Chapter 3: Ning Feixuan’s Dao Artifact
“That’s it.” Mingyan squinted at the distant cave, the stench of blood and decay thick in the air.
The smell, a mix of blood and rot, suggested the beast had brought back some “food.”
The two of them didn’t act rashly but observed from a distance.
For now, they were certain that no matter how large the beast was, it was at most at the peak of the Divine Gate Realm. If it had broken through to the Tai Yi Realm, it wouldn’t have left any droppings.
Although they were confident they could handle it, who knew what else was in the cave?
Mingyan had never encountered such a giant lizard before and didn’t know its habits, whether it lived in groups or not.
Ning Feixuan, beside him, was as light as a feather, her movements silent as she moved through the forest, untouched by the leaves, truly like a celestial maiden. Mingyan couldn’t help but sigh. She really did possess a celestial aura.
But… such a celestial maiden was burdened by a deep-seated hatred. Her appearance and aura were otherworldly, but her heart was still in the mortal realm.
He suddenly had a feeling that he could be friends with her now, but after she got her revenge… her heart might also be imbued with a celestial aura… because she would no longer have any worldly concerns.
If that was the case, after her revenge, they might not even be friends anymore, the distance between them growing ever wider.
He was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. Why would he suddenly have such a thought?
After settling her affairs, she should be more attentive to those around her. How could she lose her humanity because she no longer had any worries?
“There’s movement.” Ning Feixuan didn’t notice the change in his expression. She was focused on the cave entrance.
The entrance was huge, with no vegetation around it, and the stench was overpowering, nauseating. But Ning Feixuan didn’t seem to mind.
The inside of the cave was dark, and they couldn’t see anything, only feeling a sense of coldness.
Hearing her voice, Mingyan came back to his senses. He felt a tremor. The beast must be moving inside. It was so large that its movements could be felt from outside.
He placed his hand on the ground and carefully sensed the vibrations.
The frequency was not high, unlike the movements of a herd of beasts.
“There’s either only one beast in this cave, or the others are hibernating,” he said after a moment of thought. “How about this? I’ll go in and check. If there’s only one, we’ll attack…”
“Why should you go?” Ning Feixuan looked at him. “I’m at the early Divine Gate Realm. If there’s any trouble, I have a better chance of handling it.”
Mingyan opened his mouth. They had never fought. Who was stronger? It was uncertain. But even if he was weaker than her, he still had the “*” secret technique. And besides, he might not be weaker than her.
Of course, her strength was likely also terrifying. She possessed the Western Spirit Physique. Although it was mysterious, the former Queen Mother of the West had also possessed it, suppressing a generation of geniuses and eventually becoming a Great Emperor.
“…Let’s go together then,” he said.
Ning Feixuan smiled faintly and nodded. He came back to his senses. Had she intended to go together from the start?
He felt a strange sense of unease. She seemed slightly different from before. But this also made him think that his previous worries were unfounded. How could such a person lose their humanity?
They emerged from the forest, and Mingyan used the Wind Spirit Scripture to conceal their auras, approaching cautiously.
The Wind Spirit Scripture was incredibly useful. Although it was slightly weaker in combat, it was a great help in other situations. And for combat, he had the Moon Shadow and Sun and Moon Scriptures.
He had been studying the Moon Shadow Scripture occasionally… or rather, testing it. He carefully observed the changes it brought about.
Although his master had guessed that his constitution wouldn’t be affected by cultivating the Moon Shadow Scripture, she had also reminded him to be careful and to stop immediately if he noticed anything wrong.
But for now, there were no side effects. Perhaps he could cultivate it freely. The Moon Shadow Scripture’s concealment and one-hit kill abilities were incredibly powerful.
They entered the cave. The nauseating stench made even Mingyan frown. He looked at Ning Feixuan and found her expression calm. Seeing him look at her, she tilted her head, as if asking why he was staring.
Seeing she wasn’t affected by the stench, he turned back, and they moved silently into the cave.
He used the Wind Spirit Scripture to control his aura, and the Taiyin power overflowed, making him completely silent. Ning Feixuan was also as light as a feather, as if weightless. She didn’t seem to be deliberately controlling herself, but she flew in after him like a leaf.
Of course, she wasn’t really flying. Using spiritual energy in the cave would easily alert the beast inside. So, they didn’t use any spiritual energy before encountering it.
The cave was damp and cold, with water seeping from the rock walls. The ground was littered with bones, mostly from animals, some he recognized, some he didn’t.
They continued forward for a while, then came to a fork in the road. Mingyan knelt and examined it. The left path had obvious signs of activity and some bone fragments, but the right path had nothing, though it was very damp, likely leading to some underground river. He decided to go left.
“Mingyan, wait.” Ning Feixuan stopped and looked at the right path, her brow furrowed. “This way…”
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“The spiritual energy here is too dense. Don’t you feel it?” she asked, looking at him.
He was stunned for a moment, then closed his eyes and circulated the Wind Spirit Scripture, but he felt nothing. He shook his head. “Besides the dampness, I don’t feel anything.”
“This way… is strange. After we deal with the beast, let’s come back and investigate.” Seeing he didn’t feel it, she pondered for a moment and said.
He nodded, a strange feeling in his heart. He hadn’t felt it even with the Wind Spirit Scripture, but she had.
A place with dense spiritual energy? Could it be because of her Western Spirit Physique?
He thought for a moment, then shook his head and continued forward with her.
The cave was quite spacious. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to accommodate a giant beast.
They walked for a while, then felt a tremor again, this time much stronger. Mingyan frowned and exchanged glances with her. They both knew they were close to the beast.
His Qi Sea flashed, and the Netherworld Dragon Tendon Bow appeared in his hand. A jade-green palace appeared above Ning Feixuan’s head, radiating a faint glow. He glanced at it, then looked away.
The weapons used by cultivators were not just the usual swords, spears, staffs, and bows. There were also some strange things, like bells, cauldrons, pagodas, paintings, and palaces like hers. Of course, there were other strange weapons as well, like the Yaochi’s Emperor-level artifact, the Eight Treasures Glazed Vase, which was a bottle.
Feiyan’s weapon was more normal, a feathered sword. He hadn’t seen his senior sister’s weapon…
But these were more like Dao artifacts than weapons.
He composed himself and quickly approached with her.
The space within the cave gradually widened, and the stench became more intense. Mingyan frowned, seeing the ground was covered in blood and rotting flesh, with maggots crawling on it.
Bones were scattered everywhere, some even piled up into small hills. The air itself seemed to be tinged with blood, and just smelling it made one’s head spin.
The lotus mark on Ning Feixuan’s forehead bloomed, and the palace above her head radiated a faint glow, enveloping her. Then, the glow expanded, also enveloping him. “This gas has become a miasma. Don’t breathe it in. It will affect your spiritual energy circulation.”
He nodded, looking down at his bow. The dragon tendon, used as a bowstring, was glowing faintly.
