Chapter 17: The Source of the Horror

I guessed right… Zhang Yuanqing felt a slight sense of relief.

In truth, after exploring the Mountain God Temple and eliminating the zombie, the cave entrance would have opened on its own. However, the senior from the construction team had taken the Vajra Pestle before that.

If he hadn't noticed this detail and returned the Vajra Pestle, he might have remained stuck at this stage forever.

Zhang Yuanqing waited patiently, silently tensing his nerves, concentrating fully, not daring to let his guard down. Deep beneath this cave, the very source of the Mountain God Temple's decline might be lurking.

After a long while, seeing no abnormal changes in the collapsed cave entrance, he once again summoned the Red Dancing Shoes, activating their second form to replace his running shoes, wrapping around his feet.

Then, he stepped to the edge of the dark and deep cave and leaped lightly.

Plop… His feet soon touched the ground, and the Red Dancing Shoes absorbed the impact of his fall.

Amid the scattered rubble, Zhang Yuanqing found the Vajra Pestle, bent down to pick it up, and regained control of this powerful artifact.

With both the Red Dancing Shoes and the Vajra Pestle, he felt confident enough to face the dangers within the cave.

The candlelight above barely illuminated a limited area. Ahead, a silent passage extended into the darkness, filled with unknown fear.

In such an environment, moving forward blindly in the dark was extremely unwise.

Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to the artifact in his hand.

The item description stated that this was a tool infused with the power of the sun god. By offering blood as a sacrifice, one could obtain divine power.

True divine power of the sun should be able to dispel darkness and bring light, right?

It was worth a try, though the "note" in the item's attributes was a bit unsettling…

Letting out a silent breath, Zhang Yuanqing stabbed the sharp three-edged spike into his thigh.

A sharp pain shot through him as fresh blood gushed out—not flowing down his pants but transforming into thin streams, seeping into the brass artifact.

Zhang Yuanqing immediately felt a surge of warm energy pouring from the Vajra Pestle into his arm and throughout his body. His pupils glowed with a faint golden light, turning into radiant golden eyes.

Though the Vajra Pestle did not dispel the darkness, it granted him the ability to see through it.

At the same time, all negative effects—dizziness, breathing difficulties, chest pain—vanished completely, leaving only the weakness from blood loss.

The corpse poison within him was also purified.

So, this truly trades life for power—but it's still manageable…

Activating his enhanced vision, Zhang Yuanqing looked ahead.

In front of him stretched a spacious passageway, extending deep into the darkness. The walls bore clear marks of human excavation—this was not a naturally formed cave.

Zhang Yuanqing walked forward at a steady pace, his footsteps echoing in the silent space.

After walking for several seconds, he noticed that roots had begun creeping along the walls, densely covering them.

"Help… Help me…!"

Suddenly, from the darkness ahead, came a chilling cry for help—mournful and sorrowful.

Following the voice, he continued forward until the path suddenly widened, revealing a massive underground stone chamber.

In the very center of the chamber stood an enormous tree trunk, breaking through the ceiling of the stone chamber and extending upward to the outside world.

At the base of this thick trunk, tangled roots coiled tightly around a stone coffin.

The most terrifying part was that from within the thick trunk, numerous pale arms extended outward. Pale faces emerged from the bark, crying out helplessly, "Help me!"

Countless arms flailed desperately, as if grasping for a lifeline.

This is triggering my trypophobia…

Though the combined effects of the candlelight and the Vajra Pestle gave Zhang Yuanqing some courage, he still felt a faint tingling sensation on his scalp.

At that moment, a hoarse, ancient voice rang out:

"After so many years… you are the first living being to come here."

As the voice spoke, the cries for help ceased, and the writhing arms retracted into the tree. The terrified faces also disappeared into the bark.

"Who's there?!"

Zhang Yuanqing was startled, instinctively scanning his surroundings with heightened vigilance.

"Me? I am merely… a tree."

From the tree trunk, a grotesque face emerged. Unlike the vengeful spirits, its skin was made of bark, as if representing the tree itself.

It's the old banyan tree from the temple courtyard… It has gained sentience?

Zhang Yuanqing had not expected to encounter an entity capable of communication in such a terrifying place, even if it was a tree.

Not daring to get too close, he probed cautiously:

"Did you kill the disciples in the temple?"

"Not me—her."

The tree spirit's gaze drifted downward, as if looking at the stone coffin below—though it had no eyes to see.

"Her? Who is she?"

"She is the Lady of Three Dao Mountain."

Zhang Yuanqing felt as if he had been struck over the head—his mind went blank.

The Lady of Three Dao Mountain is inside the stone coffin?

The powerful Night Wanderer who should have ascended in the early Ming Dynasty?

Was she the source of the horror? Was it she who had killed the temple disciples?

Zhang Yuanqing blurted out, "Why did she do this?"

"Because the Age of the Last Dharma had arrived. Cultivators could no longer break through their bottlenecks. In pursuit of immortality, the Lady of Three Dao Mountain fell into darkness."

"She sealed herself within the stone coffin, using the banyan tree to imprison spirits, nurturing Yin with Yin, to preserve her physical body and soul."

"She was a powerful Night Wanderer, and Night Wanderers are naturally capable of devouring souls to strengthen themselves."

The face on the tree trunk sighed.

"The banyan tree absorbed too many souls and their lingering wills, eventually developing sentience—me."

"Over the years, many have mistakenly entered this place, only to die and become her nourishment."

"I carry the resentment and unwillingness of these spirits, waiting for someone to come and end this nightmare."

So that's how it is… Is this an NPC-triggered quest? Zhang Yuanqing's eyes flickered with thought.

"What should I do?"

"Open the stone coffin and pierce her heart with the weapon in your hand. That will end everything."

"The Vajra Pestle seals half of her Yang soul. If you stab her heart, it will trap the remaining half, and without her Yang soul, her body will instantly perish."

The banyan tree spirit then added slowly:

"Only then… will you be able to leave."

Zhang Yuanqing remained motionless, silent.

The tree spirit spoke again, its voice gentle:

"Young man, what are you hesitating for?"

Zhang Yuanqing suddenly said:

"I'm thinking about something…"

"Oh? What is it?" the tree spirit asked.

Zhang Yuanqing stood at a distance, staring at the face on the tree trunk.

Word by word, he said:

"You… wouldn't happen to be the temple abbot, would you?"