Beast Taming Immortal Clan

Chapter 287 Cave Dwelling? Tomb? [Please Subscribe]

How to explore the cave is certainly not up to Zhou Mingde alone.

When asked by Shen Borong, he simply offered a few points of view.

After some discussion, the three reached a consensus.

As the three of them agreed, they would be responsible for exploring the cave, while Zhou Chun and the other two juniors would stay outside to oversee the formation and prevent the valley from being exposed to other cultivators.

After the plan was finalized, Shen Borong took out a set of array plates and set up a magic array to cover the valley.

The control flags for the formation were handed over to Zhou Chun and two other Foundation Establishment cultivators.

In this way, even if the three of them fall out while exploring the cave, there will be someone above to help them.

After everything was ready, Zhou Mingde gave Zhou Chun a few instructions, and then, together with Shen Borong and Ruan Hongzhuang, led the Fire God Jackal down into the underground cave.

According to Shen Borong, the earth-armored dragon was indeed the guardian beast of the underground cave.

When he and Ruan Hongzhuang discovered the cave and were about to enter, they startled the monster, and a great battle ensued.

How they discovered this cave, buried deep underground, was not explained.

At this point, the three of them followed the tunnel down, going about a hundred feet underground, and finally arrived outside the cave.

This cave, hidden deep underground, does not seem to have a direct passage to the surface.

Or perhaps there used to be a passage, but it was buried again by its owner.

The tunnel that Zhou Mingde and his two companions are currently walking through was actually dug by Shen Borong and his companion.

And at the end of the tunnel was the cave dwelling.

What appeared before Zhou Mingde was a stone wall gleaming with a hazy, yellowish light.

"This stone wall is protected by an array. Shen and Fellow Daoist Ruan attacked it for a quarter of an hour, but only managed to cause slight changes before attracting that earth-armored dragon!"

Shen Borong stared at the stone wall in front of him and spoke in a low voice about the results of their previous exploration.

Upon hearing his words, Zhou Mingde's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he said softly, "To be able to withstand the attacks of Fellow Daoists Shen and Ruan for a quarter of an hour without being moved, and to have a mid-grade third-tier demonic beast guarding it, the cultivation level of the original owner of this cave is truly something to look forward to!"

Shen Borong and Ruan Hongzhuang remained silent upon hearing this.

They all knew in their hearts that this cave dwelling was so well hidden and protected by a powerful array, it was most likely the cave dwelling of a Golden Core cultivator.

Before entering the cave, these were all just guesses.

Shen Borong quickly said in a deep voice, "Let's attack together. Even if it's a Golden Core cultivator's cave, without someone in charge, the three of us combined should be enough to shake it!"

"Okay, let's give it a try."

Zhou Mingde nodded, and immediately summoned his magical artifact, ordering the Fire God Jackal to launch an attack.

Rumble!

A series of booming sounds emanated from underground, causing the entire valley to tremble.

On the ground, Zhou Chun and the other two Foundation Establishment cultivators tensed up slightly upon seeing this, and couldn't help but feel more worried about their elders.

Time passed slowly, and soon Zhou Mingde and his men had been attacking for half an hour.

After half an hour of continuous attacks by the three of them and the demon, most of the hazy yellow aura on the wall in front of them had been worn away, and it was not far from completely dissipating.

This visible progress is undoubtedly a great encouragement to the three of them.

But just as the three of them were maintaining their offensive with high hopes, anticipating the moment when the stone wall would crumble, an unexpected event occurred.

At that time, the three humans and the demon were focused on attacking the stone wall when suddenly the underground passage they were in collapsed without warning.

In an instant, countless rocks and mud fell down, burying the three people and the demon deep underground.

At the same time, Zhou Chun and the others on the ground also instantly noticed a ravine that had appeared in the valley floor.

"Oh no, the tunnel has collapsed!"

Zhou Chun's expression changed, and in an instant he understood the reason for the appearance of the ravine.

Then he rushed forward and summoned the Golden-Armored Rock Turtle to start digging a ditch to rescue the people.

Seeing this, Shen Borong and Ruan Hongzhuang's descendants hurriedly followed and began digging.

But less than a quarter of an hour after the three of them started digging, the valley floor suddenly exploded, and a huge jackal rushed out.

Without a doubt, that jackal was the Vulcan Jackal.

Just as the Vulcan Jackal charged out, Zhou Mingde also appeared on the ground.

Seeing Zhou Mingcheng emerge unharmed, Zhou Chun breathed a sigh of relief and immediately asked with concern, "Elder, are you alright? What exactly happened down there?"

"I'm fine. It was that earth-armored dragon that struck again. That beast destroyed the tunnel while we were attacking the cave's formation!"

Zhou Mingde waved his hand and explained in a deep voice the reason for the ground collapse.

Upon hearing this, before Zhou Chun could say anything, Shen Borong's junior immediately bowed and pleaded, "Please, Senior Zhou, save our master!"

Upon seeing this, Ruan Hongzhuang's descendants quickly followed suit, bowing and saying, "Please, Senior Zhou, save our aunt!"

"Rest assured, fellow Daoists, I, Zhou, will lend a hand to Fellow Daoist Shen and his companions."

As Zhou Mingde spoke, he immediately began digging with the Vulcan.

Not long after, Shen Borong and Ruan Hongzhuang were also rescued.

Unlike Zhou Mingde, who was unharmed, Ruan Hongzhuang, who was attacked by the earth dragon, was already seriously injured.

"The underground is that beast's domain. We are powerless to fight him from underground. I'm afraid we need to reconsider this matter!"

Shen Borong looked at Ruan Hongzhuang, whose face was pale, and said in a heavy tone.

He himself was not seriously injured, but Ruan Hongzhuang's injury rendered them powerless to contend with Master Zhou Mingde and his servants.

Under these circumstances, he certainly didn't want to continue exploring the cave, lest he discover some benefits and have them forcibly taken away by Zhou Mingde using his strength.

Their previous joint attack also showed that it would be difficult for either of them to easily enter the cave.

Not to mention there was also a mid-grade third-tier earth armor dragon lurking nearby, ready to attack anyone trying to enter the cave at any moment.

Therefore, he had a certain degree of confidence when he said those words at this time.

"In your opinion, Fellow Daoist Shen, how should we proceed with this long-term plan?"

Zhou Mingde narrowed his eyes as he looked at Shen Borong, his mind clear as day, and he easily guessed what the other was thinking.

Hearing his nonchalant words, Shen Borong replied matter-of-factly, "Naturally, we should wait for Fellow Daoist Ruan to recover from his injuries first, and then find a way to kill that earth-armored dragon, or find a way to prevent it from interfering with our entry into the cave."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingde sharply questioned, "But Fellow Daoist Ruan's injuries probably won't heal in just a few days. If it takes too long, who dares to say that this cave won't be discovered by others?"

He then added, "With the insect plague still raging, many cultivators are venturing deep into the Yang Kingdom in search of something that can subdue the demonic insects. This place, being near the initial outbreak site of the plague, is undoubtedly their top choice for exploration!"

The two argued back and forth, unable to reach an agreement, and a serious conflict arose over the route.

Ruan Hongzhuang listened to their conversation but remained silent.

She is now seriously injured and knows that her words no longer have as much influence as before.

At the same time, she knew in her heart that even if she didn't say anything, Shen Borong would definitely argue for her.

Without her, Shen Borong alone would be no match for Master Zhou Mingde.

Based on this alone, Shen Borong would definitely not give up on her.

But she underestimated Zhou Mingde's determination.

In the end, Zhou Mingde even made some harsh remarks.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, there's no need for further explanation. In short, the cave is right before us, and I cannot wait ten days or half a month to explore it. If you are unwilling to come along, then I will have no choice but to explore it alone!"

Being in a foreign land, Zhou Mingde knew very well that nothing could be delayed.

If this drags on, he will be unable to seek help and will be completely defenseless against unexpected situations.

Therefore, he could not possibly agree to Shen Borong's suggestion to suspend the exploration.

Who knows if Shen Borong will immediately call other relatives and friends to explore the cave after he returns?

Faced with Zhou Mingde's harsh words, Shen Borong and Ruan Hongzhuang looked extremely unpleasant and didn't know how to respond.

Although the two did not believe that Zhou Mingde could enter the cave by himself alone.

But just as Zhou Mingde worried that they would call for reinforcements after they returned, they were also worried that Zhou Mingde was deliberately trying to drive them away so that he could call for reinforcements to take over the cave for himself.

After a period of silent confrontation, seeing the wavering in Shen Borong's eyes, Ruan Hongzhuang sighed inwardly and finally spoke.

"Actually, my injuries are not as serious as Fellow Daoist Zhou imagines. Furthermore, before coming to Yang Kingdom, I specifically requested a healing pill as a backup. Now, as long as I take the pill, I should be able to recover most of my injuries within three to five days, which will not delay our exploration of the cave!"

After she finished speaking, Shen Borong's face immediately lit up with surprise.

He looked at her with a face full of surprise and said, "Fellow Daoist Ruan, is what you say true? Are you really confident that you can recover within three to five days?"

"Of course it's true."

Ruan Hongzhuang nodded slightly, her tone very certain.

Upon seeing this, Shen Borong immediately turned to Zhou Mingde and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, you heard it too. Fellow Daoist Ruan will recover in just three to five days. You can't even wait that long, can you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingde gave Ruan Hongzhuang a deep look, then nodded and said, "Alright, then let's set a five-day limit. During this period, the three of us must stay in one room to prevent anyone from breaking the rules and finding someone else to interfere!"

"no problem."

"I have no objection."

Shen Borong and Ruan Hongzhuang exchanged a glance and both expressed their agreement.

After agreeing on this, the three of them left the valley with their juniors and headed to the nearest cultivator's stronghold to rest and recover.

For the next five days, not only Zhou Mingde and the other two Purple Mansion stage cultivators stayed in the same room, supervising each other.

Even the younger generations of Zhou Chun and the other two stayed in the same room and did not go out for a moment.

Five days later, Ruan Hongzhuang's injuries had indeed recovered to most of their original state. Her complexion was only slightly worse than before she was injured; her face was just a little paler.

These changes amazed Zhou Mingde and Zhou Chun, who were also filled with curiosity about the healing elixir he had taken.

Even when Zhou Mingde personally inquired, he did not receive a reply from Ruan Hongzhuang, who simply said, "No comment."

Having met with such a rebuff, Zhou Mingde felt it inappropriate to ask any further questions.

During these five days, while Ruan Hongzhuang focused on meditating and healing her injuries, Zhou Mingde and Shen Borong were also busy, trying to figure out a way to enter the cave.

By the time the group set off for the valley again, a plan had been agreed upon.

Upon arriving at the location, the three of them immediately set up a concealment formation to prevent anyone from discovering any trace of the place.

Then the three of them, along with Zhou Chun and his three juniors, started digging downwards together.

The solution that Zhou Mingde and the others came up with was quite simple: dig a deep and large pit all the way to the top of the cave.

In this way, the earth-armored dragon can no longer bury them alive as it did before.

Even after the large pit is dug out, the Earth Armor Dragon's underground home advantage will be greatly limited.

But this is undoubtedly a huge project!

After all, the cave dwelling is located hundreds of feet underground. Digging such a deep pit would not be easy, even if three Purple Mansion stage cultivators and three Foundation Establishment stage cultivators worked together.

But for the sake of the treasures that might exist inside the cave, the six of them had to persevere no matter how hard or tiring it was.

In the empty valley, the six people were divided into three groups and took turns using magical artifacts to cut up the soil and rocks. Then they used magic to draw the soil out of the pit and throw it a hundred feet away.

When their mana is depleted by more than half, another group will take over, and then they will take a Rejuvenation Pill to restore their mana.

One day, two days, three days...

After digging for four days and four nights, and each of them taking no less than twenty Rejuvenation Pills, Zhou Chun and his group finally dug out a pit that was over a hundred feet deep and thirty feet in diameter.

The bottom of the pit is the top of the underground cave, with the same yellowish, luminous stone walls.

Looking at the stone wall protected by the hazy yellow spiritual light, Zhou Chun, seeing this scene for the first time, couldn't help but mutter, "This cave is a bit strange. Why is the top of the cave wall like this? Even for safety reasons, it shouldn't be built like a tomb!"

Hearing this, Zhou Mingde nodded thoughtfully and said, "Perhaps this really is a tomb!"

The two didn't mince words, so Shen Borong quickly chimed in, "A tomb would be even better. Between a Golden Core cultivator's cave dwelling and a Golden Core cultivator's tomb, the latter is clearly more valuable!"

"Fellow Daoist Shen is right. Whether it's a cave or a tomb, we'll find out after we break through this stone wall!"

Zhou Mingde nodded and immediately took the lead in unleashing his magical artifacts to attack the stone wall at the bottom of the pit.

(End of this chapter)