Chapter 116 Eerie Profound Cave, Rooftop Alien Demon

In the current Great Qian, the cultivation of the Martial Dao was divided into three great factions: Daoist, Buddhist, and Demon.

The Taoist Sect was the most prosperous, with formidable Sects spread across Great Qian’s Three Capitals, Two Dao, and Fourteen States. Previously, Duan Jue had even intended to recommend Xu Guang to join the Cyan Cloud Sect, which was the strongest Taoist Sect lineage in Qing State. However, the Taoist Sect placed the utmost importance on inheritance. Yujing Mountain, Shouyang Mountain, and Kunlun Mountain were the three most powerful lineages of the current Taoist Sect. If one acquired the inheritance of Yujing Mountain, it would easily be exposed if one wasn’t careful. Being recognized would bring far too much trouble, even though Xu Guang was deeply interested in the famous Yujing Martial Dao.

Moreover, the middle two options seemed to harbor unspeakable secrets. He suspected those Cultivation Techniques had been tampered with, and he couldn’t be bothered to seek out such trouble. At the very least, the trouble with the first option was out in the open. It was merely the mechanisms left behind at Yuchi Xu’s place of passing. Aside from that, there shouldn’t be any other issues. As for the mechanisms, since they already existed, he could simply leave them to the Searcher.

Looking at the estimated time displayed on the panel, Xu Guang smiled.

"Husband, what’s wrong? You seem to have suddenly become much happier." Ji Xiaolu had keen senses. Noticing the shift in Xu Guang’s mood, she asked softly.

Xu Guang chuckled and patted her shoulder. "There is indeed good news, but we’ll have to separate for a while. I need to head out for a trip. If it’s fast, I’ll be back in ten days or so. If it’s slow, it’ll take a month."

Worry surfaced on Ji Xiaolu’s face. After a moment of hesitation, she gently rested her head on his shoulder. "Then please be careful in everything you do. Zhan’Er and I will be waiting for you."

Xu Guang stroked her head. Ever since Ji Xiaolu became the Wei River God, an extraordinary aura had settled over her, making people instinctively want to draw near. Her facial features also seemed more refined, carrying a faint trace of divinity. Fortunately, her emotions remained as rich as ever, and the gaze she directed at Xu Guang was still full of deep affection.

"Don’t worry. I’m just going to fetch something. It will be very quick," he assured her.

Ji Xiaolu was worried, and Xu Guang was worried too. Ultimately, in order to become stronger, he had no choice but to accept this risk. Fortunately, with Ghostly Roar and the Mountain Armor Monkey present, there was no need to worry in the short term. After all, this place was considered a desolate mountain wilderness, and it was guarded by the surging Wei River.

Early morning.

Ji Xiaolu helped Xu Guang tidy his clothes and earnestly packed his belongings, just as she usually did at home. Her face carried the reluctance of parting that one only showed to close family.

"You don’t need to worry about us. I am the Wei River Water God now, after all. Although I’m very weak, I still possess some Divine Power. With Ghostly Roar helping me, nothing will go wrong."

Xu Guang stroked her cheek and said softly, "You can explain things to eldest sister later. I’m leaving now."

Song Tao arrived at the right moment, leading the Cyan-Scaled Horse from outside. Taking some powder from his clothes, he offered, "Lord Ming, these are some poisonous powders I refined recently. This one can induce slumber, and this one can cause..."

Xu Guang accepted them one by one, then mounted his horse and galloped rapidly into the distance. A thunderstorm had recently passed, filling the official road with the scent of damp earth. Xu Guang’s heart was exceptionally calm.

Ten days later.

Following the Cyan-Scaled Horse’s continuous overnight galloping, Xu Guang arrived at the foot of Two-Arm Mountain’s Hidden Cloud Peak. The sky was perfectly clear. The surrounding mountain forests seemed to be inhaling clouds and exhaling mist, brewing all sorts of extraordinary things. As Xu Guang walked through it, his footsteps landed, the fallen leaves echoing with a sharp CRUNCH.

Hidden Cloud Peak wasn’t too far from Feiyun City, only about three hundred miles away. It was incredibly steep, to the point where it could even be called a death trap. The mountain peak was far too perilous, as if it had been cleaved by swords and axes. Various bizarre plants grew on the smooth cliffs, making the entire Hidden Cloud Peak appear even more gloomy and terrifying. The mountain seemed infinitely tall, vanishing into the clouds, hence the name Hidden Cloud Peak. Located deep in an old-growth forest with few animals around, it was not a place Hunters frequented.

Xu Guang gripped the saber in his hand tightly. When traversing such terrain, a long saber was still the most convenient. It was a pity that his Comprehension for this kind of Weapon seemed quite poor. To this day, his Flying Dragon Saber had only reached the level of Refined Skill. He was still a long way from condensing Sword Intent.

The mountain was high and the clouds expansive. Xu Guang seemed to transform into a great ape, constantly advancing along the steep cliff, grabbing the surrounding vines to climb upward. He had to admit, there was a good reason this place was called a death trap—just the path up the mountain was exceedingly arduous.

Halfway up, Xu Guang couldn’t help but sigh. Even with his Four Viscera Power, he had depleted over half of his stamina. He wondered in astonishment just what kind of figure Yuchi Xu truly was. According to the Searcher’s prompts, the man was also at the Refining Viscera realm, so how could he have been so formidable? Could it be that his Qi Blood Power was even more vigorous than his own?

Though shocked, Xu Guang continued to push upward with all his might. Along the way, the steep cliff face was covered in tiny crevices, from which the sound of slithering snakes could be heard. As if he had anticipated it long ago, the moment a vibrantly colored venomous snake lunged out, a short blade appeared in his hand and slashed decisively.

This was the first peril of Hidden Cloud Peak. It was a She Mountain, its peak crawling with all kinds of fierce, venomous snakes.

As the number of venomous snakes increased, Xu Guang’s expression gradually grew solemn, and his physical exertion mounted. Fortunately, reaching a gentle slope finally allowed him to catch his breath. However, before he could fully react, a wisp of cloud and mist suddenly drifted out of the forest. It was yellow and didn’t seem like anything natural.

Xu Guang’s expression changed drastically in an instant. This was...

In the distance, three people were actually walking over slowly. The leader was a woman in a white dress. Her skin was slightly pale, and she wore a beaded veil over her face, covering everything below the bridge of her nose. Her exposed eyes were like rippling autumn waters, brimming with affection and deeply touching. The other two were dressed as Swordsmen in tight-fitting martial attire. One had a ferocious expression, while the other looked pale, his eyes filled with an inexplicable fear.

"This humble woman... is named Jiang Shu. Are you here seeking an Exotic Treasure, sir?" Seeing Xu Guang, the woman didn’t show any panic. She bowed and spoke with a rather wooden demeanor.

Xu Guang remained silent. He wasn’t someone who easily trusted others. Encountering people in such a deserted place always made him feel somewhat uneasy. However, the Combat Power transmitted by the Blood Eye seemed to tell him that these people in front of him weren’t an issue. One Refining Viscera and two Bone Forging—they couldn’t be considered strong.

Xu Guang narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like this feeling.

"Do you know who I am?"

The leading woman who called herself Jiang Shu didn’t answer. She turned around with absolute stiffness. "If you want the Treasure, follow me."

Xu Guang instantly realized something was wrong. He abruptly drew his saber, silver light crisscrossing the air.

SWISH!

The saber, forged with mysterious Iron Sand, was fast. It was so fast that before the three of them could even react, Xu Guang had already lopped off their heads. Yet, not a hint of excitement could be seen on Xu Guang’s face; instead, he looked horrified.

Inside the bodies of those three... there was no blood!

He couldn’t sense the warm current that Blood Refining usually fed back to him.

He quickly backed away. Immediately after, the next scene made him look as if he were witnessing something unbelievable. The corpses of the three people, like flowing water, slowly merged into the mountain rocks!

Xu Guang was stunned. Bursts of chilling cold rushed straight to his scalp, and his heart beat wildly, going THUMP THUMP uncontrollably. He suddenly recalled Duan Jue’s description of a Profound Cave.

The Profound Cave was a place where the two worlds of Xuan Chen intersected. When both worlds fluctuated simultaneously, it was highly likely for a Profound Cave to be born. Profound World Demons could enter the Profound Cave, and because of the intersection of the two worlds, all sorts of inexplicable and mysterious events would occur within it.

However, the majority of Profound Caves could not exist in the world for long. Those that could remain permanently would be suppressed by the world’s formidable Sects or the Court, much like the Profound Cave on Feiyun Peak in Feiyun City. To the strong, Profound Caves were actually opportunities. Achieving a Cultivation level that allowed passage between both worlds was far too difficult, and Profound Caves, to some extent, held Treasures unique to the Profound World. This was also why those behemoth factions would guard the Profound Caves. No one would do something without benefits.

Xu Guang suppressed the panic in his heart and carefully looked around, cursing repeatedly in his mind. The Searcher indicated that a Profound Cave had appeared here, and this Profound Cave had been continuously fed and expanded by Yuchi Xu. He had already been careful enough, climbing up along the cliff face almost the entire way, yet he still hadn’t expected to be dragged into it.

In the years since Yuchi Xu’s death, just what kind of Alien Demon had been born in this Profound Cave?

Xu Guang pushed down these negative emotions. Yuchi Xu was also at the Refining Viscera realm and had managed to survive in this Profound Cave. Being at the Refining Viscera realm as well, he was confident he was no worse than Yuchi Xu.

Taking a few more steps forward, Xu Guang’s expression became strange. Just now, he seemed to have forgotten something. He thought for a long time but couldn’t remember. Forget it, he would look for the Profound Skill first. But what exactly had he forgotten?

Suddenly, the abrupt sound of footsteps came from behind him, accompanied by a wooden voice.

"This humble woman... is named Jiang Shu. Are you here seeking an Exotic Treasure, sir?"

Xu Guang’s expression grew solemn, just like when they first met. After a long moment, he drew his saber and charged.

...

"This humble woman... is named Jiang Shu. Are you here seeking an Exotic Treasure, sir?"

An eerie sense of familiarity welled up in his heart.

Xu Guang halted his steps, feeling his hair stand on end. Turning around, Jiang Shu’s bizarre face appeared before his eyes. He didn’t remember ever meeting Jiang Shu; he only felt that the woman in front of him was incredibly eerie.

The drop of Blood Seal from the Ox Demon within his Celestial Eye surged with a profound aura. Then, his eyes snapped open, revealing his horror.

How did Jiang Shu... come back to life!

And the aura on her body... it seemed to have grown stronger!

Xu Guang’s expression changed drastically. In an instant, he remembered what he had just forgotten and understood exactly what was so bizarre about this Profound Cave. This time, he didn’t attack. Instead, he turned around, rolled backward, and sprinted away at top speed. He ran for nearly a thousand meters in one breath before slowly coming to a halt.

With all three of his eyes wide open, he observed his surroundings. Then, he sat in a tree, closing his eyes to ponder.

He finally understood. The monster in this Profound Cave could resurrect oddities and blur a person’s memories. By doing so, the oddity could absorb the power of the person whose memory was blurred, thus growing stronger. As it stood, it couldn’t affect experts in the Sensing Profound Realm.

He couldn’t help but feel fortunate that he had fought to the death to slay the Ox Demon and seized that drop of Blood Seal. Otherwise... he suspected that if he had sunken into this trap, sooner or later, he would have been reduced to someone like Jiang Shu.

As if realizing it had been seen through, the Profound Cave dropped its disguise.

At a certain moment, the world turned upside down. The grayish-yellow soil looked as if it had been soaked by rainwater, revealing a bizarre dark red hue. Amid the dampness, a black and red wooden cabin emerged. Above it hovered a layer of dark red airflow that resembled clouds and mist. It pulsed rhythmically, as if it were a living, breathing entity. With its movements, wisps of mist drifted into the air, completely imperceptible...