Chapter 64: A Different World

As she fell into the vortex, Lingyu felt a sudden heat suffuse her whole body, as if her soul had soared beyond the heavens and her mind was plunged into chaos.

It seemed an eternity had passed, or perhaps only an instant, when Lingyu's eyes snapped open.

"You're awake," came a hoarse, unpleasant voice.

Her vision gradually focused, and before her appeared a face covered in scars.

"Fellow Daoist Fan?" Lingyu was momentarily dazed upon recognizing the face.

Kneeling beside her was none other than Fan Xianshu. His expression was calm, and he nodded lightly. "Senior Sister Cheng."

Lingyu suddenly recalled that he had already entered the sect, and by rights should address her as junior brother. She gave an apologetic smile. "Junior Brother Fan, did you save me?"

"I wouldn't dare say so—it was merely by chance."

Lingyu sat up, pressing her hand to her chest. Her bones ached terribly, no doubt from being battered about. She circulated her true essence and breathed a sigh of relief—thankfully, there were no internal injuries.

Reassured of her safety, she looked around and saw they were in a narrow stone passage. The surrounding rock walls radiated warmth and glowed with a fiery hue; perhaps a fire vein pulsed nearby.

"Where is this place…?"

"I don't know, either," Fan Xianshu replied serenely. "Once I entered the Immortal Realm, I was transported here. I've tried to leave but can't; it's been eight days. Just now I heard some noise, went to look, and saw you lying by the lakeshore."

"Lakeshore?" Lingyu stood and walked toward the outside. As she exited the cave, she was struck dumb with astonishment.

Who could have imagined that beneath the vortex lay such a world?

All around, scorched red earth stretched as far as the eye could see, utterly barren. From mountain mouths near and far, flames billowed, and not far off a lake ten yards across steamed with boiling heat.

No wonder she had felt so hot—the vortex had led directly into this lake.

"Is this… a volcano?" she murmured.

"It appears so," Fan Xianshu answered from behind. Perhaps he'd been trapped too long, for he seemed utterly composed, as if he’d grown used to it.

Lingyu opened her mouth, about to ask after Meng Xuefeng, when suddenly footsteps sounded, accompanied by a voice: "Junior Brother Fan, who is this…?" Then, as if startled, the voice pitched upward, "Cheng Lingyu?"

The sharp, high voice betrayed his surprise. Lingyu turned and saw, at the far end of the stone passage, a youth in the robes of Xuanyuan Monastery—Luo Yun!

Lingyu scratched her head. "Senior Brother Luo, what a coincidence." Indeed, it was quite the coincidence—she had met Meng Xuefeng, Fan Xianshu had met Luo Yun, and now she and Meng Xuefeng had both been swept here by the current. Of the thirty-odd people who’d entered the Immortal Realm, less than a third were from Xuanyuan Monastery, yet all those she’d encountered were fellow disciples.

Compared to two years prior, Luo Yun looked almost unchanged, still so proud. The difference was, Lingyu was now a personal disciple, her cultivation surpassing his, which made Luo Yun’s pride waver with a touch of uncertainty and resentment.

"By the way, where is Senior Brother Meng?" Lingyu asked.

"Senior Brother Meng is with me," Luo Yun replied, then realized, "You came here with Senior Brother Meng?"

Fan Xianshu interjected, "I hadn’t had the chance to tell you, Senior Brother Luo—just after we found Senior Brother Meng, Senior Sister Cheng was also swept here."

"Oh…"

From their exchange, Lingyu gleaned the sequence of events: Meng Xuefeng had arrived first, discovered by Fan and Luo, who then cared for him; later, she herself was swept in, found by Fan Xianshu before he could inform Luo Yun, and she awoke soon after.

After recounting the events, the three exchanged awkward glances, not knowing what to say for a while.

"Ahem!" Lingyu glanced around and asked, "Is Senior Brother Meng all right?"

"Nothing serious," said Luo Yun. "He just coughed up some water—should be awake soon."

"Oh…"

"I'll go check on Senior Brother Meng." Perhaps feeling awkward, Luo Yun seized on the excuse and turned to leave. After a few steps, he remembered his reason for coming. "Junior Brother Fan, do you have any medicine for external injuries?"

Fan Xianshu took out a porcelain bottle and tossed it over. "Apply it externally, that's all."

"Thank you," Luo Yun replied, taking the bottle.

Once Luo Yun had left, Fan Xianshu sat down again, poking at the fire in the corner, above which a pot of water was boiling. "Senior Sister Cheng, how did you end up here?"

Lingyu sat opposite him and gave a brief account. "…And then I was swept here by the vortex."

"I see." The water came to a boil. Fan Xianshu used a small spell to pour her a bowl. "So, the way out is beneath the lake?"

Lingyu hesitated before nodding. "Yes." The passage to the Immortal Realm was indeed under the lake, but the way to the upper world lay here.

"It's quite a coincidence that Senior Brother Luo is here, too."

Fan Xianshu glanced up at her, and Lingyu couldn't help but feel that, since seeing him again, much of the arrogance and severity had faded from his brows.

"Yes, Senior Brother Luo was swept here by the hurricane as well. We met not long after. Unfortunately, our cultivations are not high and our strength insufficient, so no matter how we search, we cannot find a way out."

"I see…" Lingyu thought their luck remarkable. Had they been swept elsewhere, with only fifth-level Qi Refining cultivation, survival would have been hard. Yet here they were, gathered in this place—with no monsters about, merely unable to leave.

"Have you searched everywhere—no other exits?"

Fan Xianshu shook his head. "None."

"What about the volcano?"

The question startled Fan Xianshu. "The volcano?"

Lingyu nodded. "There may be another way within the volcano."

Fan Xianshu was puzzled. "If the lake bottom leads here, it must also lead out. Why not just leave that way?"

Lingyu replied, "We were swept in by the vortex. Even if we reached the lake bottom, we’d only be swept back in by the current."

Fan Xianshu pondered this, finding no words to refute her.

Lingyu stood up. "I'll go have a look—"

She was interrupted by the clash of blades echoing from the depths of the stone passage, followed by panicked footsteps and Luo Yun's shout: "Senior Brother Meng, what are you doing?"

Both were startled and turned as one to see Luo Yun stumbling out in panic, with Meng Xuefeng close behind, disheveled and furious, sword in hand and in pursuit.

Lingyu and Fan Xianshu stepped forward, one shielding Luo Yun, the other blocking Meng Xuefeng.

"Senior Brother Meng?" Lingyu held her sword across his path. "What are you doing?"

Meng Xuefeng was clearly in a rage, his face flushed, hair bristling. Being blocked, he slowed a little but his fury remained unquenched. He pointed at Luo Yun. "Ask him!"

Lingyu turned to Luo Yun. "Senior Brother Luo?"

Luo Yun was baffled. "Ask me? Ask me what? Senior Brother Meng, I've always been courteous to you since childhood—when have I wronged you?" According to the sect’s hierarchy, Meng Xuefeng was not an Adept, so Luo Yun only needed to address him as Senior Brother. But by family rank, Meng Xuefeng was Luo Tonglin’s disciple, while Luo Yun was of the next generation and, though not required to show the deference of a junior, was expected to be polite. Though proud, Luo Yun had never been known to act arrogantly.

"Hmph!" Meng Xuefeng glared at him and said coldly, "Why did you tell me that the giant python in the deep pool had been slain? I nearly lost my life—do you realize that?"

Lingyu was shocked—so it was Luo Yun who had given Meng Xuefeng the false news?

"Ah?" Luo Yun, too, was taken aback. He blinked, needing a moment to understand. "You mean… you mean…"

"Tell me—were you trying to get me killed?" Meng Xuefeng shouted.

Luo Yun stood stunned for a long moment, then bowed his head, not denying it.

"Luo Yun!" Meng Xuefeng pressed him. "Today you must give me an answer! I am older and have looked after you since we were young. When have I ever wronged you? Why would you seek to harm me?"

Luo Yun still gave no answer.

Lingyu found this all exceedingly strange. She pressed Meng Xuefeng's arm. "Senior Brother Meng, don't be so agitated. It was Senior Brother Luo who saved you when you were swept here, and he’s looked after you ever since. He even borrowed medicine from Junior Brother Fan to tend your injuries. Think: if he meant you harm, then when you were alone and unconscious, he had every opportunity, but he didn't act. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

Meng Xuefeng was no fool, being a personal disciple himself. Hearing her words, he hesitated. He hadn't believed Luo Yun would harm him—there was no conflict of interest or hatred between them. Why would Luo Yun suddenly try to kill him? And yet, the facts were clear: Luo Yun had given false information, and Meng had nearly been devoured by the python—how could he not believe it?

He fixed Luo Yun with a steely glare and demanded, "Junior Brother Luo, tell me—who gave you that information?"

Noting his tone had softened, addressing Luo Yun as Junior Brother instead of by name, Lingyu sighed with relief and let go of him.

But Luo Yun remained silent.

Meng Xuefeng, growing impatient, pressed him again. "Junior Brother Luo, if you won’t say, does that mean you truly meant me harm?"

After a long while, Luo Yun lifted his head and shook it gently. "Senior Brother Meng, please don't ask me anymore."

This answer rekindled Meng Xuefeng's anger. He stepped forward and shouted, "What do you mean by that? Are you in league with the one who sought to harm me?"

No matter how he pressed, Luo Yun only shook his head, lips tightly sealed, refusing to say a word.

Lingyu glanced at Fan Xianshu, who, though shielding Luo Yun, seemed disinclined to interfere. Helpless, she stepped forward again. "Senior Brother Meng, you’ve already realized something is amiss. Senior Brother Luo must have his reasons for remaining silent—no amount of pressure will change his mind."

"Then what do you suggest?" Having endured hardship with her before, Meng Xuefeng felt obliged to give her some face. "Junior Sister Cheng, I could overlook other matters, but this is a grievance of life and death!"

"I'm not asking you to let it go, only that you give it some time." She glanced at Luo Yun. "At the very least, it’s unlikely Senior Brother Luo meant to harm you. If you wish to learn the truth, you’ll have to wait until he’s willing to speak."

Meng Xuefeng's expression gradually softened. He exhaled deeply, then gave Luo Yun a cold look. "Junior Brother Luo, you passed on false information. I survived, but had I died, it would have been your doing. Now, the person who put you up to this—you still wish to protect them? How can you answer to our years of friendship? Think carefully on that!" With that, he turned and strode away.