### Chapter 73: The Demon Chamber
It was a cave, oozing cold air. Above it loomed an ancient tree, its trunk so thick seven or eight men could barely wrap their arms around it—its bark cracked, as if on the verge of collapse.
Elder Chen, Lin Yi, and Xiao Liang exchanged glances, confusion etched on their faces.
"This cave is strange," Elder Chen muttered.
Suddenly, Lin Yi shouted, "Demon!"
A demon darted from the shadows, plunging into the cave.
"It's luring us in," Xiao Liang said coldly.
"Let's check it out," Elder Chen ordered.
The four approached cautiously, their spiritual sense probing the cave—but the cold wind inside blocked it completely.
"I'll go first," Elder Chen said. "If it's safe, follow."
He leaped into the cave. Moments later, his voice echoed up.
Lin Yi, Xiao Liang, and Ma Yunliu jumped down. The cold wind hit them like a physical blow, sapping their strength. Ma Yunliu, only Third Level Qi Refinement, turned purple, struggling to endure.
"Ma师弟, be careful," Lin Yi said, sighing inwardly. *Without the bracelet, the Yunmeng Marsh trials, the python's essence… I'd never have reached Seventh Level.* Luck mattered, but effort had turned that luck into strength.
Ma Yunliu's face lit up. Praise from his idol was sweeter than honey. "Thank you, Senior Brother! I won't hold us back!"
"Stay alert," Elder Chen warned. "This cave feels wrong."
The cave held a single tunnel—freshly dug, its soil loose. It led only forward; retreat meant death.
"Where does it lead?" Xiao Liang frowned.
"Who cares?" Lin Yi's voice was grim. "We've come this far."
Xiao Liang glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He'd finally accepted Lin Yi as an equal—strength commanded respect in this world.
Elder Chen led the way. The tunnel stretched on, straight as an arrow. No sign of the demon that had fled here.
The cold wind grew sharper, but Lin Yi barely noticed. He cycled the *Five Spirits Technique*—Skin Tempering, Flesh Tempering, Meridian Refinement—while stirring his meager spiritual energy. The two forces merged, slowly nurturing that strange new power. The cold couldn't touch him now.
…
Elsewhere, the other five teams faced the same fate. Lured into caves, they followed lone tunnels, their retreats cut off by invisible threats.
Weeks passed. The tunnels curved, following thick tree roots that grew wider with each step—until a voice echoed through the darkness, chilling their bones:
"Welcome to the Demon Chamber."
"Who's there?!" the disciples shouted, panic-stricken. But the voice fell silent, ignoring their curses.
They pressed on, until the tunnels ended. Before them stood a gnarled tree, its roots coiling into massive trunks, each with a human-sized hollow. Below, the roots vanished into darkness, as if burrowing deep into the earth.
"Is this where the prison array failed?" the elders wondered simultaneously.
*Boom!*
The tunnels behind them collapsed, sealing off all escape.
Thirty-two survivors—six elders, twenty-six disciples—gathered, their faces pale. Among them, Ma Yunliu (Third Level) stood out, drawing stares of disbelief. How had such a weak cultivator survived?
Ma Yunliu shrank under their gaze, clinging to Lin Yi's side. *Thank goodness for Senior Brother…*
At the tree's center gaped a circular pit, swirling with black mist. Spiritual sense vanished if it ventured too close; one elder had already had his sense 吞噬 (devoured), leaving him trembling. A stone staircase spiraled down into the pit.
"No turning back," Elder Zhao said grimly. "This pit must hold the answers."
"The demons led us here—it's a trap," the Xuanfeng elder sneered, glaring at Zhao and Chen. He'd never forgiven Dianxuan for seizing the python's core.
Chen's temper flared. "Spout one more word, and I'll toss you in first!"
The disciples fell silent, huddling against the tree, eyes locked on the pit.
No one moved.
The staircase waited, a path into the unknown—their only chance to uncover the truth… or meet their end.