Seven Mysterious Spaces: My Rise to Power in the Cultivation World

Zhuang Yu's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the collapsed Master Zixiao.

He could sense the chilling resentment emanating from Master Zixiao, like a venomous snake lurking in wait, sending a shiver down his spine.

A strong sense of crisis surged into his heart, and without hesitation, he pulled Wang Yao, who was standing next to him, to his side.

"Be careful!" Zhuang Yu whispered, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Caught off guard, Wang Yao bumped into Zhuang Yu's arms, and a faint masculine scent instantly enveloped her.

She could clearly feel Zhuang Yu's chest rising and falling, one powerful and forceful beat after another.

The warm breath seeped through her thin clothes, burning her earlobes.

Her cheeks flushed crimson as if scorched by fire, and her heart began to race uncontrollably.

She looked up at Zhuang Yu; his profile was strong and his eyes were focused and deep.

At this moment, he was watching her intently ahead, as if protecting her.

A strange warmth welled up in Wang Yao's heart, a feeling that made her feel both confused and delighted.

She subconsciously leaned closer to Zhuang Yu, feeling the warmth of his body.

Just then, Master Zixiao's lips curled into a strange, cold smile.

He slowly got up from the ground, his movements stiff and slow, like a puppet being controlled.

His sinister gaze swept over Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao, as cold and venomous as a viper's.

He raised his right hand and gently swept his palm across the air, and a faint light vanished instantly.

Zhuang Yu vaguely sensed a slight disturbance in the air, as if something had been activated.

He looked around warily, but found nothing unusual.

"Hmph, you've chosen the path to hell when there's a way to heaven!" Master Zixiao's hoarse voice rang out, filled with endless resentment.

He sneered, seemingly confident of victory, "Boy, do you really think you can do whatever you want just because you've obtained that treasure? I, Master Zixiao, have been lying low for a hundred years. How could you possibly manipulate me like this?"

Just then, several powerful auras approached from all directions, surging in like a tidal wave.

The intensely oppressive spiritual energy fluctuations felt like mountains pressing down on people, making it hard to breathe.

Zhuang Yu's expression changed. He could sense the intense killing intent contained within these auras, their target being him.

"Hehe, old ghost Zixiao, you're quite fast!" A rough voice came, like rolling thunder, making the ground tremble slightly.

"Hehe, I heard that a divine artifact has appeared in the world, so I couldn't resist joining in the fun!" Another cold voice rang out, carrying a hint of greed.

"Zixiao, don't worry, we brothers are here, we'll definitely teach this kid a lesson!" Another voice came, filled with killing intent.

One after another, figures rushed in from all directions and landed behind True Person Zixiao. Without exception, these people were all Nascent Soul stage experts. They exuded powerful spiritual energy fluctuations, which made the surrounding air stagnate.

Their eyes swept over Zhuang Yu greedily, like hungry wolves eyeing their prey.

Zhuang Yu frowned, feeling an unprecedented pressure.

With so many Nascent Soul stage experts, he alone could not possibly defeat them.

He held Wang Yao's hand tightly, quickly calculating a countermeasure in his mind.

"Boy, you'd better hand over the treasure obediently, or today will be your death day!" a burly cultivator said with a sinister grin, licking his lips.

Zhuang Yu looked around; the enemies were all eyeing him menacingly, their killing intent overwhelming.

He tilted his head slightly and whispered to Wang Yao, "We..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet tremble, as if something was awakening.

Zhuang Yu's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he grabbed Wang Yao's hand, and in a flash, disappeared from the spot.

Master Zixiao and the others were caught off guard, their faces filled with astonishment.

"Where is he? How could he have vanished without a trace?" the burly cultivator roared, slamming his thick arm into the ground, sending shards of stone flying.

"Could there be some hidden formation?" Another Nascent Soul cultivator narrowed his eyes, his divine sense spreading out like a tide, carefully searching every inch of the surrounding space.

However, no matter how they searched, they could not find any trace of Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao.

At this moment, Zhuang Yu led Wang Yao to a secluded cave.

The entrance to the cave was hidden by dense vines, making it difficult to spot without careful observation.

The cave was dark and damp, with a faint smell of earth in the air.

A flash of light appeared in Zhuang Yu's hand, and the divine artifact transformed into a stream of light that merged into his body.

He quickly formed hand seals, and mysterious runes flew from his fingertips, forming layers of complex restrictions around the cave entrance.

"This is... an ancient concealment formation?" Wang Yao looked at Zhuang Yu in surprise. She could feel the powerful force contained in these restrictions, enough to shield against all divine sense probing.

"Yes, we're safe for now." Zhuang Yu smiled slightly, his eyes filled with tenderness as he looked at Wang Yao.

Outside the cave, Master Zixiao and the others continued their search, employing various spells and even using secret treasures, but they still could not find any trace of Zhuang Yu.

"Damn it! Where did that kid go?" Master Zixiao's face turned ashen, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart.

Inside the barrier, Zhuang Yu looked at the restless figures outside and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He sat cross-legged and began to regulate his breathing to restore his spiritual power.

Wang Yao sat quietly beside him, gazing at him tenderly.

The cave was silent except for the soft breathing of the two people.

“Zhuang Yu…” Wang Yao spoke softly, her voice as melodious as a mountain stream.

Zhuang Yu turned to look at Wang Yao, and saw that her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were filled with shyness.

"What's wrong?" Zhuang Yu asked.

Wang Yao bit her lip, hesitating to speak. She reached out and gently stroked Zhuang Yu's face.

"I……"

Wang Yao's touch was like a feather gently brushing against Zhuang Yu's heart, stirring up ripples.

The dim light in the cave illuminated her shy face, adding to her allure.

Their eyes met, and Wang Yao...

Zhuang Yu's heart suddenly raced, and he couldn't help but move closer to Wang Yao. Their breaths mingled, and their lips almost touched.

He could smell the faint fragrance emanating from Wang Yao, which was refreshing and intoxicating.

The atmosphere was ambiguous and enchanting. Wang Yao gently closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, waiting for the sweetness that was about to arrive.

Just then, Zhuang Yu suddenly felt a powerful force strike the barrier at the cave entrance, producing a buzzing vibration.

The light from the barrier flickered violently, as if it might shatter at any moment.

Zhuang Yu suddenly opened his eyes

"Not good!" Zhuang Yu exclaimed, pulling Wang Yao behind him and watching the cave entrance warily.

"Boom!" Another loud noise rang out, and the restrictions at the cave entrance shook violently, revealing fine cracks.

"They're about to break in!" Wang Yao exclaimed, her face pale, as she gripped Zhuang Yu's sleeve tightly.

Zhuang Yu took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He knew that now was not the time for sentimentality; he had to find a way to deal with the crisis at hand as soon as possible.

With a crisp "crack!", the barrier at the cave entrance finally succumbed to the powerful attack and shattered completely.

Blinding light shone in from the cave entrance, illuminating the entire cave.

The ferocious face of Master Zixiao appeared at the cave entrance, his eyes flashing with greed and murderous intent.

"Boy, let's see where you run this time!" Master Zixiao sneered, conjuring a sharp sword aura in his hand, pointing directly at Zhuang Yu.

Zhuang Yu's gaze sharpened, and a flash of light appeared in his hand, instantly revealing the divine artifact.

He shielded Wang Yao behind him and said in a deep voice, "Wang Yao, hold on tight to me!"

Zhuang Yu took a deep breath, his eyes sharp as knives.

He knew that he must not panic at this moment; the more critical the situation, the more he needed to remain calm.

He gripped the divine artifact tightly, and a powerful force surged into his body. The previously crumbling barrier, under his blessing, once again shone brightly, and the cracks healed at a visible speed.

"This kid actually has such tricks up his sleeve!" Master Zixiao's face darkened. He could feel the power of the restriction increasing again, making it difficult to break through in a short time.

He glared fiercely into the depths of the cave, his hatred for Zhuang Yu growing even stronger.

Zhuang Yu didn't give them a chance to breathe. He grabbed Wang Yao's hand and felt the coldness and slight trembling of her palm.

He smiled slightly, his eyes filled with determination and tenderness, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Wang Yao raised her head and looked at Zhuang Yu's resolute profile. His eyes were calm and composed, as if he had everything under control.

A strange sense of security welled up in her heart; dependence and trust entwined her heart like vines.

She nodded silently, letting Zhuang Yu hold her hand and follow in his footsteps.

They walked along the other side of the cave, deeper into it.

The cave was dark and damp, with jagged rocks, and water droplets dripped from the rock walls from time to time, making a crisp sound when they hit the ground.

A faint musty smell and an earthy, fishy odor filled the air.

Zhuang Yu's divine sense, like a radar, carefully scanned every inch of the surrounding space, searching for any suspicious signs.

They walked through a narrow passage, and suddenly a huge space appeared before them.

The surrounding rock walls are inlaid with some luminous crystals, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime.

In the center of the space, there was a huge pool of water, with a layer of white mist floating on the surface, giving it a mysterious and unpredictable feel.

"There!" Zhuang Yu pointed to a stone wall by the pool.

There is a hidden groove in the stone wall, which is difficult to find without careful observation.

Zhuang Yu pulled Wang Yao to the side of the groove, took out a special talisman from his storage bag, and carefully affixed it to the groove.

The talisman instantly lit up with a dazzling light, and the groove slowly opened, revealing a narrow entrance.

"Let's go!" Zhuang Yu said in a low voice, took Wang Yao's hand, and crawled inside without hesitation.

Just after they disappeared into the entrance, a deafening roar came from outside the cave, and the entire cave shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

"boom!"

Another loud bang was heard, and cracks began to appear in the cave walls. Large amounts of rubble fell from above, and dust filled the air.

"Hahaha, it seems they're hiding here. Do they really think they can escape my grasp?" Master Zixiao's cold voice rang out from outside the cave. He seemed to have already discovered Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao's hiding place and was confident of victory.

"Old Ghost Zixiao, I'm here to help you!" A rough voice rang out, accompanied by a powerful force that slammed into the cave wall, causing the cave to shake again, dust to fly, and rocks to tumble down.

The tremors inside the cave grew more and more intense, and the light at the entrance began to flicker, as if it were about to be completely destroyed at any moment.

Inside the narrow entrance, Zhuang Yu held Wang Yao's hand tightly, his expression grave.

He could sense that the enemy outside was closing in step by step, and a new crisis was quietly approaching.

“Zhuang Yu…” Wang Yao’s voice trembled slightly. She could feel the danger approaching from outside the cave, and fear surged in her heart like a tide.

Zhuang Yu turned his head to look at her, his eyes gentle yet firm, "Don't be afraid, we..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a slight tremor beneath his feet, like the low growl of some wild beast underground. A chill ran down his spine, and an ominous premonition arose within him. He abruptly looked at Wang Yao, his eyes filled with confusion and shock, "This…"