148: Chapter 147 Retreat and Breakout

It was not yet dawn.

The Mountain Gate of the Qingxuan Sect was shrouded in a hazy morning mist; in the distance, the Demon Cultivator camp was brightly lit, with silhouettes faintly visible moving about.

The auras of the three Nascent Souls were like three great mountains, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.

The Old Ancestor stood atop the Main Peak, gazing at the land that was about to be abandoned, and remained silent for a long time.

Fu Qingyun stood behind him, bandages wrapped around his severed arm, his face pale but his gaze firm. Fu Qingyun, Han Song, Liu Ruyan, and the remaining Golden Core True Persons all stood behind him. No one spoke; there was only the sound of the wind and the clamor from the distant Demon Cultivator camp.

Yun Ming walked over from behind, his steps unsteady and his face frighteningly pale. His spiritual power had recovered somewhat, but it was only enough to activate the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Curse a few times. The cracks on his five Golden Cores remained, causing a dull ache every time they circulated. He walked to the Old Ancestor's side and stood there, also looking down the mountain.

“Someone needs to stay behind for the breakthrough,” Yun Ming spoke, his voice very calm.

The Old Ancestor did not turn his head. He knew Yun Ming was right. With three Nascent Souls outside, if the Old Ancestor led the way, he could lead most of the people out. However, someone had to maintain the grand Formation. Without someone to maintain it, the Formation would shatter within a few breaths after the breakthrough began. The three Nascent Souls would catch up immediately, and everyone would die.

“I’ll stay,” Yun Ming said.

The Old Ancestor finally turned his head to look at him. This young man had joined the Qingxuan Sect only six years ago; he was at the Early Golden Core Stage with a Five Elements Mixed Spiritual Root, yet he had exceeded everyone's expectations time and again. His Formation had blocked three Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivators for seven days and nights. His Breath-Concealing Technique was something even a Nascent Soul couldn't detect. The secrets he carried were more than anyone the Old Ancestor had seen in his eight hundred years of life.

“Can you escape?” the Old Ancestor asked. He didn't ask "Can you survive?" but rather "Can you escape?" He knew Yun Ming wouldn't die here, or at least, he was willing to believe Yun Ming wouldn't die here.

Yun Ming nodded: “I can. You know my Breath-Concealing Technique.”

The Old Ancestor was silent for a moment, then nodded.

He didn't ask how Yun Ming planned to escape, what he would do after escaping, or why he wanted to stay. These questions weren't important. What mattered was that someone had to stay, and Yun Ming had stepped forward.

“Stay alive,” the Old Ancestor said. Just two words, his voice very soft.

Yun Ming nodded: “You as well.”

The Old Ancestor turned to look at the Disciples behind him. Fu Qingyun, Fu Qingyun, Han Song, Liu Ruyan, and those young people whose names he couldn't recall. Some were injured, some had lost arms, and some were so exhausted of spiritual power they couldn't even stand steadily. But they all stood there, looking at their Sect Master, waiting for his command.

“Break through,” the Old Ancestor's voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears. “I will lead the way. Follow me and do not look back. Run as fast as you can, as far as you can. Head east, toward the Shenduan Sect. Find reinforcements, and then we will fight our way back.”

No one spoke. Fu Qingyun gripped his broken sword tightly. Fu Qingyun gritted his teeth, his eyes rimmed with red. Liu Ruyan leaned against Fu Qingyun's shoulder and closed her eyes. Han Song remained expressionless, but his hand gripping the iron rod was trembling slightly.

“Go.” The Old Ancestor turned and walked toward the Mountain Gate.

Fu Qingyun followed, Fu Qingyun followed, Han Song followed—everyone followed. No one cast a single glance back at Yun Ming; it wasn't that they didn't want to look, but that they didn't dare. They feared that if they looked, they wouldn't be able to leave.

Yun Ming stood atop the Main Peak, watching those retreating figures disappear into the morning mist, then turned toward the Formation Eye. The map of mountains and rivers hung there, its starlight much dimmer than a few days ago, and the formation patterns were fading one by one. The Spirit Stones were almost exhausted, and his spiritual power was nearly spent as well. But he only needed to hold out until the Old Ancestor and the others broke through.

He sat cross-legged and pressed his hand against the Formation Eye.

The breakthrough began.

The Old Ancestor took the lead, rushing out of the grand Formation. His injuries were far from recovered, and his spiritual power was nearly depleted, but he was in the Nascent Soul Stage. Even with only ten percent of his power remaining, he wasn't someone those in the Golden Core Stage could block. With a single palm strike, the wind from his palm was like a mountain; several Golden Core Demon Cultivators blocking the way didn't even have time to scream before being struck into a bloody mist. He threw a punch, the force like a rainbow, smashing a Demon Cultivator's arrow tower into fragments. He kicked out, the wind from his leg like a blade, sweeping away over a dozen Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators.

The Disciples of the Qingxuan Sect followed behind him like a long Dragon, rushing out of the Mountain Gate and sprinting toward the east. Fu Qingyun brought up the rear, broken sword in hand, his sword light like a rainbow as he forced back the Demon Cultivators attempting to attack from the sides. Fu Qingyun and Han Song protected the wounded in the middle. Liu Ruyan carried a localized Qi Refining Disciple who was unconscious, running ahead of Fu Qingyun. No one looked back.

The Demon Cultivators were in an uproar.

Tu Gang was the first to react. He rushed out, saw the long Dragon breaking through, and his expression changed drastically: “They’re trying to run!”

Granny Bone walked out leaning on her bone staff, her cloudy old eyes narrowing into slits as she sneered: “Can they really run?”

The One-armed Middle-aged Man stepped out from behind, his expression grim: “Should we pursue?”

Tu Gang gritted his teeth: “Pursue! We can't let them escape!” He raised his hammer, ready to charge.

Granny Bone stopped him: “Wait. Although that old thing is heavily injured, he is still in the Nascent Soul Stage. If all three of us pursue, who will break this grand Formation?”

Tu Gang was stunned.

Granny Bone looked at the middle-aged man: “You go pursue. Dealing with a half-dead old thing is enough. Tu Gang and I will stay here to break this Formation and tear the bones out of that brat inside.”

The One-armed Middle-aged Man was silent for a moment, then nodded. He turned and pursued in the direction of the Old Ancestor's breakthrough, his form turning into a streak of black light, vanishing into the morning mist in the blink of an eye.

Tu Gang and Granny Bone turned around and looked at the grand Formation that was still operating. The light shield was much thinner than before, the starlight flickering uncertainly, and the formation patterns were fading one by one. In the center of the grand Formation, that young man sat cross-legged at the Formation Eye, his hand pressed against the map of mountains and rivers, his face as pale as paper.

Tu Gang grinned maliciously: “Brat, your time has come.”

Yun Ming ignored him. His entire mind was on the grand Formation and the Disciples who were breaking through. His Divine Sense extended out of the Formation, following that long Dragon, watching them run further and faster. The Old Ancestor led the way, one palm per person, one punch per person, one kick per person. Fu Qingyun brought up the rear, his broken sword covered in blood—some his own, some from the Demon Cultivators. Fu Qingyun tripped while running but scrambled up to continue. Han Song helped an injured Disciple, carrying him on his shoulders as he ran.

They had escaped. They made it out. As long as he could stall a little longer, just a little longer, they could get far away.

Yun Ming withdrew his Divine Sense and injected the last trace of spiritual power in his body into the grand Formation. The map of mountains and rivers vibrated slightly, and the starlight brightened a bit.

Tu Gang raised his black hammer and struck down! Granny Bone raised her bone staff, and the ghost fires transformed into a blue torrent! Both went all out, holding nothing back.

Boom—!

The light shield trembled violently, cracks spreading like a spiderweb. Yun Ming let out a muffled groan, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. His Golden Core was spinning frantically, the cracks growing more numerous and deeper. His Meridians were rupturing, his internal organs were shifting, and every inch of his flesh was screaming in pain. But he didn't let go.

The second strike. Tu Gang and Granny Bone exchanged a glance and attacked simultaneously. The black hammer was like a mountain, the ghost fire like a sea; the two forces intertwined, transforming into a black torrent that roared as it crashed against the light shield.

Boom—!

The cracks on the light shield became more numerous and denser.