**Chapter 26: Returning to the Mountain in the Rain
The light rain fell softly on the bamboo grove, disappearing as it touched a faint spiritual barrier, much like raindrops merging into the surface of a lake, nourishing everything in silence.
Ye Jingcheng leaned against the window, having just completed a major circulation of his spiritual energy. The warmth and fluidity of the energy within him brought a sense of satisfaction, even though his progress was slow. Being a cultivator with Four Spiritual Roots, he knew that diligent practice was his only path forward.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Jingcheng prepared to continue his cultivation. However, at that moment, he suddenly received a telepathic message in his mind.
"Let's go!" Ye Jingcheng was startled. It was the morning of the eighth day, with the shop closed for ten days. Ye Xinghe was exploiting the timing.
Ye Jingcheng left the inner courtyard and found three figures cloaked in black, making it impossible to tell who was who. However, he could identify them: one was Ye Xinghe, another was Ye Xingyu, and the third was neither Ye Jingli nor Ye Jingyun!
Startled, Ye Jingcheng could only see their eyes through the loose robes, making it hard to discern their expressions, and he dared not stare too long.
"Put it on now!" The leader, evidently Ye Xinghe, handed Ye Jingcheng a black robe. Without hesitation, Ye Jingcheng put it on, immediately noticing that it slowed his breathing and cleared his mind significantly, indicating that the material was made from Cold Silkworm Silk.
Once Ye Jingcheng had donned the robe, the other three followed Ye Xinghe to a hidden location within the shop. There, they uncovered a concealed passageway. The tunnel was pitch dark and slightly damp, with several spirit beast cages below, as if designed to imprison such creatures.
They moved slightly to the left, where another secret door awaited. Ye Xinghe was the first to push it open and enter, with Ye Jingcheng close behind.
The passageway was illuminated by several moonstones, softly lighting the walls that were inscribed with simple spiritual patterns.
No one spoke as they walked, and Ye Jingcheng remained silent as well. After half an hour, they finally reached the end.
The tunnel connected to a secluded marketplace. Ye Jingcheng couldn't clearly see the shop owner, who was also cloaked in black. Ye Xinghe led the way, and the four of them emerged onto a deserted street, surrounded by unusually lush bamboo.
Walking at a steady pace, they soon reached a point unknown to Ye Jingcheng, where they cut through the spiritual bamboo and took to the skies.
Ye Xinghe then produced a green spirit boat that Ye Jingcheng had never seen before.
"Get on!" Ye Xinghe ordered, and the three others climbed aboard.
"You can rest for the first half-hour; after that, be alert!" Ye Xinghe continued to remind them. In the vicinity of the Taihang Market, fighting and causing trouble was strictly forbidden, even for powerful families like the Mo and Xu, who had Purple Mansion cultivators.
The rules set by the Taiyi Sect were absolute—violating them meant annihilation, with no exceptions. However, beyond the market's range, these rules no longer applied.
Initially, Ye Xinghe steered the green spirit boat slightly off course. Under the drizzle, the boat seemed slow, even slower than Ye Xingyu's, maintaining this pace for about fifteen minutes.
After crossing a low mountain, the boat suddenly changed direction and sped up, resembling a green roc spreading its wings, quickly vanishing into the distance with a trailing green light.
Ye Xinghe's caution left Ye Jingcheng deeply impressed. The journey so far had been smooth.
This time, they took a different route.
The first night, they rested in a cave; the next day, they resumed their flight at a speed that generated a significant headwind.
To Ye Jingcheng's surprise, after an hour of flying, a giant red-crested snow eagle appeared behind them, landing on Ye Xinghe's hand.
"Nothing to worry about; we only need to be cautious about Qingshan Ridge from here on," Ye Xinghe sighed in relief.
The mention of Qingshan Ridge made Ye Jingcheng anxious. It was a mandatory route back to Lingyun Peak.
If someone was lying in wait...
"The family..." Ye Jingcheng began to speak, concerned.
"They will meet us there," Ye Xinghe replied calmly. He then put away the red-crested snow eagle and continued steering the green spirit boat.
The boat sped forward at a terrifying pace. Ye Jingcheng leaned against the railing, watching the mountains pass by rapidly below. Suddenly, the phrase "a light boat has already passed through ten thousand mountains" came to his mind.
[Translator: sauron]
He smiled at the thought, then shook his head. Now was not the time for such reflections.
Soon, they saw in the distance a series of three or four towering peaks, standing tall and steep like the fingers of a giant hand.
At this point, the boat's speed suddenly slowed, and they landed on a slightly lower mountain peak.
The black-robed man to Ye Xinghe's left immediately began to set up a formation disk, his skilled movements impressing Ye Jingcheng.
The remaining man waved his hand, releasing a swarm of green spirit bees toward Qingshan Ridge!
Ye Jingcheng was familiar with these Qingming Bees, named for their green bodies and the bird-like sound of their wings. They were much larger than ordinary mountain bees and, more importantly, highly sensitive to spiritual formations! Many Ye family cultivators raised these bees, as they were perfect for scouting.
But just as the Qingming Bees were about to reach Qingshan Ridge, several flying swords shot out, slashing the bees to pieces.
"I told you, surrounding the Ye family and setting up a formation won't work!" a loud voice rang out.
Six black-robed cultivators emerged from various points on Qingshan Ridge, taking strategic positions.
If Ye Xinghe hadn't stopped in time, his group would have been surrounded.
"Who sent you?" Ye Xinghe remained calm, as if he had anticipated this.
Ye Jingcheng felt tense, as four of the six exuded late-stage Qi Refining energy, while the remaining two were beyond his perception, likely Foundation Establishment cultivators!
This time, they faced two Foundation Establishment cultivators and four late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, while their side had only one Foundation Establishment cultivator, two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and himself at the mid-stage of Qi Refining.
It was his first time encountering such a daunting situation!
Meanwhile, the formation disk that had been set up started to take effect, creating a giant spiritual barrier over them, forming a glowing protective shield!
The next moment, everyone began summoning their spirit beasts.
Ye Xinghe summoned the red-crested snow eagle once more. As it spread its wings, an icy aura filled the air, and the eagle launched into the sky, shooting countless half-foot-long ice crystals toward the six attackers.
In addition to the snow eagle, Ye Xinghe released a blood-red Bloodstripe Leopard.
Although the Bloodstripe Leopard couldn't fly, its late-stage first-level cultivation made it a fearsome presence.
Ye Xingyu, who had released the Qingming Bees earlier, now summoned two more spirit beasts: a green-scaled python and a giant golden needle mouse, both massive and intimidating.
"Since you won't tell us who sent you, we'll have to ask you ourselves!" The last member of the Ye family group finally spoke.
Ye Jingcheng then realized that the person who had been traveling with them was none other than the head of the Ye family!
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Thank you to "Mayfly Star" for the 200 coins reward, "4957" for the 100 coins reward, and "6306" for the 100 coins reward.
Reaching a total of 10,000 coins, I'll add another chapter. Even during the new book period, I'm not holding back. I also appreciate everyone's continued reading support. Please remember, reading during the new book period is crucial!
(End of Chapter)