Although Bone Ji had not been with Jiyue Pavilion long, she was aware of the basic alliances and rivalries within the Divine Pact.
At present, Jiyue Pavilion was indeed a first-rank Divine Pact, but its domineering behavior had earned it many enemies. Among them, Drunken Heart Valley was one of its most antagonistic rivals. The two had long harbored deep grudges, and recent skirmishes had only deepened the enmity.
If Drunken Heart Valley and Scorching Sun Gate truly intended to ambush them here, then every divine being in Sunken Yang Gorge faced a very real risk of perishing.
In fact, Bone Ji was not the only one considering the dire outcome—everyone there could see the same deadly trap unfolding. Doubts and murmurs of retreat rippled through the assembled disciples.
Eighth Elder Du Yu ignored the commotion behind him and asked coldly, “Elder Tang, where did you hear this? Can we trust it?”
“Silence,” Seventh Elder Chen Guangju barked, “What good are questions now? Old Tang is one of us, and if he says it, it must be true. We’d better withdraw from Sunken Yang Gorge at once!”
Du Yu furrowed his brow. Tang ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ Jiansheng ranked thirteenth among the elders—far from a position of unquestioned authority—yet his urgency was undeniable. Bowing to Chen Guangju, he replied, “Elder Chen is right. Let us retreat and find safety first. As for the details, I will explain once we’re clear of danger. If Drunken Heart Valley’s forces arrive early, we’ll be in grave trouble.”
Du Yu’s face darkened as he processed the warning. Tang Jiansheng was normally aloof, concerned only with his disciple Snow Scar—never another soul. His sudden concern for the Pavilion’s safety was startling. What could be driving him?
Chen Guangju, meanwhile, gave no thought to these subtleties. His mind raced with the prospect of escape—and triumph. “Fall back to Ten-Thousand-Li Mountain Base,” he ordered. The base lay exactly ten thousand li from Sunken Yang Gorge, just beyond the danger zone. Once there, they could summon reinforcements and crush Drunken Heart Valley’s forces in one fell swoop—a glorious victory indeed.
With that, Chen Guangju led the Pavilion’s disciples in a rapid ascent. Their speed increased by the moment, each worried that any delay would bring the enemy down on them. But in their haste lay their greatest peril.
Soon, Chen Guangju glimpsed the jagged silhouette of Ten-Thousand-Li Mountain on the horizon. Already? he thought, surprised by how near it seemed. Perhaps his speed had outpaced his perception—yet when he slowed to adapt, the scene shattered before him. In place of mountains stood an immense wall of divine trees, their branches interwoven into an impenetrable barrier that rose to the heavens.
One by one, three more walls of living wood sprang up, sealing the Pavilion’s disciples within a deadly enclosure. Only then did they realize the mountain had been an illusion—a trap meticulously crafted over a full day and night.
“Stop your futile struggle,” a languid voice called. From the front of the barrier appeared a flamboyantly robed man in white—Elder Xiao Nanxing of Drunken Heart Valley—accompanied by dozens of his disciples hovering in midair. “My formation took all of yesterday and today to design. You won’t break it in a hurry. Might as well resign yourselves to death.”
Faces pale, the Pavilion’s disciples recognized their foe. Then, from the opposite side, Zhu Xincheng materialized—Leader of Scorching Sun Gate and a notoriously formidable adversary.
Outnumbered three to two, Chen Guangju’s heart sank—but he refused to admit defeat. With a glare at Zhang Jiansheng, he backed away while calling to Du Yu, “You two engage them! I’ll contact the Divine Pact for reinforcements. Three against two—the odds are in our favor!”
Du Yu merely sighed; he had grown used to Chen Guangju’s bravado. Tang Jiansheng, however, stepped back deliberately. As Chen Guangju opened his mouth to question him, he felt a sudden emptiness in his chest. Looking down, he saw Tang Jiansheng’s duster—a seemingly simple whisking fan—had pierced his heart, slaying both body and soul in one stroke.
In an instant, Tang Jiansheng vanished, reappearing beside Zhu Xincheng. The two Divine Pact leaders shared a curt nod.
“Three versus two?” Zhu Xincheng scoffed. “I count three against one.”
Chen Guangju collapsed to his knees, life seeping away, and panic rippled through the remaining disciples. They unleashed their divine powers against the living-wood barriers, seeking any escape. Bone Ji joined the scramble—she hadn’t found Ye Yu and had no wish to die here.
But Drunken Heart Valley’s disciples pressed forward to cut them down, while ten elite warriors formed a protective cordon around the single breach in the barrier. They intended to leave no survivors.
