Golden Core Cave Abode, Fellow Daoist, After You

Seeing Qin Yi's dark expression, Song Qingyun hurriedly explained, "This so-called secret realm is actually a Golden Core cave abode, jointly controlled by several of Star City's great Lineages. I'm too weak, and my father was afraid I wouldn't be able to compete for fortuitous opportunities inside, so he wanted to recruit a few more cultivators for me. That's why the opening of the secret realm was delayed by a month."

At the mention of a Golden Core cave abode, a sharp light flashed in Qin Yi's eyes. "Are there any cultivation restrictions?" he asked.

"The great Lineages have an agreement: only Qi Refining Realm cultivators of the younger generation are allowed inside."

"Arrange a place for me to stay and notify me when the time comes." Qin Yi had White Visage with him and could conceal his cultivation to enter. He would have to wait a month, but that was just enough time to stabilize his cultivation.

One month later

Qin Yi accompanied the city lord's manor to the secret realm as Song Qingyun's guard. The so-called secret realm was merely a cave abode left behind by a Golden Core cultivator in the forest around Star City. Someone had once entered, obtained treasures, and broken through to Foundation Establishment. Later, several of Star City's great Lineages had joined forces to take possession of the cave abode for their younger generations to gain experience.

The cave abode was fraught with danger, and in previous years, the disciples the great Lineages sent inside had always suffered losses. But the Lineages kept one another in check and refused to allow Foundation Establishment cultivators to enter. As a result, the cave abode had yet to be fully explored, which gave Qin Yi his chance. Others could not conceal their cultivation, but he could.

An hour later, the young disciples of the six great Lineages had finally all arrived. The six Lineage heads each took out a token and sent it flying toward the entrance of the cave abode. A six-pointed star gradually appeared before everyone, and as it turned, a screen of light appeared in front of the entrance.

Qin Yi frowned when he saw the Law Seals the six Lineage heads used to open the entrance. That had been a sealing formation. The six great Lineages had actually set up a formation here; no wonder no one stood guard here normally. If he exposed his cultivation inside... A flash of killing intent passed through Qin Yi's eyes.

Buzz.

After a hum, the screen of light shattered, and the entrance stood open. The six Lineages' younger disciples were all eager to get started. At the command of their respective Lineage heads, they rushed toward the entrance. Qin Yi followed behind the people from the city lord's manor. He was not moving quickly, barely keeping pace in the middle of the crowd, while Song Qingyun led his people at the very front.

As soon as Qin Yi entered, nine cave openings appeared before him. The younger disciples of each Lineage chose their own paths. Qin Yi did not follow the people from the city lord's manor; he chose a path no one else had taken.

As soon as Qin Yi entered the corridor, he steadily extended his Divine Sense ahead. Before long, a small knife appeared in his mind. A sharp light flashed in his eyes, and he pushed off with his feet, leaving afterimages in his wake.

"This is it." Qin Yi stopped and looked at the small knife floating in the passage ahead. Was it this easy? Qin Yi did not believe a treasure could be obtained so easily. He could not take risks lightly, and just then, someone came up behind him.

"Fellow Daoist, might you yield this treasure to me?" A slender man walked up behind Qin Yi.

Qin Yi's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth rose. He turned to the man and said, "I know my cultivation is low and I'm unworthy of this treasure, so I'll yield it to you, Fellow Daoist."

The man was very pleased by this. Holding his head high, he stepped forward. But just as he was about to reach the knife, vines suddenly surged out of the ground and wrapped around him. The man immediately cried out to Qin Yi for help in terror. Qin Yi paid him no mind. Just as the man was about to be dragged to the ground, Qin Yi seized the moment and charged forward. He stepped on the man's back, grabbed the knife, and used the momentum to fly across that stretch of corridor.

After Qin Yi stepped on him, the man was dragged to the ground by the vines. As they tightened around him, he was squeezed harder and harder. Before long, the vines tore his body into several pieces. Qin Yi merely turned and glanced at the man's mangled remains before continuing forward.

The corridor seemed endless, but the farther he went, the denser the Spiritual Qi became. Qin Yi also saw countless corpses in the corridor. Some were missing body parts, some had knives in their backs, and some even bore marks where beasts had torn and bitten them.

Although Qin Yi had already reached Foundation Establishment, a trace of fear of the unknown still rose in his heart as he went deeper. To be safe, he took out Cangyuan and gripped it tightly, on guard against danger that might appear around him at any moment.

"Who's there?"

Qin Yi suddenly shouted. He had just seen a figure flash past ahead, and with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, there was no way he had seen wrong. He slowed down and cautiously approached.

Suddenly, a dazzling light flashed. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself lying in bed. "Where... is this?" But as soon as Qin Yi spoke, he realized that the voice was very young. It was not his voice at all; rather, it sounded like his voice as a child!

"Is this my room?" Qin Yi looked at everything familiar before him, and memories of his childhood instantly surged into his mind.

"Yi'er, you're awake?" Just as Qin Yi thought he had fallen into an illusion, Prince Qing came in through the door.

"Father." Looking at Prince Qing, just as he remembered him, Qin Yi could not help feeling his eyes redden.

Prince Qing walked over and patted Qin Yi on the head. "So what if you don't have a Spirit Root?" he said in a deep voice. "What are you crying for? You still have the vast fortune I'll leave you. From now on, I'll stay by your side, and you can do whatever you want. When you come of age, I'll find you seven or eight wives, so you can live as happily as an immortal."

Qin Yi was stunned by Prince Qing's words. Could the nine years that followed all have been a dream? But it had been far too real. Qin Yi instinctively tried to sense the Spiritual Qi in his body, only to find that he could not sense its existence at all. Could it truly have been a good-for-nothing youth's dream of fleeting glory?