novelhk Chapter 230 Ancient Cave Dwelling 2
Chapter 230 Ancient Cave Dwelling 2
After some bargaining, the three parties finally reached a consensus that any personal gain would belong to that individual.
However, if it is a joint gain, the independent cultivators will take 40%, while the other two parties will each take 30%.
If it is a single treasure, it can be converted into spirit stones for distribution.
Actually, the other two parties also wanted to take more territory at first, but Sister Hua was adamant and the independent cultivators were powerful.
Seeing that they could not gain the upper hand, both sides had to compromise, and the result is now acceptable to all three parties.
Now that the agreement has been reached, two formation masters from each of the three teams stepped forward.
After six array masters worked together to deduce the secrets, the restrictions outside the ruins were quickly broken.
The group filed in, with Cheng Jiu and his three companions following closely behind.
The moment I stepped inside, the scene before me changed.
The waterfall flows upstream, and the surrounding water keeps sinking. In the center of the waterfall, apart from the platform where Cheng Jiu is standing, there is no other place to stand.
At the very center of the platform was a wooden stand, on which sat a jade slip.
Cheng Jiu had heard of such a secret realm before. Was this ancient relic secret realm actually a large-scale inheritance secret realm?
She was likely the chosen one to undergo the trial.
Looking around, Cheng Jiu felt a growing sense of worry about Yingyue and the others' current situation.
Some inheritance realms are very friendly to those who undergo trials, but others are so dangerous that even those who obtain the inheritance will not be able to leave without facing a near-death experience.
I wonder what kind of secret realm this inheritance is.
However, Cheng Jiu hopes it will be the first option.
Since things had come to this point, Cheng Jiu didn't think about it anymore. He would find out the truth as soon as he investigated.
Thinking this, Cheng Jiu walked towards the central platform, picked up the jade slip on it, and before she could examine it, the jade slip slowly shattered, revealing five large golden characters floating in the air.
Obtain the source water droplet.
As the jade slip shattered, the surrounding cave walls made cracking sounds.
One cannon after another emerged from the cave entrance, four in total, and the entrance was pointing directly at Cheng Jiu's location.
cannon!
When Cheng Jiu saw the cannon, he was almost dumbfounded.
Good heavens, where did they take her?!
Before she made the cannon, she had never heard of cannons in the cultivation world.
Moreover, looking at the cannons on the cave wall, they were clearly many times more advanced than the things she made, and they could even automatically lock onto enemies.
Although we don't know what kind of energy it uses to power it, it doesn't require human control.
Before Cheng Jiu could react, the cannon fired a huge water ball with a bang. Cheng Jiu was not careless and instinctively dodged it. The water ball splashed onto the table, leaving behind glistening water droplets.
It looked extremely harmless, but Cheng Jiu was not careless at all.
He took out a fifth-grade defensive magic artifact from his ring, activated it, and threw it at the remaining water stains. As soon as it made contact, the artifact quickly emitted white smoke and disappeared into the air in the blink of an eye.
This water!
It was actually weak water! No! Cheng Jiu felt it was more than that; it should also contain some heavy water.
This is clearly mixed with various kinds of water; look at the color!
Cheng Jiu looked at the waterfalls flowing backwards all around him. "No way! All of this is...?"
Watching the water level drop steadily, Cheng Jiu had a vague realization that it might be just as she had thought.
These waters are various types of water that are extremely deadly to cultivators, and they have been blended together.
While secretly alarmed by the successor's control over water, Cheng Jiu couldn't help but think how idle the person behind the scenes was.
Cheng Jiu was also amazed; someone actually dared to deliberately mix weak water and heavy water to make them the color of ordinary water.
If this isn't sinister, and someone touches it, it could absolutely kill them.
Cheng Jiu recognized the formation used to reverse the waterfall's flow; it was called the Upper and Lower Heavenly Suspension Formation.
As the name suggests, the entire formation is like a funnel. When the water at the bottom runs out, the water at the top will pour down in a continuous cycle.
The corrosive power of weak and heavy water is common knowledge in the cultivation world, but this water has been deliberately mixed, making it even more powerful.
If he were to fall headfirst, even with multiple defensive magical artifacts, Cheng Jiu couldn't guarantee that his small frame would survive in this harmonizing water.
After all, this water can malfunction magical artifacts!
As for destroying this formation, Cheng Jiu didn't even consider it. No one knew how much harmonizing water was stored in the upper part of the Heavenly Suspension Formation.
If it's damaged, the water above will fall down. What's the difference between that and suicide?
The only option now is to complete the tasks assigned by the other party and see if there is any chance of survival.
Cheng Jiu smiled wryly. "Master, it seems you'll have to go to the Ghost Realm to rescue your disciple."
Thinking this, Cheng Jiu carefully observed the four cannons around him.
Although the location of the Source Water Pearl mentioned in the inheritance mission is unknown, the only unusual thing around is the sudden appearance of these cannons. The way out should be hidden among these cannons.
After the cannons fired three rounds, the surrounding cave walls changed again, from four cannons to eight.
Watching the cannons rotate, Cheng Jiu finally confirmed the formation the cannons were based on.
The Eight Trigrams Multiple Water Seal Formation!
The attack of this formation increases exponentially, and each formation will contain a real water seal.
Breaking the formation is simple; just break the water seal eight times to dispel it.
Apart from the real water seal, all the other water seals are fake. If the wrong one is broken, the formation will immediately rise and the attack power will increase exponentially. It can be said that the later stages become increasingly difficult.
Everyone knows how to break a formation, but this formation still firmly holds its place as one of the most difficult to break.
More importantly!
Cheng Jiu looked up at the sky. She had to break the formation before the water level dropped to the bottom, otherwise even if she survived the attack of these water spheres, she would still be doomed.
Faced with a life-or-death crisis, Cheng Jiu's adrenaline surged, his heart pounded wildly, and he couldn't stop.
The Heavenly Wood Sword stood around Cheng Jiu, and the first water seal was quickly found by Cheng Jiu among the eight cannons.
The Heavenly Wood Sword was thrown at lightning speed, embedding itself fiercely in the cannon's hull, leaving a trail of golden light.
Blue water slowly emerged from the cannon's walls, and the cannon stopped firing as if it had malfunctioned.
As the blue water seal dissipated, eight became sixteen!
The difficulty has increased even further!
The water seal appears without any pattern.
Each time it occurs, the array master needs to recalculate, and cannot continue the calculation from the previous water seal breaking.
Its computational workload is enormous.
Cheng Jiu also successfully found the second one.
The Heavenly Wood Sword acted again, swiftly piercing the second water seal.
While constantly calculating, Cheng Jiu also had to dodge the water balls being shot at him, which could be described as a double exercise for both his brain and body.
Cheng Jiu was extremely grateful that he had practiced body tempering, otherwise he would have collapsed long ago.
The third watermark was found smoothly, and then the fourth, the fifth, and by the sixth, Cheng Jiu was feeling a little dizzy.
She had to select the real water seal from 256 cannons, and she only had three rounds of water bubble bombardment time, while constantly dodging.
This is truly a torment to both the body and mind. When I was learning the formation, my master said it was disgusting.
Cheng Jiu didn't feel anything yet, but now all she could say was that she had never seen such a disgusting formation.
It's so tedious, and once the formation is upgraded, it has to be recalculated, and all the previous calculations become invalid.
Despair, this is true despair. You know there is a way to survive, but once you fall behind, there is only death. It is even more torturous than those killing formations.
Fortunately, Cheng Jiu managed to calculate the correct water seal at the last minute.
Five hundred and twelve!
Haha, who wants to calculate it?
It was her!
At this moment, Cheng Jiu felt incredibly miserable!
After making a self-deprecating joke, Cheng Jiu rallied his spirits and threw himself back into a new round of calculations.
The person who invented this formation is a real monster!
Cheng Jiu cursed inwardly again!
After the three rounds were over, Cheng Jiu's calculations were not yet finished, but he was unwilling to let them end just like that.
Even if I don't attack, I still need to upgrade, so I decisively chose to attack the cannon that I felt was most likely to be upgraded.
The familiar water seal emerged from the cannon.
The good news is true!
Bad news! The water on the ground is almost gone.
This means that if she fails to find the final water seal in the next round, she's out of the game and won't have a second chance.
The person who set up the inheritance never intended to give people a chance to try and fail. Maybe the first time it was those four cannons, but with just those four cannons and three rounds of water balls, there was so little reaction time that most people wouldn't even have enough time to judge the formation!
Cheng Jiu stared bitterly at the 1,024 cannons that had appeared.
With so many cannons, it's uncertain whether we can even survive under their fire!
Water spheres poured out overhead with a deafening roar, and Cheng Jiu scrambled among them, his footsteps sending sparks flying.
It's a real race against death!
It's probably because people unleash tremendous potential when faced with a life-or-death crisis.
At the critical moment, Cheng Jiu seemed to resonate with the formation. Although her body was exhausted and her consciousness was confused, her mind was very clear. She clearly saw a blue water seal.
Before she could even determine whether the water seal was real or fake, her hand moved faster than her brain, and the Heavenly Wood Sword, under her control, swiftly pierced towards the water seal.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment. The once white sky was now heavy with water, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over one's head.
The blue water seal suddenly burst open, and a blue bead quickly flew into her mouth.
"Ugh!" Before Cheng Jiu could react, the water crashed down from the sky!
Water, water everywhere!
Water was everywhere—in the mouth, the nose, everywhere the eye could see, and everywhere the body could touch.
The Heavenly Wood Sword pierced into Cheng Jiu's body before the water even fell, thus avoiding a disaster that was comparable to a deadly poison to it.
In a daze, Cheng Jiu slowly closed his eyes.
How heartwarming!
So comfortable!
It's so hot!
When Cheng Jiu opened his eyes, he sat up and looked around at his surroundings.
Crimson lava columns dripped downwards, creating small pools separated by lava of various colors.
One after another, round-eyed little creatures swam in the small pond.
The temperature here is even higher than the cave where the strange fire was generated! Even though Cheng Jiu is now in the Nascent Soul stage and wearing a ninth-grade magic robe, he is finding it hard to endure in such an environment.
Sweat dripped continuously from her forehead, giving Cheng Jiu the illusion that she was still a mortal before she cultivated immortality.
However, looking at the surrounding lava cave walls, Cheng Jiu couldn't help but laugh at himself. If he were still a mortal, he would probably have melted as soon as he arrived.
The little guy stared with his big, round eyes, curiously looking at the person who had suddenly appeared there.
Like the previous water realm, there is also a platform here, in the middle of the largest lava pool.
In this huge lava pool, even more round little creatures are slowly swimming around.
Cheng Jiu flew over, and the little guys just looked up at him curiously, making cute humming sounds, without making any aggressive moves.
As soon as Cheng Jiu touched the jade slip, large golden characters floated out from it.
Make these little guys happy!
In addition, there were even a few lines of smaller text.
This is the Star Rift, the breeding ground of the Nether Sea Beasts. If you don't get the protection of these little guys before they return as adults, you'd better watch out when they do!
Cheng Jiu: "..."
The Star Rift doesn't sound like the location of the Xuan Tian Continent!
Cheng Jiu took out the jade slip and found that he was no longer on the Xuan Tian Continent, so he couldn't send any messages.
Moreover, according to the jade slip, this Nether Sea Beast is extremely protective of its cubs, and for a creature of such unusual nature to appear in its most crucial breeding ground—just thinking about it, it's all over.
And judging from the description, this Nether Sea Beast is a reclusive spirit beast. If you can't defeat it, why would you want to escape?
The Star Rift sounds incredibly sophisticated, and besides, how could someone at the Nascent Soul stage like her possibly survive in the void?
It's sealed tight, okay?
Even if the outside world isn't the void, she doesn't know how to get back to the Xuan Tian Continent. What's the difference between staying outside and being a savage?
And these Netherworld Beasts also live here!
For now, the only option is to appease these Netherworld Beast cubs according to their mission, and see if we can complete the mission and enter the next trial.
When it came to pleasing the cubs, Cheng Jiu remembered the recipe he had obtained from the rental shop!
As a popular spirit beast food that is all the rage in the demon realm and among all the spirit beasts of the Xuan Tian Continent, it must have its unique features. Cheng Jiu originally intended to make it himself after purchasing the recipe, but in the end, he was delayed.
It seems she has no choice but to put her skills to use now.
She had all the basic materials, but she didn't know if these baby Nether Sea Beasts would like the spiritual plants of the Xuan Tian Continent.
We still need to investigate here to see what these cubs eat, and incorporate it into the spirit beast food recipe to localize it.
Perhaps due to Cheng Jiu's constitution, these cubs did not dislike him and even showed some affection for him.
One of the cubs even generously shared its food with Cheng Jiu; it was a fruit that radiated starlight.
Cheng Jiu took a bite; it was sweet and crunchy, and it warmed her up. Most importantly, Cheng Jiu felt that her cultivation had made a breakthrough. Given the right opportunity, she could break through to the Nascent Soul Realm!
The cub also led her to where they stored their food. Although the adults were not there, and there was only a group of cubs, there was no shortage of food, and it could even be said that the food was quite plentiful.
Besides a large amount of fruit that the cubs had given her earlier, there were also unidentified beasts, clearly indicating that these cubs also needed to eat blood.
Of course, besides these two items which were the most numerous, there were also a dazzling array of other fruits and spiritual plants on display.
Even the food of these sea monster cubs requires a specific combination!
Things here seem to be unlimited; for example, this generous cub brought her over and pushed a huge pile of fruit towards her, seemingly indicating that she should accept it.
Cheng Jiu wouldn't dare! Eating one wouldn't be a problem, but if she took it, what if the adult beasts came back and misunderstood her as someone who had kidnapped their cubs? That would be terrible!
First, let's get down to business. The mission requires us to please all the cubs, even though this generous cub is very kind to her.
He might protect her in front of the adult beasts, but the mission says to please all the cubs.
Perhaps only if all the cubs choose to protect her will the adult beasts not harm her!
Cheng Jiu thought it best to take precautions.