Xuan Chi shook his head. "Impossible. There's absolutely no way anyone could live on this mountain permanently. The environment here doesn't allow it. Besides, all the herbs we saw on the ground along the way were poisonous. What would that person eat? Even a god would starve to death if they didn't eat or drink for so long."
While it's possible to enter a state of fasting after reaching a certain level of cultivation, very few people can truly fast completely. Going without food for a few days is fine, but going without food for an extended period is unbearable. Most people grow up eating food and are accustomed to its presence. Gradually, few people practice complete fasting; most simply eat something and move on, not wanting to endure the hardship and suffering.
Moreover, it's not easy to cultivate to that level; at least, it's impossible in such a harsh environment.
"So you think this mark might not be the old Valley Master's, but rather that of some other creature?" Baili Xiuwen suddenly interjected. The others looked at him in surprise. Fu Ziyi and Baili Xiuwen rarely spoke, especially Baili Xiuwen. He almost always spoke only to Xu Yuehuai and Fu Ziyi. In addition, he would give Shi Mu some pointers when he had nothing else to do, but he generally wouldn't express his own opinions at such times.
After he finished speaking, everyone waited for him to say what he would say next, staring intently at him. Baili Xiuwen continued, "I don't think this matter is as difficult as you think. Perhaps the person who is alive is the old Valley Master, or perhaps the disciples of the valley brought the old Valley Master out. The people of Dragon Roar Valley all know some spells to resist poison gas, so it is not difficult to survive here. It will just be a little tiring."
Upon hearing this, the others exchanged glances, seemingly pondering the possibilities behind Baili Xiuwen's words. Fu Ziyi chimed in from the side, "Let's go, stop talking nonsense. Why don't we go up and see what's going on? Why are you all dawdling here?"
Urged on by Fu Ziyi and despite his disdain, the group went to that place together. The further they went in that direction, the more traces of human presence they found.
Inside the cave, the man listened to the different footsteps outside. The old man lying on the makeshift bed worriedly grabbed his hand, "If those people are looking for me, you should leave first. Don't fight with them, understand?"
The old man spoke tactfully, but the man knew he was telling him to avoid the revenge of his enemies.
The old man lying on the bed was none other than the old valley master. His complexion was much better than last time, and his injuries had mostly healed. However, he was still somewhat weak. The man did not speak, but lowered his eyes and walked outside without saying a word. This made the old man in the cave extremely anxious. He wanted to get up to stop him, but found that he could not get up at all. He could only sit there and let the man leave.
The man leaped to the treetop. When he saw that the people who came were all young boys, he frowned, puzzled by their behavior. However, when his gaze fell on one of the familiar figures, the man suddenly lost his composure.
He moved slightly, one hand gripping the tree trunk. This simple action alerted the people below. Xu Yuehuai looked in his direction, and he quickly hid behind him.
The others all glanced in that direction. "Senior Sister, what's wrong? Did you find something?"
"I just heard the tree move." Xu Yuehuai looked in that direction again, and upon closer inspection, she could see the leaves swaying irregularly.
Nangong Yu, standing to the side, didn't pay any attention. "It's probably just the wind. No need to be so careful. Let's hurry up and try to finish the mission today so we can go down the mountain. Staying here for even one more day is just torture."
They continued walking forward, towards the cave where the old valley master was. A man emerged from the shadows and asked, "Who are you?"
He originally planned to run away with the old valley master, but the commotion was too great. When he saw that there was someone he knew in the group, his desire to escape completely vanished. However, his eyes remained fixed on the person in front of him.
Xu Yuehuai was surprised to run into an old friend here. She was taken aback, but also wary. "Linghuzhou?"
Linghu Zhou's eyelids trembled slightly. He appeared only to verify whether Xu Yuehuai still remembered him. If he did, would he still be the same as before, with the same personality? He was gambling. Back when he was on the third floor, he had met Xu Yuehuai by chance in Beicheng. Later, Xu Yuehuai helped him escape the pursuit of those high-ranking people. The two had a life-or-death friendship.
Hearing the familiar voice call that long-lost name, Linghu Zhou was at a loss for words. He responded, while Nangong Yu beside him seemed quite excited. "So you two know each other. That makes things much easier."
"Hey brother, we're here to find the Valley Master of Dragon Roar Valley. Have you seen anyone like that here?" Nangong Yu stated his purpose directly. This was partly due to the high tension he had been under these past few days, which is why he spoke so carelessly. As soon as he said this, everyone looked at Nangong Yu as if he were a monster.
Linghu Zhou tensed up. Although he didn't want to believe that Xu Yuehuai was that kind of person, he hadn't seen him for so long, and who knew if things might have changed?
Xu Yuehuai had saved his life, but the old valley master had given him a second chance at life; neither debt of gratitude could be repaid. "What exactly do you want to do?"
He warily scanned the group of people in front of him. Xu Yuehuai's intuition told her that Linghu Zhou must know something to be acting this way. She stepped forward and said, "Don't worry, we mean no harm. We are here on behalf of Sang Yi, the sect leader of Qingtao Valley, to find our old friend, the Valley Master of Longyin Valley."
“The Valley Master of Dragon Roar Valley is Long Di, and he is already dead. There is no one here whom you are looking for. If you don’t want to die, leave now.” Linghu Zhou’s attitude softened slightly, but his words remained firm.
Xu Yuehuai replied, "We are not looking for Long Di. Everyone knows what Long Di has done, so he is not worthy to be the Valley Master. Naturally, we do not recognize him as the Valley Master. The old Valley Master is the true Valley Master of Dragon Roar Valley."
Linghu Zhou's heart softened a little. Before he could answer, a voice came from behind him, "You little girl, you're quite the smooth talker."
All eyes turned to the old man speaking behind Linghuzhou. He was leaning on a wooden cane and walked over with great difficulty. Linghuzhou froze when he saw the man. He walked over with a cold face and said, "What are you doing out here? Didn't I tell you to stay in the house?"
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