Chương 182: Chapter 181: Stranded

"Enough," Senior Brother Fan Xiao said, with a tone that ended the conversation.

"We have more important concerns than Zhen Hao's little tantrum."

"Like what?" Senior Brother Yuan Shen asked.

"Like that," Senior Brother Qing An said pleasantly, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb and a cheerful smile. Yang looked to where Senior Brother Qing An was pointing and was not sure what he was seeing. There were broken rocks everywhere, certainly, but Senior Brothers Fan Xiao, Qing An, and Song Weilong had not exactly been gentle with the demonic beasts. The destruction visible across a wide radius of the valley floor could easily be attributed to the battle that had just concluded.

He was not sure what he was supposed to be seeing.

"Senior Brother, what exactly are you pointing at?" Senior Brother Yuan Shen asked, sounding genuinely confused as he ran his gaze over the area. Senior Brother Qing An's smile faded slightly. Senior Brother Song Weilong let out a small chuckle and Senior Brother Fan Xiao appeared to roll his eyes before he spoke.

"Qing An. They barely had time to perceive anything before I threw them to safety." Senior Brother Qing An let out a small "Oh" of understanding and went quiet. It was Senior Brother Fan Xiao who turned to them with an expression that Yang had not seen on him before. Not alarmed, but carrying the specific quality of someone who had assessed a situation and found it worse than anticipated. Senior Brother Fan Xiao turned to face all of them, looking tired.

"The beasts were intelligent enough to wait at the rift. They knew that was the point where newcomers would arrive. As soon as we came through, they attacked us while simultaneously destroying the barrier on this side of the rift." A short silence as they all absorbed the news they had just received.

"The rift is destroyed?" Senior Brother Zhen Hao said, loudly enough that it carried across half the valley. Yang went still. The worst possible outcome had happened, they were stranded.

"That is bad," Senior Brother Yuan Shen said quietly.

"The situation is not ideal," Senior Brother Song Weilong said, with a calm that Yang found both somewhat unnerving in the situation.

"But the most important thing is that we are all safe and together." He turned to Senior Brother Fan Xiao.

"You are in charge. What are your instructions?" Senior Brother Fan Xiao looked composed.

"First, we leave this area. We get as far away from here as possible. If these demonic beasts are aware enough to set an ambush at the rift and destroy it behind us, then they understand territory and tactics. This valley is their ground, not ours. We do not stay where we entered."

"Makes sense. This is a known entry point for us. Were there any signs of this kind of behaviour in the exploration reports?" Senior Brother Yuan Shen asked.

"None," Senior Brother Qing An said, with a thoughtful expression.

"The teams reported the beasts moving increasingly close to this area over time, but there was no indication they were capable of coordinated action at this level." Yang looked toward where the rift had been and then back at his Senior Brothers.

"Senior Brothers," he said carefully.

"You don't seem very concerned about having lost the way back,." He cast a hopeful look at Senior Brother Fan Xiao.

"Unless you know of a way out?" Senior Brother Qing An looked at Yang with amusement before turning to Senior Brother Fan Xiao with a teasing smile.

"Yes, Senior Brother Fan Xiao. Is there a way back?" Senior Brother Fan Xiao gave him a look, then turned to Yang with an expression that was as close to reassuring as Yang had seen from him.

"Junior Brother Chen Yang. Do not worry. We will find a way out." If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Senior Brother Yuan Shen placed a hand on Yang's shoulder with a phony sympathetic look on his face.

"Indeed. It may take a month, a year, or a century, but we will find a way."

"Do not frighten Junior Brother Yang," Senior Brother Song Weilong said immediately, before turning to Yang.

"Even if it takes that long, you have nothing to fear for your safety. We are here with you, and there is qi present in this world, you will not run out of lifespan while we look for an exit." Yang managed a weak smile. He had not been worried about his lifespan running out before Senior Brother Yuan Shen mentioned it. He was now.

"We leave first," Senior Brother Fan Xiao said, and turned to Yang with the expectation that he would board his sword as before.

"Senior Brother, could I try the flying carpet?" Yang asked. Before Senior Brother Fan Xiao could respond, Senior Brother Qing An said, "Of course. Go ahead." Senior Brother Fan Xiao looked at Senior Brother Qing An with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

"Senior Brother," Senior Brother Qing An said, in a reasonable tone as he coaxed him, "it is relatively safe here now. Let him do something. He needs to learn to fly independently. Having that ability will serve him considerably better than always relying on one of us." Senior Brother Fan Xiao said nothing for a moment, then gave Yang a single nod. Yang summoned the carpet from his storage ring.

It unrolled in the air as it emerged, dark blue with geometric patterns, large enough that a dozen people could have stood on it comfortably. It hovered at the right height and Yang stepped onto it. It wobbled immediately and he heard quiet laughter from somewhere behind him. He planted his feet wider and the wobbling steadied somewhat as the carpet rose.

"Kneel and grip the front edge," Senior Brother Fan Xiao said from his sword.

"It will be easier to guide it that way." Yang dropped to his knees and took hold of the carpet's front edge with both hands. The difference was immediate. He could feel the carpet's movement through his grip and found, after a few experimental tilts, that the carpet responded to the angle of the edge easier. He looked up with an excited smile.

"Where do we go?" Senior Brother Fan Xiao allowed himself a small smile before turning and flying ahead, moving away from the rocky valley at speed. Yang pulled the edge upward and the carpet rose at a slightly steeper angle than intended before correcting as he settled into a pace a few lengths behind Senior Brother Fan Xiao.

"Junior Brother Yang, enjoying your first solo flight?" Senior Brother Zhen Hao appeared beside him, matching his speed easily. Yang looked across at him with excitement and accelerated. Senior Brother Zhen Hao matched him without effort and they raced together for a stretch while Senior Brother Fan Xiao continued steadily ahead.

Senior Brother Yuan Shen joined them on Yang's other side, and for a while the three of them moved through the strange twilight air of the connected world in a loose formation while Senior Brothers Song Weilong and Qing An held back at a more measured pace. Yang was not foolish enough to think he could outfly any of them on his first attempt with a carpet, but he appreciated them giving him at least the illusion of equality. They flew for hours. The landscape below remained consistent.

Rock, stone, dry hills and ridges, nothing alive. No beasts visible from the air. No water. No variation in the sky, which maintained the same unchanging orange-blue it had from the moment they arrived. Senior Brother Fan Xiao's voice carried back to them.

"Fly higher." Everyone rose immediately. Yang yanked the front edge upward and the carpet shot upward at an angle that was steeper than intended. He kept going until they were above the cloud layer and Senior Brother Qing An's voice came from behind.

"That is enough." Everyone stopped. Everyone except Yang, whose carpet continued drifting forward on its own momentum.

"Concentrate on holding still, Junior Brother," Senior Brother Zhen Hao said. It took longer than Yang would have liked to bring the carpet to a proper stop. When he finally managed it he looked up to find all five of his Senior Brothers waiting for him with patient expressions.

"Sorry," he said. Several of them gave him a small smile. Senior Brother Fan Xiao spoke.

"We stay above the clouds from here. The beasts can track us from the ground. I would rather not advertise our position." Yang glanced down instinctively but saw nothing. Senior Brother Fan Xiao had evidently perceived something he could not. He turned without further comment and moved in a new direction, angling left. The group followed in a closer formation this time, Senior Brothers Qing An and Song Weilong pulling in from the rear.

Even with the excitement of flying for the first time on his own, after hours of nothing but clouds below and the unchanging orange-blue sky above, he found himself lying flat on his back on the carpet, arms extended, watching the sky go by. He had figured out that the carpet would follow the group even without his active steering, and had let himself rest. The sky here was always exactly this colour.

It had the quality of something slightly sinister, which, given the welcome they had received, Yang thought was perhaps appropriate. Yang did not know how long they had been flying. He was lying with one arm behind his head watching the unchanging blue-orange overhead. Then something caught his attention. He sat up sharply.

"Stop. Senior Brother, did you see that?"