93: Chapter 93 Mountainside Cave

Stars twinkled in the sky, and a bright moon hung high above as the four stood on the rooftop.

Su Qinghan, with her hair styled elegantly, had changed into a white robe.

Bathed in the moonlight, she appeared even more ethereal than when she wore yellow.

Gazing at the sky, she whispered, "This hour is the perfect time for the Ghost Demon to feed on essence."

Su Qinghan retrieved a small porcelain bottle from her Storage Pouch and dripped a drop of an unknown liquid into each of her eyes.

She then passed the bottle to Yun Song and the others.

The three followed her lead; after the liquid dripped into their eyes, objects that had been blurry before became increasingly clear.

Astonished and excited by this magical item, Yun Song asked, "Senior Sister, my vision feels much sharper. What is this liquid?"

Su Qinghan blinked her eyes and said.

"This is Spirit-Clearing Water, refined from spirit spring water, Night Spirit Fruit, and Blue Spiritual Plant. It only lasts for half an hour."

"Observe carefully in a moment to see where the nearby essence drifts."

In the quiet night, only the desperate chirping of crickets could be heard.

The four remained silent, squinting as they looked around.

The hour of the Rat had arrived, and thin wisps of cyan smoke, looking almost tangible, slowly drifted up from the rooftops of the densely packed houses.

The wisps were like dreamlike illusions, yet they felt real, drifting leisurely into the pitch-black night sky.

They flickered in and out of existence, as if being pulled by something.

They flew directly and windingly toward a mountainside in the distance, appearing mysterious and eerie under the ink-black night curtain.

Yu Yang suddenly widened his eyes, excitedly pointed into the distance, and couldn't help but exclaim.

"The Ghost Demon's lair is over there! Look!"

The three turned their heads simultaneously, looking at Yu Yang with undisguised disdain.

Su Qinghan curled her lips and mocked, "You are too boisterous."

"We are not blind; we can see what you see."

"If you can't keep your composure over such a small matter, what will happen when you encounter more dangerous situations or face stronger opponents later?"

"Won't you be scared into throwing away your armor and losing your head?"

Yu Yang's face turned red instantly, and he gave two awkward dry laughs: "Oh, I just lost my composure for a moment, I couldn't help it."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he inwardly lamented, fearing he would make another fool of himself.

Gu Licheng frowned slightly, his gaze passing over the wisps of smoke to look into the distance, then he turned to ask Su Qinghan.

"Senior Sister, how should we proceed?"

Su Qinghan also looked shocked, her beautiful eyes widening, and her tone carried a hint of gravity.

"As we suspected, this Ghost Demon is actually using a grand formation to collect the essence of the common people."

"I just don't know what kind of grand formation it is to have such methods."

Gu Licheng stared in the direction of the Ghost Demon and asked, "Senior Sister, how should we proceed next?"

Su Qinghan raised her eyes, looking toward the pitch-black mountains, and spoke calmly.

"The Yin Qi is extremely dense right now; the Ghost Demon is at its strongest."

"Wait until dawn when the Yang Qi grows stronger, then we will compete with it. For now, go back and rest well to conserve your energy."

Yu Yang's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and he swallowed unconsciously, his eyes revealing a hint of anxiety.

"Senior... Senior Sister, tomorrow, shouldn't we ask the Sect for help?"

Seeing his appearance, Su Qinghan wore a knowing, half-smile expression.

"We haven't even fought the Ghost Demon yet, and you are already this nervous. How will you go out to search for Opportunity in the future?"

Upon hearing this, the fat on Yu Yang's face trembled, and he hurriedly stiffened his neck to retort.

"Senior Sister, please don't misunderstand! I'm not nervous."

"I am thinking about strategic planning in advance, taking precautions! I just think that there is strength in numbers, making things more reliable!"

Su Qinghan raised an eyebrow and said with a half-smile, "Oh? So, according to you, I have misunderstood you?"

Yu Yang chuckled, scratched his head, and said, "A misunderstanding, absolutely a misunderstanding! Senior Sister is wise and mighty; you must know of my, Yu Yang's, loyal heart."

Su Qinghan gave a light snort, "If you are afraid, you can just stay here tomorrow."

Seeing that Senior Sister was so confident and determined, Yun Song and Senior Brother Gu Licheng said no more and leapt lightly back to their guest rooms.

Yu Yang was momentarily speechless. He muttered, "Who... who is afraid? Tomorrow, I will let that Ghost Demon know how powerful I am!"

After speaking, he leapt and headed toward the guest rooms.

Yun Song returned to his guest room and slowly sat cross-legged.

His brows furrowed slightly, his eyes filled with gravity, and he muttered to himself, "Ghost Demon..."

Although his mind was already mature, possessing the steady thinking of someone in his thirties.

But in this treacherous world of cultivation, he was still considered a "newbie" who had just started out.

From Su Qinghan's consistently calm yet subtly cautious demeanor, he knew deeply that this matter would definitely not be so simple.

After calming down a little, he began to organize his Storage Pouch in an orderly manner.

There were a dozen spirit talismans and a bottle, though he didn't know what was inside.

Yun Song knew clearly that in the face of the coming fierce battle, more preparation meant a better chance of winning.

The next day, there were few morning stars, the roosters crowed, and the sky gradually brightened.

The dense forest blocked the sky and sun, and the sunlight was weakened layer by layer.

A few cold crows screamed, flapping their wings as they flew toward the distant mountains, adding a bit more eeriness to the gloomy mountain forest.

Su Qinghan led the three as they searched the mountain forest for half an hour.

Upon reaching the mountainside, a cave entrance about five feet wide quietly came into their view.

The cave entrance was densely covered with moss, blocking it completely.

Yun Song looked at the hidden cave entrance with a steady gaze, a trace of admiration appearing on his face.

"Senior Sister, such a hidden place would likely be difficult for ordinary people to notice even if they passed by many times."

"Yet you were able to pinpoint it accurately; I am truly impressed."

Su Qinghan's expression was calm, the corners of her mouth curled into a faint arc, and her eyes revealed a hint of composure.

"In the entire mountain, only this place is surrounded by a mass of Yin evil Qi; as long as one pays a little attention, it is not difficult to find."

After speaking, Su Qinghan's expression turned stern, and her hands moved as quickly as butterflies weaving through flowers to cast a spell.

In an instant, brilliant light flickered and gathered at her fingertips.

A fireball interwoven with green and red suddenly appeared; light swirled on the surface of the fireball, and faint heat waves surged.

She raised her willow eyebrows slightly and flicked her fair wrist gently.

The fireball whistled out like a shooting star chasing the moon, striking the moss at the cave entrance with a fierce Aura.

"Boom."

The moss was instantly ignited, its edges curling and turning black, turning into charred smoke that rose in wisps.

The flames leaped and spread, quickly devouring the emerald green moss.

"Crackle, crackle."

Large patches of moss turned to ash and fell rustlingly, revealing the stone walls of the cave entrance.

Su Qinghan raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, her gaze like a torch, and said with a determined expression.

"The Ghost Demon fed on essence last night; it must be fully refining it now. This is the perfect time for us to slay it."

As soon as she finished speaking, she patted the Storage Pouch at her waist with her right hand, and a long sword appeared in her hand.

With a light tap of her toes, she walked into the cave first.

Seeing that Senior Sister had already taken action, Yun Song dared not delay in the slightest; he hurriedly reached into his Storage Pouch and took out a plain, unadorned mining hoe.

Gu Licheng's expression was stern, and he gripped a silver long sword tightly in his hand.

Yu Yang was not to be outdone, and he quickly took out a red long sword from his Storage Pouch.

The three exchanged glances, understood each other, and followed closely behind Su Qinghan, stepping into the cave together.

Su Qinghan held a night-luminescent pearl in her left hand, its warm light illuminating the path ahead.

Borrowing the light, everyone saw that the cave walls were uneven, as if dug randomly, but the ground was flat and free of gravel.

They walked steadily along the cave, turning several corners over the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, when light suddenly appeared ahead.

Su Qinghan put away the night-luminescent pearl, quickened her pace, and arrived at the end of the path.