Starting from iron smelting

Chapter 107 Chase

After countless twists and turns and hardships, Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue finally walked through the narrow tunnel. The tunnel was dark and damp, full of unknown fear, as if every step was stepping on an unknown abyss. Their heartbeats echoed in the empty tunnel, accompanied by the occasional sound of dripping water, adding a bit of weirdness and tension.

Finally, after a long and depressing crawl, they saw a faint light ahead. Delighted, they sped up their movements and finally crawled out from the end of the tunnel. However, the scene before them shocked them.

It turned out that the exit of the tunnel was hidden behind the stone statue at the entrance hall of the secret realm. This secret realm is a mysterious place in the North Cliff Cave, and legend has it that it hides endless treasures and secrets. At this moment, the hall was full of people, and their eyes were focused on the stone statue at the entrance, as if they were waiting for something.

Lu Xiuyuan's heart tightened, and he immediately looked at the people around him with vigilance. Among these people, there were disciples of Lingshou Mountain wearing uniform clothes, and practitioners from other sects. They all had different expressions on their faces, some greedy, some curious, and some vigilant.

He knew in his heart that these people were not good people. After all, the people from Spirit Beast Mountain were still chasing him in Beiya Cave. He had not yet gotten over the matter of killing Shi Jiao. If he was recognized, the consequences would be disastrous.

Thinking of this, Lu Xiuyuan immediately reached out and covered Wen Lingyue's mouth, signaling her not to make a sound. Although Wen Lingyue was a little puzzled, she immediately understood the seriousness of the situation when she saw Lu Xiuyuan's serious expression, and nodded obediently, indicating that she would not make a sound.

I only heard someone in the hall say: "This place is full of spiritual energy. It is indeed a holy place for cultivation. It is definitely a good place. We are a step slower than others. If we hesitate any longer, we will lose the opportunity and then we will regret it." The voice was loud, and it seemed that it was from a very prestigious practitioner.

At this time, a shrill voice sounded in the crowd, as if deliberately trying to break the solemn atmosphere: "Humph, the spiritual energy here has leaked, and the restrictions at the cave entrance have long been destroyed. It shows that someone has entered here before us. I'm afraid we will have no chance of getting the legendary treasure." His words revealed a bit of dissatisfaction and unwillingness.

Someone immediately retorted: "You people from Lingshou Mountain, what discouraging words are you saying! You carried out indiscriminate attacks in Beiya Cave, causing the whole cave to be in chaos and resentment, and you haven't been held accountable for this yet! And you, what do you mean by making sarcastic remarks here?" The man's voice was full of anger and disdain, and it was obvious that he was quite dissatisfied with what Lingshou Mountain had done.

The man from Lingshou Mountain sneered and retorted, "The sect has issued a hunting order. The killer who killed Shi Jiao must be caught. This is also forced by the situation. As for causing public outrage, that is also for the sake of the overall situation. But you guys are definitely not the killer. Since you have the same goal, why don't you hunt for treasure together? Then everyone can rely on their own abilities, wouldn't that be great?" Although there was a hint of provocation in his words, his tone revealed a hint of helplessness and urgency.

Lu Xiuyuan hid behind the stone statue and heard these conversations. He couldn't help but feel lucky. It seemed that these people didn't know that he was nearby, and their attention was focused on the fight for the treasure. They hadn't discovered Wen Lingyue and me yet.

He gently pulled Wen Lingyue's hand, signaling her not to make a sound. Wen Lingyue nodded obediently. Although she was a little scared, she gradually calmed down when she saw Lu Xiuyuan's calm look.

The discussion in the hall continued, and various voices intertwined to form a noisy and chaotic picture. Lu Xiuyuan knew in his heart that he had to stay calm now and not be discovered by anyone. He quietly stuck his head out and observed the situation in the hall through the gap between the stone statues.

Among the crowd, the disciples of Spirit Beast Mountain looked around vigilantly, as if they were looking for something, while the practitioners of other sects stared at the cave entrance greedily, as if they had seen the legendary treasure waving to them.

Lu Xiuyuan was secretly alert in his heart, he knew that if these people discovered him, they would definitely attack without hesitation. He held Wen Lingyue's hand tightly, ready to deal with any possible danger at any time.

At this moment, there was a commotion in the hall. A disciple from Spirit Beast Mountain suddenly shouted, "Look, there's someone over there!" His voice was sharp and piercing, and it immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Everyone looked behind the stone statue where Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue were hiding, their eyes revealing vigilance and curiosity. They secretly wondered who dared to hide here secretly.

Suddenly, a man in black clothes shouted, "Who is sneaking around there? Come out!" He gathered his energy with both hands, and a powerful spiritual energy gathered in his palms, and then he slammed his palm towards the stone statue. The stone statue instantly shattered, and in the smoke and dust, Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue stood there trembling, their faces full of fear and helplessness, as if they were really scared.

Lu Xiuyuan held Wen Lingyue's hand tightly and whispered, "Don't be afraid. We have to pretend to be stupid now and let them think we know nothing. When they relax, we will find a chance to rush out." Wen Lingyue nodded. Although she was afraid in her heart, she still tried to calm herself down.

However, their disguise did not last long. The moment they were discovered, Lu Xiuyuan immediately showed that he was scared to death. He said in a trembling voice: "I...we...we accidentally entered this place and ended up being trapped here. We really don't know anything!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a commotion in the crowd. Some people said at once: "This kid is lying! He must have gotten something good and wanted to keep it all for himself!" Another person echoed: "That's right, looking at his trembling appearance, he must be guilty!"

The situation suddenly became tense, and everyone drew their weapons and pointed them at Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue. At this moment, a woman's voice suddenly rang out: "Lingyue, why are you here?" The voice was gentle and familiar, and Wen Lingyue instantly burst into tears.

She looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in white standing in the crowd. Her face was pure and beautiful, and her eyes revealed concern and anxiety. It was Sister Yunlu from Mingyue Palace, where Wen Lingyue belonged.

Wen Lingyue ran over and threw herself into Yunlu's arms, choking with sobs, "Senior Sister, why are you here too?" Yunlu gently stroked her hair and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Senior Sister is here. Tell me quickly, why are you with this person? I don't think he's a good person."

When Lu Xiuyuan heard Yunlu's words, he felt bitter. He knew that he must be an unpopular person in Yunlu's eyes, but he also understood that the most important thing now was how to get out of the current predicament.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and then respectfully bowed to Yunlu and said, "Senior Sister Yunlu, my name is Lu Xiuyuan. Miss Lingyue and I entered this place by accident, and we have no ill intentions. Please understand, Senior Sister."

Yun Lu looked at him coldly and said nothing. She still had doubts about Lu Xiuyuan in her heart, but she didn't get angry immediately. After all, the situation was tense now, and she didn't want to affect the interests of the entire Mingyue Palace because of personal grudges.

At this time, someone in the crowd began to urge: "Fairy Yunlu, why are you wasting time talking to this kid! Let's quickly enter the secret realm to look for opportunities!" Others also echoed, obviously they didn't want to waste too much time here.

Seeing that Lu Xiuyuan was still playing dumb after being exposed, the crowd became even more furious. They pressed closer and closer, surrounding Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Upon seeing this, Wen Lingyue quickly pleaded with Yunlu, "Senior Sister, this man is a good person, not a bad person. Please don't misunderstand him." There was a slight tremor in her voice, and she was obviously afraid that the situation would escalate further.

Yun Lu glanced at Lu Xiuyuan coldly and said, "When a man and a woman are alone in a room, how can they be good people? Don't be fooled by him." Her tone was full of disdain and suspicion.

Everyone also chimed in, saying, "Yes, this guy is not a good guy at first glance. He must want to take advantage of Miss Lingyue!" "Catch him quickly and interrogate him!"

Lu Xiuyuan's heart tightened, knowing that it was no use pretending to be stupid at this time. He took a deep breath and said seriously: "Miss Lingyue and I just met by chance, and I did nothing inappropriate to her. I came here to look for opportunities, and I didn't mean to offend you."

Yun Lu sneered and said, "You think we, the Mingyue Palace, are all women and you want to live in peace here? You wish!" As she said that, she immediately drew out her sword and stabbed Lu Xiuyuan.

Lu Xiuyuan was startled and dodged quickly. He knew that he had to get rid of these people as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous. He looked around and found that although the crowd surrounded him, there were some gaps between them. He decided to use these gaps to break through.

At this moment, Wen Lingyue suddenly stood in front of him. She looked at Yunlu and said, "Senior Sister, believe me, he is really a good person. He saved my life. If it weren't for him, I might have died in the secret realm a long time ago."

Yunlu paused her sword when she heard this. She looked at Wen Lingyue's determined eyes and couldn't help but waver. But she soon thought that Wen Lingyue might have just been blinded by this kid and couldn't easily believe his words.

At this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Fairy Yunlu, don't listen to their nonsense! Let's act quickly, otherwise there will be more trouble!" As soon as this person's voice fell, others also echoed. It was obvious that they all wanted to get rid of the trouble of Lu Xiuyuan as soon as possible.

Yun Lu was determined and decided not to hesitate any longer. She swung her sword towards Lu Xiuyuan and shouted, "My fellow disciples, come together! Take down this boy!"

Upon hearing this, everyone drew their weapons and attacked Lu Xiuyuan. For a moment, swords flashed, spiritual energy filled the air, and the entire secret realm seemed to be shrouded in this solemn and murderous aura.

Seeing this, Lu Xiuyuan felt a strong desire to fight. He quickly drew out his fine steel sword, and the blade instantly flashed with a cold light, as if it could cut through the air, revealing an indomitable and fierce momentum. His eyes were firm and his gaze was like a torch, as if he wanted to pierce through the enemies in front of him one by one. He gripped the hilt tightly, feeling the cold touch of the sword, and a strong sense of confidence surged in his heart.

In the hall, sword energy was everywhere and spiritual energy was overflowing. Lu Xiuyuan was at a loss, and every flash of sword light was a life-and-death contest. His figure shuttled through the crowd, sometimes leaping up like an eagle soaring into the sky; sometimes diving like a tiger descending from the mountain. He cleverly avoided the fatal attacks while looking for the enemy's flaws.

However, the crowd's attack became more and more fierce, like a tide, one wave higher than the other. Lu Xiuyuan gradually felt powerless, with more and more wounds on his body, and blood staining his clothes red. But he still gritted his teeth and insisted, unwilling to give up. He knew that once he fell, Wen Lingyue would also be in danger.

At this moment, Lu Xiuyuan suddenly felt a strong force surging into his body. With a thought in his mind, he put on the Phoenix Red Gold Armor in an instant. The armor seemed to have a spirit, tightly attached to his body, providing him with a strong layer of defense. He felt the warm power coming from the armor, as if a mysterious power was protecting him.

Lu Xiuyuan's strength increased instantly, and a trace of determination flashed in his eyes. He gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, rushed forward, and swung the sword. The sword energy was like a rainbow, and directly knocked several people in front of him away. His figure passed through the crowd like lightning, and every sword strike accurately landed on the enemy's vital points.

The crowd exclaimed one after another. They didn't expect Lu Xiuyuan to have such a trump card. For a moment, they were all a little flustered and didn't know how to deal with it. But soon someone reacted and shouted loudly: "Chase them! Don't let them get away!"

Lu Xiuyuan's heart trembled. He knew that he could not relax at all. He pulled Wen Lingyue and rushed out of the hall. The two of them shuttled through the crowd like a flash of lightning across the night sky.

The people in Spirit Beast Mountain were awakened from their dreams. They were shocked by the strength and wisdom shown by Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue, and they were unable to react immediately. At this moment, when someone mentioned the villain who killed Shi Jiao, their faces suddenly showed anger and murderous intent.

“Yes, it’s that brat!” One person pointed at Lu Xiuyuan’s back and said with gritted teeth, “He killed Shi Jiao from our Spirit Beast Mountain and took away the treasure we worked so hard to find. We must not let him go!”

"Yes, catch him and kill him without mercy!" another person echoed, with a cold light flashing in his eyes, as if he wanted to cut Lu Xiuyuan into pieces.

Fairy Yunlu stood aside, her face as cold as ice, her eyes full of disgust and anger. She thought of how Lu Xiuyuan had used despicable means to abduct Wen Lingyue, a disciple of Mingyue Palace, and an indescribable anger surged in her heart.

"A cunning villain, a treacherous man!" Fairy Yunlu shouted coldly, "He is so bold and abducted a disciple of Mingyue Palace. This is simply a heinous crime. Today, we must take him down to set an example!"

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone responded. They either drew their swords or urged their spirit beasts to launch a life-and-death hunt for Lu Xiuyuan.