Chapter 205: Refuge in a Cave

"Daoist Yin, my apologies. I got held up by a minor matter just now and nearly missed the appointed time..."

The celestial phenomena had settled, and the entrance to the hidden realm was about to open. Mu Yifeng managed to arrive just in time.

Qin Sang was surprised to see Mu Yifeng smiling, as if he had encountered something delightful. Since entering the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, it was the first time Qin Sang had seen Mu Yifeng wear such an expression.

Just then, a loud roar rose at the river’s end as waves surged layer upon layer. The water split into two streams, forming an archway that revealed only a hazy white expanse beyond.

Yin Xingge, unfazed, said, "It's good that Daoist Mu arrived in time. Let’s set off."

The group promptly boarded a small boat. As Qin Sang was about to step on, he paused and cast a discreet glance at Mu Yifeng, who subtly signaled to him with a look.

After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Sang gave a slight nod and then boarded the boat as if nothing had happened.

The wooden boat cut through the waves and soon passed through the archway. The scenery changed in an instant, and they found themselves standing in a vast, arid desert.

The fierce wind from earlier seemed never to have existed. Standing atop the dunes, they gazed across an endless sea of yellow sand. Everything was eerily calm, and the blistering heat distorted the air, making even these immortal cultivators feel a tinge of discomfort.

Yin Xingge took out a geomantic map and glanced at it. Pointing northwest, he said to Mu Yifeng and Qin Sang, "I'll lead the way with Junior Sister Yunqiong. You two, please bring up the rear."

Mu Yifeng and Qin Sang agreed without objection, and the group quickly formed an array and set off, moving swiftly using their movement arts.

A gathering of more than twenty cultivators had exited the hidden realm, congregating around its entrance. They all eyed Qin Sang and his companions with wariness. After all, in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, encounters with others were rare, and outside the towns and marketplaces, robbery and murder were common. The celestial phenomena and Cloud Beasts often obliterated evidence of such deeds, making it nearly impossible to trace the culprits, no matter how powerful one’s supernatural abilities.

Some cultivators, driven by wicked intent, had even banded together under the guise of treasure hunting to commit acts of banditry, daring to rob and kill disciples from the three major sects. The Xuanlu Guards had eradicated countless of these groups, yet the problem persisted outside the borders, where the severed heads of offenders were displayed as warnings.

With ten cultivators traveling together, Qin Sang’s group formed a formidable force, and it was natural for the others to regard them with caution.

Only when Qin Sang and his companions disappeared into the distance did the other cultivators exchange glances before dispersing.

…

The desert stretched far beyond their expectations. They had traveled five days without glimpsing its end.

At midday, under the blazing sun, a sudden gust swept across the desert.

At first, only a faint haze of dust spread. Gradually, sand began to roll, the sky darkened, and the desert's temperature plummeted, a biting chill creeping into the air.

On top of a dune, a ripple appeared, and the group of ten, led by Qin Sang, materialized out of thin air.

They had used their evading techniques to traverse the desert, but with the intensifying sandstorm, they had to pause, frowning as they observed the worsening weather around them.

"The celestial phenomena had just calmed five days ago—how could another one be here so soon?"

Yunqiong's face was full of worry. Safe havens in this middle region were scarce, and they had recently left Gubei Town, still a long way from any other town or marketplace. Exposed in the open desert, they had nowhere to hide and could easily fall prey to a Cloud Beast ambush.

In the past five days, they had encountered Cloud Beasts several times, and it was evident that these beasts here were more formidable. One even surpassed Yin Xingge in strength, though they had been able to avoid it by recognizing the danger early and changing course.

Yin Xingge said gravely, "The celestial phenomena are inherently unpredictable, especially here in the middle-stage area. Such frequency is not unusual. Let’s hurry and find some shelter. If we can’t, we’ll have to dig a sand cave as a temporary refuge…"

Before he finished, a Shadow Guard at the Qi Refining Realm called out excitedly, "Senior Yin, the geomantic map shows a refuge up ahead."

They quickly examined the geomantic map, finding that a small refuge was indeed marked nearby—not a marketplace, but a small shelter built by passersby. The distance wasn’t too far; if they hurried, they could reach it in five to six hours.

Yin Xingge pondered briefly and said, "This kind of refuge may not last long, but it’s worth a look. Time is of the essence. Daoist Mu, Daoist Qin, let’s activate the Star Disk. Junior Sister Yunqiong, lead the others and use flying artifacts to increase our speed as much as possible."

In this emergency, Mu Yifeng and Qin Sang agreed readily.

Yin Xingge reached into his Mustard Seed Pouch and pulled out an enormous Star Disk, nearly ten feet in diameter. The black, circular disk was studded with sparkling specks of light, stunningly beautiful, as if a piece of the night sky itself had been brought down to earth.

Qin Sang already knew the incantation to control the Star Disk by heart.

As Yin Xingge tossed the Star Disk upward, Qin Sang and the other two immediately sat cross-legged beneath it, reciting incantations and channeling their spiritual power into the Star Disk with full force.

Buzz!

The Star Disk trembled slightly, and its starlight grew brighter. Then, a peculiar aura began to emanate from it, identical to the qi of a Cloud Beast’s essence.

This aura enveloped them, concealing every trace of their immortal cultivator presence and completely deceiving any nearby Cloud Beasts. It was far more effective than the silk handkerchief Qin Sang had bought.

Unfortunately, such Cloud Artifacts were prohibitively expensive and couldn’t be used for long; otherwise, they would have already begun mining Qianyang Quartz by now.

Yunqiong snapped her fingers, and a double-pointed flying shuttle expanded with the wind, releasing a radiant glow that swept Qin Sang and the other two into it.

The remaining six quickly boarded the shuttle as well.

Whoosh!

Yunqiong kept the shuttle flying low, skimming over the dunes. Even at this height, its speed was significantly faster than before. They carefully avoided any Cloud Beasts along the way and reached the marked spot on the geomantic map in half the expected time.

Someone pointed ahead and shouted, "There it is!"

They looked to see a small stone hill rising abruptly in the center of the desert, entirely built from enormous, bare stones stacked upon one another.

The hill was not very tall, yet it had not been buried by the relentless sandstorms, making it a prominent landmark.

With the sandstorm raging and the celestial phenomena growing more intense, Cloud Beasts became increasingly active. Yunqiong wasted no time, directing the shuttle to change course and land in front of the stone hill with a swift maneuver.

Yin Xingge stowed the Star Disk and swept his spiritual consciousness over the hill, his eyes lighting up instantly. "There’s a barrier fluctuation."

The group was thrilled by his discovery. They quickly ascended the stone hill and found a giant boulder halfway up that concealed an entrance to a cave extending deep underground.

The cave was empty, and from the entrance onward, it was fortified with numerous barriers layered densely over one another, evidently crafted by various individuals. As they proceeded inside, they reinforced the weaker areas of the barriers, strengthening the refuge—not only for themselves but for any who might seek shelter here later.