In the darkness, Lu Ye slowly woke up, immediately feeling the pain from his wounds. There was a heavy breathing sound beside him; it was Hupo.
He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.
In a dark and deep corridor, the wind was howling in his ears. This corridor was not sealed but was open at both ends.
Realizing this, Lu Ye immediately understood that he was still inside the Sky-Cleaving Gorge.
He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but it couldn't have been too long. Hupo hadn't taken him through the Sky-Cleaving Gorge, which suggested that something had gone wrong.
The map he had clearly marked the Sky-Cleaving Gorge as an extremely complex terrain.
Entering the Sky-Cleaving Gorge, it initially appeared as a regular canyon with steep terrain on both sides. However, further in, the canyon was divided by isolated peaks, turning one path into two, then two into four, four into eight...
In the end, there were dozens of paths within the Sky-Cleaving Gorge, and these paths were not entirely isolated. The bases of the peaks separating them were filled with corridors connecting the two ends, allowing travel between the paths.
The continuously branching paths and the numerous connecting corridors formed a vast natural maze deep within the Sky-Cleaving Gorge.
This was why Lu Ye chose to cross through the Sky-Cleaving Gorge. Such a complex terrain would be difficult to navigate for anyone who wasn't a cultivator familiar with the area.
And he had a valuable map. With the map in hand, he didn't have to worry about getting lost. As long as he followed the map's instructions, he could cross the Sky-Cleaving Gorge.
He just hadn't anticipated encountering some unexpected events outside the Sky-Cleaving Gorge, leading to his current predicament.
The corridor he was in now was likely inside one of the peaks, meaning he was in the maze-like interior of the Sky-Cleaving Gorge.
Sitting up, Lu Ye was slightly surprised to find that his outer clothing had been removed and torn into strips to bandage his wounds. The clumsy technique suggested that it was Yiyi's work, as Hupo clearly lacked this ability.
"Lu Ye, you're awake?" Yiyi floated over, delighted.
Hupo also lifted his head and glanced at him.
Lu Ye responded, feeling the injuries on his body. He had taken two healing pills before losing consciousness, and his injuries were clearly showing signs of improvement. However, it would still take a few days to fully recover.
Although Zhang Wu had severely injured him, the most dangerous wound was the one left by the young master's spirit talisman. At the time, Lu Ye had promptly activated his defensive spirit pattern, but the talisman clearly broke through the defense, leaving a one-inch deep wound on his chest.
It was worth noting that Zhang Wu's attacks couldn't penetrate the defensive pattern, but the spirit talisman did. The young master's talisman, used in a critical moment, was clearly highly lethal. Without the defensive pattern, that single strike could have taken Lu Ye's life.
After confirming that his injuries were not life-threatening, though he felt somewhat weak, Lu Ye took out a set of clothes from his storage bag and dressed himself. He then took out a water flask and some food, giving a portion to Dahu and eating some himself.
"How long have I been asleep?" Lu Ye asked while eating.
"A day and a night," Yiyi replied softly, sitting cross-legged in front of him.
"Did anything happen?"
"There are many people around, probably searching for us. We almost exposed our location several times, and now we're lost..."
Lu Ye nodded, this was expected.
After severely injuring Zhang Wu, he had originally planned not to engage in a direct confrontation. With such injuries, Zhang Wu would grow weaker over time, and waiting for him to exhaust his strength before finding an opportunity to kill him would have been a better strategy.
However, when he saw the red light on Zhang Wu's hand, he knew his original plan wouldn't work.
The battlefield mark on a cultivator's hand not only recorded information but could also be used for communication. At that moment, Zhang Wu was clearly calling for reinforcements, so Lu Ye had to resolve the situation quickly.
After killing Zhang Wu, he had planned to quickly cross the Sky-Cleaving Gorge. Once he crossed it, he would be out of the Nine Stars Sect's influence, and they wouldn't be able to do much to him.
However, it seemed that the Nine Stars Sect's response was faster than he had anticipated. A large number of cultivators had already entered the Sky-Cleaving Gorge, searching for him.
After all, the young master had been killed, and the Nine Stars Sect's strong reaction was understandable.
He was relatively safe for now, but his situation was far from ideal. Fighting against an entire sect, even if it was only an eighth-grade sect, was beyond his capabilities. After all, he was just a second-layer Spirit Stream cultivator who had only been in the Spirit Stream battlefield for three months.
As he ate, he fell into deep thought.
Relying on his own strength alone wouldn't work. The Xuanmen Sect was nearby, and the two sects belonged to different factions. Given their proximity, there were bound to be some conflicts between them.
The commotion caused by the Nine Stars Sect would likely not go unnoticed by the Xuanmen Sect. If his guess was correct, the Xuanmen Sect might take some action.
This could help alleviate some of the pressure on him.
However, he couldn't actively seek cooperation with the Xuanmen Sect. First, he couldn't reveal his identity as a Blood Oath Sect disciple, and second, as a second-layer Spirit Stream cultivator, he didn't have the qualifications to collaborate with them.
Of course, this was the most ideal scenario, and he wasn't sure if the Xuanmen Sect would intervene.
"I'm sorry!" Yiyi suddenly apologized, sensing that Lu Ye seemed upset.
Lu Ye looked at her and mumbled, "What did you do wrong?"
Yiyi said, "I'll be more careful next time and won't expose our location so easily."
When she was trapped inside the Xuanling Bell, she felt enveloped by endless darkness, with no trace of light. It was only when she faintly heard Lu Ye's voice that she calmed down.
Honestly, Lu Ye going to save her was a surprise. There were four cultivators, all of whom were more powerful than him.
In that situation, even if Lu Ye had left her behind, she wouldn't have blamed him. After all, they were just collaborators, and they hadn't known each other long enough to form a deep bond. Lu Ye didn't need to risk his own safety for her.
But Lu Ye still went...
This wasn't her fault. She had been investigating the surroundings when she discovered the four Nine Stars Sect cultivators. She had intended to sneak a look, but they had already set up the Xuanling Bell, trapping her inside.
Ultimately, the incident was due to her lack of caution. If she hadn't gotten too close, the Xuanling Bell wouldn't have been triggered.
Lu Ye's severe injuries and subsequent unconsciousness made her even more self-reproachful.
Swallowing the food in his mouth, Lu Ye looked at Yiyi and said, "I asked you to investigate the surroundings. It's not your fault that you were trapped. I should have gone to save you. Getting injured is due to my inadequate cultivation. Don't feel sorry for anyone."
Yiyi looked at Lu Ye with gratitude, feeling that he was the best person in the world.
However, Lu Ye then added, "But if you can't control Hupo, I think it's better for us to part ways!"
"Hupo... What's wrong with Hupo?" Yiyi was confused.