Urban Martial Saint

Chapter 2014 - 2014: Entering the Cave

The Church's people were well aware of the Great Lord's situation, so they promptly carried the Great Lord and Ye Qing on their backs, sprinting all the way, and arrived outside the Demon Hideout Cave in less than ten minutes.Standing at the entrance of this Demon Hideout Cave, the Church members couldn't help but feel hesitant. Although they were from the Church, they were all very familiar with the terrifying reputation of the Demon Hideout Cave. They knew just how terrifying it was inside. They knew how many of their masters had perished inside, and how many martial artists from Huaxia had entered, never to return. Therefore, to the Church's people, this Demon Hideout Cave was almost regarded as forbidden land.

Yet now, they had to enter it, which felt like being forced onto the sea of fire.

"Great Lord, do we... really have to go in?" An elder couldn't help but ask.

The Great Lord weakly turned his head to glance at Ye Qing, and said in a deep voice, "Let... let him lead the way at the front..."

Only then did everyone remember, and the person carrying Ye Qing immediately put him down and led Ye Qing to the front, saying in a stern voice, "You lead the way, and don't try any tricks, or we will kill you first!"

"Kill me? Can you really kill me?" Ye Qing replied with a cold smile.

The Church members were stunned, recalling how previously Nalan Jingwei had tried and failed to kill Ye Qing. Although they didn't know Ye Qing's current condition, they all knew that killing Ye Qing was no easy task.

Seeing the Church members become somewhat uneasy, Ye Qing chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I want to deal with Nalan Jingwei first, not you. Just follow behind me, I am very familiar with the inside of this Demon Hideout Cave!"

After speaking, Ye Qing directly walked into the Demon Hideout Cave. The Church members watched him go in, still hesitating, while only a couple of the braver ones ventured in. The others were still hesitating at the entrance.

Ye Qing turned to look at them, saying, "Are you coming or not? If not, I'm going in alone!"

The Church members exchanged glances, still unsure whether to go in. Suddenly, footsteps sounded from afar. Turning to look, they saw Nalan Jingwei and Executioner Scholar leading their masters towards the Demon Hideout Cave.

Seeing the pursuers approaching, Ye Qing frowned. If he wanted to use the Demon Hideout Cave against them, he had to draw them deeper in. If they were stopped on the outskirts, he wouldn't have time to summon a demon pet to help. So he had to quickly lure them deeper, otherwise this effort would be wasted.

"What are you guys standing here for? Waiting to die?" Ye Qing shouted angrily, "If you're not going, I'm leaving now!"

After saying this, Ye Qing ran forward without lingering outside. At this point, the Church members had no choice; the Huaxia masters behind wouldn't spare them either. Though entering entailed danger, staying outside meant death, so it was better to take a chance inside.

Before Nalan Jingwei's group could catch up, the Church members rushed into the Demon Hideout Cave, chasing after Ye Qing. As Ye Qing entered the first fork in the road, Nalan Jingwei and others charged into the cave.

Nalan Jingwei's group had been chasing at full speed, anticipating that the Great Lord's condition was unfavorable, and preparing to annihilate the Church's people. But when they arrived, the Church members had already entered the cave, thwarting their plan. Though they chased into the Demon Hideout Cave, their speed inside decreased significantly.

"Everyone be careful!" Nalan Jingwei, not daring to walk at the front, retreated while saying seriously, "The cave is full of dangers, stick closely to the Sky-Killing Master, and don't miss a step. Otherwise, we're all in danger!"

Everyone watched the Sky-Killing Master closely, as only he had been inside this cave out of all of them.

Though the Sky-Killing Master feared the cave, he had no choice but to lead bravely. Taking the front, he inhaled deeply, glimpsing back at the group, saying seriously, "Stay close, and don't get scattered. These caves have many forks; a wrong turn could cost a life. I urge everyone to be extremely cautious, for a wrong turn means no one can save you!"

Hearing this, the tense group became even more anxious. Their eyes darted around fearfully, as if expecting danger from every corner. The cave seemed to harbor a demon ready to devour them all.

Among them, Nalan Jingwei and Executioner Scholar were most sensible. As they advanced, they marked each fork. This way, even if they encountered danger inside, they could still find their way out quickly.

Sky-Killing Master had experience in the cave, familiar with its conditions—though not as familiar as Ye Qing—but could still find some safer routes. It had been decades since his last venture, and his memories had faded. Returning now, searching again was slower.

Ye Qing, however, didn't need a guide. He only had to find the marks left by Patriarch Bodhidharma. These marks were hard to spot, intermingled with other marks on the cave walls, making direction uncertain.

Having been here multiple times, Ye Qing was familiar with these marks. Keeping his eyes on them made finding his way easier. Yet, to lure Nalan Jingwei's group deeper, he kept a slower pace, allowing them to hope for catching up. Otherwise, they'd get lost and give up entering, making Ye Qing's effort worthless.

The cave was vast with numerous forks. To traverse it entirely required several days. Luckily, Ye Qing's goal was clear—to lead them to the final five checkpoints. With ten Peak Masters from the Church and twelve from Nalan Jingwei's side, Ye Qing aimed to ensnare them all. The mere forks wouldn't suffice; the final checkpoints offered a chance to trap them completely.

The Church members had no clue of Ye Qing's intentions. Entering the cave with trepidation, they feared mishap, yet encountered none while following Ye Qing. This eased their nerves somewhat, lowering their guard against him—initially wary of being led into danger.

After passing over ten fork roads, finally an elder couldn't resist asking, "Ye Qing, how much longer must we walk? These forks seem endless; when do we reach the end?"

"We'll never reach the end," Ye Qing replied, "We're here for the Healing Holy Medicine, not exploring indefinitely."

"Where is the Healing Holy Medicine? How far from here?" another elder asked.

"We're not even halfway there yet, don't rush," Ye Qing responded.

The group exchanged shocked glances. They'd heard of the cave, but never entered, unaware of its size. Now, having passed over ten forks and still not halfway, the cave's extent was unimaginable.

Walking unimpeded for seven to eight hours, the Great Lord gradually regained strength. Ye Qing calculated the time from the Great Lord's move to full recovery took about three hours. During these hours, Ye Qing offered him a Devouring Demon Flower, which he refused. It indicated significant aftereffects from the forbidden move, and judging by his expression, even the Devouring Demon Flower couldn't restore his strength, hence the refusal.

After walking so long, even the Church members, including the Great Lord, were shocked. The cave boasted countless forks, and though they faced no dangers, they worried about the growing distance.

"Ye Qing, is the Healing Holy Medicine really growing here?" the Great Lord asked seriously, unable to hold back.

"If you don't believe me, you can stop following," Ye Qing replied casually.

"Ye, don't be so arrogant!" an elder angrily shouted, "Do you think we wouldn't dare to do anything to you?"

"At most, you'd break my limbs, torture me a bit. Can you even kill me?" Ye Qing smirked coldly and said, "Even setting aside if you could kill me, if you did, how would you explain it?"