A long howl echoed through the passageway, its sound resembling the crashing of waves, filling the air with a reverberating force.
Zhao Xian and the others at the cave entrance were startled awake by the noise. As they began to rise, preparing to investigate, Kun Shao dashed into the tunnel without hesitation.
"Do you think Xu Que...?" Huang Bo began, though his question remained unfinished, his meaning clear.
"He shouldn't be in any danger. From what I've seen, he's incredibly strong," Qi Shan remarked confidently.
"Didn't you feel that surge of spiritual energy just now?" Huang Bo asked, his brow furrowing in concern.
"What do you mean?" The others turned to Zhao Xian, their eyes full of questions.
Zhao Xian wore a mysterious smile. Rather than answering directly, he gestured with his chin toward the direction of the tunnel.
Huang Bo and the others exchanged confused glances, but instinctively, their eyes shifted toward the passage.
Moments later, Kun Shao came running back, his steps rapid, dragging the body of a Phantom Leopard behind him as if he were showing it off.
"What happened in there?" Qi Shan asked urgently.
"The boss broke through, but to what level? I'm not entirely sure," Kun Shao replied with a grin.
"I'm guessing he must have reached E-level. Xu must have hit D-level at least, right?" Huang Bo speculated, though his voice held a hint of uncertainty.
"Probably more. The way I see it, his entire body is covered in starry light, just like the celestial immortals in fantasy novels," Kun Shao boasted proudly.
At his words, the others stared in disbelief. If what Kun Shao said was true, Xu Que might very well make it onto the "Cultivation Leaderboard."
Zhao Xian, however, paid little attention to the discussion. His mind was preoccupied, replaying Xu Que's words over and over.
"Enough. We've been in here long enough. Why don't we eat something?" Kun Shao kicked the Phantom Leopard's carcass in a half-hearted manner.
"Yes, Xu Que told us to improve our cultivation quickly. After we eat, I want to try lighting more stars!" Qi Shan said, rolling up his sleeves with determination.
In the passage, Xu Que walked deeper while reviewing his recent kills.
"Kill: C-level Phantom Female Leopard, gained 7% of current cultivation, 15 honor points."
"Kill: C-level Phantom Leopard, gained 5% of current cultivation, 10 honor points."
As expected, C-level异生物 (Otherworldly Creatures) granted between 10 to 20 honor points, while D-level creatures gave between 3 and 9, excluding BOSS and Elite creatures.
Soon, after walking deeper into the passage, a downward fork caught his attention.
"This path wasn't listed in the previous records. Could it be...?"
With this thought, Xu Que quickly activated his [Eye of Exploration] talent.
"A shadowy narrow path, inhabited by some kind of mutated otherworldly creature, rated above C-level."
Xu Que was taken aback by the feedback. Mutated otherworldly creatures were often surrounded by treasures!
"No wonder this wasn't recorded— they didn't want anyone to discover the treasure!"
Xu Que glanced toward the left passage. Finding no abnormalities, he decisively chose the shadowy narrow path.
The dim passage was filled with the sound of dripping water. Had Xu Que seen the liquid droplets, he would have been even more cautious.
Just as his fingers brushed against something hard, a torch overhead unexpectedly flared to life.
Blinded by the sudden light, Xu Que instinctively shielded his eyes. But in the next moment, an uncanny sense of danger washed over him.
Without hesitation, Xu Que quickly retreated, rolling backward and pressing his body tightly against the cave wall.
A white shape streaked past the very spot where he had been moments before, moving so swiftly it was nearly imperceptible.
Xu Que's hair stood on end. Though he couldn't see the creature clearly, something told him it was likely a Thundercloud Weasel!
A low, mournful growl came from behind him, growing closer, as the creature lunged toward Xu Que.
Without wasting time on pride, Xu Que rolled out of the way of the incoming attack, then swung his blade in a swift, cleaving motion!
The vibrations from his arm reverberated, and Xu Que quickly pressed himself against the wall, scanning his surroundings with vigilance.
He then realized the space he was in was far larger than expected.
The narrow passageway he had come through was now behind him, and before him lay a vast open cavern.
Suddenly, a flash of white streaked past. Xu Que instinctively locked onto the creature's landing spot.
It was a snow-white weasel-like creature, its body roughly the same size as Xu Que's, with eyes glowing a golden yellow.
Xu Que immediately cast [Eye of Exploration].
For such an unknown creature, he needed to gather information quickly.
"Water Mine Weasel (mutation of Thundercloud Weasel), rated above C-level, front claws are venomous, and its body releases electrical currents during attacks."
Upon seeing the creature's data, Xu Que was secretly pleased. It was indeed a variant of the Thundercloud Weasel— just a more venomous front claw, nothing too out of the ordinary.
Xu Que no longer panicked. He dropped to the ground, staying low.
Dealing with creatures like the Thundercloud Weasel was dangerous when standing up. Not only did it expose one's weak points, but even without biting, the creature would use its electric current to attack.
Thus, crouching and reducing his size was the best way to handle this.
Seeing Xu Que drop to the ground, the Water Mine Weasel let out a low growl, then, after a moment's hesitation, charged at Xu Que.
Despite the creature's speed, Xu Que was able to track its movement just enough to prepare.
As the Weasel leaped toward him, Xu Que immediately swung his Cloud Spirit Magic Cleaver.
The electric current sizzled as the blade struck, causing a few white hairs to fall from the creature's body.
Xu Que couldn't help but marvel at the creature's defenses. If Kun Shao and the others had come with him, by the time they'd even thought of a strategy, they'd likely be dead before they could make a move!
If this creature were allowed to escape, even a few B-level warriors would struggle to kill it.
Luckily, the space here was limited, and Xu Que had a plan. If it weren't for this, he knew many strong human cultivators would be lost here in the future.
The Water Mine Weasel, now enraged by the loss of its fur, growled again and cautiously approached Xu Que.
Xu Que, feeling confident, stepped forward two paces, locking eyes with the beast.
At that moment, the Weasel leapt with incredible speed, aiming for Xu Que's neck.
Half-crouching, Xu Que activated his spiritual energy and with a gust-like speed, he twisted his body, slashing at the white form before him.
The electric current crackled loudly as Xu Que's blade cut through, sending him stumbling backward, but not without leaving scorch marks on the Weasel's fur.
Xu Que smiled inwardly. Despite the creature's armor, its protection was now gone, and this was the moment he could defeat it.
He quickly dropped to the ground and rushed at the Weasel.
The creature, sensing imminent danger, began to retreat. Xu Que, seizing the opportunity, sped up, his Cloud Spirit Magic Cleaver swinging swiftly.
The Weasel, with no escape, attempted to turn but was met with the cleaver's edge, severing its tail.
The Weasel, now furious and in agony, stopped caring about anything else and began wildly slashing with its claws.
Xu Que saw his chance and immediately delivered a "Slash of the Sky," severing the creature's head with one clean strike.
The cavern was splattered with the Weasel's crimson blood as its body twitched and spasmed.
Xu Que quickly retrieved the items dropped by the creature, then began to search the surrounding area for any hidden treasures.
Knowing the Thundercloud Weasel's habits, Xu Que was certain the treasures were close by, and this cavern offered no other exits. His search wouldn't take long.
As he reached down, his foot brushed against something solid, and upon looking, Xu Que's face broke into a triumphant smile!