781: The road ahead is blocked

Yu Qing maintained her smile and said, "Brother Lin Yang, please don't misunderstand. I don't have any ulterior motives, but surely you are aware, Brother Lin Yang, that with our level of strength, if we don't take a Teleportation Array, we cannot rely on ourselves to cross multiple prefectures."

Once the Ancient Ruins descend on a large scale, the wilderness becomes even more dangerous. The best way to avoid this is to take a Teleportation Array to evacuate in advance; the further you retreat, the safer you are.

However, the cost of the Teleportation Array is high, especially in the current situation where the fees have skyrocketed. Generally speaking, it is difficult to afford crossing multiple prefectures.

Therefore...

Yu Qing paused slightly, looked at Lin Yang earnestly, and said, "My meaning is very simple: I can provide the funds to help you keep retreating until you reach a relatively safe area."

Lin Yang's eyes narrowed. "Fellow Daoist Yu Qing, are you joking? To retreat to a place that is currently relatively safe, we would need to be at least a hundred or even hundreds of prefectures away from here, right?!"

He wasn't quite sure what Yu Qing was up to.

According to the information organized from the intelligence exchanged, the Ancient Ruins hardly exist in the inner prefecture regions.

Xiwu City and Xizhou City belong to Xi Jing Prefecture, which is the border of the human race.

Using Xi Jing Prefecture as a reference point, one would probably need to cross at least a hundred prefectures to be considered in the inner prefecture region.

But because of the existence of the Ancient Ruins, I'm afraid retreating a hundred prefectures isn't very safe; it might require retreating hundreds of prefectures to be sure.

Yet Yu Qing said she would fund him?

Not to mention whether Yu Qing has the financial resources, even if she did, why would she help him?

Lin Yang did not hide his suspicion and scrutinized Yu Qing.

Yu Qing smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, if I help you, there are naturally conditions."

"What conditions?" Lin Yang's gaze was deep.

"You just need to do me a favor in the future!" Yu Qing said calmly.

Lin Yang frowned. "What kind of favor? When will you need help?"

"It's hard to say right now, but rest assured, it will definitely be something within your capabilities. If you can't do it, I won't force you," Yu Qing said.

Lin Yang looked at her for a moment and said slowly, "Fellow Daoist Yu Qing, you saved me in the Ancient Ruins last time, and I have always owed you a debt of gratitude. If there is anything I can help with in the future, I certainly won't refuse. However, to be honest, this condition makes me feel a bit uneasy."

He already owed Yu Qing a debt of gratitude. If Yu Qing needed help, he would definitely assist her; there was no need for this. But now that Yu Qing stated it in this way, it really made him feel uneasy.

Yu Qing laughed. "Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Lin Yang. I can take a Life Dao Vow that I will not harm you, nor will I make you do anything beyond your capabilities."

"Of course, you also need to take a Life Dao Vow not to disclose this matter to anyone, and at the same time, ensure you won't kill me to seize my treasures. As long as you agree, I will cover all the costs of the evacuation."

Lin Yang's eyes flickered. "Fellow Daoist Yu Qing, what do you mean by the latter part? Why would I kill you to seize treasures?"

Yu Qing forced a smile. "Your strength is greater than mine, and as a rogue cultivator, I am bringing out so much wealth; surely you would be curious, so shouldn't I consider my own safety?"

Lin Yang was slightly stunned, then said leisurely, "Fellow Daoist Yu Qing, you've made your words so clear, aren't you afraid that I might reject your condition now and then find an opportunity to kill you and seize your treasures?"

He looked at Yu Qing, truly curious as to why she would rashly say these things. After all, he hadn't taken any vows yet. Yet Yu Qing had already revealed that she was carrying a huge sum of money. This was a bit reckless. Did she really trust him that much?

Yu Qing's smile didn't fade. "Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, I believe you are not that kind of person. Of course, I also admit there is an element of gambling in this."

Lin Yang stared at Yu Qing for a long time before saying, "Fellow Daoist Yu Qing, you are indeed very interesting. Since that's the case, I won't stand on ceremony. I can agree to your conditions."

After speaking, he took the Life Dao Vow according to Yu Qing's requirements.

Lin Yang's straightforward approach surprised Yu Qing, and she couldn't help but say, "Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, you didn't ask to see if I have that much money before taking the vow? Aren't you afraid that I don't actually have that much money?"

Lin Yang smiled slightly. "Fellow Daoist Yu Qing, I just said that I already owe you a debt of gratitude. Regardless of whether you have the money to take me away, I was going to repay that favor anyway. So, I actually don't care whether you have the money; I'll just consider it as repaying the favor for your help in the Ancient Ruins."

He was speaking from his heart. Even if Yu Qing hadn't come to ask for his help in the future, he would still have repaid that favor. As for the condition Yu Qing proposed, it would be best if it could be fulfilled, but if not, he truly didn't care.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qing was silent for a moment, then said, "Then, Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, from now on, we are close allies. You can go back and prepare. Once the situation here changes, we will depart at any time."

After saying this, she also took the Dao Vow.

Lin Yang nodded, left the restaurant, and returned to the Zhao residence.

After thinking about it, he found Zhao Hu and told him that he was leaving.

The Zhao family had helped him quite a bit, but he had also helped the Zhao family deal with the Bai family. Now that the Ancient Ruins were descending on a large scale, and since there was an opportunity to leave provided by Yu Qing, he didn't want to miss it and had to bid farewell to the Zhao family.

Zhao Hu was not surprised, seemingly having expected it, and smiled. "It's good that Brother Lin Yang wants to continue retreating. Our Zhao family has been here for generations and is truly unable to move the whole clan again. I wish you a safe journey, Brother Lin Yang. If you have the chance to return here in the future, you are always welcome to visit the Zhao family again, provided that the Zhao family is still here."

Lin Yang sighed and said, "Then I'll trouble Brother Zhao Hu to let the Zhao family head and the others know later. I won't go over to bid farewell; parting is always painful."

"No problem." Zhao Hu expressed that he understood Lin Yang's thoughts.

Having bid farewell to Zhao Hu, Lin Yang also left the Zhao residence.

At the same time, faint mist began to appear outside Xizhou City.

Lin Yang and Yu Qing met up and carried out their second evacuation, leaving Xizhou City by Teleportation Array.

Because Xizhou City had also started to be invaded by the Ancient Ruins, many people were evacuating, causing the neighboring cities to become overcrowded.

At Yu Qing's suggestion, the two of them teleported two or three more times to other cities, intending to stay temporarily to see how the situation developed.

However, just a few days later, the latest news arrived. All the cities in the entire Xi Jing Prefecture had begun to be surrounded by mist.

The Ancient Ruins began to officially and comprehensively invade the cities, and they started the invasion at the same time, rather than waiting until one city was invaded before moving to the next.

Consequently, they could no longer stay in the entire Xi Jing Prefecture. Lin Yang and Yu Qing evacuated again. After several such instances, they completely left Xi Jing Prefecture.

But before the two of them could breathe a sigh of relief, Yu Qing's expression became solemn. "Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, things are looking a bit bad. According to the latest news, it's not just Xi Jing Prefecture that is being fully invaded by the Ancient Ruins; the various prefectures to the west have also been invaded by the Ancient Ruins. We cannot stop now; we must run in one go until we reach a place that hasn't been invaded by the Ancient Ruins yet."

Lin Yang's expression was also stern. If the Ancient Ruins were invading one after another, it would be better, but now that they are invading comprehensively at the same time, their teleportation speed must also be increased; otherwise, a certain situation might occur.

That is, the path ahead is cut off! It is very likely that before they can even leave the current city, the target city they intend to evacuate to will have already been invaded by the Ancient Ruins.

"In the end, I still have too little experience. When Xiwu City first started being invaded by the Ancient Ruins, I should have realized this problem." Yu Qing muttered to herself, then added, "From now on, we won't stop. Even if we have to pay extra, we must teleport away as soon as possible."

Lin Yang couldn't help but glance at her. Although he wouldn't have any crooked thoughts about Yu Qing's wealth, he was indeed curious: where did a rogue cultivator like Yu Qing get so much money? And since she was so rich, why did she go into trade back in Xiwu City? After all, trade also carries risks. However, this concerned Yu Qing's personal privacy, so he didn't feel it was appropriate to ask.

Yu Qing was indeed generous with her spending. Now that everyone wanted to take the Teleportation Array to evacuate as soon as possible, paying extra or even double the price was common. When encountering such situations, Yu Qing didn't hesitate at all and often paid high prices to exchange for the qualification to teleport immediately.

Lin Yang secretly estimated that if this situation continued all the way, the final teleportation cost might be at least two to three times more than normal. To be honest, this price would be more than enough to buy both their lives... It was simply inconceivable that Yu Qing was carrying such a staggering amount of money.

Time passed. Unknowingly, Lin Yang and Yu Qing had already teleported across dozens of prefectures. On this day, the two were forced to stop teleporting. Because the worst-case scenario they had previously imagined had happened. Their path ahead was cut off. The speed of the Ancient Ruins' invasion was much faster than estimated. Now, there were no more cities to evacuate to. The city they were currently in had also been more than half covered by mist.

Of course, it wasn't impossible to continue teleporting. Because the power of the Ancient Ruins would not affect the Teleportation Array. As long as one had not been drawn into the Ancient Ruins, theoretically, one could still take the Teleportation Array. However, there was no need for that. Nearly a hundred of the various western prefectures were currently invaded by the Ancient Ruins. If they continued to evacuate, they would need to pass through at least several dozen more prefectures to reach a place that had not yet been invaded by the Ancient Ruins. But with such a long distance, during the process, they would 100% be drawn into the Ancient Ruins. Moreover, while teleporting, the Ancient Ruins might continue to invade places that had not yet been invaded. Therefore, continuing to teleport could basically be said to have no meaning.

"Still can't avoid it?" Yu Qing was a bit unwilling. Lin Yang was relatively calm. "The speed of the Ancient Ruins' invasion is too fast; there's nothing that can be done about it."

Yu Qing was silent. Lin Yang asked directly, "Fellow Daoist Yu Qing, since you are so wealthy, why didn't you go to the inner prefecture regions earlier? You already experienced being drawn into the Ancient Ruins once back in Xiwu City. If I were as rich as you, I would definitely go straight to live in the inner prefectures."

He was also quite curious about this question. Being so wealthy, why did Yu Qing still stay to live in Xiwu City?

Yu Qing looked at him with complex eyes and said slowly, "Some things are a long story; I'll tell you later."

"Alright." Lin Yang shrugged and didn't ask further. Yu Qing clearly had some unspeakable hidden difficulties and secrets. Asking more would be impolite.

Mist also appeared all around at this moment.

"It seems there is no avoiding it. I hope for better luck and not to be drawn into too dangerous of a projection world," Lin Yang sighed.

Yu Qing suddenly said, "If, after being drawn into the Ancient Ruins, it is not a very dangerous projection world, try to stay as long as possible. Don't rush to leave; otherwise, if you are drawn into a dangerous projection world again after coming out, it will be even more troublesome."

Lin Yang's heart stirred. "You mean, it's possible to delay coming out while in the Ancient Ruins?"

"Yes, as long as you determine that the danger level of the projection world you are in is bearable, you can try to delay. Perhaps if you are lucky, by the time you come out, the Ancient Ruins invasion will have ended," Yu Qing nodded.

"I didn't expect that." Lin Yang was a bit surprised.

Yu Qing said, "Generally speaking, after people are drawn into the Ancient Ruins, they all think about leaving as soon as possible. In fact, one can also try to delay. As for how long you can delay, it depends on the specific situation. Sometimes, dragging it out for too long can also cause some variables, so you have to adapt to the circumstances."

"Understood." Lin Yang nodded slightly.

While the two were talking, the mist had already enveloped them. However, neither of them was drawn into the Ancient Ruins immediately.

"We weren't drawn in?" Lin Yang and Yu Qing couldn't help but look at each other, but they didn't relax.

The rules for the Ancient Ruins drawing people in were unclear. As long as one was still within the coverage of the Ancient Ruins' power, one could be drawn in at any time.

There were also many people in this city who had not been drawn in. But everyone was equally nervous. Even a bit terrified. After all, sometimes waiting for death is more agonizing than dying directly. Panic was spreading. The whole city was terrifyingly quiet. It was like a dead city. Only the mist was drifting, shrouding the entire city. Although the mist was thin, it had an inexplicable power that hindered people's vision and divine sense, making it difficult to even see surrounding objects clearly.

Suddenly. An invisible wave swept over. Lin Yang's consciousness sank.

"Junior Martial Brother, from now on you must stay in this secret chamber. No matter what happens outside, you should cultivate here with peace of mind until I come to pick you up, or until you have the ability to leave on your own..."

The moment Lin Yang opened his eyes, he heard a somewhat familiar voice. A trace of confusion appeared in his eyes. But he quickly regained clarity.

"Was I drawn into the Ancient Ruins?" Lin Yang realized his current situation almost immediately.

This time, before being drawn into the Ancient Ruins, he had been mentally prepared and vigilant, plus the power of the strange object Zhao Hu had given him earlier. This allowed Lin Yang to wake up immediately, knowing that he had entered the Ancient Ruins world again.

Last time, he didn't wake up for a long time because before being drawn into the Ancient Ruins, he didn't know about the existence of the Ancient Ruins at all, so he had no defenses. But this time was different.

And... "It's actually still in the Saint Spirit Sect, still the same projection world as last time, and the one speaking in front of me is indeed that Senior Brother Xiao Yichen..."

Lin Yang was shocked. He had actually been drawn into the Ancient Ruins world from last time again. It's just that the time node of his appearance this time seemed to be when Xiao Yichen pulled him into the secret chamber last time.

This... Lin Yang was quite shocked. Because after being drawn into the Ancient Ruins, it is very, very rare to be consecutively drawn into the same projection world. His luck was truly something else.

However, compared to the shock, Lin Yang was more pleasantly surprised. He had experienced this projection world last time and left perfectly. This time, as long as he acted according to his previous experience, couldn't he leave smoothly again?

However, vaguely, Lin Yang felt that this time it seemed it shouldn't be that simple.

"Junior Martial Brother? Did you hear what I said?" Xiao Yichen saw Lin Yang suddenly lose focus, and his already solemn expression became even more serious.

"Uh... Senior Brother, I'm listening. Please continue..." Lin Yang quickly regained his focus and responded. (End of this chapter)