"No time to waste! Let's get inside!" After putting away the Fire Profound Array disc, Chu Ke watched the narrow exit in front of him begin to waver and grow faint.
Without hesitation, he slipped into the opening. Chen Jinshu scanned her surroundings and caught sight of several figures flying in from a distance. She quickly followed after her senior brothers and entered the passage.
No one knew what dangers lay within. Just getting inside was no guarantee of survival. The opportunists drawn here by all the commotion wouldn't find it easy to claim a share. What waited inside was even more perilous and complex than Chen Jinshu had imagined.
The moment she stepped into the mountain ruins, a dense grey mist engulfed her vision. She couldn't see anything clearly, only catching glimpses of dark weeds and creeping black insects crawling close by. Fortunately, the protective artifact her master had given her was powerful enough to shield her while she searched for the precise location of the hidden abode.
"Xiao Yin, can you sense Senior Brother Chu's position?"
"He's about thirty zhang above you to the right, moving upward quickly!"
Chen Jinshu didn't hesitate. She turned and followed the direction indicated. Behind her, the other disciples squinted against the haze but used their own methods to keep up. Wang Quan pulled out a fog-clearing crystal, parting a path through the mist as they moved forward with speed.
Hiss—
Ahead of her, a coiled black serpent tensed, preparing to strike.
Chen Jinshu froze.
She had lost count of how many venomous snakes she'd encountered on the way. Each one was deadly. Even the slightest contact with their poison could severely wound a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Against a stronger one, a cultivator might simply end up as its next meal. And that wasn't all. The ruins were littered with bones, giant centipedes, and scorpions.
Clang! Clang!
Just as she stood still, the sounds of violent combat erupted behind her. The noise startled the black snake. It sprang toward her, fangs aimed at her neck. Chen Jinshu whipped her blade in a smooth motion, slashing directly at its throat.
Splat!
The snake's massive head and body separated in one clean cut.
"If it had cultivated for a few more years, it might've reached Foundation Establishment," she muttered.
She ignored the fighting behind her. It was probably a team from the Xuanming Sect clashing with other rogue cultivators who had barged in. Perhaps they had turned on each other over some perceived gain.
Chen Jinshu moved lightly, dodging every ambush, evading scorpions and insects just in time. After a while, the haze around her began to clear, and the dense vegetation thinned. Lifting her gaze, she saw Chu Ke and Wang Quan already waiting before a sealed doorway up ahead.
"Junior Sister, you made it. We'll enter once everyone arrives."
"Senior Brother, those rogue cultivators have already entered," she reported, frowning.
"The Fire Profound Array has been taken down. They probably came because of all the noise and light. I don't think anyone else will follow."
"So you anticipated this? What's the plan?" she asked with mild curiosity.
"I'll explain once everyone is here," Chu Ke replied with a sly smile, keeping his intentions close.
Chen Jinshu didn't press further. Before long, all the disciples from the Xuanming Sect's exploration team had regrouped.
"Now, let's give our junior brothers and sisters a good show," Chu Ke said with a pleased grin. From his storage pouch, he retrieved a small bottle.
With a simple incantation, the bottle released a thick white smoke. Chen Jinshu immediately pinched her nose and sealed her sense of smell. This powder was no ordinary smoke. It was clearly designed to affect a cultivator's mind, likely targeting the spiritual sea and clarity of thought. As the contents of the bottle spread, the grey mist in the area briefly turned white, but quickly faded back to its original appearance.
"Ahh! No!"
"Stop! Don't—!"
"Help me!"
Cries of pain and panic echoed from the mist below, sending chills down the spines of those waiting at the entrance. Chen Jinshu activated her eye technique and quickly saw the situation. Several rogue cultivators had gone mad within the haze, attacking one another in a frenzy, mistaking their allies for enemies.
It was a clever move. Chu Ke had managed to eliminate threats without expending any spiritual energy. Even so, the ruthlessness of it made Chen Jinshu wary. Someone this decisive and merciless, if lacking a stable heart, would be a dangerous person to cross—or trust.
"The tail's been cut off. Time to explore the abode," Chu Ke said with satisfaction, then turned to address the silent crowd behind him.
"Well done, Senior Brother Chu!"
"You're amazing!"
The others quickly changed their tone, shifting from fear to praise.
"I appreciate the support. I promise you won't walk away empty-handed," he said, striking a humble tone.
"Come on, let's break open the door! Whatever's inside belongs to us once we're in."
He stepped forward and struck the wooden door with his palm.
A massive handprint appeared on the stone surface.
"This place is well-defended. Let's break it open together," he called out.
The others began pouring their attacks into the same spot. Chen Jinshu, still unwilling to show her full strength, used only basic techniques like Fireball and Golden Needle Arts. After ten or so breaths, the door finally crumbled to pieces. Behind it lay a long, pitch-black tunnel stretching into the unknown.
"What lies ahead is uncertain. If anyone wishes to back out, you may do so now. If you prefer, you can stay here and guard the entrance. You'll still receive a portion of the treasure," Chu Ke said in a calm and steady voice.
"We will follow Senior Brother's lead!"
No one chose to retreat.
Of course not. The items in this abode might include Golden Core-grade treasures. For Foundation Establishment cultivators like them, such things were incredibly rare.
"Very well. Let's go together and watch each other's backs," Chu Ke nodded, satisfied.
He had no intention of going in alone and taking all the risk up front. Chen Jinshu watched him carefully, her brows slightly furrowed. On the surface, he seemed like a warm and dependable senior. Beneath that, he was anything but. Just as Chu Ke was about to step forward—
A sudden rustling noise echoed from within.
A giant centipede with glowing red eyes lunged out of the darkness, spitting a stream of green venom straight at him. Its countless black legs twitched and scraped across the ground. Chen Jinshu nearly flinched, disgusted, but she quickly lifted herself from the ground and kept her focus.
Several nearby Foundation Establishment cultivators were caught off guard. The venom splashed across their faces, immediately corroding their flesh. They collapsed, writhing in agony.
"Careful! It's a guardian spirit beast!"