Chapter 86
Crackle—!
A sudden peal of thunder exploded through the cavern.
Several arcs of lightning shot from Lou Yuqing's arm, weaving together into a crackling electric net.
The snow-white creature that had lunged at her convulsed once before dropping to the ground as a blackened lump.
Lou Yuqing blinked and stared at the charred remains.
Her master had warned her that entry points in the small world were completely random.
If you were lucky, you'd be teleported somewhere safe.
If you were unlucky...
You'd end up like her—attacked the instant you arrived.
She cautiously nudged the blackened creature with her foot.
No reaction.
Not even a twitch.
Only then did she crouch down to inspect her attacker.
Well, its luck had clearly been worse than hers.
Since she already knew the small world was dangerous, she naturally had prepared for situations like this.
Among the techniques her master had taught her was a body-refining art known as the Body of Ten Thousand Thunders.
According to him, once mastered, it granted immunity to all thunder-based techniques beneath the heavens and could even withstand portions of heavenly tribulation lightning.
It was one of the reasons his success rate in advancing realms far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators.
When Lou Yuqing first reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, he had taught her the introductory principles of the technique.
Though she could only convert a small amount of spiritual energy into lightning and spread it across her body, the practical effect was surprisingly useful.
Especially against things that liked ambushing people.
She examined the blackened creature carefully.
The moment she entered the small world, she had activated the technique and coated herself in electricity.
The snow-white creature had slammed directly into her—and promptly cooked itself.
Lou Yuqing turned it over, studying it from every angle.
Still couldn't tell what it was.
One thing was obvious, though.
It was weak.
Extremely weak.
Otherwise it wouldn't have died so quickly from a single shock.
At that moment, a line of text appeared before her eyes.
【You are a herbalist searching the mountain for snow lotuses.
Current Objective: Escape the Cave】
Lou Yuqing immediately focused on the important parts.
The main objective was gathering snow lotuses.
The side objective was escaping the cave.
Then her eyes stopped on a single word.
Escape.
The corner of her mouth twitched.
That was not a word people used when everything was going well.
Outside the small world, after Lingzhu Zhenren and the others activated the formation, more than a dozen projected scenes appeared throughout the plaza.
There were scorching deserts, isolated islands, dense forests, vast snowfields, and many other environments, each displaying the circumstances faced by different disciples.
Gu Buqi's gaze swept casually across the projections before settling on his little disciple.
From his vantage point, he could clearly make out the snow-white creature she had just reduced to charcoal.
It was a Snow Rabbit—a low-grade demonic beast known for its speed and skittish nature, but weak in both offense and defense. Being electrocuted to death on the spot was hardly surprising.
Snow Rabbits typically inhabited extremely cold regions and possessed exceptionally thick fur.
If his judgment was correct, his little disciple had been transported to a snow-covered mountain.
"Uncle-Master Zixiao."
Meng Zonghan's voice transmission suddenly arrived.
Gu Buqi remained expressionless. "The interrogation results?"
Meng Zonghan immediately replied.
"I was just about to report. Xiao Siwen's father confessed everything. He admitted involvement in the mine incident from some time ago. As for the rest, we're still investigating."
Gu Buqi's tone remained calm.
"What does the Nightmare Clan want from him?"
"He leaked information about several Enforcement Hall disciples stationed in various cities."
Meng Zonghan sounded somewhat helpless.
"I've already sent warnings to those disciples and ordered them to be vigilant. As for the Nightmare Clan's actual plans, he doesn't know. They never told him."
At best, the man had been a pawn and a poorly informed one at that.
Gu Buqi pondered briefly.
"Conduct a thorough investigation of those cities—every major force. The City Lord's Mansions as well. Leave no stone unturned."
The appearance of a Nightmare Clan spy inside the Wendao Sect itself was enough proof of their infiltration capabilities.
If they could plant someone here, they could certainly hide elsewhere.
Meng Zonghan's voice grew more solemn.
"The Nightmare Clan matter is no small issue. I'm planning to investigate personally."
"Good."
As he spoke, Gu Buqi watched his disciple casually electrocute a Snow Rabbit.
A faint smile appeared in his eyes.
As her master, seeing her faithfully apply what he'd taught her was unexpectedly satisfying.
Inside the small world, Lou Yuqing finally took a proper look at her surroundings.
The cave was roughly ten zhang wide, with uneven stone walls and a rugged floor. Nearby, a campfire still smoldered on the ground. Its flames were nearly out, leaving only a few thin wisps of smoke curling lazily into the air.
Ahead of her was a narrow opening through which a faint glow filtered into the cave.
Judging by its size, the Snow Rabbit had most likely squeezed in through there. And if one rabbit could enter, there were probably more waiting outside.
Lou Yuqing released her divine sense and carefully swept the surrounding area.
Nothing unusual.
Reassured, she strolled over to the opening, crouched down, and slipped through.
Beyond it lay a broad tunnel nearly ten zhang across, winding deeper into the mountain. The passage stretched ahead into the distance, its end nowhere in sight.
What puzzled her, however, was the light.
Even now, she still couldn't tell where it was coming from.
Was there something unusual about the stone itself?
Lou Yuqing stroked her chin in thought before reaching out to touch the gray-white stone wall.
When she withdrew her hand, she found her fingertips damp.
Water.
Where there was water, there was usually a river. And if she could find that river, following it downstream might lead her straight out of the cave.
Her eyes immediately brightened.
Pressing herself against the wall, she quieted her breathing and listened carefully. To sharpen her focus, she even closed her eyes.
A faint sound drifted through the darkness.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind?
Then it came again.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Lou Yuqing's eyes flew open.
No.
That wasn't wind.
It sounded more like footsteps.
One person was running.
Another was chasing close behind.
The sounds were growing louder with every passing second, rapidly closing the distance between them.
For a brief moment, Lou Yuqing weighed her options.
Leave—or stay.
Inside the small world, death meant elimination. For disciples competing for rankings, encounters often turned into fights the moment they happened.
Those from the same sect might hold back slightly.
Those from different sects rarely showed any mercy at all.
Judging from the situation, the two approaching figures were almost certainly enemies.
One was fleeing desperately.
The other refused to let them escape.
Lou Yuqing silently flattened herself against a corner, spiritual energy surging into her palms as she quietly gathered power for a Lightning Strike.
She had already made her decision.
If neither of the approaching cultivators belonged to the Wendao Sect, then this encounter would be pure profit.
The sound of rushing footsteps grew louder.
Heavy breathing echoed through the tunnel as the two figures rapidly closed in.
Closer.
Closer still.
The instant they entered her range, Lou Yuqing flicked her wrist.
Two spheres of lightning shot from her fingertips, arcing through the darkness before landing squarely on their targets.
Neither cultivator even had time to react.
Crackle!
Violent currents exploded across their bodies.
In the blink of an eye, both figures were scorched black and dropped to the ground, completely paralyzed.
Thud!
Hearing the unmistakable sound of someone collapsing, Lou Yuqing finally stepped out from behind the corner.
Her skirts swayed lightly as she emerged from the shadows.
The pale cave light illuminated half her figure while the other half remained hidden in darkness, the sharp contrast making her look remarkably like the mastermind behind some carefully planned ambush.
"You—"
One of the fallen cultivators struggled to lift his head.
A string of curses had already reached the tip of his tongue.
Then he saw her face.
And abruptly fell silent.
"Luo Buqi?"
Lou Yuqing blinked in surprise.
Then her eyes curved into a bright smile.
"What luck."
Her mood instantly improved.
"To run into a big fish like you the moment I arrive."
She glanced at the jade bracelet on his wrist and smiled even more pleasantly.
"Sorry, but it looks like you're about to be eliminated."
The bracelet itself appeared plain and unremarkable. But it possessed one very important function.
The moment it was activated, the wearer would be teleported out of the small world.
And once that happened—they were out of the competition.
Luo Buqi naturally understood exactly what she was planning.
Shock and fury flashed across his face.
The moment he had entered the small world, he had run into a disciple from the Wendao Sect. Seeing an opportunity, he had immediately tried to eliminate him.
Unfortunately, the other party's escape techniques were outrageously fast. After chasing him for nearly the time it took an incense stick to burn, he still hadn't managed to catch him.
And now, not only had he failed to eliminate his target, he'd been ambushed by another Wendao Sect disciple and struck by lightning.
Although he was confident he could shake off the paralysis soon enough, facing two opponents at once placed him at an obvious disadvantage.
"Ju-Junior Sister..."
The nearby Wendao Sect disciple finally managed to squeeze out a few words.
"Beautifully done."
Even speaking seemed difficult under the lingering effects of the lightning.
Lou Yuqing immediately recognized him.
Chu Qingyang.
The Wind Spirit Root disciple she had met during the Enforcement Hall assessment.
Despite looking half-charred, he still managed to flash a dazzling grin.
Being hunted the moment he'd entered the small world had been infuriating.
Watching Luo Buqi end up in the exact same predicament felt immensely satisfying.
Even if he'd been electrocuted in the process.
Lou Yuqing was in an excellent mood herself.
After all, having an ally was always better than fighting alone. They might eventually become competitors, but for now they were on the same side.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lou Yuqing pointed a finger at Luo Buqi.
Purple lightning immediately gathered at her fingertips.
One more strike.
That was all it would take to activate the jade bracelet and eliminate him from the competition.
Luo Buqi's heart sank.
He was only moments away from completely purging the lightning coursing through his body. Just a little more time, and he would be able to move freely again.
Unfortunately, he was short of that final crucial moment.
Then a deafening roar suddenly exploded throughout the cavern.
BOOM!
The sound was so overwhelming it felt as though it had detonated directly inside everyone's ears.
The entire grotto lurched violently.
"The cave is collapsing?!"
Lou Yuqing's expression changed immediately.
That was the last thing she wanted to hear.
If she ended up buried beneath the rubble, completing the side quest would become the least of her concerns.
She might be eliminated on the spot.
Seizing the brief instant of her distraction, Luo Buqi finally forced the remaining lightning from his body.
At almost the same moment, a chilling cracking sound echoed through the cavern.
Crack... crack...
Thin fissures spread rapidly across the ground, widening with every violent tremor. It looked as though some enormous maw hidden beneath the earth was slowly opening, preparing to swallow everything in its path.
Lou Yuqing reacted instantly.
Lightning flashed around her body, and in the next moment she vanished from sight.
Chu Qingyang was no slower. His figure dissolved into a streak of wind and disappeared after her.
Luo Buqi's expression darkened.
They really knew how to run.
Grinding his teeth, he immediately gave chase. With the cave on the verge of collapse, they were probably too busy saving their own lives to bother eliminating him.
As for settling scores, that could wait.
The tunnels thundered with constant tremors as Lou Yuqing raced forward using her lightning escape technique. Pebbles and chunks of stone rained from above, several bouncing off her head and shoulders.
They didn't hurt.
They were just incredibly annoying.
She kicked aside a fallen rock and was about to continue when a sudden thought struck her.
Wait.
The Melon-Eating Panel!
How had she forgotten about that?
Her eyes lit up instantly. She hurriedly opened the interface and stared at the search bar in the upper-right corner, a suspiciously delighted smile spreading across her face.
That's right.
She was a woman with cheats.
Without a second's hesitation, she typed:
The system seemed to fall silent.
As if it had never anticipated someone would use it for this purpose.
A moment later, a map unfolded before her eyes.
The cave system twisted in every direction, a tangled maze of intersecting tunnels. Yet with the bright red route highlighted by the system, the path became instantly clear.
Lou Yuqing studied it for a heartbeat.
Then her face changed.
"Oh no." She slapped her forehead. "I've been running the wrong way!"
Without hesitation, she spun around and sprinted back the way she came.
At almost the same moment, she brushed past Chu Qingyang, who was rushing in the opposite direction.
Chu Qingyang stopped dead.
"...Huh?"
He stared as Lou Yuqing vanished back into the collapsing tunnels amid flashes of crackling lightning.
For a moment, he genuinely didn't know whether he should keep going or turn around.
Was there danger ahead?
To be safe, he immediately swept his divine sense through the passage before him.
Nothing.
Not the slightest sign of danger.
Before he could think further, however, the entire grotto shook violently again.
A deafening rumble exploded through the tunnels, loud enough to make it feel as though the mountain itself had detonated beside his ear.
Chu Qingyang steadied himself and quickly made his decision.
Whatever Lou Yuqing was doing, he was still going forward—only for a figure to suddenly emerge behind him.
"Where's your fellow disciple?"
Luo Buqi demanded.
Chu Qingyang frowned.
At a time like this, the man still wanted revenge?
His gaze immediately turned wary. Azure wind spiritual energy gathered around him as he prepared to cast a Wind Escape Technique.
"Tell me where she went."
Luo Buqi suddenly stepped forward, cutting him off. There was an unmistakable urgency in his voice.
The intensity caught Chu Qingyang off guard.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" he demanded. "The mountain's collapsing. If you want to throw your life away, that's your business—I still want to live."
Luo Buqi let out a cold laugh.
"You think running around like a headless fly is going to save you?" He pointed in the direction Lou Yuqing had disappeared. "If you want to get out alive, follow that woman."
Chu Qingyang stared at him. "How do you know that?"
Luo Buqi nearly exploded. "Why are you asking so many questions? What's the point? Just tell me which tunnel she went into!"
He glared at Chu Qingyang as though sheer force of will could pry the answer out of him.
Chu Qingyang's expression grew increasingly strange.
After a moment, he slowly lifted a finger and pointed behind them.
"She turned back."
Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Didn't you run into her?"
Luo Buqi immediately turned around.
The passage behind them had already collapsed in several places. Cracks nearly two fingers wide snaked across the ground while rocks rained endlessly from above. Dust churned through the tunnel like rolling waves.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he asked suspiciously, "Are you sure she isn't running toward her death?"
Chu Qingyang was silent for a second before answering honestly, "If you're not lying to me, then I'm not lying to you."
The two men stared at one another, neither willing to budge.
Then Luo Buqi moved.
Golden light burst from his body as he shot straight into the dust-filled tunnel.
Chu Qingyang blinked. "He actually went?"
The mutter had barely left his lips before he hurried after him.
One person rushing toward certain death was one thing.
But two people doing it?
That was a little harder to believe.
Outside the small world, quite a few spectators had already noticed the bizarre situation, and discussion immediately erupted throughout the plaza.
"Why would they turn back when the collapse is getting worse?"
"Maybe they panicked and ran in the wrong direction."
"All three of them panicked? That's a stretch."
"I don't think that female disciple was acting randomly. Didn't those two end up following her?"
"...The Hundred Spirits Sect disciple believed her."
"The Wendao Sect disciple was practically forced into it."
Gu Buqi listened quietly to the debate around him.
Judging from the situation, his little disciple had almost certainly relied on that strange ability of hers.
He considered it for a moment.
Then, without the slightest burden on his conscience, arrived at a perfectly reasonable conclusion:
It was her own ability. Therefore, it wasn't cheating.
Meanwhile, the Nascent Soul cultivators in the void were busy observing the performances of their own disciples.
Otherwise, they probably would have found this scene quite entertaining.
Sword Venerable Chengfeng was one of the exceptions.
He paid little attention to the Cloud Soaring Sect disciples' situation. His gaze drifted casually across the various scenes before it happened to settle on Lou Yuqing.
The moment he saw her turn back, a trace of confusion flickered through his eyes.
Without realizing it, he continued watching.
Meanwhile, streaks of white light flashed across the plaza one after another as eliminated disciples were teleported out.
Every one of them wore a dejected expression.
Being eliminated wasn't the issue.
Being eliminated right at the beginning was.
That was simply too embarrassing.
In Lou Yuqing's small world, another disciple had already been eliminated. While fleeing for his life, he had been struck by a massive boulder that fell from the cave ceiling and was crushed to death on the spot.
The way he died was so absurdly unlucky that the moment he reappeared outside, he immediately slipped into the crowd to avoid becoming a laughingstock.
Inside the cave, Lou Yuqing followed the route marked on the map, weaving through twists and turns.
After a while, the darkness ahead suddenly brightened.
She looked up.
A small opening had appeared overhead, and sunlight streamed through it in brilliant golden beams, landing warmly across her face.
Following the answer really was convenient.
Satisfied, Lou Yuqing put away the map.
Instead of leaving immediately, she rubbed her hands together and asked the system another question.
How do I get to the snow lotus?
If she could complete both objectives in one trip, her point-gathering speed would definitely surpass everyone else's.
Unfortunately, just as she was happily imagining herself soaring ahead of the competition, a notification popped up before her eyes.
【Friendly Reminder: Insufficient Gossip Points. Please continue working hard to earn more points.】
Lou Yuqing's smile immediately froze.
"..."
She stared at her remaining Gossip Points in disbelief.
Three.
A grand total of three points.
No wonder she'd run out.
Lately, she'd been spending nonstop while earning absolutely nothing in return. Her account wasn't just low—it was practically bankrupt.
After a long silence, she let out a resigned sigh.
"Fine. A grown woman should learn to support herself."
"Move aside!"
A sudden shout rang out behind her.
Lou Yuqing's eyelid twitched. Without even turning around, she sidestepped several feet to the right.
An arrow whistled past her shoulder a moment later, slicing through the air where she had just been standing before striking a snow rabbit that had leapt into the air.
The impact carried the creature straight into the rock wall. The arrow buried itself deep in the stone, its fletching quivering faintly.
Lou Yuqing turned to look.
A middle-aged hunter lowered his bow, strode over to the wall, pulled out the arrow, and casually tossed the rabbit into a basket.
The entire sequence was smooth, efficient, and utterly decisive.
Her thoughts immediately began turning.
"A local?"
Though it sounded like a question, she already had her suspicions. When gathering information, it was always best to start with something simple.
The hunter paused while wiping blood from the arrow before giving a short nod.
"Yes. There's an avalanche outside. We'll leave once it passes."
"Avalanche?"
Lou Yuqing almost thought she'd said it herself before realizing the voice had come from elsewhere.
She turned around and found Luo Buqi and Chu Qingyang standing nearby.
Apparently, the two had followed her all the way here.
For reasons unknown, both looked thoroughly miserable. Their robes were torn, dust coated them from head to toe, and they looked as though they had just fought their way through a battlefield.
Noticing her gaze, Chu Qingyang gave a bitter smile.
"We ran into a group of snow rabbits. It took some effort to deal with them."
Snow rabbits weren't individually strong, but once their numbers reached a certain level, they became a genuine headache.
Lou Yuqing pointed at the rabbits inside the hunter's basket.
"You mean these?"
So the little white creature that had rushed her earlier really had been one of these things.
Chu Qingyang nodded.
At that moment, Luo Buqi suddenly looked up at the opening overhead.
The frustration he'd been suppressing all this time finally erupted.
"So this is the exit!"
Golden light burst from his body as he shot upward.
Lou Yuqing instinctively reached out, but she was a step too late.
"Have you lost your mind?" she shouted. "The avalanche hasn't even stopped yet!"
"I'm not an idiot."
Hovering near the opening, Luo Buqi extended his divine sense outside while keeping a wary eye on the surroundings.
"I'm just checking the situation."
Lou Yuqing snorted.
At least he still had some sense left.
Since he wasn't actually throwing himself into an avalanche, she couldn't be bothered arguing with him further.
Turning away, she refocused on the hunter.
"My friend and I came here looking for snow lotus. Do you know where we can find it?"
Nearby, Chu Qingyang scratched his head.
Snow lotus...
The name sounded oddly familiar.
A moment later, realization dawned on him.
Right.
It was one of the quest clues provided by the small world.
Unfortunately, Luo Buqi had started chasing him almost the instant they entered, leaving him with no time to think about anything else. He had nearly forgotten the mission entirely.
As the thought crossed his mind, another idea followed close behind.
Perhaps this was actually a good opportunity to eliminate Luo Buqi.
Almost immediately, Luo Buqi felt a chill crawl down his spine.
He turned and shot Chu Qingyang a warning glare.
Meanwhile, the hunter calmly returned his arrows to his quiver.
"I've been hunting here for more than twenty years," he said evenly. "I've never seen any snow lotus. You should try looking elsewhere. Maybe you'll find some there."
Lou Yuqing didn't believe him for a second.
The moment she had mentioned snow lotus, his eyes had flickered.
Only for an instant, but she had caught it.
He was definitely hiding something.
Before she could press further, a rapid series of footsteps echoed through the cave.
Several hunters hurried inside.
Lou Yuqing had been about to question them as well, but her attention was immediately drawn elsewhere.
The moment the newcomers entered, their expressions changed.
Their eyes were fixed on Luo Buqi.
Or rather—on Luo Buqi hovering in midair.
Lou Yuqing blinked.
What was that about?
Even Chu Qingyang glanced over in confusion.
Was there something special about him?
"The avalanche is almost over." The middle-aged hunter lowered his voice and hissed at the newcomers. "What are you afraid of?"
Lou Yuqing immediately caught the hidden implication.
There was definitely more to that sentence.
The hunters quickly lowered their heads and began gathering their prey.
What drew Lou Yuqing's attention, however, was something else entirely.
Her gaze swept across the hunters' baskets.
Every single one contained snow rabbits.
Nothing else.
Not a single different species.
A faint frown appeared on her face.
Was prey really that scarce in these snow-covered mountains?
She knew rabbits reproduced at an absurd rate, and snow rabbits should be no exception. Was that why the hunters targeted them exclusively?
Then another thought occurred to her.
Snow rabbits were demon beasts. Yet these hunters looked like ordinary mortals.
Even Luo Buqi and Chu Qingyang had ended up looking battered and miserable after running into a large group of them.
How were ordinary hunters managing to make a living hunting demon beasts?
Did they possess some special technique for dealing with snow rabbits?
The more she thought about it, the more wrong everything felt.
The clues seemed connected somehow, yet she couldn't quite grasp the missing piece.
If the system still had enough points, she could have simply searched for the answer, located the snow lotus, and brute-forced her way through the entire problem.
Unfortunately...
Lou Yuqing's expression gradually turned blank.
She hadn't used her brain this much in a very long time.
For the first time in ages, she experienced the genuine despair of thinking for herself.
Damn it. My CPU is overheating.
Just then, Luo Buqi frowned and turned toward the commotion.
"I killed that snow rabbit."
He had spotted traces of his own spell lingering on one of the rabbits.
The bearded hunter carrying it visibly stiffened.
An awkward smile immediately spread across his face.
"I-I'm sorry, Immortal Master. I found it lying by the roadside and picked it up. I'll return it right away."
He hurried over and carefully placed the rabbit near Luo Buqi.
Then he practically fled back to his original spot, as though terrified of provoking him.
Luo Buqi casually flicked a strand of spiritual energy.
The rabbit spun through the air and landed back inside the hunter's basket.
"Keep it. I was only mentioning it in passing. Why are you so nervous?"
"T-Thank you, Immortal Master."
The bearded hunter still didn't dare meet his eyes.
The other hunters also avoided looking at Luo Buqi, whether intentionally or not.
Lou Yuqing's eyes narrowed.
Something was definitely wrong.
The other hunters were visibly afraid of cultivators, yet the middle-aged hunter was different.
From the very beginning, he had known exactly what they were.
He had witnessed her arrival, seen Luo Buqi flying through the air, and watched Chu Qingyang use his techniques. Any ordinary mortal should have been awestruck-or at the very least nervous.
Yet throughout all of it, he remained calm and composed.
On the other hand, the hunters behind him were practically trembling. It was as though they feared the three cultivators.
Or perhaps...
Lou Yuqing's gaze flickered.
They were afraid of something else entirely.
"Do you know anything about snow lotus?" she asked suddenly.
To her surprise, every hunter looked blank.
The bearded hunter hurriedly shook his head. "N-No. I've never heard of it."
His expression was so tense that it seemed he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Lou Yuqing instinctively glanced toward the middle-aged hunter.
Unfortunately, he had already lowered his head, making it impossible to read his expression.
Before she could probe further, Chu Qingyang stepped in.
"We'll need a place to rest," he said. "Once the avalanche ends, lead the way. These snow rabbits can serve as payment."
The hunters immediately turned toward the middle-aged man, clearly waiting for his decision.
A brief silence followed.
Then he slowly raised his head.
"Alright."
Almost at the same moment, the rumbling outside faded away.
The avalanche had finally come to an end.