Misty Rain of the Old Times

After the man left, Chen Xuan observed the surroundings for a moment, then pointed to a majestic mountain and said, "Let's go, let's venture deeper into Wanku Mountain and hopefully we can collect some geomagnetic essence soon."

The main purpose of coming here is to acquire array materials. The area where everything is gigantic is just a side project. If we can encounter it and see it, the trip will be worthwhile. If we can't, we won't force it.

He pointed to a cave entrance about ten zhang high halfway up the mountain. It was clearly visible from a distance, and people were going in and out. It was probably one of the main cave entrances leading into Wanku Mountain in this direction.

Instead of aimlessly crawling into any hole, it's easier to follow in the footsteps of those who came before.

The truth is that the mountain was riddled with holes, like a cheese, practically full of holes.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xuan led the little girl and the others toward their destination. They had already arrived in this area, so there was no rush. They strolled among the treetops as if walking on flat ground.

They headed straight in that direction. On the way, Dujuan hesitated for a moment and said, "Master, I had a feeling that person had ulterior motives."

The young girl was slightly taken aback. She thought the person was quite normal. His words and actions were not annoying, and he did not show any repulsive expression. However, she did not refute anything because Du Juan was older and more experienced than her, so she naturally had her reasons for saying so.

Chen Xuan asked curiously, "How do you know, Sister Juan?"

"I can't really explain it, it's just a gut feeling," Du Juan said frankly.

The little girl chuckled to herself, thinking that Sister Juan had figured something out. Could intuition really be used as a reason?
Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "Everyone has two sides; there are no purely good people in the world. That person hasn't done anything offensive so far, so we can just ignore them."

Du Juan's intuition as an assassin was still incredibly sharp. Since Chen Xuan said there was no need to pay attention to it, she stopped thinking about it, but she remained vigilant and secretly remembered the person.

In the short time it took to say a few words, they had arrived at their destination. Standing at the huge cave entrance, the airflow, influenced by the many caves on the mountain, made a ghostly howling sound, like gusts of cold wind. The little girl tried to remain calm, but was actually a little scared of the environment, and subconsciously moved closer to Chen Xuan.

Du Juan remained completely calm. She was used to playing tricks and charades, and this little spectacle actually felt somewhat familiar to her.

The enormous cave was incredibly deep, winding and sloping down into the ground, its depths shrouded in darkness.

There were quite a few people stationed at the spacious entrance, and they had also set up tents and temporary huts around it, clearly intending to explore for a long time. However, many of the tents and huts were empty, suggesting that they had gone deep into the cave and it was unknown whether they would be able to come out.

When people gather in a group, they inevitably have various needs, so some people at the camp near the cave entrance actually took the opportunity to start a small business.

Upon arriving and witnessing this scene, Chen Xuan was speechless. Was there some treasure in Wanku Mountain that warranted such attention? It was clearly very dangerous; once one went deep inside and got lost, it would be a near-death experience.

However, from another perspective, Wanku Mountain is indeed a treasure trove. The poisonous insects inside can be sold for a high price outside. Furthermore, many people have died inside, including many innate masters. Their relics are worth the risk. If one can obtain martial arts manuals or even divine weapons, what is a risk?
The arrival of Chen Xuan and his group naturally attracted the attention of the people at the cave entrance. Many were amazed by the little girl Du Juan's beauty, but after witnessing their superb lightness skills, they knew they were no ordinary people. Even though most of the people who came here had their own ulterior motives, they did not make any offensive moves for the time being.

Surprisingly, there were three innate masters here, two men and one woman, each separated and clearly not a group. They noticed Chen Xuan and his group's arrival and stayed in tents or temporary huts without showing themselves. They must have been here for a while and were probably taking a temporary rest. They looked quite disheveled, as being far from the city was inconvenient in many ways, especially since they were often crawling through caves, making them look like wild men.

It's rare to see people with innate mastery; you could say that birds of a feather flock together, and people at this level only gather together if there's something that attracts them.

With his powerful senses taking in the situation, Chen Xuan ignored it and led Du Juan and the others straight into the depths of the cave.

"Young master, the environment ahead is intricate and complex, making it easy to get lost. Would you like a map that has already been explored? That would provide extra security. It's inexpensive, only one hundred taels of silver."

"Our exclusive, specially made torches, each one can burn for an hour, impervious to wind and water, only ten taels of silver each, young master, would you like some? It's pitch black inside, so it won't hurt to stock up."

"Insect repellent, antidote, and various healing medicines are essential for venturing deep into Wanku Mountain. The prices are fair. Would you like some?"

"I collect all kinds of poisonous insects, and the prices are absolutely satisfactory. If you find anything you like there, feel free to sell it to me..."

Noticing Chen Xuan and his group's actions, the people who were taking the opportunity to do business here asked questions one after another. The prices were more than a hundred times higher than normal. It was a case of ripping off as many people as possible, since it was almost a one-off deal, and the things they were selling were indeed needed for going deep into Wanku Mountain.

Chen Xuan simply smiled and shook his head, indicating that it wasn't necessary. He walked through the temporary camp and headed deeper into the cave, unconsciously quickening his pace. The environment here was truly appalling. They ate, drank, and relieved themselves in this small area near the cave entrance, and the smell in the air was simply unbearable. Everyone here was so unhygienic.

The people here had different feelings as they watched them leave.

The temporary businessmen who failed to rip off customers scoffed, thinking to themselves that someone dressed so well was actually so stingy.

Others sneered, thinking to themselves that these two girls were ignorant and reckless, venturing into the depths of the mountain was tantamount to courting death. Did they think Wanku Mountain was their backyard? Others lamented that the two beautiful girls were probably going to perish in Wanku Mountain. What a waste of their lives.

After going a hundred or two meters deeper into the cave, the passageway begins to narrow, the light dims, and the campsite at the cave entrance can no longer be seen as it winds downwards.

The little maid standing beside him hesitated and said, "Master, I only brought a few candles with me before I came. I'm afraid they won't last long. Should we go back and buy some torches?"

Her cultivation was shallow, so she naturally couldn't see in the dark. Chen Xuan and Du Juan didn't need any tools to see, and they were unaffected by the pitch-black environment, just like in daylight.

Before Chen Xuan could say anything, considering the little girl's situation, Du Juan smiled and said, "Sister Roujia, don't worry. If it's just for illumination, with my cultivation level, my true energy can maintain illumination within a three-zhang radius all night, so you won't be unable to see your surroundings."

"Oh, thank you very much, Sister Juan. But can martial arts skills be used like this?" the little girl asked curiously.

Nodding, Dujuan said, "You'll understand later, Roujia. Actually, you can do it yourself. The superior internal energy that Master taught you has already reached a certain level. You can imbue your weapon with a hidden edge and use it as a lighting tool. It's just that you might not be able to maintain it for long. In fact, as your cultivation level increases, it can also provide great convenience in many aspects of life."

"Oh right, I can do it myself. I didn't realize it until now. Sister Juan is right. Martial arts are very convenient in life. For example, when I'm cleaning at home, I don't need to use a ladder to go up to a high place," the little girl said shyly.

In recent times, Du Juan has become more cheerful, unlike at the beginning when she was as sparing with words, but this is only towards a few familiar people.

Chen Xuan had originally planned to find a way to solve the lighting problem, mainly to make things easier for the little maid. Since Du Juan took the initiative to do it, he was happy to be free. After all, a master has maids to serve him, so why should he do everything himself? However, he couldn't bring himself to do things that required someone to take care of his personal hygiene.

The cave was uneven and there was no path to speak of, but fortunately, even though the little girl had a certain level of cultivation, it didn't cause her any trouble.

After they ventured seven or eight hundred meters deeper into the winding cave entrance, the passage became increasingly narrow, less than two zhang wide. Four forks appeared ahead: one going up, one to the right, and two down. One of the paths was vertically downward, only as wide as the well opening, resembling a bottomless abyss ready to devour anyone who dared to approach.

It was completely dark at this location, and looking back, a faint light could be seen in the distance from the direction of the entrance.

The three stood at the crossroads. Du Juan had already drawn her short sword. She circulated her true energy, and the blade emitted a pure white light. It had no sharp edge and was only used for illumination. It consumed very little energy, and with her cultivation level, she could maintain it for a long time. Within a three-zhang radius, it was as bright as day.

"Master, which cave entrance do we go in through?" the little maid asked Chen Xuan.

Just as he was about to say something, Chen Xuan gestured for them to step back. Du Juan quickly realized what was happening and pulled the little girl back.

A few breaths later, a disheveled figure rushed out of the vertically downward-facing opening. He was a cultivator who had just broken through the Ren and Du meridians in the Acquired Realm. His clothes were tattered, and it was unclear how long he had been underground. His pale skin was covered in dirt and blood, and he was extremely weak. He also had a broken leg, which had obviously been bitten off by something. He was holding a long knife. After rushing out, he staggered and almost fell, using the knife to support himself so that he wouldn't fall.

Upon emerging, he noticed Chen Xuan and the others and was immediately startled, instantly adopting a defensive stance, clearly having suffered losses from encounters with others inside the cave more than once.

However, as Chen Xuan nodded and smiled, he hopped backward on one foot. He was about to say something when he noticed Du Juan's pupils shrink and her eyes widen in shock. Although he was only at the Acquired Realm, he could still clearly sense the fluctuations of Innate True Qi. And this woman was actually using Innate True Qi as lighting!
If these people were to harm me, I'd probably die before I could even react.

He secretly gasped, smiled nervously, and headed towards the exit without uttering a word, hopping awkwardly on one leg.

He initially thought he had simply stumbled upon someone while walking down another side tunnel, but when he saw the faint light of the exit ahead, he froze, almost bursting into tears. He had finally escaped! It had been almost a month, and he had nearly thought he wouldn't make it out alive.

It's good that we got out, that we escaped with our lives. Even if we didn't gain anything, just describing the terrain we explored could make us a fortune. Selling maps has become the main source of income for many people exploring Wanku Mountain. They're all about ripping off whoever they can, since it's like risking their lives. Almost everyone who wants to go deep into Wanku Mountain will buy a map, and they'll buy it from different people to prepare thoroughly...

"That person is in such a sorry state, he even broke one of his legs. I don't know what's so attractive about Wanku Mountain," the little girl said, looking away with some fear. If she were alone, she would never risk coming to such a place.

Du Juan said coldly, "They brought it on themselves. Who knows how many others are still struggling to survive deep inside?" Then she looked at Chen Xuan and said, "Master, why don't you and Roujia wait here for a while? I'll go and scout out the side caves before deciding which one to take."

"Sister Juan, you can't! What if you get lost?" the little girl said anxiously. Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "Sister Juan, there's no need to go to such trouble. Our goal is to collect geomagnetic essence. It's just a matter of luck. It doesn't really matter where we go, as long as it's not a dead end. We can just go deeper and search slowly."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan raised his hand and snapped his fingers, the sound carrying along the various branch tunnels.

After a few breaths, he had a plan in mind and said, "The one going up will lead to the outside after many branching tunnels. The one on the right is a dead end. Judging from the marks, not many people have been here. After all, it's not far from the exit and has already been explored. As for the two going down, we don't know where they lead. Whatever, since people have come out from one of them, let's go deeper into the vertical one."

They naturally had no objections. Dujuan nodded and looked at the little girl, saying, "Roujia, give me the luggage. It won't be convenient for you to carry it on the way."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Sister Juan."

After the little girl handed the luggage to Du Juan, Chen Xuan said, "Roujia, I'll take you down. The cave entrance is small, so we need to stay close together. Sister Juan, you follow behind."

"Yes, sir," the little girl nodded, looking quite expectant.

Then Chen Xuan smiled, put his arm around her waist, and pressed them close together face to face. He lightly jumped into the cave entrance and fell slowly. However, Du Juan did not follow. Chen Xuan couldn't help but look up and say, "Sister Juan?"

"Master, you can go down first. I won't lose you," Dujuan's voice came. The reason she didn't follow immediately was because how could a maidservant like her possibly get ahead of the master?

Chen Xuan roughly understood her thoughts and didn't care. Even if things were complicated inside, he wouldn't lose Du Juan within a few miles.

At first, the cave entrance was indeed vertical, but after about 20 feet, it began to meander and had many branching caves. Chen Xuan simply led the little girl deeper underground.

After a while, Du Juan felt that Chen Xuan and the others had gone quite far down, so she jumped down to catch up. Naturally, she wouldn't lose them. She might not be able to sense Chen Xuan's presence, but the little girl's presence was very obvious to her, after all, they had only been separated for a short time.

They descended for over a thousand feet, passing through countless branching caves, until there was no more way down. Chen Xuan then led the little girl to a cave of over a hundred square meters, with a dozen or so large and small entrances around it, leading to unknown places.

Having only been in Wanku Mountain for a short while, Chen Xuan was already amazed by the complex environment. The person who had come out alive was incredibly lucky.

After settling into solid ground, Chen Xuan released the still-enthusiastic little girl and looked around, saying, "We'll wait for Sister Juan here. Roujia, how are you feeling? Do you feel suffocated?"

They've already gone thousands of meters underground, and air might not even be able to get in. Chen Xuan doesn't care, but the little girl might suffocate.

"Master, I'm alright, it's just so dark around here, and there's not a sound at all," the little girl said, shaking her head. She clung tightly to Chen Xuan's clothes, afraid to let go. In this environment, she was filled with fear and unease, and she couldn't care less about the joy of being close to Chen Xuan. If Chen Xuan hadn't been there, she probably would have burst into tears.

It seems the air here is circulating, but considering the possibility of miasma or poisonous gases, Chen Xuan immediately used a wisp of true essence to protect her. It's always better to be cautious. If something unexpected happens, where can he find such a considerate, obedient, and attractive young girl? Besides, they've already developed feelings for each other after all this time.

Patting the little girl on the shoulder, Chen Xuan comforted her, "Roujia, don't be afraid, I'm here."

As Chen Xuan raised his hand, a snowflake-shaped ice crystal the size of a palm appeared in his palm, emitting a cold white light that illuminated the entire room. The little girl couldn't see it at all.

This is a simple application of the Snow Cold Heaven Palm Technique that Chen Xuan has been practicing. The reason it's not the Seven Revolutions Blazing Sun Palm to create a fireball is because what if there's marsh gas causing an explosion?
Under the cold white light, the little girl saw her surroundings clearly and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she looked at a corner of the cave and exclaimed, "Master, there's a skeleton over there!"

At this moment, she became even more frightened and clung directly to Chen Xuan. After all, she was a young girl, and in this environment, her fear and anxiety were amplified.

"Don't look at the soft armor, it's nothing special," Chen Xuan said, turning to block her view.

Chen Xuan naturally noticed the skeleton. The skeleton had been gnawed on, but it was still relatively intact, and the bones had a faint metallic sheen. It seemed that the person in life must have been a master of innate martial arts, and his external martial arts skills were extremely good, which forged a body of copper skin and iron bones.

No matter how strong one's physique, after death one cannot escape being devoured by the creatures inside the cave.

He must have starved to death. He came here so weak that he didn't even have the strength to vent his anger before he died. To be able to starve a master of innate level to death, I wonder how long he had been trapped in this maze-like cave.

There were tattered clothes on the skeleton, and a sharp longsword and some gold and silver scattered around it. There were no martial arts manuals or anything like that. Chen Xuan glanced at it and then paid no more attention. He had no habit of profiting from the dead. He would just let those things rest here with the skeleton.

To distract herself from her unease, the young girl said, "Master, wasn't it said that Wanku Mountain is teeming with poisonous insects? Why haven't we seen a single bat, let alone any poisonous insects, even after venturing this far?"

"Haha, Roujia, don't be surprised. Look who you're with. With the master here, you only need to show a trace of your aura, and poisonous insects will avoid you like the plague. They wouldn't dare to come near you. You should know that seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune is the nature of all living things," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

The little girl suddenly realized and exclaimed, "That's right! No wonder we haven't had a single mosquito all year round; they were all scared away by the master!"

"You could say that. Now that Sister Juan is here, let's continue our stroll," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

After Du Juan arrived, Chen Xuan put away the glowing ice crystals and randomly walked towards a side cave that was about two people high. The Earth Magnetic Essence was a matter of luck, so he just wandered around and would eventually encounter it.

After greeting the others, Du Juan glanced at the skeleton in the corner and shook her head, saying, "We've encountered dead people so quickly. I wonder how many are buried in Wanku Mountain."

"It's my own doing. I was just bored and had nothing better to do. If it weren't for the fact that I needed the Earth Magnetic Essence and had to come here, even an environment where everything is gigantic wouldn't be enough to attract me to this dark and sunless cave," Chen Xuan said dismissively.

For the next period of time, he wandered around aimlessly with the two beautiful women, one older and one younger, sometimes going up and sometimes down, going wherever it was feasible, and overall, they continued to go deeper and deeper into the earth.

Anyway, since he didn't know where the Earth Magnetic Essence was, Chen Xuan felt that the probability of encountering it deep inside was greater.

As they went deeper, the underground environment became increasingly complex. They did not encounter any dangerous situations. The so-called poisonous insects that could be seen everywhere fled into the darkness as soon as they sensed Chen Xuan's presence.

During the process, they encountered quite a few deaths. Some hadn't been dead for long and their bodies were still intact, while others were left with only a few broken bones and teeth. They were almost all starved to death. Once lost in the cave, without food and water, even the most skilled person wouldn't survive for long.

The underground environment was already complex, and many people with considerable strength dug out numerous passages in an attempt to escape, making the environment even more unpredictable. Unless one is a grandmaster, even the strongest cultivator at the innate realm would not be able to break through the surface; on the contrary, it would only accelerate their depletion and lead to a faster death.

Several hours later, Chen Xuan and his group arrived at a spacious cave with a water source. Looking around, Chen Xuan stopped and said, "Judging by the time, it's almost evening, isn't it? We'll make do here for the night. Although there's little difference between day and night underground, we can't disrupt our sleep schedule."

"Yes, sir, I'll start a fire and cook. I've brought fine charcoal and ingredients, but it won't be as good as home. Please bear with it," the little maid nodded and began to busy herself, fulfilling her duties as a maid. She also lit candles to illuminate the surroundings, so Du Juan no longer needed to expend her true energy for lighting.

Du Juan also busied herself, saying, "Master, I'll make some stone beds and chairs. It'll be done soon. We should also bring some bedding; I'm afraid you won't sleep well tonight."

"It's not like we're moving house, why bring all that extra stuff? I've been through hard times too, I'm not that delicate," Chen Xuan chuckled.

In the short time it took to talk, Du Juan had already carved a deck chair and brought it over for him.

After he lay down, Dujuan hesitated for a moment and said, "Master, the conditions here are simple. Why don't you rest your head on my lap when you sleep? That would be more comfortable. Or you can sleep on me; I can use my internal energy to spread myself out."

"Haha, no need, I sleep well, I can fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow," Chen Xuan said cheerfully.

Eight years ago, Du Juan was still in the Acquired Realm, and she could easily squeeze into a fist-sized hole by using her internal energy, just like a soft mud monster. Now, her cultivation has advanced further, and she can maintain her 'soft and rotten' state for a long time.

Although she wanted Chen Xuan to sleep more comfortably, Du Juan didn't insist since he had already said so.

Just as she was about to help the little girl, she suddenly looked at a side cave and said coldly, "Who's there? Come out!"

"Heaven hasn't forsaken us. Let's just say there are people here. We won't have to worry about who to eat anymore. Brothers, we've been discovered! Let's go see our 'benefactor'! Hahaha, not only will we have food, but we'll also have two beautiful women to enjoy. When luck comes, you can't stop it!" As Du Juan finished speaking, a crazy voice came from the side cave.

Judging from their tone, they were so hungry they would eat people? Even if it was an emergency evacuation, this is no different from being an animal.

Chen Xuan, reclining on the stone chair, didn't even glance in that direction. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Sister Juan, kill them. Give them a break. Throw them far away; don't let them dirty your hands."

...(End of chapter)