Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

After A-Yuan had walked away, Su Xiao looked at Shen Mo with a serious expression: "Sect Leader Brother, this stone... and what A-Yuan said..."

Shen Mo nodded, his gaze fixed intently on the seemingly ordinary black ore in his hand: "Yunmengze... it seems that place is indeed extraordinary. A-Yuan's spiritual sense is special; what she sensed was probably not an illusion."

He pondered for a moment, then instructed Su Xiao, "Don't make this public for now. Keep an eye out for any news about Yunmengze in the market recently. I have a feeling something is about to happen."

Su Xiao's heart tightened, and he solemnly replied, "Yes, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

Sure enough, two days later, Sun Xiaohou returned from shopping at the market with some news that caused an uproar!

"Sect Leader! Senior Brothers and Sisters! Something terrible has happened!"

Sun Xiaohou ran all the way up the mountain, panting, but his face was beaming with excitement. "It's all over the market! They're saying... saying that an ancient cultivator's cave is about to appear in Yunmeng Marsh!"

"What? An ancient cultivation cave?" Shi Tie was the first to jump up, his eyes wide open.

"Really? Little monkey, don't talk nonsense!" Zhang Daniu also came over, his face full of disbelief.

"Absolutely true!" Sun Xiaohou exclaimed, panting heavily, gesturing wildly as he spoke.

"It's all over the market now! They say that a few days ago, some rogue cultivators who usually fished in the marshes encountered an earthquake. A large section of the marshland collapsed, revealing a corner of an ancient palace!"

"Some people even saw the light emanating from the barrier! Lots of people are rushing over there now!"

"I heard it's the cave of some 'Flowing Cloud True Man'! And he's a top expert at the Golden Core stage! Everyone's guessing there must be tons of treasures inside! Cultivation techniques, elixirs, magic weapons—you name it!"

Sun Xiaohou spoke with great enthusiasm, his words flowing like a torrent of flowery language.

His words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake! All the disciples were drawn over, forming a circle and starting to discuss it animatedly.

"A Golden Core cultivator's cave dwelling?! My God!"

"There must be a lot of Foundation Establishment Pills, right?"

"Perhaps there are even powerful magical artifacts among them!"

"Should we...should we go take a look too?" Even the usually composed Su Xiao had a hint of excitement in her beautiful eyes.

Faced with such an opportunity, who could remain unmoved?

"Go! Of course we're going!" Shi Tie rubbed his hands together, his voice booming. "How can we miss such a good opportunity! If we manage to snag a treasure, our Qingyun Sect will be set for life!"

"Yeah! Let's go take a look! Maybe they'll find some good stuff for body tempering!" Zhang Daniu excitedly chimed in.

Even Wang Lie and Sun Xiaohou were eager to try. Only Li Xiaocao and Zhao Qingyan were a little worried, while Lin Xiaofan kept his head down, lost in thought.

A-Yuan couldn't understand, and blinked her big eyes at her excited senior brothers and sisters.

"Quiet down, everyone."

A calm voice rang out, not loud, but clearly overwhelming all the noise.

Everyone turned around and saw that Shen Mo had been standing at the entrance of the main hall, looking at them calmly.

"Sect Leader!" Everyone quickly stood at attention, but the excitement and longing in their eyes were impossible to hide.

Shen Mo's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, finally landing on Sun Xiaohou, whose face was flushed with excitement: "Xiaohou, is the information reliable? Where exactly is it located? What's the situation there now? Which forces have gone there?"

Sun Xiaohou was taken aback by the question, scratching his head: "Well... that's what everyone in the market says... the location... it seems to be near 'Ghost Cry Ravine' deep in the marshland... right now... right now, there must be a lot of people rushing there!"

"I saw that people from the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Profound Ice Pavilion have been mobilized! Even... even our 'old rival', the Pill Cauldron Pavilion, and I heard that Black Wind Stronghold also sent people!"

Upon hearing the names of regional overlords such as "Heavenly Sword Sect" and "Mysterious Ice Pavilion," as well as "Pill Cauldron Pavilion" and Black Wind Stronghold, the disciples' high spirits were dampened as if doused with a bucket of cold water.

Shen Mo nodded, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. He walked into the courtyard, picked up the piece of Yunmengze ore that A Yuan had touched earlier, and weighed it in his hand.

"Golden Core Cave... True Man Liuyun..." He repeated these two words in a low voice, his eyes deep.

A-Yuan's vague senses... the news Sun Xiaohou brought back... Yunmeng Marsh... the underwater palace... a ferocious shadow...

The fragments seem to be piecing themselves together.

He looked up at the young, eager, and slightly uneasy faces before him.

"Opportunities often come with enormous risks," Shen Mo said slowly, his voice steady.

"The cave dwelling of a Golden Core cultivator is extremely tempting, but the competition will be fierce, with numerous powerful figures from all sides vying for it. What strength does our Qingyun Sect currently possess to snatch food from the tiger's mouth?"

These words were like a needle, puncturing the bubble of fantasy in everyone's hearts.

Shi Tie opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but looking at himself and then at the legendary experts who were at the late Qi Refining stage or even the Foundation Establishment stage, he finally shut his mouth, his dark face showing a look of unwillingness and helplessness.

Yes, among this group, the strongest senior brother, the sect leader, is only at the second level of Qi Refining. He has just entered the first level of Body Refining. How can he compete with those major sects?

The excited atmosphere suddenly turned somewhat somber.

"Then... Sect Leader, are we... just going to watch like this?" Sun Xiaohou asked in a low voice, somewhat unwilling.

Shen Mo did not answer directly. He walked to the edge of the cliff, looked in the general direction of Yunmengze, and remained silent for a moment.

The wind seemed to carry the distant clamor and a faint smell of blood.

"Wait," Shen Mo said, uttering only one word.

"Wait?" The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Let's wait for more concrete information." Shen Mo turned around, his gaze sharp. "Let's wait for the situation to become clearer. Let's wait... and see just how deep this water really is."

He paused, then raised his voice slightly: "Until then, everyone, stay obediently on the mountain! Cultivate! Reinforce the formation!"

"Without my order, no one is allowed to leave the mountain, let alone approach Yunmeng Marsh! Anyone who disobeys will be expelled from the sect!"

The last four words were resolute and carried an unquestionable authority!

All the disciples tensed and replied in unison, "Yes, Sect Leader!"

Shen Mo waved his hand, dismissing the crowd. He remained alone on the edge of the cliff, his brows slightly furrowed.

Life on the mountain seemed to have returned to its usual rhythm: cultivation, labor, tending the herb garden—everything was as before. But an indescribable anxiety and anticipation permeated the air.

When the disciples were working, they would often unconsciously stop and crane their necks to look in the direction of Yunmengze, even though they could see nothing but the continuous mountain ranges.

When we gather for meals and rest, the conversation always inevitably turns to the legendary ancient cultivation cave.

"Hey, what kind of treasures do you think are in that cave?" Sun Xiaohou scratched his head, unable to sit still, and whispered to Shi Tie.

"Of course! A Golden Core cultivator! Even the slightest leak from his fingers is enough to provide us with endless benefits!" Shi Tie said in a deep, gruff voice, his dark face gleaming as he brandished his fist, which was as big as a sand pot.

"Cultivation techniques! Pills! Spiritual artifacts! I definitely need them all! If I could get my hands on a powerful body-refining technique, I might be able to directly reach the third level of body refinement!"

"Maybe there are even elixirs that can improve one's aptitude..." Lin Xiaofan squatted in the corner, his voice low, but the longing in his eyes was more intense than anyone else's.

"But...the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Profound Ice Pavilion, those big sects, have all gone. Can we...can we compete with them?" Zhou Xiaoya asked timidly, expressing her concerns.

"What's there to be afraid of!" Zhang Daniu retorted, sticking his neck out. "Our sect leader will definitely have a way! Besides, we have the Enlightenment Cave, and we have the patriarch's blessing! If we're lucky, we might even snag some loot, right?"

"Exactly! Fortune favors the bold!" Wang Lie rarely chimed in, as if he could already see the scene of chasing prey in the marshes.

Most of the young disciples were blinded by the "treasure," and their excitement outweighed their worries.

Only Su Xiao, Zhao Qingyan, and others with sensitive minds had a deep and unyielding look on their faces.