Variables

The subterranean caverns of the Cave of Bewildered Souls were immensely complex—winding, twisting, and crisscrossing as though without end. Yet as long as one focused solely on heading downward, one could find the secret chamber. With internal mental disturbances and external earth spirits barring the way, the path was far from easy. In another tunnel of the Cave of Bewildered Souls. Su Nü and the others were advancing rapidly. This time, Venerable Ye took the lead. He appeared even more at ease than Qin Sang. Having attained the Nascent Soul stage, Venerable Ye possessed a mental fortitude far beyond that of Core Formation cultivators; he could shield himself from the cave's influences without resorting to secret arts or magic treasures. He seemed almost to be taking a casual stroll through the tunnel. Raising his hand loosely, his fingers moved like a spinning wheel, releasing hair-thin needles of qi that pierced easily through skulls and detonated inside the earth spirits' bodies. The raw power of the qi needles was not particularly terrifying, but Venerable Ye's control had reached the pinnacle of mastery, far beyond the reach of any Core Formation cultivator. Venerable Ye alone was sufficient to protect Su Nü and the rest, making their pace even faster than that of Qin Sang and Ming Wei. After slaying an untold number of earth spirits, the elusive, endless creatures suddenly vanished without a trace. Venerable Ye paused momentarily before continuing forward. He was essentially revisiting an old haunt and knew the terrain intimately. In the end, Venerable Ye and his group reached the end of the tunnel and stepped into a vast subterranean chamber. Beneath their feet were smooth floor tiles, and dead silence hung over the chamber. Thanks to Venerable Ye, they were the first cultivators to arrive. Apart from Su Nü, the eyes of the other three disciples held poorly concealed excitement and agitation as they stared straight toward the very center of the chamber. Black mist drifted through the cavern, but at that spot, a soft blue glow remained faintly visible. The source of the light was a hemispherical barrier. Inside stood an archaic, square stone platform, bathed in blue radiance. Atop the stone platform, four jade bottles were lined up in a row. The spiritual liquid within reflected the blue light, catching the eye even more sharply than the barrier itself. "That's the Soul-Washing Liquid..." The alluring woman stared with an infatuated gaze. It was as if the blue barrier held the most exquisite scenery in the world, and those jade bottles were treasures that haunted one's dreams. And in truth, they were. Before long, they would face the bottleneck of Nascent Soul formation—a hurdle so grueling that the mere mention of it struck fear into the hearts of all cultivators. The Soul-Washing Liquid offered a glimmer of opportunity, making it a peerless treasure to late Core Formation cultivators like them! However, claiming the Soul-Washing Liquid still required clearing one final hurdle: breaking the barrier of light! "Wait, something's wrong! Why are there only four bottles of Soul-Washing Liquid?" The long-bearded old man snapped back to his senses, noticing the abnormal quantity. Whenever the Hall of Seven Kills opened in the past, there were usually around ten bottles of Soul-Washing Liquid in the Cave of Bewildered Souls. Why were there so few this time? "Master, this..." Baffled, the long-bearded old man looked toward Venerable Ye with an inquiring gaze. Venerable Ye had noticed the anomaly long before. Having personally participated in a contention for the Soul-Washing Liquid in the past, he recalled that there had been twelve full bottles back then, which were eventually divided among the successors of the major factions so everyone got a share. Yet now there were only four bottles—nowhere near enough to go around! "Four bottles! People have long suspected that this Soul-Washing Liquid is no natural spiritual resource born of heaven and earth, and that there are unknown secrets behind the Trial Realm! Now it seems there truly is something fishy going on. The Inner Hall emerged ahead of schedule, and the amount of Soul-Washing Liquid is less than half of previous openings!" Venerable Ye seemed to have anticipated such a possibility and showed no surprise. He gave a cold snort. "I originally planned to quit while we were ahead and avoid tearing away all pretenses with the other factions so things wouldn't get too ugly. Now, it seems that won't be an option. Four bottles happens to be one for each of you—no need to share with anyone else." His tone was calm and flat, treating the Soul-Washing Liquid as already in their grasp, as if speaking of an absolute given. The disciples' expressions, however, were far from relaxed; instead, worry crept into their hearts. In the outside world, even several more Blood Bats would not withstand a single exchange against Venerable Ye. Unfortunately, this was inside the Trial Realm. The long-bearded old man hesitated before saying, "Master, your stepping forward to seize the Soul-Washing Liquid would naturally ensure success, but you are constrained by the restrictions of the Trial Realm and had to seal your cultivation. Among our rivals, Blood Bat and Daoist Xiao Yun are considered second to none among Core Formation cultivators, and the others are all true disciples of major factions whose strength cannot be underestimated either, not to mention those looking to fish in troubled waters. Under these circumstances, if we monopolize the Soul-Washing Liquid, we will certainly become the common target of all. When that happens..." Here, Venerable Ye was suppressed by the Trial Realm and forced to seal his cultivation; on top of that, he had been injured while wading across the immortal restriction, leaving his strength heavily depleted. Of course, even with his cultivation sealed, Blood Bat and Daoist Xiao Yun were still no match for him. Yet if he made too many enemies and faced a concerted siege, even Venerable Ye might find his power stretched thin. Discerning as fire, Venerable Ye understood the disciples' worries completely. He offered a faint smile. "To contend with the Trial Realm's restrictions, I cannot carelessly mobilize my Nascent Soul. However, with adequate preparation, I can temporarily unseal a portion of my cultivation to unleash a single strike at the Nascent Soul level. What comes after taking the Soul-Washing Liquid will require me to handle personally with my Nascent Soul cultivation anyway. Otherwise, what point was there in disregarding my own safety to smuggle myself in here?" Hearing this, the group was overjoyed, their doubts instantly vanishing. Even if it was just a single strike, that would be more than enough. Venerable Ye looked around and said calmly, "The Soul-Washing Liquid is guarded by earth spirits, and their strength is considerable. While warding off the earth spirits, we must attack the barrier until the seal is shattered. At that moment, I will catch everyone off guard and strike to seize the liquid. Once I succeed, you must move up immediately to back me up and retreat with me amidst the chaos. As long as we fall back into the tunnels, with terrain so complex, it won't be so easy for the others to corner us." "Disciples obey!" The long-bearded old man and the others brimmed with fighting spirit. After all, they were fighting for their own opportunity. "Before that, prioritize protecting yourselves. The set of formation flags I gave you—how well have you mastered them?" Venerable Ye asked. "Reporting to Master, your disciples can already unleash seventy percent of the array's power!" The long-bearded old man and the others each held up a formation flag. Venerable Ye gave an acknowledging grunt and gave a few more detailed instructions. Just then, footsteps sounded from another tunnel. Several figures darted out in rapid succession, obscure through the black mist, though one streak of blood-red escape light was strikingly conspicuous. "Blood Bat arrived first! The ones beside him must all be demonic cultivators as well!" The long-bearded old man's face shifted slightly as he sent a voice transmission warning. After Blood Bat appeared, footsteps and rushing wind echoed from other tunnels as more cultivators arrived one after another, emerging from various cave mouths. The successors and top experts of every major faction had gathered in this chamber. "Hiss! Why are there only four portions?!" Someone spotted the Soul-Washing Liquid and cried out in astonishment. The others noticed the anomaly as well, their expressions turning grim. Undercurrents surged through the cavern. They could already foresee just how brutal this clash would become!