Chapter 613 622: The One Who Didn't Die

Jun Buwu also nodded emphatically. "Count me in. The Desert North Ancient Land and the Celestial Profound Sect have been allies for generations; we advance and retreat as one. Once I emerge from the Ancient Land, I will be sure to lend Brother Wen a hand."

Hearing their words, Wen Qingye's smile faded. He was silent for a long moment before his lips finally parted.

"What if I told you I don't just want to destroy the Heaven-Burying Sect... but to annihilate the Taiyi Pavilion?"

The three men fell deathly silent, staring at Wen Qingye in utter astonishment.

What was the Taiyi Pavilion? It was the number one Sect in the Eastern Profound Domain, its sphere of influence reaching into several neighboring Domains. Forget about a few individuals like them—to any person or power in the entire Eastern Profound Domain, the Taiyi Pavilion was a behemoth. And yet, Wen Qingye was now talking about destroying it.

Sima Feng's eyes lit up as he looked at Wen Qingye. "Brother Wen, are you serious?"

Wen Qingye nodded silently, then grabbed the wine jug and drained it in one go, the liquor spilling down his neck and onto the sand below.

"My wife... they're holding her captive on the Taiyi Pavilion's Wuwang Peak. I have to save her."

As he spoke, a soul-stirring light burst from his eyes. It was as if a volcano, dormant for millennia, was stirring in his heart, waiting for the moment to finally, completely erupt.

Tu Bai roared, "Then we'll destroy the Taiyi Pavilion! So what? I've hated the sight of them for a long time, especially those Three Elders! Arrogant bastards, every one of them! Back when I wanted to apprentice myself to Weil Tianya, he actually refused me. Not only did he refuse me, he let his disciples mock me! A Sect like that should've been destroyed ages ago! And then there was that time on Xuwang Mountain—those Taiyi Pavilion disciples were all insufferably arrogant. I've had more than enough of their crap! To hell with it, let's just wipe them out!"

Tu Bai bellowed, his fists clenched tight.

Sima Feng looked at Wen Qingye, his brow furrowed. "Brother Wen, this enmity between you and the Taiyi Pavilion... is it truly irreconcilable?"

"An irreconcilable feud!" Wen Qingye's eyes turned sharp and fierce. "It ends only in death."

Sima Feng took a deep breath, his voice now laced with resolve. "In that case, we destroy them! Your enemy is my enemy."

Jun Buwu gritted his teeth. "Count me in, too. You saved my life, and I, Jun Buwu, don't forget my debts. What's so great about the Taiyi Pavilion, anyway?"

The three of them knew full well the Taiyi Pavilion was an unassailable power, yet they were still willing to make such a stand. Even Wen Qingye couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through his heart.

"Come, let's finish this jug!" Tu Bai roared with laughter, hoisting it high.

"Come on, bottoms up!"

"First, we'll slaughter the Heaven-Burying Sect and the Asura Sect, then we'll annihilate the Taiyi Pavilion!"

"The Taiyi Pavilion ain't shit! With the four of us, I refuse to believe we can't wipe it out in a single day!"

"Hahahaha!" "Hahaha!"

In the vast expanse of the desert, the four men drank with wild abandon, their bold, heroic laughter echoing far into the distance.

To them, the sky was still a boundless, untamed blue, and the earth was still vast. They were like runners charging headlong into a gale; the fiercer and more violent the wind, the faster and more freely they ran.

The passion burning in their chests was a tangible thing—thicker than the earth, higher than the heavens, more distant than the azure sea, and more vast than the endless, starry sky.

An era must be forged by a group, but the group that forges an era needs a leader to point the way toward a brilliant future.

And just as Wen Qingye himself said, as long as he lived, his would be a life without fear—a life lived to the absolute fullest.

....

A sliver of golden sunlight crept over the horizon, bathing the land in its glow.

Wen Qingye slowly opened his eyes and stretched his arms. Looking around, he saw the other three were still passed out on the ground, their eyes tightly closed.

He sat down cross-legged and entered a state of deep cultivation.

After the Longevity Technique had circulated for thirty-six Zhou Tian, the sun was already high above his head. Only then did Wen Qingye cease his cultivation.

He looked up. Only Sima Feng and Tu Bai were still there. Tu Bai was examining a round bead, and Wen Qingye couldn't help but ask, "Where's Jun Buwu?"

Tu Bai said, "Oh, that kid? He hoisted up that female corpse, started muttering something about 'It's too late, I'm too late,' and then took off like a madman. He asked me to say goodbye to you before he left."

Sima Feng stood up and looked at Wen Qingye. "Since it's come to this, Tu Bai and I will find a place to absorb the inheritance we received here. When the time is right, we'll first help you eliminate the Heaven-Burying Sect and the Asura Sect, and then we'll figure out how to deal with the Taiyi Pavilion. In any case, you just have to say the word, and Tu Bai and I will be there."

Tu Bai thumped his chest. "That's right! I, Tu Bai, am a man of my word. When it comes to Brother Wen's business, my help is guaranteed!"

Wen Qingye nodded. "Good. When the time comes, I will contact you via Jade Scroll."

"Alright. Take care," Sima Feng said, nodding as well.

With that, Sima Feng and Tu Bai parted from Wen Qingye, each heading in a different direction. Having received their inheritances, there was surely a suitable place for them in the Desert North, or perhaps other fortunate encounters awaited them.

Qingg Ruo'ai noted Wen Qingye's lingering gaze and said, "Those boys are certainly loyal, but they're a bunch of blockheads indulging in wild fantasies. Do you really think the Taiyi Pavilion is that simple? I'm afraid that before you can even think of destroying the Taiyi Pavilion, they'll have you all killed."

Wen Qingye retracted his gaze and let out a soft chuckle, then turned and began walking toward Sanjing Pass.

After walking for half a double-hour, the gates of Sanjing Pass were nearly in sight.

By this time, the sun was directly overhead and utterly merciless. The ground was like a Pill Furnace, and every breath was an intake of scorching air.

The sand underfoot felt as if it had been roasted, and every step sent a scalding sensation through the soles of his feet.

Qingg Ruo'ai gazed into the distance. "If we stick to the main road," she said slowly, "it will undoubtedly be perilous. We should take another path. We absolutely cannot let the Taiyi Pavilion find us."

Wen Qingye smiled and shook his head. "There's no need. If we think that way, we'll be playing right into the Taiyi Pavilion's hands."

Just as Qingg Ruo'ai was about to reply, she suddenly spotted something writhing in the distance. "What is that?" she blurted out.

Wen Qingye had noticed the movement as well. He looked over and saw a figure, drenched from head to toe in blood, slowly crawling forward.

"Yue Mingzhu?"

Wen Qingye froze, stunned to see who it was.

It was none other than Yue Mingzhu, the woman who was supposed to have "died" at the hands of Jian Nantian. Right now, she was stretching out her blood-soaked hands, dragging herself toward Sanjing Pass. In her wake, she left a stark, crimson trail in the sand.

The unbroken crimson streak was shockingly conspicuous against the yellow sand.

'She's not dead? But how did she manage to crawl all the way to Sanjing Pass?'

Wen Qingye subconsciously started walking toward Yue Mingzhu. 'Logically,' he thought, 'it would take a normal person over ten days to walk here from the edge of the Evil Land. So how did Yue Mingzhu manage to crawl all this way in just a few short days?'