Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

The fog, like a thick stone wall, carried a biting chill and tightly enveloped the entire team, making the road ahead increasingly narrow.

After traveling for less than half an incense stick's time, the terrain ahead suddenly narrowed. On both sides, sheer cliffs rose thousands of feet, with jagged rocks resembling ferocious ghost faces. The middle was only wide enough for two or three people to walk side by side. The barren cliffs were slippery and difficult to traverse, and beneath one's feet lay a bottomless ravine from which not a sound could be heard—this was the only perilous passage leading to the Valley of Spiritual Grass in Mount Moling, the Moshan Pass.

The fog at the pass was thicker than the way they had come, each wisp exuding an unyielding, sinister aura. Elder Minglang abruptly stopped, his patrol token trembling slightly, his unease reaching its peak: "This place is dangerous; we cannot linger. Pass through at full speed!"

Before the words were finished, the surrounding fog suddenly churned, completely blocking the way back. On the cliff tops on both sides of the pass, dozens of black-clad, masked figures silently appeared, their poisoned weapons gleaming with a cold green light, looking down at the crowd.

With no way out and completely trapped, they were in dire straits!

The crowd erupted in shock, their faces turning deathly pale, their spiritual energy tightening, and they were gripped by an unprecedented panic.

Elder Minglang roared, golden spiritual energy surging around him: "Who are you, you scoundrel, daring to intercept and kill disciples of Laoshan!"

But all that answered him was the black-clad man's deathly silence and the slowly approaching killing intent.

Amid the chaos, Lin Yan shielded Yi Azhu behind him, his eyes unusually cold and clear. He stared intently at the figure in the crowd who appeared flustered but was actually adjusting his position calmly, his fingertips clenching slightly—from the assassination attempt at Qingfeng Post Station to the strange fog along the way, and now to the precise encirclement and ambush, all the clues instantly connected in his mind, and all the details pointed to one person—Elder Hailan.

The moment their eyes met, the feigned concern in Hailan's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a hint of ruthlessness and surprise—clearly the harshness of having one's secret exposed. Lin Yan's gaze was icy; he remained silent, his eyes meeting hers directly: This was all a scheme you orchestrated, wasn't it?

Hai Lan's lips curled into a barely perceptible sneer, her eyes meeting his with a condescending threat: "So what if you, mere disciples, have seen through this? Today, you will all die here."

Without a word, a fierce battle was already underway, completed in the exchange of glances.

Lin Yanqiang suppressed the urge to expose him in public. At this moment, they were in a desperate situation, outnumbered by the enemy. If they broke off relations, Hailan would definitely kill them immediately, and their powerless fellow disciples would instantly become ghosts, without even a chance to escape.

"Everyone, stick together and charge towards the pass exit!" Lin Yan whispered rapidly, his voice low and swift, instructing Yun Xi, Ye Qing, Chen Dagang, and Yi Azhu beside him, "I'll hold off the pursuers on the cliff top and draw their fire. You take the opportunity to protect the others and charge forward. Don't look back, head straight for Lingxian Grass Valley!"

"Senior brother, what about you?" Yi Azhu's eyes reddened, and she grabbed his sleeve tightly.

"I'll follow shortly." Lin Yan's tone was firm, but his eyes held a resolute glint. He turned to the grave-faced Elder Minglang beside him and said in a low voice, "Elder, lead the team to break through immediately. Remember... be wary of those around you!"

Elder Minglang was taken aback upon hearing this. Although he didn't fully understand, he sensed danger in Lin Yan's eyes. He immediately nodded and said in a deep voice, "Alright! I'll lead the way, everyone follow me!"

The momentum to break through the encirclement erupted instantly.

Yunxi drew her sword, its cold sword intent piercing through the thick fog before her, and charged towards the weakest point at the pass's exit; Ye Qingmu's wood-elemental spiritual power condensed into a thick barrier, blocking the poisoned hidden weapons shot from the cliff tops on both sides; Chen Dagang gripped his heavy staff, firmly protecting Yi Azhu, and followed closely behind Elder Fenglie; a group of Laoshan disciples also rushed forward in a panic.

"Stop them! Don't let any of them escape!" came the cold shout from the top of the cliff, and countless poisoned blades and bursts of energy blasted towards the crowd.

This is the moment!

Lin Yan's eyes sharpened, and his pure water spiritual power erupted from his body. The spiritual energy of his Guanhai Moyan rose, transforming into a vast water curtain that forcefully blocked most of the attack. The blue light of the spirit turtle on his shoulder surged, intimidating the black-clad men who were close by, causing them to retreat repeatedly. He deliberately darted in the opposite direction, his figure elusive, leading most of the black-clad men and the firepower from the cliff top towards the cliff edge on the other side of the pass.

At this moment, Elder Hailan no longer concealed herself. In a flash, she stood directly in front of Lin Yan, her gentle spiritual energy transforming into sinister energy. Her face was icy cold, and she was no longer pretending: "Lin Yan, you have good eyesight. You were able to see through my plan."

"Elder Hailan, you're killing your fellow disciples! Aren't you afraid of being held accountable by the sect?" Lin Yan gripped the peach wood sword, pure water spiritual energy flowing along its blade, a faint blue light emanating from his body as he confronted the elder with a stern voice.

"Hold me accountable? Once you're all dead and there's no way to prove it, who will know it was me?" Hai Lan sneered, her palm churning with dark, sinister spiritual energy. "Since you've seen through it, then you're even less likely to leave alive!"

Before he finished speaking, Hailan made the first move, her figure approaching like a ghost. Her palm wind, carrying a bone-corroding poison, struck straight at Lin Yan's face. The move was vicious and fierce, and it was the forbidden technique of Laoshan, the Cloud-Splitting Yin Palm. Wherever the palm wind passed, even the air was filled with wisps of black energy.

Lin Yan dared not be careless. He used the Shadow Chasing Step to its fullest extent, his figure turning into a pale blue phantom. He barely avoided the fatal palm strike. The palm wind grazed his shoulder, instantly corroding his clothes and creating a black hole.

"You dare to practice the forbidden techniques of Laoshan without permission!" Lin Yan roared, slashing horizontally with his peach wood sword. He activated the power of the Guanhai Inkstone, condensing pure water spiritual energy into wave-like sword energy. He countered with the Guanhai Sword Technique: Wave Overlapping Tide, and layers of water-patterned sword energy swept out, using pure righteous energy to neutralize the insidious palm force.

"Those who achieve great things need not be bound by sect rules!" Hai Lan's eyes were sinister as she unleashed both palms simultaneously, her malevolent spiritual energy transforming into countless palm shadows that blocked all of Lin Yan's escape routes. "Today I'll show you that with shallow cultivation, even if you see through the truth, you're just a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

Lin Yan gritted his teeth and resisted, his peach wood sword forming an impenetrable wall of swords. Pure water spiritual energy continuously purified the attacking sinister energy, while the spirit turtle on his shoulder emitted a blue light, empowering him. Knowing that his cultivation was far inferior to Hai Lan's, he did not seek victory, but only to hold his opponent tightly, buying his fellow disciples a little more time to break through.

The two figures clashed fiercely in the misty pass, their righteous and evil spiritual energies colliding violently, stirring up waves of mist that filled the sky, with sword energy and palm winds whistling through the air. Lin Yan's sword moves were agile and unpredictable, his Wave Sword Technique advancing layer by layer, using defense as offense, constantly restraining Hai Lan's offensive; Hai Lan's moves were all deadly, her sinister palm techniques pressing relentlessly, her spiritual energy overwhelming, seeking a swift victory.

After dozens of rounds of fighting, Lin Yan gradually became exhausted, blood kept spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his breathing became increasingly disordered, but he still held on tightly and refused to retreat even half a step.

"Resist to the end, and you'll only die!" Upon seeing this, Hai Lan's eyes turned cold, and his sinister spiritual power surged. He poured all his cultivation into unleashing a deadly palm strike. The dark palm print, like a dark cloud pressing down, struck straight at Lin Yan's heart!

Lin Yan's pupils shrank sharply. He used the last bit of pure water spiritual power to push the Guanhai Sword Technique to its limit. The peach wood sword soared into the sky, transforming into a blue water sword to withstand the fatal blow!

"boom--"

The forces of good and evil exploded with a deafening roar. Lin Yan was utterly powerless to resist this immense force, and his body was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, his spiritual energy completely dissipating. He staggered back several steps, his foot slipped, and he stepped on the wet, sloping rocks on the cliff face. He instantly lost his balance and plummeted towards the bottomless abyss beside the pass!

"Lin Yan!" Elder Minglang turned around and saw the scene. His eyes were bloodshot, but he was held tightly by the man in black and could not help him at all.

"Senior brother!" Yi Azhu cried out, but Chen Dagang held her firmly, and she could only be swept forward.

The descent was extremely rapid, and the thick fog instantly engulfed Lin Yan's figure. He reached out to grab the cliff wall, but only touched a damp and cold surface. The wind howled in his ears, and he completely disappeared into the deep valley, without making a sound.

Elder Hailan stood on the cliff edge, suppressing the fluctuations of spiritual energy around her. A ruthless glint flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed all her sinister aura, replacing it with a somewhat panicked expression. She turned back to the crowd, feigning anxiety, and said, "Oh no! Disciple Lin Yan has accidentally fallen off the cliff! Quick, let's break through first!"

Taking advantage of Lin Yan's desperate attempt to distract and restrain them, Elder Minglang led the remaining people and finally managed to break through the pass and escape the encirclement.

When everyone finally stopped and looked back, panting, the pass was completely blocked by thick fog. There was not a single person in sight, nor could they find any trace of Lin Yan, whose fate was unknown.

In the distance, amidst the mountains, a misty aura wafted, and the delicate fragrance of spiritual herbs drifted on the breeze—the Spirit Valley of Spiritual Herbs in Ink Spirit Mountain was already in sight. Yet, as everyone gazed upon that valley brimming with spiritual energy, their hearts were filled with heaviness and sorrow.