Chapter Thirty-Four: The Universe Ring

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Ring of Heaven and Earth

The Ice Serpent carried both men, soaring through the sky toward the towering mountain that pierced the heavens like a sword. They aimed for the enormous cave halfway up its slope.

The stout man trembled atop the serpent's head. Humans were, after all, creatures of the earth, and to be carried aloft by a colossal snake was enough to drain the color from his face. His small eyes frequently glanced downward, filled with terror.

"Ha! I haven’t yet asked your name, brother," Wu Hong said casually, hoping to ease his companion’s tension.

The stout man did not answer immediately, thinking to himself, "If I say my name is Li Yunda, Wu Hong will surely want to harm me! But not answering might be worse."

"My name is Li Yun," he said, clasping his hands, then turned his head away, refusing further conversation.

Wu Hong shook his head. He mused that people of the martial world were indeed strange. Not only did Li Yun lack gratitude for his rescue, he was downright aloof. Perhaps this was simply his nature.

The Ice Serpent moved swiftly. Before long, they arrived at the gigantic cave halfway up the mountain. Wu Hong, accustomed to extraordinary sights in recent days, was still taken aback by the scale of the cavern. From a distance, it appeared as a beast’s maw perched ominously on the mountainside, shrouded in swirling mist and clouds, mysterious and forbidding.

Standing before it, Wu Hong and Li Yun were awestruck by its sheer magnitude. The upper edge of the cave was nearly a kilometer high, veiled in clouds that drifted and parted, while the sides spanned several kilometers, also wreathed in mist. The fog was so thick that an ordinary person could scarcely tell they were facing a cave at all.

The enormous entrance resembled a vast chasm between two steep cliffs. Looking upward, one could discern the craggy rim of the cave.

They hesitated before entering, and even the Ice Serpent seemed wary of whatever lay within. It grew restless, writhing its massive body in place, its scales scraping against the rock and sending sparks flying.

Wu Hong strode toward the cave, pausing after a few steps to see Li Yun still trembling, indecisive.

"Are you not coming?" Wu Hong called back.

"No, you go ahead. I know my limits," Li Yun replied helplessly.

"Very well, stay with the Ice Serpent. It won’t harm you. If I find the legendary martial manual within, I’ll bring it out for you."

Li Yun shuddered at Wu Hong’s words. What kind of man was this? To offer such a coveted manual so lightly—was he sincere? If Wu Hong cared so little for the manual, why risk entering the cave at all?

Confused, Li Yun asked, "What did you say?"

"I said, if I find the manual inside, I’ll bring it out and give it to you," Wu Hong smiled. In his mind, the manual was of no consequence; nor was any danger lurking within the cave. The only thing he cared about was whether the rumored Revival Realm lay hidden here.

"What is Wu Hong’s true intent? A ruthless man suddenly showing kindness, offering the most sought-after manual in the martial world as if it meant nothing?"

Li Yun was dumbfounded, convinced Wu Hong was jesting, yet his intuition insisted otherwise. Perhaps Wu Hong, remorseful for past misdeeds, sought redemption?

"Hmph! Even so, the vengeance for my son must be repaid. If I kill him, I’ll take my own life to repay his kindness," Li Yun grumbled inwardly.

Wu Hong, unaware of Li Yun’s conflicted thoughts, assumed the man was merely overwhelmed with gratitude.

The cave’s depth was unknown. Wu Hong ventured inside, and after only a few dozen meters, found himself in utter darkness, unable to see his own hand. He was forced to grope forward like a blind man.

Suddenly, a foul stench assaulted him. Wu Hong tensed immediately, sensing danger, and channeled his true energy to the surface of his skin.

"Oah—oah!" Strange cries echoed from within. The peculiar sounds, usually only produced by humans, now came from beasts—what manner of creature could this be?

Wu Hong braced himself. Soon, countless monsters emerged from the depths, their eyes blood-red and glowing like lanterns, hurtling toward him.

By their crimson light, Wu Hong saw their forms and felt a chill run through his body, his hair standing on end.

The creatures were bizarre—two lantern-like bloodshot eyes, with human-like features otherwise: some sported beards, others small cherry lips, yet all had those terrifying eyes. Bat wings sprouted from their ribs, while their bodies resembled giant gray rats, equipped with eagle talons and half-meter-long tails that swung behind them.

Wu Hong had never seen such beings. There were thousands, each the size of an adult. Upon seeing him, they attacked with frenzy, like flies drawn to a feast.

Wu Hong’s body radiated golden light. His recent battle with the Ice Serpent had pushed him to the verge of the Bone Refining Realm, his true energy now more robust.

He dared not waste too much energy, uncertain what dangers still lay ahead.

He focused on protective energy, wielding a knife in one hand and a hammer in the other, both wrapped in his true energy.

His weapons expanded in size and strength.

"Boom—boom—" Wu Hong swung his hammer, striking the monsters with precision. They flew like bullets, emitting more of those eerie cries.

Their bodies were unnaturally tough. Ordinary creatures struck by Wu Hong’s hammer would be reduced to mist, but he could only kill them, unable to destroy their forms.

Wu Hong pressed on, not lingering. The monsters attacked with reckless abandon, but his weapons moved in an impenetrable dance.

He finally understood why the Ice Serpent feared the cave—these were the beings it dreaded: neither human nor beast, rat nor bat.

The monsters swarmed around him, raising the temperature by several degrees, in stark contrast to the serpent’s icy nature. Their bodies were hard, their numbers overwhelming.

Some hurled themselves at Wu Hong, but could not breach his protective energy. He relaxed slightly.

Though fierce and numerous, these creatures could not harm him. Their blood-red eyes illuminated the cave, allowing him to move faster, unhindered.

While Wu Hong lacked the martial world’s dexterous weapon skills, upon reaching the Tendon Refining Realm, his bodily coordination became extraordinary. He could dodge attacks no ordinary man could escape, his body moving with uncanny flexibility.

He pressed forward as the cave narrowed, eventually shrinking to a mere ten meters in diameter.

Seeing a stone chamber ahead, Wu Hong rejoiced—this might be where the martial manual lay, perhaps even the Revival Realm.

He moved like lightning, accelerating. The monsters could not stop him.

Had a mere beginner in the Marrow Refining Realm faced these beasts, their energy would soon be exhausted, and they would perish.

But Wu Hong relied on his protective energy, attacking with brute strength, conserving vast reserves of power.

He leapt to the chamber’s entrance, faced with stone doors five or six meters high, each at least two or three meters wide. For most, opening them would be a challenge, but for Wu Hong, it was effortless.

With a creak, his arms pushed the doors open.

The monsters, seeing Wu Hong at the threshold, all retreated, ceasing their assault. It was as if they were trainers, testing his martial prowess, showing no pity for their fallen kin. Some even devoured the corpses of their own.

Wu Hong entered, expecting a spacious interior, but the cramped room left him disappointed. After such a vast cave, so many dangers, and a grand entrance, the stone chamber at the end was barely ten square meters—there was hardly room for two people.

He could not help but feel a sense of letdown.

Inside, the furnishings were sparse: a stone platform about two square meters, atop which sat a small stone table holding only two items—a book radiating a faint glow, and a delicate ring.

Wu Hong approached the table. "Heavenly Mirror," he read, picking up the manual. He flipped it open and saw a few bold characters: Only those who have reached the peak of the Postnatal Realm may read further.

Wu Hong was furious. In the vast Great Qian Dynasty, such experts could be counted on one hand! The requirements for this manual were absurd.

He then picked up the dainty ring beside the Heavenly Mirror. As soon as it touched his hand, a warm current surged to his brain.

"What? There truly are such wondrous things in the world?" Wu Hong was astonished. Through the information entering his mind, he learned this was a spatial ring, capable of storing a hundred items.