CHAPTER 432: CHAPTER 0429: LIVING NOT EVEN AS GOOD AS A MOUSE

"Impossible. I can understand that mice are good at burrowing, but being able to break the terrain set by powerful figures seems unrealistic."

Qin Yang doubted it. How could mice destroy the terrain? Smashing their heads wouldn’t be enough.

Lin Fan said, "Who knows? Maybe the mice have become spirits. Forget all that for now. Let’s see if there’s anything good left behind. Grab whatever you can; we can’t leave empty-handed."

The three of them once again transformed into scavengers.

The cave mansion was turned upside down.

"I found an elixir."

"No effect left, it’s expired."

"Elixirs can expire? Aren’t they supposed to grow stronger with age?"

Lin Fan felt his hope shatter into pieces. Everyone touted the incredible luck of this team of three, yet their venture into the ancient mountain had led straight into a dead end.

"The only thing here that might be worth something is this Fire Cloud Stone." Xiang Fei held a fiery red stone the size of a palm, which he had dug out from a nearby corner.

"Well, whoever wants it, take it." Lin Fan sighed, gave the cave mansion one last glance, and started heading outside.

The first stop was a bust.

No significant gains.

The outcome was rather disheartening.

"You keep it. I’m not interested in this thing." Qin Yang shook his head and quickly followed Lin Fan, shouting after him, "Brother Lin, perhaps the next stop will yield something worthwhile!"

At this moment.

They were ambling through a dense forest, with an oppressive aura emanating from the mountain peak, weighing heavily on their spirits.

They were only glimpsing a tiny corner of its mysteries.

Nobody knew how many secrets were hidden atop the peak.

Clang, clang.

"Listen, do you hear something?" Lin Fan perked up his ears, carefully tuning in to a faint sound coming from afar.

"Let’s go. Follow me."

He darted rapidly towards the direction of the sound, with Qin Yang and Xiang Fei frantically chasing behind him. To them, Brother Lin was moving a little too fast.

What on earth had he encountered to make him react so excitedly?

Before long.

"This is..."

Lin Fan froze, staring at the scene before him in shock. Another small mountain stood atop the peak, exuding a murderous aura. Countless weapons were embedded into the mountain, emitting a faint glow, their edges sharp as ever. It felt as though every single weapon was a supreme divine artifact.

"These weapons are extraordinary. They haven’t dulled despite the passage of time. Brother Lin, we’ve hit the jackpot!" Qin Yang’s face turned red with excitement, nearly breaking into a jubilant dance.

Xiang Fei, though well-informed, had never seen anything like this before.

He couldn’t comprehend what these weapons were for.

Why were so many weapons thrust into this place?

Every weapon was extraordinary. Although none could compare to Holy Weapons, the glow became increasingly dazzling the higher up they scanned. There might even be Holy Weapons here.

Lin Fan deliberated over whether to explore further. What lay ahead wasn’t a trial of human resilience but the catastrophes encountered during such expeditions. If fear held them back at every turn, there was no point in venturing in.

"Let’s go take a look."

Following a small trail, he climbed upwards, treating the surrounding weapons as trivial. Though each was a divine artifact, they weren’t what he sought and failed to pique his interest.

"Qin Yang, don’t touch these weapons. There might be traps. If nothing worthwhile surfaces, we can come back later to retrieve them." Lin Fan instructed.

Qin Yang complied and refrained from acting recklessly.

"These weapons may not be Supreme Holy Weapons, but taking them outside would cause a frenzy. Why would anyone leave so many here? What a grand display this is." Qin Yang commented.

The wonders of the cave mansion felt surreal.

It made them feel that this realm was entirely different from the Immortal Realm outside.

Soon.

Off in the distance, they spotted a long spear embedded into a rock. The weapons scattered around were all mere adornments in comparison, mere "green leaves" beside a truly radiant flower.

"Something decent at last. That took long enough." Qin Yang exclaimed, eager to inspect the spear closely.

But Lin Fan blocked his way.

Qin Yang was puzzled. They were already here, so why not pull out the spear? It seemed like such a waste not to try.

"Let’s move..."

Lin Fan grabbed the other two and swiftly retreated from the weapon burial ground, transforming into a flash of light as they sped away.

Buzz!

The long spear quivered as a red phantom suddenly coalesced beside it. The phantom, clad in armor and wreathed in fiery flames, raised the spear and swung it in their direction.

Earth and sky collapsed. Space shattered. The force was unstoppable, blanketing half the sky.

The red phantom seemed perplexed.

How had they realized this site was dangerous?

What flaw in the setup had been uncovered?

"What the hell is that?" Qin Yang shouted, never before having witnessed such a horrifying sight.

Lin Fan glanced backward. The spear’s edge was razor-sharp, tearing through the void and closing in with terrifying swiftness.

"Demon Crossing Scripture!"

He unleashed his divine skills, summoning countless scriptures to intercept the edge. Then, he activated the Eternal Divine Furnace for defense.

Boom!

An overwhelming force surged forth.

Lin Fan bore the brunt of the attack, blood seeping from the corners of his lips, as all three of them were sent flying, tumbling to the base of the burial ground.

Splat!

Splat!

Blood trickled from Xiang Fei and Qin Yang’s mouths as remnants of the attack stirred their blood, forcing it out involuntarily—luckily, they hadn’t sustained serious injuries.

"Brother Lin, what was that? Was it an Artifact Spirit? Its response seemed excessively hostile," Qin Yang gasped, stunned by the phenomenon.

Xiang Fei couldn’t tell either. It was terrifying. After the phantom delivered its strike, he felt the entire world plunge into darkness.

The Immortal Dao Law—time, space—was completely severed.

The three of them lost all connection.

Breathing heavily, Lin Fan was grateful for his quick reflexes; otherwise, they would’ve met their demise. "That was an Immortal Venerable Soul, anchored to the weapon. If we had pulled out the spear earlier, it’s unlikely we’d still be alive."

"Immortal Venerable?" Qin Yang’s eyes widened. He could count on one hand the times he’d seen one, let alone an Immortal Venerable Soul.

That they had miraculously survived an Immortal Venerable Soul’s attack was unbelievable.

Although the Qin Family claimed status as an Immortal Venerable Family, even Qin Yang hadn’t seen their Immortal Venerable—alive or otherwise.

Lin Fan was thoroughly rattled.

Thank heavens for his auxiliary system.

The Demon Crossing Scripture had barely held up, and his cultivation level was still lacking.

If there were any silver lining, it was that the Immortal Venerable’s will within the Eternal Divine Furnace was obliterated during the strike.

Now, refining the furnace would finally be possible.

Xiang Fei said, "Brother Lin, what’s our plan now? Keep exploring, or leave?"

"Let’s leave. This place is a total pit. The rumors weren’t exaggerating. Ancient powerful beings, knowing death was near, came here to establish cave mansions and wait for opportunities. No matter where we go, we’re bound to encounter danger." Lin Fan explained.

Qin Yang’s heart raced, realizing he didn’t want to keep testing the boundaries. "So we’re leaving empty-handed?"

Lin Fan replied, "We can take the weapons. Those weapons were bait for the Immortal Venerable Soul trap. If someone takes even one, the trap springs. After that, who’d dare climb further?"

"Well, that’s not a complete loss. These weapons are Immortal Treasures. Though their grade isn’t high, they’re still valuable." Qin Yang felt slightly better.

They then proceeded to gather the Immortal Treasures scattered across the burial ground, keeping their operations restricted to accessible weapons without venturing deeper.

"Not bad—twenty Immortal Treasures," Qin Yang said, satisfied.

Lin Fan’s mood improved as he gained thirty-five pieces, while Xiang Fei collected over twenty, making the haul quite lucrative.

"Let’s leave this damned place. These cave mansions are simply meant for fools. Someday, if we become Immortal Emperors or Immortal Venerables, we can return here and dismantle these traps once and for all."

Lin Fan had already etched this place in his mind as a grudge to settle.

All that hardship, and their collective gains were only a handful of Immortal Treasures.

Still, considering their loot, outsiders might accuse them of absurdity. Was their haul not enough?

Around thirty Immortal Treasures, many of them quite decent ones. Did they not realize how many Daluo Golden Immortals struggled to amass even a fraction of what they had gained?

At this moment, Xiang Fei was pondering intensely, as if piecing together fragments from his memory. "The armored figure wreathed in flames wielding the spear—according to records, that might be the Dou Tian Immortal Venerable."

"Legend has it Dou Tian Immortal Venerable swept across an age, undefeated by anyone. Then one day, he vanished. Some say he transcended the Immortal Venerable realm, reaching unimaginable heights."

"Who’d have thought he came to this cave mansion, creating a burial ground to lure others in."

Xiang Fei’s horizons had once again been broadened. Without witnessing this firsthand, he would never have believed it.

Qin Yang cursed, "What kind of nonsense Dou Tian Immortal Venerable is this? Seems like nothing but an underhanded schemer, preying on us juniors. Absolutely disgusting."

Rumble! Rumble!

The earth trembled, and a black mass surged from the distance.

"What’s that?"

Qin Yang looked ahead. While the scene was clear, the black swarm clustered together, making it impossible for him to discern its true nature.

"Mice. Those are mice." Xiang Fei said.

Qin Yang exclaimed in disbelief, "How could they be mice? This is an ancient mountain where countless powerful beings have been buried. These insignificant creatures shouldn’t even survive here."

Lin Fan was equally stunned. True, their earlier discovery of a single mouse was puzzling.

Now, seeing so many mice appear here entirely defied explanations.

The swarm of mice didn’t attack but instead stopped, seemingly merging to form a larger entity that grew taller and bigger, its aura swelling and shaking the heavens.

Lin Fan scrutinized closely.

[Mouse Emperor Immortal: Immortal Realm Eighth Layer Immortal Emperor Realm.]

[Possible Drops: Toxic Immortal Mouse Plague, ...]

[Note: A common mouse brought in by a dying Immortal Emperor, intended as a companion. The mouse accidentally consumed rare treasures in the cave mansion...]

Lin Fan was dumbfounded.

A regular mouse, brought in casually by a fading Immortal Emperor, meant to serve as a bit of company, who then stumbled upon heaven-sent opportunities, devouring rare treasures—and even looting elixirs and corpses inside numerous powerful beings’ cave mansions.

It had survived here for tens of thousands of years...

Damn!

How many people had failed to live a life as fortunate as a mouse?