Chapter 135: Chapter 134: Mysterious Cave Entrance
The Black Vulture’s sharp eyes reflected a cold glint. It stared intently at Wen Qingye, circling endlessly in the sky as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Wen Qingye saw his chance and quickly moved toward the dark forest in the distance. If he could take cover in the gloomy woods, the Black Vulture would be severely hindered.
The Black Vulture, realizing Wen Qingye was trying to escape, began to descend, swooping low before thrusting its talons downward.
Wen Qingye felt a sharp gale approaching from behind and knew he was in trouble. Without a moment’s hesitation, he drew the Cyan Mist Sword, gripped the hilt with both hands, and swung it fiercely behind him.
"BANG!"
A powerful gust of wind erupted from the point of impact between Wen Qingye and the Black Vulture.
The Cyan Mist Sword clashed with the Black Vulture’s sharp talons. Wen Qingye immediately felt a tremendous force surge through his arms, sending him flying back dozens of meters.
The Black Vulture flapped its wings furiously, whipping up a violent gale. Its talons, however, had been cut by the Cyan Mist Sword, and a thin line of blood appeared.
Demon Beasts of the same rank are generally very powerful. While they may lack diverse attack techniques, they possess innate advantages like powerful bodies and ferocious temperaments.
Of course, a human possessing both would be even more terrifying!
A searing pain shot through Wen Qingye’s arm, and his bones felt as if they’d been rattled loose. He knew he was no match for this Black Vulture. Scrambling to his feet, he sprinted toward the dark woods.
The Black Vulture wasn’t about to let Wen Qingye escape just like that. Once he reached the dark forest, its dense foliage would make it difficult for the creature’s massive body to maneuver and kill him.
The Black Vulture shot forward like a streak of black light, fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, it was right behind Wen Qingye. He knew the beast was fast, but he hadn’t expected it to be *this* fast. He instantly pivoted and dodged to the side.
Crushed stone and dust flew up in its wake.
The Black Vulture zipped past, nearly grazing Wen Qingye. Seeing its exposed back, Wen Qingye swung the Cyan Mist Sword once more.
"Bright Moon in the Sky!"
Several streams of Sword Qi erupted from the blade, converging to form a crescent moon that slashed toward the Black Vulture’s back.
"THWACK! THWACK!"
The Sword Qi struck the Black Vulture’s back repeatedly. Feathers flew everywhere, but a closer look revealed the attack hadn’t even broken the skin, let alone damaged bone.
Birds are extremely protective of their plumage, and the Black Vulture was no exception. Seeing its feathers shorn by Wen Qingye, it flew into a rage and swung a massive wing.
A massive ripple of Primordial Qi tore through the air. A blade-like wave of energy, carrying an immense, boundless aura, swept toward Wen Qingye.
"Bright Moon Lament!"
Wen Qingye held the Cyan Mist Sword horizontally before his chest. The Sword Body erupted with a brilliant, moon-white light that brightly illuminated his face.
"WHOOSH!"
A massive wave of Sword Qi shot forward, and the two attacks collided violently in midair. The impact of the Primordial Qi created shockwaves that rippled outward in all directions.
Seizing the opportunity, Wen Qingye bolted toward the depths of the gloomy forest.
The Black Vulture saw Wen Qingye fleeing and, with a powerful beat of its wings, charged after him once more.
Wen Qingye pushed himself to the limit, using every last bit of his strength. He wasn’t far from the forest to begin with, and with one last burst of speed, he finally plunged into the trees.
"CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!"
The Black Vulture’s massive body crashed into the forest. Its wings were like scythes, felling trees in rows.
Wen Qingye sneered at the Black Vulture. ’Even if it keeps chasing me, these trees will slow it down significantly.’
The Black Vulture stared fixedly as Wen Qingye vanished from its line of sight. Finally, with great reluctance, it flew back into the sky and began to circle above.
Now deep within the forest, Wen Qingye finally took a moment to observe his surroundings.
Silence. It was completely, eerily quiet.
There was no wind, no rustle of falling leaves, no chirping of insects or calls of birds—only an ethereal stillness.
Wen Qingye immediately sensed something was amiss. ’This place is anything but simple.’
Wen Qingye advanced cautiously. The sound of his footsteps, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, on the dry leaves echoed through the woods.
"CRACK!"
Suddenly, Wen Qingye felt something hard underfoot. Frowning, he looked down and saw something stark white on the ground.
Wen Qingye took a closer look. It was a human leg bone.
Wen Qingye searched the surrounding area but found no other remains. He found it strange. ’Why is there only a single leg bone here? Where are the rest of the bones?’
The situation felt increasingly strange and eerie to Wen Qingye. An inexplicable pressure began to bear down on him, assaulting his Primordial Spirit. Even with his powerful Primordial Spirit, he felt a suppressive force, a testament to the pressure’s extraordinary nature. He continued forward, though his pace grew slower and slower.
As he walked, the oppressive feeling grew stronger. ’This sensation...’ he thought, ’I feel like I’ve experienced it somewhere before.’
Wen Qingye’s expression hardened. He finally understood. ’This place is truly dangerous.’
The farther he went, the stronger the oppressive feeling became. It battered the depths of his soul, as if trying to force him to submit.
Suddenly, something different appeared up ahead—a patch of complete darkness. As Wen Qingye drew closer, he saw it was a black cliff face, overgrown with wild grass and covered in a dense thicket of ivy.
Beside the cliff face was a massive cave entrance. Next to it were marks that looked remarkably like teeth marks.
’Judging by the looks of it, this cave wasn’t originally part of the cliff face. It seems like some Demon Beast simply tore it open.’
Wen Qingye walked up to the rock wall and touched its black surface, a jolt of shock running through him.
’Profound Stone!’
Profound Stone was an incredibly hard rock, terrifyingly so. Even if Wen Qingye were to strike it with his sword, he would at most leave a white scratch. Yet the Profound Stone before him looked as if it had been cleanly sliced open. This absolutely astonished him.
’This Demon Beast is no simple creature,’ he thought. ’Its teeth can slice through Profound Stone like butter. If I ran into it with my current strength, it would be a one-way trip.’ Staring at the cave entrance, Wen Qingye fell into deep thought.
The cave entrance was dark and deep, obscuring whatever lay within. The unknown held a certain allure, yet also a palpable sense of danger. ’What could be in there?’ The question made him hesitate.
Wen Qingye suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Since I’m already here, there’s no sense in turning back. When did I become so cowardly?"
With that said, he walked toward the mouth of the cave.
