Chapter 1035: The Soul-Enchanting Cavern

The ring-shaped mountain had an eerie name: Soul-Enchanting Cavern. Everyone was now waiting for the cavern to open.

The sword-bearing Daoist was Heavenly Dao Sect’s most famous disciple, known by his Dharma name Xiaoyun. The other man was no less remarkable, having deep connections with the Devil Lord, and called himself Blood Bat.

They were both rising stars of the righteous and devilish paths, so their presence here was unsurprising.

Time passed quietly. The black mist within the mountain swirled but could not drift beyond the ring’s boundary, trapped within by some kind of barrier.

Then, a sudden ripple appeared above the mist. An Eight-Trigram-shaped barrier shimmered faintly in and out of sight. The moment it appeared, the cultivators’ eyes burned with intense excitement.

Just then, a sound tore through the air as five figures flashed into view before the crowd.

"Dongji Alliance!" someone whispered, recognizing them immediately.

The newcomers were none other than Su Nu and her companions. Venerable Ye was among them as well, but he wore a mask and had concealed his cultivation, quietly standing behind the others.

On the outer edge of the ring-shaped mountain, Qin Sang and Ming Wei waited not far apart. At a glance, Qin Sang spotted Su Nu and felt a flicker of surprise.

With her strength, it was reasonable for her to have passed the final trial with the help of her fellow Dongji Alliance cultivators, but to enter the Soul-Enchanting Cavern to compete for the Soul-Cleansing Liquid seemed overly ambitious.

Still, with so many allies by her side, even if she failed to seize the treasure, her safety should not be in jeopardy.

Su Nu stood beside Venerable Ye, appearing meek and obedient. She quietly observed the others, but when her gaze met the cold eyes of Blood Bat, she quickly looked away like a frightened rabbit, her demeanor timid and reserved.

Qin Sang wore no mask and no longer had wings on his back, giving him an entirely different bearing. Su Nu’s eyes brushed over him without the slightest hint of recognition. She clearly did not realize that the man before her was the one who had once saved her life.

They had arrived just in time. The barrier of the Soul-Enchanting Cavern fully materialized, and under everyone’s watchful gaze, eight entrances opened, each facing a different direction.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Instantly, all cultivators set aside their hesitation. Beams of evasion light of various colors burst forth as everyone raced toward the nearest entrance.

Blood Bat and Daoist Xiaoyun were the first to rush inside, disappearing into the dark mist. Su Nu and her group were not far behind, the five of them entering together.

One of the entrances happened to be quite close to Qin Sang. Naturally, he refused to fall behind. With a flicker of his figure, he appeared beside the entrance. At that same moment, a gray-robed cultivator arrived from another direction.

"Move aside!" the gray-robed man shouted and threw a punch at Qin Sang.

Qin Sang let out a cold snort. A glint of sword light flashed between his eyebrows, instantly transforming into a spinning sword wheel. The dazzling sword light poured down like torrential rain, pressing forward with unstoppable force.

Everyone standing here possessed considerable strength. The gray-robed cultivator, a personal disciple of a Spiritual Infant master, was no exception. However, he was still a step beneath Qin Sang.

He had not expected such a terrifying sword technique from someone whose aura seemed unremarkable. Shocked, he hurriedly pulled back, his punch shifting into a defensive motion to block the sword wheel. Thunderous blows filled the air, covering the sky like a storm.

Bang!

The fist shadows shattered instantly.

The gray-robed cultivator was hurled backward, blood streaming down his arm. The sword wound cut so deep it nearly exposed bone, and he had almost lost his arm with that single strike.

Qin Sang withdrew his sword and stood silently, casting the man a cold glance. If not for the competition for the Soul-Cleansing Liquid, he would not have allowed him to retreat so easily.

Nearby, several cultivators halted mid-air, staring at Qin Sang in alarm. They recognized the injured man’s identity but had no idea who Qin Sang was.

That gray-robed cultivator, a disciple of a Spiritual Infant master, had been defeated in a single exchange.

Without another word, Qin Sang entered the Soul-Enchanting Cavern, and Ming Wei quietly followed behind him.

Only after they disappeared did the others dare to move. The gray-robed cultivator, though furious, knew better than to linger. He quickly stopped his bleeding, grim-faced, and slipped inside as well.

Once inside the Soul-Enchanting Cavern, a bone-piercing chill rushed to meet them. A strange and subtle force constantly battered against the upper dantian, threatening to disturb the primordial spirit.

Ming Wei and Qin Sang flew side by side. She took out a jade pendant and hung it over her chest. The pendant emitted a soft milky glow.

Ming Wei let out a small breath of relief and turned to glance at the calm-faced Qin Sang with curiosity. "Fortunately, my grandmaster granted me this spiritual pendant. It wards off distraction and clears the mind, making it much easier to endure the Soul-Enchanting Cavern. Daoist Qin, have you cultivated some spirit-calming secret technique? You can resist the cavern’s influence without relying on an astra?"

Qin Sang smiled slightly and offered a casual explanation. "I have practiced a secret technique related to the primordial spirit, so I can resist such spiritual assaults to some extent."

Whether the confusion came from the barrier or the black mist, it could disturb one’s spirit. Yet, with the protection of his Jade Buddha, Qin Sang felt no discomfort at all.

"Daoist Qin, your sword technique is extraordinary. It is said that the finest sword cultivators all possess unshakable wills and pure hearts, united with their swords. It seems that saying is true indeed!" Ming Wei sighed in admiration. "To think I had never even heard your name before this. I truly have been ignorant."

"My sword technique has only reached a modest level. Daoist Ming, you flattered me," Qin Sang replied calmly.

He was not being modest. He had yet to even grasp the essence of sword force, far from the realm of true mastery.

"Let us focus our strength on resisting the cavern’s power. I will take the lead for now. When I'm tired, we can switch," Qin Sang suggested, lowering his gaze toward the depths below.

They were descending rapidly. The Soul-Cleansing Liquid was hidden deep within the Soul-Enchanting Cavern. Since he was unaffected by the cavern’s influence, Qin Sang could fully concentrate on other dangers ahead, while Ming Wei had to divide her attention to stabilize her mind.

"Then I shall trouble Daoist Qin," Ming Wei said at once, her tone grateful and eager.

The Soul-Enchanting Cavern was extremely deep. They fell swiftly through the darkness, yet the bottom was nowhere in sight.

At last, Qin Sang felt a sudden jolt beneath his feet. He had touched solid ground. He looked around. Jagged black rocks surrounded him, the terrain as dark as the mist itself. The place was a true wasteland, barren and lifeless.

"Find an entrance along the edges. Any tunnel here can lead to the final secret cavern," Ming Wei reminded him.

Sweat glistened faintly on the bridge of her nose. Even with the jade pendant’s protection, she could not entirely ward off the cavern’s influence.

They soon located a narrow cave. Inside, the passage was so cramped that even walking side by side was difficult.

Qin Sang took the lead. From the moment they had entered the Soul-Enchanting Cavern, apart from the power that disturbed the spirit, they had not encountered any other dangers.

Still, Qin Sang remained on guard, the ebony sword floating before him. The instant he sensed something unusual, he commanded the ebony sword to strike.

Screech!

A sharp, piercing shriek echoed through the tunnel.

Qin Sang frowned slightly, stepping forward. He saw an earth spirit cleaved cleanly in two by the ebony sword, its remains already dissolving. However, this earth spirit was much smaller than the earth apes outside, agile enough to move freely within the narrow space.

Just then, Qin Sang seemed to sense something else. His expression shifted, and he shouted, "Go!"

He pointed lightly toward the ebony sword. A resonant sword hum filled the tunnel. Sword qi burst forth like a blazing rainbow, piercing through the entire tunnel in an instant.

Moments later, countless earth spirits of varying shapes emerged from the walls, shrieking one after another.

Qin Sang charged forward at high speed, Ming Wei close behind him. From time to time, she struck out to eliminate any that slipped through, helping to ease Qin Sang’s pressure as they fought their way ahead.