Chapter 600 - 596 Cave Mansion
Cheng Yifeng’s heart instantly tightened.
"Your Highness..." Six Grandmasters gathered around, looking worriedly at the spot where Chu Zhiyuan had vanished.
As guards, they naturally understood the circumstances of this secret place.
The loss of two Great Grandmasters was news that had spread outside, and they were, of course, aware.
If only a single Great Grandmaster was lost, it might have been due to carelessness, a slip-up.
But losing two Great Grandmasters along with a group of Grandmasters, all together, could be said to be as stable as could be, yet still ending in complete annihilation—this was true despair.
Cheng Yifeng shook his head, "Since the Fourth Prince dared to enter, there shouldn’t be a problem."
He knew that Chu Zhiyuan’s instincts were sharp, far sharper than ordinary people, especially when it came to danger.
Since he dared to enter, he must be confident.
But there’s always a fear of the unexpected.
However, he maintained a calm demeanor on his face, as if he had victory in hand.
"Yes." The six Grandmasters responded solemnly.
Cheng Yifeng waved his hand, "Alright, you all take a rest, no need to mind me."
"Your Highness, why not warm up by the fire a bit, have a drink to warm yourself?" A middle-aged man took a wine gourd from his waist and smiled, "We’re on duty and dare not drink, so my wine is untouched, perfect for Your Highness."
Under normal circumstances, Cheng Yifeng would have taken it and drunk up, but now he wasn’t in the mood for drinking.
He waved his hand, "I’ve already had quite a bit, any more and I’ll be drunk. Sit down."
He led them to sit by the campfire, inquired about the situation here.
The six Grandmasters were forthcoming with everything they knew.
Cheng Yifeng is the Seventeenth Prince, perhaps with no hope of becoming Emperor.
But being from Wentian Cliff, with high talent and strong cultivation, he’s bound to wield power in the future.
Cheng Yifeng shook his head repeatedly.
Once again, he looked toward the direction where Chu Zhiyuan vanished, his heart rising with anxiety.
——
Chu Zhiyuan stepped into a dense forest, where the surrounding trees stood tall and ancient.
The lush canopy blocked the sky and sun, turning the forest into a dim place.
The undergrowth below the trees persisted in growing, utilizing the strands of sunlight filtering through the leaves, striving upward unyieldingly.
Under Insight, Chu Zhiyuan discovered a small path opened up ahead.
Evidently, this secret land was accessed from a fixed location each time, unlike the ever-changing secret land of Yao Yue Palace.
This suggested that the potential of the secret land was lower, making it easier to unravel.
Yet, this didn’t mean that such a secret land lacked treasures.
He closed his eyes, used Super Sensing Illumination, from a bird’s-eye to a close-up observation.
A moment later, he furrowed his brow.
He felt a familiar sensation, as if he had been here before.
But it was clearly his first time here.
A moment later, he realized why he felt this peculiar familiarity.
The forest, vegetation, rocks, rivers, and mountains in this secret land closely resembled that of the secret land at the Flying Sky Sect.
Were the two secret lands actually one?
The space of a secret land is fundamentally different from that of the current world.
Yet such a peculiar situation still left him astonished.
He moved forward, and soon encountered a demon beast, then came across the invisible and trace-less transparent white ferret.
Though it differed in appearance from the spirit cat that stayed by Xiao Ruoling’s side, their capabilities were nearly identical.
Both were incredibly fast and could turn invisible, concealing themselves from the perception of a Great Grandmaster.
While they could deceive a Great Grandmaster, they could not deceive him; he easily killed a few, obtained demon crystals, and the rest scattered and fled.
Chu Zhiyuan followed, captured two, sealed their energy flow, tied them up, and stuffed them in a bag, then turned and exited the secret land.
...
"Crackle..."
The campfire blazed, emitting soft crackles.
Cheng Yifeng and the others were sitting cross-legged by the campfire, adjusting their breathing and operating their energy.
Suddenly hearing a movement, Cheng Yifeng abruptly turned around, saw Chu Zhiyuan, and overjoyed, exclaimed, "Princely Heir!"
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and lifted the bag, "Caught two little creatures."
Cheng Yifeng came forward, curious, "What are they?"
Chu Zhiyuan opened the bag and picked out two small white ferrets, "Are these the invisible killers?"
The two small white ferrets were only the size of a squirrel, looking adorable and pure white without blemish.
Under the firelight, the two little ferrets were closed-eyed and motionless, as if dead.
Their fluffy tails drooped, while their white fur gleamed brilliantly.
"These are them?" Cheng Yifeng examined the two white ferrets in amazement.
The six Grandmasters stared at them as if facing a great enemy, their nerves taut, their energy circulating.
If these two ferrets suddenly awakened and escaped Chu Zhiyuan’s control, they could instantly kill them.
"They should be," Chu Zhiyuan said, "Once they enter attack mode, they become transparent, merging with the void, unseen, and unperceivable."
"Terrifying!" Cheng Yifeng marveled.
Chu Zhiyuan said, "Their claws can break through Gang Qi and Spiritual Energy, slicing through iron like mud. How did those two Great Grandmasters die?"
"Their hearts were shredded," Cheng Yifeng’s face darkened.
As proud Great Grandmasters, to have their hearts shattered was bizarre.
If these little creatures’ claws could break through Spiritual Defense and slice through iron as if mud, it indeed could shatter a Great Grandmaster’s heart.
Chu Zhiyuan nodded, "They are capable of it... Should we bring them back for research, find a way to counter them?"
Cheng Yifeng said, "If we can see them, can we defend against them?"
Chu Zhiyuan thought for a moment, then shook his head, "They’re too fast, reaction might not be quick enough."
Their terror lay not only in their invisibility but also in their lightning-fast speed.
Beyond human normal reaction speed.
Cheng Yifeng sighed, "Then forget it, it’s too troublesome."
Studying them requires them alive, but the beasts have astonishing vitality, and if out of control, without Chu Zhiyuan, who would escape?
Chu Zhiyuan nodded, "Alright, I’ll head back in, see if there are other demon beasts."
"Princely Heir, be cautious!"
Chu Zhiyuan smiled, shook lightly, and the two white ferrets began to fade.
Their white fur quickly turned gray.
Chu Zhiyuan carried them and turned back, disappearing again.
The six Grandmasters immediately let out a long breath.
Chu Zhiyuan re-entered the secret place, began to walk inward, and after about thirty miles, he saw no further marks.
He proceeded in a particular direction, aiming to see if he could reach the Flying Sky Sect.
After over a hundred miles, he stopped atop a mountain peak, gazing at an eerie cave.
He immediately saw it was a cave mansion.
The entrance was hidden behind boulders on the pinnacle, merely a gap—which his Insight revealed to have a cave behind it after all.
Entering or exiting the cave required pushing aside the boulder.
He felt that only he, having practiced the Dragon Transformation Technique with formidable Divine Power, could move the boulder—not even a regular Great Grandmaster could do so.
The cave mansion blocked his Insight, leaving the interior a mystery.
Standing before the eerie cave entrance, he focused, sensing for danger.
A potent sense of danger rushed toward him.
He frowned, feeling the urge to retreat.
This level of danger meant it wasn’t wise to force entry.
He was left with the option to use Sword Soul again and would again have to employ the Clone Technique.
This tread dangerously close to the line, so the Avatar could only exist briefly.
The Avatar would soon have to return, merging back into his Sword Soul.
With that thought, a flying knife slipped from his sleeve, hovered over his head, a wisp of Sword Soul split out, entering the flying knife.
The flying knife lightly flew inward.
His perspective naturally followed, surveying the surroundings as though personally present.
A few meters later, the flying knife halted before two unusual stone doors.
Everything went dark in front of him, then plunged into total darkness.
Chu Zhiyuan stood outside the mountain cave, his expression solemn.
The wisp of Sword Soul he had sent out was extinguished in an instant!