202: Yunhe descendants

Leaving behind the golden malevolent aura mist of the Sunken Gold Marsh, Gao De did not feel much relief.

Unfolding before his eyes was an endless expanse of mountain ranges, even more primitive and savage than the Yunmeng Great Marsh—the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range.

This mountain range stretched across the border between the Cultivator world of the Three Kingdoms and the vast, wider world beyond, acting like a natural barrier.

Within the mountains, ancient trees towered into the sky, miasma filled the air, Yao Beasts ran rampant, and the spiritual essence was chaotic and violent.

It was rumored that deep within, ancient remnants and terrifying entities above the Fifth-Tier were hidden; even a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor would need to be extremely cautious when venturing inside.

Gao De coiled atop the peak of a solitary mountain, gazing into the vast, boundless mountains ahead.

The fierce winds howled, buffeting his purple-gold scales.

Rainbow, on his wrist, sent a thought of vigilance and curiosity.

"The road ahead is long, and the dangers are unknown," Gao De's dragon eyes were calm.

He chose this route with the intention of avoiding the eyes and ears of any potential Fourth-Tier Demon King in the heart of the Yunmeng Marsh, and to temper himself in this savage land.

The gains from the Immortal Qin Dynasty ruins needed time to be digested, and battle and trekking were the best catalysts for that.

He transformed back into his low-profile, regular Flood Dragon form, maintaining a body length of about ten zhang, concealing his aura, and began to advance into the depths of the mountain range, hugging the shadows of the ridges and dense forests.

The first few hundred li were relatively peaceful.

But as he ventured deeper, the environment became increasingly treacherous.

Heart-rotting miasma, poisonous insects, quicksand pits, Third-Tier Yao Beasts... danger lurked everywhere.

Relying on his formidable strength and caution, Gao De resolved or avoided them all one by one.

On this day, he was traversing a stone forest shrouded in gray-white "Bone-Etching Mist."

The mist could corrode a person's Divine Sense, and the terrain was complex and rugged.

Suddenly, a burst of intense fighting sounds came from ahead!

Gao De signaled Rainbow to go and investigate, while he hid to the side to observe.

A moment later, Rainbow sent back information: at the exit of the stone gorge ahead, three Cultivators were being besieged by several Third-Tier "Iron-Backed Mountain Ghouls"!

Among the three, two men and one woman, their attire was extraordinary but they were in a sorry state.

The handsome youth leading them had a Golden Core Early Stage cultivation and exquisite sword skills; the other man was a middle-aged fellow with Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation, who was already injured; and the young woman only had Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivation, able only to control a jade ruyi to protect herself, her mana nearly exhausted.

What caught Gao De's attention was not their cultivation or sword style, but a jade pendant hanging from the young woman's waist—the pendant was ancient in style, water-blue in color, with faint water-wave and cloud patterns on its surface, which were somewhat similar in style to the mysterious blue jade piece he had obtained years ago in the "Yunhe Sect" ruins in the Yunmeng Marsh!

"Descendants of the Yunhe Sect?" Gao De's heart stirred.

According to the information he had learned in the ruins, the Yunhe Sect was a Sect that had migrated from "Nanyang" into the Yunmeng Marsh to avoid disaster in ancient times; it had long since been annihilated, leaving behind only clues about the "Yunmeng Water Eye" and a jade piece of unknown purpose.

Could it be the branch that had taken the waterway to the southwest back then? Had they reached Jingzhou Province?

At this moment, the battle was critical.

Three Mountain Ghouls surrounded the Golden Core Cultivator, another middle-aged man was struggling to hold on against a Third-Tier Mountain Ghoul, and the last strong Mountain Ghoul seized the opportunity to fiercely attack the woman, shattering her protective light barrier instantly, leaving her life hanging by a thread!

Seeing this, Gao De hesitated no longer.

A bolt of purple-gold lightning flames, like a shooting star from beyond the heavens, struck the Mountain Ghoul with precision!

"Sizzle—Boom!"

The lightning flames exploded, and the Mountain Ghoul shrieked as it retreated, half of its body shattered.

The sudden aid left the three Cultivators both shocked and overjoyed.

The Golden Core youth seized the opportunity to cooperate with Gao De to repel the Yao Beasts, then looked toward the direction where the lightning light emerged from the mist and bowed solemnly: "Many thanks to the Flood Dragon King Senior for intervening! I am Luo Xinghe of the Star Luo Sword Sect, and these two are my Junior Brother Zhao Kuo and Junior Sister Lan Yu."

"No need for words," Gao De's voice was low as he remained hidden in the mist, his gaze sweeping over the jade pendant at Lan Yu's waist. "As Disciples of the Star Luo Sword Sect, why are you in the depths of this savage land, entangled with Mountain Ghouls?"

Luo Xinghe gave a bitter smile: "To tell you the truth, we are not here merely for training; rather, Junior Sister Lan Yu's ancestors had ties with an ancient Sect, the 'Yunhe Sect,' and left behind a token and a partial map."

"We followed the clues here and discovered that this stone gorge might be related to a branch residence or Treasure Trove of that Sect. Unexpectedly, we disturbed a group of Yao Beasts living nearby and were chased here. Fortunately, Senior saved us."

It was indeed related to the Yunhe Sect!

Gao De understood in his heart, but remained calm on the surface: "The Yunhe Sect? I seem to have heard of this Sect; it is said to have long since been annihilated in the long river of history. Have you gained anything?"

Luo Xinghe shook his head: "We Juniors have not yet ventured deep inside and have gained nothing so far."

He looked at the stone gorge, then toward Gao De, and said sincerely: "Senior's strength is formidable, and you seem to have some interest in this? Why not explore it together? If there are any gains, they shall all belong to Senior, as thanks for saving our lives."

Gao De pondered slightly.

He was indeed interested in the clues about the Yunhe Sect, especially the purpose of that jade piece; perhaps he could get a hint from Lan Yu or her Family Legacy.

Exploring together would be fine, and it would be a good opportunity to find out their true origins.

"Very well," Gao De nodded. "Let us first deal with those annoying Mountain Ghouls."

With Gao De's participation, the situation was quickly reversed.

After this small group of Mountain Ghouls was completely dispersed, everyone entered the stone gorge.

There were traces of human activity inside the gorge, and at the end was a stone door carved with water-wave patterns, with a groove in the center.

After some exploration, everyone focused their attention on the groove.

Lan Yu hesitated for a moment upon seeing this, then took off the jade pendant she was wearing and inserted it into the groove.

Blue light flowed over the jade pendant, and the stone door actually slowly opened.

Confirming there was no danger, everyone filed in, and Gao De also transformed into his human form, hiding in the mist as he entered the cave.

Inside the door was a simple Immortal Cave, containing an empty stone bed, a low-grade spiritual spring, and a bookshelf that was mostly empty.

After careful investigation, it was discovered that the Jade Slips on the bookshelf did not record the core Legacy of the Yunhe Sect, but rather some ordinary water-element cultivation insights and travelogues. They mentioned some of the Yunhe Sect's history, migration routes, and some vague descriptions regarding the "Yun Dream Water Eye," but did not mention anything about the blue jade piece.

There was also a jade box containing a few "Pulse-Moistening Pills" that had lost much of their Spiritual Qi.

Clearly, this was just a temporary foothold opened by some Senior of the Yunhe Sect; its value was limited, and there was no Treasure Trove.

After copying the Jade Slips, Luo Xinghe handed the originals, along with the dim jade pendant, to Gao De: "This is only right, as thanks for Senior's life-saving aid."

Gao De did not accept the jade pendant, which had lost most of its spiritual light. After opening the door, the pendant had become dull and lusterless; it was clearly just a key to this Immortal Cave and had nothing special about it, so he only took the original Jade Slips.

"I have some interest in the history of this Sect; these Jade Slips are enough. Since you came here for clues about the Yunhe Sect, do you have any further plans?"

Luo Xinghe and Lan Yu exchanged a glance and sighed: "To tell you the truth, Senior, according to the ancestral partial map and the information obtained this time, the true core ruins or secrets of the Yunhe Sect are likely still somewhere deep in the Yunmeng Great Marsh; this place might just be one of their footholds."

"The three of us have limited strength, and venturing this deep into the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range was already a risk. Our original plan was to cross the mountain range and return to Jingzhou Province to report our findings to our Sect and then discuss it further."

He looked at Gao De and probed: "If Senior intends to return to Jingzhou Province? I wonder…"

Gao De interrupted him: "I have other important matters here, so I will not be traveling with you."

Gao De's voice came through the mist, still low: "Now that you have escaped danger, take care of yourselves. The depths of this Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range are not a place where you can stay for long; leave quickly."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xinghe and the others were somewhat disappointed but dared not say more. They bowed respectfully: "Many thanks for Senior's instruction; we will leave immediately. We will keep your life-saving grace in our hearts. If Senior has any needs in the future, feel free to come to our Sect to find us; we will not refuse any request."