Chapter 8: Embracing the Light (Thanks to Alliance Leader Hengsao Tianya for the Reward)

In the dark mine tunnel, Lu Ye walked alongside the old man while examining the contents of the storage bag.

He quickly found some Vitality Pills and a few Healing Pills, similar to what was in Steward Yang's storage bag. There were also various unfamiliar bottles and jars that Lu Ye didn't recognize.

Additionally, there were several ore pieces, though none of them were as high quality as those Steward Yang had collected.

Zhou Cheng's status was lower than Steward Yang's, so naturally, his possessions weren't as substantial.

Nevertheless, Lu Ye was quite satisfied; after all, it was a windfall.

He put his long sword into the storage bag as well, then fastened the bag to his waist.

With this storage bag as a decoy, the one he kept close to his body would be safer.

He considered asking the old man for advice on cultivation and elixirs but decided against it. The old man was a senior expert, and while he seemed kind and amiable, one could never be sure of a person's true nature. As mere strangers, Lu Ye had no standing to ask such questions.

His top priority was to follow the old man out of the mine. If he offended him with any inappropriate words, it would be counterproductive.

The old man wasn't walking particularly fast, yet Lu Ye had to jog to keep up. Occasionally, the old man would disappear without a trace, only to return quickly.

Lu Ye secretly guessed that the old man was probably discovering and killing hidden disciples of the Evil Moon Valley.

The mine tunnels were crisscrossing and the terrain was complex. Even Lu Ye needed to carefully discern the correct path when passing through intersections, yet the old man walked leisurely, and every path he took was the right one.

After barely half an hour, light appeared ahead!

It was the exit of the mine tunnel.

As he followed the old man out of the dim mine tunnel and re-embraced the light, Lu Ye felt a strange sense of disorientation, a miraculous feeling of being alive again.

“Elder Tang!”

At the mine tunnel's exit, several figures stood guard. These were cultivators from various sects of the Vast Heaven Alliance, preventing any Evil Moon Valley disciples from escaping.

Upon seeing the old man appear, they all bowed in greeting.

The old man nodded slightly.

One of the leading middle-aged cultivators looked at Lu Ye with a puzzled expression and asked, “Elder Tang, who is he…?”

The old man replied, “He's a disciple of the Mysterious Heaven Sect, which was annihilated a year ago. He was captured and brought here as a mine slave. He helped me a little inside, so I brought him out on my way.”

The middle-aged cultivator understood, then raised a hand and beckoned to a young cultivator nearby: “Take him to get registered.”

“Yes!” The young cultivator acknowledged the order and said to Lu Ye, “Follow me!”

Lu Ye turned to look at Elder Tang, intending to express his gratitude, but Elder Tang had already walked straight into the distance.

The middle-aged cultivator who had spoken earlier quickly followed, saying, “Elder Tang, Deputy Alliance Leader Pang has ordered that once you emerge, you should go see him. There are important matters to discuss.”

Elder Tang stroked his beard and grumbled, “An old man like me can't get a moment's rest.”

As he spoke, he soared into the sky and vanished in an instant.

By then, Lu Ye was already being led by the young cultivator in another direction. The cultivator showed no intention of conversing with him, so Lu Ye naturally kept silent.

Recalling Elder Tang's words, Lu Ye smiled knowingly.

This old man was indeed kind.

He hadn't actually helped the old man much in the mine tunnel; rather, he had received the old man's favor. But the old man had said otherwise, clearly doing so intentionally.

For a senior expert like him, a casual remark could resolve many of Lu Ye's troubles.

For instance, the storage bag hanging at his waist!

For Lu Ye at present, this item was actually a problem. He had already realized this when he searched it from Zhou Cheng's body.

He had even planned to give the storage bag away if anyone from the Vast Heaven Alliance coveted it. After all, his current identity was merely a mine slave from the Evil Moon Valley, and there would be times when he needed to rely on others.

You have to give to get. He kept the truly valuable items close to his body, and Zhou Cheng's storage bag was nothing to regret losing.

However, with Elder Tang's casual remark, it was unlikely anyone would target this storage bag.

Lu Ye felt a slight regret for not being able to thank him in person, but there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Outside the mine tunnel lay a vast valley, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one road to the east providing access. The valley was bustling with people coming and going.

Lu Ye looked up and saw many remnants of a great battle within the valley. Some patches of ground still had undried bloodstains, and the entire valley was filled with a strong scent of blood.

It seemed the Evil Moon Valley had suffered significant losses when the Vast Heaven Alliance captured this place.

Large banners stood erected throughout the valley, bearing different characters and patterns, likely representing various sects and families.

Under the banners, crowds of people bustled about.

According to the information Lu Ye had, the Vast Heaven Alliance was an enormous organization, comprising countless large and small sects and families united as a single entity. The forces he saw before him were just the tip of the Vast Heaven Alliance's iceberg.

The Myriad Devil Ridge, which was antagonistic to the Vast Heaven Alliance, had a similar structure.

Having regained his freedom, Lu Ye felt light-hearted and found everything new and fascinating, prompting the young cultivator leading him to urge him on several times.

When they reached a corner of the valley, many people were gathered there as well. However, these individuals were unlike the brightly dressed, spirited cultivators Lu Ye had seen along the way. Most were dirty and dishevelled, thin and sallow, and a few were utterly dejected, especially some beautiful young women.

The dirty and dishevelled ones were former mine slaves who had labored in the mines. Years of toil and malnutrition made them look like refugees.

Not everyone captured by the Evil Moon Valley was forced into mine slavery. Some beautiful young women, whose fates were generally more tragic, had now been rescued after the mine was captured, though their past miserable experiences were destined to remain.

Seeing this group of people, Lu Ye immediately understood that they were all individuals who had been oppressed and enslaved by the Evil Moon Valley, now freed and gathered together for some unknown reason.

In front of this group was a table, behind which a plump cultivator, who didn't look very old, was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, dozing off.

The young cultivator leading Lu Ye walked up and gently tapped on the table.

The plump cultivator jolted awake, almost falling off his chair. Once he recognized the person in front of him, he patted his chest and exclaimed, “You almost scared me to death, kid.”

The young cultivator was speechless. He lowered his voice and said, “Senior Brother Pang, even though registering people is a leisurely task, you can't be like this. If the alliance leaders see you...”

Before he could finish, the plump cultivator impatiently waved his hand. “Alright, alright, you chatter on like a woman all day.” He paused, then asked, “What is it?”

The young cultivator moved aside, revealing Lu Ye behind him. “To register him and verify his identity.”

The plump cultivator's eyes were initially almost obscured by the fat on his face due to his obesity, but the moment he saw Lu Ye, his small eyes suddenly widened, fixing on the storage bag at Lu Ye's waist.