Chapter 58 - 58 58 Exiting the Cave

58: Chapter 58: Exiting the Cave 58: Chapter 58: Exiting the Cave Even cultivators, in addition to cycling Spirit Qi, need to consume Fasting Pills, and martial artists have an even more astonishing appetite, often having records of consuming an entire ox in a day. After fighting to the death multiple times in a row and using Qi Boosting Pills to squeeze every bit of strength from his body, the Red Armored Guards’ Jade Dew could only replenish a small part of his spent nutrients. By now, An Jing was so hungry that his vision was darkening and his stomach was continuously churning, longing to digest something. “Can these Glowing Vines be eaten?” Rubbing his stomach, An Jing shook his head to clear his mind a bit, his gaze lingering on the now dimmed but seemingly chewy Glowing Vines. He swallowed instinctively, “They might at least fill the stomach a bit…” S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. “Glowing things are probably poisonous.” The Sword Spirit wasn’t sure either, after all, It is a Sword Spirit, not a cultivator, and had no experience with eating, “Better not eat them, even if Inner Breath can detoxify, we need water for that, and we are short on it.” “Hmm, I know.” An Jing wasn’t really planning to eat the vines directly. He shifted his gaze toward the deeper parts of their path, “The vines on that demon’s body were very moist; there must be water where it came from.” Following the direction from which the Vine Demon came, An Jing quickly found a dark, small cave. This underground relic must have a water channel around it, or even a hot spring. The area where the Vine Demon usually dwelt was a stalactite cave that dripped water continuously, quite damp, with a nest made of fallen vines in the center and many Ghost Umbrella Mushrooms on the sides. From afar, it looked like an emerald green circular pit surrounded by white fungi. Next to the large nest, the Ghost Umbrellas seemed poisonous by name, but if An Jing wasn’t misjudging them, these mushrooms were commonly known as ‘Chicken Leg Mushrooms,’ tasty, nutritious, and very palatable. “There’s food, and as for the water… drinking a little should be fine.” Getting some mineral-laden cave water from the stalactites to quench his thirst, An Jing didn’t care too much about how these Chicken Leg Mushrooms had grown; everything was a gift from Imperial Heaven, after all. After collecting some larger, intact mushrooms, An Jing glanced into the demon’s nest and couldn’t help but let out a soft “huh”: “So the corpse is here.” The source of the nest’s vines was a corpse which had decayed into a skeleton, but its bones gleamed bright and translucent like jade. “It is the Divine Abnormality ‘Jade Marrow Bone,'” said the Sword Spirit. “This practitioner, who had turned to the demonic path, must have possessed a remarkable level of Body Refinement. His Jade Bone Divine Abnormality was fully matured.” “Lucky for us, only his head is demonic. If his entire body had turned, he would be a ‘Jade Bone Demon Corpse,’ and the odds are we would not have been able to defeat him.” “He’s in his early twenties, his cultivation method was good, his skill level was decent, and the power behind him must have been considerable. His death here is quite strange.” The Sword Spirit’s assessment was rather objective, and An Jing thoughtfully looked at the vine-wrapped skeleton, slowly saying, “It seems that indeed there are things in this relic that attract these practitioners to keep coming. “Unfortunately, now is not the time for us to get involved.” Shaking his head lightly, An Jing did not dwell on it and left with the mushrooms. The original cave. After the Vine Demon’s death, its entire body’s vines rapidly withered and dried out, losing all life force, which made for excellent kindling. For someone of An Jing’s cultivation level, a martial artist with a Fate Pattern in the Inner Breath realm, starting a fire was as easy as turning over his hand. He simply picked up two stones, struck them together to create sparks, and then ignited them. The pale yellow flame brightened the dim cave. Added to that, the clothes on the bodies burned quite well, and An Jing quickly got a fire going. In the flickering light, he roughly prepared the ingredients, cleaned them, and began to roast the Chicken Leg Mushrooms. Without any seasoning or oil, just plain roasted mushrooms might not seem tasty from an ordinary person’s perspective. But for An Jing, who had endured the Frost Calamity, when hunger struck, even a hot mouthful of earth was hard to come by, and he could swallow ice-covered tree bark and roots with snow. Now, freshly cooked, piping hot mushrooms were a delicacy, no matter how they were eaten. Chewing and swallowing with utmost respect, the twenty or so mushrooms could somewhat satiate An Jing’s hunger. Inner Breath functioned naturally with his body’s instincts, rapidly absorbing these nutrients, which allowed him to barely suppress his dizziness. At least now, An Jing no longer craved to gnaw on moss, and the sight of Glowing Vine didn’t make his mouth water anymore. “Let’s go, it’s time to set out.” As his condition improved, An Jing patted his hands and stood up. Thanks to his treatment as the Chief of Hanging Fate Manor, he had not lacked for meat, and there was still fat stored in his body. He wouldn’t starve to death after missing a few meals—at worst, he’d only revert to his former fleeing and frail state. However, An Jing was about to try and leave this relic, and naturally, he needed to ensure his combat strength. The reason was simple. The cave, though seemingly safe after the elimination of the Vine Demon, still held uncertainty for An Jing, who did not know if new monsters or demons might emerge to attack him deeper inside the relic. Meanwhile, the area lacked clean water and a stable food source. Though Ghost Umbrella Mushroom and Cave Water could somewhat alleviate hunger, they would run out after a few days and were not sustainable solutions. Since An Jing would have to stay in this otherworld for a long time while escaping the pursuit of the Demon Sect, Heavenly Demon, and officials from Da Chen, he had to think more long-term. Reliable sources of water and food were essential. The initial cave didn’t have these, so he had to leave—and the sooner, the better. “I hope I won’t have to use these.” Before leaving, An Jing first collected some Fire Seed and stored it in an empty magazine. Then, he collected a large amount of dried vines and nearly rotten clothes from corpses—these items were excellent fuel, useful for starting a fire or simply for burning in a pinch. An Jing also collected a large amount of ammunition and, after ensuring all his gear was in order, chose a functional rifle from among the bodies to carry on his back. This time he was fleeing, and there was no need to hide in Hanging Fate Manor; the pistol’s power was insufficient, but with the rifle, An Jing’s long-range attacks were secured. The ‘Ink Jade Skull’ leftover after the Vine Demon dissipated, tough enough that even the Fiend Sword couldn’t pierce, was also hung at An Jing’s waist. This dark jade bone had been somewhat refined, and after the Demonic Qi dispersed, it was just ordinary Spiritual Material, not difficult to carry—if it came down to it, he could always take the skull and use it as a Heart Protecting Mirror. Having done all this, he followed the ‘path taken’ towards the exit of the cave and the ‘outside world.’ The path was deep and shadowy. It was an extremely long dark corridor, a naturally formed water-sculpted cave, or perhaps a dried-up subterranean riverbed, damp and suffocating. An Jing walked through this deep under-earth cavern, Mysterious Steps operating instinctively, rendering his footsteps silent, only the soft and solitary sounds of breathing echoed in the corridor. In the darkness, An Jing’s eyes glowed a crimson light, enabling him to see the path ahead—most of it was natural topography, but along the way, he could also see some artificially crafted steps and sculptures. And corpses.