Chapter 377: Treasure Hunt
Outside, Shang Wunian remained motionless, his gaze lowered toward the depths of the chasm.
In his eyes, it was not some ordinary subterranean space.
"A single wisp of Divine Thought descending is enough to create such a strange phenomenon."
"In the opinions of you fellow Daoists, what kind of status would this tribe have held back in their era?"
Several elders of the Jin Yu lineage were also looking at the bizarre and surreal space within the chasm.
Within the patchwork of scenes, the figures of the disciples appeared distorted and uncanny.
"Don’t be too impressed by what we see. Back in ancient times, this tribe might not have been anything particularly special."
"They probably didn’t know the secrets of achieving immortality. Even if they knew a few scraps, we likely wouldn’t be able to uncover them now..."
"Heh heh!" an old man said, looking toward Shang Wunian.
"If it were really that easy to find out, why would that old ancestor from Divine Dao Mountain still be stuck there, unable to ascend?"
Shang Wunian couldn’t very well say such things himself, so he simply remained silent, his gaze fixed on the chasm.
The elder who had spoken didn’t press the issue, casually remarking instead:
"Those disciples look all distorted within the thoughtscape. Are you sure nothing will happen to them?"
"It’s fine. We’re watching over them..."
As they spoke, their Divine Thoughts were already probing into the swirling bone ash behind them.
While their Divine Thoughts endured being torn at, they were also searching for what they desired.
...
The disciples walking underground found it all utterly bewildering.
In just a short distance, some had seen rivers and deserts, with limestone caves and lairs scattered about.
The river was massive. Traveling upstream on a small boat led to a lush, forested mountain where all sorts of strange beasts could be found.
When a disciple killed one of these strange beasts, they would faintly hear a blurry whisper. Though the syllables were unintelligible, the meaning was clear.
They were all fragmented cultivation techniques and insights.
Greatly astonished, they began calling their friends over, and many disciples started groping their way toward the mountain forest.
Bai Mo’s group of four walked along a stone wall until they came upon a large lake. The lake’s water flowed out in all directions, with no visible source.
"Should we go join the crowd?"
Xiong Xin asked.
Yuan Chu retorted irritably, "We only have one day and one night in here. With our level of strength, what good could we possibly get?"
Recalling what the senior brother who had passed by earlier said, Bai Mo nodded in agreement.
"We’d be better off searching around to see if there are any other treasures."
Gong Gui grew a little excited. He worshipped a Money Turtle and had dabbled a bit in the ways of luck and fortune.
Among common folk, he could be considered half a mystical charlatan.
"There’s definitely a treasure in that lake!"
Hearing this, the others quickly turned to look at the pitch-black lake water.
Yuan Chu stepped forward and scooped some up, only to find the water was so viscous it formed strands. He had to flick his hand twice to get it all off.
Even someone like Xiong Xin had a look of disgust on his face.
"Is it really in there?"
Gong Gui said with certainty, "This is the place. My Dao path is attuned to water; my senses can’t be wrong."
He spoke with conviction, but unfortunately, the lake water before them really didn’t look like a good thing.
Bai Mo also stepped forward and scooped some up. He rubbed it between his fingers, feeling the slimy texture, and then sniffed it.
"It doesn’t seem to be extremely filthy."
"This lake must be a washing place. People used to clean Demon Beast carcasses here. Over a long time, the accumulation of things like their blood and internal organs created this."
Yuan Chu sucked in a sharp breath.
"Those Demon Beasts have all sorts of things in their guts, and you’re saying it’s not filthy in there?"
Bai Mo shot him a look.
"It’s not deadly, that’s what matters."
"If you really get poisoned or injured, I’m here. I guarantee you senior brothers will be fine..."
None of them were the type to dawdle. Having made a decision, they immediately took action.
They slapped water-repelling Talismans on themselves and, bracing against the corrosive water, waded right in.
The lake was huge, and with only a day and a night, they could only explore a small corner of it. There was no time to waste.
Meanwhile, outside, the field of white bones was deathly quiet.
Suddenly, the sound of snapping bones could be heard.
Several Cultivators arrived, running frantically through the night.
Some held talismans in their hands, others clutched bone artifacts. They had somehow managed to resist the dangers around them.
They were all Cultivators who had followed the paper boat. Looking closely, the skin of several of them was red, as if they had developed a rash.
Before they could get any closer, Shang Wunian spoke in a measured tone.
"Halt."
The calm words stopped them dead in their tracks.
"Elder, we only wish to board the paper boat to hitch another ride."
"Then wait."
The arriving Cultivators exchanged glances, but they didn’t dare to act rashly and quietly remained on the periphery.
More people arrived one after another and gathered together. Each had their own experiences, but they all shared a tacit understanding.
Gradually, a sliver of fish-belly white appeared on the horizon.
Everyone turned their gazes toward the chasm.
An incomparably vast thought began to stir, and the manifested scenes and objects all shattered into pieces...
SPLASH!!
Yuan Chu leaped out of the lake, holding up a black rock with a delighted expression on his face.
"Junior Brother, look at me! I got another one!"
"Oh, right. What kind of memory was contained in that thing you got?"
On the shore, Bai Mo was just about to speak as he removed a congealed lump of flesh and blood from his forehead.
RUMBLE!!!
A sudden tremor, as if the heavens were collapsing, stirred the lake, and he couldn’t help but stagger.
"This..."
Yuan Chu’s mind had just wandered when he felt something strange in his hand. He glanced down to see the black rock was disintegrating.
"Dammit, what’s happening!?"
Gong Gui, pushing Xiong Xin, rushed out of the lake, looking equally bewildered.
Before they could speak, the four of them felt an irresistible repulsive force.
CRACK!
The scene before them shattered, and their four figures were flung high into the air, as if crossing an immense distance.
As they flailed helplessly, a gentle force came from behind and caught the four of them.
When they got their bearings, they realized they were no longer by the lake but had returned to the field of white bones.
"So it’s dawn. The time limit is up."
The Core Formation senior brother who caught them laughed heartily.
"Quite a few junior brothers landed flat on their backs. You four avoided such an embarrassing fate. How do you plan to show your gratitude?"
This person was a disciple of Divine Dao Mountain.
Gong Gui cupped his hands and said, "After we get back, I’ll treat you to a few meals, Senior Brother. Please don’t stand on ceremony."
Gong Gui’s generosity was well-known on Divine Dao Mountain.
Having earned the favor of the Money Turtle, he was never short on cash.
The Core Formation senior brother gave him a deep look and nodded in acceptance.
"Alright!"
As they spoke, all the disciples had been thrown out.
With a muffled sound, the floating bone ash retracted all its strange phenomena, now only drifting about aimlessly.
Shang Wunian and the other elders retracted their Divine Thoughts like lightning. Their faces paled for a moment before quickly returning to normal.
They exchanged a look, and Shang Wunian spoke up:
"Since our business here is concluded, let’s not delay any further. It’s time to head back."
The elders looked around. Knowing there was nothing left to excavate in a place like this, they all voiced their agreement.
"Then let’s go back!"
Hearing the order, the disciples of the Jin Yu lineage quickly began packing up their things.
The Red Ropes they had used earlier, along with some secret Magical Artifacts, were all quite valuable and had to be recovered.
A busy scene unfolded.
Bai Mo, however, noticed the strange condition of the Cultivators waiting at the side.
On the exposed skin of many of these people, scales and thick hides had begun to grow.
Yuan Chu glanced over.
"Looks like these people have received the tribe’s inheritance. Either that or they already possessed a faint trace of the tribe’s bloodline, which has now been awakened."
"I knew it. For us to get so many benefits, it turns out we were just helping them reconnect with their heritage..."