Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 266 - 266 265 Deep in the Banyan Cave

266: Chapter 265: Deep in the Banyan Cave 266: Chapter 265: Deep in the Banyan Cave The two began to prepare for delving deeper into the cave.

Cultivators have a high level of psychological endurance for such adventures; they understand that no opportunity comes easily and that rewards don’t lie in wait to be claimed.

The journey is always filled with hardships; searching for days without success is merely one of those tribulations.

He passed over a Finger Cicada, “I’ll lead, you follow, no less than thirty feet apart; tap the Finger Cicada three times for a halt, twice for anomalies where you may approach for support, and once for dangers beyond control where you must leave quickly.

Junior brother, I am much older than you, with far more experiences and similar adventures under my belt; I know your sword technique is formidable and you fear nothing, but in the Cultivation World, there are too many situations beyond our control, and sometimes it’s better to retreat and call for help than for both of us to fall here.

This time, it’s me who called for you, so naturally, I’ll lead.

Remember, trusting my judgment is the primary rule.

Will you promise to do that?”

Hou Niao grinned, “How about I hang back sixty feet?

Come on, do I look like someone who doesn’t understand these things?”

Xiang Zhiwen shook his head, “You’re not clueless, you just don’t believe in curses.

But you need to understand, in tight spaces like these, combined with formations and traps, even a Tongtian-level practitioner may not be sure of success unless you can perform Earth Escape.

Can you do that?”

Hou Niao was embarrassed, “I can only tunnel halfway, and might even end up with half my backside sticking out…”

Xiang Zhiwen felt relatively at ease; this junior brother’s mental acuity was that of a standard Sword Cultivator embryo: calm in adversity, quick-witted, and responsive.

Among the many friends he knew, he had specific reasons for choosing him for this undertaking.

His attitude, as though the sky could fall and he’d just use it as a blanket, seemed as if he never knew what it was to be nervous, a rare trait indeed.

“You guard my back, I’ll handle the front.

The key to a successful exploration is mutual trust; I trust you, what about you?”

Hou Niao nodded, “Alright, I also trust your judgment.”

Xiang Zhiwen nodded satisfaction, sword in one hand, the other holding what seemed to be a treasure, as he made his way into the cave.

After he advanced nearly sixty feet, Hou Niao followed quietly.

He had never experienced exploration before; the time at Jingyang Mountain didn’t really count since he was merely visiting.

He lacked interest in the various marvelous and coveted treasure hunts of the Cultivation World and never thought that such adventures were an essential part of cultivation.

What kind of cultivation mindset relies on picking up unknown treasures underground for their future?

Treasure hunters are fools hoping for gains without effort, and those who leave treasures behind are sure to set traps.

This is basic logic understood by any sensible person, yet there are still many in the Cultivation World who are passionate about such pursuits, their thoughts running on a different track.

Of course, Xiang Zhiwen’s exploration this time was a bit different as it belonged to the marvelous exploration of nature, a process that would span a cultivator’s entire life.

Going out and experiencing the world is the right path for a cultivator’s growth.

Xiang Zhiwen chose to go first, and he did not dispute it, even though he had been here before.

This wasn’t a matter of familiarity but one of responsibility.

As he walked, he fiddled with the Finger Cicada in his hand, a premium item for short-distance message transmission.

Clearly, Xiang Zhiwen had put effort into the preparation for this secret mission.

This was a device that communicated not through spiritual power fluctuations but through the life connection between Finger Cicadas, making it particularly suitable for use in narrow spaces like the Underworld, mazes, and tombs.

It could not convey overly complex messages since Finger Cicadas couldn’t understand human thoughts, but, with a prior agreement, they could use tapping to signal warnings to each other.

With their combined strength, anything below the Tongxuan realm posed no threat to them; but the pleasure of cultivation lies in asymmetry.

Beyond combat, there are many other areas sufficient to firmly control a person, preventing them from using their skills.

Last time he entered, he had walked inside for an hour back and forth before leaving the cave, and he had hurried to meet with Xiang Zhiwen.

This time around, they were intent on a thorough exploration.

Because the cave was so dark, Xiang Zhiwen had embedded a bead in his hat, its brilliance shining in all directions; theoretically, this could fully expose them, but given the inevitable noise they would make moving through the depths, being stealthy did not really matter.

Not being able to be truly silent, they might as well be straightforward.

This cave was a typical Banyan Cave structure, with a comfortable temperature, but the air became murkier deeper in.

Fortunately, they could hold their breath for long periods, obtaining necessary air through the transformation of spiritual power, otherwise, they would be unable to continue.

After another hour deeper underground, they were unclear about how far they had descended; it felt almost as if they were reaching the bottom of the mountain.

However, the vague spiritual power emerging from the spring water made all their efforts seem worthwhile.

At a depth of an hour, they finally found a Spiritual Spring, but due to the structure of the Banyan Cave, the water of the Spiritual Spring couldn’t flow out, leaving no trace of spiritual energy outside.

Yet the spring’s strength was so weak that it might benefit the ordinary mortals, but for them, such intensity was still far from sufficient, like a few Spirit Stones soaked in a bucket of water, and the stones weren’t even soluble.

Hou Niao admired that after Xiang Zhiwen discovered the Spiritual Spring, he actually slowed down, showing no eagerness, which reflected a mature cultivator’s quality—the closer to the destination, the more composed.

However, Hou Niao frowned in confusion; the situation felt familiar.

Similar to their experience in Jingyang Cave, the spring water held a hint of spiritual essence, but the real secret hung inverted from the stalactites above.

He wanted to warn Xiang Zhiwen to be mindful of the ceiling, but struggled with how to speak up.

Friends were friends, but he wouldn’t easily reveal the secrets of esteemed seniors like Gusu, as that would be the minimum respect in the Cultivation World.

He could only stay alert to the space above, ready to inform Xiang Zhiwen of any anomalies.

Moreover, he wasn’t certain that this place was a replica of Feileng Spring; just as the world doesn’t have two identical people, neither can there be two exactly alike Spiritual Springs.

Continuing on, however, a moment of clarity would eventually come.

His judgment proved accurate, as the experienced Xiang Zhiwen didn’t need any reminders to notice the anomalies above them.

‘Tap, tap, tap…’ The Finger Cicada transmitted three consecutive taps, so Hou Niao knew it was time to stop.