As Isshin took a stop at Jade Town once again, the tower immediately caught his attention. It had already been a year since he last came here. Back then, he had only been a weak cultivator trying to survive, but now things felt completely different.
The streets were just as lively as before. Merchants shouted from both sides of the road while cultivators moved through the crowds carrying weapons on their backs. The giant tower still stood at the center of the town like it had never changed at all.
Isshin quietly walked inside.
The interior looked exactly the same as before. The shelves, the displays, even the atmosphere of the place felt unchanged.
As he casually browsed around, a familiar voice suddenly sounded beside him.
"To think you have reached such an extent so quickly!"
The Tower Master suddenly appeared beside Isshin, looking him up and down with visible surprise.
"You flatter me sir," Isshin replies politely with a small bow.
The Tower Master chuckled lightly. "Your aura is much sharper now. You no longer feel like that reckless child who first walked in here."
"I am currently on break from the academy," Isshin explains while glancing around the tower again. "We still have two months left, and before that I wanted to find more cultivation opportunities."
The Tower Master nodded slowly.
"In that case, right now is the perfect time to go to the Nether Cave."
Isshin immediately paid attention.
"The Nether Cave is located near the Bailu Kingdom. It is a massive cave system that stretches beneath both the Crimson Kingdom and Bailu territory. Normally it is sealed, but it is about to open once again."
As they spoke, the Tower Master slowly walked toward one of the windows overlooking Jade Town while Isshin followed behind him.
"The cave contains numerous treasures, although danger is inevitable. More importantly, the cave has been evaluated to only be suitable for Nascent Soul cultivators and below, so elders cannot directly interfere or seize the treasures for themselves."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Many sects and families have already started preparing for it."
Isshin immediately understood why this was such a valuable opportunity.
Places like this rarely appeared.
"The seal should be lifted in two weeks," the Tower Master adds calmly. "You can definitely make it there in time."
"I thank you for your guidance," Isshin says respectfully.
The Tower Master simply waved his hand dismissively.
"Whether you survive or not depends on yourself."
Isshin gave a slight nod before leaving the tower.
The sky was quite dark and cloudy
While walking through Jade Town, a disturbance across the street caught his attention.
"Return the jade treasure Suyin!"
A group of men surrounded a young girl and a child near one of the roads. The girl had already been pushed onto the ground, her arm bruised and bleeding slightly while the little boy beside her tried helping her up.
"It is obvious they are trying to pressure her for something," Isshin thinks while observing from a distance.
He originally had no intention of interfering.
Family disputes happened everywhere.
But after hearing the conversation for another few seconds, he eventually walked over anyway.
"What is going on here?" Isshin asks calmly.
One of the men immediately turns toward him. "This Su Clan girl clearly has our treasure and is trying to hide it!"
"I clearly don't have it! leave me and my brother alone!" the girl shouts angrily while holding the child close.
Isshin glanced between both sides before speaking again.
"Shouldn't you go directly to the Su Family leaders rather than bothering a girl and a kid on the street?"
"This is not part of your problem!" one of the men snaps toward Isshin putting his hand on his shoulder.
The moment those words were said, Isshin's expression changed slightly.
That irritation finally appeared.
"Thunder Qi Palm"
Without another word, he stepped forward and punched the man directly in the chest, sending him flying backward into a nearby wall.
"You!" another man shouts while swinging his sword toward Isshin.
Isshin immediately drew his own blade.
Thunder qi burst across the street as he used Raijin's sword technique in a single motion. The slash cut across several of the men at once, forcing them backward in panic while one of them screamed after losing a hand.
"You! the Qian Family will kill you!" they shout before quickly retreating.
Isshin let out a sigh.
"Not more trouble again..." he mutters quietly to himself. "I hope I can resolve this before the cave seal opens."
The girl looked at him in shock while the small boy stared with sparkling eyes.
Isshin sheathed his sword before looking toward them.
"Where is this Su Family of yours? Take me there."
The girl quickly nodded.
"May I ask your name savior?" she asks while leading the way.
"My name is Isshin."
"Big brother, you are very strong!" the little boy says excitedly while practically running beside him.
Isshin awkwardly looked away. He still wasn't used to compliments like that.
Suddenly it started raining, so they hurried over to the location.
Soon, they arrived before a large estate.
"What happened to you Suyin?!" a woman near the gates exclaims the moment she notices the bruises.
It was clearly her mother.
"The Qian Family people were threatening me about the jade treasure mother..." Suyin explains quietly.
The woman's face immediately changes.
"Dear! look at what they did to your daughter!"
A heavy wave of qi suddenly spread out from inside the estate.
"Those Qian Family dogs!"
Isshin immediately sensed the pressure.
"Sorry about that," the mother says while calming herself slightly before turning toward Isshin. "Thank you for saving my daughter."
"It's fine," Isshin replies politely.
Soon, he was led inside the main hall.
At the center sat a middle-aged man in dark robes. Even while sitting down, the pressure around him was obvious.
Isshin's system quickly analyzed him.
Dao King Realm Early Stage.
The man slowly stood up from his seat.
"I thank junior for saving my daughter."
"It's fine, it was nothing."
The man studied Isshin carefully before speaking again.
"I assume you are curious about the jade treasure as well?"
Isshin didn't bother hiding it.
"Well yes, but I also wanted to know what is going on between the two families out of curiosity."
The man nodded slightly.
"Sit down. There is a lot to explain."
As servants prepared tea nearby, the man's gaze eventually moved toward Isshin's mask.
"Can I ask why you wear a mask and hide your identity?"
"It's mainly for if I ever get in deep trouble somehow, I can run, take off my mask, and blend in," Isshin replies casually.
The man stared at him for a second before laughing softly.
"I see. You are a man who takes such risks."
Soon, Suyin was taken away for treatment while Isshin and the family leader sat in a pavilion outside drinking tea.
"For the last five decades," the man begins calmly, "the Qian Family has been against us ever since we discovered valuable treasures inside the Nether Cave."
Isshin quietly listened.
"One of those treasures was the Jade Treasure."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"There is a strong rumor that the jade token can unlock the greatest treasure hidden within the cave."
"Of course, it may only be a rumor. But the possibility alone is enough."
He slowly put his tea down before continuing.
"The Qian Family despises us because we were once beneath them. Now we stand as equals."
Isshin finally understood the situation.
This was not simply about treasure anymore.
It was pride.
"The Nether Cave is also my target," Isshin says while placing his cup down. "If you are heading there, I would wish to join you."
The family leader's eyes brightened slightly.
"Great! that is nothing but good news."
However, his expression quickly became serious again.
"But the Qian Family are vicious snakes. Even if elders cannot enter the cave, they will definitely stir up trouble somehow."
"Their leader is the same realm as me, Dao King Realm first stage, but they also have an ancestor backing them who is at Spirit Realm eighth stage. Otherwise I would have crushed them myself."
He then looked directly at Isshin.
"May I know what your realm is?"
"Nascent Soul sixth stage."
The family leader visibly paused.
"At my best I am confident I can beat an early-stage True Soul cultivator," Isshin adds calmly.
The man could no longer hide his surprise.
"Your talent is extraordinary!"
After a brief silence, he suddenly stood up.
"You are qualified to explore the cave. Come with me."
As they walked through the estate, the family leader spoke again.
"I assume you belong to a sect or academy?"
"I am a disciple of the Divine Sword Sect and a student at the Verdant Dragon Academy. I am currently on break."
The family leader quietly thought to himself that Isshin's background was definitely not ordinary.
Soon, they arrived before a large treasure hall.
"For saving my daughter's life and for being willing to help us in the Nether Cave, I grant you permission to take one item from the family treasure hall."
Isshin looked toward him calmly.
"I assume you want something more from me. Otherwise I don't see the reason for you to go this far."
The family leader smiled slightly.
"You are correct. Think of it as an investment on a junior."
He slowly opened the gates.
"When you choose something, you may leave again."
As the man walked away, Isshin stood there silently for a moment.
Part of him wondered if getting involved in another family's problems had been a mistake.
But there was no point regretting it now.
"Raijin, it's time to choose something."
"There isn't anything worth looking at here," Raijin says lazily. "But there is something else below this place."
Isshin raised a brow slightly.
"There seems to be some kind of beast sealed way below the hall. It doesn't feel very friendly though."
"If you can capture it like you did with the Skeleton King or whatever, it could help you a lot."
Isshin immediately started looking around.
"So what? do you expect me to break the floor or something?" he mutters while walking through the hall. "There should obviously be some kind of hidden entrance. They had to put the beast down there somehow."
As he inspected the area, he suddenly stopped near one of the walls.
"This looks suspicious."
The wall looked slightly uneven compared to the others.
Isshin immediately walked over and pressed against it confidently.
Nothing happened.
...
Raijin burst out laughing.
"Did you really think it was going to be one of those fake walls from stories?"
Isshin frowned.
"Well then find me a way yourself. It isn't even guaranteed that the entrance is inside the treasure hall. It could be somewhere else entirely."
He continued walking around while inspecting the treasures one by one.
Eventually, he came across a large chest resting in the corner of the room.
It looked ordinary.
"Watch there just be treasure inside and nothing else," Isshin mutters while opening it.
The moment the chest opened, he immediately froze.
Inside wasn't treasure.
It was a dark hole leading downward.
Raijin went silent for a second.
"...Well."
Isshin stared down into the darkness.
"Well time to either find the beast or die while cave diving."