After the mid-month gathering, Chen Chuan spent the following days keeping his aunt's family company. In his spare time, he actively honed his newly acquired techniques, consulting Instructor Wen whenever he felt he had become sufficiently proficient.
At first, he could only sustain his focused spirit for three hours, but later on, that duration increased to over four hours, with a steady upward trend.
Before the final third of the month even arrived, he had already grasped all the techniques he needed to learn this time, finishing roughly a third faster than originally planned.
Beyond this point, much of what followed was not something he could master right now. It required coordination between vital essence and the changeless mind, a foundation he had yet to firmly solidify.
On this day, after completing another resonant transmission, Instructor Wen said, "I have taught you all the basic application techniques. However, there is still quite a way to go before you can fully master them. That has nothing to do with talent—you have only just entered the third limit and lack sufficient accumulation. Once your accumulation builds up, you will gradually be able to wield them with ease."
He smiled. "Now, I will teach you a special training technique. Watch closely..."
Since they were still in resonant synchrony of spirit, Chen Chuan could feel the mutated tissues inside Instructor Wen's body shifting and operating in a unique rhythm.
Then, Wen lightly flicked his hand toward the sky. With a booming crash like a thunderclap, a reverberating roar sounded by Chen Chuan's ear, echoing through the air, while a puff of cloud-like mist seemed to materialize across the back of Wen's hand, only to quickly dissipate a moment later.
"This move is called the Cloud-Collapsing Hand. Simple and practical. Because it requires a certain build-up before striking, it isn't commonly used in actual combat; typically, it is merely used to train the coordination among mutated tissues throughout the body, strengthening one's ability to integrate their own mutated tissues."
Saying so, Instructor Wen slowly lowered his hand. "Provided the power of this move is maintained, the less time it takes to execute, the stronger your integration ability naturally is. Did you see my demonstration clearly just now?"
Chen Chuan nodded. "I saw it clearly."
Instructor Wen said, "Then you can slowly try it out on your own once you get back. That marks the end of my instruction for you."
Chen Chuan said, "Thank you, Instructor Wen."
"No need to thank me. I was merely asked by Old He to guide you." Instructor Wen smiled and said, "Still, it has been a pleasure to meet an outstanding junior like you. Go on back, young man. We'll meet again when the opportunity arises."
Chen Chuan nodded, raised his hands, and gave Instructor Wen a solemn fist-and-palm salute before turning to leave. When he reached his car and glanced back, Instructor Wen was already gone. Withdrawing his gaze, he opened the door, got in, and drove away.
After returning home, aside from practicing his newly learned techniques, he occasionally went out with Ding Jiao and the others to socialize and have fun. Once the final third of the month began, during another of these gatherings, one classmate suddenly proposed:
"How about we head over to Luoyang Cave to have some fun?"
However, this immediately drew objections from others.
"Are you crazy? As if you didn't know how many people have gone there and never came back."
"Don't we have Xiao Chuan with us? Xiao Chuan is a fighter!"
Chen Chuan shook his head and said, "I wouldn't recommend going there. No matter how skilled I am, at most I can protect myself. I can't protect everyone."
Luoyang Cave was quite famous in Yangzhi. It was a subterranean cavern where countless people had entered over the years never to return. Locals always strictly forbade their children from running off there, but despite that, plenty of people still went missing every year.
Roughly twelve years ago, an expedition team from abroad had ventured inside, and not a single one of them had emerged.
Because those who died were all foreigners, the Great Shun government paid it no heed at all. Perhaps because of that very incident, however, the place gained notoriety abroad instead. Foreign tourists and expedition teams frequently traveled there; some made it out, while others were lost inside.
And because of this, guesthouses and other businesses offering related services gradually sprang up in the area.
Ding Jiao said with annoyance, "I say, Miangua, what made you come up with such a rotten idea?"
The classmate nicknamed Miangua replied, "A few days ago, the newspaper said an expedition team of over a dozen people went into the cave, and they actually came back out! They even said they're going back in tomorrow, and word has it they can take people along for a quick look around near the entrance.
"I figured since they already went in and made it out, why not tag along to have a look? It shouldn't be dangerous near the entrance anyway, and we'll have something to brag about when we get back."
"It's too dangerous. Forget it."
"Exactly, who knows what kind of things might be in there?"
"My mom is saving up money for me to get married! If I go missing, won't that money just end up going to my younger brother?"
Despite the objections, another classmate chimed in, "We could just look from the outside without going in. I've grown up all these years and never seen it. We can just treat it as going to see the spectacle."
Hearing this, Ding Jiao was somewhat tempted. He turned to Chen Chuan and asked, "Xiao Chuan, what do you think?"
Chen Chuan considered it and said, "If it's just to look around, that's fine. I haven't been there either." Going to take a look posed no problem; while he might not have the power to rescue anyone who got trapped deep inside, preventing his friends from wandering in was hardly difficult.
Ding Jiao said, "All right then. Let's agree beforehand: no entering the cave, just looking around outside."
With the plan settled, the next day, Chen Chuan drove his car with five classmates, while Ding Jiao and four others rode motorized two-wheelers as they traveled southwest toward Mount Jia.
Mount Jia was one of the three peaks in the *Legends of the Three Mountains*. Luoyang Cave lay on the mountain's western foot. Originally a remote spot, it hadn't undergone much development even during the Great Expansion; there had merely been an outpost here that was later abandoned. Only over the past decade or so, with foreign expedition teams frequently arriving, had a market gradually formed.
Curiously enough, things like urban legends rarely occurred here, likely because there were few residents around; even if any appeared, they wouldn't affect the outside world.
When the group arrived before Luoyang Cave, they discovered it was not the deep, narrow, forbidding chasm they had imagined, but an enormous opening over twenty meters wide and more than ten meters high.
A considerable crowd and numerous stalls were gathered around the mouth of the cave, with people occasionally entering and exiting.
Chen Chuan took a closer look and saw traces of manual chiseling along the cave edges. Seen this way, it didn't appear to be entirely natural, though no one had ever looked into the matter before.
Coincidentally, when they arrived, that expedition team happened to be preparing to head down. A large crowd surrounded them, pointing and talking, all having presumably come to watch the spectacle.
The expedition members were outfitted with professional gear: bump helmets and headlamps on their heads, grappling hooks and ropes hanging from their waists, and bulging rucksacks on their backs. They all appeared to be foreigners, roughly twelve in total—quite a sizable group.
Listening to the chatter nearby, Chen Chuan learned that they had been hired by a wealthy merchant.
This seemed accurate, as one person in the group was surrounded by the others, repeatedly receiving reminders and warnings from his companions, with two fighters standing beside him to handle security.
After prepping for more than half an hour and inspecting their gear once more, the expedition team filed into the cave under the eyes of the crowd. Some onlookers spontaneously followed them inside.
One classmate said eagerly, "Are we just going to stand here and watch? Why don't we follow them in to have a look? Just walk a short stretch and come right out?"
Chen Chuan saw that there were guides leading people in and out, so those areas were likely safe. He went to inspect it first, and after confirming there was no danger, they wandered around near the entrance. They went in less than a hundred meters before heading back out; even the local guides were unwilling to venture any deeper.
Even so, his classmates were thoroughly satisfied. It was more than enough to brag about once they got back.
After coming out, since they were already there, they decided to go hike the mountain as well.
The southeastern side of Mount Jia was very suitable for climbing, and atop it sat an old temple surrounded by a vast grove of peach trees. From there, one could gaze out at Xiaoqing Mountain and the lakes in the distance; the scenery was exceptional.
It happened to be peach season. For a small fee, visitors could pick as many as they liked, provided none were wasted. The classmates gorged themselves to their hearts' content before heading down the mountain in the afternoon to return home.
After returning, Chen Chuan put the matter out of his mind. A few more days passed, leaving only the final five days of his vacation, and he was already making preparations to head back to Center City.
Just on this day, however, Ren Shu suddenly called.
"Mr. Chen, we received a commission from the Municipal Administration. It looks like an urban legend, but we can't be sure, so we wanted to consult you."
They knew their own limits well and generally avoided taking commissions when the situation was unclear. But this time, it came from the Municipal Administration, and with Chen Chuan happening to be in town, they decided to ask him if there was a way to resolve it.
Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Ren, tell me the details."
"All right. A few days ago, an expedition team..."
Chen Chuan's heart stirred slightly. "Are you talking about the one at Luoyang Cave?"
"You've heard about it too, Mr. Chen? Yes, that's the one. That group conducted two expeditions. The first time went fine, but this time something went wrong, and only three people made it out.
"Normally that wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary—it happens often there. But what happened afterward was bizarre..."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Twelve years ago, an expedition team from abroad went missing inside. Have you heard about that, Mr. Chen?"
Chen Chuan said, "I know about that. I was still young back then, but everyone was talking about it. I just don't know the exact details."
Ren Shu said, "The two events are connected. Because someone discovered that the three people who came back this time weren't from the group that went in a few days ago, but... but from the group that entered twelve years ago."
"The group from twelve years ago?" Chen Chuan's interest was piqued.
"Yes! These three people were among those who went missing twelve years ago. And when questioned, they had no idea twelve years had passed in the outside world—they only remembered being inside for three days."
Chen Chuan asked, "And then?" If it were only that, it wouldn't have prompted Ren Shu to call. There had to be more to it.
Ren Shu said, "Those three were astonished when they learned the truth and even talked about going back to find their families. But that very night, all of them died. Their flesh and skin vanished, leaving only bones, and even their clothes and gear turned tattered and rust-eaten..."
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment, then said, "How about this: I'll come over and take a look."
Chapter 359