Mysterious Cave

-FROZEN LAKE SECT'S INNER SOUTHERN FOREST TERRITORY-

/Bo Chong Zi 22

Frozen Lake Sect Outer Disciple

Fifth Layer of Body Refining Realm

Fourth Layer of Innate Energy Realm/

I looked at Sheng Kai as we're in deep trouble. There are five of them and not only that, they're from the Bo family. She should know by now that they bring trouble for our family.

"Scram, you assholes." Sheng Kai turned around and started gathering materials again. She sure got some balls than I do to even say such words. I hope they won't bother me too.

"What did you just say?!" Oh, God. He's triggered. He looks like his eyes are about to pop out due to anger.

"I think she said, scram, you-"

"I know what she said, you idiot! I didn't say you should repeat it! Damn it! I'm surrounded by morons!" You got that right. Still, I need to stick with Sheng Kai.

"Hey, bitch! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Oh man, this guy should calm the hell down.

"What did you just call me? You, little shit?!" Wait... Sheng Kai seems to be not afraid of them... There are five of them. I just don't get where she gets this kind of self-confidence.

"Uhhh... Hey! Shut your mouth! I'm from the Bo Family! If you dare talk to me like that again!" It looks like he's scared of Sheng Kai... I didn't know Sheng Kai could make them back off.

"What?! You'll tell your father? Can't you just fight me by yourself? I don't care who you are. If you disturb me, I'll make sure you get what you deserve!" Then she released flames out of her hands to intimidate them. Even with 2% comprehension of the law of fire, she could easily manipulate it.

"Boss, let's just go. I don't think we stand a chance against her..." For real? Even five of them won't stand a chance against her alone? She must be stronger than I thought.

"I'll never forget about this, Junior Liu Sheng Kai. Let's go." I guess that's it. They left and I could tell that they're really angry but they couldn't do anything. Their pride suddenly shrank upon seeing her using the law of fire.

Man, even a senior couldn't fight his junior. She must be a genius or something.

"Don't mind them. Focus on the task you are given. If possible, I don't want to meet them again."

"Copy that." I better do what she says. It will get dark soon.

"Make sure you don't go too far. This place is protected from monsters as high realm cultivators hunt here every day. Still, be careful." I nodded. Monsters huh... I haven't seen one and I better not see one today.

Man, this place is almost empty. We've gathered too much already but I feel like I want more. I looked back and it seems I couldn't find her. She must have gathered someplace else. I should go back to our little camp.

*SWOOSH!* What was that?!

I swiftly looked around but there's no one here. Though, I feel like I'm being drawn somewhere. This feeling... It's weird. It's like I'm being watched.

...

Somehow... I followed that strange feeling and it's getting stronger. My heart beats faster than before and my sweat feels cold.

Shit... before I knew it... I'm lost... How did I end up here?! I should get back!

I looked back but... this place... it's unfamiliar. I walked around but it feels like I'm walking in circles... Damn it! I'm lost! No... I'm quite sure I know my way back, there must be a reason why I can't go back.

I heard that arrays could also make illusions. If I'm trapped in an illusion, I don't think I have the ability to get out of here so instead, I walked where I feel this weird feeling.

-MYSTERIOUS CAVE-

I'm in front of some sort of cave...

I'm scared but I'm also curious about what's inside this cave. I checked the entrance but I couldn't see any recent activities. I might be the first one to come to this place for a very long time. Uhh... should I enter?

If I'm just lost, then this place might be a monster territory. If that's the case, then I will die if I enter... but... I haven't been too far. Hunters should have cleaned this place already. I am certain that this place is not ordinary at all and if I don't get back, Sheng Kai would definitely kill me!

Well, I'm already lost, maybe I could make the best out of it.

To the cave!

...

I entered the cave but man, this place is dark! It would be nice if I know how to use the law of fire. I have no choice but to use some materials I gathered and firestone to create a lousy small torch. It's good enough I guess.

As I walk slowly, I could tell that there's nothing here, not even a slight sign of life around. I am worried about nothing. I might be being paranoid because this is my first time going out of the sect.

Wait... Deadend already? This isn't a cave at all. This place is probably made by accident due to earthquakes and stuff. I should just... wait-

"What the fuck?!" Before I knew it, I'm already on the floor as I've lost my balance from surprise! That's a skull! It's a human skeleton! It should be dead for a very long time that I didn't smell anything dead.

Fuck. Fuck... I should get the fuck out of here! This place must be some kind of tomb or something! Time to head back!

Uhhh... wait?! Did I look at a different angle? Where the hell is the entrance?! Shit shit! I'm trapped! I picked the torch up but I'm surrounded by stone walls! What the hell?!

Calm yourself Hei An... this must be some kind of illusion array to protect this place... I need to think carefully... This skeleton must have some sort of key to unlock this illusion array because it's the only thing here but... I'm too freaking scared to check it! Damn it!

I pulled out a twig from my storage ring... man, why am I picking things like twigs? Seriously.

I went closer and used the torch to lighten up the skeleton carefully. It's covered by some kind of ragged cloth. It's some kind of clothing but I can tell that it's not from the Frozen Lake Sect or maybe it's too withered to be even recognized.

I poked it slowly and tried to remove the clothing and... *CRACK CRACK* Damn, these bones are too fragile that it cracked the moment I poke it-

"What the hell are you doing?!" What a scary voice?!

"Who's there?! I swear I just found it! It wasn't me!" I gripped the twig tightly... wait, am I really going to use this twig as a weapon to defend myself in case something jumps out?! I'm panicking!

"That's my body you are destroying, you dimwit! Stop poking it with twigs!" Huh? Something emerged and passed right through the ground... is that a freaking ghost...

Huh?

...

..

"Huh?!" Shit... did I past out again?!

"Man that was a really weird dream to..." Shit... I'm still inside the cave.

"Calm down, you idiot! Haha! You should have seen your face! It looked like you've seen a ghost! Haha!" Damn it... is this really a ghost? It appeared in front of me again. He has this whitish aura but half of his body is gone and has a tail like what was written in books.

"You are a ghost... I didn't know ghosts like to mess with youngsters." I almost wet my pants, you freaking ghost! Though, he's not that scary than I thought.

"I'm not entirely a ghost you know. I am a soul without a living body. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to reach Life and Death Realm to be able to recreate a new body." What the hell is he talking about? Life and Death Realm? I thought the last stage is the Earth Realm?

"Oh... you seemed confused. I understand. To those who are in the lower domain, Earth Realm is the highest and no one got past that yet even living for a thousand years. Well, let's just say you're lucky that I can't steal your body right for a certain reason but I want to make a deal with you." A deal with a ghost? Are you for real?!

"I don't think I have a choice, do I? I'm sure, you're the one who set up this illusion array here. There must be a condition to enter this place as I could tell that I'm the first one to come." He must think I'm an idiot.

"That's true. I've been waiting here for thousands of years now. I lost count anymore. Being inside the cave, you only see darkness. Even I thought that my requirements for one to enter this place is too high but then you came... almost out of being a teenager and still at the third layer of body refining realm... I don't think any soul would even possess that kind of body..." I have been ridiculed my whole life but coming from a ghost...

"Then what do you propose?" I know for sure he'll just use me to get whatever he wants. I need to know what he can offer before I make rash decisions. Still, he freaks me out.

"I'll be honest with you since you won't be able to leave this place anyway. Before I died, I used all my remaining energy to preserve my soul and since I still have a powerful soul, there is a way to reconstruct my body but it requires a lot of energy and a new younger body. But I died here, there's no way I could l leave my body unless someone buries it. Also, I was only able to reach the peak of the innate realm by cultivating here but since I cultivated here for thousands of years, the energy around here is almost depleted, and I have to use a lot of energy to maintain this illusion array. I need to leave this place and you will help me." Younger body huh... But he could be a powerful being before he died since he could stay as a soul like this. I might be able to learn new things from him but I'm quite sure that he would betray me.

"And what do you want me to do? I don't think I have the ability to help you at all." He could possess me but he also said that he requires a lot of energy to do it...

"All you need to do is bury my bones here and cut the ties I have left with my remains. After that, I will enter your Energy Realm and stay there and share some of your cultivation progress and once I reach a higher Realm, I will leave your body and possess another." This will be too risky for me. How can I trust him to not possess me when the time comes?

"And what do I get in return?"

"I will share all the knowledge I have within this lower domain and a portion of the higher domain which will make me your master. From other cultivation techniques to more powerful martial and energy arts. Aside from that, you can have my epic grade storage ring, and all that's inside. Unlike a magical storage ring that has a small space to contain a small amount of life like a garden, or a spirit storage ring that can contain a small house and a little bit better amount of life like a stable or a ranch, an epic grade storage ring has a space as big as an island and bigger life form can be stored... like human beings." Epic grade?! Is this for real?! Even our Sect Leader doesn't have one of those! No one in the entire Eastern Continent has it! Though, it is said that you can only choose one master...

"You must be joking, right? How could someone possibly get an epic grade storage ring?" If there's really an epic grade storage ring, I don't think my life is even worth one.

"Check my body. I don't put it on my finger as what you've just said, it's a really high-grade treasure so I wear it like a necklace behind my clothes." I couldn't help myself but get nervous and excited at the same time. This is a once in a billion opportunity!

I slowly checked his remains and... he's right. The string attached to the ring is worn out but the storage ring is right here. It looks like an ordinary storage ring though.

"Are you sure it's an epic grade storage ring?" I tried to check if it's working like my common storage ring but it's not working at all...

"Idiot... An epic grade treasure needs to be tied to its owner first before you could use it. First, you have to put a drop of your blood on it so that the treasure would be imprinted to you as the new owner of the ring." It's like a pact with an epic grade treasure...

"Wait... you're still the owner of the ring, right?" Then anyone could just put blood on it to become its owner?

"The only way to use it is to kill the owner and since I already died, you can be its new owner." So... death is the only way... This also means that if anyone would know that I have an epic grade treasure, they would definitely kill me to get their hands on it...

"Don't worry. No one would notice that it's an epic grade. Just don't use it in front of others and you'll be alright." Easy for you to say... But damn... I'm so freaking lucky.

"Then I guess, we have a fucking deal, master!"