A few breaths later, the view ahead suddenly widened.
They burst out of the narrow passage and stumbled into a massive underground cavern. Cracks in the ceiling let in a few slivers of daylight. It was still dim, but far brighter than the tunnel behind them.
The swarm of Corrupted Blood Crawlers chasing them screeched in frustration when they reached the cavern entrance. It was as if something invisible blocked their way. The swarm hissed and writhed but didn't dare take another step forward, then receded like a retreating tide.
The two women stood at the entrance, breathing hard as they watched the swarm withdraw, their hearts still pounding.
They were safe for now.
But before they had a chance to relax, the cavern's strange interior caught their attention.
This place was smaller than the previous one and had no pool in the center. Instead, several broken stone statues stood scattered across the floor, all covered in moss.
The statues were twisted and bizarre, not shaped like humans. They looked like something between vines and beasts, contorted into unnatural forms.
At the far end of the cavern, three pitch black openings gaped at them.
Each one radiated a different aura.
The left opening was icy cold, faint crystals forming around its edges. The right one shimmered in heat, the air rippling from the temperature. The center opening looked plain, but the faint, steady airflow they sensed earlier drifted out from it.
Three choices.
And only one might lead to survival. Or maybe all of them led to death.
The cavern was silent. Neither spoke. Both cautiously extended their divine sense, but something inside the tunnels blocked their probing. They couldn't see far enough to judge where any of them led.
"What does Elder Mo think?" Elder Chou finally asked, her voice hoarse in a way most people wouldn't notice.
She looked at Xie Zhaolin with a complicated expression. After that battle earlier, she had to admit this Elder Mo's strength and decisiveness far exceeded her expectations.
Xie Zhaolin didn't answer right away. She slowly swept her gaze over the three twisted statues, then over the three tunnels.
Suddenly, she paused at the base of one statue.
Something was carved there, almost completely swallowed by moss. She shifted her weight and stepped closer, letting the tail of her Jingxiao Ribbon brush the stone and scatter some moss away.
Three symbols emerged. They weren't words, just simple carvings. A flame. A snowflake. And a twisted root like shape.
Flame for the hot tunnel. Snowflake for the cold tunnel. The root like line… for the airflow tunnel?
What did it mean? Was it guiding them toward the right path or pushing them into a trap?
Xie Zhaolin's thoughts raced.
She remembered the colossal root creature outside, and the dead vine like carcass they'd passed in the earlier cavern. That twisted root line… could it be connected to them?
"The middle one," Xie Zhaolin said suddenly. Her voice was firm. She pointed at the airflow tunnel.
Elder Chou blinked. "Why? What's your reasoning?" She had also seen the symbols but couldn't interpret them.
"Instinct," Xie Zhaolin said with a faint tone, not mentioning the carvings. She wouldn't share a discovery she wasn't fully sure about. "If you don't trust me, pick the other way."
There was a clear distance and test in her tone.
Elder Chou's eyes flickered. She studied Xie Zhaolin's face, searching for something, but the other's expression stayed calm.
After a few breaths of silence, Elder Chou laughed softly, though the smile never reached her eyes. "Since Elder Mo is so certain, I'll follow your lead. Let's hope your instinct is sharp enough."
She chose to follow.
Not because she trusted her, but because it was the safer choice. Venturing into the unknown alone was too dangerous. Following someone strong gave her an extra layer of protection.
As for the clues… she had her own methods.
Their opinions aligned for now.
They rested briefly, then walked toward the center tunnel, one in front and one behind.
The passage was narrow like before, but the airflow grew stronger. It carried a faint herbal fragrance, nothing like the earthy smell they'd been surrounded by.
The sudden freshness made both of them more alert.
The passage spiraled downward. After about the time it took for one incense stick to burn, a faint light appeared ahead. It wasn't sunlight, but a soft glow like gentle moonlight.
The fragrance became richer, almost refreshing their minds.
"There's light up ahead," Elder Chou whispered. Her voice trembled with wonder and suspicion.
Xie Zhaolin nodded slightly and slowed her pace. Jingxiao Ribbon trembled in front of her, ready for anything.
When they finally stepped out of the passage, both gasped.
A completely new cavern stretched out before them.
The ceiling was embedded with countless moon white crystals that lit up the entire space.
At the center was a small pool. The water was so clear they could see the bottom. It radiated a vibrant life force. Beside the pool grew a tiny tree, barely one person tall.
Its body gleamed green like carved jade. Three silver fruits, each the size of a longan, hung from its branches. They were crystal clear and released a mesmerizing fragrance.
That refreshing scent definitely came from them.
"Is that… a Yuehua Soul Infant Fruit?" Elder Chou couldn't hold back. Her voice cracked with disbelief, excitement, and greed.
This treasure nourished the Primordial Soul and aided breakthroughs toward the Nascent Soul path. Judging by the glow, it had matured for at least a thousand years.
But Xie Zhaolin's expression darkened instead of brightening. Her gaze passed over the fruits and landed on the rock wall behind the small tree.
Faint lines shaped like tangled roots formed a massive, blurry face.
A familiar, terrifying pressure was waking from within the rock.
Not good.
They'd walked right into a trap.
The fruit was bait.
This was another nest, connected to the root giant outside.
"Back!" Xie Zhaolin shouted and yanked Elder Chou, who had already stepped forward to pick the fruit.
But it was too late.
The cavern shook violently. The moon white crystals embedded above blazed brighter, their gentle glow turning harsh. A crushing force spread through the space and froze everything in place.
Both women felt their bodies tighten. Their speed plummeted. Even their spiritual power turned sluggish.
Crack… crackle… crack…
Sickening cracking sounds echoed from the walls as the massive root face wriggled. Its stone features shifted, and it opened two hollow eye sockets.
Inside them, two flames flared to life, burning an eerie green.
A strange force surged straight toward their sea of consciousness.