The hunter, turned into the prey.

"Senior Brother Zhao... and Senior Brother Lin, they..." Ji Chuan said, his face dark.

After parting ways at the West Mountain pass, he had not seen Lin Xinran again. He wondered if the latter had left toward the West Mountain and was caught by the earth vein's violent wind, or if he had also turned east.

As for Zhao Gang, Ji Chuan had seen him with his own eyes fleeing toward the East Mountain.

*Wasn't that going straight into the jaws of the third Great Demon?*

*Even high-level Mount Shu disciples like Ji Chuan, Zhao Gang, and Lin Xinran, facing a Great Demon of Upper Three Heavens strength, were lambs among wolves—a doomed end with no hope of return.*

And after that, Ji Chuan's worry shifted to his own master, He Dongxing.

Though his elder's cultivation strength was exceptional, able to battle three opponents at once, with three strong enemies besieging him, even Ji Chuan could not help but sweat for his mentor.

*Even worse, at present, he had no way to change anything.*

Lei Jun, on the other hand, remained relatively calm.

*To be honest, his only concern was that Taoist Ji, in his earlier move, might have accidentally pierced the earth veins of Cangbo Mountain.*

Since nothing unexpected had happened, the current situation wasn't ruined.

At most, there had been a shock.

But no danger.

Sure enough, soon, the change began in the west.

A beam of treasure light flew in from outside the western mountains, coming to He Dongxing's aid.

Another High Merit Elder of the Mount Shu Sect had arrived.

With the fight now two against three, the Great Demons lost their clear advantage.

Though He Dongxing and his companions failed to slay the demons, they at least held their ground, not falling prey to the demons' siege.

After a fierce battle, both sides had casualties.

Perhaps worried that more Mount Shu experts would arrive as time passed, the Nine-Clawed Stone Lion and those others finally, after a long struggle, retreated.

He Dongxing sheathed his sword, shaking his head repeatedly, "Today was truly disgraceful—hunted geese day after day, and now got pecked in the eye."

Only now did he have the time to look below, "Are juniors stranded down here? What's the story?"

With the dust settled, Lei Jun and Ji Chuan flew out from the mountain's core.

Freed from their mana support, Cangbo Mountain instantly collapsed, sinking half its height.

"Master!" Ji Chuan greeted first, "Master Ji!"

Hearing the title, Lei Jun glanced at the Mount Shu Elder who had arrived from the west.

The man appeared thirty or forty years old at most—a middle-aged look much younger than He Dongxing, his features somewhat similar to Ji Chuan.

From earlier portraits and diagrams he'd seen, Lei Jun identified the man as Ji Chuan's father, Mount Shu Elder Ji Dongquan.

...The very one whom Lei Jun's own master, Yuan Mobai, once angered.

Back then, it was Gungun who accidentally ate the Spirit Flower cultivated by Elder Ji, and because of that, had to flee Bashu.

Ji Dongquan's true age was, of course, far older than his youthful appearance.

He was older than Yuan Mobai; it had taken nearly sixty years just to cultivate that Spirit Flower.

Though Ji Chuan was his son, in front of outsiders, he called Ji Dongquan "Master Ji" instead of "Father."

"As long as everyone's safe."

Ji Dongquan's gaze swept around; though he saw Lei Jun, he showed no special reaction, only asked, "Are all present here?"

He Dongxing then looked to Ji Chuan, "And Senior Nephew Zhao and Senior Nephew Lin?"

Ji Chuan's expression grew grave as he recounted the events from before.

...From his own vantage.

After listening, He Dongxing's beard bristled and his eyes bulged, "I can't tell if you all are incredibly lucky or wretchedly unlucky!"

Ji Dongquan said, "I came by way of West Mountain, but met no one."

He and He Dongxing exchanged glances.

So, Zhao Gang and Lin Xinran must have headed for the East Mountain.

And outside the East Mountain lay the direction where the third Great Demon lurked—only to emerge...

*Didn't that deliver them straight into the demon's mouth?*

"That Lei Ren..." He Dongxing's face twisted unpleasantly, "There's a real stench of blood about its mouth—like it just finished eating someone!"

He, Ji Dongquan, Lei Jun, and Ji Chuan all hurried east in search.

But all along the way, they found no trace of Zhao Gang or Lin Xinran.

With turbulent earth energy, shifting earth veins, and howling winds, the chaos sharply dulled cultivator senses, making it hard for even He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan to locate their wayward juniors.

After a short while, both High Merit Elders of Mount Shu blanched at the same time.

Beneath a rockfall, clearly collapsed by some outside force, they made a finding.

The living must be found alive; the dead, their bodies.

Living or corpses, neither were discovered.

Only two battered magical artifacts remained.

A finely crafted jade flute, mostly shattered to powder, with just a few pieces barely forming half the flute's body.

A long spear, starkly different in style—fierce and martial, but now broken into several segments.

Lei Jun recognized both artifacts.

The first was Lin Xinran's lifebound magic artifact.

The second belonged to Zhao Gang.

The lifebound artifacts of Daoist Artifact Refining Sect cultivators were bound to their souls—most dear, most reinforced, forged with heart's blood.

*So, only scant remnants were left behind...*

Other traces of magic artifacts filled the scene, most smashed entirely to powder, impossible to identify.

*They must have been other artifacts refined by Zhao Gang and Lin Xinran.*

But all had been destroyed by that Lei Ren demon.

As for the two themselves...

Master Lei remained composed.

Accidents, all accidents.

*If blame must be laid somewhere, it no doubt lay with the Great Demon.*

"Today, I, an old Taoist, failed my duties, leading to our sect losing two disciples in misfortune,"

He Dongxing intoned slowly, "In the days I have left, I swear to destroy that demon, or I will not rest in peace!"

Ji Dongquan said, "The loss of two promising young talents pains me as well, but with global spiritual energy surging and great demons emerging one after another, occurrences often defy prediction. This must be fate, not our failing. Senior Brother, please find ease."

Zhao Gang was his own direct disciple; now, he could only comfort He Dongxing.

The two High Merit Elders had little time to grieve, first joining forces to calm the agitated, chaotic earth vein spiritual energy before them.

When at last the storm winds from deep cracks faded, the elders He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan ceased their efforts.

"You're of Dragon Tiger Mountain and a disciple of Taoist Yuan?"

Finally freed, Ji Dongquan focused on Lei Jun.

Compared to the sword cultivator He Dongxing, this Elder Ji, whose lifebound artifact was not a flying sword, had even sharper eyes and a more formidable presence.

But he showed no hostility, only a stiff seriousness that shunned idle speech.

Lei Jun took out another jade slip, handing it to Ji Chuan at his side,

"Junior Lei Chongyun of Dragon Tiger Mountain greets Elder Ji of Mount Shu. My master bids me convey salutations, and here is a letter from him, for Elder Ji."

Ji Chuan delivered the jade slip to his own father.

Ji Dongquan accepted it with a nod, then, right before Lei Jun, infused mana to open it.

Mist rose from the jade slip, in which faint words could be glimpsed—meant for Ji Dongquan alone.

"Hmm, aside from the Cave Heaven and Blessed Lands, you may freely travel in Bashu. Still, Bashu is unsettled at present—be careful."

After reading, Ji Dongquan nodded to Lei Jun and said no more.

As his own Mount Shu brother He Dongxing privately praised Yuan Mobai, he had no idea if these words were true.

At least, on the surface, it could not be discerned.

Zhao Gang's attitude and Ji Chuan's reaction earlier—both proved as much.

...It was only Ji Dongquan himself who had little interest in Yuan Mobai, at least outwardly, and by this, his son Ji Chuan and disciple Zhao Gang were naturally of similar mind.

But just as Yuan Mobai had said, Ji Dongquan might still challenge Yuan Mobai, yet would not trouble Lei Jun, a junior.

Next, like He Dongxing, he ordered Ji Chuan to serve as guide, helping Lei Jun learn about all corners of Shu.

Meanwhile, both High Merit Elders had busy days ahead.

On one hand, the sect's loss of two core true disciples "by accident" needed proper handling.

On the other hand, there were two Nine-Clawed Stone Lions and a Lei Ren demon.

Three Great Demons of Upper Three Heavens rank running wild in Bashu could not be ignored.

But these matters had little to do with Lei Jun.

He was to accompany Ji Chuan and tour Bashu.

Lei Jun had not shared his true purpose with Mount Shu's members.

With plenty of time, he simply pretended to be a tourist, following Ji Chuan about Bashu.

Among their stops was the Southern Shu Bamboo Sea.

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