### Chapter 84: The Barrier Breaks
*Boom!*
The ground shook as the massive barrier surrounding Yin Moon Mountain shattered, revealing the fabled ancient cultivator's cave. A weathered stone path wound upward, overgrown with waist-high weeds, leading to a peak where a boulder bore two archaic characters: *Yin Demon*.
"Demon?!" Gasps erupted. Could this be a demon's lair? It sat beside the Black Veil Forest, where demons were already breaking free. But the barrier bore no demonic energy—its craftsmanship screamed *cultivator*.
The three Core Formation cultivators exchanged glances, conflicted but unwilling to retreat.
"Merely two characters," Elder Feng said. "If you fear it, I'll go first."
Elder Lan snorted. "Fortune favors the bold. Even a demon's cave might hold treasures we can use. I've waited a month—I'm not leaving empty-handed."
The female Core Formation cultivator nodded. "I'll join you."
They vanished into the cave, aura shields flaring.筑基期 (Foundation Establishment) cultivators followed, then the 练气期 (Qi Refinement) masses—over fifteen hundred, scrambling to enter.
"Watch your step, bastard!" A shout rang out.
"Stop shoving!"
*Boom!* A fire talisman exploded, incinerating several cultivators. Chaos erupted. Greed and impatience turned the entrance into a battlefield.
Savvier修士 (cultivators) slipped past the fray. *Opportunity waits for no one*, they thought. A single stroke of luck here could make their cultivation.
…
In the underground passage, Lin Yi, Zhang Ziyan, and Peng Qingyun fought on, taking turns to recover with *Condensation Dew Pills* when their spiritual energy ran dry.
Lin Yi relied on his tempered body and the *Five Spirits Technique* when depleted, his flesh alone enough to fend off low-level demons.
"Rest, Ziyan," he urged,心疼 her labored breathing.
"I'm fine," she smiled, but her exhaustion showed.
"Please," Peng said. "We'll hold them off."
Reluctantly, she sat to meditate, her gaze lingering on Lin Yi.
Suddenly, the demons froze, then scattered, fleeing in panic.
Lin Yi frowned. "Why'd they retreat?"
No one knew, but caution won out. "Regain your strength first," he said.
They meditated until fully recovered, then followed the demons' trail—toward Yin Moon Mountain, unknowingly.
…
At Yin Moon Mountain, over five hundred cultivators lay dead outside the cave—mostly low-level 散修 (rogues) and clan disciples. Sect cultivators, better equipped, had fared better.
Finally, the survivors surged into the cave, only to find a small, unremarkable chamber. The first Qi Refinement cultivator stumbled in, yelping as a hidden barrier teleported him away.
The others froze, fear replacing greed.
*This cave holds more dangers than we thought.*
But none turned back. The allure of ancient treasures burned too bright.
…
Beneath them, Lin Yi's group pressed on, unaware their path led straight into the storm gathering at Yin Moon Mountain.
"I have a bad feeling," Lin Yi muttered, gripping his sword tighter.
Little did they know, demons, high-level fiends, and even a 魅魔 (succubus) lurked ahead—guardians of secrets that could shake their world. And with three Core Formation cultivators now inside the cave, the stage was set for a cataclysm.