Unreliable Sword Immortal.

Chapter 177 Ancient Sword Cultivator's Cave

Elder Chu, a level 60 NPC with white hair and beard, possessed an otherworldly air. Holding a whisk, he bowed to Lu Chao and said, "I have long admired Sect Leader Lu's reputation. Meeting you today, I can attest to your extraordinary abilities. It is widely rumored in the martial world that Sect Leader Lu single-handedly killed the sect leaders of the Golden Sword Sect and the Tianfeng Sword Sect, and even that demoness Yan Shangqing was defeated by you. Is this true or not?"

"A widely circulated rumor?" Lu Chao wondered to himself if he had gained some fame. He chuckled and said, "That's right, it's all true!"

Elder Chu bowed again and said, "Sect Leader Lu is so young yet possesses such combat prowess; it is truly admirable."

Lu Chaoding returned the greeting in the same manner, saying, "Actually, I'm just an Earth player with an unreliable system!"

"An unreliable system?"

Elder Chu clearly didn't understand Lu Chaoding's words. He flicked his whisk and said, "As per the previous agreement, the newly unidentified inheritance jade slips discovered in the ancient sword cultivator's cave in Fengbo Valley, Tianfeng Prefecture, are here. There are 20 of them in total. Sect Leader Lu only needs to pay 2 mao (0.2 yuan) to take them all away."

As he spoke, 20 palm-sized, dark yellow jade pieces appeared in front of Lu Chao. These jade pieces were carved with different patterns and looked quite mysterious. They were the unidentified inheritance jade slips.

[Ancient Sword Cultivator's Legacy Jade Slip (Unidentified): An ancient jade slip stored in the first-level inheritance hall of the Ancient Sword Cultivator's cave in Fengbo Valley. It may contain hidden techniques and secrets of the ancient sword cultivator, but this jade slip is sealed by a strange divine sense technique, making it difficult to fathom its mysteries without proper guidance. Note: After identification, this inheritance jade slip will display detailed attribute information, transforming into skill books, crafting diagrams, pill recipes, etc. Please explore on your own.]

Lu Chao nodded, took out his Qian Yuan Token, swiped a dollar for Elder Chu, and said, "Here's a dollar, keep the change!"

Elder Chu was overjoyed and said, "How can that be? This is a huge sum of money!"

"It's only one dollar, don't be shy!"

Lu Chao didn't care at all. He accepted the twenty inheritance jade slips, thinking that since these inheritance jade slips were not bound and could be traded, he could farm them infinitely through the quest hall. He wouldn't just get twenty slips, but an infinite number.

After carefully examining the jade slips, Lu Chaoding asked, "How can these inheritance jade slips be authenticated?"

Elder Chu said, "These jade slips are imbued with ancient and mysterious divine sense techniques. In my opinion, to fathom their mysteries, one would probably have to go to the Great Yu Kingdom in Tianzhong Prefecture. I've heard that there are experts there who are skilled in ancient secret techniques, known as appraisers. They should be able to decipher the mysteries of these inheritance jade slips!"

"We still have to go to Tianzhong Prefecture?" Lu Chao asked, slightly disappointed. "Isn't there any other way?"

Elder Chu said, "Yes! Divine sense can be forcibly erased. I've heard that beings at the peak of the realm have powerful divine sense and can completely erase the divine sense on these jade slips, making them reveal their mysteries."

"A peak-level existence?" Lu Chao's heart skipped a beat. "What does that mean?"

"Mortal, Outstanding, Extraordinary, Peak, Primordial, Supreme: These are the six realms of sword cultivators passed down since ancient times. Among them, extraordinary experts can establish their own sects and govern a region. Peak is above extraordinary, but nowadays, peak experts are extremely rare, like dragons whose heads are seen but not their tails. Supreme and Primordial are legends. Many experts believe that the Supreme and Primordial realms do not exist at all and are false rumors."

"Is that right, a legend?"

Lu Chao thought to himself that finding a top-tier expert was probably more difficult than finding an appraiser in Tianzhong Prefecture.

He shook his head, carefully put away the 20 unidentified jade slips of inheritance, and decided not to go to Tianzhong Prefecture for the time being.

"After all, it's only something I bought for one dollar. I'll keep it as a souvenir for now!" Lu Chao muttered to himself, thinking that he should go back to his sect, farm more pills and earth spirits, and wait until a month later when he could use the world map's teleportation function before going to Tianzhongzhou.

With that thought in mind, Lu Chao said to Elder Chu, "The transaction is complete. There's nothing else, so I'll take my leave now!"

After saying this, he released the Great Xuan Sword and prepared to ride it away.

"Sect Leader Lu, please wait!" Elder Chu suddenly said again, "Sect Leader Lu is extremely powerful. Would you be willing to make a trip to the ancient sword cultivator's cave in Fengbo Valley?"

Lu Chao stopped in his tracks. He suddenly received a system notification: "Ding, an opportunity event has been triggered. Talk to Elder Chu of the Tianfeng Sword Sect to learn more about the ancient sword cultivator's cave in Fengbo Valley."

"Shall we make a trip to the ancient sword cultivator's cave in Fengbo Valley?" Lu Chaoding immediately turned back and said, "Yes, yes, that's exactly what I was thinking! I wonder what mysteries that ancient sword cultivator's cave holds?"

Elder Chu said, "It would be wonderful if Sect Leader Lu were willing to go. Speaking of that ancient sword cultivator's cave, it is truly extraordinary. I wonder who left it here. Our sect has sent out all its experts, even the Supreme Elder, along with experts from other sects to explore it. But so far, we have only been able to break through the first level of the cave, and it certainly doesn't have only one level. Sect Leader Lu, please come with me. I will take you to that ancient sword cultivator's cave, and we can talk as we go!"

"good!"

Lu Chaoding then walked side by side with Elder Chu towards a valley.

That valley is called Fengbo Valley.

This valley is extremely large, shaped like a cross, with four paths leading in and out. According to Elder Chu, the ancient sword cultivator's cave is located in its very center, jointly controlled by the Heavenly Wind Sword Sect, Heavenly Thunder Sword Sect, Heavenly Rain Sword Sect, and Heavenly Fire Sword Sect.

These four factions are located close to each other, their strengths are similar, and they are quite competitive.

Following Elder Chu, Lu Chaoding first arrived at the Tianfeng Sword Sect's headquarters.

Judging from the scale of the sect's buildings alone, the Tianfeng Sword Sect appears to be a level above the Jinjian Sect, Tianjian Sect, and Tianfeng Sword Sect. Because it is not located by the sea, the Tianfeng Sword Sect does not have any large patrol ships, but there are more than a dozen large patrol ships floating in the sky above the sect's residence, two of which are of the Earth-level.

There were quite a few players from the Tianfeng Sword Sect. Lu Chaoding encountered more than twenty people along the way. They saw Lu Chaoding but didn't react much. They probably mistook him for an NPC and continued doing what they were doing, not even bothering to give him a second glance.

A moment later, Lu Chaoding entered the valley and walked for another half an hour through the valley passage before arriving at the very center of the valley. There stood a large, square hall that completely filled the center of the valley, blocking the way.

Clearly, that main hall was the entrance to the ancient sword cultivator's cave.

The Heavenly Wind Sword Sect occupies a quarter of Fengbo Valley, yet it can only control one entrance to the four main halls. Presumably, the other three sides of the halls also have one entrance, which is probably controlled by the Heavenly Fire, Heavenly Thunder, and Heavenly Rain sects.

Upon seeing this scene, Lu Chaoding realized that the ancient sword cultivator's inheritance was extraordinary, and it was very likely that the four sects of Heavenly Wind, Heavenly Rain, Heavenly Thunder, and Heavenly Fire were designed around it.

At this moment, there were many NPCs and players in front of the entrance to the Four Directions Hall.

Most of the NPCs stood still, while Lu Chaoding listened to the players' chatter for a short while and learned that the Ancient Sword Cultivator's Cave was a large secret realm. To explore it, one needed to first find Feng Kuanghou, the leader of the Tianfeng Sword Sect, to receive an exploration quest.

The sect leader stood in front of the entrance to the main hall. He was a level 60 NPC, dressed in black, expressionless, and motionless. If no player came forward to interact with him, he would stand like a statue, a typical quest-type NPC.

Standing next to him were two white-bearded and white-haired NPCs, the left and right protectors of the Tianfeng Sword Sect. At this moment, one was acting as a supply officer with shop features, and the other was a healer who seemed to be able to heal the player.

Lu Chaoding also discovered the Hongchen Sword Stele and the Destiny Platform here.

"Good heavens, the sect leader and the left and right protectors are doing nothing but standing here. Is the Heavenly Wind Sword Sect only existing because of this ancient sword cultivator's cave?"

Lu Chaoding pondered silently.

Soon, he followed Elder Chu to Feng Kuanghou's side. Elder Chu said, "Sect Leader, this is Sect Leader Lu of the Reliable Sword Sect. He is a millionaire and may be able to help us explore this ancient sword cultivator's cave!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Kuanghou's expression changed slightly, but it was clear that this sect leader wasn't very intelligent. He pulled out a token from his waist, looked at Lu Chaoding, and said, "You're not a disciple of our sect. If you want to explore the ancient sword cultivator's cave, you'll need to pay one million... no, one cent each time! If you can't afford it, you can't enter. However, if you join my Tianfeng Sword Sect, you can not only receive one free entry opportunity every day, but you can also enter once for just 3000 yuan. How about it, do you want to join my Tianfeng Sword Sect!"

"No!" Lu Chao shook his head.

Feng Kuanghou remained expressionless and continued, "If you don't want to join my sect, please pay before entering the cave!"

Without saying a word, Lu Chaoding took out his Qian Yuan Token, roared at the wind, and swiped a dollar.

The howling wind said calmly, "One dollar gives you 100 entries!"

After speaking, the sect leader took out a token from his waist and handed it to Lu Chao, saying, "Now you can enter the ancient sword cultivator's cave. This cave is fraught with danger, so I suggest you explore it in a team! Also, if you can find my junior brother Feng Qingyang inside and rescue him, or deliver a message back, you will receive a generous reward!"

"Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained the qualification to enter the Ancient Sword Cultivator's Cave in Fengbo Valley. You can enter 100 times!"

"Ding! You have received the Ancient Sword Cultivator's Cave Exploration quest. Head to the Ancient Sword Cultivator's Cave in Fengbo Valley to rescue Feng Qingyang, the Vice Sect Leader of the Tianfeng Sword Sect, who is trapped inside, or send his message back. You can receive a generous reward from Feng Kuanghou, the Sect Leader of the Tianfeng Sword Sect."

"Ding! The occasionally unreliable system has activated, updating the tracking mission with altered content: Explore the ancient sword cultivator's cave in Fengbo Valley, rescue Feng Qingyang, the vice sect leader of the Tianfeng Sword Sect, who is trapped inside, or send his message back. You can retrieve Feng Qingyang from Feng Kuanghou, the sect leader of the Tianfeng Sword Sect!"

"Hmm?" Lu Chao raised an eyebrow. "Another unreliable reward! Claim Feng Qingyang! Is the reward an NPC?"

Looking down at the "pass token" in his hand, Lu Chao thought to himself that the Tianfeng Sword Sect had turned this ancient sword cultivator's cave into a profit-making institution. The cost of entering and exploring it was really not low. If it were the normal price, non-Tianfeng Sword Sect players would have to spend one million to enter!

However, with such a high price, there must be many treasures in this ancient sword cultivator's cave.

"Sect Leader Lu!" Elder Chu spoke up again, "If you make any discoveries in the cave, or if you find anything you don't need after entering the second level, you can give it to me, and I will definitely give you a satisfactory price."

"knew!"

Elder Chu added, "Sect Leader Lu, if conditions permit, you should form a team to enter the Ancient Sword Cultivator's Cave. It will be safer that way. Moreover, there's a Four Symbols Formation on the first level of the Ancient Sword Cultivator's Cave, which requires four people to activate. You'd better form a team of four!"

At this moment, Lu Chaoding received another system notification: "Ding, accept the mission: team up in four to explore the ancient sword cultivator's cave in Fengbo Valley and successfully activate the Four Symbols Formation to receive a hidden reward."

"Ding! The occasionally unreliable system has been activated, updating the tracking mission with altered content: A four-person team will explore the ancient sword cultivator's cave in Fengbo Valley and successfully activate the Four Symbols Formation to receive ten hidden rewards."

"Huh, another team quest has been completed! Ten hidden rewards..."

Lu Chao narrowed his eyes and said to Elder Chu, "You're a good NPC, I'll do my best!"

Just then, three players approached. Their attribute information was hidden, so Lu Chao couldn't see their names or levels. One of them was a tall female player who brazenly yelled at Feng, the leader of the Tianfeng Sword Sect, "Here's 9000, three tokens! Deduct them from my storage space, too lazy to take them out!"

Feng Kuanghou nodded and said, "Entry-level disciple Meng Jingjing, 9000 gold coins have been deducted from your storage space. You are now given three access tokens. You may now enter the Ancient Sword Cultivator's cave. If you can find my junior brother Feng Qingyang inside, rescue him, or send a message back..."

"Alright, enough nagging! Who knows where your damn junior brother is? I'm too lazy to look for him!"

After saying that, she took the three access tokens from Feng Kuanghou's hand and gave one to each of the two players behind her.

The two players, one fat and one thin, were both men. They were very happy after receiving the pass tokens. The fat player said, "Big sister, consider this a debt I owe you. When I have the money, I'll pay you back the three thousand yuan with interest!"

The other, thinner player said, "We're one short now, we need one more person!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chaoding laughed and said, "The three of you, let's form a team!"

"Who are you?"

"I've never seen you before!"

"You look unfamiliar, you're a beginner, right?" Female player Meng Jingjing sized up Lu Chaoding and asked, "Have you ever been inside this secret realm before?"

Lu Chao shook his head and said, "Not yet!"

"So you're a complete newbie!" Meng Jingjing crossed her arms and thought for a moment, then said, "Alright, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll mentor you, the newbie. But let me make this clear: once we enter the Ancient Sword Cultivator's cave, you have to listen to me. Don't act on your own. The monsters inside are very strong, and there are traps. One slip and we'll all be wiped out!"

Lu Chao nodded and said, "Okay, I'll do my best!"

He thought for a moment, then asked, "Don't any of you recognize me?"

The chubby player said, "I don't recognize you. What's your name?"

The skinny player followed up, "Are you famous? Should we know you?"

"I should be considered somewhat famous..." Lu Chao chuckled, feeling a bit nostalgic about teaming up with others.

(End of this chapter)