Chapter Fifty: Nurturing the Golden Mulberry Tree of Spiritual Essence

“Brothers, get him!”

The voice was hoarse, and Zhang Haoyun’s face was flushed as he pointed at Shen Wan’s nose and shouted curses.

All the disciples of the Ethereal Sect behind him stood up at once. When they saw the man before them, they all recognized him immediately. One by one, they drew their swords from their waists, ready to rush him.

Shen Wan was startled out of his wits by the shout.

He hadn’t even opened his mouth when he saw the group already poised to pounce.

“I…”

He only managed to utter a single word, but his feet had already, as if by reflex, spun him around in a bid to flee.

“Run!”

He shouted, and took off at full speed.

But just as he started to run, he collided headlong into Gu Zhiping.

“Shen… Brother!”

Gu Zhiping had been about to step forward and greet him, but things unfolded too quickly for him to react.

Seeing Shen Wan crash into him, Gu Zhiping was at a loss.

Shen Wan was also surprised to see him, but with the mob behind him already leaping forward, there was no time for pleasantries. Instinctively, he grabbed Gu Zhiping by the collar.

“What are you standing there for? Run!”

Dragged along, Gu Zhiping had no time to think. He turned and, as if infected by Shen Wan’s panic, began to sprint after him.

The two guards beside them were utterly bewildered. This had nothing to do with their young master—why was he running?

But the Ethereal Sect disciples paid them no mind, quickly sweeping past and between the guards as they gave chase.

The two men glanced at one another and finally realized what was happening.

“Damn! Young master!”

Hearts pounding, they threw caution to the wind, summoned their spiritual energy, and shot after the group in a gust of wind.

Although Gu Zhiping was not favored in his sect, he was still the son of the Taigu Sect’s leader. Should anything untoward happen, the two guards would surely pay the price.

Thus, a cloud of dust billowed up as the group chased and fled, drawing a long battle line in the southwestern direction of the ancient ruins.

Of course, although Shen Wan’s Heavenly Spring Vein kept his stamina steady, it did nothing for his speed. The pursuers were all genuine cultivators, and even disregarding their cultivation, their speed far surpassed Shen Wan’s.

Even Gu Zhiping, only at the second stage of Focused Mind, could overtake Shen Wan with a little effort.

As the Ethereal Sect disciples closed in, Gu Zhiping’s two guards grew anxious. One darted forward, breaking through the disciples to intercept between both groups.

With high-level Foundation Establishment cultivation, the two guards were already at the top of the food chain within these ruins. Although seven or eight of Zhang Haoyun’s men were of similar rank, as professional guards, their experience and mastery far surpassed those of sect disciples.

The two began unleashing spells, blasting at the Ethereal Sect group.

This bought Shen Wan and Gu Zhiping precious time. Without slowing their pace, the two quickly widened the gap.

Behind them, the sounds of battle erupted—their guards had engaged the pursuers.

Gu Zhiping left the guards to fend for themselves, occasionally slowing his stride to stay in step with Shen Wan as they ran west.

Before them, mountains wound through clouds, and it was impossible to know where they’d end up.

Gu Zhiping said little. Having benefited from Shen Wan’s schemes before, he knew the man was a walking fortune. Sticking with him was always the right choice.

Shen Wan had no idea what was going through Gu Zhiping’s mind. Hearing the continued rumbling behind them, he assumed the pursuers were still hot on their trail.

Without looking back, he kept running, determined not to stop until the sounds ceased.

So, the two ran for over half an hour before the noise behind finally died away.

Thanks to his Heavenly Spring Vein, Shen Wan felt little fatigue even after running for so long, aside from a rapid heartbeat.

Only when a cliff edge appeared not far ahead did they finally slow down.

“Did… did they catch up?” Shen Wan asked breathlessly.

Gu Zhiping glanced back, feigning a look. “No, my guards must have held them off.”

Shen Wan let out a long sigh of relief. “Good.”

Though the danger had passed, he glanced back nervously just in case.

Sure enough, all was empty behind them. Even standing on tiptoe and peering carefully, he saw no dust or movement.

Finally, the weight lifted from Shen Wan’s heart.

If he hadn’t run fast enough, that mob would have beaten him to a pulp.

Calming himself, he walked toward the cliff edge, looking for a side path or a place to rest, just to be safe.

As he glanced sideways, a figure suddenly appeared in his vision.

Near the cliff’s edge stood a crooked tree, and beneath it was someone familiar.

Yun Yi was releasing her spiritual sense, searching the tree.

She had originally been forbidden from entering the ruins. With so many sects present and her cultivation modest, the risk was too great. As the youngest daughter of Yun Shengkun, master of the Valley of Shadows, and Yun Tianchen’s own sister, the sect could not afford for her to come to harm.

But Yun Yi was not one to behave—much like Shen Wan.

While everyone in her sect was busy with the ruins’ opening, she’d snuck in, evading all eyes.

Of course, she wasn’t here for fortune or adventure.

She’d heard her siblings mention a vast forest of Golden Mulberry Trees in the underground ruins, home to all sorts of rare spiritual flora.

Curiosity piqued, she’d wanted to see it herself.

To find the underground mulberry grove, the only landmark was the golden ancient tree by the cliff.

Yun Yi had been searching around this tree for half an hour, but found nothing.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps approached.

“Hm?”

She turned and, seeing who it was, her brows knitted instantly.

“It’s you?”

Shen Wan walked over nonchalantly, looked up, and saw the tree’s withered leaves—ugly as could be.

“What do you mean ‘it’s you’? Is this your family’s place? What’s it to you if I’m here?”

Yun Yi almost choked on her words.

How shameless was he? It was as though he was a worm in her gut—wherever she went, there he was!

She grumbled inwardly, but couldn’t really rebuke him. After all, the ruins were open to all in the valley that day.

If he was allowed in, who cared where he went?

“Hmph!” Yun Yi snorted and ignored him, circling to the far side of the tree to keep searching for the way underground—mainly to avoid looking at Shen Wan’s annoying face.

Shen Wan curled his lips in disdain, just then noticing an upturned tree root.

He hitched up his robe, slung his black blade to the side, and plopped down on the root.

“Brother Gu, come, have a rest,” he called, making space for him on the root.

Gu Zhiping wasn’t tired at all, but since he was invited, he gladly accepted, sitting down beside Shen Wan and finally taking a good look at the ancient tree.

A Golden Mulberry Tree.

Though not a divine tree, it was extremely rare.

Gu Zhiping had seen one before on a trip to the Sacred Land of Yunlan with his elders. That tree was much larger than this one, and it had been laden with golden mulberries, not just leaves.

Of course, that was also the time he got separated from his elders…

And then a bunch of nobodies slapped him silly more than a dozen times…

“Damn, what a drag!”

Remembering this, Gu Zhiping felt a pang in his heart.

He patted Shen Wan’s shoulder to steady himself.

But as he did, he felt a sudden sinking beneath him. With a crack, the root snapped under their weight.

“What the—?”

Startled, Shen Wan lost his balance and tumbled off the root.

Behind the tree, Yun Yi paused at the sound. Then, she saw the golden mulberry tree begin to move.

No, it wasn’t just moving—it was tilting, and in her direction.

She quickly leapt aside and, from the side, saw clearly.

The tree had toppled—slowly, inch by inch, until it lay on the ground.

Beneath the roots, a massive hole gaped open.

She was delighted. Her siblings had been right—this was certainly the entrance to the underground mulberry grove.

Without hesitation, Yun Yi leapt into the hole.

Shen Wan, meanwhile, had just pushed himself up. In his fall, he’d grabbed Gu Zhiping’s sleeve, and the two of them had ended up sprawled on the ground.

His head had bumped right against the edge of the hole.

Raising his head, he nearly shivered in fright at the pitch-black depth, thankful he hadn’t fallen straight in.

He patted his chest, still jittery.

But just as he was muttering about the flimsy tree, he caught sight of a shadow leaping into the hole.

“Hell!”

He turned quickly—it wasn’t Gu Zhiping.

Then he remembered—there was still a girl here.

Shen Wan scrambled to his feet and peered into the darkness, but Yun Yi was nowhere to be seen.

The hole was so deep it was impossible to see the bottom.

Panicking, Shen Wan shouted into the abyss, “All I did was touch you once! Is that really worth throwing your life away?!”