Another Path
"Tsk, it still won't open." Kang Dabao frowned. Three days had passed since he rescued Qi Buxiu, and the last stone door was still completely unmoved.
It wasn't that Yuan Xiyue was shirking her duties; even with Kang, Jiang, and Zhang putting in their best efforts, they were still unable to defeat her.
Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't help but feel anxious. Everyone knew that the most crucial part of the Mountain-Viewing cave abode was the Moonlight Palace. If they missed the opportunity, they wouldn't be able to enter the Moonlight Palace.
As for whether he can acquire the next round of Bright Moon Token, Kang Dabao has little confidence.
"Senior Brother, there's no other way. We can only start with that spiritual spring," Jiang Qing said softly, his brow furrowed with worry.
Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Kang Da turned his gaze back to the spiritual spring, which had become even shallower.
Although he was tempted, he felt that Jiang Qing's idea might not be feasible. After all, that White-Armored Land Tortoise had been trapped here for who knows how many years. If it could connect to the Jade Lake from this spiritual spring, how could it possibly remain here in vain?
However, Kang Dabao initially thought that the spiritual spring was very shallow, but Jiang Qing and the other person, who came down from the underground river under Jade Lake, rejected Sect Leader Kang Da's guess.
This sacred spring is clearly connected to other water systems within the Mountain-Viewing cave abode, and is not an independent water vein.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang and I were being chased by a group of water beasts. With no other option, we plunged into that underground river. The river's system was quite complex; after shaking off many of the water beasts, we finally found this exit."
After Jiang Qing briefly recounted his arrival at the stone chamber, Kang Dabao, at a loss, set his sights on the spiritual spring.
He said in a deep voice, "Let's give it a try, but I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Yuan to go first."
Yuan Xiyue didn't want to say another word at this moment. She lowered her beautiful eyes and entered the spring alone. The beauty remained motionless in the spring for a long time. Even the Sect Leader Kang Da thought that she was trying to escape or had been swallowed by the water beast left in the underground river. Just as he was about to cast a spell to try, he saw a beautiful figure emerge from the water.
"This spiritual spring doesn't look very deep, but as Fellow Daoist Jiang said, its sewers are actually quite complex. However, as long as you explore at your own pace, it's not difficult to find out. There are at least four exits, and the Jade Lake you three visited earlier is just one of them."
I saw that place clearly; it was quite strange. Coming from the Jade Lake was unimpeded, but going in the opposite direction was blocked by a powerful barrier that I alone could not possibly break through.
It seems the White-Armored Land Tortoise is trapped here because it is unable to break through the barrier on its own. Besides this, there are three other places where barriers also block the way, and all of them are three times more powerful than the barriers leading to that Jade Lake.
In the few days since the eldest daughter of the Yuan Household entered the Mountain-Viewing cave abode, she has been trained by the Sect Leader Kang Da. She is very skilled at scouting and has found out so much about the place after only one trip.
"I see," Zhang Qingran thought to herself, praising the Mountain-Viewing Cave as something far superior to any ordinary Golden Core cultivator's abode.
After taking the medicine prepared for her lover by two female cultivators of extraordinary status, Qi Buxiu Fei Shuhe and Chu Yanran, Qi Buxiu's injuries had mostly healed.
Upon hearing Yuan Xiyue's words, the old cultivator also spoke up to advise, "Fellow Daoist Kang, in my opinion, shouldn't we seek the best course of action? After all, we've been in the cave for nearly five days, and the bells of the Moonlight Palace have mostly stopped ringing, so we can't enter any further."
Qi has finally seen things clearly. While the Mountain-Viewing Cave is indeed a blessed place, it is far too dangerous for a weak person like Qi. Why not just wait for the cave abode to close, and we can safely teleport out?"
"How about we put Master Qi in the stone chamber first?" Kang Dabao frowned slightly. He certainly wouldn't agree to Master Qi's pathetic suggestion.
Before he could even speak, Zhang Qingran said, "Fellow Daoist Qi, there's no need to worry. Just enter my Spirit Artifact as before. Now that there are two more fellow Daoists here, I'm confident I can ensure your safety."
"Then so be it." Sect Leader Kang Da made the decisive move; he couldn't allow this old cultivator to hold him back. They'd come all this way to this Baoshan; how could they leave empty-handed?
Qi Buxiu a pained expression, was taken into the Spirit Artifact by Zhang Qingran to recuperate peacefully. The other four discussed the matter again, and finally Kang Dabao made the final decision. "Let's play it safe and go back to Jade Lake first. This stone chamber has never been recorded before, and who knows what kind of dangerous places lie behind the other two restrictions?! Let's go back to Jade Lake and take the usual route to the Moonlight Palace!"
"Senior Brother, no one has ever recorded anything about that Jade Lake before," Jiang Qing said as straightforwardly as ever.
Sect Leader Kang Da was almost speechless with shock when Zhang Qingran chimed in at the right moment. "What Sect Leader Kang said is wise and experienced. We should go back to Jade Lake first; it can't be wrong."
Previously, both Fellow Daoist Jiang and I were able to return safely from Jade Lake. Now, with the addition of Sect Leader Kang and Fellow Daoist Yuan, we should be able to protect ourselves even if we encounter that 'Spirit Awakening' Demon Beast again."
Yuan Xiyue showed no emotion on her face. Her life and death were now entirely in Kang Dabao's hands, so she naturally wouldn't object to what the latter said.
The four entered the spring one after another, and only then did Sect Leader Kang Da realize that it was absolutely impossible to drain the spiritual spring using only the water-storing magical Law Artifact he had collected from the others.
"Good heavens, if my Little Qi lived here for a few hundred years, it might even become Third Tier Demon Beast. But why don't the other aquatic beasts in this Jade Lake know to come here, given how wonderful the place is?"
Even if only one or two aquatic beasts come each year, over time, there shouldn't be only one White-Armored Land Tortoise guarding the place, right?
Kang Dabao was surprised for a moment. After traveling for about half an hour and killing three or four first and second-tier water beasts, he arrived at the restriction leading to the Jade Lake that Yuan Xiyue had mentioned.
With a "bang," waves surged up as Jiang Qing's White Dew Sword carved a deep mark on the barrier before returning to his hand.
"Hmph, Fellow Daoist Yuan is right. This restriction is indeed Non-Self can break alone." Zhang Qingran's beautiful eyes lingered on Yuan Xiyue for a moment as she spoke.
Having been captured alive by Yuan Feng, she had little goodwill towards the Jingnan Yuan Clan. Therefore, if she could get some interest from Yuan Xiyue, the eldest daughter of the Yuan Household, after escaping, that would be ideal.
However, the time is not yet ripe, and her plans still depend on Kang Dabao, so she can only hide these thoughts for now.
"I'll capture you sooner or later and keep you in Chongmingzong Temple to be defiled by the Chongming Sect Kang Dabao! That will vent my hatred! Let's see what your Yuan Household will use to serve the temple's abbot then!"
A flash of malevolence crossed Zhang Qingran's eyes, but she quickly adopted a composed demeanor, parted the waterway, and gracefully moved in front of Kang Dabao, suggesting, "Sect Leader Kang, let's give it our all."
"Fellow Daoist is absolutely right. Please, everyone, do not hold back and give it your all!"