Five days quietly passed before Rin Tianhai slowly opened his eyes.
After several days of recovery, his wounds had mostly healed, and he was ready to set out again.
Still, he had to avoid life-and-death battles as much as possible. At present, he could only exert about eighty percent of his full strength, so caution was essential.
In the year and a half since leaving the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory for Lubeck Town, his combat skills had become far more refined. Countless battles and practice allowed him to unleash various Cultivation Technique Secret Arts almost instantaneously. He had reached the peak of his current level, his fighting strength surpassing any previous time.
His cultivation had risen steadily, from the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement to the early stage of the Seventh Level.
But the Purple Cloud Mountain Range was still perilous. Many Second Order Demonic Beasts prowled within. Even if he had not yet encountered them directly, they undoubtedly existed. He had to remain vigilant, stay on the mapped path, and avoid unnecessary danger. Not every crisis could be overcome by luck alone.
After carefully studying his map and confirming his direction, Rin Tianhai pressed on.
He ignored the occasional low-grade Spirit Grass he came across and traveled with single-minded focus. The Cave Mansion Ruins were his sole goal.
Two days later, guided by the map and after cautiously evading danger many times, he arrived at the base of a mountain.
The mountain towered a thousand feet high. Its rocky slopes were mostly bare, with only a few trees clinging to the cracks and ledges.
At its base flowed a gigantic river, winding around the mountain's foot. The cascading rocks formed over a dozen waterfalls of varying size, shrouding the gorge in dense mist. The spiritual energy here was noticeably richer than the outside world, not on the level of Green Bamboo Mountain, but still enough to be considered a small paradise.
Comparing the terrain with the map several times, Rin Tianhai muttered,
"It should be this place without a doubt…"
Joy surged through him. More than ten days of arduous searching, countless brushes with danger, and multiple pursuits by Demonic Beasts had led him here. Finally, he stood before the marked location.
Yet, on the surface, it seemed ordinary. Other than the slightly denser spiritual energy, nothing distinguished it from the surrounding mountains.
He released his Divine Sense, sweeping across the entire mountain and its surroundings.
An hour passed in silence. After several thorough searches, he found nothing unusual. Expanding the search radius to over ten miles, he finally detected something.
Behind the curtain of one waterfall, faint fluctuations shimmered, subtle but undeniable. A weakened Formation Barrier.
His heart stirred. Behind it must lie the Cave Mansion.
Without hesitation, he summoned the Lubeck Sword and flew toward the waterfall.
As he passed through the curtain of water, more than ten finger-sized fish leaped from the pond below. Their scales were snow-white, their fangs razor sharp.
"Snow Spirit Fish!"
These were First Order Mid Stage Water-attribute Demonic Beasts, notorious for their ferocity. They lived in icy rivers and often swarmed in large groups. When tens of thousands gathered, even a Second Order Demonic Beast could be devoured instantly.
This group numbered just over ten, with three at the Mid Stage and the rest at the Early Stage. Still, their coordinated assault was not to be underestimated.
Rin Tianhai, still not fully recovered, dared not engage them directly. He activated a First Order Superior Defensive Talisman. A several-zhang-wide shield appeared behind him, blocking their charge.
The Snow Spirit Fish slammed into it, shattering the shield in moments. But the talisman bought him just enough time.
Forming a hand seal, he unleashed Huoyuan Slash. A streak of blue-red flame transformed into a massive sword of fire, striking directly at the barrier hidden behind the waterfall.
A resounding boom shook the gorge. The barrier trembled, and a half-zhang-wide gap opened.
Seizing the chance, Rin Tianhai's figure blurred into a shadow as he darted through the breach.
A wave of dizziness struck.
When his vision cleared, he stood inside a vast cavern—over a hundred zhang in size, carved deep into the mountain itself. Clearly, this had once been the cultivation retreat of a high-order cultivator.
Cautiously gripping the Lubeck Sword, Rin Tianhai advanced. He also pulled out his talismans, one Attack and one Defense. Keeping them ready in case of unforeseen danger.
The first chamber he entered was a ruined reception hall. Stone tables and chairs lay scattered in fragments, crumbled with age. Nothing of value remained.
He moved deeper, exploring chamber after chamber. Most had broken formations and yielded nothing noteworthy. It seems to work of those two cultivator.
Finally, he came across a room sealed by a golden light screen, a still-functioning Formation Barrier. Despite its age, its power is still far from negligible.
Rin Tianhai unleashed Huoyuan Slash again, striking the barrier. Ripples spread across the screen, but the golden light soon calmed, unshaken.
Several more attempts yielded the same result. Breaking it by brute force alone seemed impossible.
He frowned, studying the fluctuations closely. Half a day slipped by as he examined the formation. Though he failed to pinpoint its weak point, he gained some insight.
This barrier had endured for centuries, perhaps even a thousand years. Its grade was at least Third Order, or it could not have lasted so long. Though its strength had greatly waned, barely a ten-thousandth of its original power remained, it was still formidable.
Rin Tianhai judged that given more decades, or perhaps a hundred years, the central Spirit Stone sustaining it would exhaust itself, and the barrier would collapse naturally.
But he could not afford to wait that long. The opportunity was here, right before his eyes. No cultivator could walk away from such a chance.