"He’s awake, he’s awake!"
Nie Shiyun’s eyelids flickered, and he finally opened his eyes.
"Are you alright? Why did you wake up so much later than me...?" Zhai Bairong’s face was the first thing he saw.
Nie Shiyun regained his senses and realized he was lying across Zhai Bairong’s lap. Propping himself up, he explained, "Perhaps it’s because I was the one who broke the main array. Just now, I saw some... fragmented memories. They were likely left behind by the master of this cave dwelling who created the array."
"You were unconscious for a long time. Get up slowly—" Zhai Bairong’s worried words cut off halfway. Right, they were back in the cultivation world now. They didn't have the constitutions of mortals anymore; they wouldn't get dizzy just from standing up too quickly.
Having looked at Zhai Bairong in modern clothing for so long, Nie Shiyun felt a brief sense of displacement. Seeing Zhai Bairong’s hesitant expression, he knew the other man felt the same.
"As I thought, long hair suits you better."
The two looked at each other for a few seconds and then, as if by unspoken agreement, burst into laughter, leaving Coal Ball standing nearby in utter confusion.
"What a formidable array..." Nie Shiyun crouched down again. The array had already been destroyed and had lost its efficacy, yet he found he still couldn't fully comprehend its intricacies. This array had read his entire memory, constructed a convincing replica of Earth, and even allowed Zhai Bairong in the sub-array to naturally integrate into it, even granting him a full set of false memories... It was truly extraordinary.
Nie Shiyun committed the array's patterns to memory, feeling a faint sense of sudden enlightenment.
"I’m actually still a bit confused... but now isn't the time for a long talk," Zhai Bairong sighed. Nie Shiyun agreed wholeheartedly. He stretched his body, which had been lying still for a long time, and asked Coal Ball how long they had been out and if there had been any noise.
"It’s been... dozens of days? Or maybe a month? It’s pitch black in here, so I can’t say for sure," Coal Ball recalled. "While you were unconscious, I couldn't get near the array. I walked back to the end of the passage a few times, but I didn't find anything unusual..."
Nie Shiyun nodded, indicating he understood the situation.
Walking to the door where the sub-array was engraved, he saw that the stone door was now open. Nie Shiyun pressed his palm against the door and sent in some spiritual energy. The door slid aside, revealing the exit.
"We’ve been delayed long enough. Let’s ignore everything else for now and keep moving forward."
Coal Ball had been stuck alone in this room where no one could hear his cries for a long time. Now that they could finally leave, he was overjoyed, and his motivation to move was at an all-time high.
Fortunately, there were no further obstacles on the road ahead, and the three of them hurried along.
Nie Shiyun had prepared for the worst—perhaps this path didn't lead into the cave dwelling at all, but to some other exit. Or perhaps they would reach the interior only to find that the immortal artifact had vanished during their unconsciousness.
However, it seemed his luck was holding out; he wasn't being targeted by the Heavenly Dao this time. The three of them finally passed through a corridor surrounded by stone walls and arrived at the more spacious interior of the cave dwelling.
"Are these the Ice Lotuses?" Coal Ball was immediately drawn to the crystal-clear lotus flowers. No wonder the spiritual-grade herbs they had gathered earlier were planted haphazardly outside; there were far better things in here!
Nie Shiyun looked back toward the direction they had come from and found that the passage had disappeared. He hurriedly went back to check, but his hand passed through the wall. Only then did he realize this was an illusion; the entrance to the passage was still in its original position. He understood now—if not for this barrier, there was no reason Duan Mingyu’s group wouldn't have found the secret room in the original story.
"Shiyun, it’s this, right?" Zhai Bairong had already stepped out toward the Ice Lotus altar to look around. From a distance, he saw a garment that was distinctly different from its surroundings—the Dharma treasure worn by the woman in the painting, the Purple Silk Immortal Raiment.
Slightly different from the painting, the clothing now seemed to have lost its luster, appearing grey and dilapidated. Nevertheless, it was still neatly folded and placed squarely on a low table. If the two of them hadn't known that the woman who wore this had likely been dead for hundreds or thousands of years, they might have even succumbed to the illusion that the owner of this immortal raiment would return at any moment to put it on and rest at the table as usual.
Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong approached the low table. As Zhai Bairong moved closer, he suddenly sensed something and said, "This garment also has a kind of cold Qi, identical to the one on the cave door."
Nie Shiyun felt a bit nervous. He hoped it wouldn't turn out that even this immortal artifact could only be taken by someone with a Heavenly Yin Body.
He reached out. Indeed, a thick chill surged from the object along his fingertips. He thought that if he, with his Fire Spiritual Root, wanted to use this kind of defensive gear, he would probably freeze himself half to death before even defending against an enemy.
Fortunately, Nie Shiyun was not rejected by the Purple Silk Immortal Raiment. However, even if an immortal artifact was a mere remnant, it was not something a Golden Core cultivator like him could currently form a contract with. Nie Shiyun made a decisive move, waving his sleeve to sweep it into his storage ring. He would have plenty of time to study it later.
Thinking back to the memory fragments he had seen, certain things began to connect. The Purple Silk Immortal Raiment once worn by the woman with the Heavenly Yin Body from the Upper Realm had somehow become tattered, yet it had been cherished and properly placed in the cave dwelling.
The inscription on the scroll painted by the cave master had already stated that the woman in the painting was gone, yet he had self-deceivingly left behind this restriction that only a Heavenly Yin Body could open. Had he fantasized that it was all a lie?
Suddenly, Nie Shiyun sensed other cultivators within the range of his divine sense.
"Oh no, Duan Mingyu and the others are here."
It had to be at such a precise moment!
Zhai Bairong was startled but reacted quickly. "Go, back into the passage."
Nie Shiyun didn't dare delay for a second. This cave dwelling was a straight path to the end. Since his divine sense could detect Duan Mingyu, it meant the other party was not far away. If they went out now, they would definitely run right into them. Having just obtained the immortal artifact, Nie Shiyun didn't want to cause trouble and decided it was best to avoid them for now.
Coal Ball was still happily gathering flowers in the Ice Lotus altar when he was snatched up by the collar by Nie Shiyun, who had dashed back at high speed.
"Waaaah—"
"Shh—"
Nie Shiyun frowned and simply stuffed Coal Ball back into his space.
Zhai Bairong followed closely behind Nie Shiyun, and the two entered the "wall" one after the other.
"This is just an illusion. If they come close, it won't stop them. Going further in is a dead end; won't we be discovered this way?" Zhai Bairong was a bit nervous, sending a voice transmission to Nie Shiyun.
Nie Shiyun was about to say "probably not," because they hadn't discovered this secret passage in the original story. But then he felt he couldn't be certain. Originally, Duan Mingyu and the others had only come looking for Ice Lotuses and accidentally discovered this underground cave dwelling, thinking there must be something extraordinary here. Sure enough, they found the immortal artifact and didn't miss the Ice Lotuses, returning home overjoyed and laden with treasures.
Now that the most important Dharma treasure was missing from this vast cave dwelling, it was hard to guarantee those people wouldn't feel they had missed something and search more thoroughly.
"I can't say for sure," Nie Shiyun could only inform Zhai Bairong conservatively.
The two held their breath and hid in the shadows to observe. After a short while, beyond the Ice Lotus altar, the cave door that the two of them had been unable to open no matter what they tried swung open easily. A bewildered Duan Mingyu, who didn't even know how he had opened the door, walked in along with Rong Lü and Xu Yehua behind him.
"What bad luck. If we had woken up just one day earlier, we would have missed them perfectly," Zhai Bairong said.
Duan Mingyu’s group was wondering how the door had suddenly opened when the flower altar in the distance came into view.
"Ah, aren't those Ice Lotuses!"
Duan Mingyu was about to run over excitedly when he was pulled back by Rong Lü. "Don't rush, be careful."
"Mm, you're right." Duan Mingyu pursed his lips and stood still, looking conflicted. The three of them had been recuperating in the Hot Spring Valley for nearly a month before setting out again. They had accidentally entered a forest and discovered this hidden place. However, they hadn't encountered any danger along the way, so Duan Mingyu had let down his guard.
With Rong Lü leading the way, the three of them did a rough survey of the cave dwelling and saw nothing suspicious. Similarly, aside from the Ice Lotuses, they saw nothing extraordinary.
Duan Mingyu felt a bit disappointed. "Speaking of which, when we were on the way here, I felt like there must be a fortuitous opportunity here."
"Do you mean these hundred-year-old Ice Lotuses?" Xu Yehua glanced at him and asked. He was currently curious about how the cave door had been opened. Since he had started paying attention to the unusual things about Duan Mingyu, Xu Yehua had noticed some details he hadn't focused on before. But it seemed Duan Mingyu himself was completely clueless.
"I... suppose so," Duan Mingyu said hesitantly.
"Could this place have been built specifically for cultivating Ice Lotuses?" Rong Lü deduced.
Xu Yehua frowned, disagreeing. This place was built in such a hidden underground location, and it had taken them half a day to walk down here. The master of this cave dwelling certainly wouldn't have gone to so much trouble just to grow Ice Lotuses.
Seeing the group prepare to give up on searching elsewhere and move toward the flower altar together, Nie Shiyun lightly touched Zhai Bairong, signaling him with his eyes to follow him back. The two lightened their movements and retreated silently down the passage.
"Shiyun, if we really have to face them, it’s not impossible," Zhai Bairong transmitted to Nie Shiyun while retreating.
Nie Shiyun had already surpassed the others and reached the Golden Core Great Perfection. If he faced Xu Yehua again now, the result would likely be very different. And with Coal Ball and Zhai Bairong facing Duan Mingyu and Rong Lü, they wouldn't necessarily lose.
Nie Shiyun looked at him. "Do you want to make a move against Duan Mingyu?"
Without hesitation, Zhai Bairong replied, "If necessary."
Seeing Nie Shiyun hesitate, Zhai Bairong couldn't help but add, "I mean it."
"I know," Nie Shiyun smiled, but he stopped Zhai Bairong, who was ready to fight at any moment. "It’s just that rather than taking the initiative to reveal ourselves, I think since we currently possess an immortal artifact, we should be wary of everyone in the cultivation world. It’s better to stay in the shadows and keep a low profile. Although we wouldn't necessarily lose to them, I’m not certain I can kill all three of them. Let’s retreat for now."
"I understand what you mean. But this path is a dead end. If they find their way in, we can only be prepared."
As the two spoke, they retreated, and by now they had returned to the room with the array.
Nie Shiyun thought for a moment. Although it might be sudden for Zhai Bairong, now was indeed a good time to test the rules of the Chaos Space.
"Try touching this."
Zhai Bairong looked at Nie Shiyun, somewhat puzzled. At such a critical moment, why did the other man want him to touch the decorative jade pendant on his person?
However, he would not question Nie Shiyun’s words and immediately reached out. When his fingertips touched the surface of the jade pendant, he only felt a normal, cool sensation, with nothing special about it.
Nie Shiyun understood. As expected, without his permission, other cultivators could not enter. Back then, it was only because Coal Ball was an egg and didn't count as a living creature that he had managed to stumble inside.
"What’s wrong all of a sudden? Isn't this just a mortal-grade ornament you’ve always worn?" Seeing that nothing happened, Zhai Bairong finally couldn't help but ask.
A mortal-grade ornament was essentially a decoration for ordinary mortals, without any spiritual power or effects, kept only for its appearance.
"Just a moment." Nie Shiyun picked up the jade pendant and closed his eyes.
Not knowing what he was up to, Zhai Bairong stood in place. At the same time, he remained alert to the passage behind them. He thought he heard Duan Mingyu’s voice from that direction calling out, "Eh, this place is a bit strange!" and alarm bells rang in his heart.
"Not good, they—"
"Try again." Nie Shiyun interrupted Zhai Bairong.
Full of doubt and completely unprepared, Zhai Bairong casually touched the jade pendant as he had before. But this time, something entirely different happened. "...!"
Feeling a bout of vertigo, Zhai Bairong’s first reaction was naturally one of panic. However, remembering that this was Nie Shiyun’s arrangement, his subconscious felt that the other man would certainly not harm him, and he immediately calmed down.
Nevertheless, the reaction of dizziness was unavoidable. Zhai Bairong was now just as Nie Shiyun had been the first time he triggered the entrance to the space—sitting blankly on the ground, feeling somewhat nauseous.
"This place is..."
"Eh! You can actually come in?!" Coal Ball was nearby, holding the few Ice Lotuses he had just picked, looking after them carefully for fear that if he let go, they would be swallowed by the Chaos Space. Although he didn't know much, he understood that these were rare and good things.
Zhai Bairong looked up and saw Coal Ball was also here, becoming even more confused.
"A spirit beast bag? No, how could I possibly enter..."
Coal Ball also had only a partial understanding of Nie Shiyun’s miraculous little world. He opened his mouth, wondering how to explain it on Nie Shiyun’s behalf. A few seconds later, Nie Shiyun’s figure also appeared within the space.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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紫罗仙衣 | Purple Silk Immortal Raiment | A divine artifact (immortal raiment) found in the cave dwelling.
混沌空间 | Chaos Space | Nie Shiyun's secret portable dimension inside his jade pendant.
金丹大圆满 | Golden Core Great Perfection | The highest sub-stage of the Golden Core realm, just before Nascent Soul.
障眼法 | Illusion / Obfuscation | A technique used to hide the secret passage.
仙器 | Immortal Artifact / Immortal Tool | A high-level magical item, superior to standard spiritual tools.
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 77 | Into the Chaos Space | Novela.app | Novela.app
