Chapter 14: The Connection Between the Gu
The cave was silent.
Too silent.
Han Feng remained hidden between two ancient stone pillars, his body completely still.
Only the faint breathing of the Mist Wolf broke the silence.
The mysterious chrysalis rested beside it.
Every few breaths, the shell emitted a faint golden glow.
Then darkness.
Gold.
Darkness.
Like a heartbeat.
Han Feng watched without blinking.
Something about the scene bothered him.
The wolf wasn't simply guarding the Gu.
It was sustaining it.
And the Gu, in return, was constantly refining the wolf's Qi.
A cycle.
A relationship that had probably existed long before Han Feng entered the cave.
But why?
What benefit did the Mist Wolf receive from raising a Gu?
Han Feng didn't have the answer.
Yet he had learned something more important.
The relationship wasn't accidental.
It was part of the cave itself.
The formations.
The Gu.
The wolf.
Everything seemed to be connected.
And somehow...
So was the Celestial Diagram.
Han Feng slowly closed his eyes.
He needed information.
Not power.
Information.
Inside his consciousness, the Celestial Diagram floated silently.
The six points of the hexagram rotated slowly.
The seventh mark remained hidden.
Han Feng focused on the Dual Chaos Larva.
The little Gu responded immediately.
A faint stream of Qi flowed through his meridians.
Han Feng didn't send it directly.
Instead, he modified it.
He allowed a small portion of the chaotic energy to mix with the orderly Qi.
Then he separated the flow into several extremely thin strands.
His control was still crude.
One mistake could destabilize the entire process.
He opened his eyes.
The chrysalis was only a few meters away.
Han Feng extended one finger.
A thread of Qi silently left his body.
It crossed the darkness.
Touched the chrysalis.
Nothing happened.
Han Feng frowned.
Then—
Pulse.
The chrysalis trembled.
A spiral pattern appeared on its surface.
Han Feng's pupils contracted.
The golden and black energies inside the Gu suddenly accelerated.
For the first time, they moved together.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
Han Feng felt a strange sensation in his consciousness.
The Celestial Diagram pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
He immediately cut the connection.
The glow vanished.
Han Feng stared at the chrysalis.
"It responded."
Not to his Qi.
To the balance inside it.
That was the difference.
The Dual Chaos Larva wasn't feeding the Gu.
It was showing the Gu how to harmonize its own energies.
Han Feng's breathing became slightly faster.
He had discovered a principle that could potentially change the way he cultivated.
But before he could investigate further—
The Mist Wolf raised its head.
Han Feng froze.
The beast's amber eyes were fixed on the darkness.
Its nose moved.
Sniff.
Sniff.
The wolf slowly stood.
A low growl vibrated through the chamber.
Han Feng's heart tightened.
It had sensed him.
Not his presence.
His energy.
The Art of the Celestial Veil concealed his aura, but it couldn't erase every trace of energy manipulation.
The wolf took one step.
Then another.
Its eyes scanned the cave.
Han Feng didn't move.
His muscles were tense.
His hand hovered near his weapon.
If the wolf attacked, he would have to respond.
But that would reveal his strength.
And the outsiders were still somewhere nearby.
A single mistake could turn the entire cave against him.
The wolf suddenly stopped.
Its gaze passed over Han Feng.
For a moment, Han Feng thought he had been discovered.
Then the creature turned away.
It returned to the chrysalis.
Han Feng released a breath so slowly that it was almost inaudible.
Too close.
Much too close.
He had underestimated the Mist Wolf.
Its perception was far more sensitive than the inherited memories suggested.
Han Feng made a mental note.
Never manipulate Qi near the Gu again unless absolutely necessary.
Then something else occurred to him.
The wolf hadn't attacked.
It had sensed the disturbance...
But it hadn't reacted with hostility.
Why?
Han Feng looked at the beast.
The answer came slowly.
Perhaps the wolf had already recognized the energy of the Dual Chaos Larva.
Perhaps it understood that Han Feng wasn't trying to harm the chrysalis.
Or perhaps...
It simply wasn't sure what he was.
Either way, that uncertainty could be useful.
Then Han Feng felt it.
A pressure.
Cold.
Sharp.
Different from the spiritual beast.
Different from the people who had entered earlier.
This presence carried the unmistakable feeling of a cultivator.
And it was approaching quickly.
Han Feng's expression became serious.
Another person?
No.
This aura was stronger.
Much stronger.
He immediately activated the Art of the Celestial Veil.
His Qi sank deep into his body.
His breathing slowed.
Every trace of his presence disappeared.
The Mist Wolf reacted as well.
Its ears stood upright.
The chrysalis stopped glowing.
The cave seemed to hold its breath.
Then footsteps echoed from the entrance.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Whoever was coming wasn't trying to hide.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
A man.
He wore a long black robe with silver markings around the sleeves.
His face was partially covered by a hood.
He stopped just inside the chamber.
The man looked around.
Then smiled.
"I knew it."
His voice was calm.
Almost pleased.
"There really is something here."
Han Feng remained completely motionless.
The man took another step.
His gaze moved toward the ancient formations.
Then toward the stone platform.
His expression changed.
Recognition.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
So he knew this place.
The man walked toward the center of the chamber.
"After all these years..."
He reached the stone platform and brushed his fingers across its surface.
"...someone finally activated the formation again."
Han Feng's heart skipped.
Activated?
When?
The man suddenly turned his head.
His gaze swept across the darkness.
Han Feng didn't move.
The man's eyes stopped for a moment in Han Feng's direction.
Silence.
Then the man looked away.
Han Feng's mind raced.
He hadn't been discovered.
Probably.
But there was another problem.
The man wasn't searching randomly.
He knew what he was looking for.
The man walked toward the chrysalis.
The Mist Wolf immediately stood between them.
Its fangs appeared.
A deep growl filled the chamber.
The stranger stopped.
A faint smile appeared beneath his hood.
"So you're still alive."
The Mist Wolf's eyes became fierce.
The man sighed.
"I suppose that makes things more complicated."
Han Feng watched silently.
The man knew the wolf.
He knew the cave.
He knew the formation.
And now...
He knew about the chrysalis.
This was no coincidence.
The stranger slowly reached inside his robe.
Han Feng's muscles tightened.
A small black token appeared between the man's fingers.
The moment the token emerged—
The Celestial Diagram inside Han Feng's consciousness violently pulsed.
Han Feng almost lost control of his breathing.
The token carried the same energy as the ancient formation.
The same energy as the chrysalis.
And, faintly...
The same energy as the seventh mark.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
So that's what you are.
A key?
A seal?
A piece of something larger?
He didn't know.
But he knew one thing.
The stranger couldn't be allowed to take the chrysalis.
Not yet.
Han Feng silently adjusted his position.
The cave had suddenly become a battlefield.
Three outsiders.
One unknown cultivator.
A wounded Mist Wolf.
An awakening Gu.
And himself.
Too many variables.
Han Feng's lips curved into the faintest smile.
He had entered the cave searching for resources.
Instead, he had found a mystery.
Now someone else had arrived to claim it.
Fine.
He could wait.
He could watch.
He could learn.
And when the right moment came...
He would take advantage of the chaos.
The man raised the black token.
The ancient formation began to glow.
Han Feng's expression became cold.
Whatever was about to happen...
The cave was about to reveal another secret.