Chapter 396: So That's How It Is

"Lord of the Five Elements?!" Ning Zhuo hastily extended his divine sense into the stalactite.

However, he found nothing out of the ordinary.

He didn't even find a trace of the Lord of the Five Elements.

It was as if everything was just a hallucination.

But Ning Zhuo's gaze was sharp; in that moment, he had already confirmed a part of his conjecture – there was indeed something strange about the Myriad Demon Cave!

"Brother?" Linghu Jiu saw Ning Zhuo's unusual expression.

Ning Zhuo looked at Linghu Jiu: "Brother, I just heard the voice of the senior Lord of the Five Elements. Previously, he appeared twice, first teaching me a divine art, and then elevating my Five Elements realm."

Ning Zhuo didn't hide anything and directly repeated everything the Lord of the Five Elements had just said.

"There is such a thing?!" Linghu Jiu was greatly astonished.

The two of them carefully examined the pointed-out stalactite.

Their divine senses swept back and forth, but they didn't find anything unusual about the stalactite.

"Brother, were the senior Lord of the Five Elements' original words referring to this stalactite?" Linghu Jiu wanted to confirm again.

Ning Zhuo frowned: "Indeed, the previous voice transmission came from this stalactite. But no matter how I investigate, it seems to be just an ordinary stalactite."

Compared to the many surrounding stalactites, this one wasn't special. It was rooted at the top of the cave wall, hanging down, its surface covered in delicate textures, like flowing water, revealing an ancient and mysterious aura.

The surface of the stalactite was quite damp, and a drop of water gradually condensed at the tip of the stone.

The water drop gradually grew larger, then detached from the stone pillar, and gently fell downwards. It penetrated the silent air, seemingly slow but actually fast, and hit the ground, making a faint "drip" sound.

In this instant, Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu both felt a momentary daze, and simultaneously sensed that this miraculous drop of water, like an embodiment of time, carried secrets from ten thousand years ago, yet also carried a fresh aura. From its formation, falling, to shattering into countless tiny droplets, a single instant was a thousand years!

Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu looked at each other, both seeing the look of surprise in each other's eyes.

Ning Zhuo exclaimed softly: "So, the essence of the stalactite is ordinary, this water drop is the key!"

Linghu Jiu sighed: "Amazing! At the moment the water drop fell, I felt the solemn aura of an ancient formation. I have passed through here over a hundred times. I never imagined that a hidden portal was concealed within the water drop."

"The opportunity to enter is only during the time the water drop falls."

"What kind of formation is this?"

Ning Zhuo also shook his head slightly, indicating that he had never heard of it.

However, in the Thousand Mile Roaming Dragon mechanism, Sun Lingtong transmitted his voice: "I remember, Master once mentioned it to me... This is likely the Jade Leak Still Dripping Formation."

"This formation contains the principles of time and flowing light, and can greatly slow down the passage of time within the formation, achieving relative longevity. But it must be placed in a dark environment, with little or no light."

"Didn't you ask about the longevity of the Lord of the Five Elements earlier, Xiao Zhuo? Perhaps this formation is the answer."

Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu discussed for a while, and immediately decided to enter the formation together.

As the water drop fell, their divine senses locked onto it tightly, and they both plunged in.

In their vision, the water drop grew larger and larger, instantly transforming from a water drop into the size of a hill.

From the outside, it appeared that the water drop emitted a strange light, illuminating the two of them, causing their bodies to shrink rapidly and drill into the water drop.

Drip.

The next moment, the water drop fell onto the rock surface, shattering into countless tiny droplets.

Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu disappeared from their original spot. Without their magical power support, the light quickly dissipated, and the cave once again plunged into darkness and silence.

The two of them drilled into the water drop and entered the formation.

This was a world within the formation filled with shimmering light mist.

After Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu entered, they both stood still, not daring to move carelessly.

Within the Thousand Mile Roaming Dragon, Sun Lingtong let out a cry of surprise: "There's a formation within the formation! This is a formation within a formation!"

"The Jade Leak Still Dripping Formation is already very advanced, but it's just the outer formation. Little brother, be extremely careful, this inner formation must be even more extraordinary!"

Beside him, Linghu Jiu also exclaimed: "Formation within a formation! Brother Ning Zhuo, I am very inexperienced in formations, and my research is mainly in sword techniques and wine tasting. I dare not move carelessly, you should examine this formation first."

Ning Zhuo looked around for a while and saw that the light mist obscured his vision, and he couldn't see beyond five steps.

The light mist was pure white, but at times there were large patches of faint shadows, flashing by in an instant.

Ning Zhuo was skilled in mechanism arts and had some knowledge of formations, but at this moment, he was completely bewildered and couldn't identify the basis of this formation.

"It doesn't matter. Boss, it's your turn!" Ning Zhuo transmitted his voice.

Sun Lingtong chuckled: "This kind of exploration is the most interesting, watch me."

Saying that, he activated his Spiritual Eyes of Innate Talent, his eyes radiating shimmering spiritual light, penetrating the white mist and seeing a broader space.

Sun Lingtong's attainments in formations were even deeper than Ning Zhuo's.

Ning Zhuo focused on mechanism arts and didn't primarily cultivate formations. However, Sun Lingtong had a deeper understanding of formations.

On one hand, Sun Lingtong himself had studied the mechanism classics left by Meng Yaoyin. On the other hand, Sun Lingtong came from the Voidless Sect, and for thieves, studying formations was their livelihood.

Finally, Sun Lingtong was older than Ning Zhuo and had more time to study formations.

Sun Lingtong saw many things clearly and immediately transmitted his voice to Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly: "Brother Linghu, I've figured it out. Come with me."

Ning Zhuo reached out and grabbed Linghu Jiu's arm, stepping forward first.

The white mist suddenly surged, disorienting their senses and confusing their direction.

Every step Ning Zhuo took, he had to adjust for a few breaths.

Sun Lingtong was also continuously probing.

After taking the sixth step, a vague cave entrance appeared in the white mist.

Sun Lingtong said: "This is the path of survival. Following this cave entrance should allow us to exit the formation space and return to the outside world."

"Is that so?" Ning Zhuo turned back, preparing to inform Linghu Jiu of this discovery.

As a result, when he turned back, Linghu Jiu had already disappeared!

Ning Zhuo's heart skipped a beat.

He had thought he had been holding Linghu Jiu's arm all along, but the formation's disorientation had misled his senses and caused him to misjudge.

"Oh no, Linghu Jiu is lost in this formation, we need to go back and find him." Sun Lingtong said.

He acknowledged Linghu Jiu's excellence and temperament, and Ning Zhuo had a good impression of Linghu Jiu. He also admired Linghu Jiu because of his fondness for Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo's expression at this time was somewhat strange. He shook his head resolutely: "No! We will follow this retreat path and leave this place first."

"Boss, I'll go in first."

Ning Zhuo released the Thousand Mile Roaming Dragon mechanism, and he himself drilled into it to meet up with Sun Lingtong.

"Can the Thousand Mile Roaming Dragon travel through the void here?" Ning Zhuo asked.

Sun Lingtong nodded: "I just tried it, and this ability has not been sealed, it can still be used."

Ning Zhuo nodded: "That's good."

The Thousand Mile Roaming Dragon was of the Nascent Soul level. Although it had no combat power, its ability to escape was very strong, possessing the ability of Nascent Soul to escape into the void. This was the source of Ning Zhuo's confidence in exploring this place. Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong both arrived at the dragon's head cabin, controlled the Thousand Mile Roaming Dragon, and flew towards the vague cave entrance.

As they moved forward, the cave entrance became real from being vague, and soon, it turned into a dark mountain tunnel.

The Thousand Mile Roaming Dragon concealed its form and wound its way up the mountain path.

It was clearly discernible that the mountain path was inclined upwards.

The mountain path was peaceful, with no traps or demonic beasts blocking the way. The higher they went, the more obvious the human traces became.

A moment later, the Thousand Mile Roaming Dragon emerged from the bottom of a dry well.

The Thousand Mile Roaming Dragon left the dry well and flew into the air.

Sun and Ning saw a scene of pavilions and terraces, with carved beams and painted pillars.

People were constantly moving through the courtyards and corridors.

"Isn't this Mount Yuan?" Sun Lingtong recognized it.

The next moment, he realized something, and sharply inhaled a breath of cold air, turning his head to look at Ning Zhuo: "Xiao Zhuo!!"

"Were you suspicious before, which is why you deliberately brought Linghu Jiu to explore the Myriad Demon Cave together?"

Even though Ning Zhuo had some mental preparation, a chill spread through his heart at this moment.

He nodded slowly with a solemn expression.

"Mount Yuan originally didn't belong here, it was moved here."

"But in the ancient formation, there is a retreat path that leads directly to here, which proves that someone had already discovered the Jade Leak Still Dripping Formation in advance."

"And the biggest suspect in this matter is the Sect Master of the Myriad Medicine Sect, Lin Bufan."

"His cultivation is as high as the Nascent Soul level, and he controls the Myriad Medicine Valley. It wouldn't be difficult for him to arrange these things in secret."

Sun Lingtong was silent for a moment, and then had an realization: "Many years ago, Lin Bufan strongly advocated moving the entire Myriad Medicine Sect to the Myriad Medicine Valley. Could it be that he didn't just value the spiritual springs here!"

"He hasn't completely mastered this opportunity yet. The best proof is you, Xiao Zhuo!"

"Because the Lord of the Five Elements transmitted the Dharma, you obtained the 'Five Organs Temple Spirit Divine Art', and also gained a great elevation in your Five Elements realm. If Lin Bufan had completely mastered this opportunity, he wouldn't have given such a bargain to an outsider like you."

"So, the Nether Brewing Elixir is indeed fake wine, Hua Guzi was right!"

"The real reason is that there is a legacy left by a great being buried here. Therefore, when you sat under the Spirit Concealing Willow, Xiao Zhuo, you still received guidance from the Lord of the Five Elements. When you were in the underground cave, you also heard the voice of the Lord of the Five Elements."

"What is buried here should date back to the time of Emperor Wu, and is closely related to the Lord of the Five Elements."

"No, it's not just him!"

"Linghu Jiu once said that he had also received a lot of guidance. This is actually also due to the opportunity buried underground in the Myriad Demon Cave."

"Linghu Jiu... is he aware?"

Ning Zhuo's eyes sparkled: "Most likely, he is not aware."

"He is also someone kept in the dark. Otherwise, given his consideration for the sect and his demeanor, he wouldn't have actively given me the Nether Brewing Elixir, creating such a huge flaw for no reason."

Sun Lingtong nodded: "Yes. If he knew, he wouldn't have agreed to explore the demon cave with you so readily just now."

"Oh no!"

"Lin Bufan knows about you now!!"

"Xiao Zhuo, you didn't hide the fact that you obtained the legacy of the Lord of the Five Elements before. Linghu Jiu knows, and although he didn't covet the Five Organs Temple Spirit Divine Art, he will definitely inform his master."

"Because the Ning family and the Myriad Medicine Sect are currently negotiating and discussing a future alliance. This kind of intelligence can increase Lin Bufan's attention to us. He probably still thinks he helped you in secret."

Sun Lingtong was also a shrewd person and quickly deduced more truth.

"What should we do next? What do you think, Xiao Zhuo?" Sun Lingtong frowned, expressing his worries, "Lin Bufan has been plotting for this opportunity for over a hundred years, with a very large layout. But even now, he hasn't fully controlled it."

"It can be seen that this opportunity is no small matter. And judging from your recent gains, Xiao Zhuo, it further proves the immense value of this opportunity."

"Lin Bufan already knows that we have come into contact with some secrets. Now, since we are secretly exploring the demon cave, Lin Bufan will definitely discover us."

"Will he allow us to meddle in this great opportunity?"

Ning Zhuo chuckled: "This is the key to the current situation!"

Sun Lingtong took a deep breath: "We should inform your Golden Core old ancestor immediately. If you ask me, we should have informed him in advance!"

Ning Zhuo gave a wry smile.

Sun Lingtong was startled, and suddenly felt a sense of dread: "I see, we must not inform Ning Jiufan in advance."

"Because he is already being closely monitored by Lin Bufan!"

Ning Zhuo nodded: "That's right."

"Back then, when our Ning family moved as a whole, following the underground dark river, we came out of the Myriad Demon Cave and into the valley, and were warmly welcomed by Lin Bufan."

"He insisted on keeping our clan and hosted us in the valley for several months before letting us go."

"During this period, he must have been secretly investigating to see if anyone in our clan had discovered this opportunity."

"After confirming that no one had, he finally released the Ning family."

"This time, I and Ning Jiufan came to the Myriad Medicine Sect one after another. Lin Bufan will definitely have many suspicions in his heart."

"Did the Ning family members discover something back then? And when the Ning family established a foothold in Fire Persimmon Immortal City, they came here again to explore?"

"Lin Bufan is likely to speculate this: The Ning family doesn't know that I, Lin Bufan, know about this opportunity, so they want to secretly excavate it. The Ning family first sent the most outstanding junior in the family to scout, and then sent the Golden Core old ancestor under the guise of alliance cooperation, wanting to find a legitimate reason to station here long-term and secretly explore the opportunity."

"Under this speculation and suspicion, if I contact Ning Jiufan, Lin Bufan will likely know instantly. He must be focusing on monitoring me and the old ancestor."

"Now, there is only one word we need to do - wait."

Sun Lingtong narrowed his eyes: "We have already investigated the Jade Leak Still Dripping Formation and mysteriously disappeared. Lin Bufan should be anxious. His subsequent actions will prove his true attitude towards us!"

"That's right." Ning Zhuo nodded.

The moment his voice fell, the world changed color!

With a roar, the grand formation was activated.

Mount Yuan shook!

The mountain protection formation isolated the inside and outside, forming a huge light mist that rapidly expanded.

After a few breaths, the white light mist expanded outwards, covering the Myriad Medicine Valley, enveloping Mount Yuan, Little Conflict Peak, Great Conflict Peak, and the Medicine Field Mountain.

The scene outside the window attracted Ning Jiufan's attention. He projected his divine sense and asked doubtfully: "Lord Lin, why did you suddenly activate the mountain protection formation? Is a powerful enemy attacking?"

Lin Bufan smiled.

He first inserted the 1870th fine needle into Elder Yuan's body, allowing him to fall into a deep sleep.

Then, he turned to look at Ning Jiufan, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Fellow Daoist Ning, your acting skills are quite good."

Ning Jiufan: ???

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