Sneaking In!

But as talented as Liu Zhenhai was, he couldn't match the raw potential of Fairy Lianhua, whom Su Xiaobai had met earlier.

That girl was less than thirty and already far more talented than any of these disciples.

The other girl in the group, Lan Meiyu, was in the Late Stage of the Core Strengthening Realm, her talent decent but not groundbreaking, especially given that she was at least a decade older than Fairy Lianhua.

Still, her cultivation was nothing to dismiss.

Then, there was Fatty Zhou. His voice had the weight of someone seasoned but not quite remarkable. Su Xiaobai judged him to be at the Peak Stage of the Core Emergence Realm, but his talent was worse compared to the others.

At forty-two, he was well beyond his prime for making breakthroughs.

The blue-haired cultivator, Xiao Yu, was also at the Peak Stage of Core Emergence, but his talent was leagues better. At only thirty-three, he had plenty of room to grow. Su Xiaobai could sense the cold, disciplined qi flowing through him, far more refined than Fatty Zhou's.

Form thier futher conversations, it was clear to him now. Xiao Yu, Lan Meiyu, and Fatty Zhou were all outer court disciples of the Xiantian Sect, while Liu Zhenhai, Chen Yong, and Wang Fei belonged to the inner court.

And among them, Liu Zhenhai stood at the center—Elder Bai's chosen disciple.

This entire journey was likely designed for Liu Zhenhai's growth, an opportunity for him to gain valuable experience.

The others were just along for the ride, hoping to reap the benefits of his success.

'Liu Zhenhai is the protagonist of this expedition,' Su Xiaobai thought, narrowing his eyes. 'The rest are just followers, eager to catch the crumbs that fall from his plate.'

His mind whirred as he assessed the situation. The group was strong, perhaps too strong for him to take on alone, especially with Elder Bai watching over them.

He wouldn't survive a direct confrontation. Not to mention, Elder Bai's cultivation was beyond anything he could deal with.

'But that doesn't mean I can't make use of them.'

Su Xiaobai's gaze shifted toward the boulder blocking the cave entrance.

He had spent hours trying to break through it, but failed.

'Let them do the work,' he thought, his lips curving into a faint smile. 'I'll just sit back and wait for the right moment.'

The treasure inside the cave wouldn't be easily accessible—he knew that much. Caves like these were never without traps, and even the most experienced cultivators often found themselves caught in deadly traps.

But Su Xiaobai had one advantage they didn't: the knowledge passed down from Immortal King Ning Gufan.

That knowledge was priceless, the kind that could allow him to outwit even cultivators far more powerful than himself.

'I don't need strength to win here. I just need to be smarter than them.'

His plan solidified. He would ride the wave just as they were, biding his time and waiting for the moment to strike. And when the time came to seize the treasure, he would be the one walking away with it.

_______

BAM!

After a grueling hour of smashing, Liu Zhenhai finally broke through the massive boulder blocking the cave entrance.

The thunderous crash echoed in the valley, scattering a few stray birds into the sky.

"Finally!" Liu Zhenhai gasped, barely able to keep his chest from heaving. Sweat poured down his face, and his arms felt like lead.

But the satisfaction of having completed the task made it all worth it.

He straightened up, wiping his forehead with a smirk.

He glanced back over his shoulder, expecting praise. Elder Bai stood there, her parasol twirling lazily in her hand, her gaze distant and entirely uninterested. She barely even offered a nod.

'That's it?' Liu Zhenhai's smile wavered. 'One measly nod? After I practically shattered my bones on that boulder?'

His teeth clenched, but before he could voice his frustration, Lan Meiyu sauntered over, her smile wide, her eyes practically sparkling with admiration.

"Senior Brother, you were amazing!" she chirped, her tone almost too sweet, her robes swaying slightly as she moved closer.

"Amazing, huh?" Liu Zhenhai thought bitterly. 'Where were you when I was bashing my head against that rock?'

"Good work," said Xiao Yu, his icy tone completely devoid of emotion, though he patted Liu Zhenhai's shoulder with what might have been mistaken for camaraderie.

But the weight of Xiao Yu's words made Liu Zhenhai feel… foolish. 'Wait a second... why was I the only one smashing at that rock for an hour?'

He glanced around at the others. Lan Meiyu, Xiao Yu, Fatty Zhou**, Chen Yong, and Wang Fei had all just been watching him the whole time—arms crossed, chatting like it was some afternoon stroll in the garden.

'I'm such an idiot...' Liu Zhenhai's mind screamed in realization. 'If I had asked for their help, we could have broken the boulder in five minutes!'

"There's no cure for stupidity… Ha-ha-ha" Fatty Zhou muttered as he waddled past Liu Zhenhai, shaking his head with exaggerated disappointment.

He heaved his large form inside the cave, barely squeezing through the entrance.

The words struck like a blow. Liu Zhenhai's eyes flashed wide, bloodshot and tinged with exhaustion, the dark circles under his eyes making his gaze even more intense and unsettling.

His fists clenched so tightly the veins stood out on his forearms. He shot a glare at Chen Yong and Wang Fei, who exchanged knowing glances, nodding slightly as if agreeing to something evil.

Liu Zhenhai snorted in frustration, unwilling to show more weakness, and stormed into the cave ahead of them, his footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls.

Elder Bai remained outside for a moment, her figure like a perfectly sculpted statue, her parasol resting lightly in her hand as if she held no weight at all.

Her serene beauty, framed by the subtle ornamentation in her hair and the shimmer of her robes, looked almost otherworldly. She held her breath for a second, her eyes gazing after the group, but she did not follow.

____

In the distance, Su Xiaobai, still feigning unconsciousness, felt the air still. His mind was alert, his senses stretched thin, listening for any sign that the coast was clear.

The last set of footsteps faded, and the silence that followed gave him the signal.

His eyelashes fluttered, and he cautiously opened his eyes. He shot up, stretching his limbs lazily.

"Finally, the idiots are gone..." he muttered under his breath, brushing the dust off his robes. His smirk widened. "Now, it's time for the real fun."

But then—he froze.

His smile faltered. There, standing as calm as ever with her back to him, was none other than Elder Bai.

The parasol spun slowly in her hand, and she stood as still as before. Su Xiaobai felt a chill crawl down his spine.

'Oh crap…' His eyes twitched. 'She didn't hear me… did she?' His heart pounded in his chest.

This was bad. Very, very bad.

The strongest cultivator in the group—the one whose power he couldn't even measure—was still here.

'Why the hell is she still standing there?' Su Xiaobai's mind started to overthink . 'Did she stay behind to kill me? What did I do? Did I offend her with my sleeping pose?'

He felt blood rush to his legs. 'Okay, okay… time to execute plan — Get the hell out of here before she crushes me into dust.'

His brain kicked into overdrive. He could pull the same move he had at the *nstitute of Science—use his Invincible Domain to absorb her strike and then launch himself into the sky, riding the blast like a leaf on the wind.

Su Xiaobai was already preparing for the inevitable sprint when Elder Bai's voice, soft and serene, entered his ears.

"Don't enter the cave unless... you want to die."

Her words chilling in their calmness.

The parasol began to spin, catching the dim light, and without turning around, her feet lifted off the ground. She floated gracefully into the cave's entrance, vanishing into the shadows as silently as she had appeared.

Her final words were so steady, so devoid of threat, that Su Xiaobai's panic was momentarily replaced by confusion.

He narrowed his eyes, watching the faint glow of the cave's entrance.

"Don't enter, huh?" Su Xiaobai muttered to himself, frowning. "Does she think I'm the type of guy who just lets someone rob his bride on the wedding day?"

His pride bristled at the idea of backing down. Elder Bai's words might have been a warning, but Su Xiaobai wasn't about to sit this one out.

Besides, letting others get to the treasure first? Not his style.

"To achieve strength, one must take risks and be willing to forge themselves in the flames of hell. The weak will crumble, while the strong will emerge victorious!"

These words of Matriach Su echoed in Su Xiaobai's mind as he stepped further into the cave's dark abyss, his lips curling into a smirk.

'It's always the same,' he mused. 'The world rewards those who dare. Those who wait for the perfect moment, those who hesitate? They end up as nothing more than dust.'

Only the fools who dive into the fire walk away tempered.