Unity in adversity

Fear arises from the unknown. The stone chamber was engulfed in boundless darkness, initially manageable. However, as time passed in this darkness, Lu Yao began to feel various emotions creeping into his mind.

If someone were to engage in conversation and divert his attention at this moment, it would have been slightly better. Unfortunately, Jiang Yun was solely focused on adjusting his breath and healing his injuries, completely ignoring Lu Yao. Unconsciously, Lu Yao tightened his shoulders and curled up his legs.

This movement aggravated his own injuries, causing him to groan in discomfort.

"Hey, are you still alive?" Lu Yao finally couldn't bear the silence any longer and took the initiative to speak.

"Mm!" Jiang Yun made a nasal sound and continued with his breath adjustment. Over this period of time, his injuries had shown signs of improvement, so he had to persevere.

"Hey, what's your name?" Lu Yao continued to ask, not because he was particularly curious about Jiang Yun, but he wanted Jiang Yun to engage in conversation with him, dispelling the fear that had arisen within him in the darkness.

However, Jiang Yun didn't respond for a long time, which infuriated Lu Yao. This person was extremely impolite, not answering questions. Well, if you ignore me, then I won't bother with you either.

Lu Yao found his own thoughts amusing, thinking that he was afraid of the dark and assumed others would be too.

Jiang Yun didn't respond to Lu Yao because he had reached a critical moment in his cultivation. If he were to be distracted by conversation, it would be easy for him to lose control and fall into demonic cultivation. It wasn't intentional to ignore Lu Yao.

"Drip, drip!"

It was unknown how much time had passed, but in the stone chamber, only the sounds of their different breathing patterns and the continuous dripping of water remained. Then, Lu Yao heard Jiang Yun standing up with delicate movements.

Once Jiang Yun's internal energy had recovered, he quickly dealt with his internal injuries and felt that he could move again. Only then did he close his cultivation and stand up. His internal energy circulated between his eyes, allowing him to see things dimly in the still dark surroundings.

"Ah!"

Surprisingly, Lu Yao had somehow reached Jiang Yun's side without his notice. At that moment, Jiang Yun was startled by the sight of Lu Yao lying next to him, and he let out a startled cry.

Lu Yao had been leaning against the stone wall with his eyes closed, but he was abruptly awakened by Jiang Yun's sudden exclamation. Startled, he sat up and looked around, asking, "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Haha, nothing!" Jiang Yun hadn't expected Lu Yao, who seemed to possess deep cultivation, to be so easily frightened. He couldn't help but find it amusing and burst into laughter.

"Boring!"

Lu Yao thought Jiang Yun was deliberately trying to scare him. After saying that, he ignored him and deepened his dislike for Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun didn't mind and stood up, carefully observing the surrounding environment. Soon, he returned to his previous position and sat down with a weary expression.

"I have both good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear?"

Lu Yao didn't expect Jiang Yun to initiate a conversation with him. He felt a sense of joy but initially thought of choosing to hear the good news. However, he remembered that when he had tried to engage in conversation earlier, Jiang Yun had completely ignored him. If he were to respond now, it would be embarrassing. So he decided to remain silent.

Jiang Yun saw that Lu Yao ignored him and stopped asking further. He sighed softly, saying, "Well, I thought that if we were to work together, there might be a glimmer of hope. But now it seems that others don't consider me a companion at all. So be it, whether in life or in death, what is there to rejoice or mourn about? Sigh..."

Although Jiang Yun's words carried a tone of resentment, Lu Yao caught a hint of opportunity for escape. However, Jiang Yun's words were vague, leaving Lu Yao confused. He reluctantly asked, "What do you mean?"

"I intended to offer my heart to the bright moon, but alas, the moon only shines on the ditch," Jiang Yun sighed once again.

"Are you going to explain or not?" Jiang Yun's pretense irritated Lu Yao.

Seeing that Lu Yao was about to lose his temper, Jiang Yun decided to stop teasing him and said, "Didn't I just tell you? I have both good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"The bad news!" Lu Yao's voice was impatient.

"The bad news is that there is no food or water here. We may last for three days at most before starving or dying of thirst."

Lu Yao fell silent for a moment. He had already considered these possibilities, but Jiang Yun's confirmation only served to solidify his thoughts. The realization that he, one of the Three Swordsmen of Tianjian Sect, might die of hunger in this place caused his emotions to gradually spiral out of control.

In that moment, Lu Yao was overwhelmed by a multitude of thoughts, which stirred up his sorrow and despair. Unable to contain himself any longer, he burst into inconsolable tears, crying in a manner that conveyed a deep sense of hopelessness. His tears flowed uncontrollably, as if venturing a thousand miles away, beyond anyone's control.

"Master, Master, your disciple is unfilial. I can no longer serve you."

Lu Yao's crying left Jiang Yun at a loss, unsure of what to do. Seeing Lu Yao's heartfelt sorrow, Jiang Yun also felt a pang of sadness. He tried to console him, saying, "You're a grown man, is it necessary to cry like this?"

As soon as Jiang Yun spoke those words, Lu Yao's crying grew even louder. Instead of consoling him, it seemed like Jiang Yun had poured fuel on the fire.

Realizing the mistake he had made, Jiang Yun panicked and didn't know what to do with his hands. He desperately said, "Stop crying, please, there's still good news. Do you want to hear it or not?"

His words had an effect, and Lu Yao temporarily quieted down upon hearing that there was good news. Sniffling, he asked, "What's the good news?"

Learning from his previous mistake, Jiang Yun refrained from exaggeration and spoke truthfully, "The good news is that I observed this stone cave and found a door on the other side that can be opened."

"Really?" Lu Yao's tone clearly showed surprise but also a hint of disbelief in Jiang Yun's words.

"Truer than true gold, I swear on my honor."

"Before, you swore on the moon, but there's no moon here. It seems like you're just trying to deceive me. I seriously doubt your integrity now," Lu Yao's memory was sharp, and he caught onto Jiang Yun's weak spot.

"..."

"If there really is a door that can be opened, why didn't you leave? Why are you still here?" Lu Yao let go of his doubts about Jiang Yun's integrity and questioned him instead.

"I do want to leave, but I need to be able to leave. The stone door does exist, but with my strength, I can't open it. That's why I said if we work together and help each other, there might be a glimmer of hope. You're a skilled martial artist, so you can definitely open that door."

"But I'm injured. I can't gather my true energy at all, let alone recover from my injuries. It would take at least half a month or more. As you mentioned, there's no food or water here. We won't last that long."

As Lu Yao spoke, his voice grew weaker, and his sadness resurfaced, as if he were about to burst into tears again.

"Perhaps I can help you accelerate your recovery," Jiang Yun quickly said, not wanting him to cry again.