413: Chapter 413 The matter is settled

Pei Tieshan, Shui Qingdie, and Dongfang Xinghe were even more surprised and delighted; the feeling of surviving a desperate situation almost made them cheer.

Li Xuanxiao looked deeply at Venerable Jiehuo's phantom and Ye Tian, Sword Intent flickering in his eyes as he pondered something.

"Old Ancestor! You can't let him go! He killed my third brother and severely injured me! Old Ancestor, you must seek justice for me!"

Nangong Zhaotian snapped out of his shock. Seeing that his own Old Ancestor was actually going to let Ye Tian go, he became anxious and, regardless of his injuries, began to wail and scream.

"Shut up!" Ancestor Nangong whipped his head around, sweeping a cold gaze over him.

"Boom!"

Although it was just a look, how could the heavily injured Nangong Zhaotian withstand the Yuan Dan Realm pressure and fury contained within?

Nangong Zhaotian's words immediately caught in his throat. His face paled further, and he trembled all over, not daring to make another sound.

On the other side, Yin Wujiu, a seasoned veteran of the Jianghu, was even more sensible.

The moment Ancestor Nangong's attitude changed drastically, he knew today's plan had completely fallen through. He immediately formed hand seals and struck a technique toward the blood-colored skeletal remains.

The soul fires in the Bloody Withered Skeleton's sockets flickered a few times, letting out a hiss. The massive skeleton rapidly collapsed, turning into blood light before shrinking back into a bone talisman in Yin Wujiu's hand and disappearing.

After finishing this, Yin Wujiu immediately lowered his head and hands, retreating behind Ancestor Nangong's projection. He didn't dare take another look at Venerable Jiehuo or Ye Tian, fearing he would attract the attention of this legendary figure.

Venerable Jiehuo's phantom seemed to fade a bit more, his voice tinged with fatigue: "The matter here is concluded. Take your family's Junior and leave."

Ancestor Nangong nodded hurriedly: "Yes, I shall obey Senior's command."

He took a deep look at the unconscious Ye Tian, his gaze complex.

If his benefactor hadn't appeared today, he might have committed a slaughter, forging a death feud with a future powerhouse and earning a reputation for ingratitude.

He then said to Qin Pojun, Yun Wuji, and the others: "Today's matter ends here. You all may depart. Take care of yourselves."

With that, he waved his illusory palm, sweeping up the heavily injured Nangong Zhaotian and Yin Wujiu. The projection began to fade slowly, clearly about to leave the Taichu Secret Realm.

Calculating the time since activating this projection Talisman, its power was nearly exhausted.

"Take care, Senior. This Junior takes his leave." Ancestor Nangong gave a final respectful bow to Venerable Jiehuo's remnant soul, and his figure disappeared along with Nangong Zhaotian and Yin Wujiu.

With Ancestor Nangong's departure, that terrifying Yuan Dan pressure finally dissipated completely.

Everyone's eyes fell upon the floating crimson phantom.

Venerable Jiehuo's remnant soul slowly turned to look at Ye Tian.

"Kid, what little power remains in this old man's remnant soul is nearly gone. Appearing this time has consumed quite a bit... I don't know when I will wake again."

Venerable Jiehuo's voice rang directly within Ye Tian's groggy consciousness with a hint of a smile. "You... did well. You did not fail this old man's expectations."

"Remember your promise... find those few items... and..."

His phantom grew fainter, and his voice became weaker.

"Follow the guidance of the chaos bead... go there... there you will find what you need... and... the answers..."

The last few words were as faint as a mosquito's buzz, almost impossible to hear clearly.

As his voice fell, Venerable Jiehuo's remnant soul phantom dissipated completely, turning into specks of red light that merged back into the fire jade essence.

The essence's light faded as it slowly drifted down, landing on Ye Tian's blood-stained chest. It remained motionless, falling back into a deep slumber.

Silence filled the Flame Cave.

Qin Pojun, Xiahou Ba, Han Xiao, Yun Wuji, Yu Miaoqing, Feng Xuan, Pei Tieshan, Shui Qingdie, Dongfang Xinghe... everyone stood in place, looking at the unconscious Ye Tian with extremely complex emotions.

Today's events had been full of twists and turns, far exceeding their imagination.

The Nangong Family's ambush, Li Xuanxiao's betrayal, the appearance of the Huahai Realm sixth-layer blood bone, the descent of the Yuan Dan Old Ancestor, the narrow escape from death, and finally... the appearance of the remnant soul of a legendary Northern Region titan from centuries ago!

And the core of all this revolved around Ye Tian.

Just who... was he? How many more secrets did he hide?

"Cough..." A slight cough broke the silence.

Everyone turned to look. Li Xuanxiao's expression remained calm as he slowly sheathed his sword. He glanced at Ye Tian, then at the others, and finally turned his gaze toward the passage leading to the Five Elements Unification Hall.

"The matter here is concluded," Li Xuanxiao said indifferently. "Opportunities in the Secret Realm depend on one's own ability. Farewell."

With that, he didn't look at anyone else. His figure transformed into a streak of sword light, flying toward the passage alone and disappearing in an instant.

Qin Pojun watched the direction where Li Xuanxiao had disappeared, his fists clenched and the anger in his eyes still burning, but in the end, he said nothing.

He walked to Ye Tian's side, knelt down, and examined his injuries, his brow furrowed.

"He's heavily injured—displaced internal organs, damaged Meridians, and excessive blood loss. However... his life doesn't seem to be in danger; there's a surge of vitality inside him protecting his heart vessels."

Qin Pojun said in a low voice, looking at Yun Wuji. "Brother Yun, you are fellow disciples. What do you think...?"

Yun Wuji had already stepped forward to carefully check Ye Tian's condition, his expression solemn. "Junior Brother Ye's injuries are extremely severe and require immediate treatment. The environment here is harsh; we shouldn't stay long."

"Then what are we waiting for? Hurry and take Brother Ye out of this hellhole!"

Xiahou Ba urged. Although he was gruff, he was also grateful. If Ye Tian hadn't created chaos and summoned Venerable Jiehuo's remnant soul today, they would likely have met a grim fate.

"Bring the Ghost Girl as well," Yu Miaoqing said softly, pointing to the still-unconscious Ghost Girl.

Han Xiao nodded silently, walked over, and carefully helped Ghost Girl up.

Having reached a consensus, the group did not delay any further.

Pei Tieshan carefully hoisted Ye Tian onto his back, while Shui Qingdie and Dongfang Xinghe guarded the sides.

With Qin Pojun and Xiahou Ba leading the way, and Yun Wuji, Yu Miaoqing, Feng Xuan, and Han Xiao guarding the flanks and rear, the group quickly left the Flame Cave, heading down a different path from Li Xuanxiao.

They needed to find a safe place as soon as possible to treat Ye Tian and Ghost Girl's wounds.

Inside the dim cave, the air was thick with the scent of damp earth, a stark contrast to the scorching heat of the Flame Cave.

This place was located at the boundary between the Flame Cave and another "water zone" of the Wanxiang Maze. The entrance was hidden by a natural water curtain and an illusion array, making it extremely well-concealed.

After escaping the Flame Cave, led by Dongfang Xinghe through many twists and turns, the group finally arrived here.

The cave wasn't very large, but it was enough to accommodate everyone. Most importantly, there was a small pool of clear spiritual spring water inside, which would be beneficial for healing.

"Thud."

Pei Tieshan cautiously laid Ye Tian down from his back onto a rock inside the cave.

Ye Tian's condition looked terrible. His face was as white as paper, his breath was as thin as a thread, his robes were shredded, and his skin was covered in gashes and bruises. Although some wounds had stopped bleeding, they were still shocking to behold.

"Junior Brother Ye..." Shui Qingdie knelt beside Ye Tian, her delicate hands trembling as she reached out to touch his wrist, afraid of hurting him. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears, ready to fall at any moment.

Dongfang Xinghe and Pei Tieshan also looked heavy-hearted.

On the other side, Han Xiao carefully settled the unconscious Ghost Girl as well.

Ghost Girl's injuries were equally severe. The piercing wound in her chest had been treated by Ye Tian in an emergency, but it was still seeping blood. Her aura was slightly better than Ye Tian's, but she was still very weak.

The Cultivation Techniques of the Xuanming Way were inherently eerie. Her face had an unnatural greenish-white hue, and it seemed that frigid Death Qi and Li Xuanxiao's lingering, sharp Sword Qi were wreaking havoc within her body.