Chapter 31
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Chapter 31: The Opening of the Ancient Cave Dwelling
The wind rustled through the trees under the scorching sun.
Ming He arrived at the ancient cave dwelling with the Liu Yun Sect delegation, dressed in blue clothes and carrying her white sword. She stood among the inner sect disciples, her presence unassuming. Ignoring the curious and probing glances around her, she lifted her gaze toward the front of the Liu Yun Sect formation.
There stood a woman in white, her demeanor calm and her grace unparalleled. It was none other than Qin Chu Yi.
As the chief disciple of Liu Yun Sect and the leader of this expedition to the ancient cave dwelling, Qin Chu Yi narrowed her eyes slightly as she gazed at the familiar black entrance of the cave dwelling, a memory etched deeply in her mind. Her hand tightened briefly around a spiritual artifact she carried, then relaxed as she remained silent.
Yun Zhao Feng stood behind her, his eyes filled with admiration. Clad in yellow brocade, he held his head high, his usual arrogance tempered only in Qin Chu Yi’s presence.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Young Master Yun hiding behind a woman. Are you trying to avoid being seen?” a voice dripping with mockery called out from behind.
Ming He turned her head to see a young man approaching. Handsome and proud, he was surrounded by richly dressed cultivators, reveling in his entourage. He shot a challenging look at Yun Zhao Feng before winking at Qin Chu Yi. “Sister Qin, your beauty is unmatched. But I wonder if your skills are as impressive as your looks?”
Just a cannon fodder character.
Ming He muttered to herself, piecing together the newcomer’s identity from the whispers around her. He was Peng Hao, the young master of Qing Shan Sect from Luoyin City on the Ninth Continent, and a former rival defeated by Yun Zhao Feng.
“I don’t waste words on losers,” Yun Zhao Feng replied without even glancing at him, his tone dismissive, as though he were granting a favor. The Liu Yun Sect disciples around him couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction at his haughty demeanor.
Oh, so the Senior Brother has a sharp tongue. I hadn’t noticed that before.
Ming He’s lips curved into a faint smile as she caught Qin Chu Yi’s amused gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly lowered her head, feigning indifference.
“You—” Peng Hao choked on his anger, pointing at Yun Zhao Feng as he prepared to retort. But Qin Chu Yi’s icy glare swept over him, filled with disdain and superiority, silencing him instantly. It was as if an invisible hand had gripped his throat, leaving him trembling and unable to speak.
“Hmph.” Peng Hao forced a cold snort, pretending to maintain his composure as he stepped back, wisely choosing not to provoke Liu Yun Sect further.
Soon, the area around the cave dwelling grew crowded as more cultivators arrived, filling the open space with an imposing presence.
In this part of Luoyin City on the Ninth Continent of the Eastern Region, aside from Liu Yun Sect, there was Qing Shan Sect, which had just arrived. From a distance, the figures of Wu Ji Palace became visible, along with the Glass Pavilion, predominantly composed of women… and the top sect in Luoyin City, the enigmatic Hehuan Sect.
“The ancient cave dwelling is about to open. Disciples of the sects and members of the loose cultivators alliance who hold tokens, please step forward,” announced a cultivator from the Luoyin City lord’s estate.
On the Tianwu Continent, sects and noble families held immense power, while the influence of imperial dynasties had waned. In terms of resources and heritage, the dynasties paled in comparison to the sects and aristocratic clans. Fortunately, the rulers of the dynasties were self-aware and had no intention of challenging this balance.
Sects and noble families, filled with cultivators, competed for heavenly materials and earthly treasures, as well as cave dwellings and blessed lands. They paid little heed to mundane affairs, leaving the dynasties to focus on maintaining their imperial power. Thus, there was no conflict between the two.
The dynasties established county cities, each governed by a city lord’s estate. Matters such as the opening, distribution, and closure of cave dwellings and secret realms were managed by these estates.
An official tool, indeed.
Ming He mentally labeled the city lord’s estate with a lofty title before stepping forward with the nineteen inner sect disciples of Liu Yun Sect. They stood before the entrance of the cave dwelling, awaiting its opening to seek their fortunes. Su Cheng Feng was among them.
At his coming-of-age ceremony two months ago, Su Cheng Feng had been at Spirit Guiding Seventh Level. Now, he had advanced to Spirit Guiding Eighth Level. For a twenty-four-year-old, this was remarkable, but compared to Ming He, it was nothing extraordinary.
“Hey, Ming He!” a soft voice called from behind. Ming He turned to see a girl in red, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Liu Xiaole?” Ming He paused for a moment before recalling the girl’s identity—the young master of the Glass Pavilion, whom she had met during the mission to kill the Bloodhand Butcher.
Recognizing Liu Xiaole, Ming He’s eyes flickered with surprise. Two months ago, Liu Xiaole had been at Spirit Guiding Fifth Level, but now she had reached Spirit Guiding Seventh Level. Advancing two levels in such a short time was undoubtedly a sign of talent.
“It’s good to see you,” Ming He replied with a faint smile, nodding at the enthusiastic Liu Xiaole.
“Friend Ming,” a young man in white from the Qing Shan Sect team noticed Ming He and gave her a respectful nod, his demeanor polite yet reserved.
Ming He returned the gesture. It was Zhang Lintian, an inner sect disciple of Qing Shan Sect.
Peng Hao, the young master of Qing Shan Sect, observed Zhang Lintian’s action and let out a displeased snort. However, he refrained from causing a scene, knowing Zhang Lintian was the eldest elder’s disciple.
“Ming He, look over there. That’s Ling Meng, the young master of Wu Ji Palace. He’s at Xuan Wei Seventh Level and is leading this expedition. Though his cultivation isn’t as high as Qin Chu Yi or Yun Zhao Feng’s, he’s only twenty-five,” Liu Xiaole said excitedly, pointing out a striking figure at the head of the Wu Ji Palace group.
Ming He followed Liu Xiaole’s gaze and saw a twenty-five-year-old at Xuan Wei Seventh Level, clearly underappreciated in Luoyin City. She wondered what her own cultivation level would be at twenty-five.
Her thoughts drifted momentarily, and as she pulled her gaze away, she caught sight of a young man in black clothes standing silently behind Young Master Ling Meng of Wu Ji Palace. It was Zhao Zhi Yuan, the fourth son of the Zhao Clan from Qing Shi Town.
She recognized quite a few familiar faces.
Ming He narrowed her eyes, no longer looking around, as she listened attentively to Liu Xiaole chattering on about the talented cultivators making waves in Luoyin City.
"Look, the one over there with the whip is Sun Yue, the top cultivator of the loose cultivators alliance at Spirit Guiding stage," Liu Xiaole said, her tone showing a hint of bitterness. "He is now at Spirit Guiding Nine Levels, and he will be one of our fierce competitors for opportunities in the cave dwelling."
"Su, the inherited disciple, knows many people, and they are all talented disciples of their sects." This thought arose in the hearts of the inner sect disciples of Liu Yun Sect nearby, filling their gazes towards her with increased respect.
Ming He rose rapidly in Liu Yun Sect, quickly advancing from an outer sect disciple to an inherited disciple. However, her foundation was shallow and her experiences few, leaving her accomplishments pale in comparison to those of the other inherited disciples.
Thus, Liu Yun Sect did not particularly regard her highly. While their gazes were respectful, they still held onto a stubborn disdain until she defeated an inner sect disciple of the Wang family and killed the Bloodhand Butcher, earning wide fame and influence.
At this moment, facing a young master from the Glass Pavilion who was undoubtedly more gifted than Yun Zhao Feng, they finally acknowledged her identity and capabilities.
"Why hasn’t it started yet?" As time dragged on, some sect disciples participating in the trial of the cave dwelling began to grumble. "The cave dwelling is clearly open; why aren’t we allowed in?"
"All you talented ones, please be patient. The people from Hehuan Sect have not yet arrived," a cultivator from the city lord’s estate wiped his sweat and spoke soothingly.
"Hmph!" A cultivator snorted quietly, falling silent.
Hehuan Sect was the top sect in Luoyin City, and no one dared to offend them lightly.
As the sun lowered, with anticipation building among the sect disciples, the team from Hehuan Sect finally arrived—albeit rather late.
"Ming He, look, the one in purple walking at the front is Zheng Qi, the young master of Hehuan Sect. It’s said he’s around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, at Xuan Wei Ninth Level, just a step away from Dust Dispersal stage," Liu Xiaole eagerly explained to Ming He.
Ming He casually lifted her gaze and saw a young man in purple with a refined presence… a man?
A man! Ming He was taken aback; the young master of Hehuan Sect was a man? She had expected someone stunningly beautiful, a captivating beauty of immense allure, but instead, it was just a young man!
That’s… quite unexpected!
Liu Xiaole chuckled knowingly, “I couldn’t believe my eyes the first time I saw him either.”
Hehuan Sect was the number one sect in Luoyin City, known for walking the line of righteousness and wickedness, practicing dual cultivation as they blended yin and yang, often employing seductive speech. Most of their cultivators were female, with captivating appearances, and their practice of the "Hehuan Formula" was enchanting enough to captivate souls. Such a sect having a male young master was bound to surprise many.
Ming He shifted her gaze back, arms crossed, maintaining her usual indifferent demeanor, standing lazily while keeping her customary caution.
"Ming He, look, there’s a woman standing next to the young master of Hehuan Sect. Could she be his partner?" Liu Xiaole’s voice broke the silence as the Hehuan Sect cultivators arrived, causing her words to ring loud.
Cultivators possessed stronger senses than ordinary people, and thus, Liu Xiaole’s remarks naturally reached the ears of the red-clad woman standing beside Young Master Zheng Qi.
"Young Master," Zheng Qi frowned, displeased, as he overheard Liu Xiaole’s commentary. "Should I teach her a lesson?"
With such a distinguished status, how could he be discussed casually by a mere Spirit Guiding stage cultivator?
"No need to pay her any mind," the woman, referred to as Young Master by Zheng Qi, replied softly, raising her gaze to meet Ming He’s, who was casually scanning the surroundings.
In that moment of eye contact, both saw an instant of surprise in each other’s eyes. Ming He paused, reflecting on the beauty of the cultivation world before calmly looking away.
It seemed a shame that such a beauty was in Hehuan Sect, especially since, in terms of looks, she far surpassed someone named Zheng Qi.
The red-clad woman watched Ming He for a moment before shifting her gaze back, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced at Zheng Qi, a hint of condescension ingrained in her demeanor. "Let them begin."
"Yes," Zheng Qi replied respectfully, although concern flickered in his heart. "Young Master, do you really wish to suppress your cultivation and enter yourself? After all, disciples below Xuan Wei realm in Hehuan Sect can also get through, and since we have more slots…"
"I’m certain," the red-clad woman waved him off, interrupting his persuasion. Why would she let others do the work when she could handle it herself?
So what if there were many slots? That was an ancient spiritual artifact. Who wouldn’t want it? But now, it would only be hers.
With the nod from Hehuan Sect, the cultivators from the city lord’s estate officially opened the cave dwelling door, revealing a swirl of white mist that concealed the scenery within, casting an air of mystery and depth.
"The ancient cave dwelling is now officially open. Disciples below Xuan Wei realm from all sects may enter. Remember, based on the calculations holding our compass, the cave dwelling will automatically close in a month. Please exit in time before the closure or bear the consequences," a cultivator from the city lord’s estate clearly announced, then stepped aside.
Ming He followed the inner sect disciples of Liu Yun Sect as they entered the cave dwelling in an orderly fashion. Just before stepping inside, she glanced back at Qin Chu Yi, who was looking away from the red-clad woman and offered her a faint smile that was barely noticeable.
Ming He blinked and subtly nodded before stepping into the white mist, quickly vanishing from sight.
"Young Master, was there something wrong with that red-clad woman?" Dan Wu noticed his Young Master’s gaze and curiously asked.
"I don’t know; I’m not sure," Qin Chu Yi replied, gazing at the red-clad woman, who moved gracefully through the crowd, yet somehow felt unsettling. "She… feels very strong." Therefore, she shouldn’t be at the Spirit Guiding stage.
"It’s just Spirit Guiding stage. No matter how strong she is, she can’t compare to the Young Master," Dan Wu shrugged it off. "If she’s hiding her cultivation, the cave dwelling’s restrictions will eliminate her."
The ancient cave dwelling was layered with restrictions, and since those below Xuan Wei realm could not enter, it would not allow cultivators above Spirit Guiding Nine Levels as this was an ancient cave dwelling.
"Perhaps I’m overthinking it," Qin Chu Yi sighed and decided not to dwell further, remembering Ming He had mentioned wanting to retrieve the Star Lock.
Since she said that, he would wait quietly.
After all, she had no other options now.
She lowered her gaze, remaining silent, as her hands, gathered in the white sleeves, turned pale.
Thousands of miles away, in a hidden chamber, a sudden sound of a sword ringing pierced the air.
In the center of the concealed chamber, a woman in black, seated cross-legged and manipulating array flags, rose with an unsettled expression. "The North Star Sword has called."
"What is that?" she murmured, shutting her eyes briefly before reopening them; a charming smile spread across her face. "The Fabled One’s cave dwelling? How intriguing."
The woman in black chuckled and took out several array flags, each with different designs, placing them in a specific formation. As she performed hand seals, spiritual energy flowed, creating a black vortex in the center of the chamber that began to spin, attempting to draw in anything nearby.
"Come here," the woman in black commanded softly, extending her right hand to grasp the long sword that whizzed from the depths of the chamber, stepping into the vortex and disappearing the next moment.
