69: Raymond Lam appears

Li Huayuan's pride was evident, and he straightened his back a few inches.

Just then, within the deep passage, light flickered slightly again.

A somewhat disheveled female Disciple from Huangfeng Valley stumbled out.

Her hair was messy, her clothes were torn in many places, stained with dirt and unknown liquids, and her pretty face was pale and haggard, clearly having suffered quite a bit in the Forbidden Ground.

The female Disciple first looked around blankly, and after seeing her surroundings, especially the figures of Li Huayuan and others, her taut nerves suddenly relaxed, and she almost collapsed to the ground.

"Disciple... Disciple Lu Renjia, greets both Grandmasters," she said, forcing herself forward, her voice a little weak.

Li Huayuan was in a good mood at the moment, and he was a bit more lenient with his Disciples.

"Mm, it's good that you came out safely. Go rest by the side," he waved his hand casually.

Lu Renjia acknowledged, and just as she was about to withdraw, her gaze inadvertently swept over Han Li.

She first froze, then her eyes widened abruptly, and she cried out in surprise, "Senior Brother? You... you're still alive?"

Her voice was filled with astonishment.

The smile on Li Huayuan's face froze slightly, his gaze shifted to Han Li, then he looked at Lu Renjia, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Han Li's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, 'Trouble.'

Wasn't this Lu Renjia the Junior Sister he had encountered in the jungle and later abandoned in a moment of urgency?

He never expected that this woman would also come out alive.

On the surface, Han Li still maintained his honest and simple demeanor. He cupped his hands at Lu Renjia, cleared his throat, and said, "Junior Sister Lu, long time no see. I, Han, am fortunate to have a long life and miraculously survived."

His tone was calm, as if it were just a casual greeting.

Lu Renjia, however, quickly walked over, scrutinizing Han Li up and down, her eyes still filled with surprise and confusion: "Senior Brother, why did you run off by yourself back then?"

Seeing this, Li Huayuan's heart stirred, and he asked, "Oh? Junior Niece Lu, you and Han Li moved together in the Forbidden Ground?"

Lu Renjia quickly nodded, glanced at Han Li with a complex expression, then respectfully said to Li Huayuan, "Reporting to Junior Martial Uncle, this Disciple did indeed move with Senior Brother Han for a moment."

"Oh? What happened later? Tell me in detail," Li Huayuan became interested.

He wanted to hear what other "heroic" deeds this newly accepted Disciple, who was blessed with deep Opportunity, had performed in the Forbidden Ground.

Hongfu Immortal also cast a concerned look. Her impression of Han Li was already average, and now hearing Lu Renjia's tone, it seemed there was another hidden story.

Han Li secretly groaned, but he couldn't stop it.

Lu Renjia took a deep breath and slowly began to recount.

"Not long after this Disciple was teleported to the Forbidden Ground, I became separated from my other fellow Disciples. Later, in a dense forest, I accidentally encountered one of the Yanyue Sect's Twin Prodigies, and we fought over a Spirit Medicine."

"The opponent's cultivation and Magic Treasure were far superior to this Disciple's. In the end, this Disciple was no match and almost perished when a... a Senior Brother suddenly appeared and covered our retreat, me and Senior Brother Han, who was hiding in a tree hole."

As Lu Renjia spoke of this, a hint of gratitude and admiration appeared on her face.

"That Senior Brother had profound cultivation, extraordinary methods, and was full of righteous Qi. And this Disciple and Senior Brother Han met while fleeing."

Li Huayuan nodded, signaling her to continue.

"Afterward, Senior Brother Han pulled the heavily injured me and ran. Unexpectedly, we hadn't run far when we encountered Feng Yue, the madman from Tianque Fortress!"

A hint of fear appeared on her face: "That Feng Yue was extremely ferocious and attacked us without a word. It was at this moment that Senior Brother Han... he suddenly threw this Disciple aside and fled in another direction..."

She then turned to Li Huayuan, asking with some expectation and concern, "Junior Martial Uncle Li, I wonder if that Senior Brother who stayed behind to cover our retreat is safe? That Senior Brother has noble character, truly a model for our generation, a person of great righteousness!"

After listening to Lu Renjia's narration, Li Huayuan glanced at Han Li with a strange expression.

He finally understood.

So, his newly accepted Disciple had sold out his fellow Junior Sister at a critical moment and fled by himself?

However, he didn't take it too much to heart.

The Immortal Realm was inherently cruel, and seeking advantage and avoiding harm was human nature. Han Li had just joined the sect, his cultivation was not high, and choosing to protect himself when facing a powerful enemy was not a major fault.

Li Huayuan cleared his throat and vaguely said, "Hmm, good people are always blessed by heaven. It's a great fortune to be able to come out alive."

He didn't delve into who that "righteous" Senior Brother was; after all, Huangfeng Valley had many Disciples, and he couldn't possibly know all of them.

Han Li listened from the side, his forehead subtly damp with sweat.

If Lu Renjia's words spread, his reputation within the sect would be ruined.

He quickly explained, "The situation was critical at the time, and this Disciple had no choice. I thought I could lure away the enemy and buy Junior Sister Lu a chance to survive. I didn't expect Junior Sister to be blessed by heaven and come out unharmed as well."

Lu Renjia's expression remained somewhat poor upon hearing this, but she reluctantly cupped her hands at Han Li and said, "So that's how it was! Senior Brother Han, you are far-sighted; it was this Junior Sister who misunderstood you!"

Li Huayuan waved his hand, "All right, all right, you're all fellow Disciples, no need for this. It's good that you've returned safely."

His evaluation of Han Li in his heart hadn't dropped much.

However, Hongfu Immortal, who was beside him, looked at Han Li with a hint of undisguised disgust.

She had always respected chivalrous individuals and despised nothing more than cowardly acts of desertion and abandoning companions in battle.

Even if Han Li was eloquent, it couldn't change the fact that he had sold out his teammate.

If Li Huayuan hadn't been there, she probably would have erupted on the spot.

Han Li keenly sensed Hongfu Immortal's icy gaze, and his heart couldn't help but shiver. He thought to himself that this Grandmaster probably held ill will towards him.

But since things had come to this, there was no point in saying more; he could only find a way to make amends in the future.

Li Huayuan comforted Lu Renjia for a few words and told her to go to the side to rest and recuperate.

Everyone then fell into waiting again.

Time passed bit by bit, and another hour went by in a flash.

During this time, Disciples from the other several Sects also emerged from the passage one after another, most looking dispirited with meager gains. Some were even helped out, clearly having suffered serious injuries.

The Core Formation Cultivators from each sect also looked increasingly grim.

Although the Blood Forbidden Ground offered many Opportunities, its danger level far exceeded imagination.

Just then, the seven-colored light at the exit fluctuated violently.

Immediately after, more than ten figures emerged consecutively from within the passage. Although their figures were also somewhat disheveled, their mental state was much better than the Disciples who had come out earlier.

Everyone looked closely and saw that they were all wearing Yanyue Sect attire!

"Hiss! So many people from Yanyue Sect actually came out?"

"Looking at them, it seems they gained a lot!"

The Cultivators from the other sects couldn't help but be surprised at the sight.

The number of Yanyue Sect Disciples who entered the Forbidden Ground and came out was actually the highest.

Leading them was none other than the loli girl, Nangong Wan.

She was still graceful and composed, with only a faint trace of fatigue between her brows.

Behind her followed more than ten Yanyue Sect female Disciples, including Song Baoer, who had previously been given the Forgetfulness Pill by Lin Feng.

Song Baoer's face was still a bit pale at the moment, and her eyes were somewhat dazed, as if she hadn't fully recovered from the effects of the medicine.

She followed behind Nangong Wan, her gaze sweeping through the Seven Sects' crowd, as if searching for something.

When her gaze fell upon the area where the Huangfeng Valley Disciples were gathered, she paused slightly, then softly said to Nangong Wan beside her, "Grandmaster, this Disciple... this Disciple remembers that before I fainted, it seemed a male Cultivator from Huangfeng Valley saved me. After that, things are a bit blurry."

A hint of understanding flashed in Nangong Wan's beautiful eyes, and her gratitude towards Lin Feng deepened.

If not for Lin Feng, the Yanyue Sect might have suffered heavy losses this time.

She nodded slightly and said softly, "Mm, I already know about this."

Song Baoer nodded obediently, no longer speaking.

The Yanyue Sect group quickly returned behind their sect's Core Formation Elder who was leading the team.

The middle-aged woman, who had always been as still as an ancient well, now rarely showed a hint of a smile on her face.

She exchanged a few low-voiced spiritual messages with Nangong Wan, inquiring about the gains from this trip to the Forbidden Ground.

A moment later, the female Elder's joy grew even stronger, clearly very satisfied with the Yanyue Sect's gains this time.

The Core Formation Cultivators from the other sects watched, their hearts filled with mixed emotions, curiosity and envy alike.

Just then, the light at the passage exit flashed again.

A tall figure walked out from it, unhurriedly.

The newcomer was dressed in Huangfeng Valley Disciple attire, with a handsome face and a calm expression. It was Lin Feng.

He was alone, his clothes neat, and his aura steady, forming a stark contrast with the disheveled Disciples who had emerged earlier.

As for Han Yunzhi, she had long since been taken into his exclusive Immortal Cave space.

As soon as Li Huayuan saw Lin Feng emerge, his eyes lit up, and his face showed anticipation.

Since Lu Yunfeng's disappearance, Lin Feng was considered the most cultivated and most favored among this batch of newly admitted Disciples.

Although Han Li had presented the Blood Ginseng, which had already surprised him greatly.

He also had considerable expectations for Lin Feng.

"Lin Feng, you're finally out! How were your gains from this trip?" Li Huayuan's face was wreathed in smiles, and he was about to step forward to ask.

However, before he finished speaking, he was astonished to find that several gazes in the field, without prior arrangement, simultaneously turned towards Lin Feng, who had just walked out.

Among them were not only Han Li and Lu Renjia behind him, but also several female Disciples of the Yanyue Sect, and even the Yanyue Sect's Core Formation Elder was now intently gazing at Lin Feng, her beautiful eyes shimmering with an unusual light.

The smile on Li Huayuan's face froze, and a hint of bewilderment rose in his heart.

What... what was going on?