As Fish-Dragon swam around, Yu Ci was also observing the environment within.
At first glance, he knew that this enormous cavern, opened at a depth of five thousand zhang, was not a secluded space sealed within the thick cliff wall. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain the scattered bones, dark bloodstains, and the nest made of dry straw within.
Could it be a wild beast?
He first confirmed this conjecture, but Yu Ci soon became puzzled. If this was a beast's den, then where was the entrance? Judging from the straw nest, the beast living here was likely not small. It couldn't possibly, like Fish-Dragon, squeeze in from a gap no thicker than a finger, could it?
Staring at the cave structure displayed on the Divine Map, as far as Yu Ci could see, the cavern was vast and flat, without any twists or noticeable ups and downs. If one were to light a torch, they could probably see all the way to the end. Such a cavern...
He suddenly turned his head. Not far from him, all he could see was the dark and heavy cliff wall, indistinguishable from the surrounding environment, equally solid and seamless. But what the Divine Map displayed was a completely different scene.
Behind this cliff wall was the gigantic cavern. And the distance separating these two spaces was...
Zero? Yu Ci suddenly struck out, disregarding the seemingly thick cliff wall in front. When his fist touched the cliff wall, it was as if he had broken through a layer of film, and then, he passed right through.
On the other side, in the Divine Map, Yu Ci's half arm was clearly visible.
An illusion technique!
This kind of illusion technique was not only meant to interfere with a person's Divine Soul perception but also used other methods such as light changes. Therefore, even having the Heart-Tugging Horn in his mouth was of no use. It was only due to the powerful reflective ability of the Divine Map that he noticed the problem.
Yu Ci exerted force on his feet and jumped right through. His body felt like it was passing through a layer of water, experiencing a slight pressure, but soon he was standing firmly inside the cavern.
However, he was almost knocked over by the stench inside the cavern. Having a sensitive nose had its drawbacks, but he didn't cover his nose. Instead, he wore a serious expression, carefully distinguishing the details of the smell.
This smell, it seemed familiar!
He turned his head. The illusion technique clearly didn't work on the inside. What he saw was an extremely large cave entrance, comparable to the city gate of a sheer cliff city. Looking from inside out, he could see the dim area illuminated by the glowing moss outside. It was still quiet there, almost deathly silent.
"Either it's desolate, or there's a big guy living here..."
As far as Yu Ci knew, living in the Sky Rift Valley and capable of deploying illusion techniques, there seemed to be only that one giant beast. Through the Divine Map, Yu Ci looked again at the intense battle traces around the cave for dozens of miles, and he vaguely understood the situation.
Through these clues, Yu Ci's judgment became increasingly clear and certain:
The scent that lingered at the tip of his nose was indeed familiar, a signature of an "old friend", the Ghost Beast who had previously demonstrated its prowess, repelled the Demons, and then fled with its tail between its legs.
This scent, from the initial discovery of Hu Ke's corpse on the battlefield in a pine forest, to the head-on confrontation under the Sky Rift Valley, and then to the long observation in the dark realm that day, had left an indelible impression on him. Yu Ci was certain he had not mistaken it.
Was this the lair of the Ghost Beasts?
If so, it would resolve a small puzzle for Yu Ci.
According to the explanation on Yu Zhou's Jade Slip, the Yin Realm Tree would attract the most powerful living beings in the vicinity to settle here. The Fish-Dragon he saw was indeed rare, but it could hardly be described as powerful. However, if it were the Ghost Beasts, there would be no such issue.
However, it seemed that the owner of the lair had not returned for a long time.
The traces of battle outside the cave indicated that the conflict had not originated from within the cave, but rather had occurred when the Ghost Beasts were returning to their lair and suddenly encountered a formidable enemy. The two sides began their battle in the air above the "eaves", and then the Ghost Beasts, being at a disadvantage, fled along the cliff wall, running wildly southward until they entered the projection range of the Divine Map, providing Yu Ci with a spectacular display of a Demons' battle.
Even at the end, the direction in which the Ghost Beasts fled, after bluffing and frightening the horde of Demons, was not here, but further south. As the saying goes, a wise rabbit has three burrows. Perhaps that creature had other hiding places.
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These events that had already occurred, even if deduced, were of no value. What Yu Ci was more curious about was why the Divine Soul, which seemed to be Monk Zheng Yan, had come here specifically after possessing the Demon.
Yu Ci couldn't help but recall that the legend of the treasure in the Sky Rift Valley was initially linked to the Ghost Beast Lair. Even before he had killed Viper Monk and others, he had heard similar news from those three guys.
His heart skipped a beat, and then he calmed down again.
Frequently doubting one's own judgment is not a good habit. Rationally, he had long determined that the so-called treasure was a rumor spread by some interested parties. Now, a slight fluctuation of desire could not whip up any big waves.
Moreover, he had already projected the environment inside the cave through the Divine Map. Now, apart from a priceless Fish-Dragon that he had already targeted, the cave was merely a lair inhabited by a large creature with poor living habits.
"There must be some purpose."
Unable to think of an answer for the time being, Yu Ci temporarily set it aside and slowly walked deeper into the cave. At the bottom of the cave, the Fish-Dragon was still swimming carefree. In the Divine Map, it had gradually moved away from the crevice it had previously passed through, and in other directions, Yu Ci had not found any tunnels that would allow it to pass.
Without a handy tool in hand, the best way to capture a Fish-Dragon, a creature known for its exceptional speed yet lackluster intellect, would be to utilize the terrain...
As this thought was turning in his mind, his foot stepped on something.
Yu Ci looked down to find a rope, obviously man-made, of a dull color. The surface was adorned with intricate patterns, indicating meticulous craftsmanship, quite extraordinary. However, the rope was now torn into several segments, scattered haphazardly on the ground. The longest piece was no more than a foot long, with jagged edges, utterly dilapidated.
There were numerous relics left by Herb Gatherers in the Sky Rift Valley. It was not impossible for the Ghost Beasts to pick one up during their idle time to sharpen their teeth. But:
"This thing looks very familiar!" A thought flickered in Yu Ci's mind. He squatted down, collecting the remnants of the rope and roughly piecing them together. Then, a fragment of memory became suddenly clear:
"It's Elder Xu's 'Spirit Trap Rope'."
With the precedent of Monk Zheng Yan's case, Yu Ci easily associated it with related information.
Months ago, during the fierce battle on the cliff wall, this rope imbued with Rotting Soul Fire had indeed caused Yu Ci quite a bit of trouble, hence the lingering memory. Now thinking about it, this "Spirit Trap Rope" was a rather special Artisan Tool. After more than a month, how did this rope, which had fallen over the cliff with its master, appear in a Monster Nest thousands of miles away? And why was it in such a tragic state?
Was it really used to sharpen teeth?
Yu Ci gently touched the ground. The light in the cave was dim, but with the faint glow of the Divine Map and his tactile sense, he could still feel the uneven ground, with many claw marks deeply engraved, each several feet deep. From this, he could imagine the ferocity of the Ghost Beast that had torn the "Spirit Trap Rope" to shreds and ravaged the ground.
Ferocity? He had witnessed the ferocity of the Ghost Beasts once. Wasn't the sudden turmoil among the valley's living beings caused by the ferocious howls of the Ghost Beasts? Calculating the time, it coincided with when the rope fell into the valley.
"It dislikes things like ropes to the point that it specifically brought back the 'Spirit Trap Rope' to vent its anger by tearing it apart!" Yu Ci naturally came to this conclusion.
"Hmm, interesting."
After making a judgment about the Ghost Beast's emotions, Yu Ci realized he had spent too much time standing still. He got up and continued to move forward, picking up a few pebbles along the way and holding them in his hand.
As he was about to reach the deepest part of the cave, Yu Ci stopped. At his feet was a nest of dry straw laid by the Ghost Beast, half a man high. The Fish-Dragon was suspended three feet away from him. At this distance, the Fish-Dragon finally sensed something amiss, its swimming speed slightly increased, and seemed to be gathering strength.
Yu Ci, with a decisive flick of his fingers, launched a pebble with all his might.
This strike, filled with the infusion of Primordial Qi, was as powerful as an arrow shot from a strong bow, tearing through the air and letting out a piercing whistle that resonated heart-shakingly in the enclosed space.
Whether the Fish-Dragon's spirit was shaken, Yu Ci wasn't quite sure. However, when danger approached, the creature's reaction heightened significantly. With a contraction and a spring, it evaded the flying rock and took the opportunity to dart away.
However, as soon as it moved, Yu Ci's fingers flicked again, launching seven or eight pebbles in succession, scattering them throughout the cave. Although the directions were different, they were executed in an instant, blocking the Fish-Dragon's most direct escape route.
Any other living being, even a fly, would understand to change direction and avoid obstacles at this point. But the Fish-Dragon was different. Its speed was indeed fast, but its instinctive reaction was a straight line. This head-on charge was indeed impressive, but it was also simple to predict.
Most of the pebbles missed their target, but one happened to intersect with the Fish-Dragon's flight path. With a loud bang, the pebble was shattered, startling the Fish-Dragon and causing it to slightly deviate from its path.
In the darkness, Yu Ci lunged forward, perfectly positioning himself. Using the terrain of the cave, he forced the Fish-Dragon to make a choice: either crash into the cave wall and him, or escape through the gap on the side.
The Fish-Dragon chose the gap, but its flight path was precisely what Yu Ci had calculated beforehand, leading it into the narrowest corner of the cave. The Fish-Dragon, with its somewhat weak intelligence, failed to comprehend this. It charged ahead without hesitation. Yu Ci, with a low shout, blocked the exit behind him.
At this moment, things suddenly became simple. Either side was a stone wall or a human body. No matter how fast the Fish-Dragon was, it could only escape from above or below, and Yu Ci was best at making such choices!
The Fish-Dragon finally realized something was amiss. Its seven-foot-long body turned in the confined space, attempting to rush out, but it quickly retreated. Its slender body coiled in the void, looking more like a snake than ever before.
This was the first time the Fish-Dragon appeared indecisive.
Yu Ci also stood still. In this position, he could maximize the obstructive effect of his body. After this, there was only one thing left for him to do.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e