The scenery around Yang Kai shifted in a flash.
The mont he stepped through the black portal, the world transford. He gently landed on solid ground, the sensation surprisingly soft—almost like touching down on clouds. Looking up, he found the sky to be a calming blue, but strangely empty. There were no clouds, no sun, no stars, and no moon. Just a surreal, endless sky stretching over this unfamiliar land.
Above him, the black portal still swirled ominously.
As he stared up, a dark shadow appeared on the ground in front of him—growing larger by the second.
Thud!
A figure suddenly dropped from the sky. It was a girl!
She gracefully regained her footing and dusted herself off, scanning her surroundings cautiously. When her eyes landed on Yang Kai, a flicker of recognition crossed her face.
"Did you just arrive here?" she asked, walking towards him with composed steps.
"Yeah, just now," Yang Kai replied with a nod.
It was Lan Chudie, a fellow disciple from the High Heaven Pavilion, known for her sharp mind and seductive beauty.
She glanced back up at the portal for a second before speaking. "There were so many of us entering together... I wonder how the cave distributed us. Should we wait for a bit? Maybe others will drop down nearby."
"That makes sense. Let's give it so ti," Yang Kai agreed.
The two stood in silence, waiting patiently. The atmosphere felt oddly peaceful, even serene, despite the tension in their hearts. This place, whatever it was, held mysteries beyond imagination.
After a short while, more figures began to fall from the portal above.
One by one, three additional disciples arrived—two n and one young girl.
One of them was from the High Heaven Pavilion, like Yang Kai and Lan Chudie. The other two were from rival factions: the Bloody Battle Gang and Storm House, respectively.
Despite their different affiliations, the five of them shared a common confusion, and for now, that bound them in an unspoken agreent of peace.
They exchanged wary glances, but no hostility was shown. Everyone understood—this was not the place for reckless fighting.
Lan Chudie took a step forward and took charge naturally. Her beauty, confidence, and calm presence made it easy for her to assu leadership.
"Since no one else seems to be coming, shall we head out?" she asked, her voice soft but decisive.
Everyone nodded.
"Before we go, we should get to know each other better—nas, cultivation levels, and such. It's best to know who can handle what, especially if danger arises," she added smoothly. "I'll begin. I'm Lan Chudie, from the High Heaven Pavilion. Qi Transformation Stage, Level Seven."
She turned to the young man from their sect. He practically bead at her, clearly enchanted.
"Senior Sister Lan, your na is renowned in the Pavilion! I can't believe I'm this lucky to et you today," he said dramatically.
Lan Chudie smiled faintly, used to such flattery.
"I'm Nie Yong," he continued proudly, puffing out his chest and drawing in his abdon. "Lower Base Disciple, Qi Transformation Stage Level Four. Senior Sister, you can count on . If there's danger, I'll protect you!"
Her smile remained unchanged. "Junior Brother Nie, I'll rember your promise."
She then turned her gaze to the large man beside them. He was tall and thickly built, with a rough, square jaw and a quiet deanor.
"I'm Zuo An of the Bloody Battle Gang," he said with a short nod. "Qi Transformation Stage, Level Five."
The man said no more. His calm, almost indifferent nature made it clear he wasn't one for small talk.
Finally, Lan Chudie looked toward the delicate girl who had just arrived. She was petite and shy, her eyes avoiding everyone's gaze.
"I'm called Du Yishuang... from Storm House," the girl said timidly. "You can call Little Sister Du. Qi Transformation Stage Level Six. Nice to et you all..."
Everyone stared at her in surprise.
She looked no older than fifteen, her presence soft and harmless—but her cultivation level placed her as the third strongest among them!
Lan Chudie's eyes narrowed slightly, clearly impressed.
"And you?" she asked, turning to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm Yang Kai... also from the High Heaven Pavilion. Initial Elent Stage Peak."
Lan Chudie's eyebrows rose sharply. "Wait, you're that Yang Kai?"
Her gaze scanned him with interest, while Nie Yong narrowed his eyes with obvious dislike.
"En," Yang Kai confird, unsurprised by the reaction.
His na was, after all, infamous within the sect.
Lan Chudie showed visible curiosity, while Nie Yong's gaze grew increasingly hostile. It was clear he had ties with Wei Zhuan and Xie Hongchen—Yang Kai's old adversaries.
Lan Chudie's smile faded as she turned her attention back to the group.
"Alright, now that we're all introduced, let's agree on sothing. If we find any treasures or valuables, we split them fairly. If the amount isn't enough to divide equally, we can assign monetary value to balance things out. Does anyone object?"
Nie Yong was the first to speak up. "Senior Sister Lan is right. We should follow her lead."
The others nodded in agreent. With that, Lan Chudie unofficially assud command of the group.
"Then let's begin," she said. "I'll lead for now. We'll switch leaders every two hours."
Without waiting, she started walking. The rest followed.
Nie Yong quickly rushed to her side, eager to impress. His constant flattery continued, but Lan Chudie's responses remained polite and disinterested.
Zuo An trailed behind, expression unreadable, while Yang Kai found himself walking alongside the shy girl.
"Um..." Du Yishuang started, glancing at him before looking away, her cheeks flushed red.
Yang Kai turned to look at her, amused. "Hmm?"
Her face turned even redder. Her thoughts were scattered: So handso...
Yang Kai chuckled lightly. Her bashful deanor reminded him of a rabbit. "You alright?"
"Y-Yes!" she squeaked, looking down at her feet.
The walk continued with low conversation—Nie Yong talking too much, Zuo An saying nothing, and Yang Kai making Du Yishuang flustered with a single glance.
Then Yang Kai's steps slowed.
His brows furrowed. There was sothing... ahead.
About three hundred ters in front, he sensed the presence of sothing unusual—so kind of material.
"Wait," he called out.
The group halted.
As they advanced cautiously, the sight before them ca into view.
It was a massive pile of crushed stones. But not just any stones—these were shining with rich, spiritual energy. Not ordinary Yin or Yang Stones, but sothing far more valuable. The kind of stones sold only in high-end markets like Black Wind Trade City, under the Bloody Battle Gang's control!
Lan Chudie's eyes widened. "These are... dium-grade Spirit Stones. Maybe even high-grade ones..."
There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of stones lying in the open.
Yang Kai estimated at least a thousand pieces—each worth no less than 500 silver taels. That ant the total value was over 500,000 silver taels!
The air grew tense. Every disciple present knew what this amount of wealth ant.
For ordinary disciples like them, this was a fortune.
Lan Chudie, however, quickly raised her hand.
"Wait! Don't touch anything yet. This... this is too suspicious. We need to check for traps."
The others nodded, so hesitantly, and began to spread out and investigate.
They combed the area thoroughly. Nothing unusual turned up. No formations, no traps, no signs of danger.
Lan Chudie finally stepped forward and cautiously picked up a stone. She channeled her Qi through it—but there was no reaction. It was genuine.
She let out a breath and gave a small smile. "It's safe."
Everyone's eyes glead with excitent.
Their adventure inside the Heaven's Cave Mansion had only just begun, and already fate had delivered a windfall.
But deep in Yang Kai's heart, sothing still felt... off.
This cave wasn't just a mysterious inheritance—it was a test. And nothing in a test was ever free.
----------------------------------------------------
The five disciples glanced at one another briefly before hastily bending down to collect the glittering stones scattered across the ground. Greed lit up their eyes as they scrambled to fill their bags. Most of them moved in a frenzy, scooping up as much as they could in short order.
However, Yang Kai remained calm amidst the chaos. He didn't rush like the others but instead stood silently, his gaze thodical, selecting stones with care.
As they continued collecting, a subtle change overtook Lan Chudie's expression. Her cheerful smile faded as she stared at the stone in her palm. With a quiet sigh, she let it fall from her hand, the clink of the stone hitting the ground drawing everyone's attention.
Nie Yong noticed her actions and frowned. "Senior Sister Lan, what's the matter?"
"Stop picking up the stones," Lan Chudie said firmly, her tone calm yet commanding. "If we carry such a heavy load while continuing to explore this place, we'll only wear ourselves out. And if danger suddenly strikes, we'll be too burdened to escape effectively. At that point, we might end up losing both the stones and our lives."
Her words brought a wave of disappointnt, but also realization. Everyone had been blinded by greed and forgotten the basic need for caution.
Lan Chudie went on. "Besides, we've only just entered this place. There are bound to be better treasures deeper inside. Look around—there aren't any traps here. If these stones were truly that valuable, wouldn't there be so kind of defensive chanism guarding them? It stands to reason that while they may hold so value, they likely pale in comparison to what lies ahead. The real treasures are still waiting for us."
Nie Yong nodded thoughtfully. "Senior Sister Lan is right. It's best to keep moving."
Though her logic was sound, Du Yishuang couldn't help but look at the stones in her hands with a trace of regret before reluctantly tossing them back to the ground.
Only Yang Kai continued collecting calmly, unfazed by Lan Chudie's reasoning. His fingers moved steadily as he sorted through the stones with quiet focus, causing Lan Chudie to frown slightly.
"If danger does arise," Yang Kai said without looking up, "I can just throw them away then. There's no need to overthink it now."
Lan Chudie didn't argue further. "Do as you like," she said, turning around with a huff. "But we won't wait around while you sort them. Just make sure you don't slow us down."
Yang Kai gave a casual nod. "Understood. You all go ahead. I'll catch up."
Without wasting another second, Lan Chudie began leading the way deeper into the cave. Zuo An cast a subtle, greedy glance at Yang Kai's collected stones, while Nie Yong simply looked jealous—bitter that he hadn't thought of it first.
Du Yishuang, on the other hand, offered Yang Kai a small smile before following the others. She harbored no ill will toward him. In fact, among the group, she was perhaps the one who appreciated his presence the most.
After several minutes, the group stepped into a new area—and the scene before them made them stop in their tracks.
Instead of towering stone pillars, this section of the cave was filled with statues. Life-sized stone figures, carved in the shapes of n and won, lined the area—hundreds of them. Each statue had a unique design: varying heights, different outfits, and all wielding different weapons. The craftsmanship was exquisite. The statues seed so real, so lifelike, it was as if they might step off their pedestals at any mont.
Yang Kai's gaze sharpened. "Puppets..." he murmured under his breath.
In many ancient cave mansions and inheritance grounds, puppet guardians were often left behind—trials or defenses for those who dared enter. These statues could very well be one of those chanisms.
As they walked cautiously through the forest of statues, the group couldn't help but admire the artistry. The detail was so precise that the figures seed like they could draw breath at any mont.
As Yang Kai examined his surroundings, sothing caught his eye. One statue—positioned slightly to the side—had a faint red sar on its shoulder. Curious, he stepped closer, and a faint tallic scent tickled his nose.
"Blood?" he muttered. Alarm bells began ringing in his mind.
Suddenly—without any warning—the entire hall ca to life.
With grinding sounds echoing like thunder, the statues began to move.
Du Yishuang, standing closest to two of the figures, was the first to be attacked. The statues raised their massive stone fists and swung down with trendous force. Each blow carried enough power to pulverize rocks. Even with her cultivation, a direct hit would an severe injury or worse.
Reacting swiftly, Du Yishuang's deanor changed completely. Her Yuan Qi surged as she centered herself. The sweet and kind girl was now replaced by a warrior with focused eyes and a calm heart.
She spun gracefully, redirecting one statue's punch with the palm of her hand and leapt backward, narrowly evading the second. But the speed of the second statue was faster than she anticipated—its stone palm closing in on her shoulder with bone-breaking force.
"Move!" ca a shout from behind her.
Before she could respond, a hand tugged at her collar and pulled her backward. Yang Kai stepped in front of her just in ti, slamming his palm against the incoming fist.
Boom!
The statue's punch missed its mark as Yang Kai pulled Du Yishuang away. The ground where the punch landed cracked from the force. Breathing hard, Du Yishuang looked up at Yang Kai, her face pale.
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