Chapter 492

Chapter 492: Gone?

The three slowly followed the sound deeper into the mine.

As the noise grew louder, they held their breath, keeping their presence as low as possible to avoid detection by the thief.

However, just as they were about to approach the source of the sound, they all stopped in place because they found themselves at the end of the mine tunnel, with no way to proceed.

"What’s going on?"

"Isn’t the sound coming from this place?"

The three exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of what to do.

Upon listening closely, it seemed the sound was coming from even deeper.

Yet the mine they were in was already the deepest one, and there were no other tunnels in this Demon Spirit Ore mountain.

What on earth?

Although the three were seasoned cultivators, they couldn’t shake off the chill creeping into their hearts.

"Someone is playing tricks, using some kind of spell to confuse us. Although the sound comes from this tunnel, the person may not actually be here. We should search elsewhere."

Steward Wu stated firmly, and the two Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators beside him nodded slightly in agreement.

They immediately set off to explore other mine tunnels.

After half an hour, the three wore even darker expressions.

They had searched all the tunnels, yet they still hadn’t found the source of the sound. Now, they even began to suspect whether there was something wrong with their hearing.

The sound continued to echo around them, now tinged with an eerie quality in the quiet environment.

"Steward, could it be that you misremembered? Perhaps this mine has other entrances and tunnels?"

"Impossible. This mountain is covered with Formations, and the only entrance to the sect’s mine is singular; it’s unlikely anyone could break in and dig a tunnel deep inside without making a sound."

"I also checked during the day, and there were no abnormalities around the mountain."

After hearing this, the two Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators agreed; the Demon Spirit Ore mountain was incredibly sturdy, and even high-level cultivators couldn’t easily dig a tunnel without noise.

But after ruling out these factors, what was the source of the sound?

A deeper chill settled in their hearts; if it wasn’t an external issue, it had to be something happening internally.

"Do you think it could be a demon causing trouble?"

At this moment, one of the Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators suddenly spoke up.

Steward Wu and the other cultivator focused intently on him.

Demons were not mere mortals but a peculiar kind of being; it was said that during the Ancient Times, there were fierce battles between cultivators and demons.

Back then, cultivators were stronger and slain most of the demons.

Yet some weaker demons had hidden themselves away, evading the purge.

Now, with the decline of the Cultivation World, demons were awakening, and perhaps deep within this mountain, there truly were demons stirring.

If it was indeed demons, they would not be a match for the three of them.

The expressions of the three grew serious; Steward Wu was now contemplating whether he should report to the higher-ups and ask the sect elder to come and investigate.

With their levels of cultivation, the primordial spirit energy of the three could not perceive the situation deep within the sealed Demon Spirit Ore mine.

Just as the three hesitated, the sound from deep within the mine suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

The sudden silence sent a chill down their spines.

As a cold wind swept through the mine, the three could no longer suppress their fear and ran out frantically, not caring which way they went.

"Wait for me, Senior Brothers!"

Steward Wu shouted from behind as if a man-eating ghost was chasing him.

However, when the three emerged from the mountain, they found nothing unusual.

But their minds were in chaos.

"Steward, we have other important matters to attend to, so we will not stay longer. As for the spiritual stones you promised earlier, we don’t need them anymore."

After saying this, the two quickly fled the mountain.

A small reward is not worth a big life.

Steward Wu’s expression darkened, but recalling the sound that had suddenly disappeared, he also dared not return to check. However, it seemed as if he had made a certain decision in his heart.

Deep within the mine, Ji Yang scratched his head, feeling as if he had dug a bit off course; the cultivation points he had gathered today were somewhat lacking.

Ji Yang turned to a different direction and continued digging, and the familiar sound echoed through the mountain once more.

…

The next evening, outside the mountain, a figure flew swiftly from afar.

Upon reaching the mountain, the figure gradually slowed down and landed swiftly.

Steward Wu spotted the newcomer and felt a sense of certainty in his heart, hurriedly approaching to flatter,

"I greet Elder Guan."

After yesterday’s incident, he decisively informed the sect elder to come.

Although this could lead to scolding, he felt it was better to clarify what was happening than to leave secrets unresolved.

Elder Guan nodded slightly and promptly asked for a detailed account of what had transpired.

Upon hearing of the suspected demons, Elder Guan’s expression remained calm.

Since the last time, his strength and level had increased, and he was nearing a breakthrough to Unity with the Dao.

"Let’s go, and take a look."

After hearing Steward Wu’s report, Elder Guan took the lead and headed into the mine.

With the elder in front, Steward Wu hesitated no longer and quickly followed.

The two swiftly entered the mine, and Steward Wu hurriedly spoke,

"The sound is much weaker during the day, so please listen carefully, Elder Guan."

With that, they stood still, held their breath, and began to listen intently to the eerie sound.

After a while, Elder Guan’s expression grew somewhat grim.

Meanwhile, Steward Wu appeared completely bewildered.

Where did the sound go?

Why has it disappeared?

Before Elder Guan arrived, he had entered the mine alone and heard that strange noise.

Why did the sound vanish as soon as Elder Guan showed up?

Seeing the unfriendly look from Elder Guan, Steward Wu felt like crying but quickly spoke up:

"Elder, this matter is not a false report from me; it is indeed true. The other disciples in the mine all heard it."

Elder Guan did not reprimand him; he trusted that Steward Wu would not lie about something like this.

Perhaps there were indeed some secrets within the mine.

But that was fine; since he was here, he would not leave empty-handed.

He wanted to see what was causing trouble here.

In the next moment, Elder Guan pressed his palm against the mine wall.

His powerful primordial spirit energy, combined with the essence of the Way, spread along the mine wall to cover the surrounding area.

Although he could not thoroughly investigate the entire mine, he could still grasp a good amount of its overall condition.

After several breaths, Elder Guan slightly frowned.

After ten breaths, his complexion gradually turned pale, yet he did not stop.

After twenty breaths, Elder Guan finally could not maintain his concentration and withdrew his primordial spirit energy.

Steward Wu beside him wore an expectant expression.

With the elder’s efforts, surely they would find the reason, right?

But when he saw Elder Guan slightly shake his head, a sense of unease crept into his heart.

"The mine is completely normal; there is nothing unusual," Elder Guan affirmed.

Steward Wu paused for a moment after hearing this:

"So you mean the sound we heard before was fake?"

"Hmph, do you think my investigation could be wrong?" Elder Guan replied, displeased.

Steward Wu dared not argue any further, but the sound still echoed in his ears.