122: Azure mists are in sight, a deadly aura lurks in the darkness.

The atmosphere inside the cave instantly became tense!

The Qinglan Sect's Law Enforcement Hall? How could they have accurately located this hidden cave situated on the edge of the Black Wind Mountain Range? Was it a coincidence, or had Su Wanqing's whereabouts been exposed long ago, or perhaps even their escape route from the Nether Abyss was within the opponent's calculations?

"How did they find this place?" Qu Feiyan's beautiful face was covered in frost, the phantom of a blood lotus faintly appearing behind her, concealing murderous intent. She was originally from the Demonic Path and held no fondness for the so-called Righteous Path's Law Enforcement Hall.

Su Wanqing struggled to stand up, a chilling light flashing in her icy eyes: "Someone in the Sect must have leaked my whereabouts, or... placed a tracking mark on me!" She carefully sensed her body, but because her injuries had not healed, her Divine Sense was murky, making it difficult to detect anything unusual.

Lin Xuan pressed down on her shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Don't rush, let's observe the situation first." His mind raced, "System, scan the specific number and cultivation levels of the Cultivators outside the cave, and analyze the possible reasons they found this place."

[Scanning... There are seven Cultivators outside the cave. Including one Early Nascent Soul Stage (wearing Law Enforcement Hall Elder attire), two Late Golden Core Stage, and four Mid-stage Golden Core.]

[Analysis: Traces of the extremely secretive 'Thousand Mile Soul Chasing Incense' remain on the target Su Wanqing's clothing. This incense is invisible and odorless, requiring a specific method to track. It is inferred that high-level members within the Qinglan Sect are colluding with the trackers.]

Thousand Mile Soul Chasing Incense! Sure enough, it's an internal mole!

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. It seemed the situation within the Qinglan Sect was deeper than expected; the Grand Elder's faction, in order to eliminate dissenters, did not hesitate to collude with forces that might secretly communicate with the Guixu Cult, even going so far as to ruthlessly eliminate a Genius Disciple like Su Wanqing!

"Outside, there is one Early Nascent Soul Stage, two Late Golden Core Stage, and four Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivators," Lin Xuan quickly informed the two women. "They found us using the Thousand Mile Soul Chasing Incense on Wanqing."

Upon hearing this, the color drained from Su Wanqing's face, not from fear, but from chilling despair and fury. The Sect had actually decayed to this extent!

Qu Feiyan sneered, "What a huge display! They really spared no expense just to capture us!"

Trying to fight head-on offered no chance of victory. Even though Lin Xuan possessed many trump cards, the gap when facing a Nascent Soul Old Monster was still immense.

"We can't fight them directly; we must outsmart them or temporarily avoid their edge." Lin Xuan's mind spun rapidly, and the System was simultaneously calculating the success rate of various escape plans.

Just then, a cold, authoritative voice came from outside the cave, carrying the pressure of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, penetrating the rock wall and clearly reaching the ears of the three individuals:

"Junior Niece Su, this old man is Zhou Kun, an Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall. I have been ordered by the Grand Elder to request your return to the Sect to assist with an investigation! I know you are inside. Do not make a mistake; come out quickly! Otherwise, do not blame this old man for disregarding our Sect relationship and forcibly breaking the formation!"

Assist with an investigation? What high-sounding nonsense! Once they stepped out, they would surely be walking into the tiger's den!

"Junior Brother Lin, you two go first!" Su Wanqing struggled to get up, her frost silence sword already gripped in her hand, her eyes resolute. "I am their target; I will hold them back!"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Lin Xuan pulled her back, his tone carrying an undeniable assertiveness. "Since we came out of the Nether Abyss together, we naturally must return to the Qinglan Sect together! What kind of person would I, Lin Xuan, be if I abandoned you?"

He looked at Senior Sister Qu. "Senior Sister Qu, how much aura can your 'Blood Lotus Illusory Body' Divine Ability currently simulate? Can it create the illusion that we are fleeing in different directions?"

Qu Feiyan's beautiful eyes lit up. "It's not difficult to temporarily simulate a Late Golden Core Stage aura. Creating two or three illusory bodies to confuse them for a moment should be possible!"

"Good!" Lin Xuan decided instantly. "System, plan the optimal evacuation route, avoiding direct confrontation and utilizing the complex terrain of the Black Wind Mountain Range to shake them off!"

[Route planning complete! Three detour routes have been marked. Final rendezvous point: 'Luofeng Town', three hundred miles southeast of the Qinglan Sect mountain gate. This route requires passing through a Natural Illusion Formation and an area of Spirit Devouring Vines, which can effectively obstruct pursuit.]

"Listen," Lin Xuan quickly instructed. "Feiyan, immediately use your illusory bodies to create the illusion that we are splitting up, focusing on interfering with that Nascent Soul Elder's perception. Wanqing, your injuries haven't healed. Stay close to me; I will protect you with the power of my Golden Body. We will take the third route, using the illusion formation and the Spirit Devouring Vines to escape!"

"Understood!" the two women replied in unison. At this moment, Lin Xuan had become the absolute backbone of the group.

Qu Feiyan formed hand seals, and blood light surged around her. In an instant, three blood-colored illusory bodies, whose auras were almost identical to her own, condensed. They let out sharp cries and rushed toward the other two directions of the cave and directly above the entrance!

"Trying to run? Stop them!" Elder Zhou Kun snorted coldly outside the cave, and his Nascent Soul Divine Sense instantly locked onto the illusory figures.

Now!

Lin Xuan wrapped his arm around Su Wanqing's waist and shouted, "Go!"

The Qi and blood surged within him, the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art was pushed to the extreme, and a faint reddish-gold halo appeared on his body. Simultaneously, a flash of lightning appeared beneath his feet, executing an Escape Technique fused with the power of lightning. Like a distorted electric current, he did not rush out of the cave entrance but slammed directly into the seemingly solid rock wall deep inside the cave that the System had marked!

"Boom!"

A hole was forcibly smashed open in the rock wall, revealing a steep cliff outside! Lin Xuan did not pause, taking Su Wanqing with him, rapidly descending along the cliff face, and instantly plunging into the dense, gray-black Miasma Forest below, which could block Divine Sense detection!

"Feinting to the East while attacking the West? Cunning juniors!" Zhou Kun immediately realized that the auras he had locked onto were all illusions, and the real targets had escaped in an unexpected direction. He was instantly furious. "Chase them! They haven't gone far! Su Wanqing is afflicted with the Soul Chasing Incense; they won't escape even if they go to heaven or earth!"

He personally led two Late Golden Core Stage Cultivators, transforming into three streaks of light, closely pursuing the direction Lin Xuan and Su Wanqing had disappeared, plunging into the Miasma Forest. The remaining four Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivators spread out to chase the illusory figures.

Inside the Miasma Forest, visibility was extremely low, and Divine Sense was heavily suppressed. Lin Xuan maximized his speed, while the System continuously refreshed the optimal path in his mind, avoiding potential Yao Beast lairs and dangerous zones.

Su Wanqing was held tightly in his embrace, feeling the searing warmth and strong heartbeat emanating from his chest, and smelling the scent on him that mixed masculine vitality with a faint trace of lightning Qi. An almost imperceptible blush rose on her pale face. She had never been this close to any man, yet at this moment, she felt little resistance, but rather an indescribable sense of security. She quietly circulated her Taiyin Power, trying to minimize her weight so as not to burden him.

"Thirty zhang to the left, turn right, enter the vine area ahead!" the System prompted.

Lin Xuan did not hesitate. His body twisted, and he plunged into a thicket of vines that were coarse, dark purple, and covered in suction-cup structures. These were precisely the Spirit Devouring Vines! This type of Demonic Plant could actively devour the spiritual energy of nearby living beings!

The moment Zhou Kun and the two others pursuing them entered the Spirit Devouring Vine area, they felt the spiritual energy around their bodies stir restlessly, as if it were about to be sucked out. Their speed involuntarily slowed down.

"Damn it! It's the Spirit Devouring Vines! Be careful!" Zhou Kun waved his sleeve, shaking off several coiling vines, his expression grim. Although these vines couldn't harm him, they significantly delayed his speed.

Lin Xuan, relying on the System's precise prediction of energy flow and the slight repulsion his Golden Body's Qi and blood had against the Spirit Devouring Vines, moved through them freely, quickly widening the distance.

Relying on the System's precise navigation and maximum utilization of the terrain, Lin Xuan moved through the perilous Black Wind Mountain Range like a phantom, taking Su Wanqing with him and gradually shaking off the pursuers behind them.

Several hours later, the two safely crossed the Natural Illusion Formation and finally reached the rendezvous point—a hidden bamboo forest outside Luofeng Town.

Lin Xuan gently set Su Wanqing down, and he too let out a slight gasp. The continuous high-intensity fleeing and maintaining the Golden Body Escape Technique had taken a considerable toll on him.

Su Wanqing looked at the fine sweat on his forehead, a flicker of distress crossing her icy eyes. She took out a handkerchief, subconsciously intending to wipe his brow, but stopped halfway, a hint of shyness flashing across her face.

Lin Xuan caught her subtle movement and expression, feeling a slight warmth in his heart. He took the handkerchief and smiled, "I'm fine. Let's wait for Senior Sister Qu."

About the time it takes for an Incense Stick to burn, a streak of blood-colored escape light silently landed in the bamboo forest, revealing Qu Feiyan's alluring figure. She looked a little tired but was otherwise unharmed.

"I shook them off. Those idiots chased my illusory body across more than half of the Black Wind Mountain Range." Qu Feiyan patted her ample chest, letting out a sigh of relief. Then, she looked mischievously at Lin Xuan and Su Wanqing standing closely together, her flirtatious eyes shifting. "Oh, it looks like you two got along quite 'harmoniously' while this older sister was away, eh?"

Su Wanqing's cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned her face away, ignoring her teasing.

Lin Xuan cleared his throat and said seriously, "This place is not suitable for long stays. Luofeng Town is on the edge of the Qinglan Sect's influence, and it's a place where dragons and fish are mixed. We'll rest briefly, then figure out a way to sneak back into the Sect. We must first clarify the current situation within the Sect and find the internal mole who placed the tracking mark on Wanqing!"

He looked toward the Qinglan Sect, his gaze sharp. After experiencing life-and-death situations in the Nether Abyss and the shadow of the Guixu Cult, he now had to face the internal strife and betrayal within the Sect.

It was time to return to the Qinglan Sect and stir up a storm!