Following the movements of the Dragon Fish, Yu Ci continued to observe the surroundings within.
At first glance, he realized that this vast rock cavern, located five thousand feet deep, was not simply an isolated space sealed within thick cliff walls. Otherwise, it wouldn’t explain the scattered bones, darkened bloodstains, or the nest made of dried grass.
Was it a beast?
Initially, he was convinced by this guess. But soon, Yu Ci grew puzzled. If this was indeed a beast’s nest, then where was the entrance? Judging by the dried grass nest, the creature living here must be quite large. It couldn’t have squeezed through a gap thinner than a finger like the Dragon Fish did, could it?
Studying the structure of the cave as shown on the Divine Map, Yu Ci observed that the cavern was vast and straight, without twists or notable ups and downs from start to end. If a torch were lit, it might even illuminate the entire cave in one go.
Such a cavern…
Suddenly, he turned his head. Not far beside him, what he saw with the naked eye was still a dark cliff wall, blending seamlessly with the surroundings, equally thick and solid. Yet, on the Divine Map, a different scene was displayed.
Behind this cliff wall lay that massive cavern, with the distance between the two spaces being…Zero?
Suddenly, Yu Ci thrust his fist forward, disregarding the thick cliff face. As his fist made contact with the wall, it seemed to pierce through a membrane, passing right through.
On the other side, within the Divine Map, half of Yu Ci’s arm was clearly visible.
An illusion!
This type of illusion wasn’t just interfering with one’s spiritual perception; it also used techniques like light manipulation. Hence, even with the Heart-Binding Horn in his mouth, it proved ineffective. Only through the powerful projection ability of the Divine Map did he uncover the hidden issue within.
Yu Ci exerted force with his feet, leaping straight into the cavern. It felt as if he had passed through a layer of water, with slight resistance, but soon he was standing firmly inside the cave.
But immediately, the pungent stench within the cave nearly knocked him over. Such acute senses could be troublesome at times, yet instead of covering his nose, he became somber, discerning the subtleties of the scent.
This scent… seemed familiar!
Turning his head, he realized that the illusion didn’t work from within the cave; what he now saw was the grand entrance, as vast as the gate of Cliff City. Looking outward, he could see the darkened region under the glow of phosphorescent moss. It remained silent, almost eerily still.
“Either this place is abandoned, or some enormous creature resides here…”
To Yu Ci’s knowledge, only one type of fearsome beast dwelling in Sky Rift Valley and capable of casting illusions fit the bill. With the Divine Map, he once more examined the fierce battle scars stretching for miles around the cavern, faintly discerning a pattern.
Through these traces, Yu Ci’s judgment grew increasingly clear and certain:
The lingering scent belonged to an “old friend,” the demonic beast who had once displayed divine might, repelling countless demons, only to flee in retreat shortly after.
From the first encounter in the pine forest where Hu Ke’s corpse lay, to the fierce battle at the base of Sky Rift Valley, to the prolonged observation from the shadowed region, the impression of this scent was etched deeply into Yu Ci’s memory—he was sure he hadn’t mistaken it.
Was this the lair of the demonic beast?
If so, it explained a small doubt that had lingered in Yu Ci’s mind.
According to the jade slip from Yu Zhou, the Nether-realm Tree was said to draw the mightiest creatures in its vicinity to reside there. Although the Dragon Fish was indeed rare, it wasn’t particularly powerful. But if it was the demonic beast instead, that would make much more sense.
However, it seemed the nest’s master hadn’t returned for a long time.
Judging by the battle traces outside the cave, the confrontation hadn’t originated from the nest. It likely happened on the demonic beast’s way back when it encountered a powerful adversary. The fight began above the “eaves” and, as the demonic beast lost ground, it fled southward along the cliff, eventually entering the Divine Map’s range, offering Yu Ci a dramatic scene of demon clashes.
Even when the demonic beast bluffed to scare off the horde and fled, it did not return here but continued south. It was said that a clever creature has multiple dens; perhaps this one had other hiding spots.
These past events, even when pieced together, held little practical value now. What intrigued Yu Ci more was why the suspected soul of the snake-like monk, after seizing a demon’s body, would deliberately come here.
He couldn’t help but recall that the treasure legend of Sky Rift Valley had always been associated with the demonic beast’s lair. Even before he killed the snake-like monk and others, he had heard similar rumors from those three men.
A thrill surged in his heart but quickly subsided.
Habitually doubting one’s own judgment wasn’t a good habit. Logically, he had long deemed the so-called treasure a deliberate fabrication, so this slight stir of desire wouldn’t amount to anything substantial.
Besides, he had already observed the cavern’s environment through the Divine Map. Inside, aside from the priceless Dragon Fish he had already marked, this was merely a lair belonging to some large, untidy beast.
“There must be a purpose to this.”
Unable to think of an answer immediately, Yu Ci set the thought aside for now and gradually ventured deeper into the cave. At the cave’s bottom, a Dragon Fish was still swimming about freely.
According to the Divine Map, it had moved further from the fissure it initially came through, and Yu Ci found no other passage nearby that could allow its escape.
Without any suitable tools, capturing a creature like the Dragon Fish—which was quick but not particularly clever—would be best achieved by utilizing the terrain.
While deep in thought, he suddenly felt something underfoot. Looking down, he found a rope, clearly crafted by human hands. Its dark color and intricate texture indicated fine craftsmanship. However, the rope was now torn into several pieces, scattered chaotically on the ground. The longest piece barely stretched over a foot, and even it was frayed and damaged.
In Sky Rift Valley, there were many remnants left behind by herb gatherers. Sometimes, demonic beasts would idly bring such items back, likely to test their teeth. However:
“This thing looks very familiar!” A flicker of recognition crossed Yu Ci’s mind as he crouched down and gathered the remnants of the rope, roughly piecing it back together. With that, his memory suddenly became clear:
“It’s Old Xu’s Spirit-Restraining Rope.”
Given the recent incident with Monk Zhen De, Yu Ci quickly connected it to relevant information.
Months ago, during a fierce battle on the cliffside, this cord, infused with soul fire, had indeed caused him some trouble, so he remembered it clearly. Now, he wondered how this Spirit-Restraining Rope, which had fallen along with its master down a thousand-foot precipice over a month ago, had reappeared here in the demonic beast’s lair—and in such a pitiful state.
Was it really just a toy to chew on?
Gently stroking the ground, Yu Ci noted the uneven surface and numerous claw marks, some several feet deep. From this, he could imagine the demonic beast’s fury when it tore apart the Spirit-Restraining Rope and even damaged the ground in its anger.
Anger? He had seen the demonic beast’s rage once before. The sudden upheaval among the valley’s creatures had been triggered by the demonic beast’s furious, bloodthirsty roar. The timing seemed to align with when the cord fell into the valley.
“It despises ropes enough to bring the Spirit-Restraining Rope back here and tear it apart in a fit of rage!” Yu Ci arrived at this conclusion naturally.
“Hmm, interesting.”
After assessing the demonic beast’s temperament, Yu Ci realized he had lingered here too long. He stood and moved further inside, picking up a few small stones along the way.
When he neared the cave’s deepest part, he halted. Before him was a nest of dry straw, laid by the demonic beast, rising nearly half his height. The Dragon Fish hovered just three zhang away. Finally sensing something amiss, it began to swim faster, as though preparing to flee.
Yu Ci acted swiftly, flicking a small stone, which shot out with great force. The stone, charged with his innate Qi, tore through the air like a powerful arrow, making a piercing whistling sound that resonated throughout the confined space.
Whether the Dragon Fish was startled, Yu Ci wasn’t sure, but its reaction was immediate. With a sudden jerk, it dodged the stone and darted forward.
Yet, just as it moved, Yu Ci flicked his fingers rapidly, launching seven or eight stones in various directions within the cave. Although they spread in different paths, in a split second, they blocked the Dragon Fish’s most direct escape routes.
Most creatures, even a fly, would instinctively alter their path to avoid obstacles. But the Dragon Fish was different. Its speed was undeniable, yet its instinctive reaction was always a straight line. The linear charge had a certain impressiveness, but it also made its movements easy to predict.
Though most of the stones missed, one struck directly along its flight path. With a sharp crack, the stone shattered, startling the Dragon Fish and slightly altering its course.
In the darkness, Yu Ci lunged forward, positioning himself just right. Using the terrain of the cave, he forced the Dragon Fish into a choice: crash into the cave wall or him, or slip through a narrow gap nearby.
The Dragon Fish chose the gap, but its trajectory was precisely where Yu Ci had calculated—a narrow corner in the cave. With its limited intellect, it couldn’t grasp the trap and charged in unhesitatingly. Yu Ci let out a low shout and blocked the path behind it.
At that moment, everything became straightforward. Every direction—left, right, forward, and back—was either stone wall or Yu Ci’s body. Even with its remarkable speed, the Dragon Fish could only attempt escape by moving upward or downward, and Yu Ci was well-prepared for exactly that.
Finally realizing its predicament, the Dragon Fish coiled its seven-foot-long body in the limited space, attempting to dart out. It pushed halfway out but then recoiled, its slender form curling tightly. At this moment, it resembled a snake more than ever.
For the first time, the Dragon Fish showed signs of hesitation.
Yu Ci also remained motionless. In this position, he could maximize his ability to block the creature. Now, all that remained was one final task.
Sponsor Chapters at the Patreon Shop: Along with BuymeaCoffee where you can use your local currency, the Shop section on Patreon can be used as a way to make a one-time-payment. I will be creating products in the Shop section with the title of the webnovels. It will only have an image as the product, but it will count as the payment for the Sponsored Chapters.
For example: You will buy the product with the title “Flower Stealing Master” to sponsor a chapter for the novel. As far as I know, you can buy the same product multiple times, so you should be able to sponsor as many chapters you want. I hope it was easy to understand.
Introducing CN WN Bundle ($15) for those who prefer to read only CN webnovels. This bundle gives you access to all the advance chapters of the Chinese Webnovels on Goblinslate immediately, and will stay ahead of the regular release for the month! Get it on Patreon!
That means, you get:
FSM – Four Advance Chapters! ($10)
DCFD – Two Advance Chapters! ($5)
AM – Two Advance Chapters! ($5)
IDT – Two Advance Chapters! ($5)