Chapter 9, The Practitioners of the Hidden Valley

"I heard you are the newly ascended?" The cave master suddenly opened his eyes, and a brilliant light flashed within them, resembling a starburst. The room was filled with a white glow, and for a moment, Fengyun Wujie felt as if the entire cave was as bright as day

Upon hearing this, Fengyun Wujie was completely awakened; that voice could only belong to You Wuxie. It seemed that You Wuxie understood Zhao Wuji extremely well, as he had effortlessly tracked him down to this place.

Hush! You Wuxie is scheming. There are countless caves here, and no matter how high You Wuxie's martial arts are, he would never dare to act recklessly in this hidden valley. If he were to dare to cause trouble, there are those who would take care of him. At some point, Zhao Wuji had also awakened, and with just one glance, he understood Feng Yunwuji's intention to go out, and he stopped him.

Is this the absolute gap? The extreme sense of loss caused Feng Yunwuji to suffer even more, suddenly spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, and then sliding down the cave wall, collapsing on the ground.

Hmph. Old man, have you seen any newcomers enter this valley? One of them is wearing a white robe and scholarly attire, appears to be no more than forty years old, yet his face resembles that of a youth? Tell me, and I will leave; otherwise, you will suffer the consequences!" You Mo Xie is clearly not someone to be trifled with, as his voice echoed throughout the Hidden Valley.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji flicked his robe and the book, then sat cross-legged beside the cave's master. He then turned to look at Feng Yunwuji, his gaze conveying the meaning of "follow through".

Indeed, as the master of the cave mentioned, the spiritual energy here is exceptionally abundant, even more so than that surrounding the temple. The essence of heaven and earth flows into the body like a tangible substance, transforming into streams of flowing true energy. That sensation is truly exhilarating. Gradually, Feng Yunwuji also immersed himself in self-cultivation, entering a state of increasing refinement.

Turning around, just as I was about to wake Zhao Wuji, I happened to meet his opened eyes.

A mere gust of force from their clash had already injured Fengyun Wujie internally. In comparison, Zhao Wuji fared much better; aside from a slightly pale complexion, he suffered no significant harm. However, the master of the cave seemed oblivious, as the tremendous waves generated by their fierce exchange did not even lift the corners of his gray-white, wrinkled garments.

Damn it! My entire cultivation method has never left this place!" The master of the cave was already furious

In the cave, apart from the raised stone where the person sits, there is nothing else, so simple that it cannot be simplified further. The life of a practitioner is simple and monotonous, with everything being minimized as much as possible

Hmm! Fengyun Wujin grunted, and in an instant, his entire body was lifted by an overwhelming force and thrown against the wall, pressed tightly against it as if he had been forcefully pinned into the wall. His lungs felt as if they were being twisted in pain, and a trickle of fresh blood had already flowed from the corner of his mouth

As he took a step forward, the true visage of the cave master appeared before Feng Yunwuji. The man had long hair, adorned with a long hairpin. His features were ancient, and the wrinkles on his face spoke of the long years of his existence. A wide gray robe enveloped his slender frame, with his crossed knees completely hidden beneath the grayish-white fabric of the robe.

Feng Yunwuji glanced uncertainly at the empty, hard ground, contemplated for a moment, and ultimately chose to sit down beside Zhao Wuji as before

The cave master gazed at Feng Yunwuji with a peculiar look. Although this persistent gaze was devoid of malice, it was still quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, the man finally shifted his gaze and sighed, "How many years has it been? In this cave, disregarding the passage of time, I have not heard of any ascenders for a long time. Over these years, the number of ascenders has dwindled... However, having a few is certainly better than having none at all"

From beginning to end, Fengyun Wujin only spoke a single phrase, consisting of two words, to the Demon Slayer, after which the Demon Slayer no longer paid him any attention. This somewhat surprised and unsettled Fengyun Wujin. Observing Zhao Wujin, who was immersed in self-cultivation, and with nothing else to do, Fengyun Wujin had no choice but to sit down in a cross-legged position.

Indeed, a thunderous roar came from outside the cave: "Who dares to be reckless in my lair!" It was evident that the master of the cave, awakened by the intrusion of You Wujie, was extremely angry.

Thank you, senior! Zhao Wuji is not here for the first time. After expressing gratitude, he turned to Fengyun Wujin and said: "Senior Demon Slayer is like this; whenever he has time, he immerses himself in self-cultivation. Today, for us to be here, it is already rare for him to open his eyes if he can break through. In fact, it is not just Senior Demon Slayer who is like this; many people are the same. After spending a long time here, you will naturally understand that the achievements of masters are built up over the years."

Hmph, do you take me for a fool? Although it is said that during cultivation one should close the six senses and not perceive external matters, those who claim to possess great supernatural powers are merely individuals with some level of mastery. As cultivators, which one of you does not leave behind a trace of spiritual awareness during your self-cultivation? How could you possibly be unaware of the movements within the entire valley? Damn old fool, receive my palm!

Uncertain how much time had passed, when Feng Yunwuji gradually awakened, in that half-asleep state, he heard a familiar voice of cursing from outside the cave: "Zhao Wuji, you little brat, and that reckless kid, get the hell out here. Hmph, Zhao Wuji, I know you have nowhere to go, you must be hiding in this hidden valley. Let me tell you, if you don't hand over the first volume of the Xuanming Secret, don't expect to have a good life. Hmph, Zhao Wuji, I know you have nowhere to go, you must be hiding in this hidden valley. Let me tell you, if you don't hand over the first volume of the Xuanming Secret, don't expect to have a good life. No matter where you escape to, I can find you. Come out, come out! I know you two little brats are hiding here, don't think you can escape... Damn it, thinking you can just stay in there, if you don't come out, I'll go in myself... searching alone."

Yes

Fengyun Wuji followed closely behind Zhao Wuji, his demeanor calm as he stepped into the dark cave. The cave was not deep, with smooth walls and a spotless floor, contrary to what Fengyun Wuji had imagined. Strictly speaking, this cave was very clean.

Having finished speaking, Zhao Wuji placed his hands on his knees, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate himself. A faint white mist emanated from his body, swirling around him.

"Casual." The cave master extended a hand from beneath his wide sleeves, pointing to the empty space beside him, indicating something. That hand quickly disappeared back into the voluminous sleeves, but Feng He - Tu - Shu Yunji's expression subtly changed. In that brief moment, Feng He - Tu - Shu Yunji suddenly realized that this hand was completely different from the cave master's withered appearance. The hand was crystal clear, as if crafted from crystal, with a faint luster reminiscent of jade, yet it was even more delicate and beautiful than a woman's fingers. Feng He - Tu - Shu Yunji was taken aback to discover that this hand was completely different from the cave master's withered appearance. The hand was crystal clear, as if crafted from crystal, with a faint luster reminiscent of jade, yet it was even more delicate and beautiful than a woman's fingers.

At the top of the cave above that person's head, there hung a round jade pearl as large as a goose egg, emanating a faint halo. This object, which was seen in the world before ascension, was indeed a Dust Pearl.

Work hard, I see that you have considerable talent. The path of cultivation in martial arts is unlike the realm you originally inhabited; there are no shortcuts. To survive in this harsh world, one must endure rigorous training... Of course, perhaps you do not yet understand the meaning of harshness as I describe it, but that is not important. After staying here for a while, you will naturally come to understand. There is a Spirit Gathering Array here, which makes cultivation much more effective; you might as well stay here temporarily. " After saying this, the master of the cave, also known as the Demon Slayer as referred to by Zhao Wuji, closed his eyes and immersed himself in self-cultivation, causing the cave to grow considerably dimmer.

"How dare you! This is ... ..." The voice abruptly cut off, and after a brief moment of almost imperceptible silence, a tremendous thunderclap erupted in the valley, followed by a powerful gust of wind surging in from outside the cave, crashing in like a massive wave, striking heavily against Fengyun Wujie.