Volume One: Youths Meeting in Humble Times - Chapter 153: The Path of Faking Death 8

After emerging, they discovered that Elder Chen and the others were no longer in the main hall. The leading disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Sect turned back to address those who had followed him, "It seems the elders have also been trapped within the formation. Whether our escape was purely by chance or we were intentionally released by that person, we now have no choice but to seek help from others. Otherwise, none of us can bear the responsibility if something happens to the two elders."

The others raised no objections. Once a decision was reached, they split up to scour the surrounding area for the nearest cultivators.

Shen Tang watched coldly as they scattered in all directions like startled birds. With a hint of anxiety, she asked, "Are you certain they won't discover us once they return?"

She had no idea what kind of space they were currently occupying, but judging from the fact that they could clearly see the others while remaining completely invisible to them, Li Yu must have used some kind of concealment technique, or perhaps they were hidden in some deeply secluded spot.

Li Yu explained to her, "Do not worry. We are currently deep within the void. Their cultivation levels are merely around the Seventh Realm, and the only person among them capable of using the Heaven-Observing Eye has already been trapped by me within the formation. They cannot possibly see us."

Ever since Li Yu resolved to seek a path to survival from the jaws of death, he had considered numerous contingencies. These included how to conceal themselves completely while allowing his aura to drift imperceptibly around the surroundings without alerting anyone.

He was not familiar with the Dao of Space, and could even be said to know very little about it. However, after comprehending the Dao of the Netherworld, he discovered that its underlying principles possessed a wondrous quality capable of piercing through the void. Consequently, he integrated the Dao of the Netherworld into his formation and harmonized it with his own existence. In this way, while drawing Elder Chen and the others into the formation, he was able to conceal himself deep within the void. Furthermore, because the grand formation was saturated with his own aura, they would never suspect that he had long since departed from this mountain.

Every step he took was a deliberate calculation. Following the incident with Xu Kaijiang, he had learned his lesson. He was no longer fighting alone; a single moment of carelessness could plunge those closest to him into mortal peril.

The terrifying ordeal at Red Spring Mountain, as well as the battle against the Li family members by the sea cliff—he would never allow such things to happen again.

Suffering harm himself was a minor matter, but implicating his friends was entirely unacceptable to him.

This formation represented the absolute pinnacle of what he was capable of achieving.

After Daoist Lin transformed into the Dao, Li Yu learned from the parting words left behind by Daoist Lin that the cultivators currently in Tianmen Town—aside from those of Great Sword Qingshan, the Imperial Palace, the City Lord, and the Master of Confucianism—had either been drawn into the path of Dao transformation or had their cultivation ruthlessly halved.

Therefore, if Li Yu intended to make a move, this was the most opportune moment.

What about the people from Great Sword Qingshan, the Imperial Palace, the Confucian Master, and the City Lord? Would they step in to oppose Li Yu?

Li Yu had certainly considered this possibility. After deep and thorough contemplation, he ultimately concluded that regardless of who those people were, they had all benefited from Daoist Lin's grace. There was simply no reason for them to ruthlessly exterminate Daoist Lin's lineage and leave behind no trace of his tradition.

Perhaps someone might ask: what about unexpected circumstances, such as them striking an agreement that forced the cultivators whose cultivation remained intact to take action?

Regarding such a scenario, Li Yu had also anticipated it. This was precisely why he remained inside the formation, waiting for those people to arrive.

If the worst-case scenario truly came to pass, he would have no choice but to resort to bargaining with mutual interests. Most matters in this world were merely forged through shared interests and dissolved when those interests ceased to align. Since it was anchored in interests, it would never be entirely impregnable, leaving ample room for Li Yu to wedge his way in and dismantle their alliance from within.

Surely, they were all intensely curious about the true nature of Daoist Lin's Dao. Naturally, Li Yu would not reveal Daoist Lin's actual Dao truthfully, but he could generously share the Dao of the Netherworld that he had comprehended himself.

As for whether they could cultivate it, whether they would choose to, or whether they would even understand it—that would be entirely their own concern.

Put differently, if he still failed to shake their cooperation through persuasion, Li Yu would have no choice but to fully trigger the lethal mechanisms of this formation.

Had this been before, they certainly would not have been afraid. But having just experienced the events surrounding Daoist Lin, and in such a short span of time, they would utterly fail to recover their previous state of mind. As long as there remained even a single fissure in their mental state, it would present the ultimate opportunity for Li Yu.

After all, his primary objective was to safely escort himself and Shen Tang out of Tianmen Town, rather than stubbornly seeking mutual destruction with the enemy as he had done at Red Spring Mountain.

Staying alive was the paramount priority. Everything else could be left for the future.

This was a psychological war of attrition, a contest of who was more willing to cast everything aside, who cared less about their own life, death, and interests. Frequently, those who did not fear death were the ones who managed to survive when enemies met on a narrow path.

This was the conclusion drawn from Li Yu's cruel three years of harrowing experiences.

Waiting is invariably agonizing, for during the period of waiting, countless unknown possibilities remain utterly beyond one's control.

Inside the grand formation, Elder Chen and Elder Huang wore expressions of abysmal darkness. They had not anticipated that when Elder Huang's whip struck that particular spot, it would indeed grant Elder Chen a fleeting glimpse of survival. Utilizing his Heaven-Observing Eye to the absolute limit, he sought to detect the changes within the formation, and he did indeed capture that fluctuation. When they followed that fluctuation and escaped from the formation, they found themselves—unexpectedly yet inevitably—plunged into yet another array trap.

This new array trap appeared slightly different from the previous one. Elder Chen keenly noted this subtle difference and, having found no alternative method, was forced to conclude that this was their sole remaining lifeline.

Yet when he followed that subtle difference to locate the exit, he discovered to his horror that he had simply stepped into yet another array trap. At first, he had not been overly concerned; as long as he was given opportunities to seek a way out, he firmly believed he would eventually break free. No matter how proficient that Li Yu was in the ways of formations, could he possibly string together consecutive nested formations within formations?

The only individuals he knew who possessed the ability to deploy nested formations were a handful of venerable, time-worn monsters. As for Li Yu, a mere youth whose age—even calculated from the very moment of his birth—barely spanned twelve years, how could he possibly compare to those ancient monsters?

Yet reality dealt him a ruthless blow. Li Yu, whom he had dismissed as a mere novice, had genuinely deployed nested formations within formations. Furthermore, the focal points, gateways of life, and gateways of death differed in every single layer. This signified that Li Yu had already mastered the intricate interlocking mechanics of formations, where the gate of life was concealed within the gate of death, and the gate of death was simultaneously the gate of life.

At that moment, true despair gripped his heart.

Elder Huang, who had followed him through twists and turns, had long since exhausted all her patience and composure. She could not help reflecting on her past decades of cultivation, wondering if she had utterly depleted all her karmic fortune and serendipity. That was why every step she took in Tianmen Town was fraught with obstacles, and judging by the present circumstances, she was destined to forfeit her life right here.

Watching the two of them, Shen Tang could acutely perceive the overwhelming despair radiating from their eyes. She glanced sideways at Li Yu, only to find him completely indifferent. There was no sadistic pleasure on his face, nor any trace of complacency; he merely watched with profound tranquility. She asked, "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Li Yu replied calmly, "For people like them, death is the most merciful outcome. Yet even such a merciful outcome is something I refuse to grant them."

Shen Tang was no saintly figure. She harbored hatred toward those individuals and had even entertained the desire to slaughter them swiftly and thoroughly. However, she had never intended to subject them to lingering torment. To her mind, death was the ultimate punishment a person could receive. Yet it was glaringly obvious that Li Yu did not share this view.

This was likely tied to Li Yu's past harrowing experiences. Shen Tang had learned a fraction of Li Yu's history from her father; she dared not speak of it, could not speak of it, and had no desire to declare Li Yu's actions wrong. Were she in his position, she could not guarantee she would have fared any better.

In the past, her father had taught her a saying: *Never having suffered another's trials, one has no right to preach another's benevolence.*

Whether Li Yu's actions were driven by a desire to vent his anger or to exact vengeance, it was entirely his own affair. As long as these actions brought him a modicum of solace, she did not care if her younger brother had revealed a ruthless and merciless side.

Li Yu understood thoroughly that while death was the ultimate destination for cultivators, the cruelest fate was to dangle the illusion of hope right before their eyes, only for them to realize upon reaching out that it was merely despair masquerading as hope.

That particular brand of despair was the cumulative weight of repeated disappointments. It was a sensation they had not experienced for countless years since embarking on their cultivation journey.

Only by making them realize they possessed zero control over their own lives could he truly deliver a fatal blow to their minds and spirits.

He gazed coldly at the two figures before him and stated coldly, "Master was not killed by their hands, but he died largely because of them. The deaths of the people in Tianmen Town, though voluntary and for the sake of future generations' well-being, were ultimately orchestrated by Master and them together. Now that Master has already paid the ultimate price, transforming into the Dao to fulfill the people of Tianmen Town, there is no reason for these people to wipe the slate clean simply by sacrificing a fraction of their cultivation. In the days to come, I will exact the price from each and every one of them."

This was the first time Li Yu had openly displayed his resolute and ruthless determination in front of anyone. In his worldview, every action carried a price. Since Heaven chose not to collect the debt, he did not mind stepping into the role of the arbiter of justice.

Meanwhile, those disciples who had fled earlier were returning after finding themselves completely powerless against Youyi Guan, when they happened to cross paths with the group heading toward the monastery.

Catching sight of the elder from Luowang Peak, the disciple hurried forward and shouted urgently, recounting everything that his faction had encountered.

Elder Yuan of Luowang Peak then addressed his followers, "It seems fortune favors us without demanding effort. Let us make haste! Everyone, we witnessed firsthand just how formidable Daoist Lin was. Since we cannot breach Youyi Guan, if we manage to capture his disciple, we should be able to extract some vital secrets from his lips."