Unsheathed

Right at this moment, a young female cultivator emerged from the dilapidated pergola, and trailing along behind her was a hunch-backed old man that was barely even breathing.

The woman took a glance at Chen Ping’an’s group, then turned to Zhan Qing with a smile as she said, “Don’t let them sour your mood. They’re just a group of vagrant cultivators here to try their luck. Just let them through.”

Zhan Qing nodded in response before returning to the pergola with the woman, while Gao Ling and the other martial artist stepped aside to let Chen Ping’an’s group through.

Only then did the four men continue onward, and as he passed through the pergola, Daoist Master Sun felt a chill run down his spine.

All four men were looking straight ahead, and none of them even took a glance at the scene inside the pergola.

Di Yuanfeng was feeling a little heavy of heart. Zhan Qing’s presence added a large element of volatility to this treasure-hunting trip.

Following the departure of Chen Ping’an’s group, Zhan Qing completely did away with his arrogant facade from earlier, looking much more composed and mature as he prodded the campfire with a branch and mused, “Those vagrant cultivators aren’t going to be any trouble. Our main competition will come in the form of Shen Zhenze’s two direct disciples.

“Even if Shen Zhenze isn’t personally acting as their Dao guardian on this occasion, they’ll most likely be accompanied by a guest elder of at least the Dragon Gate Tier. On top of that, Disciplinary Elder Wu Qun of the Rainbow Sparrow Residence has always been known to have a rather short temper. Our objective on this occasion is to secure as much spoils as we can from the immortal abode while avoiding making enemies with those two sects.”

“What’s the problem?” the woman asked with a smile. “Even if you get on their bad side, I can just pay them a visit for you to iron things out.”

Zhan Qing raised his head with an exasperated expression as he sighed, “You make it sound so simple, Big Sister Bai. For mortals like us, long-term safety is the number one priority. Even if you step in to mediate, there’s still no telling what they could do, and we can’t just live in constant fear of retaliation from them. Having said that, it’ll be a completely different story once you become an earth immortal. At that point, I won’t have anything to fear.”

Bai Bi was someone that even the emperor of the Sacred Lotus Nation had to treat with a great deal of respect, but as it turned out, Zhan Qing had become acquainted with her as a young boy the last time she returned home from the Water Dragon Sect.

Ever since then, they had always kept in touch through letters.

Just as Di Yuanfeng’s trio had guessed, Bai Bi was completely disinterested in this immortal abode that had emerged in the Northern Pavilion Nation. She was only here because she was visiting Zhan Qing, who was much more interested in the immortal abode than she was. Essentially, she had become an unofficial Dao guardian of his.

Zhan Qing was also a cultivator, and he had a very formidable master, but his master was a Nascent Tier vagrant cultivator with a very strange and enigmatic personality. Zhan Qing had to endure many trials and tribulations to become that man’s disciple, and he was the only one who was aware of just how much torment and hardship he had to endure in exchange for this golden opportunity.

It was exactly because Bai Bi was aware of this that she had kept in touch with Zhan Qing on a long-term basis.

Otherwise, the naive affection that they had for each other as children would’ve already faded long ago during the course of her cultivation journey.

Through the collective efforts of Zhan Qing and Bai Zhan, that Nascent Tier vagrant cultivator was able to become a guest elder of the Water Dragon Sect.

It has been a mutually beneficial arrangement, and Bai Bi was rewarded by the ancestral hall for recruiting a Nascent Tier cultivator to the sect.

However, Bai Bi was still very happy to have been reunited with Zhan Qing.

The adorable young boy from back then had already grown into a handsome young man. Upon Zhan Qing’s repeated insistence, she agreed to a secret agreement with him, which stated that if they were to both reach the Golden Core Tier someday, then they would officially become Dao partners. At the moment, Zhan Qing was still only at the Abode Tier, but he was already a top-tier cultivation prospect.

As for all of the mortal women that Zhan Qing had had romantic entanglements with, they were nothing in Bai Bi’s eyes. In ten years, their beauty would wane, and in thirty years, they would be old and gray.

Furthermore, Zhan Qing had a very resolute Dao heart, and in her eyes, Zhan Qing’s frivolous romantic entanglements were nothing more than children’s games, much like a collector seeking out artworks and antiques.

However, once Zhan Qing reached the Dragon Gate Tier, putting him on the verge of fulfilling their Dao partner agreement, he would have to kick these lascivious habits. Otherwise, not only would they not become Dao partners, they would become enemies instead.

Thankfully, Zhan Qing wasn’t such a fool.

Bai Bi had refrained from telling him that she had actually already reached the Golden Core Tier.

Hence, even if she didn’t rely on her status as a disciple of the Water Dragon Sect, Cloudtop City and the Rainbow Sparrow Residence, neither of which had a Nascent Tier cultivator at the helm, still had reason to be wary of her.

Bai Bi pulled a small porcelain vial out of her sleeve, then tipped something out from within before extending a palm forward. A tiny fish that looked as if it had been carved out of a piece of green jade swam from the palm of her hand to the tip of her finger, where it raised its head slightly to look up at Zhan Qing.

Zhan Qing had very sharp intuition, and a chill instantly ran down his spine.

Bai Bi gently flicked the little fish on the head with her finger, and only then did it lower its head in a tame manner.

She smiled as she explained, “This is a Cow Roar Fish that’s unique to that deep pool in our Water Dragon Sect, and its roar is as loud as thunder. Taking a roar from this little thing at point blank range is no less devastating than an attack from an earth immortal. I was just rewarded this by my sect, and I’ll give it to you when we part ways.”

Zhan Qing’s expression remained unchanged as he stared at the captivating woman before her, and he said in a gentle voice, “How I wish this Cow Roar Fish will never leave your possession.”

Of course, the implication here was that he wished for them to never part ways.

Bai Bi instantly became flushed with embarrassment as she complained, “Maybe you wouldn’t be such a mediocre cultivator if you spent less time practicing your sweet-talking skills!”

Zhan Qing looked back at her with an innocent expression.

————

Aside from the serious and unflappable Huang Shi, everyone else in Chen Ping’an’s group could feel each other’s apprehension and unease.

Chen Ping’an didn’t want Daoist Master Sun to feel awkward or embarrassed, so he broke the silence and asked, “Are these demon-detecting bells, Daoist Master Sun?”

Daoist Master Sun nodded as he replied, “Indeed, they are. They’re not the most exceptional of their kind, but they’ll alert us to the presence of any demons at or below the Abode Tier.”

“They must be worth a lot of money!” Chen Ping’an exclaimed.

Daoist Master Sun merely smiled and offered no response.

Di Yuanfeng was feeling rather disgruntled because he felt completely outmatched by Zhan Qing in the looks department.

Furthermore, he had ventured into these mountains and was putting his life on the line in pursuit of treasures, whereas Zhan Qing had come here with a beautiful woman! Was he out on a sightseeing trip? What made Di Yuanfeng feel even more envious was that not only was the woman exceptionally beautiful, she was clearly an official immortal!

Clearly, there was no way that some female vagrant cultivator could have two martial artists of that caliber willing to serve as her personal guards.

As for Huang Shi, he remained as expressionless as ever, walking along at the back of the group while continuing to carry his large bags.

The four men immediately sped up after they were some distance away from the pergola.

Even for a lumberjack who knew the area like the back of his hand, this treacherous and winding mountain path was difficult to negotiate, yet for the four men, it looked as if they were walking over flat ground.

This was the benefit of cultivation. Even the most difficult and treacherous paths for mortals posed no hindrance at all to cultivators, and this was true both in a figurative and literal sense.

As for the concerns that plagued cultivators, they were concerns that mortals would gladly accept.

The four men didn’t encounter anyone else over the rest of their journey.

Daoist Master Sun had an elementary level of proficiency in geomancy, and that allowed him to easily discern their location. He led the trio to a deep and dark cave nestled under a peaceful cliff. There were no stone plaques in front of the cave, and the walls of the cliff were lined with creeping fig vines, which had some ability to consolidate mountains and combat erosion.

Daoist Master Sun plucked off an exuberant creeping fig leaf, then crushed it between his fingertips before giving it a sniff. The nod that he gave indicated that the outcome was a satisfactory one, but he didn’t elaborate on his findings to the trio behind him. Instead, he began to walk forward, occasionally stomping a foot on the ground as he did so, and in the end, he crouched down to pick up a fistful of soil before weighing it with his hand.

He then turned to Chen Ping’an with a smile as he said, “Brother Chen, if you’re able to inscribe Earth Pinch Talismans, then you must be very familiar with the properties of different types of soil. Do you have any unique insights on the soil here? Your input may assist us in gaining entry into the immortal abode.”

An awkward look appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face, while Di Yuanfeng’s eyes narrowed slightly, and Huang Shi also turned his gaze to Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an heaved a resigned sigh as he walked forward a few steps, treading onto the ground with varying degrees of force as if he were examining the soil with his feet.

As he walked along, he said, “If my input is wanted, then I’ll provide some. I fear that I may make a fool out of myself in the presence of Daoist Master Sun, but I’ll do my best, nevertheless.”

Chen Ping’an stopped in his tracks, then crouched down to pick up some mud from the ground. He gently tossed the mud up into the air, then caught it in the palm of his hand and closed his fist around it, carefully massaging it for a moment.

After opening his fist, he dropped the mud in his hand and repeated the process in several more spots in the cave before concluding, “The soil here has been nourished by spiritual energy seeping out of an immortal abode for at least three hundred years.

“Due to the abundance of water energy in the area, the soil here has become far heavier than normal soil. If this soil could be incorporated into the foundation of a house or a grave, then it would be able to help accumulate natural energies from the environment.”

Chen Ping’an then stood up with an apologetic expression and implored everyone to give him a moment, following which he hurriedly set down the bag that was slung across his chest before turning around so that his back was facing everyone.

From there, he pulled out a small porcelain jar and began filling it with soil. He picked out several spots from which he collected soil, but not much soil was taken from each spot, and in the end, he wasn’t able to fill the jar.

Daoist Master Sun was almost unable to suppress the urge to join him, but he had to refrain from doing so in light of his purported status as an official immortal of the Lightning God Manor.

Shortly thereafter, Chen Ping’an slung his bag across his chest again, then dusted off his hands with an ecstatic grin as he said, “My apologies, everyone. I’m just trying to earn a bit of money.”

At this point, Di Yuanfeng was convinced beyond doubt that Chen Ping’an was indeed a vagrant cultivator. If Chen Ping’an were an official immortal, then Di Yuanfeng would be willing to swallow his bamboo hiking pole whole, along with the flexible sword concealed within it!

From there, it seemed that Chen Ping’an was at a complete loss for how to continue.

“We’ll need a Barrier-Shattering Talisman to enter this immortal abode, won’t we, Brother Chen?” Daoist Master Sun hinted, barely able to conceal his exasperation at Chen Ping’an’s incompetence.

The first restriction at the entrance of the cave abode was a common illusion that had already been dispelled by the first group of unfortunate adventurers to have arrived here, but the subsequent restrictions were only going to be more perilous and difficult to bypass.

As a safety precaution, a Barrier-Shattering Talisman should be used to clear the path forward, and it didn’t cost the trio any money anyway, so they were naturally eager to encourage Chen Ping’an to use one.

Chen Ping’an feigned a look of enlightenment as he pulled out a bridge crossing talisman, which had been crafted from gold powder and ordinary yellow talisman paper.

However, a hesitant look then appeared on his face as he turned his gaze back to the direction they had come from and said in a concerned manner, “The son of that feudal lord is not far behind us.”

“Even so, we need to get ahead,” Di Yuanfeng said with a smile. “If we’re so scared of the feudal lord’s son, then we may as well leave right now. Otherwise, what will we do if we find some treasures in there? Offer them up to him with both hands?”

Only then did Chen Ping’an ignite the Barrier-Shattering Talisman to light the path forward in the cave.

However, instead of leading the way into the cave, he offered the burning Barrier-Shattering Talisman to Di Yuanfeng as he said with a fawning smile, “I think you should lead the way, Young Master Qin. My old bones can’t take much punishment. If I inadvertently trigger a trap and sustain injuries, it’ll cause an unnecessary delay for everyone.”

Di Yuanfeng turned his gaze to Huang Shi, who was examining the roof of the cave.

Huang Shi didn’t hesitate to take the Barrier-Shattering Talisman from Chen Ping’an before leading the way deep into the cave.

The four of them walked for several kilometers, but there was still no end to the cave in sight.

Chilly winds were blowing incessantly through the cave, but there was no sense of menace in the air, and that was slightly reassuring to Daoist Master Sun.

The former owner of this immortal abode had to have been a very benevolent official immortal. Even though there was a lethal trap behind the first restriction, the first restriction in itself was already a gentle warning for intruders to turn back. According to the vagrant cultivator who was the first to have ventured into the immortal abode, the illusory restriction didn’t pose a direct threat to anyone.

Instead, it was only designed to confound intruders, causing them to stumble around without any sense of direction, and once time was up, the intruder would automatically emerge from the cave, still as dazed and confused as ever. For many other immortal abodes, it was often the case that the first restriction was already an extremely destructive one.

In the eyes of their owners, those who trespassed on their abodes were deserving of death, and there was no need for any gentle warnings.

The four men were walking along extremely slowly and carefully, so it took them another full hour to reach a cold chamber.

It took a great deal of convincing from Daoist Master Sun for Chen Ping’an to finally reluctantly ignite another Barrier-Shattering Talisman, both to illuminate the path forward and to alert them to potential ambushes from sinister forces.

During this time, Daoist Master Sun revealed some more background information to Chen Ping’an, both because he was grateful for the two Barrier-Shattering Talismans supplied by the latter and because he valued his own life.

He told Chen Ping’an that the first restriction had been broken at the cost of the lives of two members of the vagrant cultivator trio that had first come here.

He was making this known to Chen Ping’an so that the latter would proceed with caution. Otherwise, if he were to trigger some type of trap in a moment of haste and complacency, then everyone could end up dead.

The surrounding stone walls all had vibrant murals that looked as if they were newly painted. The murals depicted four mighty deities that stood at over thirty feet tall, and they were glowering down at the group of four trespassers with furious and authoritative expressions.

The four deity murals were extremely lifelike, and one was holding an unsheathed bejeweled sword, another was clutching a lute, the third one had a serpentine dragon wrapped around his arm, and the final one was holding an ornate umbrella above his head.

On the ground beneath everyone’s feet was an eight trigrams formation, upon which was engraved an ancient image of two dragons fighting over a jewel. However, there was only an empty indentation in the ground where the jewel should’ve been, and whatever was there had most likely already been taken.