The two disciples who were currently under distress were extremely scared and felt like death was grasping their neck. But then Lin Mu's quick action had managed to pull them back out, albeit with some injuries.
Still, they weren't anything that they couldn't recover from.
~thud~
Lin Mu lowered the two onto the ground and made sure that there was enough distance between them and the molten metal that was still flowing out from the ground.
"Get even further, I don't think it will stop just here!" Lin Mu ordered everyone.
Meanwhile, his mind worked quickly and got an idea.
~Boom~
~Crack~
Lin Mu punched one of the walls at the side and uprooted it directly from the ground.
~DENG~
Throwing it at the passage, he blocked the molten metal that was still flowing out from it. Some of it still seemed out from the gaps, but the flow was slow and eventually stopped. Seeing that it was now over, Lin Mu took a breath of relief.
~Phew~
Others did the same and some of the disciples slumped down to the ground. Even though they were disciples of a top sect, they weren't as used to problems like this. They had not gotten used to danger as much and had thus been unable to pick up on cues quickly.
"Healing Pill!" Elder Weimin ordered.
"Take this," one of the female disciples took out a small pill bottle that contained some pills.
They fed those to the two disciples that were injured and also applied some herbal pastes that helped with burns.
Lin Mu furrowed his brows and wondered if coming here with the disciples was even a good choice.
~pat~
Jing Luo put his hand on Lin Mu's shoulder having guessed what Lin Mu was thinking.
"They need to get used to this. There will be far more problems they will come across. If they can't even handle this, then they will only suffer more later." Jing Luo stated.
Lin Mu clenched his fist but then let out a breath.
"You're probably right… but I still can't help but want to let them avoid being harmed." Lin Mu replied.
"Junior Lin Mu, that is a dangerous mindset." Elder Weimin who had heard the two's conversation said.
"I especially brought them here so that they can see the reality of the world. For far too long have they been protected in the sect. If they do not suffer now, they will only die later. Our future is dark and we will need to be determined if we are to survive it.
Do not blame yourself if they die, they will only have themselves to blame. Each of them knew the danger before they came here, we did not force them, they volunteered." Elder Weimin stated.
Lin Mu didn't know what to say and still felt a bit uncomfortable but then nodded his head.
"I can only trust Elder Weimin's judgment then." Lin Mu said with a nod.
Elder Weimin smiled and then turned around to look at the disciples. The moment he did, his smile turned into a harsh frown.
"YOU FOOLS! Have you not learned anything? Have you lost your sense of alertness?" Elder Weimin exploded.
~EEK~
Some of the disciples were startled by the sudden outburst.
"I am telling you all this only once! You all have to look after yourself and your companions. While we are here to oversee you, if you cannot even deal with minor dangers like this, then you all are better off being flowers in the sect!" Elder Weimin scolded.
~gulp~
The disciples shuddered at the scolding, but then lowered their heads. They knew they were partially at fault here and that they needed to be better. All the disciples were at the Core condensation realm at the very least and should have been able to avoid the trap as long as they had a fast reaction time.
"We understand our mistake, Elder Weimin; Senior Lin Mu." The disciples apologized.
~humph~
"Make sure it is not repeated." Elder Weimin said and walked to the side, letting the disciples rest for a bit.
Even though they had just started, the very first trap had been enough to exhaust their minds. Plus the scolding would serve as a reminder to them that there would be danger at every step.
Lin Mu watched the entire series of events and just sighed to himself.
"This is just how they need to be taught. Not everyone is diligent like you, they can't pick up from their mistakes as fast." Jing Luo said as he sat beside Lin Mu.
Even though Jing Luo might not say it outright, he knew just how hardworking Lin Mu was. The young man barely rested and every moment of his was spent in bettering himself, learning things, or solving problems.
Jing Luo could count on one hand, the people that could compare to Lin Mu.
'If there was someone like him in any sect, they would very easily become a chief disciple… becoming the next patriarch would not be impossible either. And it's not just his talent either… his own hard work and personality is also a major part.
Even if he did not have the talent, he would still have been a great expert…' Jing Luo thought to himself as he looked at Lin Mu.
While Jing Luo was doing this, Lin Mu was scanning the area, trying to see if he could find any more traps. Little Shrubby came to sit beside him and purred lightly, calming Lin Mu's mind a little.
"Thank you…" Lin Mu said in a low voice.
~purr~
Rubbing little Shrubby's fur a little Lin Mu was about to look away when he noticed something. He was looking at the wall he had just broken off.
"Wait a second!" Lin Mu said out loud.
"What's the problem?" Jing Luo asked, as he saw Lin Mu stand up abruptly.
But Lin Mu did not answer him. Instead, he just walked up to the wall that was opposite him and slammed his fist into it.
~BOOM~
