916: Chapter 0916: Someone Takes a Shortcut 916: Chapter 0916: Someone Takes a Shortcut All the major sects, including the Yin Yang Sect’s base in America, left several secret passageways when building their strongholds.

These passageways were either for escape or other purposes.

A stranger suddenly coming upon them wouldn’t have the time to search for the secret passageways and would attack from the main entrance.

Thus, even though everyone knew that the secret passageways could lead up there, they disdained to search for them.

After all, if they couldn’t annihilate the sect’s main forces, going up would still result in being beaten down.

Long Fei was anxious to find Wang Xiaoya and didn’t have so many thoughts.

He hit it off with Shenxu Daoist, and together they bypassed the crowd and went to the secret passageway behind the mountain.

Midway up the mountain, a path just wide enough for a single step was hewn out.

Below was a cliff a kilometer high; a fall from here would likely turn a person into a pulp.

The Joyful Union Sect didn’t have many disciples with high cultivation levels.

While the heterodox path could hasten cultivation at certain stages, the higher one went, the more restrictive it became.

In consideration of other disciples with less advanced cultivation levels, everyone avoided flying on their swords and walked over the path instead.

Behind the waist of the mountain, there was a waterfall that fell from the sky.

The flow of the waterfall wasn’t great, about the width of a large door, seemingly just the outflow from a hot spring pool on the mountain.

“Be careful, the force of this water is very strong.

Use your Essential Qi to protect yourself,” advised Shenxu Daoist to the disciples behind him, before taking the lead and plunging into the waterfall.

As it turned out, there was a stone crevice high enough for a person.

After squeezing through the crevice, they entered the secret passageway built by the Mystic Yin Sect.

After following Long Fei in,

Chu Feng flicked the water from his hair and asked curiously, “Shenxu Daoist, how did you find such a secret entrance?”

The entrance was not man-made but a natural fissure, narrow enough to only allow one person to pass through.

Shenxu Daoist replied with pride, “I happened to encounter a disciple of the Mystic Yin Sect at the foot of the mountain.

Her status within the sect wasn’t high, but she was a maid who served the Sect Master, so she knew of this place.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Chu Feng and Long Fei exchanged a smile, thinking that Shenxu Daoist was quite lucky to have caught such a suitable maid.

Only the upper echelons of the Mystic Yin Sect would know about this secret passageway.

If it were anyone else, they would have probably cut down Shenxu Daoist by now.

With nothing else to do, Shenxu Daoist began boasting about the Joyful Union techniques of their sect to Long Fei on the way.

He generously offered that Long Fei and Chu Feng could learn it if they wished, and he would impart it to them free of charge.

Long Fei laughed at his words and said directly, “Shenxu Daoist, I’ve heard from Brother Liuu that you’ve just turned forty this year?”

“Yes, yes!”

Shenxu Daoist laughed dryly, casting a look back at Liuu Jiangnan, thinking that this youngster had let slip such a confidential matter.

Long Fei continued, “Daoist, we are fated to meet, and I feel compelled to advise you on something.

The heterodox path will never be the true path; though cultivation may be rapid, it results in an unstable foundation.

I believe you can feel it—the higher your cultivation level, the greater these flaws become.

It’s akin to a building without a foundation; it looks imposing, but a gust of wind could bring it down.”

Shenxu Daoist’s head began to sweat as he made a fist-and-palm salute to Long Fei, owning up, “Fellow Daoist truly comes from a famous sect.

You’ve seen through my small tricks at a glance.

This practice of absorbing yin to supplement yang is like taking medicine.

At the beginning, you’re satisfied with a small dosage, but as the body becomes immune, you have to keep increasing the amount you absorb.

Now, I need to draw from a female cultivator with similar cultivation levels every day.

If I skip a day, I become as frail as if I were seventy or eighty years old.

It really troubles the mind and is exhausting!”

Long Fei suggested, “When delay means disaster, the Daoist should actually discard his current cultivation level and start over using the proper methods of the righteous path.

Only then can he resolve the current predicament.”

Shenxu Daoist waved his hand, “I have considered this too, but life is fleeting, just two to three hundred years.

It took me forty years just to reach this realm.

If I were to abandon my cultivation and start over, when would I see the light of day?

Even if that day did come, I would be old and decrepit, not worth it at all!”

Long Fei fell silent, not saying anything more.

Everyone has their own path, and after making their choices, by the age Shenxu Daoist is at, one can only follow their chosen path to the end.

It’s as if they were the big brothers of their world’s Dao, who, in fact, could earn a fortune sufficient for them to wash their hands of it all.

But the greed of human nature makes them unable to extricate themselves once they’ve got a taste.

You want to wash your hands clean, whether you earn more or less is another matter, but your underlings who dine off your exploits won’t agree.

Those who speak without care, listen with intent.

Liuu Jiangnan, who was listening from behind, felt his heart pound with fear.

He was the son of a silk magnate from South Yangtze.

Their Liuu family accounted for eighty percent of the silk business in the entire Great Xia Country.

His other brothers and sisters either went to Mount Shu or Mount Mao among the famous sects, only he chose the Joyful Union Sect.

Initially, it was purely to make a name for himself in the land of pleasure, thinking that with this skill, he could drive the ladies mad for him.

And indeed, it was so.

Along the banks of the Qinhuai River in South Yangtze, who didn’t know the name of Liuu Jiangnan?

He often smugly indulged in this fact, but today, after hearing what his master and Long Fei said, he realized he had embarked on an evil path.

The group meandered through secret passages, climbing up a thousand meters or so, when suddenly the cave entrance ahead brightened.

As they carefully exited, to their surprise, they found themselves in a garden with babbling brooks and fragrant flowers.

While the front of the mountain was bustling, this place was exceedingly quiet.

Shenxu Daoist spoke softly, “According to my many years of experience, this place should be a resting spot for the higher-ups of the Mystic Yin Sect.”

No need for him to say it—any fool could see that.

Such a beautiful place, just like the gardens of South Yangtze.

It featured pavilions and houses set amidst the gravel paths.

All kinds of flowers bloomed in competition, lending the place an air of exceptional tranquillity and elegance.

Just as the disciples of the Joyful Union Sect were about to steal some chickens and dogs, a mysterious light suddenly flashed about a hundred meters ahead in the air.

Long Fei thought it was bad news and quickly herded the group into the nearby woods.

They saw the mysterious light flash by; it seemed like a portal had opened.

An old man emerged from it, followed by a dozen young people, as he waved to collect a spindle-shaped magic artifact.

Each of the young people looked vigorous and extraordinary, their cultivation levels almost all at the Half-Step Nascent Soul Realm.

The old man’s cultivation level was inscrutable, probably at the Nascent Soul Realm.

Among the group, Long Fei and Chu Feng recognized Zhang Qingyang.

He seemed very familiar with the old man, congratulating him with a fist salute, “Uncle Master, this Celestial Realms Ten Earths Demon-Banishing God Shuttle is truly infinitely wonderful.

Just moments ago we were at the bottom of the mountain, but in the blink of an eye, we arrived here.”

The old man stroked his beard proudly, “This magic artifact was refined by our High God.

It can traverse space, and not even the Mystic Yin Sect’s formations can stop it.

It’s a pity my cultivation level is limited and I can only bring a few of you young people up.

If I could bring all those old fellows up, it would be enough to raid Mystic Yin Sect’s rear.”

Everyone smiled triumphantly.

Judging by their attire, they did not look like disciples from a single sect but rather like elite disciples from various sects.