Translator – Misty

Chapter 55: Ignoring the Words of the Wise

Creak!

Mu Zibai slowly pushed the stone door open. Nothing seemed to trigger—no traps, no strange occurrences. As he pushed, he spoke nonchalantly, “Qing Ning, you should believe me now. If there really were any traps, they would’ve been triggered already. Hah… A so-called ‘Cloud Sea Devouring Mechanism’? What a joke.”

Hmm?Qing Ning furrowed her brows slightly and cautiously scanned the area. There really didn’t seem to be anything unusual. But just as that thought crossed her mind, a sudden change occurred. A mysterious pattern emerged on the ground, glowing with a radiant light.

“Not good! Be careful!”

Startled, Qing Ning cried out. Mu Zibai also jumped back in shock. Both of them tried to dodge the incoming threat, but it was too late. The glowing light suddenly expanded, engulfing them in an instant. A powerful pressure surged over them, making it difficult to breathe.

It’s real!There really is a trap!It felt like sinking into a deep, inescapable mire.

Neither Qing Ning nor Mu Zibai had expected this. There was no time to think; they immediately activated their spiritual energy, attempting to forcefully break free. But the moment they did, the pressure intensified. The more they struggled, the stronger the force became. Initially, they could still move slightly, but as they activated their energy, they found themselves unable to even lift their arms.

In the hall, Gu Qingfeng watched them fall into the trap and sighed helplessly. “Don’t circulate your spiritual energy. Don’t struggle. Don’t make any movements, or it’ll only get worse. Stand still and do nothing—keep your mind calm.”

Qing Ning tried stopping her energy flow and ceased resisting. Sure enough, the pressure slowly eased.

Mu Zibai, on the other hand, was panicking. His fear of death overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t stop struggling. The more he fought, the stronger the pressure became. It felt like death was imminent.

With a flick of his hand, Gu Qingfeng cast a spiritual technique. Bang! The glow vanished, and the mechanism stopped.

Qing Ning let out a breath of relief, though her face was pale from the fright. Mu Zibai, however, collapsed completely, sprawled on the ground like a dead dog, gasping for air.

“This isn’t a place for you two,” Gu Qingfeng said coldly. “Rest for a while and then leave quickly.”

With that, Gu Qingfeng opened another stone door and walked inside, shaking his head. “Young people these days—so reckless. They don’t even understand basic formations but still dare to barge into a cave dwelling. It’s no different from seeking death.”

But thinking back, he remembered being just as reckless in his younger days.During his adventures exploring ancient caves, he’d faced countless dangers. Fortunately, he’d had someone important by his side to help him through—otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived half as many times.

In the hall, watching Gu Qingfeng leave, Qing Ning wanted to stand and thank him but lacked the strength. She quickly pulled out two Vitality Pills, giving one to Mu Zibai and taking one herself.

Though they had narrowly escaped death, neither of them was physically injured—only their vital energy had been drained. A brief rest would be enough to recover.

While meditating, Qing Ning couldn’t help but ponder:Who exactly was that man?Not only had he noticed what she couldn’t, but he also seemed incredibly skilled in formations. With just a glance, he had detected the hidden mechanism on the stone door. Even more shocking was how effortlessly he had disabled it with a single spiritual technique.

How did he do that?I don’t understand.

Even though she was a Daoist with an established presence, she had little knowledge of obscure techniques like formations.

After a while, with her vital energy restored, Qing Ning’s complexion improved. Mu Zibai recovered enough to move freely again as well.

“Mu Zibai, how are you feeling?”

Sitting cross-legged, Mu Zibai took a deep breath and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“Sigh! I told you to be cautious, but you wouldn’t listen. If we had just taken his advice, none of this would’ve happened.” Qing Ning’s voice grew sharp with lingering fear. “If he hadn’t helped us just now, we would’ve died here today.”

“Hmph!”

Mu Zibai, proud and full of self-respect, wasn’t grateful at all. Instead, he felt humiliated—especially in front of Qing Ning. The loss of face was something he couldn’t tolerate.

After finishing her meditation, Qing Ning stood up. “He should be just ahead. Let’s go thank him.”

“Thank him? For what?”His pride wounded, Mu Zibai’s demeanor turned cold and sharp.

“What’s wrong with you? He saved our lives—twice! The least we can do is thank him sincerely.”

Qing Ning, a high-ranking member of the Jiuhua Alliance, held a status far above Mu Zibai’s position as the chief of the Cloudy Rosy Heaven Sect’s Twelve Courtyards. Despite Mu Zibai’s reluctance, he had no choice but to follow her.

Passing through two more stone doors, they finally found Gu Qingfeng.

At that moment, Gu Qingfeng was carefully gathering fragments of Purple-Gold Sunlight Crystals from around the final formation core. These crystals contained incredibly volatile solar energy. If they had been whole, they’d have been stable. But as scattered shards, the energy within had become dangerously unstable—any mishandling could trigger a devastating explosion.

The two were immediately drawn to the fragments, especially Mu Zibai. Even though he didn’t recognize them, he could feel the immense energy emanating from them—something he had never encountered before.

Qing Ning felt the same—unfamiliar, yet undeniably powerful.

“What’s this? I just saved your lives, and now you’re thinking of stealing my things?”Gu Qingfeng stood beside the altar, glancing lazily at them before continuing his careful collection.

“Fellow cultivator, you misunderstand… We came to thank you for saving our lives. May I ask your honorable name?”

Before Qing Ning could finish, Gu Qingfeng cut her off. “No thanks needed. If you don’t want to die, leave.”

“Fellow cultivator—”

“Enough already. Get lost.”

“You—how rude!”In her entire life, Qing Ning had never been told to “get lost.” Pointing at Gu Qingfeng, she snapped, “I know what you’re thinking, but rest assured—we’re not here to steal your fragments. I’m not that kind of person, and besides, you’ve saved me twice now.”

With that, she turned to Mu Zibai. “Let’s go.”

Mu Zibai didn’t move, his eyes glued to the shimmering purple-gold shards, a greedy light flickering in his gaze.

“What are you staring at, Mu Zibai?”

“Qing Ning, we agreed before coming in—any resources found in this cave dwelling should be split evenly. That’s the rule.”

(End of Chapter)