"Send the 'Firefly Gu' down to investigate."
"Yes—"
The team halted temporarily. With this moment of leisure, Liu Jinxian turned to Wang Yu and said, "Junior Brother Wang, what are your thoughts on what lies beneath Profound Bone Mountain?"
"I lack talent, hardly possessing one ten-thousandth of Senior Sister Liu's ability. It's better if I don't speak."
"Heh, you do have some self-awareness. A mere fifth-level Qi Refining..."
"Silence!"
Liu Jinxian's brows furrowed sharply as she cast a cold glance at the disciple who had spoken. The disciple immediately fell silent, not daring to utter another word.
Wang Yu, however, was indifferent. The news of him leaving Gu Zhengshun to join Liu Jinxian had long since spread during the five-month wait for the flowers to bloom.
Without the true circumstances being known, many senior brothers were jealous of him obtaining two excellent levels of Bonewood forest. A minor verbal dispute couldn't pique his interest.
"They're back—"
The minor interlude passed as the Firefly Gu, their rear ends lit like lanterns, returned. The disciple who controlled them spoke up.
"Senior Sister Liu, below is an underground passage similar to a mine shaft. Where it leads is unknown. It seems to head north, deep under the Endless Ice Plains."
"Enough. Let's go down."
Following the order, the group jumped down into the pitch-black, bottomless pit one by one. Counting silently in his mind, upon landing, Wang Yu immediately estimated the depth of the pit.
Around thirteen hundred meters. Using a flying magical instrument, it would only take five breaths to rush back up. The temperature underground was low, with a biting cold wind. For him, however, this was like entering his home turf.
His幽绿 (ghostly green) and pitch-black eyes emitted a faint glow, resembling those of a wild beast, allowing him to see clearly in the darkness. This also raised some doubts among those observing him covertly.
"Ma, Xu, Fang—you three stay here and ensure our retreat path remains clear.
"Su Qingshan, Wang Qiu, Qiu Qing... you five will be the vanguard. Summon your magical instruments and be cautious. Don't conserve spiritual power."
"Yes!"
Liu Jinxian quickly issued arrangements, seeming quite experienced. She currently had eighteen late-stage Qi Refining cultivators under her command. Three were left to guard the rear, five served as the vanguard. Notably, these vanguard members were not from the Gu Poison Peak.
They were elites selected from the scattered disciples holding Profound Bone Tokens before departing for the mountain. The distinction between close and distant followers was clear at a glance.
Including Wang Yu and Liu Jinxian herself, the main group numbered twelve people.
After their previous encounter, although Liu Jinxian hadn't used all her methods, she had witnessed the power of the second-grade Strength Corpse arm. To some extent, she had reached a cooperative understanding with him.
Namely—to deal with Gu Zhengshun!
This strategy didn't originate from Wang Yu's own wishes; he was simply going with the flow. After all, he was outnumbered and could only submit in that situation.
Bringing him along was无非 (nothing more than) cutting off his retreat.
After presenting his 'letter of submission,' he would have no choice but to follow her down this single, dark path. This woman had deep schemes and required extra vigilance.
"Move out."
As the team advanced along the tunnel, the magical instruments summoned by Su Qingshan and the others—primarily offensive types like blades, spears, swords, and halberds—emitted light under the infusion of spiritual power, dispersing the darkness.
The irregular stone walls on both sides bore numerous scratch marks from sharp claws. The air carried not only cold but also a faint, musty fragrance. Wang Yu discreetly swallowed a top-grade Barrier Removal Pill and老老实实 (steadily and obediently) followed the group forward.
Nearly an hour later.
Someone muttered, "The further we go, the colder it gets. Are we heading towards the Endless Ice Plains? Could we be moving away from Gu Zhengshun's secret?"
Another chimed in, "I think so too. Since the Direbone Lions and wasp swarms come from underground, why haven't we encountered a single one after all this time... Senior Sister Liu."
By now, many had a layer of frost on their hair tips and eyebrows. Puffs of dense white breath accompanied their speech, indicating the low temperature.
The voices of doubt displeased Liu Jinxian, who preferred an autocratic style. But being outside the sect, she had to heed the group's opinion to some extent.
"Wait a moment." Having said that, she formed a strange gu seal with her hands.
From her sleeves, collar, the seams of her dress... and even her thick green hair, countless multi-legged insects, resembling slugs or centipedes, cascaded down. She was a veritable human insect nest.
These gu insects moved with astonishing speed, disappearing into the darkness in an instant.
A short while later.
Liu Jinxian suddenly opened her eyes, her face lighting up with joy.
"Everyone, let's continue. Our destination is about ten *li* ahead."
With that settled, the idle chatter ceased, and the group quickened their pace.
They encountered no dangers along the way and soon reached the mentioned location.
The end of the tunnel opened up into a vast underground space, wide and flat. The ground was paved with aged jade tiles, the Gathering Spirit patterns on them blurred and indistinct.
A complex of underground palaces suddenly came into view—at least forty or fifty structures. In the center, a grand staircase led up to the core hall.
At this sight, someone blurted out.
"This is... an ancient sect's ruins! This area should already be under the Endless Ice Plains, right?!!"
"This—"
The dangers of the Endless Ice Plains were known to all.
Even Nascent Soul patriarchs found it difficult to traverse. Blocked to the north, the Great Lake Spirit Domain and the Crimson Kite Demon Domain were surrounded by sea on three sides, also known as the [Chaotic Ancient Sea]. The sea teemed with ferocious demonic beasts and natural hazards everywhere, and there was no news from other regions.
Establishing a sect's former site beneath the Endless Ice Plains was something even these inner disciples from established families had never heard of. Seeing it suddenly left them all deeply shocked.
Wang Yu secretly observed Liu Jinxian and noticed her eyes first showed surprise, then disappointment, followed by a faint return of joy.
It was clear her emotional fluctuations weren't as calm as they appeared on the surface.
"Based on this scale, it was likely a sect established by a Core Formation cultivator in ancient times at most. All of you, remain vigilant. Do not touch anything recklessly."
Thus, the group proceeded once more.
Su Qingshan and the others were also stunned by the underground palace ruins. Their excitement overshadowed any immediate thoughts they had about Wang Yu.
Regardless, this was a tremendous opportunity for Qi Refining cultivators like them, not to be missed.
Comparing the two reactions, Wang Yu became thoughtful.
Perhaps Liu Jinxian already knew about the secrets near Profound Bone Mountain, just like Gu Zhengshun. Maybe even Si Tu Hong knew, but it just didn't meet their expectations.
Previously, after realizing the effect and yield of the Profound Essence Flowers, Wang Yu had wondered why such a treasure trove, surrounded by a second-grade high-quality spiritual vein, didn't have Foundation Establishment cultivators permanently stationed here.
This seemed unreasonable for demonic cultivators and for a power.
But if it was jointly concealed by multiple factions, serving as a training ground and a reward for upper-middle-tier disciples, then it made sense.
No matter how good the Profound Essence Flowers were, they were still a lower-tier resource. By engaging in some利益交换 (interest exchange), families like Liu Jinxian's could control access.
As for the underground palace ruins, Wang Yu leaned towards the idea that they were a recent discovery.
It was even possible they were the first group to enter. He could determine this by investigating more carefully later. He was also very interested in this place, wondering if a formula for a top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill might be found here.
As the group arrived before the grand staircase, the coiled dragon pillars standing tall on either side suddenly lit up. Octagonal palace lanterns at their tops ignited with a pale blue flame.
Illuminating the entire underground space somewhat,
**(End of Chapter)**