Inside the dimly lit cave, Lan Rui knelt before a simple mound of earth, incense burning slowly in front of it. A thin wisp of smoke curled upward, mingling with the rich spiritual mist that filled the chamber.
In his hands, he held a jade box and a black token, his expression solemn and tinged with lingering fear.
His fingers tightened slightly as the memory surfaced. Just hours ago, while following the instructions left behind in the final will, he had dug at the marked spot and unearthed the jade box. His heart had skipped a beat.
At first, he thought it was another hidden treasure from the deceased cultivator. But upon opening it, he found something far more important a token, a jade slip, and a beast hide. He had chosen to examine the beast hide first.
"To the destined one, you are truly a good person. If you had chosen to ignore my final wish and simply walked away, the moment you stepped out of this chamber, the array would have triggered and killed you. The token within is the control key. Drip your blood on it to form a connection…"
Lan Rui had instinctively pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the token. It glowed faintly, and in that moment, he felt the entire cave respond to him. A thread of connection formed, binding his divine sense to the cave's array system.
Two formations revealed themselves, a Spirit Gathering Array and a Five Elements Killing Array, both intricately interwoven throughout the cave.
There were also mechanisms linked to the token: one opened a hidden room, and the other revealed a secret escape route.
Lan Rui couldn't help but shudder at the thought.
"If I had acted impulsively and ignored the burial instructions... I'd be dead."
He knew well how dangerous cave mansions could be. Even some left behind by so-called righteous cultivators were riddled with lethal traps. Compared to those, this cave was practically a gift from the heavens.
He turned toward the platform and muttered, "Let's take a look at the rest of the items…"
One by one, he laid out a Sword, the three jade slips from the original storage bag, and the new jade slip from the jade box.
He started with the sword, placing his hand on it and channeling his divine sense inside. A wave of pressure met him.
Quasi Third Rank Magic Treasure!
His eyes widened, and for a brief moment, he froze.
"This… if the records in the beast hide are accurate, this was his life-bound weapon. A Core Formation cultivator could nurture their magic treasure with spirit energy and dan fire within their dantian."
Although one could begin nurturing magic items early, only high-level cultivators could truly bring out their potential. Artifacts were classified into distinct ranks:
First Rank – Magic Tools
Second Rank – Magic Items
Third Rank – Magic Treasures
Fourth Rank – Magic Device
Beyond that… his knowledge grew vague. But a quasi Third Rank Magic Treasure even though not a true third rank was already far beyond his current means, and to his surprise, it resonated faintly with his own elemental attributes. The name carved on its hilt read, Five Elements Sword.
He turned his attention to the jade slips. The first jade slip contained the second volume of the Five Elements Cultivation Technique, titled Innate Five Elements. It allowed cultivation up to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
"Looks like I really stumbled onto a life-changing opportunity…" he murmured, still half in disbelief.
The second jade slip recorded the Five Elements Sword Technique, a complete battle art designed to complement the sword itself.
The third jade slip was the most shocking of all, it's contained a Five Elements Talisman Scripture. According to the notes, Luo Chen had been a Second Rank Talisman Master, a renowned figure in his time.
Unfortunately, even the most basic talisman in the scripture was a high-grade First Rank sword talisman, far beyond Lan Rui's current ability to draw.
The final jade slip outlined the entire structure of the cave, including array diagrams and trap mechanisms.
Lan Rui let out a long breath.
"What do I do next?" he asked himself.
After a moment of thought, he nodded. "I'll cultivate here for a while. As much as I want that talisman brush, my life is more important. If Feng guy finds out I'm still alive and returns alone… he'll see me as a growing threat. He'll put even more effort into killing me."
He glanced around the chamber, the spirit mist gently swirling.
"Well, this place is better than anywhere I could find outside. I'll stay hidden for now."
.....
Meanwhile, at the main battlefield…
A man with a blue-scaled shield stood face to face with a Grey Wolf, his breathing heavy and complexion pale.
"Damn… this wolf is too fast. If I lose focus for even a second, it'll strike from my blind spot," he growled under his breath, his eyes flickering toward his allies, silently hoping they'd finish their battles soon and come assist.
Not far away, Wu Sheng's fight was a brutal dance of blades and roars. He moved with fluid precision, clashing fiercely with a massive ape. Though he seemed mostly unscathed but the ape was in terrible shape, its body was riddled with deep cuts and gaping wounds.
"Haaa… Is this all you've got?" Wu Sheng sneered, his voice laced with contempt. "Give me more!"
The ape let out a thunderous roar and cast a spell. From the cracked earth, roots as thick as a man's waist surged upward, twisting and reaching to entangle him.
But Wu Sheng remained calm.
"You still haven't learned?" he mocked. With a swift slash, he cut the roots apart before they reached him. "I've told you, this method won't work." Just as his words fell, a poison dart shot out from the ape's hand.
Wu Sheng's expression shifted slightly. He flicked his wrist and drew a talisman from his sleeve. Made from beast hide, the talisman glowed as he activated it.
A tornado, ten meters tall, surged into existence and roared forward, not only blocking the incoming dart but also racing directly toward the ape.
To anyone watching, what happened next would seem insane. The ape… rushed toward the tornado.
A suicide charge?
No. There was madness, but also purpose. As the beast dove into the storm, its massive arms tore through the spiraling winds with brute force. But it was already too late.
The moment it entered, a blade shimmered inside the vortex, slicing through its neck in a flash of light. The ape's head flew into the air, blood gushing like a fountain. Its body hit the ground with a sickening thud, causing the earth to shake.
Wu Sheng sheathed his blade, stepping toward the corpse.
"A good fight," he said coldly. "As a reward for your efforts… I'll make good use of every part of you."
With a casual wave of his hand, the ape's body vanished into his storage bag, and he disappeared from sight shortly after.
Back at the other battlefront…
Feng Taishan managed to fend off another claw swipe from the Grey Wolf. Relief flickered in his eyes as he witnessed Wu Sheng's victory.
"Help is on the way…" he muttered with a hint of hope.
But fate was cruel. That fleeting distraction cost him dearly.
The Grey Wolf lunged again, its claws crashing into his shield with explosive force. The weakened shield cracked violently, and Feng was thrown backward, skidding dozens of meters.
He tried to recover, his divine sense flickering, only to feel a second presence rapidly approaching from behind. He spun, barely raising his broken shield. But it wasn't enough.
A massive figure, another Second Order Grey Wolf slammed into him. His cracked shield shattered completely, and Feng was sent flying over a hundred meters, landing in a broken heap.
Groaning, he tried to lift his head… only to see the new wolf approach, its eyes cold and merciless.
"Wh…what? I already scanned the area. How…" His voice faltered in disbelief. "How did it get so close without me noticing?"
A Foundation Establishment cultivator's divine sense extended for dozens of kilometers. There was no way something that big should've evaded detection. But before he could even form a full thought, the second wolf's claw struck down and split him clean in two.
Blood stained the battlefield, and silence reclaimed the land.
.....