As Luyin giggled happily, Ji Yuan and Tang Muhuan both appeared as if facing a formidable enemy.
They looked ahead with apprehension, feeling eyes on them. Despite the lack of any apparent abnormality or detectable presence, a chill ran down their spines as the gaze fell upon them. Regardless of their cultivation levels, they felt the same pressure at that moment.
"Hurry and leave, didn't you want to get out of here?"
Luyin, flying in the air, beckoned to them, but they didn't budge an inch.
Seeing this, the little creature's face showed confusion, not understanding what was wrong with the two in front of it.
It wasn't that Ji Yuan and Tang Muhuan didn't want to move, but they dared not make any sudden actions. Under that gaze, they felt as if they were being stared down by a primeval ferocious beast.
Even worse, an inexplicable feeling arose in their hearts: if they made any rash move, they would be instantly annihilated by an immense power.
"Come here."
After a long pause, a voice echoed in their minds.
As the sound slowly faded, they finally felt the gaze on them recede, and the pressure ebbed away like a receding tide.
Ji Yuan gasped for air, his heart pounding as he looked towards the depths of the forest. In that moment, he felt like a small boat on the sea, on the verge of being swallowed by a colossal wave in a raging storm.
It was not just the threat of death, but also a profound sense of powerlessness, as if no matter what he did, he could not change anything.
"What should we do?"
He muttered to himself mentally, then turned to look at Tang Muhuan beside him.
Sensing his gaze, Tang Muhuan could only offer a wry smile and nod. His situation had been no better than Ji Yuan's.
"Eh, the God wants to see you!"
Luyin suddenly exclaimed, as if hearing a message.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan and Tang Muhuan exchanged glances, their minds immediately forming speculations.
"The God wants me to take you to see him."
While they were contemplating, Luyin pointed towards the depths of the underground forest and said cheerfully.
It seemed to be a source of great joy for Luyin to hear the voice of the 'God'. The smile on its little face deepened, and it flitted about in the air, its mood evidently quite good.
Helpless, the two followed Luyin through the underground forest, heading towards the place of the so-called 'God'.
After about fifteen minutes, their eyes suddenly brightened, and they found themselves emerging from the forest into an open space.
Before them, on a mound of earth covered in green grass, a young man sat cross-legged. The vegetation had grown over his clothes, making it impossible to tell how long he had been sitting there.
Two or three small birds perched on his shoulders and head. Around him, several small animals rested on the ground, playing or tumbling. In the distance, a few young deer could be seen grazing on berries piled on the ground.
At a glance, Ji Yuan's heart clenched. He recognized the berries as spiritual herbs with considerable age. If used for alchemy, they could refine into high-grade spiritual pills.
"God, I've brought them!"
Luyin flew to the front of the young man. Although it called him God, it showed no reverence.
It didn't even display the awe that mortals showed when entering a temple to worship a deity.
Instead, it acted as if it were looking at a friend or family member, unreservedly showing its affection.
"You've done well."
The young man opened his eyes, a bright divine light flashing in his light blue irises.
He extended his palm, allowing Luyin to land in it. A soft glow then emerged, nurturing the little body.
"Greetings, senior."
Ji Yuan and Tang Muhuan approached, bowing respectfully.
Although the person before them appeared to be a young man, they both felt an aura of ancient time emanating from him, clearly an old monster who had lived for an unknown number of years.
Moreover, they sensed a dormant power within him, a power so immense that a mere flicker of it could instantly obliterate them.
The moment they saw the young man before them, their minds conjured images of the Rain Clan's ancestor, a being comparable to a Golden Core cultivator.
"You must have already guessed my identity."
The young man spoke slowly. Although he revealed nothing explicitly, he undoubtedly confirmed his identity.
Ji Yuan felt a pang of bitterness. He had intended to leave this place of trouble, only to run headfirst into the Rain Clan's ancestor.
At the same time, he pondered the reason for being summoned.
Logically, if the other party did not wish them to leave safely, they should have been annihilated with a casual gesture, not subjected to such a convoluted process.
"Successor of the Xuán Tiān lineage, you have finally arrived."
After a long while, a sentence from the young man caused Ji Yuan's pupils to contract.
He looked up abruptly, forgetting all pretense of etiquette or reverence, his heart churning like stormy seas.
Seeing his reaction, the young man frowned slightly and asked with some confusion, "Did the Sect Master of Jiǔ Xuán Sect not tell you anything?"
At this moment, not only Ji Yuan but also Tang Muhuan beside him were filled with astonishment.
From their conversation, it seemed as if the young man and the Sect Master of Jiǔ Xuán Sect had some sort of cooperation, and that he had been waiting for Ji Yuan.
"May I ask, senior, what exactly are you referring to?"
He inquired cautiously.
However, the young man before him did not offer an explanation. Instead, he chuckled to himself, as if he had discovered something amusing.
After a long time, he finally suppressed his laughter and then muttered with a serious expression, "Another disciple of Jiǔ Xuán Sect..."
He reached out and grabbed at the void, causing the space before him to distort. Faintly, a scene of flames could be seen reflected within it, as if depicting a battlefield.
Ji Yuan was initially stunned, but quickly realized that the distorted void reflected the battlefield within Jué Xiān Valley.
In the next breath, a figure fell from the distorted void, radiating powerful divine energy fluctuations.
Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, Jiāng Yúnzhōu's face instantly showed vigilance. However, upon seeing the stunned Ji Yuan and Tang Muhuan, he couldn't help but pause slightly.
"Alright, retract your divine power. This place is not dangerous."
The young man spoke, then lightly tapped his finger. Without any apparent fluctuation of power, the surging divine energy within Jiāng Yúnzhōu instantly subsided.
At the same time, the distorted void beside them also vanished, as if nothing had happened.