Chapter 1780: Path to the Depths

“Senior is absolutely right!” Ming Qi agreed immediately.

“Before we proceed, I have something to confirm with you,” Li Yan said. “Since you were able to find this place, you must know quite a bit about Huangqi Valley. Do you know of any other places within this inheritance ground that the valley has sealed off or kept hidden from outsiders?”

Li Yan felt he could finally ask this. Even without the Blood Covenant, the sisters’ wariness toward him had significantly diminished. He planned to search here for three days at most. if they found nothing, he would start looking for an exit. Huangqi Valley must have hidden locations outside the hall that only those with authority knew about. Otherwise, where did the Moon-Gazing Pure Immortal Grass mentioned by Martial Aunt Ning Ke come from? Or were they cultivated elsewhere in the sect? He would have to search the sect thoroughly once he left.

Since Ming Qi and Yan Qingchen could find clues outside the hall, those clues must involve other parts of the inheritance ground. That was how one selected the most valuable lead from many possibilities.

Hearing Li Yan’s question, Ming Qi and Ming Yu were momentarily stunned. Their reaction was quick, and they seemed to share a thought. However, their faces only showed a pensive expression.

“There should be. It seems some areas outside the Hall were retained by the sect. We actually have one other clue. It’s a backup location we planned to visit after exploring this place. However, we aren’t confident about getting in, as it is almost certainly guarded by sect cultivators. If Senior wishes to go, we can head there together later!”

Ming Qi’s answer filled Li Yan with joy. As he suspected, they had many clues regarding the inheritance ground. This was far better than his own blind searching. It wasn’t that he hadn’t prepared, but that information about the Hall was too heavily restricted, and his time was too short. These sisters had the support of an entire clan, and they had analyzed and deduced their leads meticulously.

From her words, Li Yan could see her gratitude. She had revealed a lead without much hesitation. However, she didn’t give the location. This was an exploration in progress; the final state of their cooperation was yet to be determined. Ming Qi was waiting to see the outcome here before deciding whether to truly share the clue. If she felt it inappropriate, she could find any reason to refuse.

She might know more than one lead. If they didn’t want to cooperate, they could lead him to a place where they’d easily be spotted, and once the sect cultivators found them, the matter would naturally end. As for their lives, they needn’t worry; the sect allowed them in and didn’t explicitly forbid certain areas. At worst, they’d be warned or cordoned off.

Li Yan’s goal was the Moon-Gazing Pure Immortal Grass. He had to try everything for Senior Sister Bai’s sake. He nodded and didn’t press further. The three spread out from west to east and began their meticulous search.

Though the mountain was densely wooded, there were no creatures to disturb them, making the search quite efficient. Li Yan moved through the forest. The trees were dense with no paths; a mortal wouldn’t last a few steps before being exhausted. There were many natural caves and holes, perhaps once home to birds and beasts that were now extinct. Some areas, due to the mountain’s terrain, even possessed a natural hallucinatory effect.

‘There truly are remnants of formations here. It seems someone once studied formations here, leaving behind traces of their positioning after dismantling them…’ Li Yan looked at a patch of shrubs. They extended from a tree root, their varying heights forming what looked like a hexagram pattern.

This was an effect caused by varying spiritual energy. Even after the formation was gone, the ground beneath the original formation bases had been permanently affected, influencing the growth of the shrubs. Because there were no animals or even ants to disturb the plants, the shrubs retained the original patterns of the formation.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting slanting beams of light filled with dancing dust motes. Li Yan had searched for two hours. He found traces of cultivation, but they were nearly invisible. Without his keen observation, even in this undisturbed land, time would have erased them.

He was also looking for an exit. He had set a three-day limit. Given the size of the area, they shouldn’t miss anything.

‘I wonder how my avatar is doing? I’ve lost all connection. Yan Qingchen will almost certainly return…’ Li Yan worried. The avatar at the Rainbow River wasn’t very strong, while Yan Qingchen was powerful. However, he had left other traps besides the illusion array. If he managed a sneak attack, he might still kill him.

‘…If this is indeed a place where an Undead Nether Phoenix powerhouse appeared, why did Yan Qingchen come here? He was also well-prepared, meaning his goal was specific. Did he have the same clues as the sisters, or a different goal? If different, what does this sect need from here? Or am I overthinking—could it be his personal goal? Otherwise, what use would the Yin-Yang Primordial Chaos Sect have for an Undead Nether Phoenix inheritance?’

Li Yan continued to ponder. He hadn’t told the sisters about Yan Qingchen yet. They didn’t know he had come to the Rainbow River with a clear purpose. What was that sect planning? Li Yan desperately wanted to know so he could sabotage them. But he couldn’t figure it out. Did they want to follow the path of dual cultivation of body and magic? From what he knew from Master Dong Fuyi, that sect was archaic and obsessively focused on the Dao of Yin and Yang. They were unlikely to tolerate other cultivation systems.

“Senior, please come here for a moment!”

A voice suddenly rang in Li Yan’s mind. He traced the Divine Sense and found it came from the mountain base—the area searched by Ming Yu. Her personality was less stable than Ming Qi’s; Li Yan suspected she might have called him over without verifying her find. Still, he left a marker and flickered through the forest.

He found Ming Yu quickly. Ming Qi had arrived before him. This was a spot at the foot of the mountain, near the spirit fields. The forest was thinner here, but thick shrubs covered the ground, hiding the rocks beneath.

“There is a karst cave below. Our Divine Sense shows it extending deep underground. However, after thirty li, we encounter interference. No matter how we push our Divine Sense, we cannot see beyond that point,” Ming Yu said, her voice tinged with excitement.

Li Yan’s eyes flashed. The mountain had thousands of holes, most of which they had ignored if they showed no signs of formations. But this interference was unusual. Li Yan sent his Divine Sense into the shrubs.

“It seems our luck has taken a turn for the better. We must be extra cautious!” Ming Qi added. She had already sensed the cave. Such an unusual discovery was heartening, but having been bitten once by the scarecrow trap, she was wary. This discovery seemed a bit too easy.

“Let’s go down. I will enter the cave first. If it’s safe, you follow!” Li Yan retracted his sense. It was exactly as she said: at thirty li deep, his vision was obscured by a blur. He struck out with his palm.

BOOM!

A dull tremor shook the ground. A powerful gust of wind pulverized the thick shrubs, revealing the dark rock of the mountain and a pitch-black opening. The entrance was a long, narrow slit, just wide enough for an adult to pass through sideways. The edges were sharp as blades. Li Yan’s palm strike didn’t stop; it surged into the cave.

Rumble…

The sound of rocks shattering echoed from the depths. Li Yan had intentionally used his strike to test for traps or anomalies that Divine Sense might miss. The sound traveled several li before fading.

The sisters weren’t surprised by his caution. “Then please be careful, Senior!”

Li Yan approached the entrance but didn’t enter. He flicked his finger, shooting a grey light into the cave. The sisters exchanged a look. ‘That’s a Gu-insect. He’s a Gu Master too?’

Gu Masters were feared, as even an Undead Nether Phoenix wouldn’t want to be swarmed by inexhaustible, tiny insects. Li Yan’s insect was just a second-grade creature—a small gift from Zhao Min that he kept for such scouting. It avoided the risk of being trapped again. He didn’t use his Snow Mosquitoes, as they were too recognizable and might reveal his origins to the sisters.

Soon, the insect returned after a quick scout. Li Yan communicated with it, put it away, and vanished into the cave.

…

By a beautiful lakeshore, the air suddenly distorted, and a graceful figure appeared. Fairy Ning Ke looked at five different-colored rings of light. She flicked a beam of light from her hand and flew into the black ring.

In a spirit field, Shi Ligui had rolled up his trouser legs, revealing dark, powerful muscles. He was bent over, staring intently at a thin leaf. On that dark, thorned leaf, a layer of white frost seemed to have condensed!