Chapter 120: Tracing the Path

Mushan River lay to the northwest of Woodmount City.

Four figures swiftly cut through the sky, rapidly advancing. Cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage could achieve short-distance flight by controlling their spiritual energy; however, they typically avoided it as the rate of spiritual energy depletion exceeded its recovery speed. After covering some distance, they would need to rest and replenish. Consequently, most Qi Refinement cultivators preferred gliding with wind currents, leveraging terrain for assistance.

But at this moment, Chen Luo and his companions did not conserve their energy. Harnessing the wind, they swiftly reached the location described by Zhou Tianyang.

Descending from the air, each of them retrieved spirit stones to replenish their expended energy.

Ahead, a turbulent river flowed swiftly.

The water appeared somewhat murky, yet upon visual inspection, there seemed nothing unusual about this stretch of river.

“This is the place.”

Zhou Tianyang put away his spirit stone, having nearly fully recovered within a brief span. He stepped forward, waved his hand, and a black stone flew up from the riverbed into his palm.

This stone bore his unique mark, infused with his aura, left behind during his pursuit of the monster beast earlier.

“I don’t sense any hidden path here.”

“Are you certain you haven’t mistaken the location?”

Immediately upon Zhou Tianyang’s descent, both Old Man Hu and Daoist Dry Corpse attempted to sense the hidden path, but unfortunately, they found nothing.

“The location of that secret passageway is quite peculiar. I only discovered it while chasing the monster beast; it’s undetectable from above,” Zhou Tianyang explained.

Unlike the other three, Chen Luo focused his gaze towards the northwest direction.

That was where Woodking Mountain lay, home to the mineral vein jointly ‘guarded’ by the four great families. Previously, Chen Luo had excavated the burial site of five Foundation Establishment remains nearby, which was just a short distance from their current position.

‘Such a coincidence? Could there be any connection?’

Chen Luo recalled the lingering obsessions of those five Foundation Establishment cultivators. There must have been a reason why these seven Foundation Establishment cultivators chose this place for nurturing their pills. The concealed mountain valley inadvertently discovered by Zhou Tianyang might well be related to the pill-nurturing site.

On the other side, Daoist Dry Corpse shared similar thoughts. He was the one who sold the information to Chen Luo, naturally aware of the existence of the pill-nurturing location. However, the old fellow was deeply calculating, showing no outward signs, as he continued discussing potential entry points with Old Man Hu.

“I’ll go first; you follow behind me.”

By this time, all four individuals had recovered. Zhou Tianyang took the lead and jumped into the river. As the one who shared the information, it was natural for him to guide the group.

With the allure of a ‘Foundation Establishment spirit artifact’ at stake, they wasted no time and swiftly followed, diving into the water after him.

The river’s current was icy cold, growing even chillier as they descended deeper.

After passing through the upper layer of murky sediment, the water abruptly became crystal clear.

This distinct separation suggested an invisible force at play.

‘There is indeed something peculiar about this river.’

The same thought flashed across their minds simultaneously.

At such depths, shielded by layers of spiritual energy, ordinary people would neither discover nor be able to reach this location.

Continuing downward, the quartet reached the riverbed. With their spiritual energy protecting them, they moved effortlessly, almost as if walking on solid ground. Leading the way, Zhou Tianyang followed the river course for some distance.

Approximately a hundred meters in, he stopped near a large rock.

The others glanced over and noticed a well-hidden passageway to its left. The entrance bore remnants of damaged ancient script inscriptions on the stone wall.

The entrance to the tunnel was carved into the side of the riverbed, partially obscured by a large rock and half-buried under sediment. As they approached, footprints became visible at the entryway. These were likely left from Zhou Tianyang’s previous visit with his team.

At the front, Zhou Tianyang retrieved a night pearl from his bag of holding, illuminating the path as they continued onward.

After about a hundred steps, the tunnel began to slope upwards. Soon, the water level dropped, allowing the four individuals to emerge from beneath the surface.

They found themselves in a vast underground cavern.

Evidence of combat was scattered throughout, including traces of blood and two corpses. The bodies wore attire similar to that of the Loose Cultivators Union, akin to the gray-robed man who had confronted Chen Luo. Both were early-stage Qi Refinement solo cultivators. It seemed highly probable that these unfortunate souls were casually slain during their battle against a monster beast.

“It was right here that I injured the beast last time, but unfortunately, it still managed to escape,” Zhou Tianyang remarked as he walked towards a stone pillar, gesturing briefly. He paid no heed to the two corpses lying nearby.

In the Loose Cultivators Union, the value placed on low-ranking solo cultivators was minimal.

Regardless of any organization’s initial intentions, once established, those at the bottom invariably become exploited. These solo cultivators sought to join the Loose Cultivators Union, hoping against fate to change their destiny, yet the union itself utilized them for its own purposes.

“A Bursting Flame Talisman couldn’t kill that monster beast?”

Old Man Hu picked up a stone from the ground, brushed off the dust with his finger, and his gaze flickered slightly. With his cultivation base at the peak of the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refinement, he was the strongest among the four.

Chen Luo and the mummy old daoist also turned towards him.

The area bore signs of intense flames, and even the stone pillars reaching up to the cave ceiling were shattered. Such power was exceptionally formidable for the Qi Refinement stage.

“That monster beast had incredibly thick skin and remarkable agility; it likely possesses intelligence.”

Zhou Tianyang felt along the stone wall, and when his right hand touched a protruding rock, there was a soft ‘click.’ The mechanism triggered, revealing an opening within the natural stone wall.

A beam of light shone down as Zhou Tianyang swiftly leaped through the gap.

Chen Luo and the others closely followed behind.

Upon exiting the cave, they found themselves in a dense forest, where towering trees with trunks thick enough for three men to encircle blocked out much of the sky. The ground beneath their feet was covered in soft layers of fallen leaves.

“The spiritual energy here is at least three times stronger than outside,” Old Man Hu observed. As a cultivator in the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refinement, he had heightened sensitivity to spiritual energy. Chen Luo also noticed the difference; apart from its increased density, the air carried a subtle fragrance reminiscent of floral scents.

“This way.”

Zhou Tianyang, leading the group, examined the monster beast’s footprints and swiftly flew ahead.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, I heard you’re a top-tier first-rank alchemist?” the mummy-like old daoist suddenly asked while walking alongside Chen Luo.

“Not quite ‘top-tier,’ but I can certainly concoct two Qi Nourishing Pills without issue,” Chen Luo modestly replied.

Their pace was leisurely, causing them to fall behind Zhou Tianyang and Old Man Hu.

“Do you happen to know how to refine Foundation Establishment Pills?”

The withered old ghost kept his gaze forward, but his voice abruptly shifted from open conversation to telepathic communication. This caught Chen Luo’s attention, and he also switched to using telepathy to respond.

“If I have the pill formula, I could certainly give it a try.”

So far, Chen Luo had not encountered any Foundation Establishment Pills, as knowledge about them was tightly monopolized by a select few. Both the materials and formulas were extremely difficult to obtain. Consequently, most solo cultivators relied on Foundation Establishment spirit artifacts instead. It wasn’t that they preferred these over pills; rather, obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills was exceedingly challenging.

Each year, the three major sects released only a handful of such pills, driving their prices astronomically high. For ordinary individuals, even if they wanted to buy one, it would be financially unattainable.

“If I provide you with the Foundation Establishment Pill formula and the necessary ingredients, what are the chances of success?”

The withered old daoist’s voice remained devoid of emotion, as if casually asking for the price of Strength Pills at a market.

Chen Luo couldn’t resist giving him a glance.

This old fellow truly lived up to being a disciple of the Corpse-Raising Sect, managing to quietly gather the Foundation Establishment materials and acquire the pill formula without anyone noticing. Obtaining such items within the Corpse-Raising Sect would undoubtedly require significant merit points. The old ghost must have accomplished some remarkable feats!

“Do you have the ingredients?” Chen Luo asked nonchalantly.

“Just hypothetical for now,” replied the withered old daoist. “I indeed possess the pill formula, but I’m still missing two key components.”

If not for the exorbitant fees demanded by tier-2 alchemists, he wouldn’t have approached Chen Luo at all. Even now, his decision was influenced only after hearing Zhou Tianyang describe the effects of the first-tier ‘Spirit Explosion Pill’. The cost of Foundation Establishment materials was prohibitively high, and he couldn’t be certain if he could afford them again in the future.

“If Fellow Daoist provides the pill formula and spirit artifacts, my chances of success should be above seventy percent,” Chen Luo assessed cautiously. Stating a hundred percent certainty would likely scare him away; even a tier-2 alchemist wouldn’t make such a guarantee.

“Such a high chance?”

The withered old ghost seemed intrigued.

A seventy percent likelihood was worth taking a risk on!

“It appears that after this matter concludes, I must find an opportunity to visit Fellow Daoist Chen.”

“You’re most welcome.”

Their conversation reached its end here.

Ahead, Zhou Tianyang and Old Man Hu seemed to be exchanging messages as well, but no one inquired about their conversation’s details. As cultivators at a similar level, they had collaborative relationships, making it unnecessary to pry into every matter.

“We’re here.”

Zhou Tianyang, who was leading the group, stopped.

Everyone looked forward, noticing a concave mountain pass. The slopes on both sides were covered with shrubbery, adorned by peculiar flowers unseen before. In the middle lay a narrow path, appearing as if trampled by some fierce creature, crushing the original vegetation along its way.

“This is where the monster beast escaped last time,” Zhou Tianyang said, halting further advance. He had suffered greatly here previously. The terrain offered easy defense and difficult offense; rushing in could easily play into the monster’s advantage, risking severe injury. Additionally, those strange nearby flowers affected anyone close, slowing down the circulation of spiritual energy within them, thereby reducing their combat effectiveness to roughly half.

Old Man Hu stepped forward, retrieved a yellow talisman from his bag of holding, and tossed it ahead.

Upon touching the ground, the talisman swiftly ignited.

A Monster Seeking Talisman!

With just one glance, Chen Luo recognized its origin. When he used to create talismans on the mountain, he had replicated this type before. However, it wasn’t particularly popular for sales, so after making two, he hadn’t pursued it further.

“It’s still inside.”

Old Man Chen extended his hand, and the burning talisman leaped into his palm, transmitting back the relevant information. This talisman was specifically designed to detect monster beasts, sensing only their presence.

“Then we’ll rely on your expertise, Old Man Chen,” Zhou Tianyang said respectfully.

“My pleasure.”

Old Man Hu retrieved a small gourd, gently tapped its mouth twice, formed a finger seal, and pointed forward.

“Go!”

A dense cloud of black insects emerged from the gourd, circled around Old Man Hu once, and then flew towards the mountain valley. As the insect swarm passed over the peculiar flowers, they rapidly withered, losing their vibrant appearance.

“Bug Control Technique?” Chen Luo observed the swarming insects, somewhat surprised.

The Bug Control Technique was a secret art from Beast Control Peak, typically inaccessible to ordinary disciples. For Old Man Hu to have learned it indicated that he spent at least ten years on the mountain during his youth and had been an Inner Sect disciple.

“Just a minor skill. Let’s go, straight ahead.”

With a chuckle, Old Man Hu vanished momentarily, following closely behind the swarm of insects. Zhou Tianyang and the mummy old daoist swiftly trailed after him; having reached this point, they couldn’t let others gain the advantage.

‘Beware, there are people inside the valley.’

Chen Luo prepared to join them but paused just as he began moving, a sudden thought flashing through his mind.

Two Foundation Establishment cultivator brains obtained from Wu Dao Peak simultaneously relayed a piece of information. This revelation caused Chen Luo to hesitate briefly, yet without any change in expression, he quickly followed Zhou Tianyang and the others into the valley.