His narrowed eyes caught a glimpse of the dark shadows swaying back and forth around the bend in the tunnel—there were at least ** of them, likely nine in total. Instantly, his limbs went cold, his palms slick with sweat, and for a moment, he couldn't conceive of what to do.

He recognized them: disciples from the Great Luo Sect. Only they wore such pure black attire! The two trial squads from the Great Luo Sect had converged within the mine tunnel, fatefully trapping the five of them in this narrow dead-end section.

Ye Qin could even sense the rapid acceleration of the heartbeats and breaths of Yan Xuan, Shen Bao, and the other two hidden nearby; they must have noticed the predicament too, their hearts filled with dread.

It was important to remember that the disciples participating in the cave trial, coming from various sects, were all around the eighth or ** layer of the Qi Refining stage, their cultivation levels nearly equal. Nine Great Luo Sect cultivators against five Green Elixir Sect cultivators meant nearly double the manpower—it was simply not the same league.

Even if they managed to eliminate one Great Luo Sect disciple through a pre-laid trap, the enemy would still outnumber them by three. This gap in numbers was too vast. Inside lay the beast lair; outside stood these Great Luo Sect disciples. They were trapped in a desperate situation with no escape route.

The ** disciples of the Great Luo Sect were approaching the bend in the mine tunnel, but they stopped cautiously at the corner, unwilling to proceed further inside.

"Is something really in there? Which sect are they from?" A slightly hoarse young man's voice echoed from around the bend. This man appeared to be a leading figure, his question laced with an undeniable air of authority.

Immediately, a disciple replied with extreme deference, "Senior Brother Wei, there are people inside. This junior discovered one small squad entered, and we have been guarding this spot for three days. In this short span, it’s impossible for them to have silently eliminated that nest of monsters and escaped with the ore from within. However, we still don't know which sect they belong to; there hasn't been any activity from them since they went inside."

"You don't even know which sect they are, yet you blockade the entrance? What if you accidentally harm your own people?" The hoarse voice sounded somewhat displeased. After reprimanding the disciple, he stepped to the mouth of the bend and shouted into the darkness.

"Are there brothers from any sect within this mine tunnel? I am an inner core disciple of the Great Luo Sect, my surname is Wei. I ask one of you to step out and speak. If you are disciples of my Great Luo Sect, simply show yourselves. If you are from a familiar sect, one with some existing rapport, my Great Luo Sect will not make things difficult; we will let you leave. If you belong to a sect unrelated to the Great Luo Sect, leave behind one spiritual artifact, and we will permit you to exit the cave. As for hostile sects—well, I apologize. You have one quarter of an hour to emerge. If you do not appear by then, I will have no choice but to assume you are disciples of an enemy sect and commence an attack."

The five members of the Green Elixir Sect squad felt a stir of temptation upon hearing this.

Between the Green Elixir Sect and the Great Luo Sect, there were no deep-seated feuds; in fact, the higher-ups of both sects shared some personal friendships. The current Ten Thousand Wither Ridge cave trial was jointly initiated after consultations between the leaderships of the Green Elixir Sect and the Great Luo Sect, a clear indication of their relationship.

There was a reason the man named Wei spoke as he did.

To claim that Ye Qin and his five companions felt no temptation would be a lie. Being eliminated by the disciples of the Great Luo Sect, or having to surrender openly and without dignity—between these two choices, they would undoubtedly choose 'surrender.'

However, the most critical issue was: could they trust the word of this man named Wei? If Wei went back on his promise the moment they appeared, then stepping out would not be surrender but walking willingly to their deaths. They were unwilling to gamble their small lives on whether Wei would keep his word.

Yan Xuan hesitated, then whispered, "This Wei fellow seems to hold a high position in the Great Luo Sect. Given the friendship between the Great Luo Sect and the Green Elixir Sect, if he agrees to let us go, at most we'd have to surrender a spiritual artifact. What do you say? Should we go out?"

Shen Bao let out a cold sneer, "Can you actually believe those words? It might be a lure to draw us out. Once we step out, we probably won't even know how we died. I would rather venture into the beast lair inside and see if there’s any chance of escape than walk out towards them."

Old Man Kong was equally suspicious, muttering under his breath, "Nonsense! Even if that fellow Wei is sincere, he's still relying on the fact that we are trapped. We are at a disadvantage, and they have the numbers. If we leave, not only might we lose our artifacts, but it’s highly likely they will renege on their promise immediately afterward and slaughter us to prevent future trouble. We have a better chance relying on ourselves."

Seeing that they rejected her idea almost without hesitation, Yan Xuan became instantly exasperated:

"How can you all be so sure that Senior Brother Wei from the Great Luo Sect is such a scoundrel? What if he keeps his word and lets us go? Wouldn't we have missed a chance to escape this place in vain? Junior Brother Ye, Junior Brother Zhang, are you two going out?"

Ye Qin remained silent.

He didn't know if the words of this Wei fellow counted for anything. The only thing he knew was: why should his life be placed in the hands of that Wei? To let someone else decide his life or death based on a single utterance—he would absolutely never do such a thing. Just as Shen Bao said, he would rather face the beast lair and try for a chance at survival than walk out to take orders from the Great Luo Sect disciples.

Zhang Yun firmly shook his head.

Yan Xuan huffed angrily, "If you aren't going, I will go out myself."

She was truly…

...compared to. When they were outside the cave, the four Green Elixir disciples were still under her...