Cave of Bewildered Souls

The ring crater bore a chilling name—the Cave of Bewildered Souls. At this moment, everyone was waiting for the Cave of Bewildered Souls to open. The sword-bearing Daoist was the most famous disciple of the Tiandao Sect today, known by his Daoist name Xiao Yun. The other person had an equally formidable background, tied by countless threads to the Demon Master, and went by the moniker Blood Bat. The two were rising stars of the righteous and demonic paths respectively, and as expected, both had appeared here. Time slipped past. Black mist churned within the crater, yet was trapped within its perimeter by some restriction, unable to spill out. Just then, a ripple suddenly broke across the air above the black mist. A Bagua-shaped barrier restriction flickered into sight. Seeing the restriction appear, the cultivators' eyes instantly flared with intense heat. Right then, the sound of rushing wind suddenly rang out as five figures flashed into view and appeared before the crowd. "The Dongji Alliance!" Someone murmured, recognizing their identities. These five were Su Nü and the others. Venerable Ye was among them, but he wore a mask, concealed his cultivation, and stood quietly at the back. On the outer perimeter of the ring crater, Qin Sang and Ming Wei were waiting not far apart. He spotted Su Nü at a glance and felt inwardly surprised. Given Su Nü's strength, passing the final trial with the help of the other Dongji Alliance cultivators was normal enough, but entering the Cave of Bewildered Souls to fight for the Soul-Washing Liquid seemed a bit beyond her. Still, with so many fellow disciples protecting her, even if she failed to seize the treasure, she likely had no need to fear for her safety. Su Nü stood beside Venerable Ye, appearing fragile and docile. She discreetly observed those around her. The moment she met Blood Bat's sinister, cold gaze, she quickly pulled back her eyes like a startled rabbit, keeping up an aura of timid fright. At present, Qin Sang wore no mask, and lacked wings behind his back; his demeanor was completely different. Su Nü's gaze swept over Qin Sang without a single flicker of recognition, seemingly failing to recognize the man who had once saved her life. Their arrival was impeccably timed. The restriction of the Cave of Bewildered Souls materialized in full, and beneath everyone's watchful eyes, opened eight entrances arrayed in different directions. *Whoosh! Whoosh!* In an instant, the cultivators pushed all wandering thoughts aside. Escaping lights of various colors intertwined and shone brilliantly as they soared toward the nearest entrances. Blood Bat and Daoist Xiao Yun were the first to enter the Cave of Bewildered Souls, vanishing into the black mist. Su Nü and her companions were not much slower, the five entering together. One of the entrances was not far from Qin Sang. Naturally unwilling to fall behind, Qin Sang flickered and appeared beside the opening. At that exact moment, a grey-robed cultivator arrived at the entrance alongside him. "Get out of the way!" The grey-robed man shouted and threw a fist forward. Qin Sang gave a cold snort. Sword radiance flared from between his brows, instantly transforming into a sword wheel. Like torrential rain, the sword radiance bore down relentlessly before the grey-robed cultivator's horrified eyes. Everyone able to stand here possessed substantial strength. This man, too, came from an illustrious background as the direct disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator, but he was still somewhat lacking compared to Qin Sang. Never expecting someone with such an unassuming aura to wield such terrifying swordsmanship, the man pulled back in horror. His fist technique shifted violently to fend off the sword wheel. His heavy fists boomed like thunder, blotting out the sky. *Bang!* The fist projections were entirely engulfed. The grey-robed cultivator was thrown backward through the air, his right arm dripping with blood. The sword wound cut deep to the bone, nearly crippling his arm in a single stroke. Qin Sang stood with his sword retracted, casting a cold glance at the grey-robed cultivator. Had he not been rushing to fight for the Soul-Washing Liquid, he would not have let the man get away so easily. Near the entrance, several other cultivators halted sharply, staring at Qin Sang in shock. Some recognized the grey-robed cultivator, but no one knew where Qin Sang had come from. The grey-robed cultivator couldn't even withstand a single exchange against him! Qin Sang entered the Cave of Bewildered Souls, with Ming Wei quietly slipping in behind him. Only then did the others dare to move. Regretting that he had crossed such a ruthless opponent, but understanding that business took priority, the grey-robed cultivator hastily stanched his bleeding and entered the Cave of Bewildered Souls. Upon entering the Cave of Bewildered Souls, a wave of chilling gloom swept over them, accompanied by faint, eerie sounds incessantly battering the Purple Palace, capable of unsettling the origin soul. Ming Wei walked alongside Qin Sang. She brought out a jade pendant and wore it against her chest. The pendant emitted a milky-white glow. Letting out a breath of relief, Ming Wei glanced sideways at Qin Sang, who looked perfectly at ease. Curiously, she remarked, "Fortunately, I have this spirit pendant bestowed by the Patriarch to banish distracting thoughts and calm the mind, making things much easier in the Cave of Bewildered Souls. Could it be that Fellow Daoist has cultivated some mind-calming secret technique, allowing you to remain unaffected by the Cave of Bewildered Souls without the aid of a magical treasure?" Qin Sang smiled faintly and fabricated an excuse. "I have practiced a secret technique related to the origin soul, which grants me some resistance against such attacks." Whether due to the restrictions or the black mist, the Cave of Bewildered Souls could confound the mind and spirit. Protected by the jade Buddha, however, Qin Sang felt no effect whatsoever. "Fellow Daoist Qin's swordsmanship is godlike. I have heard that top-tier sword cultivators are all possessors of resolute will, possessing a lucid sword heart where only the self and the sword exist. It seems the rumor rings true!" Ming Wei sighed in admiration. "Before this, I had never heard of Fellow Daoist Qin's name. I truly was ill-informed." "My swordsmanship is merely at small accomplishment. Fellow Daoist flatters me." Qin Sang's reply was not mere false modesty; he had not even stepped across the threshold of sword momentum, so how could he dare claim divine swordsmanship? "Fellow Daoist, focus your full efforts on resisting the power of the Cave of Bewildered Souls. I shall lead the way first. If my strength wanes, we can switch..." Qin Sang looked down and suggested. They were plummeting rapidly; the Soul-Washing Liquid was hidden deep within the Cave of Bewildered Souls. Since he was unaffected by the cave, he could concentrate fully on facing other perils, whereas Ming Wei had to divide her attention to steady her mind. "Then I shall trouble Fellow Daoist!" Ming Wei could not have asked for more and readily agreed. The Cave of Bewildered Souls was immensely deep. They plummeted swiftly, yet the bottom remained out of sight. At last, Qin Sang felt his feet settle onto solid ground. He surveyed his surroundings. As far as his eyes could see, jagged, grotesque rocks jutted everywhere. Like the black mist, everything was jet-black—a true and absolute wasteland. "Let us find an opening near the edges. Any cavern here will lead to the final secret cave," Ming Wei spoke up with a reminder. Fine beads of sweat dotted the bridge of her nose; even with the jade pendant's protection, she inevitably felt the strain. They soon found a cave opening. The interior was extremely narrow, barely allowing two people to walk side by side. Qin Sang took the lead. From the moment they entered the Cave of Bewildered Souls until now, aside from the mental disruption, they had encountered no other dangers. Yet Qin Sang remained vigilant throughout, keeping the ebony sword hovering before him. The instant he detected an anomaly, he directed the ebony sword to slash outward. *Screeech!* A shrill, ear-piercing shriek echoed through the cavern entrance. Qin Sang's brow furrowed slightly as he darted forward. He saw an earth spirit sliced in half by the ebony sword, its severed remains dissolving away. However, this earth spirit was much smaller than those outside, able to move freely within the narrow tunnel. Right then, Qin Sang seemed to sense something. His face shifted slightly, and he barked, "Go!" Qin Sang pointed a finger toward the ebony sword. The sword resonated with a ringing cry. The sword qi soared like a rainbow, piercing through the entire passage in the blink of an eye. Ahead, earth spirits of varying shapes surged forth, leaping from the stone walls as shriek after shriek rose and fell. Qin Sang rushed forward, with Ming Wei hot on his heels, striking out from time to time to eliminate any stragglers slipping through the net and share Qin Sang's burden.