Deacon, I've come to save you.

In the dense forest.

Swoosh!

Situ Yun's eyes were blood-red as he desperately activated the True Demon Blood-Burning Secret Technique, pushing his flight speed to the limit and fleeing frantically into the depths of the forest.

However, to his despair, no matter how many tricks he used, he could not shake off the pursuers following closely behind.

"Evil thief, where do you think you're going!"

Judging by the sound of the wind closing in from behind, the distance between him and that group of female Cultivators was not widening; instead, they were getting closer.

If this continued, it wouldn't be long before he was captured again!

"What should I do... Could it be that I, Situ Yun, am destined to fall here today..."

Seeing the essence blood in his body gradually burning away, Situ Yun grit his teeth, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes.

"No! Even if I have to self-detonate my Nascent Soul, I must never fall into the hands of the False Dao!"

Just as Situ Yun was about to self-detonate his Nascent Soul, a strange figure suddenly appeared ahead, waving at him.

"Deacon, I'm here to save you. There's a place to hide here, come inside first."

"Who is it?"

Situ Yun instinctively looked toward the direction of the voice and immediately noticed a burrow not far from the figure.

This burrow was hidden under a cluster of bushes, and wisps of Earth Fiend Qi emanated from the entrance, clearly indicating a small Earth Vein below.

This turbid Earth Vein Qi could perfectly mask his aura, making it difficult for the pursuers to notice someone hiding inside... "No matter who it is, let's escape this calamity first!"

Although he was curious about the other party's identity, Situ Yun was currently at a dead end and had no time for deep thought. He leaped without hesitation and hid inside the burrow.

The next moment, the soil above began to shift and rustle, sealing the entrance shut.

Realizing that the person was helping him, Situ Yun finally breathed a heavy sigh of relief. His whole body went limp, and he slumped to the ground, his face pale.

He had just forcibly used the True Demon Blood-Burning Secret Technique to break through the mana Seal and then fled all the way; he was already at the end of his rope, holding on only by a thread.

At this moment, any random Qi Refining Realm Cultivator could take his life.

Before he could even catch his breath, he heard a series of rapid whistling sounds of wind rushing by, landing on the ground above his head.

Soon, a crisp female voice reached his ears:

"Young man, did you see a Black-robed person flying past here?"

Hearing this, Situ Yun quickly held his breath. His heart throbbed violently, and his entire body trembled with nervousness.

A gentle and warm male voice replied:

"I have. That man just went south. If you continue chasing in that direction, you might still catch him."

The female voice spoke again:

"Thank you for the guidance!"

As the words fell, the sounds of breaking through the air faded into the distance. It seemed the pursuers had believed the man's misdirection and continued chasing south.

Sensing that the group of female Cultivators from the Linglong Holy Land had completely left, Situ Yun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and stood up tremblingly from the ground.

After being taken prisoner, all the items on his person had been stripped away. Now, he didn't even have a single Medicinal Pill to restore his condition. If he couldn't return to the Sect for recovery as soon as possible, it would surely lead to great damage to his Dao foundation and a drop in his Realm.

Just then, the soil-covered entrance suddenly cracked open, and a tall young male Cultivator squeezed in from outside.

"You... you are a laborer from the mine?"

Only now did Situ Yun notice the man's attire, and he was immediately startled.

Dammit, what should I do?

As the Elder in charge of the mine, he naturally knew how harshly he usually exploited the laborers under his command; he simply didn't treat them as human beings.

Over time, countless laborers must have hated him to the bone.

Now that he had actually been saved by a laborer, he felt like he had just escaped the tiger's mouth only to enter a wolf's den.

However, since the other party was a laborer and even recognized his identity as the mine's Deacon Elder, why would he step in to save him?

Could it be that this fellow wants to take revenge personally... Thinking of this, Situ Yun immediately panicked.

Normally, facing a Foundation Establishment Realm laborer, he wouldn't even bother to look at them properly and could slap a hundred of them to death with ease.

But now he was suffering from the backlash of the secret technique, and his strength was less than one percent of its peak.

In this situation, let alone fighting, if the other party really wanted to act, he wouldn't even be able to resist.

After a moment of eerie silence, Situ Yun swallowed hard with an awkward expression and took the initiative to step forward and thank him:

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for saving my life. I, Situ Yun, am eternally grateful and will surely provide a generous reward in the future!"

Regardless of the situation, he had to maintain the proper etiquette. What if he could still be saved?

As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. Even if things were bad, if he acted cooperatively, he might suffer less before dying... Situ Yun thought silently.

Qi Yuan could naturally see the mission target's misgivings. He immediately waved his hand with a smile and introduced himself:

"I am Qi Da, a Loose Cultivator. I have always admired the Yin Sha Sect's illustrious reputation and wanted to serve the Yin Sha Sect, but I never found a way."

"Half a month ago, I was unfortunately captured by a Disciple of the Yin Sha Sect and brought to the mine to work as a laborer."

"Today, seeing the Deacon being hunted by those Pseudo-Daoists, I couldn't help but step in to assist..."

So this lad's heart belongs to the Yin Sha Sect!

Hearing this, Situ Yun was first stunned, then overjoyed. He nodded quickly and said:

"I didn't expect such a righteous person like you to be hidden among the laborers. It's truly a waste of talent for you to be a laborer. If I had discovered you sooner, I would have at least made you an Overseer Captain."

It must be said that the ups and downs of life are truly too thrilling.

He thought he was dead for sure this time, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and he encountered a supporter of the Yin Sha Sect.

This kid is simply his great savior!

Qi Yuan coughed lightly and said with a serious face:

"The Deacon overstates it. Being able to do things beneficial to the Yin Sha Sect has always been This Qi's wish; I have no complaints even as a laborer."

"In my view, mining for the Yin Sha Sect is contributing to the construction of the Yin Sha Sect, so my heart is always full of motivation."

"I have worked hard these days, mining twenty catties of Red Gold Ore a day, just to catch your attention, Deacon, so that I might be promoted to be a part of the Yin Sha Sect."

"Ah? That laborer who could mine twenty catties of ore a day was you?"

Amidst his surprise, Situ Yun completely believed Qi Yuan's words.

He had indeed heard his subordinates report this matter. At the time, he even remarked that the five hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones were well spent to buy a natural mining beast of burden.

He didn't expect this beast of burden's awareness to be so incredibly high. The reason he worked so hard was entirely out of love for the Yin Sha Sect.

This spirit of serving the Yin Sha Sect wholeheartedly even before joining was truly worthy of respect.

Thinking of this, even though Situ Yun was cold-natured and selfish, he couldn't help but feel some admiration for Qi Yuan.

"Well said." He immediately showed a kind smile and spoke sincerely, "It's truly rare for a young brother to have such thoughts."

"Those Pseudo-Daoists are best at brainwashing people. In the Cultivation World, people like you who fully identify with the Yin Sha Sect's philosophy are rare to see."

"Once we return to the Yin Sha Sect, this Deacon will definitely fight to get you the status of a formal Disciple. I will certainly not let a talent like you remain outside!"

A look of ecstatic joy appeared on Qi Yuan's face at the right moment. He cupped his hands and said respectfully:

"This Qi thanks the Deacon for his grace in cultivating me!"

At the same time, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After all that effort, this troublesome mission is finally secure!