“Try climbing back up!”
In the unknown depths beneath Chaotic Burial Mountain, Chen Qinghe forced himself to remain alert. Together with Chen Qingmeng, he attempted to scale the hole they had fallen through. But the moment his hand touched the surface, he froze. The walls were not dirt at all, but smooth stone.
The discovery made him uneasy. Chaotic Burial Mountain had long since been swallowed by wild vegetation and prowled only by ferocious beasts. How could such polished stone exist here? Could it be man-made? Yet if people had been active here, surely the clan would have known.
His expression grew grim. Without another word, he swung his fist hard into the wall.
Bang!
The sound echoed dully, but when he withdrew his hand, the stone remained smooth and intact, marred only by the faintest scratch. His eyes widened. He had not yet reached the Blood Coagulation Realm, so he could not bring out the full might of the Taizu Long Fist. Still, after years of training, even a mid-tier beast would have staggered from that blow. Yet here, it had barely left a trace.
He had thought to punch out footholds and climb step by step, but the stone’s hardness far surpassed his expectations. His plan collapsed before it even began. Neither of them had reached the Blood Coagulation Realm, so they could not employ the clan’s Shadow Step to briefly rise into the air. Given the wall’s sheer height, escape seemed impossible.
After several failed attempts with other methods, the two sank into silence.
“Qinghe, do you think we’re done for?”
“No,” Chen Qinghe said firmly. “I read once that ordinary people can survive for days without food. We’re martial artists—we’ll last longer. By then, the clan will realize we’re missing. They’ll send people. Someone will find us.”
The reassurance was thin, but it was all they had.
They sat on the cold ground for a while longer. The flame from the striker in Chen Qinghe’s hand was dwindling, so he blew it out to save for emergencies. The instant darkness returned, however, a faint red glow shimmered in the distance.
Both of them stiffened, startled and curious. The stone walls were already strange enough—now this cave seemed anything but ordinary.
“Let’s take a look,” Chen Qinghe said at last. “We can’t leave anyway. Maybe we’ll find another exit over there.”
Chen Qingmeng nodded. “Alright.”
Together they advanced toward the glow. The passage widened as they went, until a turn revealed the source of light: clusters of bizarre plants, spherical in shape, glowing softly red. They bore no leaves, only small spikes from which the radiance pulsed.
“What is this? Could it be like the Five-Leaf Flower Brother Qingyu saw, some rare treasure of heaven and earth?” Chen Qingmeng exclaimed.
Chen Qinghe shared the same thought. He was just about to step closer when a sharp crack underfoot made him stop cold. Looking down, his breath caught.
Bones. Countless white bones scattered across the ground—beast remains, bleached and broken.
Fear rippled through both of them. Chen Qinghe quickly dragged his cousin back. He still wondered if those strange plants might be rare treasures, but the sight of so many bones stripped away his courage to move forward. Thinking it through, a chill spread in his chest.
The hole above them was wide open. If they could fall in, so could wild beasts. Yet the glowing plants before them stood unharmed, thriving, while only bones piled at their roots. Clearly, the plants were not as harmless as they seemed.
“A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall,” Chen Qinghe muttered, recalling a lesson he had recently learned. Best to keep distance.
They slowly retreated until they were back beneath the opening. This time they no longer felt at ease; fear coiled in their hearts, making every moment in the darkness heavy with dread. Who knew what horror might lunge out and devour them? And here, even running was impossible.
Unable to endure the suffocating dark, Chen Qinghe lit the striker again. The faint light offered a sliver of reassurance. But as time passed, it too dimmed. When it finally burned away with a wisp of smoke, the terror they had held at bay came flooding back.
Tap… tap…
A strange sound drifted from above. Both boys went pale, hands instinctively ready to strike. Though young, they were still late-stage Body Tempering martial artists—they had strength enough to fight.
Pa!
A shadow suddenly dropped before them. Moving as one, Chen Qinghe and Chen Qingmeng lashed out with their fists. Yet before the blows could land, their wrists were seized by an unseen force. Panic surged, and they cried out.
“Don’t shout. It’s me.”
A flame flared to life, revealing Chen Qingyu’s figure before them.
“Brother Qingyu! You finally came—thank the heavens!”
Relief washed over their faces, their terror loosening at last.
“Come,” Chen Qingyu said simply, pulling them close. “I’ll take you up.”
But just as he was about to leap, Chen Qinghe tugged at his sleeve. “Wait, Brother Qingyu. Something about this place feels wrong. Come with us and see for yourself…”
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