Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Wind and Thunder Cave
"Another thirty Lower Grade Profound Stones," Ye Xuan said, placing the Profound Stones into his Storage Ring with a wide smile.
’This is a really fast way to make money.’
These Pills had been refined in a rush by Hua Luoxuan a few days ago at his request. The materials used weren’t particularly valuable, costing at most ten to twenty thousand Profound Coins, yet with a simple transaction, they had sold for a sky-high price.
Meanwhile, as the chill was dispelled, the others were shocked by the Pills Ye Xuan had produced.
As genius students of the Profound Spirit Academy, what kind of Pill hadn’t they heard of? And yet, the Pills Ye Xuan produced one after another were completely absent from their memories. In terms of effect, they were far more potent than ordinary Third Grade Pills.
’I heard this guy is from some backwater kingdom. Where did he find the connections for such useful Pills?’
As they continued on their way, the others couldn’t help but keep glancing at Ye Xuan, their curiosity piqued.
Even Qing Ling’s beautiful eyes constantly fell on Ye Xuan, sparkling brightly as if she wanted to see right through him.
But Ye Xuan’s gaze was as calm as a deep pool, making him completely inscrutable.
Not long after Ye Xuan’s group entered the cave...
SWISH!
Several figures appeared before the cave entrance.
It was none other than the Sixth Prince and his entourage.
"Your Highness, based on the residual auras, they must have entered this cave," Mosen said in a grave voice after carefully observing the surroundings.
"I can’t believe it. Eighth Brother and his group actually managed to escape the Spirit-Devouring Sword Birds’ attack. That’s quite unexpected," said the Sixth Prince, Zhao Gang, his gaze sinister.
"Your Highness, judging from the lingering aura, the Eighth Prince’s group must have been carrying some kind of high-grade beast-repellent pill. They then hid in this cave, which is how they escaped."
It was unclear what Mosen’s origins were, but he had somehow managed to deduce almost the entire sequence of events, just from the lingering scent of a pill in the air.
"Hmph. They got off easy. In that case, let’s follow them in. Let’s see what my dear Eighth Brother, with all his preparations, is really up to."
The Sixth Prince gave a wicked smile and led his men into the cave.
「Inside the cave.」
Ye Xuan and the others continued moving forward.
"Everyone, follow me. This cave is very deep, and we still have a ways to go. Fortunately, there’s no danger."
Zhao Wei said this while leading the way, but his voice had barely faded when—
SWISH!
A black shadow suddenly flashed past up ahead. It was so fast it was just a blur.
"What was that?"
Startled, everyone drew their weapons and cautiously approached the spot where the shadow had passed.
The sides of the cave were solid, jagged rock walls, but there wasn’t a single opening to be found.
"What on earth was that shadow? There are no holes here."
An inexplicable chill ran down everyone’s spine.
A black shadow had clearly streaked past right under their noses, but the stone wall offered nowhere to hide, nor were there any holes. Where could the shadow possibly have gone?
Were their eyes playing tricks on them?
To the side, Ye Xuan was also frowning.
The mysterious flash had been so swift that even he hadn’t gotten a clear look at it before it vanished down the passage.
But unlike the others, Ye Xuan was certain that the shadow was no trick of the eye. There was definitely something in this cave.
From then on, the group became even more vigilant.
Half an hour later, a series of whistling sounds suddenly came from up ahead. Along with the whistling, flashes of light flickered continuously.
"We’re here."
Zhao Wei’s eyes suddenly lit up.
"Everyone, I made it this far last time. That Lightning Mink charged into this land of wind and lightning. I believe its den must be inside. As long as we can get through here, our trip will be a success. I’ll have to ask for your full support."
Zhao Wei said, his expression excited.
Before them, the cave walls seemed to be made of some unknown material. It didn’t resemble ordinary rock; instead, it shone with a brilliant, dazzling light.
And inside this part of the cave, violent winds swept through. Within the gales, streaks of Wind Blades and flashes of lightning sparked, exuding an aura of extreme danger.
"I’ll test its power." Zuo Liu raised his longsword and walked in, his expression cold and severe.
WHOOSH!
As if sensing the presence of life, the Wind Blades within suddenly went wild. SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! Countless Wind Blades, like sharp saber flashes, shot toward Zuo Liu like lightning.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Zuo Liu’s longsword danced, incomparably sharp, transforming into a dream-like sword shadow. In an instant, he shattered the dozen or so Wind Blades that swirled toward him.
But there were too many of them. PFFT! A Wind Blade, appearing from nowhere, sliced across Zuo Liu’s chest at a bizarre angle.
Zuo Liu’s face went pale. The green robe over his chest was torn open, revealing a bleeding wound.
He hastily retreated.
CRACKLE!
Another bolt of lightning struck down. It was so fast that there was no time to react. In a flash, Zuo Liu stumbled, a scorched-black wound already on his shoulder.
His face a mask of terror, Zuo Liu retreated hastily, exiting the wind-and-lightning cave before the next wave of attacks could land. He immediately sat cross-legged to treat his wounds.
Everyone’s expression changed drastically. "Your Highness, the power in there is terrifying! With just the few of us, I’m afraid we won’t get far before we all die inside."
In terms of strength, Zuo Liu was one of the best among them. If even he couldn’t get far, what hope did the others have?
Moreover, although Zuo Liu was only a Martial Master Third Layer, as one of the kingdom’s top geniuses, killing those at a higher level was not difficult for him. His defenses were definitely on par with a First Layer Earth Martial Artist.
But even with such Profound Qi and defense, he couldn’t withstand the Wind Blades and lightning.
This showed that the power of any single Wind Blade or bolt of lightning was equivalent to a full-powered strike from a First Layer Earth Martial Artist. It was not to be underestimated.
Zhao Wei was also startled.
’The power of this wind-and-lightning cave seems much stronger than last time.’
The last time he was here, he had charged into the wind-and-lightning cave and advanced a hundred meters before he could no longer hold on and had to retreat.
But just now, even Zuo Liu had only managed about ten meters. This was beyond his expectations.
But there wasn’t the slightest hint of worry on his face. He smiled and said, "Everyone, rest assured. I wouldn’t ask you to risk your lives."
As he spoke, he suddenly took out an Array Disc.
"This Array Disc was specially commissioned from an Array Master a few days ago. It’s called the Six-in-One Unification Array. It can perfectly combine the power of the six of us into a single entity to defend against external attacks. More importantly, this is a mobile Array. With our combined strength, not even a Third Layer Earth Martial Artist would be able to break through it easily. Entering this cave will be no problem at all."
As Zhao Wei spoke, he abruptly activated the Array Disc.
BUZZ!
A hazy light radiated outward, enveloping everyone within.
"The Six-in-One Unification Array is divided into six array eyes. Three are external, serving as the core of the Array’s power. Two are internal, responsible for distributing and regulating the Array’s power. The last one is the central core, which controls the operation of the entire Array."
"The external positions are on the outermost side, making them the most dangerous but also the most important. They need to be held by our strongest members. Qing Ling, Zuo Liu, Ye Xuan—I’ll entrust these three positions to you. Any objections?"
"No objections," Zuo Liu said, standing up. His injuries weren’t serious, and with the help of a Pill, he had mostly recovered in a short time.
"I have no objections either," Qing Ling said with a faint smile.
Ye Xuan simply shook his head, indicating he had no objections either.
’After spending this time together, I can see that this Zhao Wei doesn’t have a shred of a Prince’s arrogance. He’s very easy to get along with. When we encountered danger before, he didn’t turn tail and run. And with this Six-in-One Unification Array, he explained everything clearly, telling the three of us that our positions were the most dangerous. He didn’t hide a thing. A person like that is worth befriending.’
"Excellent." A trace of joy appeared on Zhao Wei’s face. "Then the two internal array eyes, Fu Yuling, Duan Ren, are yours. I will personally control the final core that operates the Array. Here are the incantations and methods for its control. Familiarize yourselves with them. We’ll run a drill, and then we’ll enter the cave."
The methods and incantations were transmitted into everyone’s minds. Zuo Liu and the others immediately began to listen carefully and study them.
Afterward, the group began to practice. At first, they were clumsy. Fu Yuling and Duan Ren, in particular, made frequent mistakes, causing the Array’s power to fluctuate. But gradually, the two of them became more proficient.
As for the others, it went without saying for Zhao Wei; he was already as familiar with the Six-in-One Unification Array as one could be.
Qing Ling, aside from being a little rusty on her first try, was like a fish in water within a few short minutes, operating her position with ease.
Zuo Liu was slightly less adept than Qing Ling, but he was still astonishingly talented. Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he was no longer making any mistakes.
It was Ye Xuan, however, who surprised everyone once again.
From his very first attempt, he was like a bedrock, holding his position firmly. Throughout the entire process, he was steady and stable. There were no flashy displays, but there also wasn’t a single mistake, which made the others watch him repeatedly.
’Is this kid really from some backwater kingdom?’
’How could he be so accomplished with Arrays? Or has he seen this Six-in-One Unification Array before?’
Doubts filled everyone’s hearts.
Little did they know, to Ye Xuan, this Six-in-One Unification Array was child’s play. Even if he controlled it with his eyes closed, he would never make the slightest mistake.
But despite their surprise, everyone continued to practice earnestly, carefully studying their roles.
After practicing for a little less than half an hour, the group was able to maintain the power of the Six-in-One Unification Array at a consistent level.
"Alright, let’s move out."
With a low shout from Zhao Wei, the group entered the wind-and-lightning cave together.
CRACKLE! SIZZLE!
Countless Wind Blades and lightning bolts, sensing the presence of life, suddenly swarmed toward them, striking the Array’s light barrier and creating faint popping sounds.
