Chapter 293

Chapter 293: Taking Initiative to Enter the Cave

Lou Yun walked with extreme caution, stopping after almost every step to sense his surroundings. It wasn’t that he was timid, but after hearing Wen Zhi Lao Ren’s description of the Thousand Layer Cave’s interior, he genuinely wished to avoid being sucked inside.

When Lou Yun reached a spot roughly ten meters from the cave entrance, he had just lifted his foot when he immediately felt an immense suction force, pulling his foot upward!

Fortunately, Lou Yun had prepared in advance, circulating spiritual energy throughout his body. The moment he detected the powerful pull on his foot, he channeled spiritual energy to it and yanked outward fiercely. Though he staggered backward several steps from losing balance, nearly tumbling to the ground, he ultimately managed to wrench his foot free of the suction.

This hardly unexpected encounter instantly drenched Lou Yun in cold sweat. Steadying himself, he forced a bitter smile and muttered, "Seems my luck is at rock bottom. On my first visit, I encounter the strongest suction ever!"

He remained rooted, not daring to advance further. Though he wanted to give it a try to gauge the suction’s true strength, he couldn’t bring himself to take the risk.

Since the cave’s suction varied, Lou Yun decided to wait until it weakened before attempting again. He turned and sat on a nearby rock. He didn’t know how frequently the suction fluctuated but assumed it wouldn’t change too swiftly. This was his chance to rest, preparing for any potential emergencies.

Staring at the mountaintop, the scene from thirty years ago involuntarily surfaced in Lou Yun’s mind—he could almost visualize Gui You Quan retreating under the Five Great Masters’ relentless assault until he stood before this very cave entrance. Seeing this, the Five Great Masters’ faces lit with triumph; this was precisely their goal.

So they intensified their onslaught, unleashing every last ounce of spiritual energy without reserve. Gui You Quan edged closer and closer to the cave until he finally entered the suction’s range.

Though Gui You Quan sensed the pull from behind, his formidable cultivation allowed him to resist it while still battling the Five Great Masters. Yet trapped between the imminent threat before him and the suction behind, Gui You Quan ultimately tumbled into the cave, plummeting deep into its abyss.

The Five Great Masters swiftly gathered at the cave entrance, standing guard vigilantly in case Gui You Quan reemerged… Naturally, he never did, and thirty years slipped by…

Lou Yun shook his head, pulling himself from memory back to the present. Dwelling on the past served no purpose; he must focus on analyzing the current situation.

He had now reached the Thousand Layer Cave his Second brother mentioned. Yet he saw no trace of Second brother or anyone else, nor any sign of struggle. Still, Second brother wouldn’t deceive Dai Rong by claiming to come here if he hadn’t. Therefore, he must have arrived, only to depart for some unknown reason.

His departure could only stem from two possibilities: either Gui You Quan had escaped, or he hadn’t.

If Gui You Quan had emerged yet no battle ensued, he might have fled immediately upon realizing he couldn’t defeat the Five Great Masters. They wouldn’t let him escape and must have pursued him.

Alternatively, the Five Great Masters likely stationed subordinates nearby to monitor the area, reporting any anomalies. Second brother’s presence here hinted at some disturbance. Perhaps they rushed over only to find it a false alarm, prompting their departure.

Lou Yun hoped for the latter, yet he knew the odds were slim. The journey from here to Yulu Mountain Manor took merely half a day. If it truly were a false alarm, Second brother should have returned by now. Something had clearly gone wrong.

Thus, Lou Yun sat there, pondering every possibility. Over an hour later, he abruptly stood up and shook his head vigorously. The more he contemplated, the messier his thoughts became, yielding no answers. He decided to stop overthinking.

Returning to the boundary where he’d first felt the suction, Lou Yun took a deep breath and concentrated spiritual energy in one foot before slowly extending it.

His foot hovered in mid-air, completely still. The fearsome suction he’d experienced earlier had weakened!

Tentatively, step by step, Lou Yun inched toward the cave entrance, advancing until he was only two meters away. Then, a faint suction tugged at his foot—significantly weaker than before—and Lou Yun easily pulled free.

Though the suction was mild, Lou Yun dared not proceed. The dark, gaping maw before him resembled a beast’s jaws, ready to suck unwary trespassers in for a meal.

Suddenly, a thought struck him: what if the Five Great Masters, including Second brother, had been sucked into this cave?

Logically, this was unlikely. Having imprisoned Gui You Quan in the Thousand Layer Cave, they were well aware of its power and wouldn’t recklessly charge inside.

Shaking his head, Lou Yun dismissed the idea as absurd. He steadied himself to observe the entrance. Right then, a gust of wind blew out of the cave, carrying with it a wisp of white light that drifted unsteadily toward him.

Intrigued by this gleam emerging from the cave, Lou Yun moved like lightning, snatching it between two fingers. He focused intently to examine his catch.

The moment he identified the object, tremors wracked his body as if struck by lightning. Wide-eyed and paralyzed, he stared ahead.

Pinched between his fingers was a meter-long strand of pure white hair.

A strand of white hair floating from the cave shouldn’t typically evoke such shock; aging humans almost universally grow them. Yet most cultivators’ bodies far surpass ordinary physiology once they reach certain heights, preventing gray hair unless they permit it. While many resent white hair as a symbol of aging, others disregard it—like Beichen Ming, whose entire mane was white.

Those with white locks usually tied them into braids or buns behind their heads, giving the hair noticeable curves.

But this hair Lou Yun held was exceptional: long, straight, and luminous, gleaming snow-white.

Such hair belonged to only one person Lou Yun had ever witnessed—his eldest brother, Leng Cangqiong, the White-haired God of Death.

Leng Cangqiong’s white hair was innate, not acquired with age. Combined with his unrestrained, wild disposition, he always let it cascade freely down his back—thus, long, straight, and radiant.

Therefore, Lou Yun instantly recognized this strand had fallen from his eldest brother’s head.

This implied not only Beichen Ming, his Second brother, had come to the Thousand Layer Cave, but even Leng Cangqiong had journeyed here too!

Upon regaining his senses, Lou Yun’s mind raced into action. He and Leng Cangqiong had parted ways three months ago in Binhai City, leaving him with no further news. Leng Cangqiong had even pledged to aid Lou Yun in storming Domineering Island yet broke his promise—uncharacteristic unless some dire matter trapped him beyond escape.

Lou Yun had long puzzled over what force in this world could ensnare his elder brother. Now, seeing this strand of hair, he understood: Leng Cangqiong had also been drawn to the Thousand Layer Cave.

Though Leng Cangqiong ranked among the era’s paramount experts when the Five Great Masters confronted Gui You Quan thirty years prior, his infamy and reclusive pride likely deterred any alliance.

As for why Leng Cangqiong would appear at the Thousand Layer Cave now, undoubtedly Second brother had summoned him.

Lou Yun’s reasoning was sound. After separating from Leng Cangqiong three months earlier, the latter intended to visit his younger sister at Yulu Mountain Manor. But nearing the manor, Leng Cangqiong serendipitously encountered Beichen Ming departing.

Now bonded as brothers through Lou Yun, Beichen Ming hid nothing regarding his destination and purpose. Hearing this, Leng Cangqiong volunteered to accompany him.

Earlier assumptions by Lou Yun and Wen Zhi Lao Ren were correct. Though the Five Great Masters sealed Gui You Quan within the Thousand Layer Cave, he wasn’t confirmed dead. Thus, all five remained vigilant, rotating sentry duties near Fei Xia Mountain for any minor disturbance requiring immediate report. This duty persisted uninterrupted for thirty years.

Three months prior, a subordinate of Ao Wushen indeed detected terrifyingly powerful energy surges inside the Thousand Layer Cave. He urgently notified Ao Wushen, who contacted the remaining four masters. Immediately, they abandoned their affairs and rushed to the cave.

As witnesses who’d battled Gui You Quan, they knew imprisonment over thirty years without death implied he’d found an exit method. This return meant life-or-death combat: either Gui You Quan perished or they perished. Therefore, Beichen Ming appeared grave upon departure, giving Dai Rong parting words akin to last testament—and intentionally concealing the Thousand Layer Cave destination from Lou Yun.

Despite Lou Yun’s prowess against others, facing Gui You Quan would be mere suicide!

Staring at his brother’s hair strand now, thoughts flashed through Lou Yun’s mind like lightning. Both older brothers vanished simultaneously over three months. Since Leng Cangqiong’s hair emerged from the cave, their whereabouts were incontestably clear.

Drawing a deep breath, Lou Yun cast aside hesitation. Withdrawing spiritual energy from his feet, he enveloped his entire being with it, then gently stepped forward. The cave’s suction immediately seized him, pulling him inside.