Chapter 980: The Crack in the Cave

Chapter 980: The Crack in the Cave

Now the situation has changed. I thought hiding in the cave would keep us safe, but Ruo’er’s body is acting weird, and her spiritual energy is leaking out, shaking the cave and attracting outsiders.

It all feels like a clandestine affair, and now we have to frantically get dressed and run!

But while he’s anxious, Ruo’er is blissfully sniffing at his clothes!

You may have the blood of a fox, but come on, you’re still human! Have some sense! Know when to do what!

Lin Nuo quickly runs over to Ruo’er, snatches her outer clothing from her hands, and drapes it over her.

“Let’s go.”

He grabs Ruo’er’s hand and starts sprinting. We can’t go back the way we came—if we get spotted, we won’t be able to explain ourselves.

We have to run deeper into the cave instead.

As Lin Nuo pulls Ruo’er further in, he suddenly remembers something.

She hasn’t brought her clothes with her!

He immediately turns back, grabs Ruo’er’s clothes, and then rushes further into the cave.

“Quick! Stuff your bed and things into the Spirit Bag. Hurry up! No more sniffing, you’ll have plenty of that outside.”

“Young Master, Young Master! Why are we running? Have we encountered an enemy? Where are we going now?”

“Yes, an enemy. We need to find our way out quickly; they’re about to break in.”

Lin Nuo urges Ruo’er to tidy up. He has many talents, but he can’t master the Spirit Bag Technique. Even though Ruo’er has tried teaching him, he just can’t get the hang of it.

Maybe it’s a technique unique to immortals that this big villain can’t learn. Just a few simple incantations and manipulating spiritual energy have him stumped. Guess we’ll just have to chalk it up to the script.

“Ah… what a pity… we just started, and now…”

Ruo’er reluctantly puts her big bed back into the Spirit Bag.

“Let’s go.”

Lin Nuo pulls Ruo’er’s hand again, but she’s running slow, so he just scoops her up in a princess carry.

Light as a feather, not at all straining; her soft thighs feel quite nice.

“Young Master…”

Ruo’er shyly leans against Lin Nuo’s chest in a dreamy world of her own, just like the scene she always hoped for—him carrying her away from danger, like a hero saving a damsel. They escape together to find a quiet place and spend the rest of their lives together.

What an ideal life.

Lost in thought, she starts to grin foolishly, and Lin Nuo shakes his head. This silly girl, does she have any idea of the danger they’re in, smiling like that?

She seems completely carefree, not a hint of worry in sight.

But…

Isn’t this the kind of Ruo’er he wants to see? Compared to the gloomy and forced smile she had in the illusion, this is the state Ruo’er should be in.

Ling Meng and the others have already broken through, using Spirit Technique to conjure flames to illuminate their path.

“Um… here…”

Ling Meng has arrived at the spot where Lin Nuo and Ruo’er previously stayed, and her sensitivity to Lin Nuo’s aura kicks in immediately.

“Isn’t this the Master’s aura? It’s fading; they must have just left not long ago.”

Ling Meng guesses, and Liu Shuqin agrees.

“Indeed, it’s the Junior Martial Brother’s aura. The magic symbol we saw outside must belong to him. But why did he come here? There’s still a trace of immortal energy.”

Liu Shuqin isn’t as strong in sensing spiritual energy compared to Lin Nuo’s aura, but she predicts it could be linked to Ruo’er.

“They went further inside. Let’s go.”

Filled with curiosity, they dash deeper, determined to uncover the truth.

Could there have been any clues beforehand?

…

Like the wind, Lin Nuo speeds deeper into the cave, preparing for the worst—that he’s reached a dead end with no way out.

If it comes to that, he’ll blow it up and make his own exit.

He’s ready to charge ahead wherever the path may lead. Given how quick he’s moving, he’s so far ahead that he’s already lost touch with Ling Meng and the group chasing after him.

“Here…”

Lin Nuo starts feeling uneasy. They seem to be going deeper, and this cave goes further underground. If they keep going, they might just end up buried!

Plus, the deeper they go, the harder it becomes to breathe; a normal person might not last long here.

Time for a protective shield.

Lin Nuo waves his hand, and soon they’re enveloped in a spiritual barrier, allowing them to carry on for a while.

“Young Master, I sense something…”

“You feel it too?”

“Yes… I sense it, there seems to be voices inside.”

“You can hear voices?”

“Yes, I can hear a little. Didn’t you hear anything, Young Master?”

“No, I just sense an aura. If you can hear something, what are they saying?”

“They aren’t saying much, just laughter. It’s a very strange laughter… I’m a little scared…”

As Ruo’er speaks, she snuggles closer into Lin Nuo’s chest.

“Strange laughter? Am I losing my hearing?”

Lin Nuo is puzzled; this only piques his curiosity further.

What’s going on in there? Is there someone inside?

With their spiritual barrier protecting them, Lin Nuo and Ruo’er hold on a bit longer as they press on. The further they go, the more cold and oppressive it feels.

“Young Master, that laughter is getting closer. And it seems like there’s more than one voice — so many of them. Young Master, could there be something wrong…”

“If you say that, we need to take a look. After all, this is your place; if there are any monsters hiding in here, it poses a danger to your safety, too.”

Lin Nuo says, channeling more Demon Soul Power to strengthen the barrier, prepared for any ambush that might shatter it.

“Um… that laughter… it’s terrifying… Young Master, let’s just go back…”

“No way. With me here, don’t panic.”

For some reason, he can’t hear the laughter Ruo’er is talking about.

After a frantic sprint, they finally reach the end of the cave. Along the way, they see many corpses—some appear to be beasts, others may have belonged to humans.

But as they approach the end, there are no more corpses, suggesting that others may have explored before but never made it to the very end.

“This should be the spot.”

Lin Nuo halts, unable to advance further. Now, he begins to hear various sounds too, although they’re quite faint, he can still perceive them.

Moreover, he senses the presence of Demon Qi here; it’s strange—similar to his, yet not entirely the same, with some differences.

“Young Master, it seems to be coming from over there.”

Ruo’er points in a direction, and Lin Nuo follows her gaze to see a large crack, with the Demon Qi emanating from it.

“Yeah, indeed. You should step down for a moment.”

Lin Nuo sets Ruo’er down, and the two cautiously approach the crack for a closer look.

Even with flames illuminating the area, it’s unclear where the crack leads or who is behind the Demon Qi and the strange sounds.

“The rocks here are different from outside; they’re solid and tough to break.”

Lin Nuo attempts to punch the nearby rocks, but they remain unscathed. Naturally, he holds back some strength; if he were to use full force, it would surely collapse.

“Younger Master, here…”

Ruo’er crouches down to touch the crack, but the moment she makes contact, the ground trembles.