling Jian had been on edge, but once he heard their conversation, he suddenly realized this was an opportunity. It seemed they had no idea that the young man standing right in front of them was the very Sun Yu they were looking for.