Chapter 133: The Amethyst Cavern

The space here is not particularly large, roughly the size of a basketball court. Water trickles down from a small opening at the very top, and the surrounding area is covered in blue flowers that emit a faint glow in the darkness. I shone my flashlight around and found only one exit, located to my left. It is impossible to say how this small cavern was formed; one can only marvel at the uncanny craftsmanship of nature. Without hesitation, I turned and headed toward the passage on the left.

Without a light source, this place is pitch black—you can’t even see your own hand in front of your face—making it nearly impossible to move. I wonder if Li Zijian managed to get out, and what could have been inside that wooden box? But I have to put these thoughts aside for now; my only mission is to reunite with the others, or I might well lose my mind staying here.

The tunnel is much like others I have seen: a circular passage over two meters high, wide enough for two people to walk side by side. As I ventured deeper, I began to notice some strange things. From time to time, the stone walls showed marks of being hacked by blades, and there were even traces of blood. Scattered on the ground were severed limbs and broken weapons, as if a great battle had taken place here. In such a situation, with no one to accompany me and total darkness all around, I could not help but feel a chill.

Continuing forward, I began to encounter corpses. Their flesh had long since decayed, but some remnants of their clothing remained. Judging by the style, it was not the garb of any sect I recognized; it was an unfamiliar attire. Furthermore, there were no rings on their fingers, so it is highly probable they were not practitioners. Why, then, did they come here? And who killed them so brutally? Upon closer inspection, I realized that their bones were intact; they had all been killed by a single strike to the throat. Clearly, the perpetrator was no ordinary person.

I moved with extreme caution, even drawing my Snow Blade and hiding it within my sleeve. There were simply too many dead bodies—dozens of them—and the number increased the further I went. Suddenly, a cold breeze drifted from directly ahead, carrying a faint scent of damp earth. If nothing went wrong, there should be an open space ahead. I quickened my pace, eager to leave this ghastly place. Just then, I saw a figure in front of me. I was so startled I nearly cried out, but the figure did not move; it stood silently, back turned toward me.

I shone my flashlight on it, only to realize that it was merely a stone statue. I let out a long breath, though cold sweat still streamed down my face—this statue alone was enough to scare anyone. Still, I remained cautious as I walked slowly toward it. The statue was clad in armor, depicting a valiant-looking middle-aged man with a long blade at his waist and a spear held in his hand.

I chose to continue forward, but the moment I took a step, I heard a sound behind me. I looked back to see the surface of the stone statue beginning to crack, slowly revealing a skull beneath. Suddenly, the skeleton soldier began to tremble, then thrust its spear at me.

It seems nothing good ever comes from visiting such a wretched place; I had barely arrived and already encountered a living corpse. I quickly summoned my Snow Blade and parried the blow. In the panic, I dropped my flashlight on the ground, though fortunately, it wasn't soaked by the water. The skeleton soldier possessed immense strength; one thrust of its spear sent me stumbling back several steps. If this was the case, I knew what had happened to the bodies I had seen earlier; they must have all been killed by this skeleton.

I spun the Snow Blade in my hand and sneered, "Come then, let me see what you're made of."

It seemed to understand, for it lunged at me again. The skeleton soldier not only had great strength but also remarkable speed. Although I could not perceive any spiritual energy on it, it possessed at least the strength of a fifth-grade Spirit Flower practitioner. If it could display such power without any spiritual energy at all, it was truly formidable.

But this was no time for idle talk. The skeleton’s attacks were fierce, and for a while, I was forced purely onto the defensive. Generally, the techniques for spears and lances are similar—thrusting, hacking, piercing, and hooking—and without mastering a proper style, one’s attack patterns are easily discerned. The skeleton before me was a perfect example. After a few exchanges, not only did it fail to wound me, but I managed to land a few punches. The skeleton focused entirely on aggressive offense while neglecting its defense, giving me an opening.

I seized the moment and unleashed a "Thunderbolt Strike," which pierced directly through its chest. But I learned my lesson: the skeleton merely paused for an instant before resuming its assault. "Damn it, I guess I have to tear you to pieces."

I pinched my fingers to form a Bagua formation, holding it in one hand while swinging the Snow Blade with the other. Even after I had broken the skeleton's spear, it showed no intention of stopping, drawing a short blade from its waist to continue the fight. I didn't want to waste any more time, so I struck with full force and severed its head. As the skull fell to the ground, the skeleton’s body crumbled into pieces.

With the skeleton dealt with, it was time to move on. I retrieved the Snow Blade, picked up my flashlight, and continued forward. Constant cold drafts brushed against my face, and I shifted from a walk to a jog; after all, no one wants to stay in this place for long. The ground ahead was covered in standing water and cluttered with stones that hindered my progress—one slip and I would fall.

Finally, I reached the end, where I discovered a scene that left me shocked for quite some time. It appeared to be a circular space, with walls lined entirely with purple crystals of various sizes. These crystals were beautiful and incredibly hard; it took me a long time with my Snow Blade to chip off a single piece. It felt cold to the touch and was stunning under the light. Since I was already here, I decided to take as much as I could.

I cleared out a storage ring and began my mining session. Lacking a pickaxe, I had to use the Snow Blade to slowly chip away at the walls. Even so, it was efficient, and soon I had filled an entire ring. Having collected enough, I grew lazy and stopped. I also noticed that there was a massive purple crystal above, with water flowing down from it. I had originally thought the water below was just a puddle, but it was actually a small underwater tunnel.

With no other path forward, I had no choice but to dive into the water. The water in the tunnel was freezing, and the space was so cramped that anyone with claustrophobia wouldn't have lasted a minute. But there was no other way; I had to reunite with the others as soon as possible. There wasn't a glimmer of light beneath the water, so I had to feel my way forward. This couldn't help but remind me of the pile of corpses I had encountered earlier. They must have been ordinary people, too—but why on earth would they come to such a dangerous place?