Chapter 513

Chapter 513: So Much Happens in Advance

The campfire crackled, and the Golden Luan Great Thousand Cave remained devoid of night. The flames were lit to help Ren Jiufeng and Yang Jiuzhen dispel the cold that clung to them. When they awoke, their practices had nearly frozen them into blocks of ice.

“Ugh, it’s so cold!” Yang Jiuzhen, wrapped in thick blankets, poked her head out, shivering and saying, “Th-thank you, Brother Li…”

Li Hui exhaled a breath of murky qi, his face pale, and forced a smile. “At the time, both of you ladies were just ahead. I’m not very skilled in medicine, so I could only use some rehmannia for emergency treatment. Fortunately, this place is close to where you entered the cave—in fact, we had time to rest before the cave closed; otherwise, it would have been a race against time.”

Ren Jiufeng still couldn’t believe that he fought to the death against Xiang Chitian’s Dark Thoughts shadow, but that didn’t stop her from expressing gratitude. “Thank you, Brother Li, for saving us. That scoundrel kills anyone in sight, and we happened to bump into him.”

“Hehe, we’re fated!” Li Hui smiled at Yang Jiuzhen, not expecting that smile to pull at his wounds and cause beads of sweat to form on his forehead.

Though he had expelled the sword aura that had penetrated his body, causing his Qian Kun Corrected Blood Talisman to shrink from nine inches to six, the sword wound was particularly troublesome. How many Small Reincarnation Talismans had he used at this point? Even after cleansing with Qi of Taiqing, the injury remained serious, indicating that it had affected his root, requiring months of nurturing.

Yang Jiuzhen felt her cheeks warm upon hearing Li Hui mention fate, completely puzzled by her reaction.

“What’s up with this girl turning red? Fate is a matter for a hundred years in the future. Besides, things are constantly changing; it’s not certain that I’ll have a white-haired commitment like Old Li’s. His message said the two of them went through life and death, supporting each other, but in the end, it still led to a permanent separation. He sat in the Heavenly Hero Sect for fifty years, waiting for the dragon yasha tree she liked to bloom before leaving!” Li Hui became lost in thought, contemplating the matter.

Ren Jiufeng coughed lightly and said, “After entering the cave, did Jian Wujie look for you? As far as I know, that person has strong tenacity and never gives up on what he sets his mind to.”

“He came looking. Dai Qingtian, Lin Qingtian, Jian Wujie, and Tan Tiandi all found me. They should be in worse shape than I am right now!”

Upon hearing this, Yang Jiuzhen grew anxious. “So many powerful practitioners have crossed paths with you? The practitioners of Nine Maangs are quite unreasonable. Brother Li, you probably haven’t been to the Nine-Mystic Continent, so most of what you’ve inherited must have come from luck, but this level of suppression is absurd. Even if we cherish our broken broom, there must be a limit!”

Ren Jiufeng laughed, “Junior Sister, you’ve always been timid and afraid of trouble, yet you’ve learned to stand up for others! Looks like your trip wasn’t in vain!”

“Senior Sister just likes to tease others. Dai Qingtian is quite famous on the Guishui Continent. I’ve heard from some of the Elder Sisters who traveled back that many cultivators are jealous of her, and she’s quite capable herself,” Yang Jiuzhen said, her brow furrowing slightly. “My instincts are sharp; I remind Brother Li to be cautious of such women! They are the most petty! After suffering a setback, they will retaliate with even more malicious intent. You must be very careful.”

Li Hui blinked, muttering to himself, “Pretty thoughtful! Perhaps she’s just a passerby. If there’s no white-haired promise, I wonder if Yang Jiuzhen can live longer!”

The three of them sat in meditation to recover, and four hours later, they took flight towards the mountain path.

After Xiang Chitian’s self-detonation, Li Hui had returned to the battlefield to search around. The silver snake bracelet had devoured fragments of spirit treasures, accumulating deep talisman power, but he hadn’t gained anything else, which reminded him of a place.

“Old Li mentioned an ancient battlefield to the north of the Xun Wind Desert. It dates back to the founding of the Great Xia, where human practitioners battled foreign masters for centuries. I don’t know how many treasures were shattered nor how many peaks were flattened, referred to as Ping Wang Chuan. In thirteen years, a giant stone from the sky, accompanied by golden bell demonic beasts, will descend, devouring metals to nourish their monstrous forms. They can reproduce rapidly, and the shards of treasures left behind in Ping Wang Chuan are significant!”

Li Hui thought about leaving the Golden Luan Cave to visit Ping Wang Chuan, when he suddenly saw a large number of bright lights streaking across the sky—there were not thousands, but at least several thousand.

“So many practitioners are entering the Great Thousand Cave. Such a large number of sword techniques is rare; what’s happening?” Ren Jiufeng was astonished, quickly taking out a jade token to sense.

“Senior Sister, what’s wrong?” Yang Jiuzhen asked nervously, looking toward the jade token.

After some time, Ren Jiufeng let out a breath, saying, “It has nothing to do with us. Someone discovered the Celestial Palace ruins, and major sects are willing to spend vast sums to activate the cross-continental teleportation array, sending elders into the Golden Luan Cave! The Ren Water Continent is far away, so temporarily, no sects are involved. However, that could change in a few days.”

Li Hui was indeed the instigator and suddenly asked, “So that means it will extend the cave’s opening time. Does the message in the jade token mention how long?”

“At least three and a half months!” The eyes of Jiufeng brightened as she looked at Yang Jiuzhen. “That’s great; we can explore the ancient ruins we found before. Maybe we’ll discover some truths.”

“Ah? That place? It’s too dangerous, and a few people know about it. They will definitely find help to go deeper,” Yang Jiuzhen shook her head.

“Can you elaborate on what type of ruins?” Li Hui asked casually.

Ren Jiufeng pointed to the southeast, saying, “Fifty-six thousand miles to the southeast, the ground has sparse vegetation, with many thorny pines growing. There’s an entrance that leads three thousand feet underground. My Junior Sister and I saw a vast underground palace from a distance, with magnetic light and poisonous light facing each other. Just the stone wall carvings are not simple; they hide profound truths of heaven and earth, as if forming a formation of Dao Traces.”

“Is there really such a place?” Li Hui pondered, recalling Old Li’s messages, feeling astonished internally. “Incredible! How come someone has discovered the Dragon Palace already? It has already transformed into a Den of Dragons and Tigers, a place that used to tame dangerous Dao soldiers. Compared to the Yuan Chen Heavenly Mansion, it’s vastly inferior. Exploring the Dragon Palace poses greater dangers than rewards; it’s unwise!”

Who could blame Li Hui for having experience as an accountant at the Jade Symbol Sect? He had a business mindset and shook his head, saying, “I agree with Yang Junior Sister; something doesn’t feel right! It’s so deep underground, and it’s sealed off with magnetic forces and deadly poison. I’ve heard tales of similar ruins; it seems to be a place specifically for taming dangerous Dao soldiers.”

“How come I’ve never heard of it?” Ren Jiufeng appeared amiable, yet she didn’t regard Wutu practitioners highly and felt that Li Hui was only a rare case. There was no way he could compare in terms of knowledge!

“Since Brother Li thinks so, you must not be willing to take risks; what are your plans?” Ren Jiufeng inquired.

“I’m thinking of leaving the Golden Luan Cave to check out that ancient battlefield.” Li Hui replied, awakening Jiufeng’s understanding: “Now I see; he’s looking for ways to avoid Dai Qingtian and the others, as it seems his injuries from the battle with Xiang Chitian are quite serious.”

Yang Jiuzhen appeared thoughtful and stood up to ask Ren Jiufeng, “Senior Sister, I held us back last time near that underground palace. How about we leave the cave with Brother Li to explore the Wutu Continent?”

Ren Jiufeng furiously scolded, asserting her authority as the Senior Sister: “It’s hard enough to get you to practice regularly, even harder than forcing a duck onto a shelf! The Golden Luan Cave is a rare opportunity; how can you withdraw now?”

“There’s no withdrawing! I just feel that we’ve come all this way to the Wutu Continent; if the sect sends someone in a few days, will we still have our freedom?”

Ren Jiufeng understood that her Junior Sister had a tendency to be distracted and that her greatest hobby was wandering around. Recalling their previous experience underground, where she had been a burden, she simply decided to let her go explore.