"Lin Yun… you did that on purpose, didn't you?" Wang Shuang roared.
Lin Yun wore an expression of pure innocence. "Senior Brother Wang, did I do something wrong?"
Seeing his harmless look, Wang Shuang was filled with a bellyful of rage but had nowhere to vent it.
Liao Changping couldn't watch any longer.
"What an embarrassment!"
He cursed, then pointed two fingers and gestured from a distance.
Whoosh!
Lin Yun felt a terrifying force rush toward him. The massive boulder that had been blocking the cave entrance instantly disintegrated into dust.
If you had such a convenient move, why didn't you use it earlier? Why did I have to move rocks here? Lin Yun sneered inwardly.
Once the dust settled, a three-meter-high cave entrance was revealed. Only then did Liao Changping walk ahead with one hand clasped behind his back.
"Keep up," he said faintly.
The inside of the cave was dark and damp. However, upon entering, Lin Yun immediately smelled the distinct scent of blood. Sure enough, they soon saw several corpses on the ground. Their deaths had been gruesome, and it looked as though a great battle had taken place.
"Elder Liao, could it be that people from other sects have also discovered this place?" Fan Kun asked in a low voice.
Unclaimed spirit stone mines like this were often a source of conflict. After all, whoever seized it first would have the mining rights.
Liao Changping shook his head. "Split up and see if there are any survivors."
The group moved out separately. Lin Yun, meanwhile, was searching for his "benefactor." He had originally thought it might be one of Liao Changping's group, but now it seemed more likely to be an injured senior brother who had been on the original mission.
Soon, amidst a pile of rubble, Lin Yun saw a man who was severely injured. His clothes were soaked in blood.
[Name]: Duan Heng
[Realm]: Eighth Level of the Void-Gazing Realm
[Destiny]: A String of Good Luck (Purple)
[Fate]: Stronger Through Setbacks (Blue), Fated Romance (Purple)
[A String of Good Luck]: You were born under a lucky star, increasing your probability of acquiring opportunities.
[Stronger Through Setbacks]: Whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!
[Fated Romance]: You will have a romance that is destined to be.
[Outcome]: Is defeated by an opponent in the Sunset Glow Valley, his Dao perishes and his body is destroyed.
[Recent Turning Point]: Finds a mysterious Yuan Embryo inside a mystical cave on Five Yang Mountain.
Five Yang Mountain?
Isn't that right here?
"Senior Brother," Lin Yun called out softly.
Hearing the voice, Duan Heng finally showed some reaction. He slowly opened his eyes. He was alarmed at first when he saw Lin Yun, but he relaxed after confirming he was a disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect.
"Junior… Junior Brother, please… take me back to the sect."
After forcing out these words, Duan Heng immediately fainted again. Lin Yun called out a few more times, but there was no response.
Only then did he get up, push aside the rubble, and find the entrance to the mystical cave. It seemed that Duan Heng had originally tried to break the restrictive seals to forcibly enter the cave, but had instead caused a landslide, and the falling rocks had seriously injured him.
If Lin Yun hadn't come, this place would not have been discovered. Duan Heng would have naturally returned later to take the mysterious Yuan Embryo.
Unfortunately for him, while these boulders were a problem for others, Lin Yun could handle them with ease.
This cave was clearly important, yet Duan Heng hadn't said a word about it. The thing inside must be extraordinary! Of course, Lin Yun didn't dare say anything either!
Just then, Wang Shuang's voice came from behind. "Junior Brother Lin, what are you doing?"
Lin Yun hastily found a few boulders and hid the entrance. A moment later, Wang Shuang came over and immediately spotted Duan Heng lying on the ground.
"Hiss, isn't this Senior Brother Duan?"
He hurried forward and helped Lin Yun carry Duan Heng over.
When Liao Changping saw Duan Heng, his expression turned ugly. After a simple examination, his face grew even more solemn. "His pulse is faint, and his injuries are severe. If we don't treat him immediately, his life may be in danger."
He first fed Duan Heng a medicinal pill, then looked at the others and said, "Fan Kun, you come with me. The rest of you, stay here and wait for reinforcements from the sect to take over."
Hearing that Liao Changping was leaving, Lin Yun was secretly delighted.
Wang Shuang, however, was not happy at all. They had all seen the corpses when they came in. It was obvious that the Flowing Cloud Sect wasn't the only one who knew about this place; other sects were surely involved. What if someone else came? Without Liao Changping to hold down the fort, wouldn't they be sitting ducks?
The thought gave Wang Shuang a massive headache.
However, Liao Changping gave them no chance to argue. A genius like Duan Heng was far more important!
After Liao Changping left, Lin Yun saw the worry in Wang Shuang's heart. He walked to his side and asked, "Senior Brother Wang, will… will we also be attacked?"
Wang Shuang remained silent. He had just seen several dead bodies. A battle had clearly taken place here. It was highly likely that people from another sect had also discovered this place. If so, it was very dangerous for the two of them to stay here. Lin Yun's words made his heart clench even tighter.
"We can only wait for the sect's rescue."
"I wonder how long that will take!" Lin Yun murmured.
Hmph, let's see how long you can hold out, Lin Yun thought. He was deliberately trying to incite Wang Shuang's panic.
Others might worry about another sect coming for revenge, but Lin Yun wasn't afraid. He needed them all to leave so he could take the mysterious Yuan Embryo.
"Hehe, Junior Brother, you can rest assured. The spiritual veins here are rich; the sect will definitely not let it go. Don't you worry, the sect will send people soon," Wang Shuang said, trying to sound confident.
Lin Yun smiled and nodded.
Nearly half an hour passed like this.
Wang Shuang suddenly clutched his stomach and frowned. "Junior Brother Lin, my stomach feels a bit upset. How about this, you wait here first. I'm going to find a place to relieve myself."
Seeing Wang Shuang's clumsy acting, Lin Yun sneered inwardly. However, he put on a suitably naive and inexperienced expression. "Senior Brother, please, go ahead."
Wang Shuang clutched his stomach and left in a pained state. "Junior Brother Lin, you… don't worry, I'll be right back."
As soon as he was out of the cave, Wang Shuang's expression changed completely. "Idiot. With such a huge mineral vein, people from other sects should be arriving soon. Staying here is certain death."
"I'm leaving first. I'll come back to collect your corpse in a while, Senior Brother."
Wang Shuang was gone.
Lin Yun wasn't in a hurry to find the mysterious Yuan Embryo. He continued to sit and wait for another fifteen minutes. After confirming that Wang Shuang was not coming back, he finally got up, removed the rubble he had placed earlier, and revealed the entrance to the cave.
The inside was clean and tidy, as if its owner had been living there just a short time ago.
Lin Yun walked around inside and, in a stone chamber, discovered a palm-sized, fossil-like Yuan Embryo.
At the same time, there was also a book of miscellaneous records sealed here: The Strange Records of Mountains and Seas.
Lin Yun gave it a cursory glance. After confirming there was nothing else in the cave, he erased his tracks, and finally concealed the entrance with a large boulder once more...