Chapter 49 Teaming Up

Once again, he stepped onto the eighth floor of the mansion.

The boundless marshes remained as endless as ever. Beneath the dim sky, a pale green haze reeking of decay hovered above the muddy ground, lending the landscape an eerie, sinister air. He moved forward, carefully treading on the driest patches of earth, avoiding the dark brown pools that breathed green bubbles. Occasionally, a few solitary clumps of water grass would sway, disturbed by the ripples of those bubbling waters. In their shadowy motion, the surface would reveal glimpses of strange, stubby fish, their tiny mouths rising greedily above the water to breathe the outside air.

Unknowingly, Liu Junhuai had been traveling for several hours. According to the map, the entrance to the ninth level was less than ten miles away.

His caution had taken a toll on his spiritual energy. The mental strain left him somewhat fatigued. Now, the path to the ninth floor lay separated by a vast and damp marsh, where shrubs and floating patches of earth would occasionally sink or rise from the mire. Amid the misty, pale green fog, the occasional beastly roar echoed, as if proclaiming this place the domain of fierce creatures.

Scanning his surroundings, Liu Junhuai frowned. Thirty yards ahead, dozens of massive gray-brown clumps writhed. Probing with his celestial sense beneath the water’s surface, he realized these were the backs of swamp monsters: the Scarlet Flame Green Crocodiles.

These monsters ranged from the third to fifth tier, currently competing over blood-red chunks of flesh. Fifth-tier monsters were equivalent to the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, and nearly ten of them were present—far beyond Liu Junhuai's ability to contend with.

Fortunately, he was still thirty yards away, and they hadn't noticed him. On the other side, about twenty or thirty yards from the crocodiles, a patch of shrubs offered an alternate route. Liu Junhuai decided to shift to that path.

Carefully leaping over several small pools, he entered the thicket. As soon as he stepped into the shrubs, a sense of danger flashed in his mind. Probing the marsh with his celestial sense, he discovered a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator concealed beneath a shrub behind him.

Rather than panic, Liu Junhuai grew calm. The two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators had always made him uneasy; now that one had finally appeared, he felt his anxiety diminish.

Instantly channeling his true essence, he did not pause at his feet, stepping into the thicket.

The hidden figure finally made his move. He emerged from the shrub and leaped into the air, thrusting a gilded spear straight at Liu Junhuai’s back. The spearhead radiated a foot-long white glow, slicing through the pale green mist with a hiss.

When the spear glow was only a few feet away, Liu Junhuai instantly teleported a yard aside, his Five Elements Chaotic Blade sweeping toward the late-stage cultivator. The opponent reacted swiftly, dropping downward and drawing his spear horizontally to block.

The blade’s aura struck the spear shaft with a sharp sound, leaving a white mark along the gilded shaft.

The late-stage cultivator was secretly astonished. For a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, Liu Junhuai’s reflexes were remarkably sharp, and his blade was ferocious; merely its aura had damaged his spear.

Liu Junhuai, too, was wary. The late-stage cultivator’s strength was undeniable—his Five Elements Chaotic Blade had failed to gain the upper hand.

He had already resolved to deal with this opponent here, so his teleportation ability was not deployed to its fullest.

As he pondered, the gilded spear attacked again.

Liu Junhuai dodged aside using the Shadowstream Step, his blade intercepting the spear.

The opponent sneered inwardly, switching to wield the spear one-handed while throwing a beam of light at Liu Junhuai’s face with the other.

Seeing no way to evade, Liu Junhuai teleported sideways three feet, barely avoiding the blade.

The late-stage cultivator clearly hadn’t expected Liu Junhuai’s sudden movement; in a moment of confusion, Liu Junhuai was behind him.

Without turning, the cultivator charged forward a few steps, leaping and executing a lightning-fast backward spear strike.

Liu Junhuai’s blade swung defensively, while his Celestial Sense Cutting Technique silently lashed at the opponent’s legs.

As the cultivator descended, he swept his spear horizontally, but suddenly felt a sharp pain—his right foot had been severed.

Before he could cry out, the Godslayer Spear surged from Liu Junhuai’s mind, flashing through his chest and emerging from his back.

The late-stage cultivator collapsed, never comprehending the source of Liu Junhuai’s final two attacks, his eyes wide with terror until his consciousness faded.

Collecting the storage ring and gilded spear, Liu Junhuai teleported a hundred yards away.

In a breath, two fifth-tier Scarlet Flame Green Crocodiles thundered into the spot where Liu Junhuai had vanished.

Repeated teleportations had greatly depleted his true essence. He stowed the Godslayer Spear, released his celestial sense for vigilance, and sat cross-legged to practice the Nine Transformations Heart Technique, rapidly restoring his energy.

The late-stage cultivator’s trap had not been crude, but Liu Junhuai’s celestial sense was far beyond ordinary, and his teleportation ability gave him a decisive edge. He felt the man’s death was most unfortunate.

He did not know which of the two cultivators he had slain, so his vigilance was not fully relaxed.

Perhaps another ambush awaited him at the ninth floor’s entrance.

Liu Junhuai doubted anyone had entered the ninth floor yet. He was confident in his newly mastered Cutting Technique.

He feared no cultivator below Nascent Soul stage.

Defeating sixth-tier monsters, though relying mainly on ambush tactics, had been crucial in building his confidence.

Still pondering the late-stage cultivator’s origins, Liu Junhuai retrieved the newly acquired storage ring.

The ring contained few spirit stones, but most were of high quality, suggesting the owner’s family or sect held considerable status.

There were few weapons, but several short cold iron daggers, reminiscent of the attack he had just evaded, were exquisitely crafted.

The ring held abundant medicinal herbs and materials. Among them, Liu Junhuai found two rare treasures: Brocade Lantern and Wooden Butterfly. There was also a watermelon-sized chunk of Cold Marrow Scale, prized for treating poison injuries; it could even heal spiritual damage, though less effectively. These must have been the cultivator’s spoils from the mansion.

Finally, a jade token confirmed the deceased’s identity.

Examining the token, Liu Junhuai saw the characters "Wu Ling" engraved, confirming the dead man was the cultivator called Xia Cangshu.

A careful inspection revealed no spiritual marks or imprints on the token, so Liu Junhuai casually stowed all the miscellaneous items.

With the entrance to the ninth floor now close at hand, Liu Junhuai rose, fully recovered, and walked toward it.

The ninth floor’s entrance lay at the outermost edge of the marsh, surrounded by heaps of massive gray-brown stones. Probing with celestial sense, Liu Junhuai found no sign of cultivators nearby.

He stepped into the entrance, built from countless huge rocks, and his celestial sense finally detected a figure speeding toward him dozens of yards away.

It must be the remaining late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, Liu Junhuai thought.

In moments, the cultivator rushed into the entrance.

He clasped his hands toward Liu Junhuai and caught his breath, saying, “You’re fast, my friend. I merely circled the Scarlet Flame Green Crocodiles, yet you arrived ahead of me.”

Liu Junhuai answered frankly, “It seems you also discovered the trap. Your observational skills surpass mine—I only noticed it after stepping into the thicket.”

“So you’ve already dealt with Xia Cangshu of Wu Ling Sect? Good. He ambushed me several times; that trap was meant for me. Sorry you had to encounter it.” The cultivator sounded somewhat apologetic.

“No matter. This place is fraught with danger. I am Liu Junhuai, a wandering cultivator. May I ask which sect you belong to?”

The cultivator replied promptly, “I am Bian Jizhong, also a wanderer from Dayuan Kingdom in the Yunluo Mountains. You’re young, but exceptionally skilled.”

“You flatter me. It seems only the two of us have reached this place since the mansion opened. Will you enter the ninth floor?” Liu Junhuai asked.

Bian Jizhong laughed, “I expended two family heirloom golden armors to get here. I can’t continue further. If you wish to try, by all means—once in a century, there may be great fortune.”

Liu Junhuai took a liking to Bian Jizhong. “I’d like to try, though I fear my abilities may be insufficient.”

After a moment’s thought, Liu Junhuai added, “If you’re willing, perhaps we could join forces for one more attempt. With only one day left before the mansion closes, we won’t waste much time.”

Bian Jizhong hesitated, then said, “If I hesitate further, Brother Liu will surely laugh at me. Let’s try. But if I can’t keep up, don’t worry about me—just go ahead alone.”

Liu Junhuai smiled. “No need to delay any longer. To be candid, I’ve mastered a technique that may prove useful. Let’s go.”

With that, the two approached the steps leading to the ninth floor.