### Chapter 100: Cave Opportunities (Thirteen)
The silence hung heavy in the passage, thick with tension. The Core Formation nun's gaze lingered on Lin Yi, her expression unreadable. The memory of him detonating that Fifth Rank python core—wounding Wu, a Core Formation succubus—still surprised her. A Qi Refinement Level 8, acting with the audacity of a Core Formation expert.
"You took the left fork," she said, her voice crisp. It wasn't a question.
Lin Yi nodded. "We thought it safer. Fewer demons."
"Fewer demons," she repeated, her lips tightening. "Because it's a 死路 (dead end)."
Peng Qingyun's face paled. "How can that be? The岔路 (fork) looked real."
"The cave is a 迷宫 (maze) of arrays," the nun said, her tone grim. "Every turn tricks the mind. We're trapped—both paths loop back here."
Ji Li stumbled back, his eyes wide with panic. "Trapped? By what? The 魅魔 (succubi)? Yin Demon?"
"By 设计 (design)," the nun said, running a hand along the wall. Her fingers brushed a faint rune, which glowed briefly before fading. "This isn't a natural cave. It's a 囚笼 (prison)."
Lin Yi's mind raced. *A prison for whom? Yin Demon? Or us?*
A commotion erupted at the far end of the passage. The remaining cultivators—eighteen Foundation Establishment, a hundred-odd Qi Refinement—filed in, their faces 困惑 (confused) and 疲惫 (weary).
"We looped back," a Foundation cultivator muttered, staring at the nun in disbelief. "How?"
The nun didn't answer. She closed her eyes, her spiritual energy rippling outward as she probed the arrays. When she opened them, her expression was 凝重 (sober). "The arrays are tied to the cave's core. Break them, and we might find an exit. But…"
"But what?" a Qi Refinement cultivator asked.
"But it will 惊动 (alert) whatever's 沉睡 (sleeping) here," she said. "Yin Demon."
A murmur ran through the crowd. Fear flickered in their eyes—Yin Demon, the ancient fiend whose name alone made demons tremble.
Lin Yi stepped forward. "We don't have a choice. Staying here means waiting to be 献祭 (sacrificed). Breaking the arrays means a fight. I know which I'd pick."
The nun glanced at him, a faint flicker of approval in her eyes. "Bold words. But do you have the strength to back them?"
Lin Yi flexed his fingers, feeling the *body force* hum in his veins. "I'll find a way."
The nun nodded. "Then let's begin. Foundation cultivators, with me. We'll 合力 (join forces) to shatter the array nodes. Qi Refinement, guard our flanks. If demons come…"
"We fight," Peng said, drawing his sword. The others nodded, their fear hardening into resolve.
Lin Yi positioned himself beside Peng, his *Kuang Wang* sword ready. Ji Li stood beside them, his hands shaking but his jaw set.
The nun raised her hands, her spiritual energy surging. The Foundation cultivators joined her, their auras 交织 (intertwining) into a single, 磅礴 (overwhelming) force.
"Now!" she shouted.
They struck as one, a wave of golden light slamming into the wall. The runes blazed, screaming as they 碎裂 (shattered). The passage shook, dust cascading from the ceiling.
*Rumble…*
A deep, 古老的 (ancient) roar echoed from the depths of the cave—so powerful it made their bones 震颤 (rattle).
"Yin Demon," the nun gasped, her face paling. "He's 觉醒 (stirring) faster than I thought."
Demons howled in the distance, their cries growing closer.
"Finish the array!" she shouted, redoubling her efforts.
Lin Yi and the others braced themselves as the first wave of demons rounded the corner—hundreds of them, their eyes glowing red.
"For survival!" Lin Yi roared, charging forward. His *Iron Sand Palm* smashed through a demon's skull, while Peng's sword danced, cutting a path through the horde.
Ji Li fought beside them, his movements clumsy but fierce. "I didn't survive this long to die in a 洞 (hole)!" he shouted, decapitating a demon.
The battle raged. The Foundation cultivators hammered at the array, their spiritual energy 耗尽 (dwindling). The nun's robes were torn, her breathing labored, but she 坚持 (persisted), her sword glowing like a beacon.
Then—*crack!*
The last rune shattered. The passage shook violently, and a 裂缝 (chasm) opened in the floor, revealing a staircase leading downward—into darkness.
"Go!" the nun shouted, pushing the nearest cultivators toward it. "I'll hold them off!"
Lin Yi grabbed Peng and Ji Li, shoving them toward the stairs. "Move!"
As they descended, he glanced back. The nun stood alone, surrounded by demons, her sword a blur of light. Wu, the succubus, had reappeared, his aura 扭曲 (twisted) with rage.
*She'll die*, Lin Yi thought, a pang of guilt hitting him. But there was no time to hesitate.
The staircase ended in a vast chamber, its walls lined with 棺材 (coffins) carved from black stone. At its center, a 祭坛 (altar) pulsed with dark energy—Yin Demon's resting place.
The survivors stumbled in, their faces 混合着 (mixed with) awe and terror.
Lin Yi's gaze 锁定 (locked onto) the altar. On it lay a 玉简 (jade slip), its surface 刻着 (carved with) ancient characters.
"Is that…?" Peng whispered.
"His 传承 (inheritance)," Lin Yi said, taking a step forward. "Or his weakness (weakness)."
The chamber rumbled, and the coffins 震动 (shook). Yin Demon was waking.
Lin Yi grabbed the jade slip. "Let's find out."
The real fight was about to begin.