From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 83 A Unique Skill Unveiled, Adversity Dissipated

"Wait!" Mu Feng's voice, tinged with annoyance, came from outside the cave. I ignored him and placed my hand on the center of the array on the ground. A powerful suction force pulled me in, and the stones on the ground closed up again, isolating me from the outside world.

I plunged into darkness. The feeling of falling lasted a long time, so long that I was almost about to give up hope, when finally my body touched solid ground. I steadied myself and looked around. It was a much more spacious cave, with twinkling fluorescent lights on the walls illuminating the surroundings. A faint, pleasant medicinal fragrance filled the air.

In the center of the cave stood an ancient altar, upon which rested a jade slip. I cautiously approached and picked it up. The jade slip was cool to the touch, its surface smooth as jade, and covered with densely packed runes. I tried to probe the jade slip with my divine sense, but found a layer of restriction on its surface, blocking my probe.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and mobilized my immortal power. Following the method I used to break the symbols on the wall, I slowly poured my immortal power into the jade slip. This time, the restrictions on the jade slip were not broken as easily as the symbols on the wall. My immortal power vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

A chill ran through me as I realized this restriction was far more complex than I had imagined. I couldn't help but recall Elder Xing's words that this trial would be far more difficult than any before, and it seemed that was indeed true.

Outside the cave, a commotion could be faintly heard. I knew Mu Feng and his group wouldn't give up so easily. Since they couldn't find the entrance, they would definitely try to force their way in.

I must break the seal on the jade slip as soon as possible and find a way to leave this place. I concentrated again, infusing my understanding of cultivation into my immortal power, trying different methods to inject it into the jade slip. Time passed second by second, and fine beads of sweat appeared on my forehead, but the seal on the jade slip remained unmoved.

Suddenly, I felt the jade slip vibrate slightly. A surge of joy filled me; I knew I had finally found a breakthrough. I increased the output of my immortal power, simultaneously adjusting its trajectory. The light on the jade slip grew brighter, and cracks began to appear in the seal.

A deafening roar echoed from outside the cave, causing the entire cavern to shake violently. I knew that Mu Feng and the others had already begun to destroy the outer walls of the ruins. I dared not delay any longer and poured all my immortal power into the jade slip.

With a crisp "crack!", the seal on the jade slip was finally broken. A powerful energy surged from the jade slip, enveloping me. My vision was filled with white light; I could see nothing at all.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a completely new environment. It was a much more magnificent cave, with countless luminous pearls embedded in the walls, illuminating the entire cave as if it were daytime. In the center of the cave was a huge stone gate with two ancient characters carved on it—"Immortal Abode".

I took a deep breath and stepped towards the stone gate. Just as my hand was about to touch it, a voice suddenly rang out behind me: "You've finally come..."

I whirled around and saw a figure in a long black robe standing behind me. He was tall, with a cold and stern face, radiating a powerful aura. I was startled and immediately became alert, secretly channeling my immortal energy into my palm, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

"Who are you?" I asked in a deep voice.

The man in black didn't answer my question. Instead, he looked me up and down, a strange smile playing on his lips. "I didn't expect you to actually make it this far. It seems you're even more interesting than I thought."

His voice was deep and hoarse, like the hooting of an owl, sending chills down one's spine.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I asked again, my tone tinged with impatience.

The man in black chuckled softly and said slowly, "Who I am is not important. What is important is that I know what you want."

He paused, then continued, "I know you want to become an Immortal Venerable, I know you want everything in this Immortal Abode. I can help you, I can give you everything you want."

His words stirred something within me. I did indeed yearn to become a Celestial Venerable, and I truly desired everything within this Celestial Abode. However, I would not believe the promises of someone of unknown origin.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked warily.

The man in black smiled and said, "Because I admire you, because I think you have great potential. Of course, I also have my own purposes. But don't worry, my purposes won't harm you; on the contrary, they will be of great help to you."

His words were tempting, but I wasn't fooled. I knew there was no such thing as a free lunch; he must have ulterior motives for helping me.

“I don’t need your help,” I said coldly. “I can get everything I want through my own efforts.”

The smile on the man in black vanished, replaced by a chilling expression: "Is that so? Then let me see just how capable you really are."

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly launched an attack on me. He was as fast as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of me. I quickly dodged and simultaneously swung my palm to meet the attack.

With a loud "boom," my palm strike collided with his, generating a powerful shockwave that shattered the surrounding stone walls.

I was shocked; I hadn't expected him to be so powerful. I dared not be careless and immediately unleashed my strongest moves, engaging him in a fierce battle.

At the same time, I felt the tremors around the ruins gradually subside. It seemed Guard Lin had arrived with reinforcements. I could vaguely hear Mu Feng's angry shouts and Guard Lin's firm yet respectful warning. The stalemate continued, neither side able to gain the upper hand. This gave me a chance to catch my breath; I had to resolve the immediate trouble as quickly as possible.

While fighting the men in black, I searched for an exit. I discovered that the mechanisms inside this immortal abode were far more complex than I had imagined. I struggled immensely to decipher a few simple mechanisms, obtaining some small treasures and clues for the trials, but greater dangers lay ahead.

Suddenly, I felt a strange movement beneath my feet. I looked down and discovered a hidden passage had appeared. A powerful aura emanated from the passage, making my heart pound.

A thought flashed through my mind; I knew this was an opportunity. I parried the attacks from the men in black as I moved closer to the passage.

"Where do you want to go?" The man in black seemed to have seen through my intentions and said with a sneer.

I ignored him and leaped into the tunnel. It was pitch black inside; I couldn't see anything. I felt a powerful suction pulling me downwards, my body falling uncontrollably…

In the darkness, I heard the man in black's chilling voice: "You can't escape..."

The weightlessness of falling made me dizzy, and the wind whistled past my ears. I struggled to steady myself, channeling my magical power to protect my entire body. I don't know how much time passed before the descent finally slowed down, and my feet slammed into the ground. I staggered a few steps before regaining my balance.

In the darkness, I groped for a luminous pearl and lit it. Its faint light dispelled the surrounding darkness and illuminated the mysterious passage. The passage was narrow and winding, its stone walls on either side covered with ancient runes that emitted a soft glow. A strange energy permeated the air, sending a chill down my spine.

The man in black didn't give chase; perhaps the entrance to the passage disappeared after he jumped down. I breathed a sigh of relief, but a sense of unease also arose in my mind: what secrets did this passage hold?

I proceeded cautiously along the passage, carefully observing my surroundings. The runes within the passage seemed to contain some kind of powerful energy; I could vaguely sense them breathing and pulsating.

Suddenly, I heard a commotion behind me, mixed with Mu Feng's angry roar: "Xiao Yao, don't even think about escaping!"

Oh no, they've caught up! My heart tightened, and I quickened my pace. This passage is so well hidden, how did they find it? Could it be Guard Lin...? No, impossible, Guard Lin is an upright man, he would never do such a thing.

As I ran forward, I pondered my next move. This narrow passage was easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it the perfect opportunity for a counterattack. I recalled the clues I had obtained during the trial, as well as some records about ancient formation fragments, and a bold idea emerged in my mind.

I slowed my pace and began setting up some simple traps on the walls of the passageway. These traps weren't deadly, but they were enough to slow them down and buy me more time.

I cleverly connected the runes in the passageway using its unique runic structure, forming small arrays. These arrays can trigger simple illusions or mechanisms, such as causing hallucinations or sudden ground collapses. These are all experiences I accumulated in previous trials, and now they come in handy.

After setting the trap, I continued running forward. Before long, Mu Feng and the others caught up with me.

"Xiao Yao, you stop right there!" Mu Feng's voice echoed in the passage.

I sneered and ignored him, continuing to run forward. Soon, Mu Feng and the others triggered the trap I had set.

"Ah!" A scream rang out, followed by a series of exclamations.

I glanced back and saw that Mu Feng and the others had fallen into my trap and were in a sorry state. I chuckled to myself and continued running forward.

At the end of the passage, a massive stone gate appeared. The gate was carved with intricate patterns, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

I took a deep breath, walked to the stone door, and pushed it open...

A dazzling light shone from inside the stone gate, and I instinctively closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, the scene before me stunned me... "This...this is..." I murmured to myself.

After the blinding light subsided, I found myself in a vast cavern. The cavern's ceiling was inlaid with countless shimmering crystals, like stars in the night sky, illuminating the entire cavern as if it were daytime. In the center of the cavern stood a white jade altar, covered with mysterious runes, exuding an ancient and sacred aura.

"This is... the end of the trial?" I murmured to myself, my heart filled with shock.

I cautiously approached the altar, carefully observing the runes on it. These runes seemed related to those in the passage, yet they were more complex and profound. I tried to probe them with my divine sense, but found a powerful force blocking it.

"It seems that unlocking the secrets of this altar will not be easy," I thought to myself.

Just then, Mu Feng roared angrily from behind: "Xiao Yao, you can't escape!"

I looked back and saw that Mu Feng and the others had caught up, their faces contorted with rage and filled with murderous intent.

"Hmph, it seems you really are a persistent ghost." I sneered, but I dared not be careless in the slightest.

Although Mu Feng and the others suffered some losses in the trap, they were not seriously injured. Their strength far surpasses mine; if we were to fight head-on, I would be no match for them.

"Xiao Yao, hand over the treasures you possess, and I might spare your life!" Mu Feng said viciously.

"Treasure? What treasure?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Stop pretending!" Mu Feng roared. "You think I don't know? You must be hiding something, otherwise you wouldn't have been leading the way in the trials!"

I chuckled inwardly. Mu Feng was indeed blinded by greed, actually thinking I possessed some treasure.

"Since you want the treasure so badly, then come and take it yourself!" I said provocatively.

Mu Feng roared and charged at me, brandishing his longsword. The others also joined in, surrounding me.

I took a deep breath and quickly calmed myself down. Now was not the time to panic; I had to find a way out of this predicament.

While dodging their attacks, I observed the cave's surroundings. Although the cave was enormous, it was not without its flaws.

I noticed some protruding stones on the cave walls. If we could use these stones, we might be able to create some new traps.

With that in mind, I immediately sprang into action. While dodging Mu Feng's attacks, I pushed some rocks down to create obstacles.

Caught off guard, Mu Feng and the others tripped over the stones and fell, getting covered in dust.

I took the opportunity to create some distance and continued moving through the cave. As I ran, I set up new traps throughout the cave.

This time, I set up a more complex and concealed trap. I used the terrain of the cave, along with some special combinations of runes, to create a series of illusions and mechanisms.

When Mu Feng and the others caught up again, they immediately fell into my trap.

"Ah!" Screams echoed through the cave.

I glanced back and saw Mu Feng and the others trapped in my trap, looking utterly disheveled.

I gave a cold laugh and continued running forward.

I came to the other side of the altar and found a narrow passage there.

Without hesitation, I crawled into the tunnel.

At the end of the passage was a stone door.

I reached out and pushed open the stone door...

A powerful force pulled me in...

I felt a sudden dizziness, and then I lost consciousness...

"Where...am I...?" I slowly opened my eyes...