Volume One, Chapter 57: I Listen to Senior Sister.

Jiang Chen picked up some firewood from the ground and lit it with talisman paper, then handed a stick to each of them. The gently flickering fire illuminated the once gloomy, blue-tinged cave.

“Go slowly, no need to rush,” Xiangcai cautioned from the middle of the group.

The cave itself was quite spacious, not at all cramped. Running his hand along the stone wall, Jiang Chen hoped to glean some clues, at least enough to avoid searching blindly in the darkness.

“How strange…”

The stone wall felt thick and solid, yet Jiang Chen sensed something different about it. Beneath his palm, he could faintly feel a thriving vitality emanating from the surface. Yes, vitality—he was sure of it. This was no ordinary stone wall, but a living one.

Every inch of this wall pulsed with life. Unwilling to give up, Jiang Chen crouched to test the ground, but it felt no different from the wall. After touching several places in succession, he finally realized: this was not a typical cave, but the inside of some creature’s stomach—though he couldn’t say which part exactly.

It wasn’t uncommon for mythical creatures to lurk within hidden realms, but a beast as colossal as a mountain should exist only in the ancient texts. Jiang Chen, who had studied every book of the strange and supernatural, searched his memory rapidly. Suddenly, understanding dawned. “To think such an unremarkable secret realm could conceal a Kui Niu.”

The Kui Niu—its upper body a bluish green, shaped like an ox but hornless, moving on a single leg, its voice like thunder, its belly a world of endless transformations.

If word got out that such a mythical beast was hidden here, the people of Division 509 would immediately come to seal the realm, for its level already qualified as S-class. Fortunately, Jiang Chen had come early. Had 509 learned of the Kui Niu, rescuing his senior sister would have required far more effort.

With only one path to follow, they soon reached its end.

Suddenly, the space opened up—a vast stone chamber appeared before them. They raised their torches high, casting flickering light over the whole room. Suspended from the ceiling was a giant, round stone orb.

Xiangcai stepped forward; with a sharp crack beneath her foot, she cried out in alarm.

Wang Tu lowered his torch and finally saw that the floor was covered with dense, chilling white bones—so many that not a single gap remained.

“What kind of treasure could possibly drive so many people to their deaths?” Wang Tu’s first thought was that some rare and priceless artifact must be hidden here.

Da Lei, however, was more cautious. “Maybe we should turn back. This place feels dangerous, and there are still plenty of other spots to search for things outside.”

The mud figure disguised as Holt spoke stiffly, “Come look—who is this?”

Following the path of the torchlight, they saw a familiar figure lying on the ground.

“It’s Chong Ying! But how did he end up like this?” Xiangcai fought the urge to step back.

Chong Ying had been a mercenary, hired along with them to protect the employer from Yuzhou. Unfortunately, he had become nothing more than a corpse. In just a few short hours, a living man had lost his life, cut down in his prime.

The Kui Niu’s belly was filled with uncanny strangeness. Even Jiang Chen could not guarantee an effortless escape.

“Is anyone there? Hello?”

At the sound of that familiar voice, Jiang Chen’s heart skipped a beat.

“Is someone there? I heard voices.”

On guard once more, they all aimed their torches in the same direction.

From another passage, a girl emerged. She wore a Daoist robe, her hair a little disheveled, yet her beauty was undiminished—it only made her seem more in need of protection.

“Don’t move! Who are you? Why are you here?” Xiangcai demanded, brandishing a longsword.

“I… I’m Chu Xixi, a Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Here’s my Celestial Master’s credential, you can check it.” Chu Xixi tossed over her certificate. Xiangcai examined it carefully, seeming to recognize its authenticity.

Even behind his mask, Jiang Chen could not stop the hot tears streaming down his face. Seeing his senior sister alive and well, his heart finally settled. He had worried that something might have happened to her after she left her spiritual sense behind. Now, seeing her safe, he breathed a deep sigh of relief.

After verifying her identity, Chu Xixi asked, “Is there someone named Jiang Chen in your group?”

The others exchanged glances and shook their heads. Jiang Chen almost spoke up, but realizing they still couldn’t leave—the secret realm required three days—he decided it was better to remain in the shadows, watching over his senior sister.

Hearing there was no Jiang Chen, Chu Xixi’s head drooped in disappointment. After a moment’s silence, she asked, “Can I leave with you?”

Once assured there was no danger, the others nodded, though they still kept their distance from Chu Xixi.

At that moment, Wang Tu said, “Celestial Master, you must have been here a long time. Did you find any treasures of immense value?”

Chu Xixi shook her head slightly. “There are none.”

Wang Tu eyed her suspiciously. “You’re not lying to us, are you?”

Seeing Chu Xixi’s troubled expression, Wang Tu and Da Lei were certain she was hiding something—there had to be valuables within.

“Let’s go! I don’t believe there’s nothing worthwhile in such a huge cave!” Wang Tu was first to press forward.

Chu Xixi called out, “It’s very dangerous inside. There are many mud people. You’d best not go in.”

Mud people?

Had his senior sister encountered them too?

Wang Tu and Da Lei exchanged looks and pushed ahead, with Xiangcai gritting her teeth and following. Jiang Chen, for reasons unknown, took a step forward, but then froze in panic.

“Damn, I almost got caught by the Kui Niu’s tricks.”

Just now, it was as if his mind had been seized for an instant, compelling him to enter.

The mud figure followed the three inside, leaving only Jiang Chen and Chu Xixi outside.

Chu Xixi shook her head and sighed. “It’s truly dangerous. I wasn’t lying.”

The peril of this cave was not visible to the naked eye; it was the threat of having one’s mind unconsciously controlled. She had resisted for a long time, and her spirit was at its breaking point.

Her legs gave out and she nearly collapsed, but Jiang Chen caught her around the waist. She sighed, “Why won’t any of you listen? This will get you killed, truly killed!”

Jiang Chen slowly channeled his spiritual energy into his senior sister, speaking gently, “I’ll do as you say, senior sister.”