Journey of True Cultivation

Dangerous Encouter in the Passage

As Yuan continued down the passage, his footsteps echoed through the narrow stone corridor.

He walked for about ten minutes straight, his breathing steady, his mind alert.

Then, at the end of the passage, he saw it.

A door.

There was nothing remarkable about it. No intricate carvings. No glowing symbols. No inscriptions.

Just a plain wooden door.

Yet, Yuan did not hastily push it open.

He was no fool.

What if there's a runic formation behind this door?

If there was even one hidden rune formation, opening the door recklessly could trigger a deadly explosion.

And that would mean instant death.

Yuan narrowed his eyes, stepping closer with cautious precision.

He examined the door.

Nothing.

He inspected the surrounding walls.

Still nothing.

There were no traps, no hidden formations, no concealed mechanisms to activate anything.

Yet…

Something felt off.

For ten minutes, he had walked through an eerily empty passage, and no one had appeared to stop him.

That alone was highly suspicious.

He had to stay cautious.

Yuan took a slow, deep breath. His pupils shrunk, and his body tensed as his fingers reached for the door handle.

With deliberate slowness, he pressed down on the lever.

CREAK…

The door groaned softly as it swung open.

But Yuan did not step in.

Instead

He threw the door wide open and jumped back, his muscles coiled, ready to flee at a moment's notice.

Silence.

Nothing happened.

Yuan's gaze darted toward the open doorway.

Beyond it, there was only darkness.

A deep, consuming darkness.

His eyes widened in shock.

"I… can't see what's inside?"

Even with his awakened senses, his vision could not pierce the veil of shadows.

That was impossible.

Still, nothing moved. No traps activated. No sudden attacks.

Only the silent abyss beyond the door.

"Haa…" Yuan sighed.

But his fingers tightened.

"Nothing happening is usually the biggest warning that something will happen."

His nerves were on high alert now.

With no other choice, Yuan drew his sword from his bag of holding, the cold steel reflecting dim light from the passage.

Then

He stepped forward.

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the darkness shifted.

It was not instant.

Instead, the black haze slowly faded, as if it had been waiting for something.

Bit by bit, the room beyond became visible.

The more Yuan saw, the faster his eyes scanned the surroundings.

And then

He froze.

The room was spacious, filled with decorations that hinted at long term residence.

A meditation bed rested near the far corner. Shelves lined the walls, stacked with countless books. A few bottles, possibly filled with spiritual elixirs, were neatly arranged on a nearby table.

At first glance, it looked like the cultivation cave of an cultivator someone who had lived here for a quite sometime.

But as Yuan's eyes darted around, scanning the area, a strange sound interrupted his thoughts.

The wind.

A cold gust brushed past him, making his skin tingle.

Instantly, his body tensed. His grip tightened on his sword, and his stance shifted into one of caution.

Something or someone was here.

Yuan's gaze sharpened, scanning every shadow, every flicker of movement. His breath slowed. His muscles coiled, ready to spring into action at any moment.

And then, he saw her.

A woman.

She stood near the far side of the room, her figure partially shrouded by the dim lighting.

Long, dark blue hair cascaded down her back, its strands shimmering faintly under the flickering lanterns. Her piercing blue eyes glowed with an unnatural light, sharp and unwavering.

She wore a flowing blue daoist robe, which hugged her frame yet allowed for effortless movement. The fabric was slightly loose around her chest, revealing just enough of her ample curves to draw the eye,but that was not what stunned Yuan the most.

No.

What truly unsettled him… were her eyes.

They were not round like a normal human's.

Instead, they were straight, narrow,serpentine.

Yuan's breath hitched for a moment.

His instincts screamed danger.

Yet, after a second of careful observation, he relaxed slightly.

If she could kill him instantly, she could have already done so.

That meant either

She was testing him. She underestimated him. She did not see him as a threat at all.

Yuan could only hope for the second option.

A confident smile spread across his lips.

He lowered his sword just slightly,just enough to show ease, but not enough to drop his guard.

Let's see if we can talk first.

With a light chuckle, he greeted her.

"Hello, fellow Daoist. How is it that I find you here?"

The moment the words left his lips, silence filled the room.

The air grew thick with tension.

Yuan did not move. His body was prepared to react at the slightest sign of hostility.

Then, after three long moments, the blue-haired woman finally spoke.

Her voice was cold as ice.

"Brat… who are you?"

Her piercing blue eyes narrowed as she took a step forward, arms folded, posture confident.

"A lost rogue cultivator? Some rat sent by a minor clan to steal from my cave? Or just another idiot who wandered into the wrong place?"

Her lips curled slightly,not in amusement, but in disdain.

"Well? Speak. Or would you rather I just kill you now?"

Yuan's smile did not waver.

But inwardly, he smiled.

Good. She wants to talk first.

That meant negotiation was still on the table.

He bowed slightly, keeping his tone polite yet steady.

"Fellow Daoist, I must naturally apologize for intruding upon your cultivation cave. However, as you know, this land, the Thirty Plants Forest, is under the jurisdiction of the Howling Wind Sect."

Her expression shifted slightly, just for a second.

Yuan continued.

"I came here under my sect's orders to investigate the unusual events occurring in the forest. As I

Yuan's eyes flickered with calm realization.

Bone Forging, huh?

He had expected worse. If she had been at the Marrow Essence Stage, he would have already turned and fled.

But Bone Forging?

He could handle this.

Still, he kept his expression neutral, not revealing even a hint of his relief.

Instead, he smiled coldly.

"Why should I not dare?"

His words only fueled her anger further.

Her crystal blue sword began to pulse with cold spiritual essence, the temperature in the cave plummeting instantly.

A layer of frost spread across her wound, freezing the blood solid.

With a ferocious roar, she lifted her sword, her eyes burning with murderous intent.

"DIE!"

And then

She attacked once more.