C20 The Cave Was Opened!

Feng Yimo, Ling Ya, and Qiu Ju were hot on the trail, yet Chu Ling'er's carriage had left them far behind. Without the carriage's towering presence and the jingle of its bells, they would have lost sight of it long ago. Yimo estimated that around a thousand cultivators were frantically racing toward the cave rumored to house a treasure trove.

As he drew nearer to the cave, Yimo's unease intensified. What exactly was this place? Ling Ya, fraught with worry, pushed herself to run faster, fearing for Ling'er's safety. She was on the verge of tears when Qiu Ju tried to reassure her, "Miss, there's no need for concern. Miss Ling'er is a princess of Chu Country; she'll surely have protectors. She'll be fine."

"But that's not right," Ling Ya countered, her anxiety palpable. "It's been too long. Why haven't we seen a single guard? There's only her carriage, and not even a coachman in sight. Could Ling'er be bewitched?" she questioned, her voice laced with distress.

Qiu Ju, at a loss herself, could only offer a helpless shake of her head.

Yimo noticed something off as well but kept his observations to himself. The trio pressed on, covering the twenty-mile distance in just over half an hour. Yimo fared better than the others, his robust constitution sparing him the worst of the exertion. Ling Ya and Qiu Ju, however, were soaked with sweat and on the brink of collapse.

Before them lay a barren stone mountain, its surface dotted with massive, jagged rocks. The source of the golden light was a mound atop this mountain, guarded by a towering stone gate. Thousands of cultivators had already amassed there. Some attempted to breach the gate with their flying swords, only to have their efforts thwarted as the swords rebounded off the impenetrable stone. Others tried scaling the mountain, seeking entry from above, but the rock proved too resilient.

One particularly unfortunate cultivator, unaware of the mountain's restrictions, had his flying sword spiral out of control, sending him plummeting to a near-fatal crash. This airspace restriction only underscored the cave's exceptional nature. The treasures within must be of immense value, judging by the fervent anticipation in the eyes of the gathered cultivators.

Upon his arrival, the ruler of Chu Country, Chu Yi Lun, noticed that Huo Zhenping was leading the Huo Family disciples, and Lei Bao was at the helm for the Lei Family. However, the Feng Family was conspicuously absent. He furrowed his brow, puzzled by the situation. With time of the essence, he had no opportunity to ponder the reasons.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a treasure has emerged within the borders of our Chu Country—a divine blessing upon us! As a progressive Cultivation Country, we do not hoard treasures for ourselves. These treasures possess their own spirit, and they are available to all. Whether you can secure a treasure depends on your personal fortune. Follow my lead and let's strike down this door together!" Chu Yi Lun proclaimed, brandishing a flying sword and aiming it at the cave entrance.

The gathered cultivators nodded in agreement, each brandishing their own weapons, poised for the command to unleash their assault. Huo Zhenping's brow creased in confusion. Wasn't a blood sacrifice of these cultivators required to open the cave? Why the attack? Nevertheless, the crowd was whipped into a fervor, chanting "Attack! Attack!" with wild enthusiasm.

With a triumphant gleam in his eye, Chu Yi Lun flicked his finger, directing the flying sword towards the cave entrance. In a flash, a tempest of weapons descended like a fierce storm, battering the stone door.

A thunderous explosion echoed as the stone door crumbled under the onslaught of thousands of weapons, flinging the cave entrance wide open. The cultivators surged forward in a mad rush, as if countless treasures beckoned them from within. Only the disciples of the Huo and Lei Families stood still, holding their ground. They had strict instructions to await the permission of the Patriarch and Elders before taking action.

Chu Yi Lun gestured respectfully to Huo Zhenping and Lei Bao, saying, "Brother Huo, Brother Lei, shall we enter as well?"

Huo Zhenping extended his Divine Sense, noting that barely four thousand cultivators had entered the cave abode—short of the five thousand Patriarch Chu had specified. His expression shifted as he suggested, "Brother Chu, perhaps we should wait a moment longer. Once we have the requisite number of people, it won't be too late to proceed."

Lei Bao wholeheartedly concurred, nodding in agreement.

Chu Yi Lun was in no rush, standing with a smile beside the pair. Meanwhile, a throng of commoners had gathered, eager to reap some benefits from the spectacle before them. They swarmed towards the cave abode, only to be halted three meters from the entrance by a shimmering blue Light Curtain. True to Patriarch Chu's words, mortals could not enter—only cultivators were granted access.

The tinkling of bells announced Chu Ling'er's carriage as it breezed past the crowd and straight into the cave abode. Chu Yi Lun turned to Lei Bao and Huo Zhen Ping with a smile, "I'll take my leave now. My daughter has gone ahead, and I must follow her."

Lei and Huo, initially hesitant, were reassured upon seeing the princess and the king enter. Their worries dissipated, and they swiftly directed their disciples to charge into the cave.

Amidst the crowd, Ling Ya panicked as she watched the princess's carriage disappear inside. She dashed forward, attempting to follow, but the blue Light Curtain repelled her, sending her stumbling back in tears. "What am I to do? What's happened to Ling'er?"

"Miss, there's no need to worry. Didn't you see the king of Chu Country enter? He will rescue his daughter," Qiu Ju soothed her.

Feng Yimo's brow furrowed. The nearer he got to the cave, the more his unease and dread intensified. He took hold of Ling Ya and pulled back. Suddenly, a thunderous boom echoed from the entrance as the stone door, previously shattered by the cultivators, miraculously restored itself, sealing the cave shut.

Ling Ya's face drained of color. "The door's sealed—how will Ling'er get out? Yimo, please, you must think of something to rescue her!"

Feng Yimo was torn between amusement and concern—he lacked the means for such a feat. Yet, his curiosity about the events transpiring within the cave was piqued. He unleashed his formidable Divine Sense, which cascaded toward the stone door. To his astonishment, it penetrated the barrier, revealing the scene beyond.

Inside lay a vast cave, stretching over ten thousand feet. More than five thousand cultivators who had just surged in were scouring the area for treasures. Chu Ling'er's carriage was parked at the cave's center. Feng Yimo noticed faint intersecting lines etched into the cave floor, suggesting the presence of a special formation.

At the back stood the disciples of the Lei and Huo Families, smirks of anticipation plastered on their faces as they awaited the blood sacrifice. The fate of others was of no concern to them, and witnessing a blood sacrifice was not an everyday spectacle. They were ready to savor the moment.

"Hey, what happened to the treasure that was shining with golden light earlier?" a cultivator inquired.

"Not sure. Maybe someone who came in before us took it?" another cultivator chimed in just as the question hung in the air.

"Forget it. I was among the first to come in, and all I saw was a golden talisman burning away. It was nearly gone, and that golden light came from its flames," another cultivator responded.

"Brother, since you were the first in, did you manage to find any treasures?" the first cultivator probed further.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing. I'm starting to think we've been duped!" the cultivator replied, his spirits clearly deflated.