181: Chapter 181 A Bizarre Farce

Ye Tian accepted the mission and did not delay. He immediately left Tianquan Peak and sped toward the north.

A distance of three hundred miles was not far for him, but it required traversing mountains and ridges; even at full speed, it would take more than half a day.

He needed to complete this first mission as quickly as possible to buy time for what was to come.

Along the way, he constantly analyzed the details of the mission in his mind.

“Abandoned Immortal Cave... Spiritual Qi fluctuations... unidentified black shadows...”

These types of reconnaissance missions had the most variables. The Immortal Cave might contain residual Restrictions, traps, or even sinister anomalies.

He focused entirely on his journey and was about to pass through a deep canyon.

Suddenly!

Several subtle sounds of breaking air shot out from the cliffs on both sides!

They blocked his front, left, and right!

Dark light flickered, and a pungent stench filled the air—they were clearly coated in potent poison!

Warning bells rang in Ye Tian's mind. He halted his momentum, tapped his toes against a rock, and drifted back several yards, his sharp gaze locking onto the source of the attack.

The next moment, three figures walked slowly out from a bend in the canyon.

The leader was tall and thin with a pale face and cold eyes. A saber hung at his waist, and the aura radiating from him had reached the True Martial Fourth Level!

The thickness of his True Essence was far beyond what the third layer could compare to, exerting a massive sense of pressure on Ye Tian!

It was precisely “Du Ya” Gao Ling!

The two behind him were also quite strong, both at the True Martial Third Layer Peak!

Ye Tian's heart sank instantly.

In the True Martial Realm, every layer was a chasm! Especially from the third to the fourth layer, there would be a qualitative leap in both the quality and quantity of True Essence.

Moreover, there were three of them, and their cultivation completely crushed his!

Gao Ling in particular gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.

“You're Ye Tian, right? Your reactions are decent.”

Gao Ling spoke, stating his name directly; the target was clear.

“Did Xiao Chen send you?”

Ye Tian tried to test them. Judging by their clothes, they were clearly Inner Sect Disciples.

Having just been promoted to the inner Sect, he knew he hadn't offended anyone else besides his conflicts with Xiao Chen's group.

The True Essence within his body had quietly risen to its Peak, and his Five Elements Protective Aura was held in reserve.

He knew deep down that this battle boded ill for him.

“Xiao Chen?”

Gao Ling sneered, his tone filled with disdain. “Those few pieces of trash? They're worthy of commanding me, Gao Ling?”

It wasn't them?

Ye Tian's heart skipped a beat.

Then who could it be?

Could it be...

“What is your intent?”

Ye Tian's voice was icy. He spread his Divine Sense to its full extent, guarding against other ambushes.

“Nothing much,”

Gao Ling said sinisterly, “I heard Junior Brother Ye is exceptionally gifted and currently in the spotlight.

We were curious and came specifically to exchange pointers, to see if Junior Brother is as... durable as the rumors say!”

The malice and killing intent in his words were completely undisguised.

“I don't have time.”

Ye Tian refused directly, his body turning slightly as he searched for an Opportunity to escape.

There was absolutely no chance of winning in a head-on clash!

“Heh, that's not up to you!”

Gao Ling shouted. His figure blurred, closing the distance in an instant!

His speed was far beyond the True Martial Third Layer!

His five fingers formed a claw, and a dark light flared at his fingertips as he lunged straight for Ye Tian's throat!

Mystic Yin Claw!

Before the claw wind even arrived, that yin cold qi had already locked onto Ye Tian!

At the same time, the two people behind Gao Ling also attacked. A saber light blocked the left, and a long whip coiled toward the right!

The offensive was ruthless, sealing off all of Ye Tian's paths of retreat in an instant!

“Fight!”

A fierce glint flashed in Ye Tian's eyes. With no way to avoid it, his only choice was to fight to the death!

He pushed the Taixu Star-Shift Steps to the limit. As he moved, heavy afterimages trailed behind him. He narrowly dodged Gao Ling's poisonous claw while simultaneously firing a Starfall Finger at the saber-wielder's wrist!

His other hand transformed from a palm into a blade, imbued with hidden force, and struck at the whip's point of power!

“Clang! Bang!”

Finger met saber, and palm met whip!

Ye Tian's entire body shook violently. He felt two surges of power travel through his fingers and palm, causing his blood to churn and his Meridians to sting with pain!

The absolute gap in cultivation was clearly revealed!

He stumbled back more than ten steps before he could barely neutralize that surging force.

If not for his strong Physical Body, that single exchange might have seriously injured him!

Meanwhile, Gao Ling and his two companions only swayed slightly!

The difference in strength was immediately apparent!

“You do have some tricks, but it's a pity your cultivation is too poor!”

Gao Ling sneered. His attacks became even more rapid, and claw shadows enveloped Ye Tian's entire body!

The other two also launched a full-scale assault, the saber light and whip shadows becoming airtight!

Ye Tian pushed his movement technique to the limit to dodge, his Five Elements True Essence surging as he struggled to neutralize the enemy's offensive.

But the gap in cultivation was too large. His True Essence was far inferior in both quality and quantity; every head-on collision left him at a disadvantage, and he fell completely into the defensive!

“Puff!”

Finally, Ye Tian failed to dodge in time, and the edge of Gao Ling's poisonous claw grazed his shoulder!

His Protective Aura fluctuated violently, his clothes tore, and five black finger marks that reached the bone were left behind!

A surge of yin-cold and malicious foreign True Essence instantly invaded his Meridians, wreaking havoc!

The poison technique of the True Martial Fourth Level was incredibly overbearing!

Ye Tian let out a muffled groan, his face instantly turning deathly pale. He retreated violently, his aura becoming chaotic!

“He's poisoned! Take him down!”

Gleam of triumph flashed in Gao Ling's eyes as the three tightened their encirclement!

Ye Tian knew he couldn't keep fighting head-on, or he would surely die!

From the corner of his eye, he spotted a narrow cave entrance at the base of the cliff ahead, obscured by vines. The entrance seemed to have the fluctuations of a Restriction!

“I have to risk it!”

He gritted his teeth and took a direct hit from the saber-wielder's saber aura. Using the force, he spun his body and shot toward the cave entrance!

At the same time, he threw back several Heart-Piercing Fingers to temporarily block his pursuers!

“Trying to run? After him!”

Gao Ling shouted, and the three followed closely!

Ye Tian was the first to rush into the cave entrance!

When Gao Ling's group arrived, they were momentarily blocked by a barrier of light from a Restriction that suddenly lit up at the entrance!

Although the light barrier was instantly shattered by Gao Ling's strike, Ye Tian had already taken the Opportunity to disappear into the depths of the dark cave!

“Damn it! How can there be a Restriction here!”

Gao Ling's face was grim as he stared into the deep cave entrance. “He's been hit by my Mystic Yin Poison; he won't get far! Guard the entrance! Wait for the poison to take effect, or force him out!”

The three did not enter rashly, choosing instead to wait for their prey.

...

Inside the cave, Ye Tian endured the erosion of the potent poison. He circulated his Five Elements True Essence frantically to suppress the toxic force, quickly moving dozens of yards deeper. After turning a corner and confirming he was safe, he sat against the wall and took a pill to expel the poison.

Gao Ling's poison technique, combined with his Fourth Level cultivation, was extremely troublesome!

After adjusting his breathing for a moment and suppressing the toxins, he looked around.

The grotto wound downward, and there were faint fluctuations of Spiritual Qi.

He spread his Divine Sense to its full extent, making everything in the cave clear.

Suddenly, he captured a very faint fluctuation of a Formation at the corner ahead, as well as a flickering black shadow.

This black shadow seemed to be quietly approaching!

“Playing ghost!”

Ye Tian snorted inwardly; his Divine Sense had already seen through the ruse.

The energy core of that black shadow was a life aura at the Ningyuan Realm. Its movements showed signs of human control, and a simple illusion Formation had been set up around it!

He moved forward without showing any emotion.

Just as he turned the corner, the black shadow pounced. Accompanied by a ghostly wail, it transformed into a hideous ghostly face and attacked!

A sharp light flashed in Ye Tian's eyes. A five-colored finger glow struck out first, hitting the node of the illusion Formation!

“Puchi!”

The illusion Formation broke, revealing a pale-faced youth curled up in a rock crevice, terrified!

The youth was about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in rags, yet his cultivation was actually at the Condensing Essence Seventh Level!

The black shadow also dissipated; it turned out to be a crude Puppet.

“Senior, spare my life! This junior is called Hou Xiaojie, just a Loose Cultivator. I'm only here to avoid trouble.”

Hou Xiaojie kept kowtowing, his voice trembling, looking very panicked.

Ye Tian withdrew his finger. Sensing that the boy indeed had no malice, his tone softened slightly: “Why set up a Formation to scare people here?”

Seeing that Ye Tian didn't strike immediately, Hou Xiaojie calmed down a bit and said with a long face, “Senior, please understand!

A few months ago, this junior was being hunted by enemies and fled into this cave in a panic to hide.

Later... later I discovered that there was a faint glow of treasure deep within this Immortal Cave, but it's blocked by a powerful Restriction. This junior's Formation skills are low, and I can't break it.

I was afraid others would find it and steal the Opportunity, so I... I set up this clumsy illusion Formation, hoping to scare away anyone who came... but I've really never harmed anyone!”

His obsession with the treasure and his fear of it being stolen contrasted with his cultivation, making him seem rather comical.

Ye Tian observed his aura; it was indeed the style of a Loose Cultivator, and the Formation fluctuations were also crude. What he said should be true.

A Ningyuan Seventh Level Loose Cultivator youth hiding here for both refuge and a chance at an Opportunity was reasonable.

“Do you know this is the territory of the Liuli Xuan Sect?” Ye Tian asked.

Xiao Houzi shook his head blankly. “Liuli Xuan Sect?

Is... is that a great Sect?

This junior didn't know!

I only fled here to escape... Senior, are you a Disciple of a high Sect?

Please don't kill me, and don't drive me away. There are enemies outside...”

Fear and pleading showed in his eyes.

Ye Tian looked at him, then sensed the aura of Gao Ling and the others outside the cave; he already had a plan in mind.

This youth might be of some use.

“Get up. I won't kill you, but you must tell me the situation inside the cave truthfully.”

Xiao Houzi quickly stood up and said respectfully, “Thank you, Senior! This junior will tell you everything I know!

Although this junior can't enter the depths of this Immortal Cave, I once accidentally picked this up...”

He carefully pulled out an irregular dark gold fragment engraved with strange patterns from his bosom.

Ye Tian took the fragment. It felt slightly heavy in his hand. As his Divine Sense swept over it, his heart shook!

The fragment actually contained a trace of extremely pure Metal Origin power!

This was definitely no ordinary object!

It was likely a fragment of some powerful Spiritual Artifact or a Legacy token!

“Where did you get this?” Ye Tian pressed.

“Just a short distance ahead, I picked it up in a rock crevice.”

Xiao Houzi pointed toward the depths of the cave. “There are definitely better treasures inside! It's just that the Restriction is too powerful...”

Ye Tian's eyes flickered.

The possibility of it being a powerful ancient cultivator's Immortal Cave was very high!

This Opportunity must not be missed!

But there were still powerful enemies outside the cave.

“Are you skilled in Formations? Can you sense the movements of those three outside?” Ye Tian asked.

Xiao Houzi nodded, then shook his head. “This junior's Formation skills are shallow, but I can set up a simple warning and sensing Formation.

The aura of those three outside is very strong, especially the leader. He's so scary... they haven't left.”

Ye Tian pondered.

The immediate priority was to recover from his injuries, explore the Immortal Cave, and then find a way to repel the enemies.

“You stand guard on the side first and keep an eye on the movements at the cave entrance for me,” Ye Tian ordered.

“Yes, Senior!”

Xiao Houzi quickly complied, hiding to the side and looking toward the cave entrance nervously.

Ye Tian sat cross-legged and focused all his power on expelling the poison and healing his wounds, while his powerful Divine Sense probed toward the depths of the cave.

That faint fluctuation of the Restriction became even clearer.