After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

Two days later, in the evening, Lu Qingchen finished work early and, under the cover of night, went into the mountains alone when no one was paying attention.

He followed the direction in which the spiritual energy flowed, leaving the spiritual field, crossing a wasteland, and entering the mountains and forests.

At first there was a narrow path, worn out by the tenant farmers in the village, barely passable.

They walked for less than three miles before the road ended.

The trees grew denser, vines entwined, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves that felt soft and spongy underfoot, leaving a deep dent with every step.

After walking for more than two hours, the moon in the sky was covered by clouds, and the last bit of light disappeared completely.

The forest was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Occasionally, the calls of unknown birds would come from the depths, sounding eerie.

Considering the unclear situation over there, Lu Qingchen dared not go any further and turned back.

It was late at night when I got back to my lodgings. My body was covered in cuts from tree branches, and my clothes were torn in several places.

The next day, he finished work early. This time he was better prepared, taking a machete and an oil lamp with him, and went into the mountains again.

This time he went further than yesterday, crossing a small hill and arriving at the entrance of a valley.

Not far into the valley, a rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes ahead.

Lu Qingchen stopped, gripped the wood-chopping knife tightly, and held his breath.

A pair of bright green eyes peeked out from behind the bushes, followed by a second pair, and then a third pair.

There were three gray wolves, not very big, but baring their teeth and making low whimpering sounds from their throats.

They clearly don't see people often, but they aren't afraid, and they approach step by step.

Lu Qingchen took two steps back, leaned against a large tree, and held the wood-chopping knife horizontally in front of him.

He hadn't learned any swordsmanship, but he was incredibly strong; a single slash from him could overwhelm even ordinary wild beasts.

The moment the alpha wolf pounced, Lu Qingchen didn't panic. He dodged to the side and slashed its neck with his knife.

Wolf blood spurted out, splashing all over him.

The other two paused for a moment, then turned and ran away.

Lu Qingchen leaned against the tree, catching his breath. He looked down at the dead wolf, then at the woodcutter's knife in his hand, noticing that the blade was slightly chipped.

He wiped his machete on the wolf skin and continued walking.

After walking for a while, he stopped, squatted down next to an unknown shrub, reached out and pressed its leaves, and drew out a trace of his cultivation from the Dao Stele's light bead and injected it into the shrub.

Then he closed his eyes and, through the connection between the Dao Stele and that trace of cultivation, sensed its direction.

The cultivation lingered in the leaf for a moment, then was drawn by a force and flowed into the depths of the valley.

This is the direction!

He stood up, gripped his machete tightly, and tiptoed into the valley.

The valley was deeper than he had imagined; the further he went, the denser the trees became and the darker the light grew.

The tree canopy overhead blocked out the moonlight, leaving only the dim light of an oil lamp illuminating the area a few steps in front of me.

After walking for about 15 minutes, the view suddenly opened up – a small open space, surrounded by mountains on three sides and open on one side.

Lu Qingchen stood in the open space, raised the oil lamp, and looked around.

Overgrown with weeds and jagged rocks, the light from the oil lamp couldn't reach very far, only enough to see a small patch of land in front of us.

Using the dim moonlight, he walked around the valley but found nothing.

He frowned, squatted down, placed the oil lamp on the ground, and drew a wisp of cultivation energy from the Dao Stele's light bead, channeling it into the leaves of a wild grass at his feet.

Then he closed his eyes and, through the connection between the Dao Stele and that trace of cultivation, sensed its destination.

The cultivation lingered in the leaf for a moment, then was drawn by a force, flowing through the open space, through the pile of rocks, and towards a stone wall.

His senses followed the invisible line, inching forward until they finally stopped in front of the stone wall.

Lu Qingchen opened his eyes, stood up, and walked to the stone wall.

When the oil lamp shone on it, the stone wall was smooth and covered with moss, looking no different from the surrounding mountain walls.

He reached out and touched it; it was cold, hard, and solid.

I walked around the stone wall again and tapped on it. Every part of it was solid and there was no hollow echo.

He stood in front of the stone wall, his brows furrowed in a frown.

He was right here, and his cultivation had clearly been absorbed into this stone wall, but he just couldn't find the entrance.

Lu Qingchen glanced at the sky. It had been at least three or four hours since he entered the mountain. If he delayed any longer, it would be dawn.

If he doesn't get back before dawn, the villagers will find that he wasn't at his lodgings during the night.

A newcomer who had been there for less than a month, instead of sleeping in the house at night, ran off to the mountains. If people found out, he would inevitably be questioned.

Lu Qingchen gritted his teeth, raised the oil lamp higher, and shone it on the stone wall one last time, but still found nothing.

I have to go back.

He lowered the oil lamp, turned around and took a few steps, then stopped and looked back at the stone wall.

There seemed to be an invisible thread on this stone wall, pulling his mind deeper into it.

But he can't find an entrance now, and continuing like this isn't a solution.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Lu Qingchen noticed a small, grayish-brown beast, slightly larger than a rat, resembling a weasel, emerging from the side of the stone wall.

He had just inspected that stone wall; it was smooth and without any cracks or holes.

But this little beast just popped out of the stone wall out of nowhere.

Lu Qingchen was stunned for a moment.

After emerging from the ground, the little animal shook off the dirt and dashed into the grass, disappearing from sight.

Lu Qingchen stood there, his mind racing—there was something strange about that stone wall.

He walked quickly to the spot where the little beast had emerged, squatted down, and reached out to touch the stone wall.

The moment his fingers touched the stone wall, he froze.

Because he didn't touch anything!

This seemingly intact stone wall actually has a hollow section!

Lu Qingchen quickly regained his senses and reached out to continue probing into the stone wall.

The finger passed through smoothly.

It was as if the stone wall in front of me didn't exist at all, but rather like a curtain of water; I could put my finger in without any obstruction.

Lu Qingchen's heart suddenly raced, he pulled his hand back, then reached out again.

My fingers slipped through the stone wall again; it was cold and damp, as if I were reaching into another layer of air.

He stood up, took two steps back, and looked at the stone wall again.

When the oil lamp shone on it, the stone wall still looked like a smooth stone wall, covered with moss, just like before.

But his hand had just passed right through.

"Could it be... an illusion array?"

Lu Qingchen murmured softly.

It's not that the stone wall itself is strange; someone has set up an illusion array here to hide the real entrance.

Lu Qingchen squatted in front of the stone wall, reaching his hand in and pulling it back several times.

Each time, the finger passes through without any hindrance.

He could sense that behind the stone wall was an empty space, a cave.

Lu Qingchen stared at the stone wall that looked no different from its surroundings, pondering it over and over in his mind.

To go in, or not to go in? 3