After nearly one and a half months inside Silvermoon Forest, Huang Kong Di finally began his journey back toward the Capital City and his home. His spear techniques had grown sharper and more precise through countless battles with demon beasts, his foundation more solid than when he had first set foot. Yet, instead of taking the most direct path back, he wandered deliberately, seeking more trials along the way.
It was while wandering like this that he found himself near one of the three infamous danger zones of Silvermoon Forest: Long Bone Lake. Of course, he is strong enough to approach the lake itself. The lake's reputation was one of endless peril, a place where even Xiantian Realm experts could fall prey in the blink of an eye within its cursed waters. Instead, Huang Kong Di passed a region nearly a few hundred miles away from the true lake. Even from this distance, the atmosphere grew heavier, the vegetation stranger, even the air itself tinged with an ominous chill.
As he traversed through jagged rock formations covered with bone trees and dark qi. Just as he was about to leave after seeing the deadly area, he suddenly felt something unusual through his Qi sense. A faint but mysterious Qi drifted out from cracks in the cliffs nearby. It was different from the wild and eerie aura of the forest—it carried a rhythm almost like the slow beating of a heart.
His Martial Spirit trembled faintly within his body, resonating with that aura. The reaction startled him, for his Martial Spirit was not so easily stirred.
Curiosity flared within him. Without hesitation, Huang Kong Di forced open a narrow crack between two cliffs and slipped inside.
The passage led downward, twisting like the body of a great serpent. Soon, the faint light of the outside vanished completely, leaving only oppressive darkness. Even with his sharp eyesight, he could see nothing. He pushed his Battle Qi outward, forming a thin layer of perception around him. With each step deeper, the air grew damper, and the moss clinging to the rocky walls thickened until his boots squelched against soft, spongy ground.
What shocked him most was not the darkness, nor the suffocating silence, but the trees.
Yes, trees—sturdy trunks rising from the underground rocks, their roots clinging to stone, their branches stretching in the absence of sunlight. Their leaves shimmered faintly, nourished not by the sun but by the very Qi that filled this cavern. It was as if the cave was mysteriously separated from the outside world; everything here has been untouched for a very long time, maybe even for thousands of years. A hidden cave system beneath the forest.
"This place… It's naturally formed, but could it even be possible?" Huang Kong Di whispered, his voice nearly swallowed by the cavern's strange air and echoed into the distance.
His spear remained in his grip as he advanced deeper. The forest grew denser, branches intertwining until he had to hack his way forward with spear thrusts and slashes. The aura in the air thickened, pressing down on him. His Hollow Hydra Martial Spirit trembled more violently with each step, as though urging him onward.
Finally, after what felt like hours of wading through the strange subterranean jungle, the darkness gave way.
He emerged into an open chamber vast enough to fit the whole Huang Clan manor. Here, dim lights floated through the air like wandering fireflies, illuminating the space with an otherworldly glow. Their gentle flickering light revealed a scene that struck him with awe.
At the center of the chamber stood three colossal trees. Each nearly a hundred feet tall, their roots burrowing deep into the earth, their branches coiling like ancient dragons. The cavern's ceiling arched far above, yet even so, the trees nearly touched it. Their bark shimmered faintly with patterns, natural or unnatural, Huang Kong Di could not tell. Around them, the air pulsed with Qi so dense it was visible, rising and falling in waves like the tide.
Beneath the three trees lay a great underground pool. Its waters were perfectly clear, reflecting the glowing leaves above like a polished mirror. Yet the pool itself radiated an even stranger energy. Faint ripples spread across its surface despite the absence of wind, and every ripple carried a whisper of something lurking underneath.
Huang Kong Di felt his breath catch in his chest. His Martial Spirit stirred wildly, vibrating as if it longed to emerge and swallow this underground treasure. It was unmistakable—this place was not an ordinary hidden cave. These three trees and this pool were treasures beyond his imagination, and could accelerate his cultivation speed even when he reached the Xiantian realm.
But his surprise was quickly put away, and he canvased the area with caution. He did not rush forward. He scanned the chamber carefully, spear steady in hand. Places like this were never unguarded. Treasures of heaven and earth always drew guardians, whether beast, spirit, or something more bizarre. He extended his senses outward, searching for the ambush he knew must be waiting.
Yet he found nothing. No demon beast lurked among the roots. No killing intent hid in the shadows. The silence was absolute, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves and the gentle lapping of water against stone, and occasional bug noises.
Puzzlement clouded his expression. Could it be? A treasure without a guardian?
He took one cautious step forward—and froze. In that instant, realization struck him like a lightning bolt. There was no guardian because the guardians were before his very eyes.
The three trees themselves radiated such a dreadful aura that no beast, no matter how fierce, would dare approach this place. The underground pool shimmered with an aura that radiated the qi of vitality and death. These were not mere trees or a simple pool of water. They were living beings, very ancient, and were not disturbed until he came in.
Cold sweat slid down Huang Kong Di's back. His instincts screamed that a single misstep here could put him in danger. Yet beneath that fear burned something else: an unquenchable fire of desire.
For his Martial Spirit to resonate so violently meant only one thing—this underground cave, these trees, this pool—they were all the things his Martial Spirit needed to advance further.
Standing in the dim glow of firefly lights, spear clenched tight, Huang Kong Di's eyes hardened with resolve. He had stumbled upon a secret that would change his cultivation speed for a long time.
So, he knew this was only his chance and opportunity to become great.