In the dense jungle, two figures were traveling at a steady pace, having already reached the initial border of the Southern Region.
The two could vaguely sense that ordinary animals were becoming scarce, and the surrounding trees were gradually becoming lush, with towering trees dozens of meters tall everywhere.
Qin Luo followed closely behind Xia Zihan, his eyes gleaming as he carefully observed every move around him.
"We've been traveling for three days already, and logically we should be almost there by now, but we haven't even seen a shadow of it."
Qin Luo thought to himself with frustration. During the past three days of travel, he had not missed any clues and had been observing any suspicious places around him, but he just couldn't find anything that looked like a cave.
Just as he was wondering if there really was a cave dwelling, Xia Zihan, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped. Qin Luo, who was thinking about the cave dwelling, bumped into her head. Since Qin Luo was half a head taller than Xia Zihan, the collision hit the back of her head, which was tightly wrapped in a square scarf.
This caused him to instantly smell a faint scent of sandalwood, which made him involuntarily take a deep breath.
"you!"
Xia Zihan felt the suction coming from the back of her head, so she quickly took a few steps forward to keep her distance from Qin Luo, and then looked at him with a slightly cold expression.
Oh no! Qin Luo realized he had made a grave mistake when he saw her posture. Looking at Xia Zihan's increasingly cold face, a sudden idea flashed through his mind. He feigned a complaint and said:
"Why did Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu suddenly stop? I lost my balance and bumped into him. I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu to have the habit of applying perfume. Aren't you ashamed to apply such a womanly thing as a grown man?"
Xia Zihan's expression changed slightly upon hearing his words. In her anger, she had almost forgotten that she was still dressed as a man, and could only swallow her anger.
After taking a deep breath, Xia Zihan pointed to a spot not far away and said:
"There seems to be a cave over there. When I walked up with my spiritual sense, I found that there seemed to be a thick spiritual energy emanating from it."
Upon hearing this, Qin Luo realized that this was the cave he had been longing for. He never expected that Xia Zihan would find it.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go in and take a look, and we'll know."
Qin Luo said excitedly, and the next moment he was about to walk to the cave.
"Fellow Daoist Wang Wu, calm down! This emanating spiritual energy might not be an opportunity, but a trap that could take your life!"
Xia Zihan shook her head inwardly when she saw him like this. In her eyes, Wang Wu's tendency to get excited whenever he saw a treasure was a huge flaw.
Putting aside his ability to judge events, he is only slightly stronger than an ordinary mortal before reaching the Spirit Gathering Realm. I really don't know where he gets such courage from.
"What do you mean by this, Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu? Does this mean there is danger inside this cave?"
Qin Luo realized he had been too eager and quickly stopped to ask questions, as if he was still a little scared.
"In this southern border region, places with spiritual energy are often the lairs of powerful demonic beasts. Our main goal now is to cross the primeval forest and reach the southern region. I think we should avoid causing any more trouble and save our energy for the journey."
Xia Zihan tried to persuade him with a rational expression.
Qin Luo's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this. He knew that this cave was completely safe and, in fact, a significant opportunity in the simulation. Giving up his chance to return would be a complete waste.
Thinking of this, Qin Luo composed himself, looked at Xia Zihan with a firm gaze, and said:
“Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu, I understand your cautious nature, but now that the cave is right in front of us, wouldn’t it be a pity not to go in and explore it?”
Qin Luo paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides, even if there are demonic beasts inside, with your strength, you might be able to handle them. Moreover, what if this is an unclaimed treasure land? The spiritual energy and treasures inside could greatly increase our strength, making our journey much smoother. Wouldn't that be twice as effective with half the effort?"
Qin Luo took a deep breath and then advised, "Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu, fortune favors the bold! Let's be careful and go in to investigate. If things don't look right, we can retreat in time without suffering too much loss. If we really miss this opportunity, we'll definitely regret it later."
Xia Zihan's mind began to waver after hearing his repeated advice, but her eyes were still filled with worry as she looked at the rather secluded cave.
"Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu, what exactly are you afraid of? We cultivators are defying the heavens, how can a small cave dwelling stop you? I think your courage is even less than mine, a mere Spiritual Awareness Realm cultivator comparable to a mortal!"
After Qin Luo finished speaking, he rushed into the cave, but not very fast. He was waiting for Xia Zihan to make a choice, since the opportunity inside was specially reserved for her.
Xia Zihan watched Qin Luo's departing figure, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she fell into deep thought.
On one hand, she knew that rashly entering the unknown cave was indeed extremely risky and could lead them into a desperate situation. On the other hand, Qin Luo's words also made some sense. The path of cultivation was inherently full of difficulties and obstacles. If they gave up when they encountered an opportunity, when would they ever make a breakthrough?
After hesitating for a long time, Xia Zihan finally spoke up: "Fine, since you insist, I will go in with you to take a look, but we must be careful. If there is any danger, we must leave immediately."
Qin Luo, who was ahead, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Fortunately, she took the bait in the end; otherwise, he would have had to think of other methods.
And so the two of them carefully made their way to the entrance of the cave.
The entrance to the cave is hidden by lush vines and intertwined branches, making it extremely difficult to spot without careful observation. The entrance is narrow, allowing only one person to pass through by bending over and squeezing sideways. The surrounding stone walls are covered with the marks of time, with moss and ferns growing rampant, conveying a sense of the vicissitudes of history.
The two carefully bent down and entered the cave, a damp and decaying smell hitting them. The cave ceiling was low, and water droplets fell from time to time, forming small puddles on the ground. The ground was uneven, with stones of different sizes scattered around it.
The cave's interior was cramped, with rough, uneven walls, and obvious signs of excavation in some places. In a corner, there were piles of old animal bones and rotten pieces of wood, seemingly left behind when someone had once lived there.
Deep inside the cave, there lay a huge stone, seemingly the resting place of its former owner. The stone's surface was worn smooth, but its surroundings were covered in dust and cobwebs.
Qin Luo walked over and spread out the spider web, discovering some items left inside.
"Fellow Daoist Wang Wu, didn't I tell you to be careful after you came in? How could you be so reckless!"
When Xia Zihan saw Qin Luo spread out the spider web, she quickly pulled him back, her eyes filled with vigilance as she looked at the spread-out web. But inside, she found a bottle of pills, a book, and a bullet.
"this......"
This sudden change also made her expression quite subtle.
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