294: Brutal struggle

The Cultivators who had rushed in first had long since lost all semblance of order, scurrying around the massive main cavern like headless flies.

Some saw stalactites on the ceiling shimmering with spiritual light and sacrificed Magical Artifacts to climb them, only to be struck by hidden Restrictions upon contact, vomiting blood as they were sent flying into stalagmites, their fates unknown. Others hammered away at peculiar-looking stalagmites on the ground, sparks flying from their Magical Artifacts as they deluded themselves into thinking treasures were hidden within, only to spend half the day breaking off ordinary rocks. Some even drew weapons against each other to fight over a few scattered drops of "Spirit Stone Milk" that contained pure spiritual energy.

"I saw this Spirit Stone Milk first!"

"It belongs to whoever grabs it first!"

"Quick! This passage smells of medicinal fragrance; there must be something good!"

...Shouts, screams, and the clashing of weapons echoed through the hollow cavern, rising and falling in a chorus that added to the chaos and cruelty.

Blood instantly stained the black stones and stalagmites on the ground. The "fellow Daoists" who had just stood shoulder to shoulder to break the Restriction turned into mortal enemies in the blink of an eye.

Some Cultivators tried to mediate, but they were shoved to the ground by the chaotic crowd and trampled to death in moments.

Hua Hanxiang watched the chaotic and cruel scene before her, a hint of fear flashing in her beautiful eyes. She tightly gripped Situ Jun's hand and asked softly:

"Husband, there are so many passages here. Which way should we go?"

Widow Ya also furrowed her delicate brows. She closed her eyes, carefully sensing the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy lingering in the air. After a moment, she opened her eyes and said in a low voice:

"The auras in these passages are too mixed. Some carry pure Spiritual Qi and should lead to places rich in energy; others hide intense Evil Qi, suggesting dangerous creatures or Restrictions within. And then there are some passages... where I can't sense any aura at all. They are terrifyingly silent and likely exceptionally perilous; we must not enter them lightly."

Situ Jun's gaze was calm. He circulated the Spiritual Qi throughout his body, and his powerful Divine Sense spread out like mercury flowing over the ground, carefully perceiving the different auras emanating from each passage.

As a half-step Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator, his Divine Sense was several times stronger than that of the other Cultivators here. Even with the interference from the cavern's power, he could vaguely detect movements deep within the passages—some echoed with the faint sound of flowing water, some with the clashing of Magical Artifacts, and in others, his Divine Sense felt only a bone-chilling cold, as if frozen by some force.

A moment later, Situ Jun withdrew his Divine Sense and turned to solemnly advise Hua Hanxiang and Widow Ya:

"Hanxiang, Jing Ya, the passages within this cavern are intricate and fraught with danger. Not only are there residual Restrictions and unknown miasmas, but you must also Guard against other Cultivators who might kill for treasure. Remember, both of you should only explore the area near this main cavern; do not go deep into any passage under any circumstances. The Spiritual Qi here is dense, so perhaps the edges of the main cavern also hide opportunities like Spirit Stone Milk or Spiritual Plants. Safety comes first. If you encounter danger, flee toward the cave entrance immediately, understood?"

Although Hua Hanxiang was curious about the depths, she knew the gravity of the situation and nodded obediently:

"Don't worry, Husband. Sister Ya and I will look out for each other and will never enter dangerous areas."

Widow Ya also nodded, her beautiful eyes reflecting calmness and reason as she said:

"You must be even more careful going alone, Husband. Those powerful Cultivators like Mo Chenggui and Withered Bone Ascetic all harbor hidden agendas and will likely act against you. Hanxiang and I will wait here. If anything happens, we will take care of ourselves and have Bai Yu and the others increase their vigilance. You don't need to worry about us."

Situ Jun nodded slightly, a trace of warmth rising in his heart.

He then turned to Bai Yu, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority:

"Bai Yu, take the men and Guard them well. If any blind Cultivators dare to provoke them or try to snatch their things, show no mercy. Kill them all."

"This old servant obeys your command!"

Bai Yu bowed and accepted the order, immediately directing the Guards to fan out and protect the two women in the center.

With the arrangements made, Situ Jun no longer hesitated.

He knew time was of the essence; the deeper the Opportunity, the easier it was for others to seize it first.

His gaze passed over the Cultivators fighting over a few drops of Spirit Stone Milk and landed on the deepest part of the cavern.

There was the widest passage, its entrance about ten zhang high and five zhang wide. The rock walls were covered in ancient patterns. Although most were blurred, they still radiated an ancient and grand aura, clearly marking it as the main passage of the entire Immortal Cave.

Situ Jun didn't linger. He nodded slightly to Hua Hanxiang and Widow Ya, then circulated his Spiritual Qi, transforming into a streak of black light that flew toward the largest passage in the cavern.

Hua Hanxiang and Widow Ya stood in place, their eyes fixed on the direction he had gone. Only after his figure vanished into the darkness of the passage did they slowly withdraw their gazes, their hearts full of concern.

Shortly after entering the passage, Situ Jun immediately felt a wave of Spiritual Qi several times denser than that of the main cavern wash over him.

He looked down at the stone walls on both sides and saw many crystal-clear Spirit Stones exposed on the surface.

These Spirit Stones were white and light blue, representing Low-Grade Spirit Stones and Mid-Grade Spirit Stones respectively. Their quantity far exceeded that of an ordinary mineral vein.

The shimmering white light from the Spirit Stones illuminated the entire passage, making it unnecessary to use Talismans for light.

The passage was winding and complex. He stopped flying, circulated his Qi to protect his body, and walked swiftly toward the depths of the Immortal Cave.

Along the way, he could sense many powerful auras choosing different passages. For instance, Mysterious Clarity Master, Withered Bone Ascetic, and Luo Yu had each chosen a direction based on their intuition or experience where they believed opportunities lay.

After walking for about half an hour, the sounds of fighting around him grew sparse. Clearly, those who could make it this far were either highly cultivated or meticulous thinkers who knew how to avoid chaos.

However, the spiritual energy fluctuations lingering in the air became increasingly powerful. Occasionally, he saw bloodstains and broken fragments of Magical Artifacts on the ground, indicating that battles had occurred here.

Situ Jun could even hear exclamations and fighting from other nearby passages, likely over the Spirit Stones on the walls.

While the Spirit Stones on the walls weren't as pure as those deeper in, their sheer quantity made them a significant fortune for low-level Cultivators.

But Situ Jun ignored them. His goal was the deepest part of the Immortal Cave; ordinary Spirit Stones were not worth his attention.

As he hurried along, he took a sound transmission talisman from his Storage Pouch, attempting to contact Tu Xiong, who was trapped in the pearl Small World.

But as he held the Talisman, no matter how much spiritual energy he injected, there was no reaction. Clearly, that pearl Small World was isolated by some power, making it impossible to establish contact with the outside.

Situ Jun sighed helplessly, put the sound transmission talisman back into his Storage Pouch, and thought to himself: 'I can only find Daoist Ming Ya's secluded Cultivation chamber first; that pearl must be with him.'

Back at the main cavern, Hua Hanxiang and Widow Ya were following Situ Jun's arrangement, carefully exploring the edge of the main cavern under the protection of Bai Yu and the others.

They didn't fight for the Spirit Stone Milk being swarmed by other Cultivators. Instead, they chose to search the periphery—there were fewer Cultivators here and the danger was lower.

Occasionally, Cultivators would retreat from other passages, most with faces full of terror or resentment, some with tattered clothes, and others heavily injured.

Whenever this happened, Hua Hanxiang would step forward and gently ask about the situation inside. Although most Cultivators were in a hurry and unwilling to say much, some would vaguely mention things like "Cultivators fighting inside" or "Restrictions." Through these scraps of information, they could roughly judge the level of danger within the Immortal Cave, and their worry for Situ Jun grew.

On the other side, after entering the Immortal Cave, Mysterious Clarity Master used his years of experience to quickly find a narrow crack with relatively abundant spiritual energy.

The crack was only wide enough for one person and was hidden behind a massive stalagmite, making it extremely well-concealed.

He first carefully scouted the inside of the crack, and after confirming there was no danger, he squeezed inside.

He took a large rock from the passage and blocked the entrance of the crack firmly, then placed a simple concealment Restriction on the rock to ensure he wouldn't be discovered by other Cultivators.

After doing all this, Mysterious Clarity Master breathed a sigh of relief. He found a relatively spacious spot to sit cross-legged and began refining the medicinal power of the cold marrow jade fruit.

The cool medicinal power flowed slowly through his body, nourishing his damaged Divine Soul like a spring, and some old injuries in his Meridians gradually healed under its effect.

He closed his eyes, a look of relief appearing on his face, but his mind was calculating—once his injuries were healed, he would immediately perform a "Heavenly Secret Divination" to find the thief who was secretly suppressing the Dynasty's national fortune.

(Wishing everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Happiness and health! *Cupped fist salute*)