The End of the Cave, Ancient Cultivators

Chapter 61 At the End of the Cave, Ancient Cultivators (4,000 words)

Now that there was no way back, Yu Zhao and the other two could only continue forward. The two women had explored the even more eerie ruins of Zhenbei City, so they were not afraid of the current situation.

Furthermore, both women have always been resilient and believe that when problems arise, they should be solved, and fear is meaningless.

If it can't be solved? Then it's even simpler: the worst that can happen is death.

Since we've all come here seeking opportunities, we're naturally prepared to risk our lives.

Fortune and wealth are found in danger; if you succeed, it's because you were born to survive; if you fail and lose your life, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Unlike Yu Zhao and the others, Zhang Yanqiu grew up in the Dragon Tiger Holy Land since childhood and has never experienced any storms in his life.

Even when he travels the world outside the sect, he has protectors who accompany him. Zhang Yanqiu himself knows that he will not be in any danger. If he encounters something that threatens his life, his protectors will take action.

But now, in the ruins, without his protector, Zhang Yanqiu felt fear for the first time in his life—the fear of being powerless to control his own destiny.

If he could turn back time, he would never have entered this site; he had seriously underestimated it.

Zhang Yanqiu originally thought that the biggest danger in the ruins would come from other Golden Core cultivators, so he didn't take it to heart and thought that with his uncle protecting him, he could walk around the ruins with impunity.

But I never expected that my uncle would die so soon after he came in, and so silently.

How could this not terrify him?

He followed cautiously behind the two women, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, like a frightened bird, easily startled by the slightest sound, looking like a thief trying to steal coal.

There was not a trace of the demeanor of a former disciple of a major sect.

Glancing at the other person's appearance out of the corner of his eye, Yu Zhao frowned in displeasure, his voice becoming more serious: "Straighten your back. What kind of behavior is this, a senior disciple of the Dragon Tiger Holy Land, behaving like this, stealing chickens and dogs?"

""

"But Junior Uncle—I can't control myself, I'm scared!"

Zhang Yanqiu looked aggrieved. He knew he had lost face, but he couldn't suppress the fear in his heart.

"Is this your first time exploring a historical site?" Shen Yunshu asked curiously.

"It's not the first time, but this is the first time I've encountered such a bizarre site."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhao stopped in her tracks. She knew that Zhang Yanqiu was on the verge of losing his courage, and if she didn't find a way to help him regain his courage, things would get very dangerous.

It could even drag them down.

She couldn't let Zhang Yanqiu die here. His death would cause a lot of trouble, and who would take them to the Dragon Tiger Holy Land if he died?

Thinking this, Yu Zhao decided to help Zhang Yanqiu overcome his fear first. After stopping, she looked at Zhang Yanqiu with bright eyes and said, "Zhang Yanqiu, you are only scared out of your wits because of your uncle's death. Your uncle's death seems strange, but it is nothing in fact."

There may be some powerful being deep inside this cave, but it must be seriously injured, or even sealed away.

If the opponent is truly incredibly powerful, they wouldn't use their divine sense to kill; their mere aura would be enough to crush us. The reason they use their divine sense is simply to scare us away.

This further exposes the fact that the other party lacks confidence.

Yu Zhao's words really worked. After calming down, Zhang Yanqiu thought about it and realized that it was indeed true.

If the being in the cave is truly powerful, it would be enough to kill them, who are at the Foundation Establishment stage, simply by releasing its pressure. Why would it need to use its divine sense?

Junior Uncle is right. The opponent is definitely not at his peak. So what is there to be afraid of?

I have a protective magic treasure given to me by my master, and I am also protected by a wisp of my master's divine sense. Even if I really encounter a powerful figure in the cave, it is not impossible for me to kill him!

With that thought, Zhang Yanqiu straightened up and reverted to his arrogant demeanor as the senior disciple of the Dragon Tiger Holy Land.

"Thank you so much, Junior Uncle. Yanqiu almost had his Dao Heart shattered. I will forever remember your kindness in protecting me!"

He bowed to Yu Zhao with the most solemn salute of the Dragon Tiger Holy Land. Yu Zhao's words were like a morning bell, awakening him. If it weren't for her, he would have continued to live in fear and it would have been difficult for him to achieve anything in this life.

This kindness is immense.

Yu Zhao didn't take it seriously, and patted the other's arm. "Since you call me Junior Uncle, then we're family. Family doesn't need to be so formal."

"Yes, we're family, no need for formalities. Junior Uncle, if you ever have any orders, Yanqiu will not dare disobey!"

Zhang Yanqiu patted his chest and made the promise, his admiration for Yu Zhao growing stronger, and he was completely impressed by Yu Zhao's noble character.

Seeing this guy so moved and grateful, Shen Yunshu turned her head away and curled her lips, thinking to herself, "This guy really doesn't understand my senior sister at all. Luckily, you idiot woke up in time, otherwise my senior sister would definitely kill you."

Others may not understand Yu Zhao, but Shen Yunshu knows her temperament very well.

If you want to be friends with her senior, Yu Zhao, you first have to be useful. The more useful you are, the better she will treat you.

Conversely, if you are useless and become a burden, she will abandon you without mercy, or even kill you outright.

Zhang Yanqiu was like that; he practically teetered on the brink of death. Not to mention Yu Zhao, even Shen Yunshu had the idea of ​​killing him.

They don't welcome a useless person who loses their composure when things go wrong in their team.

Fortunately, this idiot realized his mistake in time, otherwise killing him would have been a real hassle.

While inwardly grumbling, Shen Yunshu watched as her senior sister completely fooled the other party, finding it quite amusing.

After a while, once Zhang Yanqiu had completely calmed down, the three of them continued on their way, but this time Zhang Yanqiu was in the lead.

After traveling for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Yu Zhao, whose divine sense was the strongest, noticed something amiss ahead and said, "Stop!"

Zhang Yanqiu and Shen Yunshu obediently looked at Yu Zhao together.

Yu Zhao continued, "There's something unusual ahead, so be careful."

As soon as she finished speaking, she summoned a bronze coffin and a vajra. The bronze coffin transformed into a three-inch-sized coffin that floated above her head, emitting streams of light that protected the three of them.

With a bronze coffin on his head and a vajra in his hand, Yu Zhao walked forward cautiously.

Upon seeing the bronze coffin and the mourning staff, Zhang Yanqiu was stunned. "Is there something wrong with my junior uncle's magic weapon? Does this look like a magic weapon that a righteous cultivator would use?"

Why do these coffins and mourning sticks exude such a powerful aura? Aren't these kinds of magical artifacts the favorites of demonic cultivators?

Filled with doubt, Zhang Yanqiu didn't dare disturb Yu Zhao, so he spoke to Shen Yunshu, "Uncle Shen, how come my junior uncle knows how to use such a magic weapon?"

Shen Yunshu was quite pleased with being addressed as "Uncle-Master Shen" and was willing to chat with him. "Don't you think this doesn't seem like a magic weapon that a righteous cultivator would use?"

Zhang Yanqiu didn't dare to nod, but the look of astonishment in his eyes revealed his thoughts.

"Look, you're being superficial. It's just the form of a magic weapon. Who says righteous cultivators can't have magic weapons with a slightly strange appearance?"

Look at your junior uncle's two magic weapons. Apart from their slightly unusual appearance, their aura is perfectly upright and righteous.

That makes sense, but Zhang Yanqiu still felt something was off. However, he didn't have time to think about it at the moment, so he simply suppressed his doubts and ignored it.

After a while, Yu Zhao and the other two arrived at the unusual location. There were corpses lying on the ground, and Yu Zhao even saw some acquaintances.

It was none other than the monk Huizhen, the master of the young monk Kongxiang.

She checked and found that these cultivators, like Zhang Yanqiu's unlucky uncle, had all died from the annihilation of their sea of ​​consciousness.

Yu Zhao did not find his cheap master Qingxuan among the corpses, and guessed that his cheap master must have escaped.

But it makes sense, really. That cheap master may seem simple-minded on the surface, but he is actually extremely shrewd. It would be really strange if he were to perish here.

"It's actually the Chess Master!" Zhang Yanqiu exclaimed in surprise, pointing at a corpse.

Yu Zhao and her companion looked up at the sound and saw an old man with a serene and otherworldly appearance lying there.

"Who is this chess master?" Yu Zhao asked Zhang Yanqiu.

After calming himself down, Zhang Yanqiu replied, "This is a Nascent Soul cultivator, a Supreme Elder of Tianya Pavilion."

At this point, Zhang Yanqiu remembered that his junior uncle probably didn't know what kind of power Tianya Pavilion was, so he added, "Although Tianya Pavilion is not as famous as the Five Great Holy Lands, it is still quite well-known. Moreover, they have friends all over the world, so they can be said to be the sect with the best interpersonal relationships."

"oh."

Yu Zhao simply responded with an "oh." She wasn't interested in what kind of power Tianya Pavilion was; she was only interested in the storage magic treasures found on these corpses.

Her little hand reached directly for the storage bag of this Nascent Soul expert. Seeing that she was about to take it, Zhang Yanqiu quickly stopped her, "Junior Uncle, you can't take this storage bag. The Supreme Elder of Tianya Pavilion died here. If we take his storage bag, we won't be able to explain ourselves."

Although the Dragon Tiger Holy Land is not afraid of the Heavenly Edge Pavilion, it is not good to offend them for no reason.

Yu Zhao thought it made sense, so she could only suppress her heartache and put down the little hand, then called the two of them to continue on their way.

One hour later.

The three of them reached the end.

At the end of this path is a stone platform, around which a stream flows, its water displaying a dreamy, rainbow-colored hue.

A figure sat upright on the stone platform. It was a woman dressed in white with her beautiful hair flowing down her back. Her face was exquisite, and she sat on the stone platform with lifelike features, as if she were simply meditating and breathing.

But it was clear she was dead; a long sword had pierced through her head.

Upon seeing this scene, Shen Yunshu and Zhang Yanqiu were both dumbfounded, looking on in disbelief.

They recognized what the seven-colored water in the stream was, which is why they were so astonished.

This precious treasure has actually gathered together to form a stream!

"Senior sister! Senior sister!"

When Shen Yunshu called out to Yu Zhao, her voice trembled with excitement. "That's Heavenly Spring Glass Water! Heavenly Spring Glass Water!"

Seeing her junior sister so excited, Yu Zhao knew that this was an excellent product, because it was the first time she had ever seen her junior sister so out of control.

"Calm down first."

"I can't calm down! Senior Sister, you don't know what a treasure this is! A single drop of this Heavenly Spring Water can transform a cultivator, and there's a whole pool of it here!"

Shen Yunshu was making a lot of noise, while Zhang Yanqiu was even more unable to control himself and had already taken out a jade bottle from his storage ring to fill it with the Heavenly Spring Glass Water.

Upon witnessing his actions, Yu Zhao kicked him away without hesitation, saying, "You fucking asked for trouble, don't drag us down with you. Have you forgotten what we encountered on our way here?"

What's wrong with this person? He was terrified before, but now that he's seen the treasure, he's incredibly greedy.

If this thing is really the treasure that the green tea girl talks about, then how come there are so many of them?

Besides, even if it really is, rushing to take it would be suicidal.

Yu Zhao refused to believe that there weren't some hidden protective measures left behind by powerful figures here.

Zhang Yanqiu calmed down after being kicked by Yu Zhao. He sat on the ground and rubbed his temples, feeling very confused. What was wrong with me? How could I be so greedy? I've seen Heavenly Spring Glass Water before—thinking of this, Zhang Yanqiu's expression changed!

He immediately exclaimed in alarm, "There's something wrong with this Heavenly Spring Glass Water!"

The two women: "————"

We've found it, thank you.

Although Shen Yunshu was initially pleasantly surprised, she did not let the rare treasure overwhelm her rationality. After the initial excitement, she quickly realized that something was wrong.

As for Yu Zhao, needless to say, she realized that this thing was not simple as soon as she saw it.

It has to be said that Zhang Yanqiu is far inferior to the two women in terms of mentality.

This is also related to their living environment. Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu were born into demonic cultivation. In a place like Qingfeng Temple, which was full of scheming, they would have been tricked to death long ago if they were not careful.

Those fellow disciples might be drinking and chatting with you one second, and the next second they might be poisoning your drink.

Having survived in such an environment, Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu definitely have a much better mentality than ordinary cultivators.

Neither of the two women paid any attention to Zhang Yanqiu. Yu Zhao stepped forward, clasped her hands in a salute to the female corpse on the stone platform, and said, "Please forgive us, senior. The three of us are exploring the ruins. If we have disturbed your meditation, we will leave now. We hope that you will be lenient."

"You're quite polite, kid."

As Yu Zhao finished speaking, a phantom flew out from the corpse, hovered in front of her, looked her up and down, and asked with a smile, "You saw the Heavenly Spring Water but left without taking a single drop. Are you content, little girl?"

"To be honest, I'm not willing to accept it, but since you don't want me to take it, I won't. Compared to this opportunity, my life is more important."

In fact, Yu Zhao didn't expect to actually summon the person in question; she was just being polite out of habit.

However, despite not expecting it, she was able to remain calm after actually meeting the person in question.

She realized that this was just a remnant soul, and if the other party didn't want to be dignified, she had ways to help them be dignified.

Yu Zhao's answer satisfied the female cultivator's remnant soul, so she did nothing more. Her eyes revealed a sense of vicissitude, and she asked, "Child, what year is it today?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhao looked at Shen Yunshu, who immediately understood and replied, "Replying to Senior, it is now the 313th year of the Great Yan Anping era."

Dayan was the name of the state, and Anping 313 was the reign title.

The Five Regions are still nominally part of the territory of the Dayan Empire, and naturally use the Dayan Empire's calendar.

Upon hearing this unfamiliar year, the sorrow on the female cultivator's remnant soul's face deepened, to the point that Yu Zhao and the other two couldn't help but want to cry.

This is because the female cultivator's remnant soul was too powerful in life, and her emotions unconsciously filled this place with a desolate atmosphere.

"Time has changed everything, and I can no longer find my old friends."

The female cultivator's remnant soul let out a long sigh, her voice like a lament, which moved all who heard it to sorrow.

Yu Zhao hurriedly activated the bronze coffin floating above his head to ward off the sense of desolation.

At the same time, he was very surprised. Just how strong was this female cultivator in her previous life? Even with only a remnant soul left, she was still so terrifying!

Fortunately, she was completely dead, otherwise there would have been no way to deal with her.

Damn it! Why are all the relics in this world so terrifying? Do the powerful beings in this world have some kind of twisted sense of humor, leaving behind relics that seem not to offer opportunities to future generations, but rather to trap and kill them?

Tsk tsk tsk, people's hearts are truly treacherous.