Chapter 25: Escaping to Safety? p2
Xie Bailu recalled the prices of the various magical treasures and pills she had seen in the Treasure Pavilion. Spirit stones seemed to be as common as dirt, but for Jing Ruoyue, fifty spirit stones was a difficult amount to gather.
She had rarely been exposed to the price system between cultivators. She had thought what she saw in the Treasure Pavilion was all there was, but today she saw someone else’s situation.
Jing Ruoyue didn’t seem to have any valuable magical treasures on her. The weapon she used was a sword issued by her family, which was worse than the one Xie Bailu had bought in the Treasure Pavilion. From her embarrassed expression, she was probably a disciple from a less well-off branch of the Jing family.
Xie Bailu felt a little sad and also a little envious. To only have to worry about not having enough spirit stones every day, instead of her life being in danger, how happy that was.
She felt a strange sense of being pulled in two directions. On one side was the madman expert, the Nascent Soul evil cultivator, killing for treasure, the thrilling domains, evil arrays, and secret realms. On the other side was the mundane daily life of breaking one spirit stone into two.
These were the different faces of the same world.
She smiled. “My family’s situation is quite good. My brother treasures me the most. If he knew you saved me, he would be willing to give any amount of spirit stones!”
These words seemed to have reassured Jing Ruoyue. Her movements as she supported Xie Bailu became even gentler, and she led her quickly towards the exit of the secret realm.
Along the way, Xie Bailu and the two of them met more and more people, and some were dressed like her, but she kept her head down and ignored them. And Jing Ruoyue really wanted to earn her spirit stones, so she naturally didn’t want to let her go. Therefore, they blended into the crowd running towards the exit, inconspicuous.
The sound of Ling Song and the evil cultivator’s battle had spread throughout this underground area. Even the most carefree person would be panicked now. In addition, the three people Xie Bailu had met earlier had spread the news, and many people knew what was happening, so they were even more panicked.
Xie Bailu had to rely on Jing Ruoyue’s support to hold on until now. After passing through the winding caves, they finally arrived at a very large and tall cave. In the middle was a pool of water the size of a room, and many people were jumping in like dumplings.
But there were still some people watching from the side.
Xie Bailu gripped Jing Ruoyue’s hand tightly. “I’m seriously injured. I’ll have to trouble you a little longer.”
Jing Ruoyue patted Xie Bailu’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll hold on to you.”
Xie Bailu nodded. She just didn’t know if jumping into the water was all it took to leave the secret realm, so she still had to let Jing Ruoyue lead her.
Fortunately, there were many people here now, and no one was paying attention to Xie Bailu and Jing Ruoyue. The two of them came to the edge of the pool and jumped in. Xie Bailu held her breath, but found that the surrounding water, which looked like water, seemed to be something else.
There was a bright light at the bottom of the pool. Jing Ruoyue pulled Xie Bailu’s hand and swam downwards. Soon, the two of them entered a white light. When Xie Bailu opened her eyes again, she found that she was standing hand in hand with Jing Ruoyue in a forest, surrounded by cultivators who had just come out.
Jing Ruoyue said, “Xiao Lu, first see if your brother has come out.”
Xie Bailu pretended to look around and said with a disappointed expression, “I don’t see him.”
Jing Ruoyue nodded and comforted her, “It’s fine. He will definitely be safe.”
Xie Bailu endured the sharp pain in her Dantian and took out a handful of spirit stones from her storage bag, stuffing them into Jing Ruoyue’s hand. “Thank you for helping me. I’ll just wait for my brother here myself.”
Jing Ruoyue was stunned when she saw the handful of spirit stones. She quickly said, “You don’t need to give me so much! Take it back quickly!”
Xie Bailu insisted, “Take it. Good people should be rewarded. The few people I met earlier, I warned them to run, but they ran away so fast they didn’t even take me with them. Only you were willing to help me. This is what you deserve.”
Jing Ruoyue blushed a little at Xie Bailu’s words. She was also doing it for the spirit stones, and was not that noble.
Xie Bailu was firm, and Jing Ruoyue’s family was indeed in a tight spot for spirit stones, so Jing Ruoyue still accepted the spirit stones and said gratefully, “Thank you, Xiao Lu. If you need anything in the future, just let me know!”
Xie Bailu nodded and accepted the other party’s kindness.
Jing Ruoyue wanted to stay and wait with Xie Bailu, but Xie Bailu politely declined. After Jing Ruoyue left, Xie Bailu also pretended to casually walk away.
A group of cultivators suddenly came from the front. The leader was a female cultivator with an expressionless face and a dignified air, like a Golden Core cultivator.
Xie Bailu quickly made way, and the Golden Core female cultivator stopped and said loudly, “Did anyone see an intruder in the secret realm?”
Xie Bailu’s heart skipped a beat. She kept her head down and pretended not to exist.
One person said hesitantly, “Hall Master Jin, the three of us saw one. Her cultivation should be at the Foundation Establishment stage. She told us that Ling Song of the Ling family and a Nascent Soul evil cultivator were fighting.”
Hearing this, Hall Master Jin’s expression immediately darkened. She asked, “Did you see it with your own eyes?”
The person said with a guilty expression, “No… the commotion was very loud at that time, and we didn’t dare to go and check.”
Hall Master Jin’s eyes sharpened. “Useless! As a cultivator, how can you be so timid!”
Cultivators from all three families were present. Besides the Jinyuan Sect where Hall Master Jin was from, the others were somewhat unconvinced. They were just Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement cultivators. In a battle between a Nascent Soul and a Golden Core, they could be killed by the aftershock just by taking a look. Hall Master Jin made it sound so easy. She herself was a Golden Core, and she wouldn’t die easily from the aftershock.
The scolded cultivator’s face turned red, but he didn’t dare to say a word in rebuttal.
Hall Master Jin looked around. “Anything else?”
Hall Master Jin’s gaze suddenly fell on Xie Bailu. She felt that this female cultivator wearing their sect’s clothes was very unfamiliar. She knew everyone from the Jinyuan Sect who had entered the secret realm today, but she had never seen this face.
She thought of something, raised her hand and grabbed Xie Bailu, and said sternly, “Who are you? What is your purpose in sneaking into the secret realm!”
Xie Bailu knew it was not good when she was caught, but she quickly calmed down.
She was used to it. Good luck and bad luck always came in intervals. When she thought she was going to die, a turning point would come. When she thought she had escaped to safety, she would be unlucky again.
Before she could speak, the cultivator who had spoken earlier shouted, “Hall Master Jin, it’s her! She was the one who said that Ling Song of the Ling family and a Nascent Soul evil cultivator were fighting!”
Hall Master Jin’s gaze fell on Xie Bailu coldly. “Speak up!”
Xie Bailu smiled, but her words were for the cultivator. “What did I say at that time? Why don’t you say the whole thing?”
The cultivator was stunned for a moment, then thought of something. Meeting Hall Master Jin’s impatient gaze, he quickly said, “She… she said that Ling Song and the evil cultivator were both chasing her. The evil cultivator wanted to capture her, and Ling Song… wouldn’t let him, so they started fighting.”
At that time, the few of them were shocked when they heard this, but their lives were more important, so they quickly ran away. Now that he said it in public, he himself felt that something was strange.
That madman Ling Song, fighting a Nascent Soul evil cultivator for a Foundation Establishment female cultivator? Then who was this female cultivator to Ling Song?
After hearing this, Xie Bailu smiled even more happily. “Hall Master Jin, you heard everything.”
She was already very skilled at using Ling Song’s name.
Hall Master Jin frowned and stared at her coldly, as if trying to see something.
Xie Bailu let her look calmly.
Perhaps Ling Song’s reputation was too great. Hall Master Jin let go of Xie Bailu, but her expression was still cold. “Who are you to Ling Song?”
Ling Song, with the name of a madman, was already a late-stage Golden Core cultivator at a young age, and had killed countless Nascent Soul cultivators with his sword. There were many legends about Ling Song, but they were all related to battle. It was never heard that he had any entanglement with any female cultivator.
Therefore, after Hall Master Jin asked this question, the cultivators who had already felt safe outside the secret realm all pricked up their ears, very curious about Xie Bailu’s answer.
In the crowd, Jing Ruoyue was already stunned. She had never thought that Xiao Lu was not only not from their three families, but also had a relationship with that madman… Thinking of the spirit stones in her storage bag that could save her family, she secretly prayed that Xiao Lu would be fine.
Xie Bailu smiled. “When he comes out, won’t you know?”
Everyone was startled and immediately remembered. That’s right, Ling Song was still in the secret realm and would come out sooner or later. But they were still here listening to gossip. They really didn’t want to live!
Just as everyone was uncertain and thinking about whether to leave quickly, a red figure suddenly appeared at the exit of the secret realm not far away.
The cultivators near there almost immediately scattered in a panic. No one dared to block his way.
Hall Master Jin’s figure also suddenly tensed. She was at the same cultivation level as Ling Song, but she was already over three hundred years old and had been at the late-stage Golden Core for decades. And even if Ling Song had just become a late-stage Golden Core, he had the terrifying strength to kill a Nascent Soul. She had no chance of winning against him, and would be defeated in just a few moves.
Ling Song was in red, but the red on his body was not just because of his red clothes, but also the dark red blood that had soaked through the fabric.
At this moment, he did not have the appearance of a noble young master of a major family. His hair bun was already loose, and his long hair fell over his shoulders, swaying gently with his steps, as if also filled with blood. The skin exposed outside was full of wounds, and even his walking was a little unnatural. His left hand hung limply, while his right hand held a bloody head.
After seeing it clearly, everyone retreated in panic, looking at Ling Song as if they were looking at a mad demon.
Ling Song seemed to be unable to see anyone else, with only Xie Bailu in his eyes. He walked up to her step by step, threw the head in his hand to the ground in front of her, and a pleased smile appeared on his handsome, blood-stained face. “Didn’t you want to kick it like a ball? Take it.”
Xie Bailu was speechless. “…?!” Help, there’s a psycho here!!