Chapter 4: Tempests Rise in the Hidden Chamber

Li Hongjun steadied his somewhat unsteady steps and looked at the monster that, after being devoured and absorbed by him, had turned into nothing more than a heap of dust. A surge of pride welled up in his heart. “Heh, it seems this ‘Chaos Devouring Heavenly Art’ really is a treasure. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be able to roam the cultivation world with impunity thanks to it!” He mused happily to himself, already picturing the day he would become a great figure in the world of cultivators, revered by all.

After a short rest, Li Hongjun continued to explore the mysterious space. He moved slowly along the wall, his eyes fixed intently on the strange patterns and runes, hoping to find more clues. “These runes look incredibly mysterious; perhaps they conceal some earth-shattering secret. If I can decipher them, maybe I’ll find another powerful treasure.” Muttering to himself, he reached out and gently touched the runes, hoping to trigger some unusual reaction.

The moment his fingers brushed against one of the runes, it burst into radiant light, and a portal suddenly appeared before him. “Well, what do you know! Guess I really did stumble upon something by sheer luck. Could this be a passage to another mysterious place? Whatever, I’ll go in and see for myself. At worst, I’ll have to fight a few more monsters that look like they were rejected by Nuwa herself.” Gathering his courage, Li Hongjun stepped into the portal without hesitation.

With a flash of light, Li Hongjun found himself inside a vast stone chamber. The floor was covered in intricate formation patterns, and the walls were embedded with gems that glowed with a ghostly light, casting an eerie atmosphere over the entire room. At the far end of the chamber stood a massive stone pedestal, upon which rested a box radiating multicolored light.

“Wow, this box is anything but ordinary. Is it a legendary magical artifact? Or perhaps some peerless elixir? Whatever, I’ll just grab it first and figure out the rest later.” Rubbing his hands in excitement, Li Hongjun hurried toward the pedestal.

Just as he approached, a swarm of bizarre creatures resembling bats—each the size of a human head—flew out from all directions, surrounding him. Their eyes glowed with a sinister red light, and their shrill cries sent chills down his spine.

“What the heck are these things? Each one is uglier than the last. Did you all come from the Ugly Planet or something?” Though he tried to maintain a sharp tongue, Li Hongjun couldn’t help but feel nervous. Quickly channeling his spiritual energy, he conjured a ball of fire in his hand—the fireball technique he’d only just mastered. “Taste my fireball! Let’s see how cocky you are now!”

The fireball shot like a meteor toward the swarm, instantly striking several of the creatures. They let out miserable shrieks and vanished into plumes of black smoke. But the rest only grew more frenzied, diving at him from all sides. Forced to dodge and defend himself with more fireballs, Li Hongjun found himself overwhelmed.

“Damn it, you little beasts just won’t quit, will you?” He dodged another attack and launched several more fireballs, but their numbers were too great. As powerful as the technique was, it wasn’t enough to wipe them all out at once.

Just as he began to struggle, inspiration struck—he remembered the gravity spell he’d just learned. “Of course! How could I forget? Let’s see how you handle this!” Forming a series of hand seals, he chanted under his breath. In an instant, the gravity around the bizarre creatures multiplied several times over. Many of them crashed to the ground, writhing helplessly, unable to take flight.

“Haha! How does it feel now? You dared to gang up on me, but now you know what I’m capable of!” Seizing the opportunity, Li Hongjun intensified his fireball spell, picking off the immobilized creatures one by one.

After wiping out the swarm, he wiped the sweat from his brow and headed for the pedestal. As he approached the multicolored box, it began to hum, and a beam of light shot toward him. His vision blurred, and his consciousness was plunged into chaos.

Amidst the confusion, Li Hongjun saw an old man with silver hair and a sage-like bearing. The old man regarded him with a gentle smile and said, “Young one, your arrival here is a matter of fate. Within this multicolored box is a tome called the ‘Universal Spirit Art.’ This cultivation method will allow you to sense and control the spiritual force of all things, a great boon on your path. But remember, the road of cultivation demands a kind heart—you must not use this power for evil. Should you harbor sinister thoughts and misuse this art, you will surely suffer divine retribution.”

Li Hongjun nodded eagerly. “Rest assured, senior, I, Li Hongjun, have always been honest and kind. I will use this method on the righteous path.”

The old man, sensing his impatience, smiled. “Don’t be hasty. This method is not yours just yet. You must first pass one final trial. In the depths of this space lies a guardian beast. Defeat it, and you will not only receive the ‘Universal Spirit Art’ but also acquire an ancient divine weapon. Know this: the guardian beast is formidable, and you must give it your all.”

With that, the old man’s figure slowly faded, and Li Hongjun’s consciousness returned.

“A trial it is, then. I, Li Hongjun, am not afraid. And an ancient divine weapon, too—just the sound of it is thrilling. I must have it!” He clenched his fists, determination shining in his eyes.

Following the old man’s guidance, he pressed on toward the depths of the space. The environment grew ever more eerie and oppressive; strange noises echoed around him, as if countless unseen eyes were watching from the darkness.

“Hmph, playing tricks in the dark! If you have the guts, come out and fight me for three hundred rounds!” he shouted loudly, bolstering his courage.

At last, he arrived before a massive cavern, dense with spiritual energy and exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure. “This must be the guardian beast’s lair. No matter what you are, I’m going in today.”

Taking a deep breath, Li Hongjun strode into the cavern. No sooner had he entered than a colossal qilin—radiant with five-colored light—appeared before him. Its eyes sparkled like lightning, its scales shone with a metallic sheen, and each breath sent ripples of powerful spiritual energy through the air.

“Holy… it’s a qilin! This won’t be easy,” he thought, tensing. But he quickly composed himself. “No problem. With the ‘Chaos Devouring Heavenly Art’ and all the new spells I’ve learned, I might just stand a chance.”

The qilin glared at Li Hongjun and let out an earth-shaking roar, as if warning him to leave at once. Li Hongjun just grinned. “Hey, big guy, you’re not scaring me off. Either hand over the treasure, or I’ll knock your teeth out!”

Seemingly incensed by his taunt, the qilin charged with thunderous force. Li Hongjun hastily cast the gravity spell, trying to hinder its advance. Yet the qilin was so powerful that it only paused for a moment before barreling forward once more.

“Tough customer,” Li Hongjun muttered, dodging aside and launching several enormous fireballs at the beast. The qilin opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of five-colored light, instantly dispersing the fireballs.

Li Hongjun was startled. The qilin was even stronger than he had imagined, but he didn’t give up. Instead, he began analyzing the situation. “I can’t beat it head-on; I’ll have to outsmart it.”

He soon noticed that whenever the qilin prepared to attack, certain scales would flash in a specific pattern. Was this its weakness?

Feigning left and right, Li Hongjun dodged and provoked the qilin, closely observing the changes in the glow of its scales. After several feints, he discerned a pattern: whenever the qilin was about to unleash its most powerful attack, a scale on its chest would shine the brightest.

“So that’s it. Now I’ve got you!” Waiting for the right moment, Li Hongjun unleashed his full power in a Spirit Wind Palm, aiming at the qilin’s chest as the scale blazed with light.

The palm strike, infused with all his spiritual energy, was lightning fast. The qilin couldn’t dodge in time and was struck directly. With a pained roar, it staggered.

Li Hongjun pressed the attack, bombarding the beast with fireballs and spiritual missiles. Under his relentless assault, the qilin gradually weakened.

At last, the qilin collapsed with a thunderous crash and faded into a beam of light. Li Hongjun heaved a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and laughed. “Ha! I knew it—even the toughest foe has a weak spot.”

Just then, a flash of light appeared in the cave, and the multicolored box materialized before him. Eagerly, Li Hongjun opened it and found inside a radiant ancient tome—the very ‘Universal Spirit Art.’ Beneath the book lay an ancient sword, exuding an aura of antiquity. This must be the ancient divine weapon the old man had mentioned.

As he picked up the sword, a surge of powerful energy flooded his body. “Amazing! With the ‘Universal Spirit Art’ and this divine weapon, my strength is bound to soar.”

Just as Li Hongjun reveled in his triumph, the cave began to shake violently. “No! Is this space collapsing?” Without a moment to lose, he dashed toward the exit, dodging falling rocks as the cave walls crumbled behind him. At last, he caught sight of daylight and leapt out just as the entire space collapsed into nothingness.

Breathing deeply, he gazed at the ‘Universal Spirit Art’ and the divine weapon in his hands, a sense of accomplishment flooding him. “What a haul! I’ll have to study this art and figure out how to use the divine weapon. Next time I’m in danger, maybe I’ll be able to handle it with ease.”

Smiling to himself, he gathered his spiritual energy and prepared to teleport away. Yet just as he began the spell, he discovered the surrounding space was sealed by a mysterious force. “Oh come on, out of the frying pan and into the fire? What now?”

Suddenly, a massive black vortex appeared in the sky, from which an eerie laughter echoed. “Boy, did you really think you could walk away unscathed with the ‘Universal Spirit Art’ and the ancient divine weapon? Those treasures are mine. Hand them over and I’ll spare your life.”

Li Hongjun shouted back, “Who are you? Why should I give you my treasures? If you’ve got guts, come out and fight me face to face! Hiding in the shadows doesn’t make you a hero!”

The laughter came again. “Ignorant child, you are not worthy even to know my name. If you refuse, you will die today.”

Gripping the sword tightly, Li Hongjun’s heart blazed with fury. “If you want them, come and take them! I, Li Hongjun, am not afraid!” A new crisis crept upon him, and whether he could once again escape danger and keep his treasures, embarking on yet another journey of cultivation, was a mystery yet to unfold…