At that moment, a low shout broke the silence in a secret room on the mountaintop:

"An alien race?"

The exclamation was fleeting, tinged with a hint of uncertainty, followed by a long silence.

Looking at the unconscious Li Sisui, the feverish body temperature and the dark spots on his face seemed to recede like a tide, as if he had been frightened.

However, his left cheek was still covered with black patches, though the color had faded somewhat, and his appearance had recovered to about 60-70%.

Yet, this bizarre combination fused into a human face still appears abrupt and terrifying.

Upon seeing this, His Majesty frowned even more deeply. Looking around, he saw only gusts of mountain wind whistling past.

A few scattered lights shone from the mountaintop, while the surroundings were pitch black. A slight chill crept up my spine through my soaked clothes.

This sense of uncertainty is like a hand reaching out from endless darkness, unknowingly dragging you into an unknown abyss.

His Majesty suddenly realized that what he had seen over the past few days might be a hallucination.

She couldn't help but reach out and touch the pendant, which was now broken into several pieces, inside the lining of her clothes.

He then flicked his wrist, and the light screen that had been enveloping Li Sisui stretched and coalesced as if it had a spirit, forming a floating bed.

Li Sisui lay on the bed, surrounded by a soft, warm glow.

His Majesty turned around and walked solemnly toward the door, the bed following silently behind him.

The so-called clan gate was no more than two feet wide and less than a person's height, barely allowing one person to stoop and enter. The gate was ancient and weathered.

Having stood for countless years, it gives one the feeling that it could collapse at any moment.

If the Venerable One hadn't walked straight towards it, no one would have been able to connect the ruins before them with the clan's main gate.

His Majesty bowed as he passed through the narrow gate, which led to a narrow passage that could only be traversed by one person at a time. As he entered the passage, His Majesty's movements suddenly became gentle and solemn, as if he were performing a sacred ritual.

Raise your right hand and place it on the right wall of the narrow passage.

As he walked along, his palms constantly rubbed against the walls, as if comforting a wounded animal, whimpering softly.

It's like feeling countless distant yet clear emotions: fear, anger, helplessness...

The narrow path is covered with lush vegetation, and the path itself is dark and secluded.

By the light of the bed, one could vaguely see countless marks of varying depths on the walls on both sides of the narrow passage, like mottled memories that one could not bear to recall, yet had to face again and again.

After passing through the dimly lit, narrow passage, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a spacious and open square.

Everywhere, traces of human construction were visible. After emerging from the narrow passage, the Venerable One reverted to his indifferent demeanor, having long since grown accustomed to everything before him.

He immediately looked up, nodded slightly to the two hidden corners, and then walked towards the cave facing the square.

The entrance to the cave is not large and not very conspicuous, but the inside of the cave has a different kind of scenery.

Countless caves of varying sizes, densely packed together, come into view, resembling a honeycomb, and possess a certain artistic quality.

The hot, smoky air, mixed with a unique smell, was not as fresh and natural as the air outside the cave, but it made people feel an irresistible urge to get closer.

This is the place where the Tu people gather—the Nine Dragons Sect.

Inside the cave, the tribespeople had different expressions and were busy with their own things, coming and going in a bustling atmosphere.

In stark contrast to the darkness and stillness outside the cave, no one paid much attention to the unconscious Li Sisui.

However, the Venerable One's entry into the cave attracted many curious and astonished glances.

However, under the cold, icy gaze of His Excellency, they all reluctantly withdrew.

The Venerable One looked around and walked toward a cave in the corner.

On the way, the originally noisy tribesmen automatically made way for the Venerable One to pass.

After the Venerable One and Li Sisui entered the cave, the brief silence was broken by someone's words, and the huge cave was once again filled with noise.

After the Venerable One entered the cave, the light bed that had originally supported Li Sisui emitted a faint sound and then dissipated.

Li Sisui's heavy body also fell to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

In the corner, an old man in gray robes, his back to the cave entrance, was hunched over and coughing irregularly.

"Ahem, handle everything with care, slow down!"

His voice was lazy, tinged with a hint of impatience. When the gray-robed elder turned around and saw the Venerable One behind him, his previously nonchalant expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a beaming smile.

"I am old and frail, and I did not expect the Sword Master to come to my door. I am ashamed! Since the Sword Master personally delivered it, this item must be extraordinary. Oh ho, it is a member of our clan!"

The gray-robed elder withdrew his gaze and looked behind the Venerable One, who was called the "Sword Venerable," and said indifferently without any change in expression:

"A lone man on his way home, needing rescue!"

Without waiting for the old man in gray to speak again, he turned and walked towards the cave entrance.

As he passed by Li Sisui, he seemed to be talking to himself in a weak voice:

"Take care of yourself."

"Should we make a record for Sword Master? However, the rules and regulations of the outer sect should not apply to you. Farewell, Sword Master!"

The gray-robed old man glanced at the Sword Master, who was walking out of the cave looking slightly disheveled, a strange light flashing in his eyes, but he didn't utter a single polite word.

"Something must have happened on this return journey. This is the first time I've seen the Sword Master so disregard his image. The clansmen he brought back might just be an illusion. Oh well, those are matters of the inner sect. What do they have to do with me?"

The old man in gray then spoke loudly into the cave behind him:

"A new male member of our tribe has been identified. He is unconscious and physically weak. We are currently facing a labor shortage. Please make an immediate medical appointment after registering him!"

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