Chapter 23 [023] Grotto

[This gate hasn’t been opened for thousands of years. We don’t know what’s inside. You must be extra careful, young man!] said the old man.

【I will. 】

After a short rest, the boy's spiritual power recovered a little.

He took out the yellow talisman from his sleeve, bit his fingertip and drew a pattern on it with blood, and then stuck it on the door.

At the moment of injecting spiritual power, the door suddenly exploded! It was as if a huge force rushed out from the talisman paper, directly breaking a hole in the heavy stone door!
The mountain was shaking a little and thick smoke was billowing. Zhongli Jin stood in front of the cave, gently shielding his face with his sleeves. His fiery red headband and hair were swaying in the heat that rushed out from inside.

The young man took another Lingbing Pill to relieve the heat in his body and walked in.

The closed cave was hotter than outside, with gusts of hot wind blowing from inside to outside. The Lingbing Pills kept the body at a normal temperature, but under the continuous blowing of hot wind, Zhongli Jin still felt a little bit of heat.

He reached out and pulled the collar down a little to allow that area of ​​skin to breathe a little.

The old man spoke in his mind with a somewhat vicissitudes of life: [This grotto was used to house some of the wounded during the war between immortals and demons. I brought many alchemists here to treat the wounded and save lives, and to refine elixirs. Resurrection pills and blood-recovery pills are consumed the fastest. I have exhausted all the elixir resources in the entire cultivation world, but I still have to face the continuous deaths every day.]

Zhongli Jin knew about that war.

Although they won the war between immortals and demons ten thousand years ago, the battle was brutal and resulted in countless casualties.

The earth split into many fragments that drifted around the world, which is the predecessor of today's secret realm.

The Magic and Martial Arts Secret Realm is the largest space after the earth split, so the climate and temperature inside are regional.

The monks who went to the battlefield, regardless of gender, age or status, all defended their positions and fought with their lives.

Swords were used to fight, doctors saved people, formations assisted, and talismans protected the law. Finally, all the evil cultivators and ghosts were sealed in the abyss sea.

After the great war between immortals and demons, the world's spiritual energy withered, many powerful people fell, and it entered the Dharma Ending Age which lasted for more than seven thousand years.

During those seven thousand years, although most people had spiritual roots, their cultivation was slow due to the scarcity of spiritual energy, and the highest-level cultivators were only at the Nascent Soul stage.

It was not until seven thousand years later that the spiritual energy gradually recovered and the ascenders finally reappeared.

*
Chen Xiang was not too high from the ground, but it was enough to scare her. After she got tired of scolding him, she lost her temper and went limp like a corpse.

But his eyes were still staring at Shi Qing with hatred.

Cangying was really calm this time and sighed: "You've been taking us for almost a quarter of an hour, let us go, you should also take a rest."

Shi Qing finally stopped, turned around, raised his head slightly, and looked at Cangying seriously: "Stop arguing?"

Cangying shook her head.

"What about you?" She looked at Shen Xiang again.

"...Stop arguing." Although he was very reluctant, he had no choice but to give in to Shi Qing under the current circumstances.

Seeing this, and confirming that they really didn't have the energy to quarrel anymore, Shi Qing agreed to let them go.

She finally let out a satisfied "hmm", nodded, wrapped bandages around the two women, and slowly put them down.

Returning to the ground, Shen Xiang seemed to have come back to life from a dead body.

He immediately moved three feet away from Shi Qing and stared at her vigilantly, not letting anyone get any closer.

Although Cangying is strict with Shiqing regarding her health, they are equals when it comes to matters not concerning her body.

"By the way...where is Junior Brother Zhongli?" Cangying asked.

Shi Qing said: "Let's go."

"The secret realm is not ours. No need to go with us."

In the secret realm, we are not from the same sect, so there is no need to act together.

Cangying was a little worried, "But... Junior Brother Zhongli can't hold a sword now, what if he encounters danger?"

"That's right!" Chen Xiang also agreed: "I could have protected him!"

Cangying: “…”

Shi Qing: “…”

Are you sure it's protection?
"Well, originally we didn't fully plan to act with Junior Brother Zhongli. Let's go find our own opportunities." Cangying was also open-minded. After all, they could see each other every day in Baicao Pavilion after the secret realm ended.

Shi Qing nodded, "Okay." Then he looked at his junior sister in the distance.

Chen Xiang squatted with his back to the two of them, biting his thumb with a worried look on his face: [What should I do, system? I can’t find the hero again! It’s all the fault of the second female lead and the supporting female lead! Otherwise, I would have developed feelings for the hero in the secret realm a long time ago! ]

[Don't worry, host. According to the plot, the hero should be looking for medicinal herbs that can further nourish his spiritual roots. That place is not far from here. I can show you the way! ]

[Show me the way? I have to find it myself? Can't I redeem another teleportation talisman? ]

[Host... you just earned some points. If you exchange them for a teleportation talisman, if you run into danger, won't you just be left to worry? ]

The system does make some sense.

Shen Xiang could only stand up angrily.

He turned around and walked towards Shi Qing and the others again.

"Let's go." She deflated like a ball and followed Shi Qing very reluctantly.

They were all new to the secret realm and didn't know the direction, so they were looking for opportunities. To put it bluntly, they were running around like headless flies, trying their luck.

[Just go this way, this should be the direction! ] Chen Xiang listened to the system and suddenly said to Shi Qing: "I want to go this way!"

Shi Qing glanced at Chen Xiang. The girl looked a little arrogant and said in a commanding tone, "Since you are just going to leave casually, just listen to me!"

As they got closer, Shi Qing heard the system's words again and realized that it was giving directions to his junior sister.

But she was unclear about the purpose of the system.

Cangying heard what Shen Xiang said and asked, "Why do you suddenly want to go this way?"

Chen Xiang said: "I just feel that I should encounter something if I walk this way."

[I'm so lucky to meet my official match! 】

Shi Qing suddenly heard what the junior sister was thinking.

Official match?

What is it? Could it be the magic weapon destined for you?
If that's the case, I should go with her.

"Let's go." Shi Qing said calmly and coldly, "Let's take a look."

If there is any danger, take the two of them and escape immediately.

"Okay." Cangying didn't care where they went, as long as the three of them were together.

*
Zhongli Jin suddenly stopped.

【What's wrong, junior? 】

Zhongli Jin: “…”

[Nothing,] the boy looked back, his smile was a little forced and bitter, [but I suddenly felt a chill on my back, as if - I had a bad premonition, I hope I am just overthinking.]

The further he walked, the more he felt short of breath and chest tightness. It seemed that if he continued walking, his eyes would suddenly close and he would pass out. Zhong Lijin rubbed his temples and took a deep breath.

The old man said: [You can take the Cangxi Pill now. ]

[Okay.] The boy took out a black pill and swallowed it.

The Cangxi Pill can conceal one's body, make it lighter, and reduce one's need to breathe for a short period of time.

Zhongli Jin still managed to refine it successfully that month. Although three or four furnaces were wasted, fortunately he managed to produce three finished pills with good results.

After taking it, the feeling of difficulty breathing was relieved a lot, and my steps became much lighter.

Ahead was a narrow stone path. It was so dark that one could not see one's hand in front of one's face. No one knew what was painted on the stone walls. Even the Night Pearl could not illuminate the surroundings.

Helplessly, Zhongli Jin could only grope forward cautiously.

After finally passing through the long and narrow stone path, the surroundings suddenly became clear.

Many rotten utensils and alchemy furnaces can be seen on the ground, which were probably used ten thousand years ago.

Of course, there are also many bones here, piled up like mountains, layer by layer, scattered like fragments. Most people do not even have a complete skeleton left.

Zhongli Jin stopped and looked at the white bones around him. After a moment, he spoke softly: [Senior, these...]

The old man's voice sounded from behind: "These are the monks who died here ten thousand years ago. I didn't expect their bones to be preserved for ten thousand years."

Zhongli Jin could not sense the existence of the remnant soul for the time being, so he just bowed and saluted.

"Let's go quickly, we are very close to the place where the elixir is made."

The closer you get, the more bones you see.

Zhongli Jin's initially relaxed expression became more solemn and serious.

After a stick of incense, the young man finally arrived at a very spacious place. The rock wall above was suspended in the air like a forest of upside-down bamboo shoots. In the center below, there was a huge stone platform with a cauldron on it that was still emitting light!
"We're here, we're here!" the old man said excitedly, "Come forward, come forward!"

Zhongli Jin was stunned, as if the senior was too excited, and there was a hint of urging in his voice.

He approached the furnace and stared at it.

Its appearance is very exquisite, with smooth lines of carving and engraving, and it emits a faint glow, as if it is well nurtured by spiritual power. Even after ten thousand years, there is no sign of damage.

The young man stretched out his hand and was about to touch the alchemy furnace.

"Touch it quickly! What you want is inside!" The old man became more and more excited and anxious.

Hearing the voice, Zhongli Jin's hand paused and stayed in mid-air.

"What's wrong? What did you stop for?"

Zhongli Jin withdrew his hand, his eyes slightly cold, but the corners of his lips still had a faint arc, and he said calmly: "Nothing, it's just that I suddenly feel a little curious."

"Curious? Curious about what?"

"When you spoke to me before, you only communicated with me through your spiritual consciousness in your mind. But after passing that narrow path just now, how come your voice suddenly appeared behind me?"

"!!"

When it found itself exposed, it immediately wanted to escape, but before it could run, the young man's hand holding a piece of yellow talisman paper was one step faster and with a "snap" it pressed hard on the back of its head!

"Ahhhh!!!"

The talisman paper burned like a fuse, and the raging fire instantly enveloped the surroundings!

Sharp screams suddenly rang out from every corner!

The howling of ghosts and wolves does not sound human.

The raging flames, with their scorching heat, burned all the ghosts to death!

[Junior! Junior! Wake up! !] The old man’s anxious voice finally came from my mind!

The blocked spiritual consciousness was reconnected, and the scene in front of Zhongli Jin suddenly changed from a raging fire to darkness!
When his spirit and consciousness returned, the young man found that he was still in that dark and narrow passage!
[Senior...] Zhongli Jin responded to the old man.

Hearing his voice, the old man breathed a sigh of relief: [Finally woke up, you were walking just now, and suddenly stood still, as if you had lost your soul, motionless, with dull eyes, I called you many times but you didn't respond. ]

[Sorry to have made you worried.] Zhongli Jin rubbed his brows, recalled what happened just now, and said: [Just now, I seemed to have fallen into some kind of illusion.]

[Strange old man, I actually forgot about this.] The old man knocked his head: [I am old, and my memory is not good. Ten thousand years ago, we set up a concealment array to prevent demons from finding this place, but the concealment array was broken later, so we also set up many arrays in this cave. You must have fallen into the ghost killing array just now, and your soul was seduced by the ghosts. If you touch something according to their requirements, it will be regarded as agreeing to the contract and becoming a part of the ghost killing array.]

Zhongli Jin: [……]

It's like dying in there.

Fortunately, I felt something was wrong when I heard the fake senior's voice, otherwise I would have wasted today.

[There are many killing arrays in this cave. The one you just encountered is just the simplest environmental killing array. The further you go, the more complex the killing arrays will be, and the higher the level will be. You must be careful.]

[I understand. Thank you very much, senior.] Zhongli Jin said.

*
"...Junior sister, you are simply amazing." Cangying stood in front of the cave gate, dumbfounded: "Such a well-preserved cave ruins can be touched by you just pointing your finger!!"

When Shen Xiang heard Cangying's praise, she raised her head proudly, "That's right! I was born with great luck!"

[Although they rely on the system to guide them, they don’t know! ]

Shi Qing: “…”

"Let's go! Let's go in!" Shen Xiang was about to rush in first, but Shi Qing grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

She was shocked!
It wasn't because she was grabbed by the collar, but because she was only a head shorter than Shi Qing, yet she could be lifted up so easily!!
How strong is this woman! It's so scary!

"What are you doing?!" Shen Xiang struggled to free her collar from Shi Qing's hands.

"Go to the back." Shi Qing said.

"Huh?" Shen Xiang looked disgusted and confused, "Why?!"

Shi Qing said calmly: "You are too weak."

Shen Xiang: “!!!”

Good! She is weak! She looks down on others, right?

As expected, she is the vicious female partner who admires the strong! Humph!

Although she cursed madly in her heart, Shen Xiang knew that she couldn't beat Shi Qing, so she could only swallow her anger and follow her.

The three of them entered the cave, and were immediately hit by waves of heat. Shen Xiang felt as if he was forced to blow the air from the air conditioner outside in the hot summer, and it had a smelly and disgusting smell. He was completely dumbfounded.

It’s so hot…so hot!
Lingbing Pills don't seem to be very useful!!
But the next second, the feeling of heat completely disappeared.

Chen Xiang was stunned and looked up, only to see a slightly cold light emanating quietly from Shi Qing who was in the front, bringing with it a cool and comfortable breath, as if instantly isolating all the unpleasant rotten and bloody smells around him.

There was some strange airflow moving back and forth around them, forming a circle of light that enveloped the three of them.

Cangying looked around and frowned: "Shiqing, just protect Junior Sister, you don't have to protect me too."

"No." Shi Qing said calmly, "You are too weak."

　Here we go, babies, sorry for the long wait!!
　　I didn’t expect it to be on the shelves today. The editor notified me this afternoon, so I was typing this in a hurry. Is it so early to be on the shelves now?! I am also confused! ! QAQ
　　
　
(End of this chapter)