Chapter 109: A Moment Between Life and Death

“This is what you call an intense murderous aura? What a frog in the well!” The little white bear seized the opportunity to retaliate immediately.

“It seems that none of the people outside are particularly strong. Why were you so scared just now?”

“There was a powerful spiritual perception scan from above earlier. Even a spit from them could kill you. ‘The Tide Listening Pavilion’ updates fastest. The Bear Lord feared that you, a useless one, would be discovered and drag the Bear Lord down with you.”

“How strong are they?”

“They’re on the same level as the old monsters from the Xianchen Sect.”

“Could it be that killing star, the Wu family’s ancestor?” Yu Youwei guessed, her expression turning grim.

While the little white bear and Yu Youwei communicated silently, the man outside seemed to sense something, paused, and raised his knife to disturb the vine hanging at the cave’s entrance.

Yu Youwei’s heart leapt into her throat; her blood seemed to freeze all at once. The murderous aura emanating from the man indicated he was a ruthless killer, extremely dangerous. Most importantly, any commotion would attract hidden aerial masters. Since most of her belongings were destroyed at the Dragon Blood Pool’s bottom, and many of her methods were unusable, relying only on her damaged Red and Blue Twin Swords and a cowardly little white bear, she was absolutely no match.

“The Bear Lord knows how to avoid calamity,” the little white bear indignantly defended itself, then added, “If the Bear Lord hadn’t concealed your aura, you’d have been found out long ago!”

Ignoring it, Yu Youwei focused intently on the cave entrance.

The blade’s tip glimmered with a cold, eerie light, slipping between the withered vines. In the dim cave, it was chillingly conspicuous. If it extended another half meter, it would reach Yu Youwei’s eyes.

Fixing her gaze on the blade’s cold gleam without blinking, her face was as expressionless as if forged from iron.

The blade did not advance but swayed left and right, brushing the green vines and accidentally striking the stalactites hanging above the entrance, producing faint tapping sounds. Presumably, the man outside thought there was solid rock behind the vines and sheathed his knife.

Silently relieved, Yu Youwei remained as still as a stone statue.

“Ah—”

A startled shout echoed from afar, drawing the scar-faced, murderous man’s attention away. Nearby people hurried over as well.

Yu Youwei optimistically said, “If they tear each other apart, I’ll have a chance to escape.”

“Do you think your luck hasn’t run out yet?” The little white bear mocked maliciously.

Sounds of clashing swords rang through the stone forest outside, cries of pain rising one after another, accompanied by the thunderous crash of flying rocks.

“Looks like I still have some luck left,” Yu Youwei smiled lightly, only to receive a disdainful eye-roll from the little white bear—who thought, with her level of bad luck, if she didn’t hang herself or die smashing into tofu, it’d be a miracle.

After close combat, the Wu family was quickly overwhelmed, retreating from the stone forest amid the battle. The pursuing group was the bandits. The scar-faced old man recognized their leader and roared, “Chen Wu, the feud between the Wu family and your Qingliang Mountain group was settled last time. Why are you causing trouble again?”

Chen Wu shouted back louder, “Damned scoundrels, hand over the murderer who killed my brother!”

“Your brother was killed? Where and when?” The scar-faced old man’s anger cooled somewhat.

“Do you want to say there’s anyone else around within a thousand miles who could have killed my brother?” Chen Wu stared fiercely at the scar-faced man, the blade flashing like a meteor, ready to strike at any moment.

Not wanting complications, the scar-faced man said, “We didn’t kill your brother. I’m not afraid of you; I just don’t want to waste time and let the killer escape.”

Finding the scar-faced man’s words reasonable, Chen Wu waved his sword and said, “You go first. Don’t play tricks.”

Assuming Yu Youwei wouldn’t be hiding here with Chen Wu’s group around, the scar-faced man hastened to search elsewhere without arguing further and left with his men.

Hearing their master’s call, the Azure Cloud Eagle took off, and the Little Thunder Hawk stopped lingering and swiftly flew back to the stone forest.

Chen Wu’s group, surprised to find someone hiding in the valley, left soon after.

The Little Thunder Hawk flew back up and conscientiously took up the watch.

Yu Youwei looked around and sighed in relief, “Both groups fought and left? What luck.”

The little white bear muttered, “You call that luck? Luck is rotten dog shit! Look up at the sky—hope it’s not coming to hunt you down.”

Startled, Yu Youwei looked up, her eyes darkening.

A fluffy white cloud slowly dispersed a hundred meters above the valley, transforming into swirling mist around a woman dressed in jade-green. To Yu Youwei’s shock, this woman was the Water Ancestor of the Xianchen Sect, with Ning Mofei, that foolish simpleton, obediently clinging to her back, his face pressed tightly against her neck.

The Water Ancestor wore a pale green floral, waist-cinched long skirt that outlined her alluring, curvaceous figure. Ning Mofei’s shameless hands roamed freely over the jade-like peaks. The scene was rather eye-catching. Yu Youwei twitched her mouth and rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, an earth-shattering howl erupted. At the junction of the cloud-covered mountains, a massive phantom rose, its oppressive aura sweeping over the horizon like a tidal wave. Fortunately, with the little white bear and her Red and Blue Twin Swords in the Beast-Taming Talisman, she was unafraid of such pressure.

The Little Thunder Hawk, terrified, shot back like lightning and was promptly stored in the Beast-Taming Talisman.

“Take Mofei and run fast. Don’t stop!” The Water Ancestor flung Ning Mofei off her back without looking down at Yu Youwei, charging toward the phantom.

In the short time, the phantom moved to the sky just outside the valley. Yu Youwei could now clearly see the figure inside. He was burly, broad-shouldered, and broad-chested, giving the first impression of a savage ape-man from deep mountains—wild, brutal, yet full of vibrant power, a force dormant but ready to erupt at any moment.

The Water Ancestor looked pitifully frail before the enormous phantom.

Catching the falling Ning Mofei, the unlucky boy’s pores oozed blood all over, like he’d been pulled from a pool of blood. Yu Youwei wanted to scold him but softened at the sight. She activated the Qing Frost Sword, conjuring a blue light shield to envelop Ning Mofei, then asked, “Why did I tell you to stay in the Imperial Capital? Why did you follow?”

Wiping blood from his face with his sleeve, Ning Mofei sheepishly said, “The Water Ancestor said it’s okay to be a bad child who sometimes doesn’t listen.”

“Even if you’re bleeding all over?” She flicked his forehead, wanting to sternly warn him further, but seeing his nose bleeding badly and looking pitiful, she sighed and scooped him up, flying swiftly out of the valley.

Near the valley entrance, the strange stones cracked under the immense pressure from above, and a Seven-Star Orchid growing in a rock crevice disintegrated into spiritual energy fragments.

It was a mature Seven-Star Orchid, worth over a thousand spirit stones, rare and priceless. Yu Youwei glanced regretfully before rushing away with Ning Mofei.

“Huh?” The powerful figure in the phantom looked down at Yu Youwei on the ground, surprised she was still able to move freely.