Chapter 98 - 93: Departure
At night, Zhao Zuo was meditating, absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power.
He knew that refusing was the most logical choice, but when the time came to speak, he found himself agreeing instead. This was partly due to the allure of the Foundation Establishment inheritance, but more importantly, it was because Shen Yunjiao held a special place in his heart.
Three days later, Shen Yunjiao’s internal injuries had completely healed. During that time, Zhao Zuo had also prepared the necessary supplies for their journey, including large quantities of fresh water, Spirit Rice, and Demon Beast meat.
As for Pill Medicine, he prepared Grain Avoidance Pills, Antidote Pills, Golden Wound Medicine, and Replenishing Essence Pills.
This was Zhao Zuo’s first time venturing outside Moyun Workshop. He felt a little nervous, but that was overshadowed by his curiosity and longing to see the outside world. Everyone has an adventurous spark in their bones, especially after gaining extraordinary power.
In the early morning, the two faced each other and swore a Heavenly Dao Oath. They promised not to harm each other during the adventure, not to plot against one another in any way, and not to hold any grudges after it was over... In short, the oath was meticulous and covered a wide range of scenarios.
After they swore the oath, Shen Yunjiao began to describe the environment inside the Cave Mansion, as well as the dangers she had previously encountered.
The entrance to the Cave Mansion was on the mountainside of a tall peak about thirty miles from Moyun Workshop, at an altitude of roughly three hundred meters. The outermost layer was sealed by an Illusion Array and a mechanism on its main gate.
She had only managed to get past the Illusion Array and enter the Cave Mansion by sheer luck in the first place.
Inside the Illusion Array were a Trapping Array and a Killing Array. Beyond those two arrays lay the stone chamber.
Shen Yunjiao skipped over the dangers of navigating the two arrays, focusing instead on the mechanism of the stone door. It involved two bronze rings; injecting Mana into them would disarm the lock, but the prerequisite was that two people had to channel their Mana at the same time.
Furthermore, all the other mechanisms and traps inside the Cave Mansion had already been disarmed.
Shen Yunjiao said all this to reassure Zhao Zuo, proving that their trip would be virtually free of danger.
That same day, their preparations complete, the two set out. With the Hidden Blade Giant Sword on his back and the Black Flame Saber at his waist, Zhao Zuo pushed open his courtyard gate and followed Shen Yunjiao out of the core district of Moyun Workshop.
As it was daytime, they occasionally spotted a few other Loose Cultivators hurrying along their way.
Melting snow had turned the ground beneath their feet muddy. With every step, their feet sank into the sludge. Though it didn’t slow them down, their boots were soon caked in mud. Along the road, ancient trees were already sprouting green buds—both signs that winter was ending and a vibrant spring was on its way.
"If you coat your boots with a small amount of Mana, you can keep them from getting muddy," Shen Yunjiao advised, noticing Zhao Zuo’s were covered in yellow muck.
"I’ll give it a try," Zhao Zuo said, immediately attempting it.
Before long, Zhao Zuo circulated his Mana, vibrating the yellow mud completely off his boots. He then coated them in Mana, quickly mastering this little trick of its application. His movement speed even increased slightly.
A hundred-meter-wide valley connected Moyun Workshop to the outside world. The peaks on either side were shrouded in clouds and mist, hiding any buildings from view. This was the border of Moyun Workshop, territory where Demon Beasts were active.
Although he couldn’t see any Demon Beasts, he believed they were surely hiding nearby. He immediately took out a powder to mask his scent and applied it to his body, reducing the probability of being discovered.
The powder was made from a mixture of ground, pungent medicinal herbs. It didn’t make him odorless; instead, it emitted a scent so repulsive that most Demon Beasts would be disinclined to pursue its source.
"Be careful for the rest of the way," Shen Yunjiao warned in a solemn tone, also applying the powder to herself.
"Right."
Many of the plants and animals within the Yunlan Mountain Range were incredibly lethal. A tree, a blade of grass, or a flower by the path could all contain deadly poison. A seemingly insignificant bug could be a fatal Gu Insect.
In this world, all living things could absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power to transform, so the venom of poisonous insects was also enhanced to a terrifying degree. Therefore, one had to be extremely vigilant when venturing deep into the wild.
The branches of the ancient trees were bare, save for a few withered, yellow leaves that stubbornly clung on, painting a desolate scene. After leaving the valley, the temperature dropped by more than ten degrees, and the ground was once again covered in a thick layer of snow. The distance was a vast expanse of white, and the winding mountain peaks looked like sleeping giants of ice and snow.
The pair quickened their pace, leaving a continuous trail of footprints in the snow. Zhao Zuo’s initial curiosity about his surroundings faded into visual fatigue in less than half an hour. The farther they got from Moyun Workshop, the more rugged and steep the path became, and human tracks grew scarce.
Every so often, Zhao Zuo would spot the tracks of wild beasts. The massive footprints came in all shapes and sizes, with the only commonality being that the tracks left by Demon Beasts were all enormous.
Fortunately, they hadn’t encountered any Demon Beasts along the way.
Roughly five hours later, the sun was sinking in the west as evening approached.
Zhao Zuo followed Shen Yunjiao’s lead as they rapidly ascended the mountain. The path was incredibly steep and rugged, but it couldn’t hinder their progress. Occasionally, they used tree trunks as springboards to move swiftly, like two incredibly nimble apes, freely climbing and leaping about.
CRACK, CRACK.
The branches they landed on trembled, sending down a shower of icicles like a torrential downpour. Snowflakes drifted from the sky, gently blanketing the tree trunks, rocks, and bushes.