183: Chapter 183 Escape and Return to One's Origin

Ye Tian's gaze fell upon the "Dark Gold Poison Gu Cauldron," and he took one last look at the skeleton, weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

Inheriting the Legacy of this Huahai Realm poison cultivator was certainly a huge temptation, but the Karma involved was deeply entangled.

Not to mention that the poison pills and Gu arts were exceptionally dangerous and prone to backlashes, just the feud with Perfected Han Shui and the potential controversy this Legacy might bring were enough to make Ye Tian cautious.

Moreover, he carried secrets like the chaos bead, Star Qi Induction Art, and Five Elements Sword Body; being greedy would only lead to trouble, and at this stage, it was not advisable to be distracted by other matters.

"These poison scriptures and the poison cauldron, while treasures, could also be a hot potato. I will put them away for now and decide later. The most urgent task is to leave this place, resolve the danger outside the cave, and complete the Sect mission."

Ye Tian had already made up his mind. He would not easily swear to accept this poison path Legacy, but he would not let the Senior's inheritance be buried either.

He turned to look at the nervous-looking Hou Xiaojie and said in a deep voice, "Xiao Houzi, this place is not suitable for a long stay. There are strong enemies outside the cave, let's leave first."

Hou Xiaojie nodded quickly, "Mm-hmm! I will listen to everything you say, Senior!"

Ye Tian no longer hesitated. Following the instructions on the rock wall, he walked to the side of the Dark Gold Poison Gu Cauldron, circulated his Five Elements True Essence, and channeled a wisp into the three legs of the cauldron.

As for whether this Senior would harm him? Ye Tian didn't think much about it at all. Now that there were strong enemies at the cave entrance and no other exits, was there any other choice besides this method?

If he didn't do it, there was neither water nor food here, and the two of them would eventually be trapped to death. It was better to take a gamble; even if he failed, at worst, it would just mean death, which was at least quick! It was better than slowly starving or dying of thirst.

"Hum!" As the True Essence was injected, the Dark Gold Poison Gu Cauldron vibrated slightly, and the carvings of insects, fish, birds, and beasts on the surface of the cauldron began to shimmer with a faint light.

Immediately after, a low rumble came from the depths of the long-dormant Earth Fire Well beneath the cauldron. The residual Earth Fire power was triggered by the runes on the cauldron. The well opening, which had originally been radiating scorching residual heat, saw its temperature plummet; the flames were completely extinguished, revealing the passage below.

A cool breeze surged out from the passage.

"Let's go!" Ye Tian let out a low shout. With a flick of his sleeve, a gentle stream of True Essence wrapped around the heavy Dark Gold Poison Gu Cauldron, stowing it into his qingxuan ring.

At the same time, his gaze quickly swept over the skeleton of Venerable Chan Yu. After a brief moment of hesitation, he did not disturb the remains, considering it a sign of respect for the Senior.

Immediately after, he grabbed Hou Xiaojie's arm, leaped, and jumped into the pitch-black Earth Fire Well passage.

The passage was narrow and steep at first, extending downwards, but it soon became spacious and flat, appearing to be an escape tunnel carved by human hands.

The two traveled quickly. After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, faint light could be seen ahead, and the air became fresh.

After moving forward for a while longer, they pushed aside the hanging vines, and the view before them suddenly opened up!

The sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers drifted over; they were already in a part of the northern mountain range of the Liuli Xuan Sect, having completely escaped the Immortal Cave.

"Whew... finally out!" Hou Xiaojie breathed in the fresh air, feeling the joy of surviving a disaster.

He looked at Ye Tian, his eyes filled with gratitude, "Senior, thank you for saving my life!"

Ye Tian also breathed a slight sigh of relief. Feeling that the toxins in his body had been completely purified by the Five Elements True Essence and his injuries had mostly recovered, his mind settled slightly.

Although this mission was full of dangers, the harvest was huge. Not only did he complete the investigation mission, but he also obtained two treasures: the Dark Gold Poison Gu Cauldron and the "Venerable Chan Yu's Poison Scripture." The latter, in particular, was the life's work of a Huahai Realm Venerable, and its value was immeasurable.

He looked at Hou Xiaojie and said in a calm tone, "Xiao Houzi, this place should be safe now. You and I were fated to meet, but now that we have escaped danger, it is time for us to part ways. Take care of yourself; I also need to return to the Sect to report back."

Upon hearing this, the joy on Hou Xiaojie's face froze instantly. He hurriedly stepped forward, grabbed Ye Tian's sleeve, looked up, and a layer of mist instantly covered his large eyes: "Senior! Can... can you take me with you? I... I have no home... My parents were killed by enemies... I... I have nowhere to go..."

As he spoke, tears fell, and his thin shoulders trembled slightly, making him look extremely pitiful.

Seeing him like that, Ye Tian's heart softened. He had once been a Trash who could not Cultivate. Thinking back to when he was bullied by scum like Ye Hao and Ye Long, and even his mother was verbally insulted, he could empathize with this feeling even more.

This youth's Heart-Nature was not bad; he just had a bit of petty cleverness and greed, and his circumstances were indeed pitiful.

He sighed and his tone softened a bit: "Xiao Houzi, I know what you have been through. But the Liuli Xuan Sect is a prestigious Sect with strict rules for recruiting Disciples; it is not the case that I can just bring you in because I say so. You must pass the Sect examination and verify your identity and aptitude before you can enter."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope ignited in Hou Xiaojie's eyes, and he said eagerly, "Senior! I can participate in the examination! I... although my cultivation is not high, I will work hard to Cultivate! Please, take me to try! I can endure any hardship and will never cause trouble for you, Senior!"

He gripped Ye Tian's sleeve tightly.

Ye Tian looked at the desire for stability in his eyes and pondered for a moment. Bringing this child back to the Sect might cause some trouble, but leaving him alone in the dangerous wilderness was not what he wanted either. Forget it, if you are going to save someone, save them to the end; if you are going to see a Buddha to the west, see them all the way.

"Alright." Ye Tian nodded, "I can take you back to the Sect first and explain the situation to the Elder in charge. But whether you can stay ultimately depends on the Sect's rules and the Elder's decision; I cannot guarantee anything."

Upon hearing this, Hou Xiaojie burst into laughter through his tears, bowing repeatedly in excitement: "Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior! As long as there is a chance, that is enough! Xiao Houzi will definitely not let you down, Senior!"

"Let's go." Ye Tian said no more, identified the direction, and took Hou Xiaojie towards the Liuli Xuan Sect mountain gate.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Immortal Cave, Gao Ling and the other two were still waiting.

"Senior Brother Gao, it has been more than half a day, why is there no movement from that kid? Could it be that he died from the poison inside?" the sword-user said with some impatience.

Gao Ling's face was gloomy. He stared at the pitch-black cave entrance and said coldly, "Although my Profound Yin Poison is powerful, it doesn't take effect that quickly. That kid is a bit strange; perhaps he found some way to suppress the poison inside. Wait a little longer! If he still hasn't come out by this time tomorrow, we will leave!"

They could never have imagined that Ye Tian had long since neutralized the poison and found another way out, and was currently returning safely to the Sect to report back with his "spoils of war" and a little follower.

...

Upon returning to the Sect, Ye Tian went straight to the Mission Hall to submit the mission. Inside the hall, Elder Huang was still sitting upright. Seeing Ye Tian return, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, as if he had not expected Ye Tian to return so quickly.

"Disciple Ye Tian is here to submit the C-rank mission to investigate the abandoned Immortal Cave in the north." Ye Tian stepped forward and respectfully handed over the mission token and a simply drawn map of the cave's periphery, omitting the core area and the Earth Fire secret passage.

Elder Huang took the token, scanned it with his Divine Sense to confirm the mission was completed, then looked at the map and asked indifferently, "What is the situation inside the cave? What was that unknown dark shadow?"

Ye Tian's expression was calm, having already prepared his response, and he answered composedly, "Reporting to Elder, after deep investigation, the Disciple discovered that the Immortal Cave is a residence of an ancient cultivator that has been abandoned for many years and holds no great value. The poisonous mist permeating the cave is caused by the evaporation of some corrosive liquid seeping from the rock walls. As for that unknown dark shadow..."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of "helplessness," "According to the Disciple's investigation, it was a Ningyuan Realm Loose Cultivator who, being hunted by enemies, hid in the cave. Fearing discovery, he used crude illusions to act like a ghost, and has already been driven away by the Disciple. There are ancient Restrictions remaining deep in the Immortal Cave, but the Disciple's strength is low and I could not go deeper, so the map is only drawn up to this point."

His words were half-true and half-false. The source of the poison mist and the fact that the shadow was human were true, but he concealed the existence of Venerable Chan Yu, the Dark Gold Poison Gu Cauldron, and the real exit. He turned an exploration that might have involved a Huahai Realm Legacy into a minor matter of driving away a troublesome Loose Cultivator.

Upon hearing this, Elder Huang did not pursue the matter further, but just looked at Ye Tian deeply, as if wanting to see something on his face. But Ye Tian's expression was calm and his gaze clear. It was common for Disciples to hold back information on inner Sect missions, as long as the basic requirements of the mission were met.

"Not bad, the mission is complete. The reward of one hundred contribution points has been recorded." Elder Huang withdrew his gaze and did not ask any more questions.

"Thank you, Elder." Ye Tian felt slightly relieved. He did not mention a word about the ambush by Gao Ling and the other two. Without proof, mentioning it might alert the enemy or even lead to being bitten back. He noted this debt, and there would be a time for settlement in the future!

Next, Ye Tian introduced Hou Xiaojie to Elder Huang. He had already instructed Hou Xiaojie on what to say.

"Elder, on the way back to the Sect, I encountered this child being chased by a Yao Beast and saved him. I learned his name is Hou Xiaojie, a Loose Cultivator, whose parents are both dead and who has no one to rely on. Seeing that he is young, already has a cultivation of Condensing Essence Seventh Level, and his Heart-Nature is quite pure, I could not bear to see him wandering in the wilderness, so I boldly brought him back to the Sect and implore the Elder to examine him. If it complies with the rules, could you give him a chance?" Ye Tian's words were earnest.

Hou Xiaojie was also quick-witted; he hurriedly stepped forward, bowed respectfully as Ye Tian had taught him, with a look of trepidation on his face: "Hou Xiaojie greets the Elder! I beg the Elder to take me in!"

Elder Huang's gaze was like lightning, sweeping over Hou Xiaojie. He probed slightly with his Divine Sense and nodded: "The aptitude is acceptable. At fifteen years old, at Condensing Essence Seventh Level, this is quite rare among Loose Cultivators in the outside world. Since you brought him back, handle it according to the rules. First, go to the Outer Sect Deacon Hall to register and verify his identity. If there are no issues, he can temporarily be an Outer Sect Named Disciple for a one-year observation period. If he performs well, he will then be officially admitted to the Outer Sect."

Upon hearing this, Hou Xiaojie was overjoyed and hurriedly kowtowed in thanks: "Thank you, Elder! Thank you, Elder!" Ye Tian also cupped his hands and said: "Thank you for your accommodation, Elder."

Leaving the Mission Hall, Hou Xiaojie's little face was flushed with excitement, and he was even more grateful to Ye Tian. Ye Tian took him to the Outer Sect Deacon Hall, completed the relevant procedures, and privately gave him some Spirit Stones and basic Medicinal Pills for cultivation, instructing him to Cultivate with peace of mind and abide by the Sect rules.

After settling Hou Xiaojie, Ye Tian returned to his own Immortal Cave alone. Opening the Restrictions and sitting cross-legged in the quiet room, he finally truly relaxed.

This mission could be described as full of twists and turns. Encountering an ambush, being poisoned, trapped in an ancient cave, obtaining a Legacy... In the end, it was dangerous but without mishap, and he even brought back a "little tail."

With a thought, the dark golden "Dark Gold Poison Gu Cauldron" and the "Venerable Chan Yu's Poison Scripture" appeared before him. Looking at these two treasures, Ye Tian's gaze was complex. This was an Opportunity, but it could also be a hidden danger. How to handle it required careful consideration.

"The primary task right now is to improve my strength! Completing the Hundred Trials Notes will also allow me to obtain contribution points, exchange for resources, and push towards a higher Realm! Only when I am strong can I fear no conspiracies or schemes!"