CHAPTER 479: CHAPTER 313: NEW JOY_2

He let out a deep sigh, knowing that if he actually asked the bird, he wouldn’t get an answer, so instead, he returned to his body and opened his eyes. Then, he explained the cunning individual to everyone present.

At first, Wang Julong felt slightly uncomfortable with the idea of a weapon harboring a trapped soul. However, when she thought about how the entity accepted her, that discomfort quickly transformed into honor. Clenching her hands tightly, she nodded firmly, her eyes brimming with resolve.

In the inn, Yan Xiaobao and the others sat down to relax, as there was no apparent murderous intent in the air. From the adjacent room, they could easily hear the loud drinking of beer purchased from the downstairs restaurant.

Xie Lan and Xu Biao were nowhere to be seen, but Yan Xiaobao wasn’t worried. It was possible the two were quietly working on different tasks in their rooms or perhaps enjoying some quality time together.

Although everything was peaceful and relaxed, Yan Xiaobao couldn’t fully let down his guard. Though he was certain that Scarface would await him in the final cave, there was still a possibility that it was wishful thinking and that Scarface might already be nearby.

This kept Yan Xiaobao wary even as he relaxed with his friends. When everyone else went to sleep, he remained awake all night, watching for any movement in the courtyard.

The sound of snoring surrounded him. No one walked on the stairs outside, and no one moved in the darkness. As the night thinned and the sun pierced through the sky, Yan Xiaobao once again reassured himself that the man would be waiting in the final cave. Yet, a small voice in his mind warned him to stay vigilant—there was always that slim chance things wouldn’t go as planned.

The day began, and the group set out once more. The Golden Lion Cave, much like the Demon Cave, was massive. After a week’s travel, they reached the capital of the cave system. However, unlike their arrival at the Demon Residence Cave’s capital, nothing particularly exciting happened here.

They rested for a day, but it was spent in their hotel rooms. The next morning, they hit the road again, their caravan quickly heading towards another tunnel system.

Yan Xiaobao stayed alert every day and remained awake every night, keeping watch on his surroundings. But as days passed without incident, Yan Xiaobao began to feel that his alertness was a waste of energy. Gradually, he allowed himself to take advantage of the quiet nights for cultivation. Ultimately, his strength was nowhere near sufficient to contend with the Scar-faced Killer, so he had to use every moment he could to improve.

At the end of the Golden Lion Cave, another tunnel system awaited them. This time, the group decided to travel along the brightly lit main roads. While journeying the illuminated paths, they weren’t alone—they encountered other travelers crossing through. Tunnel after cave and cave after tunnel, everything started to look the same. Soon enough, Yan Xiaobao and his group safely reached the midpoint of their journey and the headquarters of the Dragon Company: the Dragon Core Cave.

The cave they now stood in was the same one where they would have to bid farewell to the young Master Yang Bai and his entourage.

They had arrived at the cave a few days earlier, and now they were headed towards the Academic City, a city that existed solely because of the academy rooted there. The cave, known as the Thousand River Cave, was named for the many rivers running through it. Some of these rivers converged into a great lake, covering half the ground of the cave.

Their destination was the lakeside, where everyone hurried towards the academy. The team had been traveling for half a year, during which they had experienced significant growth. Yan Xiaobao was on the brink of breaking into the Master level; Deng Wu was about to become the second Master Star among them, while Wang Julong and Sha Yun had both reached the ninth tier of the Master Level.

With few distractions on their journey, the group had been able to focus entirely on their cultivation, a fact they were all deeply grateful for. However, Yan Xiaobao found himself stuck at a bottleneck, unable to progress further until he faced some form of battle to push his cultivation base to its limits. Sparring alone would not suffice to bring about a breakthrough.

Wang Julong and Sha Yun had reached the ninth tier of the Master Level due to their unrelenting effort, prompting even Yan Xiaobao to admit that the two women had worked far harder than he had anticipated.

As he gazed at the lake before him, dotted with beautiful water lilies and home to various white birds gliding gracefully, Yan Xiaobao decided the party needed to stay in this beautiful cave for a while to regroup. Whether they chose to take on another quest or go their separate ways to journey independently, this was a decision Yan Xiaobao would have to make soon. But first, as they headed towards the lake and the city, they passed by a caravan they nodded to—one bound for their eventual final destination.

Standing by the lakeside, Yan Xiaobao marveled at the beauty of the cave. The rivers flowing into the lake sparkled with sprays of water, surrounded by medicinal herbs and stunning flowers.

Beside the rivers and streams were intricate gardens, small glasshouses, and towering pagodas. The entire land seemed designed for aesthetics rather than agriculture, and spread across the lake were many boats carrying couples enjoying the scenery.

"The money in this place comes from tourism and their academy. Everything related to food and materials is imported from other caves, and anyone seeking a stroll or vacation comes to this cave," Xu Biao said, his voice low as the white-haired boy observed the surroundings.

Nodding slightly, Yan Xiaobao had already guessed this cave was extraordinary, but upon hearing that it served as a vacation destination, he understood why the atmosphere felt so welcoming and relaxed. To break through to the Master level, he couldn’t imagine a more fitting ambiance. The world here seemed saturated with the essence of heaven and earth.

As this thought settled in his mind, the travelers meandered towards the lakeside academy, which was to become Yang Bai’s home for years to come. Until he graduated and became a King-level expert, he would not be returning to the Demon Residence Cave.

Walking through the Thousand River Cave, Yan Xiaobao could almost feel the richness of the heavenly and earthly Qi, its density unlike anywhere else. He surmised this was also why the cave could sustain itself on tourism alone. Anyone seeking secluded meditation would come here to purchase a glasshouse where they could meditate amidst the breathtaking landscape and boundless energy.

After spending half a year together, Yang Bai had grown deeply attached to the team. Though only thirteen years old, as they drew closer to the academy and their ultimate destination, unshed tears shimmered in his eyes.

Their months of traveling through tunnels and caves had long since turned the guards into something more like mercenaries. They had sharpened their skills in dispatching Demon Beasts and even learned to perfectly dissect their prey without wasting any part after undergoing meticulous lessons from Yan Xiaobao.

Yang Bai wasn’t the only one to feel a strange nostalgia. Yan Xiaobao and his friends shared the sentiment, having journeyed together for half a year. During this time, the young master had done his best to become an integral part of their team. Although he didn’t travel with them during the day, he spent every evening by the campfire, listening to tales of their past adventures.

He learned how they had met at an academy, become inseparable friends, and shared their adventurous days at the academy.

While the young travelers spoke of their time at the Royal Academy, they never mentioned its name, leaving the naive Yang Bai to assume it was the Dragon Core Academy. He believed they had all studied at the most magical academy within the entire Azure Dragon Caves.

Whenever the four friends recounted their friendships and past experiences, Yang Bai wasn’t the only eager listener. Xu Biao and Xie Lan also found the stories fascinating, especially since they knew these tales belonged to another world.

Yet, knowing the group hailed from a world beyond, Xu Biao found it startling how similar the tunnels and cave systems of his world were to what they described.

There were magical beasts living in the depths of forests, main cities akin to those within the caves, and lands designated for agriculture. The main difference he envisioned was that people aboveground didn’t need to traverse tunnels to reach other cities. What struck him most about the upper world was the freedom—a place where cities had no walls and there was no ceiling overhead. Aside from that, it all sounded remarkably like life beneath.

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