Chapter 196: The Romantic Feeling Brought by the Shroud (6k)

The two moved forward with great caution.

But soon, the ground suddenly shook violently, and both immediately went on guard, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Immediately after, thick, ink-black mist surged out from the mine tunnel the two had previously entered, like a black tidal wave rushing toward them with a chilling, oppressive force.

In an instant, two figures burst out of the mist, battered and desperate.

Their dao robes were already torn to shreds.

One man's right arm was twisted grotesquely into a spiral, while the other had half a pale white bone spike embedded in his back; the wound oozed dark green blood that emitted a pungent, rotting stench.

"Old Xu, if you're not going to pull out that thing now, what the hell are you waiting for!"

The man with the bone spike screamed desperately, his neck veins bulging, and worm-like protrusions writhing frantically beneath his skin, as if something inside was about to burst free.

Yet the man with the severed arm was filled with sheer terror, his eyes wide open, fear having completely consumed his reason.

He had no thought for anything else—he turned and fled wildly, and from all seven orifices poured dense, bone-white fungal filaments that swayed with his movements, as if draping him in a strange white veil.

Witnessing this, Zhou Qing was stunned, his face filled with alarm.

This ancient mine was truly no ordinary place—its horror far exceeded his imagination.

In such a short time, it had already driven two Cutting-Spirit cultivators to the brink of death.

In the blink of an eye, the two raced past them, the thick black mist clinging to them like a shadow, surging after them.

Zhou Qing knew full well the black mist couldn't see them, yet his heart still pounded uncontrollably.

Whirrrrr—

The black mist roared past them, and Zhou Qing's pupils contracted sharply.

He clearly saw countless human-faced moths floating and sinking within the thick mist.

On the wings of each moth grew the face of a crying infant, features twisted, the wailing sound almost tangible, drilling straight into the soul and sending chills down the spine.

Soon, the two scrambled desperately under a nearby jujube tree, pressing their backs against the trunk, gasping for breath, chests heaving violently.

Then, they frantically pulled out vast quantities of elixirs from their storage bags and swallowed them down in a frenzy.

The black mist circled the jujube tree relentlessly, then launched a furious assault.

In an instant, a pale green light swept down from the jujube tree, shielding the two tightly within.

As the black mist clashed with the light, piercing screams echoed—like countless tormented souls wailing in agony.

After a moment, the mist reluctantly thinned and dispersed, leaving only silence.

Zhou Qing instinctively turned to look at Six-Hao, his eyes still wide with shock.

You said a Cutting-Spirit peak cultivator had perished here—I thought you were exaggerating, but now I see I vastly underestimated this place.

Six-Hao's gaze remained locked on the two battered figures; she too seemed to be witnessing such a gruesome scene for the first time, her expression grave.

She slowly exhaled, speaking in a low tone: "This forbidden zone has existed for too long. The ancient mine here isn't even the most dangerous part."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing was even more stunned.

It seemed that beyond this mine, there were even more terrifying places.

At the same time, his reverence for the Divine Ruins Tiangong deepened.

Even such a place was still simulated within it—no wonder it came from a long-dead Level-7 cultivation nation.

"I've identified three safe spots in this mine," Six-Hao said, raising her hand to point at the place where the two were healing.

"Earlier, I came in and specifically asked a relative to help me—I sang love songs beneath all three jujube trees for safety, but no further prompts appeared."

Six-Hao added, her voice heavy with regret.

Zhou Qing smiled faintly—how could one trick work everywhere?

The jujube tree outside helped because it was the remains of a strange spirit that had perished long ago.

She spent her entire life waiting for the little Taoist priest carrying a peachwood sword to come and take her—so singing love songs worked.

But that doesn't mean all other jujube trees are as extraordinary.

"Let's go!" Six-Hao said no more, turning to lead Zhou Qing forward.

…

Along the way, wind howled past their ears, and an eerie silence hung thick in the air, leaving no room for carelessness.

After about half an hour, the two came to a stop before a mine tunnel.

The moment they landed, a powerful stench of decay surged toward them, as if countless corpses were rotting inside.

Zhou Qing frowned, instinctively raising a hand to cover his nose and mouth.

"Once inside, the smell will be relatively better."

With that, Six-Hao stepped in first.

Zhou Qing followed closely behind; the instant he entered, a chilling coldness struck him, piercing through his clothes and sinking into his marrow, making him shiver involuntarily.

Zhou Qing suddenly understood—no wonder she favored this place; it matched her ice-elemental body perfectly. To her, the mine's freezing chill was likely as comfortable as water to a fish.

Inside the mine, it wasn't pitch-black darkness—it glowed faintly with a hazy, dim light.

As they advanced deeper, the suffocating stench gradually faded, though the air still carried a damp, musty odor.

【Today's post is refreshing…】

【A new post has been recorded in the Odd Post Log—please check promptly.】

Zhou Qing had barely taken two steps when the system's crisp alert echoed suddenly in his mind.

He froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up with delight, a smile tugging at his lips: "So random—but I love your unpredictable timing."

Immediately, he focused his mind and opened the Odd Post Log. Before him appeared a golden-green post.

【Copy Post: Within three breaths of the target activating a technique or divine art, stick the post to your third eye to copy it. Alternatively, stick it directly onto a jade scroll to copy.】

Seeing the description, Zhou Qing was thrilled.

Each post that appeared always brought unexpected surprises and anticipation.

Looking at Six-Hao ahead of him, clearing the path, and the seemingly endless mine tunnel ahead, Zhou Qing suddenly had an idea.

"Perhaps this Copy Post arrived at the perfect moment!"

The ground beneath the mine tunnel was soft and muddy; every step felt like walking through a swamp.

Soon, Zhou Qing noticed signs of past battles within the mine—the deeper they went, the more the walls had collapsed.

In many places, sharp ice crystals still remained, glinting coldly in the dim light.

These were likely traces left behind when Six-Hao's original body had explored here and taken valuable items.

"To outsiders, this mine probably seems worthless now—but in truth, there's more hidden within!"

When they reached the very bottom of the mine, Six-Hao finally stopped and pulled a crimson bone from her storage bag.

The moment the bone appeared, Zhou Qing's meridians froze—his blood halted—and the Jin Wu Burn the Sky Scripture activated automatically, causing a warm golden aura to shimmer around him, then quickly faded.

Zhou Qing narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the bone.

It glowed entirely crimson, as if freshly pulled from a sea of blood, with wisps of blood qi swirling around it, faint, mournful phoenix cries echoing from within.

Six-Hao explained softly: "This is true Blood Phoenix Bone. I obtained it from this mine after simulating hundreds of times—it's the divine bone that confirmed this place's secret."

As she finished, her hands moved rapidly, forming seals. Instantly, countless radiant spiritual seals streamed from her fingertips.

Ten thousand seals surrounded the bone; within moments, the Blood Phoenix Bone activated, emitting blinding crimson light that resonated with the seals, humming loudly.

Soon, the stone wall at the very bottom of the mine began to change strangely.

The once rough, hard rock surface turned into a calm lake, rippling gently in concentric waves.

Within the ripples, space twisted, revealing a faint, dark passage.

This sight resembled the abyss where the Jin Chida had perished.

Six-Hao turned to Zhou Qing, her eyes gleaming with excitement: "This is it—follow me!"

Without hesitation, she drew a deep breath and stepped into the ripples, her figure vanishing instantly.

Intrigued, Zhou Qing gritted his teeth and followed.

The instant he passed through the ripples, an even thicker, damp, fishy stench assaulted him—like millennia-old rotting meat mixed with the brine of the deep ocean, nearly making him vomit…

Zhou Qing forced down his nausea and opened his eyes to survey his surroundings—he saw thousands upon thousands of cocoons hanging from the cavern ceiling.

Each cocoon was semi-translucent, revealing curled, humanoid shapes inside.

The cavern walls oozed glowing, viscous fluid that trickled down and pooled in depressions.

The foul odor came from here.

"Shh!" Six-Hao raised a finger to her lips, her eyes filled with caution.

Zhou Qing nodded silently—he could sense that the things inside the cocoons were alive, radiating a wild, dangerous aura.

"I… need that thing. Can you get it for me?" Six-Hao turned slightly, whispering in a near-silent voice.

Zhou Qing followed her gaze and saw, at the center of the cavern, an ancient stone altar standing still, upon which rested a blood-red scroll.

Beside the altar grew a divine herb that looked carved from ice, its tip bearing a round white fruit, from which faint wisps of spiritual energy drifted.

It had no fragrance, but Zhou Qing's first impression was like seeing a few green leaves on the ancient tree in his own dantian.

It undoubtedly contained immense vitality and potent medicinal power.

This was unquestionably a true divine herb.

As Zhou Qing marveled inwardly, the white fruit suddenly flashed—and transformed into a tiny snow-white bird, nestled asleep on the herb's branch.

It was small, its feathers pure white, flawless, soft down rising and falling gently with its steady breath.

Especially its head tucked beneath its wings, looking utterly endearing.

This sight made Zhou Qing's pupils contract sharply.

A divine herb taking form?

This… this… this…

At this moment, No. quietly approached Zhou Qing and gently tugged his sleeve, then pointed to the other side.

Zhou Qing followed the direction No. indicated and saw a bloodstained cloth, like a nimble black python, swiftly weaving through the many cocoons hanging above.

"The divine herb—important to me—is blocked by this cloth!" No. whispered as low as she could.

Zhou Qing roughly understood; after a brief hesitation, he immediately performed an appraisal.

【Emperor's Shroud: This is the burial cloth that once wrapped an ancient Emperor. Under prolonged influence of this mine, it has developed self-awareness and is cultivating its own eerie army.】

Beyond this, no further description was given.

This left Zhou Qing somewhat disappointed.

Emperors vary in strength—rulers of fourth-, fifth-, or even sixth-tier cultivation nations may all be called Emperors.

This shroud has already gained sentience and can resist ordinary Soul Severing Realm cultivators; clearly, the one it once wrapped was no ordinary powerhouse.

And those densely packed transparent cocoons above the cave ceiling? All are its carefully cultivated subordinates.

Since No. came to him, it means in reality she would never let anyone else share the spoils.

She wants to obtain the divine herb herself—otherwise, she could easily bring several Soul Severing Realm cultivators to distract the shroud while seizing the herb.

Zhou Qing then looked at the spiritual herb and the scroll on the stone pedestal; after much deliberation, he said, "Old man will first test the situation."

No. heard this and nodded without hesitation.

Only by clarifying the true state can a practical strategy be devised.

She had come here many times, exhausting every method, yet never once touched the divine herb.

But aren't you injured in reality? Can you really manage this now?

Zhou Qing exhaled slowly, pulled out his 【Copy Scroll】, then fixed his gaze intently on the red scroll on the stone pedestal.

Generally, things within simulation environments cannot be taken out, nor can their full nature be truly discerned.

Like the Spirit-Infused Mushrooms seen in the tunnel during the Cave Heaven, or the Yin-Yang Scripture floating above the first coffin.

You can only confirm their location—you cannot take them into your possession.

But the red scroll on the pedestal—he felt something within it was extraordinary.

He just didn't know if the 【Copy Scroll】 could replicate within a simulation environment.

So he wanted to try.

If it succeeded, he'd truly strike it rich.

No. , equally curious, remained silent and stood quietly to the side.

After preparing himself, Zhou Qing directly hurled the 【Copy Scroll】 toward the red scroll.

The next instant, as if sensing something, the shroud above erupted in violent agitation, emitting a piercing, shrill scream.

The sound echoed like countless tormented souls wailing, shaking the cavern and making their eardrums ache.

Instantly, the shroud shot forward like a black lightning bolt, hurtling toward the 【Copy Scroll】.

Yet strangely, despite its furious assault, the shroud could never touch the 【Copy Scroll】.

The scroll moved with extreme agility, dodging left and right, effortlessly evading each lethal strike.

No. , beside them, was utterly stunned; her eyes widened, filled with disbelief.

She never imagined a seemingly ordinary scroll could remain unharmed under such a powerful shroud's assault.

What kind of scroll is this?

Then, unconsciously, she glanced at Zhou Qing, and a sense of awe arose within her.

Perhaps this latecomer, No. , was far stronger than any of them.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing quietly exhaled in relief.

Since the 【Bad Luck Scroll】 struck that white-robed man, he had already suspected something.

Any scroll granted by the system, once locked onto a target, would cling like a parasitic worm—fiercely burrowing into its body, no matter how powerful the target.

Any external force or method attempting to stop it was utterly useless.

Lì—

As the 【Copy Scroll】 neared the scroll, a massive crimson phoenix suddenly materialized above it.

Its cry struck like a sledgehammer, slamming into Zhou Qing and No. 's hearts, sending their blood surging and nearly toppling them.

"It's the Crimson Phoenix!" No. exclaimed.

Though she had simulated here many times and once nearly reached the pedestal, she had never triggered such a sight from the scroll.

Could No. 's scroll have triggered a sense of crisis in the scroll, thus awakening it?

Crimson Phoenix Projection!

No wonder he had sensed this place using Crimson Phoenix Bone and had to use the movements of a fourth-tier array master to finally open this space.

Zhou Qing was startled—but more than that, he was ecstatic.

Perhaps this time, it really might work.

At this moment, the Crimson Phoenix burned with roaring crimson flames, unlike the Jin Wu Fire Zhou Qing controlled.

It was a thick, viscous crimson, like burning blood, radiating a strange, scorching aura.

Where the flames touched, the air boiled with a hissing sound, twisting and warping.

The Crimson Phoenix now held its head high, its eyes like twin burning crimson suns, fixed on the 【Copy Scroll】 with a warning glare.

Seeing the scroll still advancing toward the scroll, the phoenix's feathers instantly bristled, transforming into countless razor-sharp crimson blades that shot forth like a rainstorm.

Yet the 【Copy Scroll】 ignored it all; as it neared, it blazed with brilliant light, engulfing the scroll.

Simultaneously, countless ancient crimson characters appeared in Zhou Qing's mind like stars.

These characters radiated an archaic, searing aura, as if spanning endless ages, heavy with ancient weariness.

In less than three breaths, a text far longer than the Emperor's Radiance Scripture had fully formed.

Zhou Qing's heart leapt—this actually worked!

Yet strangely, though the characters were clearly visible in his spiritual sense, he could not make out a single one—as if a faint veil separated them from his perception.

Just as Zhou Qing was filled with confusion, the 【Copy Scroll】 disintegrated into dust, scattering with the wind.

The Crimson Phoenix let out another skyward cry, its tone triumphant, then slowly retreated back into the scroll, as if nothing had happened.

The shroud, the moment the phoenix appeared, had drifted restlessly around, never daring to approach even slightly.

The tiny bird formed from the divine herb, previously asleep, now trembled violently, cowering in fear, its eyes wide and pitiful as it watched everything, looking utterly helpless.

Fortunately, all had temporarily returned to calm.

Now, the shroud had noticed Zhou Qing and No. , and lunged straight at them.

"Wait until tomorrow," Zhou Qing said.

No. didn't understand, but nodded anyway—before either could retreat, the shroud instantly surged forward, wrapping them tightly within.

The two felt darkness flood their vision, their bodies tightly bound by a cold, sticky sensation.

It kept tightening, forcing their bodies to press tightly together.

No. 's face flushed crimson, her heart racing in panic.

Until now, she had always been alone when wrapped and killed by the shroud.

Earlier, stunned by the miraculous nature of No. 's scroll, she hadn't reacted in time.

By the time she regained awareness, their bodies were already pressed tightly together.

Zhou Qing, too, was momentarily stunned.

He could clearly feel No. 's rapid breaths brushing against his neck—warm, tinged with unmistakable fluster.

Though they couldn't see each other's faces, their pounding heartbeats intertwined, strikingly clear.

Soon, Zhou Qing sensed a sinister force beginning to invade his body, rapidly draining his vitality.

His blood seemed pulled by an invisible force, drying up swiftly; his spiritual power ebbed like a retreating tide, his consciousness growing hazy.

"Tomorrow… I'll wait for you," No. said—perhaps for the first time ever, so close to a man. Though in simulation, her voice trembled slightly.

Before Zhou Qing could react, a violent aura erupted violently before him.

Zhou Qing saw a blinding flash of light, then his vision blurred—he was once again transformed into a ball of light.

"Um… what time tomorrow?" No. 's voice sounded beside him.

Zhou Qing still lingered in the lingering warmth of the moment, his thoughts scattered; startled by the question, he blurted out, "After we've eaten."

"Alright," No. whispered softly, then exited the simulation.

At this moment, Zhou Qing suddenly felt awkward—he unconsciously touched his chest, his mind involuntarily replaying the sensation.

So soft!

The thought flashed through Zhou Qing's mind, and he immediately shook his head.

What am I thinking? I'm not someone who takes advantage of others!

He steadied himself, glanced at the scenes of No. and No. —they were still exploring—and then exited.

…

The cold moonlight spilled like a silver gauze over the cave dwelling. Zhou Qing tucked away his token, but his mind kept returning to what had just happened.

Others might feel uneasy—after all, in that hazy embrace, you couldn't tell if the other was male or female, old or young.

But he had seen No. . Though she always wore a veil, beneath that waterfall of silver hair was unmistakably a stunning beauty.

After sensing Third Master's even snores, Zhou Qing suddenly remembered something and hurriedly turned his attention inward…

(End of Chapter)