Chapter 282: Thanking the Wind Flower Institute

The Immortal Yuan Guard from the Cloud River Realm was at least at the commander level, Lu Ye mused.

"Inspector, what brings you here?" the Immortal Yuan Guard asked, glancing at the token Amber held in her mouth.

Lu Ye now understood the identity the token represented, but the term "Inspector" was intriguing; he wasn't sure what he was supposed to inspect.

"I heard some people were arrested here?" Lu Ye asked.

The Immortal Yuan Guard nodded. "Those individuals trespassed into Immortal Yuan City, disregarded the law, and caused great distress to the residents. The Immortal Yuan Guards are simply acting according to the City Lord's regulations."

There wasn't a single living person in the entire Immortal Yuan City, so how could they possibly be disturbing the residents?

Lu Ye knew that even if these Immortal Yuan Guards possessed some intelligence, their awareness was muddled, otherwise they wouldn't have so readily acknowledged him as "Inspector."

He certainly wouldn't argue with them. He simply stated, "I'm here to retrieve some individuals on the orders of that esteemed one."

"That esteemed one?" The Immortal Yuan Guard commander was initially suspicious, then seemed to realize something, frowning. "The dungeon is a vital area for the Immortal Yuan Guards. Even an Inspector needs a written authorization from that esteemed one to retrieve prisoners."

Lu Ye didn't know who "that esteemed one" was, but he was merely borrowing the authority of the red-dressed woman as leverage. He figured that since she could casually give him a token representing an inspector's identity, her status in the city must be quite high.

It was impossible to go back and ask the red-dressed woman for a written order now, so he subtly channeled some spiritual energy, tightening his grip on his saber hilt. He said expressionlessly, "I didn't see any written authorization, only a verbal command from that esteemed one. If the Immortal Yuan Guards refuse to release them, that's fine. You can explain it yourself to that esteemed one."

The Immortal Yuan Guard in front of him looked conflicted, clearly finding the situation difficult, which confirmed to Lu Ye that the red-dressed woman was indeed a significant source of authority.

"Very well. Since it's that esteemed one's request, the City Lord is unlikely to refuse. Follow me," the Immortal Yuan Guard commander said, turning and placing his hand on the heavy door before them.

A spiritual light flashed across the door, and complex, intricate patterns flowed before it slowly opened.

Not far away, Ji Yan, who had been observing the situation, let out a long breath. Seeing Lu Ye seemingly about to engage in a confrontation earlier had worried him immensely; he had already prepared to send members of the Divine Concealment Palace to provide support. Lu Ye's mission to rescue the people from the dungeon was at his request, and if he encountered any danger there, the Divine Concealment Palace naturally couldn't stand idly by.

Fortunately, everything was going smoothly.

As they entered the dungeon, the heavy door slammed shut behind them, making Lu Ye's heart clench. If a fight broke out now, there would be nowhere to run.

Thankfully, the Immortal Yuan Guard leading the way showed no intention of launching a sudden attack, guiding Lu Ye and Ju Jia deeper down.

The dungeon entrance was a spiral staircase, tens of yards deep.

After walking for a long time, they finally arrived in the dim dungeon. Looking around, the environment was dark and damp, with only a few torches illuminating the sides of the corridor, their faint flames flickering.

Shouts of curses came from various cells, as well as unwilling roars.

Lu Ye swept his gaze and spotted a somewhat familiar face clinging to the iron bars, looking at him with an expression of inexplicable surprise. If he wasn't mistaken, this person was from the Divine Concealment Palace, one of those who had accompanied Ji Yan earlier, and had ended up being arrested.

"This person," Lu Ye said, pointing at the Divine Concealment Palace cultivator.

The Immortal Yuan Guard commander gestured, and a spectral entity resembling a jailer immediately darted out from beside him, with a large bunch of keys hanging from his waist.

"Bring him out."

The jailer quickly responded, took out the keys, and opened the cell door. The Divine Concealment Palace cultivator quickly walked out. Lu Ye gave him a knowing look, signaling him to stand beside him, and continued forward.

The Immortal Yuan Guard commander and the jailer followed closely behind.

Passing by a cell, Lu Ye peeked in. Immediately, a haggard face pressed close, first startled, then overjoyed, shouting, "Friend, help me!"

Lu Ye turned his head and looked at the Divine Concealment Palace cultivator beside him. The other person shook his head, indicating he didn't recognize him.

Lu Ye then raised the back of his hand, revealing his battlefield mark.

That cultivator's expression changed, and he forced a smile. "I'm also from the Vast Sky Alliance! Please save me, friend!"

Lu Ye ignored him and continued forward.

The imprisoned cultivators heard the commotion and all stood at their cell doors, looking out. Whenever he saw someone, Lu Ye had the Divine Concealment Palace cultivator identify them. If recognized, they were rescued. If not, they used the mark to confirm their allegiance. If they were from the Vast Sky Alliance, they were rescued. As for those from the Ten Thousand Devil Ridge... he didn't care whether they lived or died.

However, what made Lu Ye somewhat wary was that this dungeon was a bit strange. The cultivators imprisoned inside had no obvious injuries, clearly not having suffered harsh treatment; they were simply held there. But except for the few Divine Concealment Palace cultivators who had just been locked up, all the others were extremely haggard. Those with minor symptoms were pale, and those with severe symptoms could barely stand, currently being carried on Ju Jia's shoulders.

A decaying aura permeated all of them!

Lu Ye also felt that ever since entering this dungeon, something indescribable seemed to be slowly draining from his body, making him feel weary and exhausted. He didn't know what exactly was draining from his body, but this place was not suitable for staying long.

He immediately sped up the search.

One after another, Vast Sky Alliance cultivators were rescued. The Immortal Yuan Guard commander following behind Lu Ye's expression gradually turned ugly, because too many people had been released by Lu Ye.

"Senior Brother Gu!" a shout came, as the Divine Concealment Palace cultivators finally found Gu Canyang, who was imprisoned there.

He had the jailer open the cell door. Several Divine Concealment Palace disciples rushed in and helped out Gu Canyang, who could barely stand.

"Inspector, is that not enough?" the Immortal Yuan Guard commander asked, subtly revealing his displeasure.

"That's enough."

The place where Gu Canyang was held was the deepest part of the dungeon, not because of his strength, but because he was among the first group to be arrested, so he was thrown in the innermost cell. All those who should be rescued had been rescued.

Led by Lu Ye, nearly thirty people walked out in a large group towards the exit. Most of them, however, looked haggard. Ju Jia carried two with his hands, two more under his arms, while the others helped each other.

From behind, cries for help and curses from the Ten Thousand Devil Ridge cultivators were heard as the dungeon door slammed shut.

Following the spiral staircase out of the dungeon and reaching the ground, a group of cultivators were on the verge of tears, inevitably feeling as if they had been reborn. Although they didn't know what Lu Ye had done to be able to bring them out of the dungeon, they knew to remain silent. Any questions could wait until they were out of danger.

Lu Ye gave Ju Jia a signal to take the others and leave first, while he himself cupped his fist at the Immortal Yuan Guard commander and said, "Thank you."

The commander snorted coldly, clearly unwilling to acknowledge him.

Having received a cold shoulder, Lu Ye wasn't annoyed. He turned and walked away leisurely.

Returning to where he had parted ways with Ji Yan and the others, Ji Yan immediately came forward, naturally expressing his gratitude once again. Lu Ye waved his hand, saying that he hadn't really paid anything this time, at most he just took a bit of a risk. He reasoned that if he truly lacked the ability to save them, it would be one thing. But since he *did* have the capability, and so many Vast Sky Alliance cultivators were held captive, his conscience wouldn't allow him to simply abandon them. After all, when his own identity was previously exposed, many Vast Sky Alliance members had assisted him in relayed escorts.

Now that the people from the Ten Thousand Devil Ridge in the city had been cleared out, most of those still alive were imprisoned in the dungeon. There might be a few stragglers outside, but they were certainly hiding somewhere, not daring to show their faces. There wasn't much danger in the city now, as long as one was careful with the patrolling Immortal Yuan Guards.

The Divine Concealment Palace members had found a large courtyard in the city and planned to settle there, waiting for Immortal Yuan City to close. The people who had just been rescued were all placed there. Ji Yan brought a group of people to wait here, firstly to thank Lu Ye, and secondly to invite him to join them.

"I still have some things to do. I'll find you, Brother Ji, after I'm done."

Ji Yan naturally nodded. "Then we'll await news from fellow Daoist Yiye."

Saying this, he led the people around him away.

After they left, Lu Ye looked at Ju Jia again. Since Sima Yang's death, he had been following Lu Ye almost constantly, never leaving his side. This was partly due to Amber, and partly due to the first thing Lu Ye had said to him. Everyone had an enmity with the Windflower Pavilion, so naturally, it was better to join forces. Now that all the Windflower Pavilion members were dead, Ju Jia's revenge was considered complete.

"What are your plans for the future?" Lu Ye asked casually as he walked.

Ju Jia followed with his head down, not making a sound. Ever since he began cultivating, he had always followed Sima Yang. He never considered what to do or where to go tomorrow; he simply went wherever Sima Yang went. Now that Sima Yang was dead, he suddenly felt a bit lost.

"If you don't have any plans, you can follow me for now."

"Okay!" Ju Jia readily agreed.

Lu Ye's mood immediately brightened. Someone like Ju Jia was a talent every sect longed for. Even though he was already at the ninth-layer realm, those sects would be willing to make an exception to recruit him. It was just that Sima Yang had interfered before, preventing them from joining any sect, but now it was different. Sima Yang was dead, and as long as Ju Jia kept following him, he would eventually become a member of the Azure Blood Sect. Although the Azure Blood Sect had recruited some disciples and established a foothold in the outer region, there were few truly outstanding individuals among them.

Lu Ye never expected that his trip to Immortal Yuan City would lead him to acquire such a powerful body cultivator. Although he knew it was wrong to think this way, still... he was grateful to Sima Yang and the Windflower Pavilion. Lu Ye estimated that even if he offered to take Ju Jia as a disciple now, he wouldn't refuse. However, there was no rush for such a matter; they could take their time. At the very least, he needed to cultivate Ju Jia's sense of belonging to the sect, otherwise, recruiting him wouldn't hold much significance. Currently, they weren't in the sect, so a sense of belonging was out of the question, but he could foster Ju Jia's recognition of him personally. Ju Jia had been fiercely loyal to someone like Sima Yang, so if he treated Ju Jia well, would he still fear Ju Jia wouldn't acknowledge him?