The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Wang Zhenhuan was stunned when he heard Ao Shuang's words. He looked at him in disbelief and asked in a low voice, "Could it be that the Miss Chen didn't actually hang herself as rumored?"

"She did indeed hang herself, but not as the rumors say. It was because her mother and Chen Shanren died in the cave, and Chen Shanren refused to listen to her advice and insisted on going down again, that she chose to hang herself," Ao Shuang said with emotion.

"Sigh. Such a good family, just like that, fell apart. What is it in this cave that attracts Patriarch Chen so much? Why would he disregard his vast fortune and family, and insist on exploring it?" Wang Zhenhuan became increasingly curious about this cave.

"This cave... um... it's really a bit eerie." Ao Shuang looked up and recalled for a moment, then shook her head and continued, "I only went down once, I didn't dare to go any deeper."

"And then? What did you find out?" Wang Zhenhuan pressed.

"Then, as you know, the Huai River flooded..." Ao Shuang shrugged, somewhat helplessly, and continued, "But that's not the most bizarre thing. The most bizarre thing is..."

When I descended to the main entrance of the cave, I heard sounds coming from inside! I initially thought I was mistaken, after all, this cave was incredibly old.

"What kind of sound was that? Could you describe it in detail, brother?" Wang Zhenhuan had unconsciously sat up straight. He now understood why Chen Shanren had insisted on going down into the cave back then.

Even a cultivator like him couldn't help but feel curious. As an ordinary person, he was even more intrigued. After all, this was the cave where immortals ascended to heaven; it was very likely that it held the secret to immortality.

"I was curious at the time. This cave has existed for who knows how many years, and it's sealed off by a restriction. How could there be sounds coming out? So I leaned against the cave door, trying to listen inside." Ao Shuang said, taking a sip of tea before continuing.

"To my surprise, the voice from inside the door disappeared after it heard me approaching. It was as if..."

"It's as if the thing making the sound from inside the cave is a living being?" Wang Zhenhuan subconsciously took over the conversation and asked in a low voice.

"Yes! That's it! After I approached the cave entrance, there was no sound coming from inside! I don't know what possessed me at the time, but I actually tried to force open the cave's restrictions."

Ao Shuang still had a lingering fear on his face when he recounted these events. He turned to look at Wang Zhenhuan, made an explosion gesture with his hands in mid-air, and said to him.

"Do you know what happened? Bang!! It exploded!! After being attacked by me, the restriction first made a loud explosion, and then spread outward from the inside into a huge shock wave!"

The shockwave knocked me unconscious, and then the riverbank upstream of the Huai River collapsed, causing a major flood! Luckily, I woke up in time, otherwise it would have been a disaster!

Although Wang Zhen hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he was still somewhat frightened by Ao Shuang's description. How could a mere Zhizhen like him possibly withstand such power? He immediately began to have second thoughts.

Even the best opportunities require the right fate. No wonder Ao Shuang had to hide it from him earlier; with such a powerful restriction, Wang Zhen would have to think twice even if he just glanced at it, let alone continue.

Seeing that Wang Zhenhuan remained silent for a long time, Ao Shuang knew he was frightened and didn't continue her plea. She simply patted his shoulder and whispered in his ear:

"That's the situation, and now you know it. Since you call me 'Big Brother,' I won't force you to come down with me. To be honest, I need to think carefully about going down by myself."

I apologize for hiding something from you before. Whether this matter succeeds or not, as long as you don't mind, I'll accept you as my subordinate.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenhuan looked up at Ao Shuang. This time, he didn't see the previous deception in Ao Shuang's eyes. Her face was full of apology and sincerity. This made Wang Zhenhuan momentarily unsure of what to do.

He had never considered himself an indecisive person before. But this time, he found it difficult to make a decision. One reason was Ao Shuang's attitude, and the other was the coexistence of opportunity and danger.

The restrictions were so powerful that the contents of the cave must be extraordinary. Even if we couldn't obtain them, just taking a look would broaden our horizons. It's important to understand that both formations and restrictions...

In principle, they are all similar, except that talismans and stone carvings replace the meridians of the human body. If one can understand the laws governing the flow of spiritual energy within them, it's not impossible to comprehend a move or two.

This is also what Wang Zhenhuan lacks most right now; he only possesses spiritual energy cultivation but knows neither martial arts nor magic. Furthermore, because he has not been ordained, he cannot summon gods or control ghosts.

It's like a child who possesses a divine weapon but doesn't know how to use it. Every time he faces an enemy, he infuses it with spiritual energy to strike them. This method is effective, though.

The problem is, this might work on ordinary people, but it's difficult against those with spiritual cultivation. Trying to slap someone with the same reaction is nothing short of a pipe dream.

Therefore, Wang Zhenhuan was urgently seeking a way to fight his enemies. He didn't need anything particularly powerful, just enough to protect himself against opponents of the same cultivation level. After all, he didn't need to fight with others every day.

Wang Zhenhuan pondered for a moment, holding a teacup and twirling it repeatedly on the table. He watched the tea slosh around as he spun the cup. As he spun it more vigorously, some of the tea even spilled onto the table.

As the saying goes, "He who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present." Although he has now entered the path of cultivation, one cannot always live in one's own circle. The affairs of the world are like a teacup, and he is like the tea.

If one's own strength is not strong enough, one will inevitably be spilled and discarded because the teacup shakes too much. Wang Zhenhuan finished his tea in one gulp, turned to look at Ao Shuang, and said to him.

"In that case, why not accompany my elder brother? However, our strength is weak, and if we discover anything unusual, we must not be reckless. We should retreat as soon as possible."

"Of course, of course. Little brother, have you forgotten what my true form is? I'm a tortoise, and I'm most afraid of dying." Ao Shuang said happily, patting his shoulder.

Wang Zhenhuan was amused by his words and waved him to sit down. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Brother Ao, when do we set off?"

"There's no time like the present, why don't we set off tonight? The Chen residence should be empty by now." Ao Shuang sat down at the table and asked Wang Zhenhuan for his opinion.

"No one's here? But when I knocked on the door earlier, I clearly saw a middle-aged woman open it for me." Wang Zhenhuan asked in confusion.

"How is that possible? Old Man Chen dismissed all the servants in his household three years ago!"