Starting as a spiritual plant master, may I eventually become the master of all lands.

Upon entering the cave, Song Chuan immediately sensed that it was an ordinary cave devoid of any spiritual energy.

After walking for a while, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the place.

Most people who come here would have already headed home and wouldn't waste their time.

After walking for about half an hour, Song Chuan's expression became serious.

Ahead, there was a fork in the road, with each path leading to a cave.

He used the Breath Concealing Bead to suppress his aura and went directly to the right.

Whether it's the left or the right, it's actually the territory of a creature called "Shadow Phosphorus Bat".

Master Kuzhuo had instructed that this demonic bat was extremely sensitive to the aura of humans and should not be disturbed.

When they came in with more than a dozen people, only five or six of them left, and that was all because of this demonic bat.

The number of demon bats is relatively small at the entrance on the right.

The Concealing Breath Pearl was prepared specifically to counter the demon bat's sensory abilities.

As long as you don't use too much magic, the chances of the demon bats discovering you are extremely small.

Upon entering the cave on the right, Song Chuan's experience began to change dramatically.

Not only was it deep and unfathomable inside, but there was also a pungent smell that wafted towards you.

Looking down, one could see irregular, dark brown spheres scattered everywhere. Some of these spheres even emitted a faint white light.

"Night-shining sand, the excrement of demon bats, is an ingredient in elixirs."

However, the Night-Shining Sand of the Shadow Bat is also called Shadow-Symptom Sand, and it contains poison.

He wondered if Duanmu Jingyi would want it if he took it back. Song Chuan chuckled.

He thought with a wicked sense of humor, and saw another series of caves branching out ahead.

They chose a cave and stepped inside.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock!"

Something is dripping down the cave wall above.

On the cave wall, a dense swarm of demonic bats hung upside down.

The demon bat's lips were covered with dark brown wrinkles, between which sap was dark purple and emitted a foul stench.

The saliva dripping from the cave walls is this saliva, which is also poisonous!

The ears are long and pointed like cones, with three bone spurs on the back of each ear.

Most of them were at the Demon Transformation stage, a few were at the early stage of the first rank, and two or three were at the middle stage of the first rank.

Song Chuan estimated that a demon-transformation stage cultivator's wingspan would be two to three feet. Those above the first rank would likely have wingspans of five to six feet!

He subtly avoided the dripping saliva and moved forward slowly. There must be a late-stage Tier 1 demon bat here, but it's not in this cave.

After passing through several more caves, some had fewer demonic bats, while others, like the previous cave, were teeming with them.

Suddenly, he frowned and stopped.

Someone just died here! There's still a lingering smell of blood.

He used the bead to connect with the earth's veins and carefully examined the area. More than ten feet away, there were fragments of the jade pendant and signs of a struggle.

He walked over and examined it. This jade pendant, like the Concealing Breath Bead, clearly possessed the ability to isolate one's aura. It was broken!

When he looked up again, his expression changed slightly.

A seven- or eight-foot-tall, demonic bat, its wings still spread, hung silently upside down from the cave ceiling.

Tier 1, late stage, and the peak of the late stage!

A pair of grayish-white eyes seemed to be looking at Song Chuan, but Song Chuan knew that its eyes were just for show and had no ability to see.

However, it has a ring of silvery-white protrusions around its eyes, which can sense changes in airflow!

Song Chuan was about thirty feet away from it, and to get past it, he had to pass under its body.

There's no way to go back by detour. There's only one route, the one that Master Kuzhuo walked back then. Who knows where the other routes lead?

Song Chuan carefully watched it and moved forward step by step.

Whether it was his imagination or not, Song Chuan felt the three barbs on the back of its ear twitch slightly.

Immediately afterward, a bulge appeared around its eyes, and the creature vanished without a trace.

not good!

Song Chuan immediately stepped onto the ground and burrowed underground. But it was even more uncomfortable underground, otherwise he would have already used earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic or escaping technique) to pass through.

Because this place is constantly polluted by the toxic gas of phosphorus sand, even the deepest parts are filled with highly toxic substances.

He was wrapped in a net of shark silk, struggling to move forward underground. In the blink of an eye, a layer of black particles appeared on the net of shark silk.

After passing through the cave, he sensed something and immediately returned to the surface.

There were no demon bats here, so he quickly sifted through the silk net to prevent it from being soaked in poisonous gas and losing its spiritual power.

What powerful Yin Phosphorus Sand! This is a top-tier defensive magic weapon!

These demonic bats have lived here for countless years and generations, turning the entire soil into a poisonous wasteland.

Just as Song Chuan disappeared into the ground, the late-stage first-tier demonic bat stood where Song Chuan had been.

The demon, standing on the ground, was taller than an adult. It sniffed slightly, the bony spikes behind its ears twitched twice, spread its wings, and returned to the cave ceiling, continuing to hang upside down.

After passing through several more caves without incident, Song Chuan was finally surprised to find himself in a place completely different from the previous caves.

This place is quite spacious, and considering the directions we've taken, it should be an underground cave.

Stalactites extend down from the cave ceiling, while stalagmites rise from the ground.

In the center of the cave, there is a shallow pool.

Clumps of moss-like spiritual plants emitting a dim light grow by the pool. Master Kuzhuo said that these are Dark Star Moss, which is disliked by the Yin Phosphorus Shadow Bats. Therefore, there are no demon bats in this cave.

The water in the shallow pool is so clear that you can see the bottom at a glance.

Inside were several strange creatures, pure white in color, with slender, snake-like bodies, short limbs, flat heads, and eyes that seemed to have degenerated into slits.

On its head and back, it has three pairs of transparent, feather-like gill crests, resembling dragon horns.

The gills opened and closed as if they were breathing, and their breath gently spread out of the pool, into the cave, and then outwards.

These scents have a unique fragrance; a light sniff is enough to refresh the mind and body.

This is the cave salamander that Song Chuan is looking for!

They are right in front of you, and within easy reach.

However, there were still six people standing by the pool and two lying down!

Three cultivators from the Four Pillars Sect, wearing square headscarves and Taoist robes, and an elderly man dressed in a blue robe from the Crossing the Sea Pavilion.

The last two had gloomy faces and looked like rogue cultivators, one at the ninth level of Qi Refining and the other at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

All six of them were on high alert, each wary of something.

The two people lying there were already cold corpses; they were probably with two rogue cultivators.

They weren't killed by magical artifacts, but rather by the sharp claws and teeth of the Yin Phosphorous Shadow Bats, and their bodies were completely black, indicating they were also poisoned.

Song Chuan immediately looked around cautiously; there shouldn't be any demonic bats here.

"Huh? Eighth level of Qi Refining! You've actually increased your cultivation by one level in just over half a month!" The old man surnamed Tian from Guohailou recognized Song Chuan and exclaimed in surprise.

"So it's Fellow Daoist Tian. What's this? Are you all here to catch cave salamanders?" Song Chuan smiled at the old man surnamed Tian first, then looked at the crowd and asked.

"Hehe! Why don't you make your move first, fellow Daoist?" The old man surnamed Tian chuckled sinisterly.

"I appreciate Fellow Daoist Tian's kindness, but if I were to capture this cave salamander, I'm afraid I would be targeted by the demonic bats of this place."

Song Chuan sneered inwardly. This old man still tries to scam people wherever he goes!