Jiang Xun's stumbles just now weren't entirely faked.
A thousand years ago, Yan Qingning was already at the Peak of Soul Transformation; now, she must be at least in the Late Stage or even the Peak of the Void Tempering Realm.
What on earth had he done in the game back then?
He had used her, deceived her, and finally snatched the fruits of her hard-fought battles.
Though a game is a game and reality is reality, when the name "Yan Qingning" was linked with heavy titles like "Grand Elder" and "Immortal Venerable Han Yao," a chill involuntarily crept up his spine.
He had just left the beginner village and hadn't even found his footing yet, and he was already entangled in Karma with a powerhouse of this level... this start was a bit too "exciting."
He knew it—there was no way the System would let him be reborn just to be some overpowered protagonist, ruling the world by day and lounging with beauties by night. If things were really that good, there'd be a catch for sure.
He thought about it; in the game, there were four or five women with whom he was deeply involved and whose favorability he had maxed out.
And every single one of them was deeply in love with him.
But they didn't know that Jiang Xun was two-timing—or rather, multi-timing—them all!
Cultivators in the Void Penetration Realm can perceive Karma; if any one of them found out, he would be finished.
Jiang Xun had always been a very realistic person.
A game is a game, but emotions are something to be cherished.
Think about it: if the girlfriend you loved was dating four or five other boyfriends at the same time, what would you think?
She'd get the axe, of course.
He forced himself to suppress that ridiculous surge of panic and pulled his attention back to the present.
Based on the fragmented, vague descriptions from the Original Owner's father and his own observations of the terrain, he finally found the cave entrance, half-hidden by vines, behind an inconspicuous crack in the cliff wall.
The entrance wasn't large, only enough for one person to pass through while crouching; it was pitch black inside, and a cold, sinister wind seeped out.
This was the entrance to the cavern that Jiang's father had accidentally discovered years ago; it was said to be a whole different world inside.
"Is this the place?" Sang Linger walked to the entrance and peered inside, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
It was too dark inside to see clearly even with her eyesight. When she extended her spiritual sense, she only felt a winding passage that seemed to lead to an open space deep within, but the Spiritual Qi distribution was chaotic, making it hard to sense accurately.
"That's what my father said back then. It's... quite large inside."
Jiang Xun answered with his head down, his tone uncertain, playing the role of a Mortal leading the way based on fuzzy memories to perfection.
In his memory, after Jiang's father discovered this place, he didn't go in immediately but went home first to prepare tools.
And then he never returned.
Han Chen had long since lost his patience. Hearing this, he stepped forward immediately, a soft glow of illuminating spiritual light igniting at his fingertips as he took the lead and crawled in.
"Who cares if it is or isn't? We'll know once we go in and look! What's with the delay!"
Qin Lin followed closely behind, his figure disappearing into the darkness.
Sang Linger was the last one.
She didn't go in immediately but turned around to look at Jiang Xun.
From the cloud-patterned Storage Pouch at her waist, she took out a small bag of Spirit Stones and a triangular-folded spirit talisman that shimmered with a faint golden light.
"Here."
She handed the two items over. "This is your reward. This 'Golden Light Body Protection Talisman' can be activated if you encounter danger; it can block one fatal attack. Follow the path back and be careful."
Her tone was like a daughter telling her father not to smoke.
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Xun's mud-stained coarse clothes, and added another sentence. Her voice remained cold, but it was a rare explanation:
"Since I had you lead the way into the mountains, I have a responsibility to ensure you return alive. You should have a sister waiting for you at home, right?"
Apparently, she had heard what Jiang Xun said at the gambling den that night about having a sister at home.
Having said that, she turned and entered the cave before Jiang Xun could react.
Jiang Xun stood there, holding the slightly heavy bag of Spirit Stones and the warm-to-the-touch talisman, feeling somewhat surprised.
This bratty girl actually has some principles.
Or rather, was it some sort of condescending sense of responsibility belonging to disciples of immortal sects?
Was she afraid that an "ant" like him would die because of her, tainting her Dao Heart or reputation?
He shook his head, tossing these thoughts aside.
He hadn't planned on following them in anyway.
Since he was certain this place was "Burial Prison Ridge," the place he truly cared about was the former nest of the Blood Prison Nether Spider.
In the game, this forgotten nest still contained many treasure Materials and low-tier Magic Treasures accumulated by that Great Void Demon in its early years.
Back then, his game character was already at the Soul Transformation stage; his standards were high, so he only picked a few rare Materials and left.
Looking back now, picking up even a few pieces of the "trash" left in that nest would be enough for him to completely turn his life around at this stage.
With the Spirit Stones and protection talisman in hand and the guiding task complete, they were even.
Whether those three inside lived or died, or whether they found the Spirit Medicine, what did it have to do with him?
He turned, intending to leave
.
"Ah—!"
Just then, a short but sharp cry of alarm suddenly came from deep within the pitch-black cave behind him!
It was Sang Linger's voice!
Following that was Han Chen's exasperated roar and a heavy "rustling" sound, like countless vines rapidly rubbing and contracting!
Something had happened.
Jiang Xun's footsteps halted.
Reason told him to leave, to leave immediately.
This wasn't a game where he could reload a save.
He had a very clear understanding of this world: better a Fellow Daoist die than oneself.
He had only met them by chance; they owed each other nothing.
They had their immortal opportunities and tribulations, and he had his own path to survival.
He gripped the bag of Spirit Stones tightly, the cold edges of the stones digging into his palm. Then there was that talisman with its faint golden glow.
The image of Sang Linger's face when she handed him the items flashed through his mind—that matter-of-fact yet slightly impatient expression, and yet she still felt the need to explain... Fine.
Jiang Xun cursed himself under his breath and ultimately turned back around.
This trip was only to investigate the situation.
And also to see exactly how the Original Owner's father had died.
He first carefully tucked the Spirit Stones and talisman into his inner pocket, then drew the wood-chopping knife from his back, took a deep breath, and crouched down to enter the cave.
[Ding!]
[Basic Skill 'Chop': Proficient (10/100)]
This time, not a single point of proficiency was wasted.
The passage wasn't long, only a few dozen steps, but it was winding, steep, and the ground was slippery.
Soon, the way ahead opened up, and the illuminating spiritual light revealed a massive underground space.
The sight before him gave Jiang Xun a shock.
It was a massive natural cavern, over a hundred feet high, with countless stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
But at this moment, the most eye-catching thing in the cave wasn't these stone pillars, but the dark green vines, as thick as a child's arm, that crawled over almost every inch of the walls, the floor, and even hung down from above!
These vines writhed slowly like living creatures, their surfaces flowing with a dim glimmer.
And Sang Linger, Han Chen, and Qin Lin were being held tightly by a dozen particularly thick vines, suspended several feet in the air!
What was even more bizarre was that as soon as Jiang Xun stepped into this space, he immediately felt the meager Spiritual Qi in his body become frozen; its circulation was incredibly sluggish, making it almost impossible to mobilize!
"Get out! Don't come in!" Sang Linger was the first to see the figure appearing at the cave entrance, and she immediately shouted urgently, her voice strained as the vines tightened around her.
"This is a 'spirit devouring flower'! Its vines can seal spiritual power! It's a monster! Run!"
Jiang Xun understood immediately.
His gaze quickly swept across the center of the cave, where there was a small, relatively clean patch of open ground. In the center of that ground grew a strange flower about three feet tall, translucent like green jade, emitting a dense and alluring spiritual glow, its form both eerie and beautiful!
The spiritual light was so pure and intense that anyone who saw it would think it was some kind of rare, top-grade Spirit Medicine.
"spirit devouring flower..." Jiang Xun remembered this insidious demonic plant from the game.
Its main body wasn't powerful, but it could disguise itself as a high-grade Spirit Medicine, emitting pure Spiritual Qi.
Once a Cultivator approached, it would restrict their spiritual power circulation while the vines already lying in ambush underground would spring up to trap the enemy, slowly absorbing their spiritual power until they withered and died.
Ironically, its perception of targets with no or very little Spiritual Qi was quite dull.
This was a carefully laid trap. That "Spirit Medicine" was the bait.
"Mor... Mortal!" Han Chen also saw Jiang Xun. Like a drowning man clutching at a straw, he no longer cared about his image as an immortal master and roared urgently, his voice cracking as the vines tightened.
"Don't leave! This damn thing has a weak perception of Mortals! Quick! Pull out the Trial Jade Talismans from our chests! Take them outside the cave and smash them! Xue Sheng, who is stationed nearby, will definitely come when he senses the jade talismans breaking! Hurry!!"
Qin Lin also struggled to turn his head to look at Jiang Xun. Though he didn't speak, his eyes, which were always cold and aloof, now clearly reflected entreaty and urgency.
The only one who could save them now was this "Mortal" whom they had always viewed as an ant and ordered around at will.
Jiang Xun stood at the edge of the cave entrance and didn't step forward immediately.
He gripped his wood-chopping knife, his gaze calmly sweeping over the eerie spirit devouring flower, over the sky full of slowly writhing vines that looked like a giant net, and finally landing on the three people suspended in mid-air whose lives were on the line.
He gave an awkward smile.
Maybe... I should just listen to the advice and leave!