The Fish Has Taken the Bait, Time to Reel In the Net — I've Been Waiting Here for You All
The Fish Has Taken the Bait, Time to Reel In the Net — I’ve Been Waiting Here for You All
Inside the palace, the First Mountain Elder’s gaze shifted slightly. With a wave of his sleeve, he sent out a layer of hazy cyan light that enveloped the surroundings, preventing any powerful expert’s divine sense from sweeping over and spying on their discussion.
Besides them, the palace now also housed experts of the Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise — the Three War God Clans — all people the First Mountain Elder trusted.
As far as he was concerned, as long as he knew where Luo Feng and the others were being held, everything else would be easy.
When the time came, after he rescued Luo Feng, he would simply tear open this universe and leave. The world was so vast, and the number of universes endless — he could just find some random place to live in seclusion, and who would ever find him then?
As for the survival of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, what did that have to do with him?
In the First Mountain Elder’s eyes, the many clans of the Eight Wastelands and Four Seas were nothing more than chess pieces he used to buy time.
“In that case, are we moving tonight? I’m worried that if we drag this out too long, Gu Changge might notice something’s wrong and transfer Shifu and my sister somewhere else...”
At that, Xiao Yang and the others’ expressions grew solemn. Xiao Yang in particular spoke with eyes full of anticipation.
He had waited for this day for a very long time, and he could hardly wait to rush to that dungeon right now and rescue his Shifu and his sister.
“Based on your investigation, that place should indeed be where the Second Mountain Elder and the others are being held.”
“No time to waste — delay breeds complications. It seems we must act tonight.” The First Mountain Elder nodded, a rare trace of a smile on his face.
After that, the group discussed the details of the operation once more, striving for flawless execution and absolute certainty.
In the blink of an eye, dusk fell. The entire Sky Deer City was shrouded in a magnificent and grand mist, as strands of brilliant Astral River light descended from the heavens above.
“When the time comes, some of you will guard the entrance. If anything unusual happens, word must be sent inside immediately.” The First Mountain Elder’s expression was somewhat grave as he swept his gaze over the many experts before him and gave his instructions.
“We understand. Please rest assured, First Mountain Elder.”
Hearing this, everyone’s expressions grew equally grave and solemn. They understood just how important tonight’s operation was — failure was not an option.
Then, with a wave of the First Mountain Elder’s sleeve, ancient and mysterious runes appeared in the void, transforming into hazy radiance that concealed everyone’s figures.
He appeared extremely cautious, sensing the movements of the cultivators monitoring the area while concealing their forms, leaving the palace complex and heading toward the streets in the southwest direction.
Although it was night, Sky Deer City was still brightly lit, with figures moving about on every palace and pavilion.
On the pleasure boats, songs drifted faintly; in the distance, fishing lights dotted the darkness like beans. It was quite lively.
Stone-Gambling Stalls, teahouses and shops, pleasure houses... cultivators could be seen in practically every place.
Aside from patrolling soldiers occasionally sweeping across the high skies, the whole of Sky Deer City seemed quite peaceful — a stark contrast to the tense, heavy atmosphere of wartime in the past.
Xiao Yang, Gu Wudi, and the others carefully concealed their auras, following behind the First Mountain Elder.
Although the First Mountain Elder was shielding them, at such a critical juncture, it was impossible not to be nervous.
However, the First Mountain Elder’s magic power was profound, his methods heaven-defying, and his concealment techniques nearly flawless.
They left the palace and walked several hundred li through the streets, yet no one discovered their trail.
This put them considerably at ease, and their confidence grew.
“Past that Stone-Gambling Stall up ahead, in a dilapidated residence to the southwest, lies the suspicious location we uncovered.”
Xiao Yang spoke, his gaze fixed on the brightly lit Stone-Gambling Stall ahead as he pointed toward a residence behind it.
From their angle, they could only faintly see that the light there was rather dim, as if no one lived there at all.
“There is indeed a faint, hidden fluctuation there. We’ll need to be careful in a moment.”
“Gu Changge is so cunning — he may well have laid numerous traps there.”
The First Mountain Elder nodded, his expression turning slightly serious. Within his originally pitch-black eyes, pale golden light was now emerging and condensing.
The aura of the entire world, its shifting rules, and even the fluctuations of the Great Dao were all manifesting in his mind at this moment.
Such a method already touched upon the very Source of this world — profound beyond words.
The group then concealed their auras even more carefully, quietly making their way toward that dilapidated residence.
“Young Master, just as you predicted, the First Mountain Elder and his people have quietly left the palace where they’ve been resting these past few days...”
“According to our informants, they appear to be heading toward the southwest.”
At that moment, atop a palace in the southwest of Sky Deer City.
Gu Changge stood there, raising his eyes to gaze at the resplendent palace complex not far away, his gaze thoughtful.
Behind him, Ni Shang’s figure appeared as she spoke respectfully.
“So it seems the fish is about to enter the net. My long preparations weren’t wasted after all.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge smiled faintly and withdrew his gaze.
“Young Master’s foresight is divine. The First Mountain Elder believes everything is under his control, never realizing that all of this was arranged by you long ago.”
Ni Shang gazed at Gu Changge’s back, a smile appearing on her cold, breathtakingly beautiful face, her eyes gleaming with admiration.
If the Bone Ancestor hadn’t mentioned it, she never would have known that Gu Wudi, who stood at the First Mountain Elder’s side, was actually a hidden piece Gu Changge had planted there long ago.
Which meant Gu Changge had anticipated this exact situation long ago — that was why he had placed Gu Wudi there so early.
All of these arrangements truly left her in awe.
If she were in the First Mountain Elder’s position, she feared she would die without ever figuring out which step had gone wrong.
The First Mountain Elder’s supposedly foolproof rescue plan today had, in fact, been within Gu Changge’s grasp all along.
Even the location where Luo Feng, the Second Mountain Elder, and the others were imprisoned had been leaked by him to Gu Wudi — along with instructions on exactly how Gu Wudi should relay it to the First Mountain Elder, so as to dispel the First Mountain Elder’s doubts and wariness.
“Counting the time, it should be about right.”
“Pass down the order — gather everyone. The fish has taken the bait, and it’s time for me to reel in the net.”
Gu Changge smiled. His figure moved, and as he stepped forward, invisible stairs seemed to form in the void before him. With a single step, he had already vanished ten thousand li away.
“Yes, Young Master.” Ni Shang answered respectfully, and her figure instantly disappeared as well.
At the same time, several incomparably terrifying auras emerged from the shadows of Sky Deer City. Vast fluctuations flashed by like raging waves, sweeping across the sky, battering the heavens, shaking the firmament — causing countless bewildered cultivators and living beings to tremble in their very souls, nearly prostrating themselves under that pressure.
The leaders of the various clans of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, who were in the middle of discussing tomorrow’s Peace Treaty, all shuddered at that moment, their faces changing — they nearly thought experts from the Beyond had struck. In that instant, an inexplicable, terrifying aura descended, enveloping all of Sky Deer City.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xiao Yang and the others — having carefully avoided the many patrolling soldiers along the way — finally found that extremely dilapidated residence.
From the outside, it looked as though the owner had fled in great haste before the great war, abandoning the house with some belongings left behind, leaving it utterly desolate.
In the corners of the walls grew half-person-tall weeds, covered in crawling vines — an extremely eerie sight in the dead of night.
The place was deathly quiet, without a single patrolling soldier in sight.
But it was precisely because of this that unease grew in the hearts of Xiao Yang and the others, making them even more cautious.
“Leave some people outside. The rest, follow me down.”
“This place is laid with Array Patterns to deceive prying eyes.”
At that moment, the First Mountain Elder suddenly spoke. Deep within his eyes, it was as if two candle flames burned — golden and brilliant, radiating a soul-seizing pressure.
He stared at a courtyard not far away. With a raise of his hand, streaks of Divine Chains of Order shot out, and instantly the light there dimmed, rippling outward like waves to reveal a faint, blurry doorway.
At this sight, everyone’s spirits surged. Through that doorway, they could see a deeply hidden passageway.
At this point, they no longer harbored any doubt that this was where the Second Mountain Elder and the others were imprisoned.
“Time is short. I’ve used my power to obscure the heavenly secrets of this place — they won’t detect us for a while.”
The First Mountain Elder continued. Strands of order and rules cascaded from his robes, and his entire being radiated immortal brilliance at that moment — powerful and mysterious.
Hearing this, everyone grew solemn. Then Xiao Yang, Gu Wudi, and a few others chose to descend together with the First Mountain Elder.
The experts of the Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird — the Three War God Clans — stayed outside to keep watch, ready to send word at the first sign of anything unusual.
However, what somewhat surprised everyone was that there were hardly any jailers guarding the passageway.
So the moment the First Mountain Elder entered, he swept his sleeve directly, and a vast aura boomed outward, blasting the numerous jailers ahead flying — they collapsed unconscious on the spot, their fates unknown.
“Excellent — it really is here!”
Xiao Yang and the others’ faces lit up with excitement as they followed closely behind him, not straying a single step, noticing nothing amiss.
The layout of the passageway was much like any dungeon — lined on both sides with ever-burning candles, dark and damp.
They hadn’t gone far inside before they saw the prisoners held within — none other than Luo Ying and the Second Mountain Elder.
However, their four senses had clearly been sealed. They couldn’t speak, couldn’t even hear — they could only watch as the First Mountain Elder, Xiao Yang, and the others arrived outside the dungeon.
Chains were wound around Luo Ying and the Second Mountain Elder — chains clearly forged from special materials, extremely sturdy.
They were locked fast in the depths of the dungeon, barely able to move.
On their other side, Luo Feng was in a similar state, though he was unconscious, with only a faint trace of life remaining in him.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Yang and the others were instantly overjoyed. Even the First Mountain Elder’s lips curled into a smile as he let out a long breath of relief.
“It seems Gu Changge is very confident in his arrangements — he didn’t even station any experts to guard this place.”
Xiao Yang looked around. Aside from the few prisoners, there wasn’t a single guard in sight.
This surprised him somewhat, but he figured it was likely that Gu Changge was simply too confident — believing no one would dare force their way in to rescue the Second Mountain Elder and the others.
“Shifu, Sister, I’m coming to save you right now.”
Xiao Yang didn’t overthink it. He strode forward, runes rising from his body, walking toward the chain-bound Second Mountain Elder and Luo Ying, intending to free them.
But what struck him as strange was — why were Luo Ying’s and the Second Mountain Elder’s eyes, as they looked at him, filled with terror, helplessness, and anguish?
Luo Ying especially — her eyes were wide open, staring fixedly, as if some great horror lurked in this place.
“Something’s wrong. Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling?”
But at that moment, the smile on the First Mountain Elder’s face abruptly froze. His brows furrowed as an ominous feeling welled up in his heart.
At the same time, in the silent dungeon, the sound of footsteps suddenly rang out — unhurried, yet gradually approaching from outside.
Hearing this sound, no matter how slow Xiao Yang and the others were to react, they now realized something was wrong. Their hearts clenched violently.
Their expressions changed drastically, and they practically summoned their weapons in the same instant.
It seemed this rescue operation for the Second Mountain Elder and the others would not go so smoothly after all.
“What?”
“Who’s there?”
A chill shot up the First Mountain Elder’s back, his hairs standing on end as he spun around abruptly.
His voice carried fury, imbued with a special divine power — even a Sacred Emperor Realm being might be wounded under this Dao-infused shout.
But the instant the First Mountain Elder opened his mouth, with a weng, brilliant and dazzling light suddenly blazed from the four walls of the dungeon.
Grand Runes appeared one after another, shining like bright lamps — resplendent and dazzling, stinging the eyes until tears flowed — instantly illuminating the dim depths of the dungeon.
Boom!!!
These Grand Runes contained terrifying power, rising and falling there like an Astral River, evolving all things of the heavens — mountains, rivers, stars, the sun, the moon, and great rivers.
At the same time, a supreme rule manifested in this place, rushing in from all directions and branding itself into the void.
Vast Mists of Chaos could be seen rising, as if ancient palaces were floating and sinking within.
Amidst it all, Xiao Yang and the others even heard ancient chanting, and saw majestic, blurry figures seated within — like ancient gods and demons, capable of suppressing all the worlds of the heavens.
Scene after scene of this caused their expressions to change drastically, filled with terror and disbelief.
Clearly, these experts had long made their arrangements, sealing this place off completely — not even a trace of aura could escape.
“It’s you... Gu Changge!!”
“How did you know we would come here...”
Seeing the white-robed man walking in from outside the dungeon, Xiao Yang’s face changed even more drastically. His voice trembled, turning somewhat pale with disbelief.
“I’ve been waiting here for you all for quite some time.”
Gu Changge wore a calm, breezy smile, shaking his head gently without explaining anything.
And as his words fell, a vast surge of power suddenly erupted from behind him — like a mountain sea rushing forward, about to engulf Xiao Yang and the others.
Numerous True Daoists appeared together at the scene, among whom the Bone Ancestor’s aura was the most terrifying and soul-seizing.
Merely standing there, they pressed down on Xiao Yang and the others until their spines bent, forcing them to bow in worship.
Under such auras, their faces turned pale with fear, unable to conceal their terror. They could barely keep standing, and could only turn pleading gazes toward the First Mountain Elder.
“You anticipated long ago that I would come to rescue them?”
Although the First Mountain Elder was far more composed than Xiao Yang and the others at this moment, his expression could not hide its heaviness as he stared fixedly at Gu Changge and asked.