Chapter 92

The group marched toward the mountain's peak in a mighty procession, finally reaching their destination—the cave entrance—after slaying the last blood dragon. Thick moss covered the cave door as though untouched for millennia. The crowd's eyes burned with feverish excitement, their longed-for prize seemingly within reached.

The sect leader took the dragon blood jar from his subordinate, uncorked it, and approached the door. With a sweeping motion, he splashed the blood across its surface. The bright liquid darkened the stone to a deep crimson as strange lines gradually emerged—faint at first, then growing clearer and more intricate until a full map revealed itself.

The assembled leaders frowned and stepped forward to examine the stone gate's newly unveiled markings. Their shock was evident—this had to be the mountain's route map. Frustration rippled through them at having no paper or writing tools. "Copy this map immediately," the sect leader ordered his men. Relief spread through the group; none possessed perfect recall, and having the map transcribed would be invaluable.

Soon, Sha Yin Sect disciples finished replicating the map. After verifying its accuracy, the leaders joined forces to push open the massive stone door. As it crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom, the crowd surged forward eagerly.

"Move out!" shouted Ye Bangzhu, leader of the Liangyi Sect, from the vanguard. Those behind lit candles and streamed into the darkness.

Ji Chun observed the cave's gloomy interior, sensing unseen dangers lurking in its depths. He retrieved a candle from his bag and lit it, gripping Su Ran's arm as the younger man strained forward. "Careful now—no recklessness," he whispered.

Seeing others advancing deeper, Su Ran nodded with impatient anxiety. "We need to hurry!" He seized Ji Chun's wrist and pressed forward.

The path grew treacherous—narrowing as they progressed, littered with loose pebbles that made footing precarious. Su Ran's candlelight flickered across the walls as he strained to identify an odd sound beneath the crowd's murmurs. "Do you hear that—" he began, turning to Ji Chun.

Before Ji Chun could respond, a piercing scream echoed through the cavern. Now they discerned the other sound clearly—an eerie, unsettling noise.

Rounding a bend, they discovered dozens of people writhing on the ground, clawing at their skin until blood flowed, consumed by unbearable itching.

"These insects thrive in darkness and noise," the sect leader's voice suddenly explained from behind them. "They detest light and silence. These fools shouted and leaned against the plagued walls—now they're beyond saving. Move on!"

The vanguard promptly silenced themselves, kicking aside their pleading comrades as they hurried away. Those following took the lesson to heart, proceeding in tense quiet.

The oppressive atmosphere thickened during the long trek. The mountain's labyrinthine passages would have been impassable without the map's guidance. Ji Chun maintained a firm grip on Su Ran's hand as time became meaningless in the eternal darkness.

Just as someone suggested resting, a hidden mechanism triggered with deadly consequence. Dozens of daggers shot from the walls in a lethal barrage. Chaos erupted—screams filled the air as people scrambled in all directions. Few could dodge the onslaught entirely. The skilled used others as shields; the less fortunate fell where they stood.

When a blade streaked toward Su Ran, Ji Chun yanked him aside just in time. The dagger grazed Su Ran's shoulder before embedding in stone—a near miss that left them both shaken.

After the last dagger fell silent, the survivors pressed onward. Of the hundred who began this journey, fewer than thirty remained after the dragons, poison insects, and blade traps. The path to this point was paved with corpses—both opportunistic outsiders and members of the original fourteen sects alike. Some groups now consisted solely of their leaders, a bitter irony for those who'd come seeking glory only to perish before glimpsing their prize.

The initial excitement had curdled into oppressive dread—a miasma of fear and tension clinging to the bloodstained survivors. Yet having come so far, none would turn back. The promise of imminent success drove them forward.

At last they reached the map's final marked location, emerging through a narrow passage into a vast, hollow darkness where even breathing echoed loudly. Ji Chun's candle revealed a steep staircase ascending to a high platform built against the far wall. There, two human skeletons stood in grotesque poses, their empty sockets seeming to watch the intruders below—a macabre sentinel pair in this lightless, dripping cavern of horrors.

On the platform facing the skeletal remains stood a simple wooden table bearing an ancient-looking box. A mysterious beam of light from somewhere in the cave illuminated its weathered surface. The others noticed it simultaneously—in the blink of an eye, dozens of figures surged toward the platform. Since the stone platform stood too high for ordinary ascent, they employed their qinggong skills, leaping up the steps two at a time in frenzied pursuit.

Before Ji Chun could react, Su Ran had already slipped from his grasp and moved forward. Sensing imminent danger, Ji Chun shouted instinctively, "Su Ran, don't go!"

Su Ran paused at the stair's base, turning back with visible irritation. "Don't worry, I'm just checking!" he called.

Ji Chun's eyes darted to a shadowed corner where the sect leader stood motionless. The man's unnatural calm regarding Di Mang struck him as profoundly suspicious. As more people began charging up the stairs, Ji Chun's unease crystallized into certainty—something was terribly wrong. "Su Ran, come back now!" he commanded, his voice sharp with alarm.

The warning came just in time. As Su Ran's foot hovered above the first step, an enormous boulder plummeted from above, targeting him directly. With a desperate burst of strength, Su Ran barely managed to throw himself clear. The massive rock crashed down with earth-shaking force, sending tremors through the cavern floor that knocked spectators off balance.

What followed was worse. The platform itself began collapsing, dragging everyone upon it into a newly formed abyss. Those would-be treasure hunters vanished instantly—crushed beneath the boulder or swallowed by the chasm before they could scream. The prized box containing Di Mang disappeared forever into the depths, taking with it any chance to glimpse its contents.

The survivors stood frozen in shock, their faces ashen. Some stumbled forward to peer over the abyss's edge, unable to process that their coveted prize had been snatched away so abruptly.

Su Ran remained statue-still, his face drained of color. That near miss had been too close—had he taken one more step, he would have joined the vanished dead. His monk, his child, all his ambitions would have ended in an instant. The realization left him trembling with delayed terror.

Ji Chun reached him before a conscious thought could register. His heart pounded violently, his entire body shaking as cold sweat drenched his robes. When his arms closed around Su Ran's solid form, the monk broke—tears streamed down his face as he buried his sobs in Su Ran's shoulder. The usually composed monk clung desperately, his composure shattered by how close he'd come to irrevocable loss.

Su Ran exhaled shakily, his own tension easing as he returned the embrace. For once, neither cared about onlookers; the moment's raw vulnerability transcended pride or propriety.

"What in hell just happened?!" roared Ye Bangzhu of the Liangyi Sect, his voice echoing through the cavern. The sect leader found himself confronted by Ye Bangzhu's drawn sword.

Su Ran's eyes narrowed. Ye Bangzhu's survival required explanation—then he remembered. While other leaders had rushed forward greedily, the cunning old fox had hung back, sending a disciple instead. That habitual arrogance, that belief in his own invincibility, had ironically saved his life.

Others now followed Ye Bangzhu's lead, weapons appearing as they advanced on the sect leader. Ji Chun and Su Ran exchanged glances and readied themselves—the time had come to expose this fraud's true nature.