Chapter 101: The Cave (Part 1)

As soon as Shen Suwei left the Sword Tomb, he was escorted to the disciplinary hall with a wooden plaque hanging from his neck. While passing the library, they happened to run into Xu Baopu, who insisted on personally carrying out the punishment, forcing the escorts to disperse.

Outside the screen, Hua Qingyu was leisurely drinking tea, pretending not to notice the commotion, though he was listening intently.
Once everyone had left, Xu Baopu said with curiosity, “I heard you fought with Elder Wuzhen and even destroyed his pavilion.”
Shen Suwei remained silent.

“What did he do to provoke you? This isn’t like you. If I hadn’t come today, would you have just let them punish you?” Xu Baopu, noticing Shen Suwei looking over the shelves, asked, “Are you looking for something?”

Shen Suwei replied, “I’m trying to learn more about Wuzhen.”
He quietly pulled out a book and started reading.

Shen Suwei had always felt something was off about Wuzhen. Just seeing him stirred up a deep-seated hatred, making it hard to suppress his urge to kill.
Xu Baopu remarked, “Not everything is recorded in books. You joined later, so you might not know what happened back then.”
“Is that so?”
“Back when Wuzhen first manifested his Dharma body as a black dragon, he would frequently scorch everything around him. He needed to cultivate near water, so he found a spot above the Canaan Sea. Upon returning, he discovered that this area had been claimed by Penglai, which angered him, leading him to provoke them.”

“The Penglai Immortal Sect had just been founded, and their numbers were still few. Wuzhen was arrogant and ruthless, harming many disciples. The Sect Leader at the time had no choice but to seek help from Daoist Lord Qing Heng. Qing Heng managed to subdue Wuzhen and suggested that Penglai offer him a position as an elder to avoid making an enemy. Penglai, afraid of a feud, quickly agreed, allowing Wuzhen to cultivate there and share access to the sect’s scriptures, artifacts, and elixirs. Wuzhen accepted.”

Xu Baopu continued, “Wuzhen and Elder Hua are alike; they focus solely on their own affairs and don’t interfere with sect matters. The sect also leaves them alone, and it’s been this way for years.”
Shen Suwei asked, “Are Qing Heng and Wuzhen really brothers?”
“Not exactly close brothers,” Xu Baopu replied. “Qing Heng is from the main family line, while Wuzhen is likely from a collateral branch. There’s also a significant age difference. Still, their relationship might be deeper than it appears.”

“What do you mean?”
Xu Baopu smiled, “If Qing Heng had wanted to eliminate Wuzhen, he could have done so when Penglai sought his help. But instead of crippling Wuzhen’s cultivation, he merely captured him and arranged a place for him here. Back then, this was seen as a curse by other cultivators, but with time, it became a protective charm. And as for Wuzhen, there are plenty of other islands similar to Penglai nearby. If he was truly that prideful, wouldn’t he have left after losing the fight? Why go through the trouble of reconciling unless he respected Qing Heng?”

Shen Suwei, looking at the section on fire-based techniques in the book, remarked, “It says here that Daoist Lord Qing Heng perished in the Abysss.”
“Yes, but it had nothing to do with Wuzhen. They were just sparring as usual. When Qing Heng returned, his inner abyssal fire suddenly ignited uncontrollably. His fall into Wufu Cliff could only be seen as the will of the heavens.”
As they spoke, Shen Suwei had already reached the fifth volume, where it recounted Wuzhen’s battle with the Demon King, after which he returned severely injured. His gaze lingered on the words “Demon King,” finding them inexplicably unsettling. “The Demon King… could it also wield Abysss?”

“Are you talking about that Demon King who died years ago? There were rumors that it was born from Qing Heng’s tailbone. If true, it would’ve inherited Qing Heng’s entire skillset and power. But there’s no way to confirm it now.”

Shen Suwei looked at Xu Baopu and said, “Qing Heng died unjustly in the Abyss. Wuzhen must have some shadows left; he wouldn’t use the Abyss so easily.”
“He indeed feels guilty and hasn’t released it since then…” Xu Baopu suddenly became tense. “Why did you see Wuzhen use the Abyss?”

“Yes, and it wasn’t just the four flame dragons of a half-step Divine Transformation; it was the eight dragons only a cultivator at the Divine Transformation level could summon.” Shen Suwei closed his book and looked over coldly. “When Wuzhen returned after slaying the Demon King, did anyone verify who he really was?”

Despite being used to Shen Suwei’s meticulous thinking, this casual question sent a chill down Xu Baopu’s spine.
A cold laugh sounded from behind the screen, startling the two of them. Hua Qingyu chuckled, “Oh, it seems we do have some clever minds in our sect.”

Xu Baopu didn’t say more. From his palm, he released his life-bound magical weapon, the “Wind-Cutting Blade,” a four-edged steel blade enveloped in white light, spinning rapidly. “I’ll go verify this with you right now. Elder Hua, care to join?”
Not paying attention to Hua Qingyu’s response, Shen Suwei suddenly grew alert, drew his sword, and walked away. “Something’s happened over at the arena.”

Xu Qianyu had activated the Pheonix Butterfly’s battle formation, yet for some reason hadn’t called him.
Xu Baopu listened to the sounds outside and grabbed him. “It’s underground; follow me. I know how the old underground array was arranged.”

_
After the ground collapsed, the Zhilan car was wedged into a crevice, and Xu Qianqian fell straight into a cold, dark ruin, scraping her legs.

Luckily, Lu You fell beside her, giving her some comfort with a companion nearby. She quickly grabbed Lu You’s hand and asked where they were.

“This place shouldn’t have collapsed,” Lu You murmured. “It’s because Senior Sister Xu tried to kill me, using the arena as a pretext. Her murderous intent was too strong. When I dodged, she shattered the arena.”

Xu Qianqian was shocked to learn of the deadly intent hidden beneath the seemingly ordinary sparring match. “Why… why would she want to kill you?”
“I don’t quite know. In any case, it’s her nature; she’s envious, volatile, and bloodthirsty,” Lu You replied, gazing at Xu Qianqian. “Maybe she just didn’t like me speaking a few words with Senior Brother Shen.”

As a child, Xu Qianqian had experienced bloodshed and feared anything to do with killing. Her eyes flashed with a shadow, her face instantly turning pale. Lu You helped her to a corner and had her sit. “You’re injured and shouldn’t move. Stay here, and I’ll come back for you once I find a way out.”

“Alright.” Xu Qianqian watched Lu You leave, curling into herself as all her worry was replaced by fear. All this over in just a few words? If her junior sister learned that she almost had a marriage contract with senior brother Shen, what would happen to her?
As if to confirm her dread, Xu Qianyu’s voice and Lu You’s cries suddenly sounded from outside, making Xu Qianqian cover her mouth in fear.

A drop of water hit her hair, then water began to trickle from above, soaking her.
She looked up. The cave was starting to flood!
The water quickly rose, covering the embroidered cloth shoes she had tucked into the corner.
Outside, Xu Qianyu held her sword, watching Lu You warily.

Having fallen into this place and spent ages finding no way out, her frustration mounted. When she spotted Lu You, she immediately lunged with her sword.
Lu You dodged, the sword tearing her robe. She clutched her arm, blood seeping through her fingers, eyes brimming. “Senior Sister Xu, why do you keep targeting me?”

Xu Qianyu saw that Lu You neither retaliated nor defended herself but started shouting instead. With no one else around, whom was she trying to impress?
Could there be other disciples here to rescue them?

Xu Qianyu grew tense, but after sensing for a moment, confirmed there were no other cultivators around. Only the sound of rushing water.

Water.
Xu Qianyu turned to see a flash of pink fabric in the cave, as if someone had pulled it back.
She suddenly remembered hearing someone shout that Xu Qianqian had fallen in as well. Could she be in there? Xu Qianqian had no cultivation and might be unconscious or drowning by now.
Abandoning Lu You, she waded into the cave. “Xu Qianqian?”

Xu Qianqian huddled in the corner. After hearing Lu You’s cries fall silent, Xu Qianyu’s voice rang beside her, harsh as a death knell. Terrified, she dared not respond.
But the water had already risen to her knees.

“Xu Qianqian?”
“Xu Qianqian?”
The water was now waist-high, and as Xu Qianyu groped her way through, she extended her spiritual awareness.

But the water falling from above was spirit water, and the stones hanging in the cave were spirit stones, casting a green glow. In such a place, any light would outshine an ordinary mortal with no spiritual roots.

If not for Xu Qianqian’s earlier gesture of goodwill, bringing her fruit when no one else cheered for her, Xu Qianyu might have left. “Xu Qianqian, answer me!”
“You fool! You’re doing it all wrong. You’re dumber than your grandpa!” Suddenly, a ghostly blue leaf dropped from Xu Qianyu’s sleeve.

This floating grass, apparently snuck in by Shen Chong, drifted over with the water and, to Xu Qianqian’s surprise, spoke in a familiar voice. “Qianqian, I’m here to save you!”
Xu Qianqian, recognizing the voice, gasped with joy. “Second Brother!”

As soon as she stood, Xu Qianyu seized her in anger. “Why didn’t you answer me when you were awake?!”
Xu Qianyu saw Xu Qianqian’s wide, frightened eyes and shrunken pupils as she began gasping, her body going limp.
“Did I scare her too much?” Xu Qianyu, alarmed, quickly infused her with a breath of spiritual energy and knelt to carry her on her back. “Let’s get you out of here and find help.”
Xu Qianqian’s limbs were rigid, but after a moment, her blurry vision cleared.

Xu Qianyu, almost swimming through the water, had wet red ribbons clinging to her upturned hair, her head darting about like a drenched fox.

It was as if waking from a nightmare; Xu Qianqian felt an overwhelming calm, an intense clarity.
Xu Qianyu hadn’t killed her. Instead, she was carrying her on her back, swimming toward the exit.
Perhaps she wasn’t here to kill her at all.
How could she be?

After all, the one carrying her was a young girl with a slender white neck, warm and soft. From the closeness of their backs, she could feel the gentle beating of her heart, so delicate and frail.
“How are you able to carry me?” Xu Qianqian murmured.
She recalled the terrifying sight of Lu You just moments before, realizing she had encountered a demon.

Xu Qianyu was trying to break open the door.
The cave entrance that had been open earlier was now closed. She pushed against it twice to no avail and tried cutting it with her sword, but it wouldn’t budge.

The water was now up to their chests. As a cultivator, Xu Qianyu could hold her breath, but Xu Qianqian might be in danger.
Xu Qianyu released her ghostly butterfly, and an ethereal battle array appeared, merging with the surrounding space, enveloping the two of them.

Earth overcomes water. A silver water dragon surged beneath the hill of earth, and the water level gradually lowered while the mound expanded.
However, soon after, one mound belched, then another did the same. The battle array was quickly being overwhelmed.
Xu Qianyu abandoned the door in front of her.

She suddenly realized there was no need to go through the door; the walls could be passed through as well. The talisman in her hand had turned to mush in the water, slipping from her fingers.

A torn piece of cloth was handed to her from behind. Xu Qianqian asked, “You want to write something, right?”
Xu Qianyu took the cloth, bit her fingertip, and sketched a symbol from the Compendium of Talismans she had only seen once, the venomous viper talisman, against the wall.
With a flash of golden light, the two passed through the wall!
The cave behind them vanished into the distance, leaving only a small amount of water trailing after.

Xu Qianyu heard the sound of tearing fabric behind her. “Enough tearing; that piece should be sufficient.”
But Xu Qianqian didn’t stop. She bit her fingertip and wrote on the cloth—a precious talisman gifted by her second brother, fire- and water-resistant.

In this stone cave stood a pillar reaching up into the heavens, faintly glowing white as if it were the exit. Xu Qianyu chanted a spell to dry their clothes and began climbing the pillar.
As she climbed a few steps, a sudden gust of wind whirled past. Xu Qianqian gasped softly, and the walls spun open, revealing fist-sized fiery lotuses shooting out from them. Xu Qianyu’s wooden sword flew out, shattering the incoming fiery lotuses.

This short stretch became harrowingly treacherous.
Xu Qianqian sensed that Xu Qianyu was running out of strength. “Put me down. You can climb up and call for help to save me.”

Xu Qianyu replied, “I’m already halfway up. How do you expect me to go back now?”
Xu Qianqian fell silent and continued writing on the cloth.

“To my brother and father: I am deeply grateful to Sister Xu for saving me. Regrettably, I succumbed to my illness midway, unable… ”

Gathering her remaining strength, she prepared a farewell, proving her death had no connection to anyone else. She tied the cloth around Xu Qianyu’s arm before slumping to the side.

Outside the cave, Lu You questioned, “I’ve completed the task, so why hasn’t the warning been lifted?”
The system’s cold, mechanical voice replied, “If the deviation in character portrayal cannot be rectified, the storyline cannot proceed.”
“I’ve corrected it!” Lu You protested.

When she closed the door, she hesitated, knowing someone would die because of her, though she hadn’t directly shed blood in this world. But with things as they were, uncertain of how to realign the storyline, she had taken this desperate measure.

Xu Qianqian, frightened by her scare tactics, wouldn’t dare leave the cave.
Xu Qianyu wouldn’t be able to save Xu Qianqian and would have to find a way to escape alone. But once she did, explaining things to Xu Qianqian’s brother and father would be another matter.

Once the two ceased to pose any threat, Lu You could act as Xu Qianqian’s replacement, steering the storyline back on track.

But the warning persisted.
Behind the warning panel, she saw another figure.
Xu Jiansu strode over in a few steps and gripped her chin, distorting the system’s display. “Have you seen Xu Qianqian?”
Lu You trembled as she replied, “I saw Sister Xu lead Qianqian into the cave. It’s filled with water.”
“Did she forget Xu Qianqian is a mortal and fears water?” Xu Jiansu glanced at the cave, his face calm, seemingly indifferent or perhaps suppressing a growing fury.

Xu Jiansu cracked his neck, which emitted a series of loud pops. Knowing his explosive temper, Lu You trembled even more.
Then Lu You saw Xu Jiansu’s gaze freeze on a spot, his eyes widening.
She turned her head sharply. Two overlapping figures were slowly, arduously emerging from the ground.

Xu Qianyu’s head popped out, and she saw Xu Jiansu: “?”
On her back, Xu Qianqian raised her head, her eyes rekindled with life, and she whispered, “Second Brother…”

Xu Jiansu turned his face, glaring at the pale-faced Lu You, and offered his judgment on her words: “Utter nonsense.”
He took one large stride forward and pulled the two out. Just as he helped Xu Qianqian to her feet, a dark cloud suddenly surged between them, its immense force thrusting Xu Qianyu into another cave.

The grip between Xu Qianqian and Xu Qianyu’s hands was forcibly broken. Xu Qianqian screamed, tears streaming down her face. “Little Junior Sister?”