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Chapter 176: The Greatest Secret of Ma Po Cave
🕑 Added 2024-10-05 05:22:49 +0000 UTCQin Chuan was stunned by the old man’s words. He felt there was a proverb that could describe this situation, but he couldn’t quite think of one.
After a long pause, he took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for your concern, Senior. However, as cultivators, we should not fear danger. As the saying goes, ‘fortune lies within calamity.’ Often, crises come hand-in-hand with opportunities."
The old man gave him a curious look, seemingly irritated, and waved his hand dismissively. "Fine, fine, do whatever you want! Don’t blame me if you regret not listening to the advice of an elder when you end up in trouble."
With that, the old man patted the giant panda beneath him.
The panda suddenly perked up, its four legs moving at lightning speed, thundering into Ma Po Cave.
Qin Chuan’s face twitched as he watched. He was now certain—the old man’s so-called advice was just a ploy to distract him and gain an advantage in securing the treasures inside.
“Fine, shameless it may be, but I can’t beat him right now, so there’s no point dwelling on it.”
Shaking his head, Qin Chuan followed them into the cave.
Whoosh!
As soon as he entered, a cold and damp gust of air hit him, along with a faint rotten stench.
"Rumble!"
Ahead of him, the sound of thunderous tremors reverberated. Looking forward, he saw a massive gray river flowing, with an ancient, swaying suspension bridge spanning across it. The bridge creaked and groaned under the weight of the many people carefully making their way across.
Above them, the white-glowing giant panda thundered through the air, galloping past like a streak of light.
“Rumble!”
Every step the panda took caused the air to ripple, and the suspension bridge below swayed violently. Even the supports on both sides threatened to give way.
"Ah! I’m falling!"
"Hold steady! Hold steady!"
"Where did this beast come from?!"
"Damn it, in my next life, I swear I’ll kill you!"
“Splash, splash, splash…”
One by one, figures screamed as they fell from the bridge, swallowed by the gray river below.
It seemed there was some strange force in the air preventing them from flying, forcing everyone to cross the bridge. But once they fell… there was no saving them from the river below.
The gray river bubbled like molten lava, dirty and foul, exuding a sinister aura that made one’s stomach turn.
“Hahaha! A bunch of reckless youngsters, always seeking shortcuts instead of proper cultivation. They get what they deserve!”
The old man on the panda’s back laughed heartily. The panda, having crossed the river, quickly disappeared into the darkness of the cave.
This cave was truly unfathomable!
Standing at the edge of the riverbank, Qin Chuan summoned a ball of light in his right hand, guiding it over the gray river.
“Buzz!”
The next moment, a heavy force pressed down on the light, as if trying to drag it into the river.
Qin Chuan pulled back, like reeling in a fish, struggling against the force coming from the river. The strength of the pull continued to grow, eventually reaching the power level of a three-tribulation Realm Emperor.
But for someone like Qin Chuan, who had broken through all nine layers of the heavens, such power was far from his limit. His current strength was comparable to that of a four-tribulation Realm Emperor.
Thorough preparation leads to exponential growth.
"Expand."
He commanded the light ball to grow, testing if the force of the river was proportional to the object’s size.
Indeed, the pulling force increased as the light ball expanded. After a few more tests, he successfully maneuvered the light ball across the river.
He then rescued a man who was about to fall, using his energy to gently lift him and place him on the opposite bank.
Though it took some effort, it was doable.
Satisfied, Qin Chuan enveloped himself in the nine-colored light of his laws, like a radiant sun, and soared across the river.
"Rumble!"
His immense energy clashed with the force of the gray river, creating a violent storm above the water. The suspension bridge trembled once more, and those on the bridge screamed in panic.
"Senior, help me!"
"Senior, save me!"
Several people clung desperately to the bridge’s planks, their pants pulled down by the river’s force as they cried out in terror.
Qin Chuan ignored them.
He was barely keeping himself safe; how could he worry about others?
Anyone who ventured into Ma Po Cave had to be prepared for danger. Life and death were ruled by fate, and fortune was earned through struggle.
Suddenly, the gray river began to bubble violently, more than before, and soon the thick surface of the river ruptured!
It was as if a road of concrete had been torn apart. From below, a massive beast lifted its head, its blood-red maw snapping up at Qin Chuan.
"Whoosh—"
The monster splashed waves over ten meters high, and when the water hit the shore, it corroded the ground with a hissing sound.
“Suppress!”
Qin Chuan stomped his foot, unleashing the power of the Earth Law. A mountain instantly formed beneath him, slamming down onto the beast!
“Boom!”
The monster’s open mouth was filled with the mountain. With the strange gravity of the gray river adding to its weight, the mountain grew impossibly heavy, crushing the beast back into the water.
Seizing the moment, Qin Chuan quickly flew across the river.
"Roar!!"
Suddenly, a fierce roar echoed, and a massive creature crawled onto the shore.
It was a monster resembling a giant salamander, its body a dull gray color, covered in rock-like spots and moss. Strangely, it seemed to have no eyes.
“Crunch, crunch, crunch.”
It raised its head, and the mountain that Qin Chuan had summoned began to melt inside its mouth, disintegrating into law fragments that the beast swallowed.
"Die!"
Qin Chuan acted without hesitation, waving his hand to summon the power of lightning. A storm of thunderbolts rained down, illuminating the dark cave.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The deafening sound shook the entire cave. Even the gray river churned with massive waves.
However, the thunderbolts had little effect. The monster absorbed the lightning into its slimy skin, seemingly feeding on it.
“Slash!!”
Qin Chuan drew the Black Whale Emperor Sword and slashed down with a massive wave of sword light, shaking the earth once again.
Yet, it was still ineffective.
At that moment, the beast whipped its tail like a mountain, hurtling it toward Qin Chuan with a force that could crush anything in its path.
Qin Chuan dodged the initial strike, but the tail quickly swung back at him, like a lightning-fast whip.
“Boom!”
Just in time, a powerful gust of wind formed around him, shielding his body. But the beast’s tail smashed through the wind, sending Qin Chuan flying like a meteor into the gray stone wall.
"Roar—"
The monster roared, charging at him with its maw wide open, spewing a foul stench of decay and sulfur.
"This creature's strength is comparable to that of a five-tribulation Realm Emperor!" Qin Chuan’s expression grew serious.
"But… it’s nothing I can’t handle."
He raised his right hand, and black-and-white runes began to form, twisting and coiling like vines in his palm.
The Curse Seal of Decay and Growth!
"Go!"
With a wave of his hand, the black-and-white runes shot out like droplets of water, merging into the monster’s body.
Whoosh!
The next moment, the creature froze in mid-air before crashing to the ground.
“Hiss, hiss…”
Black-and-white runes quickly appeared on the monster’s slimy skin, spreading like roots, covering its entire body. Its massive form began to wither.
“Roar—”
The creature let out a miserable scream, writhing and struggling on the ground, but it was futile. Its body shriveled as its strength rapidly faded.
"Surrender! I surrender!"
A deep, raspy voice rang in Qin Chuan’s ears, transmitted through spiritual communication.
Qin Chuan stared at the monster in surprise.
It lay flat on the ground, its body trembling, eyes full of pleading—yes, it had eyes, just very small ones that he hadn’t noticed earlier.
Clearly, it was speaking.
Hovering in the air, Qin Chuan looked down at the monster and asked, "Why should I accept your surrender? What value do you have?"
The creature, tormented by the Curse of Decay and Growth, cried out in desperation, “Don’t kill me! I know the greatest secret of this cave!!”
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