Chapter 116

For Cang Beichun, being tightly bound by Lao Liu wasn't an obstacle to his escape—it was an insult.

These vines required no effort from him; he could make them shatter on their own. He didn't understand why Ding Huan had let this monkey bind him with vines.

"Do you know what to do next?" Ding Huan smiled at Cang Beichun.

"I know, I know—please follow me. I've only just left that ruin." Cang Beichun beamed.

It felt as if he weren't bound at all, but had come here as Ding Huan's partner to search for the ruin.

"Then lead the way," Ding Huan said. He carried no backpack—he trusted that nothing could take what was stored on the Blue Star.

Around his waist was a communicator; as long as he stayed within a hundred kilometers of the Blue Star, he would know if anyone or any beast touched it.

If the Blue Star was attacked, the communicator on his person would blare alarms furiously.

For Ding Huan, seeking ancient Daoist ruins in Kunlun Mountain was merely a final curiosity before leaving Earth—wanting to see what relics still remained here.

After all, Earth was a corner of the ancient origin of immortals and gods; perhaps true traces of their whereabouts could still be found here.

But to abandon the Blue Star for the sake of a ruin? Impossible.

It seemed that because both hands were bound behind his back, Cang Beichun was unusually obedient.

He was a primordial cultivator; even on mountain paths and narrow cliffside trails, he moved with great speed.

Ding Huan's speed, of course, needed no mention; Qi Qi Xinyue, a Level Five Gene Cultivator, could keep pace thanks to her Wind Riding Technique.

As for Lao Liu, his cultivation was weaker, but he was a monkey—born to navigate such cliffside paths.

Following behind Cang Beichun, Ding Huan was inwardly astonished.

He was certain Cang Beichun was heading to the same location he had obtained from Nian Jinqing.

This place was so remote, with paths clinging to treacherous cliff edges—how on earth had these people ever found it?

The spot where Ding Huan had landed his ship was already not far from the Daoist ruin Nian Jinqing had given him.

Cang Beichun had always assumed this was coincidence—after all, Ding Huan had parked his ship here without immediately searching for the ruin, instead remaining in place as if meditating.

He didn't believe anyone knew of this ruin and could resist the urge to rush in.

Cang Beichun weaved through the mountains at high speed for nearly half an hour before turning into a Shanfeng and beginning to climb upward.

After another thirty minutes of walking, Cang Beichun finally stopped at the end of a narrow cliffside path.

It was a dead end—the path ended at a cliff, its base shrouded in thick mist.

"It's right here. Jump down from here—about fifty to sixty meters below is a platform. To enter the Daoist ruin, we must land on that platform," Cang Beichun said carefully.

"Are you certain it's fifty meters or sixty?" Ding Huan said coldly.

Cang Beichun thought for a moment. "Around fifty-six meters. I've gone up and down several times—I won't be wrong."

"Good. You go first," Ding Huan said.

"Yes." Cang Beichun didn't hesitate—he stepped off the path and jumped.

The mist here was dense; Cang Beichun's figure vanished within seconds, unseen.

"Big Brother," Qi Qi Xinyue looked at Ding Huan with concern.

Ding Huan chuckled. "Don't worry about him—he's already hidden. I'll jump first, then you, Xinyue, then Lao Liu."

"Remember, don't jump straight down—jump forward about five meters, then straight down. It's not fifty-six meters below—only about forty."

"Mm." Qi Qi Xinyue didn't ask how Ding Huan knew. To her, it was normal that he did.

If he didn't know this, Ding Huan wouldn't have lived to today.

Ding Huan knew perfectly well—his divine sense had already probed everything clearly. He knew Cang Beichun wouldn't be honest.

So he simply let Cang Beichun go first—whatever place Cang Beichun found would be the true ruin.

Ding Huan's form flickered, landing lightly on a protruding rock below.

The rock was fused with the cliff face, appearing utterly natural.

Ding Huan truly admired these people—behind this protruding rock was a natural cave.

In the Kunlun Mountains, countless such rock projections existed, yet these people had found this one—how admirable.

Although Nian Jinqing had obtained a map, Ding Huan had seen it—it was far too abstract.

For example, the spot where he landed the Blue Star was dozens of li away from here.

One might find the general direction, but to pinpoint this exact location—without divine sense or Wind Riding Technique, it would take a person at least two or three years.

And that was only if he was lucky.

He wondered whether Nian Jinqing had enlisted the Beast King Guild to search for this cave.

Even with the Beast King Guild alone, they probably couldn't have found it.

It seemed Nian Jinqing's words were true—he had allied with the Gene Alliance, the Ten Great Academies of Blue Star, the Martial Alliance, and others.

Including this fellow—otherwise, the Beast King Guild alone would have struggled to locate this spot.

Precisely because so many came, the edges of this natural cave bore traces too obvious—evidence of wave after wave of visitors.

But if they all came together, why had Cang Beichun stayed behind?

If he hadn't come with them, then there was nothing to say—he must have found something valuable and remained here to cultivate.

Qi Qi Xinyue and Lao Liu jumped down after him, landing steadily on the rock.

Even without divine sense, Cang Beichun's little trick couldn't have caused Qi Qi Xinyue or Lao Liu to fall off the cliff.

As for Ding Huan? Impossible.

If Wind Riding Technique couldn't even handle this margin of error, it would be useless.

"Xinyue, you and Lao Liu follow me into the cave," Ding Huan said. His divine sense had already detected Cang Beichun hiding at the second entrance inside.

The second cave held nothing—he knew exactly what Cang Beichun intended.

Beyond this cave was a long passage, deep enough that even Ding Huan's divine sense couldn't reach its end.

Along the edges of this passage were several side caves.

Cang Beichun entered the second side cave for one clear reason: to escape the moment Ding Huan and the others entered the first side cave to investigate.

If Ding Huan and the others did not enter the first side cave but pressed deeper directly, he could still escape.

Before entering the cave, Ding Huan said: "I don't know if there are side cave entrances inside. If there are, you two go check them—I'll wait outside."

"Alright." Qi Qi Xinyue felt puzzled but still replied.

Ding Huan's spiritual sense had remained fixed on Cang Beichun; even without leaving a spiritual mark, Cang Beichun had never left the range of his spiritual sense in this place.

His earlier words weren't meant for Qi Qi Xinyue—they were meant for Cang Beichun.

True to form, upon hearing Ding Huan's words, Cang Beichun immediately burst out of the second side cave and charged straight inward without hesitation.

"Let's go in," Ding Huan said, seeing Cang Beichun vanish into the depths of the cave, then calling out to Qi Qi Xinyue and Lao Liu.

Cang Beichun will definitely hide in the place where he secretly cultivates.

Neither Nian Jinqing nor the Gene Alliance ever found that place—it must not be an ordinary spot.

Now all he needed to do was follow Cang Beichun.

The entrance to the cave was small; they had to crouch to enter.

Inside, the space grew larger and larger.

Within the cave, not only could one person walk freely—even three or four walking side by side felt no crowding at all.

Seeing that Ding Huan did not ask him or Lao Liu to search the side caves, Qi Qi Xinyue began to understand something—she said nothing.

After all, Cang Beichun had vanished the moment he entered, and she sensed Ding Huan's words weren't meant for her—they were meant for Cang Beichun.

Ding Huan had no need to search those side caves; his spiritual sense could directly scan to the end of every one.

The deepest side caves here were no more than two thousand meters, and most contained nothing at all. Some had broken stone pillars or strange stone carvings deep inside.

Ding Huan glanced at Lao Liu—he suspected these stone carvings, like Lao Liu himself, were relics of the Immortal God Era.

But as long as he didn't act, these carvings would remain mere stone, never preserving any memories.

Ding Huan had no interest in extracting memory genes from these stone carvings; one memory—Lao Liu's—was enough. Let the others rest in peace.

Cang Beichun raced forward frantically, clearly familiar with the terrain—though he moved fast, not a single sound came from his footsteps.

Ding Huan's spiritual sense stayed locked on Cang Beichun, while part of his spiritual sense probed the side caves on either side of the cavern.

After nearly an hour of walking, Cang Beichun suddenly stopped in Ding Huan's spiritual sense.

Ding Huan also stopped. Under his spiritual sense, the spot where Cang Beichun halted showed nothing special—not even a side cave.

What's this bastard up to?

At that moment, Ding Huan saw Cang Beichun pull a tiny flag from his waist and plant it into an unremarkable recess in the cave wall.

It was unremarkable because such recesses were countless across both sides of the cavern walls.

What stunned Ding Huan happened next: the ordinary-looking wall beside Cang Beichun began to emit a crackling sound, and then a small entrance appeared within Ding Huan's spiritual sense.

"Follow me."

Saying this, Ding Huan flashed forward in an instant.

He feared that if Cang Beichun—the real Lao Liu—entered that passage, he'd never catch him again.

This wasn't speculation: Ding Huan's spiritual sense had never detected a hidden stone door behind the cave wall.

Had Cang Beichun not pulled out the tiny flag to open it, Ding Huan could have walked back and forth a hundred times and never found it.

As soon as the stone door opened, Cang Beichun yanked out the flag and rushed into it.

(That's all for today's update, friends! Goodnight! Please support with monthly votes!)