Chapter 16

Leaving the center of the vortex, the intense malevolent aura roused the unconscious Chao Yuanlong, who quickly regained consciousness.

The moment he woke up, Chao Yuanlong's consciousness was still lingering in the previous confrontation with Yan Zhaoge.

The image in his mind was still that of a shield growing from small to large, blocking out the sky, and smashing right into his forehead.

Thinking about the previous confrontation with Yan Zhaoge, Chao Yuanlong felt a surge of frustration.

But compared to the anger at the time, he now felt more confusion and bewilderment.

When did Yan Zhaoge become so powerful?

Is this still the Yan Zhaoge he remembers?

When they met again, Yan Zhaoge's cultivation and strength had improved, which was within Chao Yuanlong's expectations, but the extent of the improvement completely overturned his worldview.

Coming to his senses, his cheeks still stung with pain, and a sense of humiliation and anger rose in Chao Yuanlong's heart once more.

When he realized his current situation, he was even more furious, as he and his fellow disciples had been driven out of the safe area in the center of the vortex by Yan Zhaoge.

Chao Yuanlong stared at the disciples of the Great Sun Holy Sect in front of him, opened his mouth to speak, but the breath caught in his chest, and he couldn't utter a word.

All the disciples of the Great Sun Holy Sect lowered their heads, not daring to meet Chao Yuanlong's gaze at this moment.

Although Chao Yuanlong had been injured by Yan Zhaoge and had his palms pierced, he was still not someone they could provoke.

Chao Yuanlong was known for his strict and harsh personality, and he was clearly in a bad mood now. Angering him would undoubtedly lead to dire consequences for them.

However, while they had previously respected and feared Chao Yuanlong, now they only feared him, with no respect left.

Some people, though not daring to show it on the surface, inwardly felt disdain: "Beaten like a dog by Yan Zhaoge from Guangcheng Mountain, and now he's trying to show off in front of us."

"Go and show off in front of Yan Zhaoge if you have the guts, bullying the weak and fearing the strong!"

"If you hadn't been beaten by Yan Zhaoge, we wouldn't be in this situation. Otherwise, we would have driven them out of the center of the vortex."

Chao Yuanlong took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

For a moment, he really wanted to turn back and fight Yan Zhaoge to the death. Losing so disgracefully was less painful than dying in battle.

But thinking about the battle just now, Chao Yuanlong felt even more frustrated.

He realized that even if he wanted to fight to the death, he might not be able to do so, and the more likely outcome was another humiliation.

The gap between them was so great that if it weren't for his strong and resilient character, he might have felt despair at this moment.

"Brother Xiao entrusted us with a task, and we have spent so much time and effort on it. We finally have some leads. Why don't we go and take care of that first?" a disciple of the Great Sun Holy Sect said cautiously.

He didn't say the second half of his thought, which was: "Brother Xiao will be coming to Zhenlong Abyss soon, and we can seek revenge on Yan Zhaoge then."

But to avoid provoking Chao Yuanlong, he held back those words.

Chao Yuanlong wasn't stupid and could easily read between the lines of the other's words and the subtle hints.

His gaze swept over the fellow disciples in front of him. Although no one showed it, Chao Yuanlong could guess what they were thinking.

After all, he had lost so badly to Yan Zhaoge that he had almost lost everything, including his dignity.

He gave them a cold look and said simply, "Fine, let's take care of the task first."

With that, he left first, and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief, following behind him.

Chao Yuanlong's face was expressionless, but his heart was like a raging storm: "External Gang Master! I must quickly reach the realm of External Gang Master, then I can cultivate that martial art to specifically counter Yan Zhaoge's Green Dragon in the Sleeve. Even if he also breaks through to the External Gang realm, it won't matter."

"I will definitely avenge this humiliation. I swear I won't rest until I bring you, Yan Zhaoge, down to the dust and trample you underfoot!"

...

In the center of the vortex, only the people from Guangcheng Mountain remained, exploring and resting. Some were collecting specialties from Zhenlong Abyss, while others were playing with the small luminous spirit cat.

The Inner Crystal Furnace hummed, continuously absorbing the golden liquid to refine itself.

Yan Zhaoge sat cross-legged beside the Inner Crystal Furnace, eyes closed, cultivating his spirit.

Ahu suddenly appeared and reported, "Young Master, Chao Yuanlong and his group seem to have come here specifically to search for something, though it's unclear whether it's a person or an object."

Yan Zhaoge nodded without a word.

Ahu continued, "By the way, Young Master, the sect has cast its net, and the old patriarch and the family head have caught quite a few big fish this time."

"Also, there's a piece of news: the remnant of the Five Spirit Banners, the Red Spirit Banner Leader, has come to Zhenlong Abyss with the intention of harming you."

Yan Zhaoge asked, "Do the Five Spirit Banners know about the Inner Crystal Furnace?"

Ahu replied, "According to the captured person, they only know that you came to Zhenlong Abyss to find the Flame of Departed Fire."

Yan Zhaoge smacked his lips. "The Red Spirit Banner Leader is a Grand Master. Let the soldiers fight the soldiers and the generals fight the generals. We won't get involved. Leave it to the Eastern Tang Chief Elder."

Ahu smiled honestly. "The Eastern Tang Chief Elder has already made arrangements and personally infiltrated outside Zhenlong Abyss, waiting specifically for the Red Spirit Banner Leader. He's very proactive."

Yan Zhaoge laughed. "Of course. Although he's Second Master Uncle's person and doesn't like me, eradicating the remnants of the Five Spirit Banners is a way for him to earn merit. How could he not be proactive?"

"As for the idea of getting rid of me as a side effect and blaming it on the Red Spirit Banner Leader, that's unlikely. My father is closely watching this. The Eastern Tang Chief Elder would be more focused on protecting me."

Yan Zhaoge rolled his eyes. "Just like with Ye Jing, the Eastern Tang Chief Elder would also be blamed if something happened, even if he didn't do it himself."

"The Red Spirit Banner Leader is coming for me. If I back down, he will too. Although it's a bit risky, I have to continue being the bait."

Ahu said admiringly, "Young Master, you are truly brave!"

"Cut it out, your expression is fake," Yan Zhaoge said irritably. Ahu laughed honestly. "Young Master, if we successfully eliminate the Red Spirit Banner Leader, you will also get credit for it."

Yan Zhaoge waved his hand. "That's secondary. The Red Spirit Banner Leader is ultimately a threat. He has been hiding all this time, and this is a rare opportunity to deal with him. It's best to resolve it."

"However, taking risks is my own business. I don't need them to take risks with me. Send them out of Zhenlong Abyss."

After informing Ye Jing, Sikong Qing, and others, nearly half of the people chose to stay.

Some wanted to build a closer relationship with Yan Zhaoge by sharing hardships, while others wanted to broaden their horizons.

Ye Jing and Sikong Qing also chose to stay.

According to Yan Zhaoge's understanding, Sikong Qing was dedicated to martial arts and wanted to hone her courage and fearlessness. As for Ye Jing's thoughts, he couldn't be sure.

However, everyone was responsible for their own decisions. Those who wanted to stay could stay, and those who wanted to leave would be escorted out by Ahu.

After Ahu and the others left, Yan Zhaoge and the rest remained in place.

After an unknown amount of time, Yan Zhaoge suddenly felt a stirring in his heart and looked up. In the distance, through the black mist, a faint blue flame seemed to flicker.

"The Flame of Departed Fire?" Yan Zhaoge's eyes lit up. "This trip has been smooth sailing."