Chapter 15: The Intruder in the Cave
The atmosphere inside the cave changed the instant the stranger stepped forward.
Han Feng felt it immediately.
The pressure surrounding the man was heavy.
Not overwhelming enough to crush him outright, but enough to make every instinct in his body scream.
Danger.
Absolute danger.
Han Feng didn't move.
He didn't even breathe deeply.
The Art of the Celestial Veil circulated through his meridians, suppressing every trace of his cultivation.
His heartbeat slowed.
His Qi sank inward.
Even his connection with the Dual Chaos Larva was reduced to the bare minimum.
He became another shadow among countless shadows.
The stranger walked deeper into the chamber.
He wore a gray tunic decorated with thin scarlet patterns.
His face was sharp and weathered, with a long scar running from his left eyebrow toward his cheek.
Han Feng carefully sensed his cultivation.
Fourth level of the Spiritual Foundation Realm.
His expression remained calm.
But inside, his thoughts became cold.
Too strong.
Even if he used everything he had, he couldn't defeat this man.
Not yet.
A direct confrontation would be suicide.
The stranger stopped beside the stone platform.
His eyes moved across the ancient formations.
Then toward the chrysalis.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Finally."
His voice echoed through the chamber.
"After searching for months, I've finally found it."
Han Feng narrowed his eyes.
The man slowly approached the chrysalis.
"The Shadow Lord will be pleased."
Han Feng memorized the name immediately.
Shadow Lord.
Whoever that person was, he possessed enough influence to send a cultivator of the Spiritual Foundation Realm into the Misty Mountains searching for a single Gu.
That alone was enough information to make Han Feng cautious.
This wasn't some random treasure hunter.
There was an organization behind him.
And if this Gu was important enough to attract them...
Then its value was probably far greater than he had imagined.
The stranger reached toward the chrysalis.
The Mist Wolf moved.
A deep growl shook the chamber.
The beast slowly stood between the man and the Gu.
Its body was injured.
Its breathing was heavier than before.
But its eyes remained fierce.
The stranger laughed.
"So you're still protecting it."
The wolf bared its fangs.
The man's smile disappeared.
"Then die with it."
The attack came without warning.
A wave of black Qi erupted from the man's body.
The mist surrounding the wolf was violently pushed backward.
At the same time, a long spear formed in the man's hand.
Black.
Thin.
Covered in strange red lines.
Han Feng's pupils contracted.
A Gu technique?
Or a cultivation technique?
He didn't know.
But he memorized every detail.
The spear shot forward.
The wolf twisted its body.
The blade passed inches from its throat.
The wolf counterattacked immediately.
Its claws tore through the air.
The man stepped sideways.
His spear struck again.
Boom!
The collision shook the chamber.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Han Feng remained motionless.
He watched.
This was dangerous.
But it was also an opportunity.
He had never seen a cultivator of this level fight before.
Every movement contained information.
The man's attacks were powerful but direct.
The wolf relied on speed and mist.
It didn't try to overpower him.
It constantly changed angles.
Attack.
Retreat.
Disappear.
Attack again.
The stranger's expression gradually became irritated.
"Annoying beast."
He slammed his foot against the ground.
Black Qi exploded outward.
The mist was dispersed.
The wolf was exposed.
The spear pierced forward.
The wolf barely dodged.
Blood splashed across the stone floor.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
The wolf was losing.
Not because it was weaker.
Because it was protecting the chrysalis.
Every time it had an opportunity to retreat, it refused.
It always returned to the same position.
Between the stranger and the Gu.
Han Feng understood.
That was the weakness.
The wolf couldn't abandon the chrysalis.
And the man knew it.
The stranger suddenly changed his target.
Instead of attacking the wolf—
He attacked the chrysalis.
The wolf roared.
It threw itself in front of the attack.
The black spear struck its shoulder.
Blood sprayed across the cave.
The beast crashed against the ground.
Han Feng's fingers tightened.
"Damn."
The stranger walked toward the chrysalis.
"Enough."
He extended his hand.
The mysterious Gu trembled.
The Dual Chaos Larva reacted inside Han Feng's body.
A strange resonance passed through his consciousness.
The Celestial Diagram pulsed.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
The Gu was afraid.
No.
Not afraid.
It was responding to danger.
And the response was spreading through the entire cave.
Han Feng made his decision.
He couldn't fight the cultivator.
But he didn't need to.
He only needed to make the cave itself fight him.
Han Feng closed his eyes.
He connected with the Dual Chaos Larva.
Only a thread.
Barely enough to be noticed.
He guided the energy toward the chrysalis.
But this time, he didn't try to strengthen it.
He did something different.
He disturbed its balance.
For one instant.
Just one.
The golden energy accelerated.
The black energy followed.
The two collided.
The chrysalis released a pulse.
Boom!
The spiritual energy inside the cave suddenly became chaotic.
The ancient formations flickered.
The stranger froze.
"What?"
His spear trembled.
The black Qi around his body became unstable.
He immediately turned toward the chrysalis.
"What did you do?"
Han Feng remained hidden.
The stranger didn't know he was there.
That was enough.
The Mist Wolf didn't waste the opportunity.
It attacked.
Its claws struck the man's shoulder.
Blood splattered across his tunic.
The stranger staggered backward.
"Curse you!"
The wolf roared.
The man raised his spear.
But the formation beneath his feet suddenly activated.
A golden line flashed across the stone floor.
The man's expression changed.
"What is this?"
The cave shook.
For a moment, the stranger's Qi became completely disordered.
Han Feng stared.
The formation wasn't attacking him.
It was reacting to the conflict between the energies.
The Celestial Diagram had triggered something.
The stranger realized the danger.
His expression became grim.
He looked at the wounded wolf.
Then at the chrysalis.
Then toward the entrance.
His calculations were obvious.
Continuing the fight was no longer worth the risk.
"Tsk."
He wiped the blood from his shoulder.
"Enjoy your little victory."
His eyes became cold.
"I'll return."
Then he turned and disappeared into the passage.
His footsteps slowly faded.
Han Feng remained hidden.
He waited.
One breath.
Two.
Ten.
He still didn't move.
The Art of the Celestial Veil remained active.
Only after he could no longer sense the man's presence did he finally release a breath.
"He's gone."
For now.
Han Feng knew better than to believe the danger had ended.
The man would return.
And next time, he probably wouldn't come alone.
The Mist Wolf collapsed beside the chrysalis.
Its breathing was rough.
Blood covered its fur.
Han Feng slowly emerged from the shadows.
The beast immediately opened its eyes.
Its gaze locked onto him.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Han Feng raised his hands.
"I'm not your enemy."
The wolf growled weakly.
Han Feng stopped.
He glanced at the wound.
Then at the chrysalis.
The Gu was still glowing.
Its energy had become slightly more stable.
Han Feng understood something.
The wolf had protected it.
The formation had protected it.
And now...
He had protected it too.
Whether he liked it or not, he was already becoming part of the cycle.
Han Feng crouched several meters away.
He didn't approach.
Instead, he took out a small medicinal herb from his storage pouch.
He placed it on the ground.
Then slowly pushed it toward the wolf.
The beast stared at the herb.
Then at him.
It didn't move.
Han Feng smiled faintly.
"Don't trust me."
He stood.
"That's fine."
He looked at the chrysalis.
"I don't trust you either."
The wolf's ears moved slightly.
Han Feng turned away.
He needed to think.
The stranger had revealed several things.
There was a group called the Shadow Lord.
They were searching for this Gu.
They possessed maps of the ancient cave.
And they knew enough about the formation to recognize when it had been activated.
That meant the cave's secret was already known to someone.
Maybe for years.
Han Feng looked toward the stone platform.
The word carved into it seemed to appear again in his mind.
Return.
He clenched his fist.
Whatever had happened here in the past...
Someone was trying to recover it.
And now he had become involved.
Han Feng looked at the chrysalis again.
He had originally intended to refine it.
But now he hesitated.
The Gu was connected to the Mist Wolf.
The cave's formations were connected to the Gu.
And the Celestial Diagram was connected to all three.
If he forcibly refined the Gu, he might destroy that balance.
Or worse...
He might trigger something he couldn't control.
Han Feng closed his eyes.
He remembered what the Celestial Diagram had shown him.
Balance.
Not domination.
Understanding.
Perhaps that was the real path it wanted him to follow.
He opened his eyes.
"Then I'll do this properly."
He wouldn't steal the Gu.
Not yet.
First, he would heal the wolf.
Then he would understand the symbiosis.
After that...
He would find out what the mysterious Gu truly was.
And if the people of the Shadow Lord returned—
Han Feng's gaze became cold.
This time, he would be prepared.
The first confrontation had taught him something important.
Strength alone wasn't enough.
Information was strength.
Preparation was strength.
And knowing when not to fight...
Could be the greatest weapon of all.
Far away, beyond the waterfall, a figure stopped among the trees.
The injured cultivator looked back toward the cave.
His hand pressed against his bleeding shoulder.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
"Interesting."
He had failed to obtain the Gu.
But he had discovered something else.
Someone else was inside that cave.
Someone capable of manipulating the ancient formation.
Someone who had remained hidden from his perception.
The man wiped the blood from his fingers.
"Whoever you are..."
His smile widened.
"...I'll find you."
Then he disappeared into the mist.
The shadows had found Han Feng.
And sooner or later...
They would come looking for him.