The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2288: Mr. Tu

Outside Yanluo Mountain.

These Heavenly Pride Disciples who endured the trial now readied themselves to depart.

Cheng Mo glanced around to the left and right before abruptly inquiring, "Where is Junior Brother?"

Situ Jian replied, "Junior Brother instructed us to head out first; he'll catch up shortly."

Linghu Xiao creased his brow and asked, "Is Junior Brother okay?"

Situ Jian responded, "Junior Brother assured us to stay calm—he'll be alright."

Linghu Xiao gave a nod, "We'll linger here a bit longer for Junior Brother."

"Very well."

"Once Junior Brother emerges, we'll head back to the Sect as one."

The Taixu Gate disciples clustered near the Taoist Court's camp, eager to link up with Mo Hua, yet scanning everywhere, that well-known silhouette was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed from afar as the mountaintop crumbled, evil qi billowed outward, sealing the Yanluo Mountain Evil Path Great Formation's entrance once more.

Still, no sign of their Junior Brother appeared.

Faces among the group turned pale with alarm.

"Junior Brother hasn't emerged!"

"Could he remain trapped in that demonic mountain?"

They traded uneasy glances, hearts weighed down heavily.

Situ Jian furrowed his brows in thought; as he raised his gaze, he spotted Gu Changhuai standing solemnly afar and hurried over to question:

"Supervisor Gu, what happened to our Junior Brother?"

Linghu Xiao, Cheng Mo, and the rest of the Taixu Gate disciples fixed their hopeful stares on Gu Changhuai.

In that instant, Gu Changhuai fully grasped how exceptionally high "status" Mo Hua occupied in the Taixu Gate disciples' hearts.

Gu Changhuai let out a sigh, "Mo Hua... remained behind within the formation."

Shock rippled through the group, "Supervisor Gu..."

"Mo Hua... chose to rescue someone."

"Rescue who?"

Gu Changhuai shook his head.

Situ Jian and the others dimly sensed this involved a Taoist Court secret unfit for revelation, so they held back from pressing further.

Yet their Junior Brother had vanished...

"Shouldn't we... turn back to aid Junior Brother?"

Situ Jian shook his head steadily, "The entrance caved in, the formation's sealed—we can't return."

"Demonic beasts swarm everywhere too..."

"Besides, rushing back wouldn't assist Junior Brother; we lack knowledge of the formation and would just hinder him..."

Downcast looks settled over the Taixu Gate disciples.

Gu Changhuai added, "Return to the Sect ahead... Mo Hua's wellbeing falls under Taoist Court's watch."

They'd barely saved these Heavenly Pride Disciples and couldn't risk further peril.

Linghu Xiao shook his head firmly, "I'll stay put here. No matter when Mo Hua appears, we'll journey back to the Sect together."

The other Taixu Gate disciples nodded with grave resolve:

"Junior Brother stays in, so do we!"

"To the Sect? Only as a group!"

Gu Changhuai's features softened with emotion; he ceased urging them.

Meanwhile, disciples from various major sects began departing sequentially, but midway, a voice piped up:

"Why haven't Taixu Gate moved out?"

"Looks like they're awaiting Mo Hua..."

"Where's Mo Hua?"

"Heard he's lingering inside the formation?"

Expressions shifted dramatically across the crowd, "Trapped in the formation still?"

"I caught their chat with the Taoist Court Supervisor—Mo Hua stayed to save someone, that's why he's not out..."

All the Sect Heavenly Pride disciples halted abruptly.

Mo Hua had already pulled them from danger.

Now safe outside, yet he braved the sinister, terrifying Evil Path Great Formation alone to preserve lives...

Mo Hua's image in their minds grew hazy and profound.

His sharp tongue grated, his arrogance irked, his cunning tactics provoked fury, yet he'd rallied every sect's disciples single-handedly, guiding their escape from the Demon's Lair—and now sacrificed himself in its depths, embodying selfless heroism to rescue more...

Was this Mo Hua truly a "villain"?

Maybe the very antithesis?

Silence cloaked their faces.

Anger, loathing, thanks, respect, guilt—a storm of feelings churned within, too complex for words.

Longding Sect's Ao Zheng broke first from departure, declaring deeply, "I'll remain as well."

Shen Cangfeng knitted his brows yet held his tongue.

Xiao Ruohan stood frigid and rooted, clearly refusing solo retreat.

As Four Great Sects' Heavenly Pride, their pride burned fiercer.

The Mo Hua they'd scorned aided them profoundly; fleeing now would breed self-loathing deep in their souls.

Thus they lingered—not for Mo Hua per se, but to safeguard their "Taoist Heart," their cultivation convictions, their upright honor.

They spurned becoming "battle-dodging cowards."

From the Eight Great Gates, Vajra Sect's Shi Tiangang spoke measuredly:

"Mo Hua aided our Vajra Sect; we'll wait too."

His Vajra Sect Heavenly Pride companions nodded in accord.

In further sects, Sever Gold Sect's Qin Cangliu, Purple Mist Sect's Lu Zhenlong, Carefree Sect's Feng Zichen—all chose to stay.

Sever Gold Sect's Song Jian fretted sincerely for Mo Hua, though he masked it with a cool smirk, feigning crowd conformity.

Daluo Sect's Ye Zhiyuan, mocked by Mo Hua's "flying sword can’t fly far" jab, sulked throughout.

Even now, leaving felt wrong to him.

Mo Hua was his rival; he aimed to someday soar on Daluo Flying Sword to crush Mo Hua and wash away shame.

Until then, Mo Hua couldn't perish first.

With leading Heavenly Pride holding firm, rank-and-file disciples naturally stayed too.

Thus, post-Blood Sacrifice Array escape, the Four Sects, Eight Gates, Twelve Streams' Heavenly Pride converged beyond Yanluo Mountain, waiting in hushed vigil.

Motives varied: profound fellow-disciple bonds for some, Heavenly Pride dignity for others, gratitude or grudge, or mere herd instinct...

Regardless, every Qian Learning State Boundary sect genius now gazed toward Yanluo Mountain, poised in quiet anticipation for that lone figure...