First Chamber — The illusion of progress & False Door

BAM!

"??"

Su Xiaobai's eyes widened as he witnessed Liu Zhenhai of all people, actually abruptly punch the massive golden door. The shockwave from the strike reverberated through the cave, causing loose rocks to rattle and fall.

'Did he really just punch it for now reason, what if it backfired and killed him?' Su Xiaobai thought, half amused, half bewildered.

Liu Zhenhai, his voice brimming with misplaced confidence, shouted to the others. "There are no destructive runes! Let's just break through it!" This time, he was clever enough to ask for help—probably because even he wasn't dumb enough to think he could handle that door alone.

The other disciples looked at each other, then shrugged. A few seconds later, waves of energy burst forth as they all unleashed their techniques on the door.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

Su Xiaobai, standing quietly in the shadows, watched the scene unfold. The once-imposing door trembled violently under their combined attacks, like an elder cultivator being shaken from his afternoon nap.

The runes flickered, dimming under the onslaught, until finally—

BOOM!

The door crashed forward, slamming to the ground with an echoing thud, sending a tremor through the earth.

The disciples stood, wide-eyed, at the gaping entrance revealed behind it—a shining dome glittering with ethereal light.

It was as if the heavens themselves were asking them to come forward.

"The treasure! It's inside!" one of the disciples cried, their voice tinged with greed.

In an instant, the entire group rushed toward the entrance like a pack of hungry wolves.

Liu Zhenhai, naturally, was right behind them, but his attempt to maintain order fell flat.

"Wait! Be cautious!" he shouted, but no one paid him any mind. They were far too busy salivating over the imagined riches beyond the door.

Su Xiaobai, still hidden in the shadows, let out a soft chuckle.

'Treasure hunting rule number one: if it's that shiny, it's a trap.'

He folded his arms, deciding to watch how this played out. The entertainment value was too good to pass up.

And sure enough, it wasn't long before something went wrong.

The two large stone monuments on either side of the entrance trembled ominously. Then, with a deafening thud, they slammed together, sealing the entrance shut.

"What—!?"

The disciples barely had time to react before the ceiling above them rumbled ominously. Stone spears began raining down, crashing to the ground with the force of a mountain. The walls shook violently as the ceiling caved in, trapping everyone who had eagerly charged ahead.

"..."

Su Xiaobai blinked, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "A false door..." he muttered, shaking his head. "Of course, it was too easy."

It was almost laughable. These so-called disciples were so blinded by the prospect of treasure that they hadn't even questioned why the door was practically inviting them in.

'Greed really does make people stupid,' Su Xiaobai thought, his amusement growing, unconciously a seed of greed grew in his sea of conciousness, right next to seed of envy and pride.

His eyes flicked to Elder Bai, who had rushed in with the others. Good. That meant the coast was clear for him to step out of hiding.

Su Xiaobai sighed, stretching his limbs. 'Let them dig themselves out of that mess,' he thought with a smirk.

"Time to find the real door."

He scanned the cave, his eyes narrowing as he searched for any clue that might lead him to the actual entrance. That's when he noticed something odd—the golden statues embedded in the walls.

They seemed... different, almost as if they were pointing toward something.

"??"

He followed their gaze, his curiosity piqued. The statues' outstretched arms were all directing him to one spot along the wall.

It seemed like just a regular stone wall—nothing particularly special about it. But something didn't feel right.

"It can't be this simple..." Su Xiaobai muttered, raising an eyebrow. "An illusion?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Too obvious, right?"

But just in case, he extended his hand toward the wall, half expecting it to hit solid stone.

Instead, his hand passed cleanly through it.

"..."

Su Xiaobai stood there, momentarily speechless. Then, with a resigned sigh, he chuckled to himself.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, his entire body slipping through the illusionary wall like a fish diving beneath the surface of water.

As he disappeared from view, he muttered under his breath, "Let's hope this isn't another trap... though with my luck, it probably is."

Still, a small grin lingered on his face as he embraced the risk, excitement tingling at the edge of his consciousness.

________

Second Chamber — The Lake of Reflection

"Ahhhhh!"

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Su Xiaobai emerged from the chamber's exit like a demon from the abyss, his crimson eyes blazing as he hurled the dismembered remains of a giant ape into the distance.

The beast's body splashed into the water with a violent crash as Su Xiaobai stood, blood dripping from his soaked clothes, his hair plastered to his face.

He looked like he'd just torn his way through a battlefield—which, in fairness, he had.

"What the hell!" he grumbled, wiping a streak of blood from his face. "That was a trap! I should've entered from the opposite side. Damn statues fooled me!"

He glared at the now distant hallway where the guiding statues had led him.

Trust the statues, they said. It'll be fun, they said.

Lesson learned—never trust anything shiny and smiling.

Now, dripping with blood, he took a moment to assess his surroundings. "Wait... Where am I?"

In front of him was a vast chamber, its ceiling stretching hundreds of meters high. But what caught his attention immediately was the floor—or rather, the lack of one.

The ground ahead was completely submerged under water, crystal-clear and eerily still, reflecting the cave's ceiling like a perfect mirror.

It created a surreal illusion, as if there were two worlds—one above and one below—joined by the shimmering lake.

'Beautiful,' he thought. 'But definitely another death trap.'

Small stone platforms floated above the water, leading to a single altar in the middle of the vast pond.

The altar seemed to pulse with energy, drawing his attention instantly.

Su Xiaobai quickly deduced that it was the key to the next level of this labyrinthine cave.

But what truly irked him wasn't the beautiful chamber—it was the fact that he wasn't the first one here.

"They got here before me?" he muttered, eyebrows twitching in annoyance.

Ahead of him, a group of familiar figures were already deep in combat. Liu Zhenhai, Xiao Yu, Lan Meiyu, Fatty Zhou, Chen Yong, and Wang Fei were all fighting furiously... but there was a catch.

They weren't fighting some fierce beast or ancient guardian.

They were fighting themselves.

Su Xiaobai smirked, leaning against the nearest wall to watch the show.

Each one of them was locked in battle with a perfect clone of themselves, and the results were... less than impressive.

Liu Zhenhai swung wildly, his breathing ragged, while Xiao Yu's strikes were slowing down, fatigue setting in.

"Argh!" Liu Zhenhai roared, trying to land a decisive blow on his clone, but he was clearly outmatched.

The clones didn't tire, while the disciples were quickly wearing themselves out.

Su Xiaobai couldn't help but laugh softly. "They're exhausting themselves... fighting their own reflections." He shook his head, enjoying the irony of it all.

'And they call themselves cultivators...'

His gaze flicked to Lan Meiyu, who, despite her usual charm and seduction tactics, was having a tough time. Her clone mirrored her every move, making it impossible for her to get any closer to the altar.

'Even your little rabbits won't save you this time,' Su Xiaobai thought with a smirk.

As he watched the cave chamber, his attention shifted toward the edge of the pond, where Elder Bai stood, observing the scene with an air of quiet authority.

She hadn't stepped into the water yet, clearly assessing the situation with a calculating gaze.

As if sensing his presence, Elder Bai's gaze shifted in his direction. She hadn't entered the pond yet, standing near the edge, observing with the calm detachment of someone who had long since mastered such trials.

"!"

Her sharp eyes locked onto his, and for a brief moment, Su Xiaobai felt an uncomfortable heat rise in his chest.