Chapter 772 - 410: Ji Family Elder

"It’s the elder from our family."

The storekeeper forcefully pulled Gu Sheng, closing the small wooden hut directly.

Amid a cloud of flying dust, Gu Sheng sneezed three times in a row.

"The Ji family elder?"

Gu Sheng froze for a moment.

Ji Ziyue nodded, "Yes, he might be here to take me back."

"How does he know you’re here?"

Gu Sheng asked casually.

"How would I know? Looks like I can’t stay here much longer."

Ji Ziyue said, peering outside through a crack in the wooden hut.

Gu Sheng stood still, watching her anxious demeanor, a sense of melancholy suddenly swelling in his heart.

His furrowed brows tightened, and his gaze shifted back and forth between Ji Ziyue and the crack in the hut, as if lost in thought.

In that instant, the sound of the underground river echoed in his mind, and the cold breath of the icy pool seemed to rush over him again.

His experiences in the Supreme Mysterious Sect, as vivid as if they had happened yesterday, left him filled with unspoken emotions.

All of it seemed to invisibly deepen their emotional connection.

"Perhaps we still have another way out."

Gu Sheng stood behind Ji Ziyue, his expression solemn.

Ji Ziyue turned her head, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

"Another way out? What are you going on about? That’s an elder of the Ji family!"

Ji Ziyue was a little speechless.

It seemed she thought Gu Sheng was underestimating her family.

Gu Sheng shook his head lightly, "I don’t mean hiding. I mean... we could leave here together, to somewhere they can’t find us."

"Leave?"

Ji Ziyue’s voice trembled.

Clearly, this suggestion had shocked her.

"That’s impossible. You don’t understand the power of my family; they’re everywhere, and there’s nowhere to escape their search."

Gu Sheng stepped forward and held her hand.

"I know it would be hard, but I don’t want to see you go back like this."

Confusion flashed in Ji Ziyue’s eyes.

"Gu Sheng, would you really do this for me?"

Gu Sheng nodded slightly, "Of course, we’ve been through so much together. I can’t let you face all of this alone."

Ji Ziyue took a deep breath; at that moment, she seemed to understand the profound depth of the word "emotion."

"Sizzle... sizzle... sizzle!"

Just then, powerful Divine Power surged outside the small wooden hut.

Ji Ziyue didn’t have time to say much more to Gu Sheng and crouched back at the crack in the hut to look outside.

Gu Sheng also moved closer, trying to see what was happening.

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, the sky turned a pale blue.

Descending from the heavens, an elder in a plain long robe slowly appeared.

His gaze was profound, as if he could pierce through all the mysteries of the world.

The elder’s arrival seemed to make the entire sky revolve around him.

The clouds above, under his control, transformed into numerous cloud dragons and surged toward a target below.

Gu Sheng and Ji Ziyue both fixed their eyes on the elder in the sky.

They knew that the Ji family elder’s immense power inspired awe and reverence.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, countless cloud dragons shot downward like swords targeting Li Ruoyu.

Although Li Ruoyu was no weakling, he seemed overwhelmed in the presence of the Ji family elder.

"This is bad! He’s going to attack the senior!"

Gu Sheng’s heart tightened at the sight.

As the Peak Master of Zhuo Peak, being attacked like this was not only an insult to the Supreme Mysterious Sect but also made Gu Sheng deeply uneasy.

After all, all of this was brought upon them by himself and Ji Ziyue.

It didn’t sit well with him to let Li Ruoyu bear the fallout alone.

"I can’t just stand by, I have to go out and help!"

Gu Sheng said urgently and was about to rush out of the hut.

"Wait!"

Ji Ziyue grabbed him firmly, her eyes resolute. "Gu Sheng, you can’t go out!"

Gu Sheng turned to look at Ji Ziyue anxiously.

"Why? Li Ruoyu is our senior, Zhuo Peak needs him! We can’t just watch and do nothing!"

Ji Ziyue shook her head.

"You don’t understand the Ji family elder. He may be stern, but he doesn’t kill the innocent. His real target is me—he won’t harm Li Ruoyu fatally."

"But..."

Uncertainty flickered through Gu Sheng’s eyes, yet he still couldn’t set aside his concerns.

"Trust me," Ji Ziyue interrupted him, "If we step out now, we’ll only make things worse. The power of the Ji family elder is not something we can easily confront."

Gu Sheng fell silent.

He understood that Ji Ziyue was right.

Going out now would be suicidal and would only create more trouble for Li Ruoyu.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, the cloud dragons in the sky changed direction.

Instead of directly attacking Li Ruoyu, they formed an enormous cloud ring around him, trapping him inside.

The Ji family elder’s voice echoed from above, "Old friend, it’s been a long time. How have you been?"

"Thank you for your concern, elder. Everything has been well."

Li Ruoyu smiled faintly and bowed respectfully.

"Hmm? They... they know each other?"

Gu Sheng and Ji Ziyue, still inside the hut, were stunned as they overheard the conversation.

It turned out the two had crossed paths before, meaning Li Ruoyu’s strength was nearly equal to that of the Ji family elder.

However, with Li Ruoyu addressing him as elder, it was clear the Ji family elder held slightly higher power.

"Haha..."

The Ji family elder chuckled softly, waving his hand.

In an instant, the massive cloud ring vanished, easing the tension in the atmosphere.

"You’ve remained as calm and steadfast as ever."

The Ji family elder nodded with satisfaction.

"You flatter me. May I ask what brings the elder to the Supreme Mysterious Sect today?"

Li Ruoyu responded with a serene smile.