Teacher by day, Farmer by passion-Chapter 195: Abyss [3]

The path through the cave was unexpectedly smooth.

There were no signs of traps nor a single beasts, nothing to obstruct them. Just an eerie silence.

That is, until they crossed a seemingly ordinary rock… and a hidden formation flared to life.

In an instant, their surroundings shifted. The rocky walls vanished, replaced by ornate stone pillars and glowing runes.

A warm, golden light filled the air, and ahead of them lay a majestic, palace-like chamber hidden deep within the mountain.

Liu Mei's eyes lit up with joy. "See! What did I tell you? This cave is a treasure trove!"

Shan Yifeng raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said we would find dragons." then turning his head he added, "Seems like we walked into a teleportation formation."

Liu Mei waved him off with a smug. "Same thing! Didn't Master always say dragons hoard treasures? So I wasn't really wrong."

They then stepped into the opulent chamber, its walls engraved with ancient patterns and spiritual script.

The air was dense with dormant energy.

"Do we really want to explore this?" Shan Yifeng asked, his instincts already screaming at him to turn back.

A cold sweat trailed down his spine. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this place."

But Liu Mei looked at him like he had sprouted three heads. "Junior Brother, this is exactly why you're still weak. Look at me—this is the perfect chance to get stronger!"

He sighed. "Senior Sister, overconfidence is also one of the top reasons cultivators die prematurely."

Liu Mei paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. Then, with a bright grin, she said, "Who said I'm going in first? I'm sending Little Aoki to scout it out."

Shan Yifeng clenched his jaw, biting back the storm of profanity threatening to erupt. And since when did you even name the bear?

The bear seemed to catch on, his massive form trembling as he looked between the two. He gave a low, pleading whimper.

But Liu Mei had already made her decision.

"Little Aoki," she said with mock sorrow, gently patting his head, "I'll miss you dearly. Now go on—explore the palace."

The bear groaned in misery, yet he still slowly lumbered forward into the chamber.

Shan Yifeng watched the poor beast shuffle away like a condemned man and sighed deeply.

I miss the old Liu Mei, he thought bitterly, The dumb, innocent one. At least she was cute. Now she's just a tyrant with a smile.

Little Aoki soon stepped into the entrance of the palace, his heavy paws echoing through the vast, silent corridor.

Outside, Liu Mei and Shan Yifeng waited, the cold wind brushing past them like a warning.

After what felt like an hour had passed.

"Do you think he's dead?" Liu Mei asked, casually, like she was asking about the weather.

Shan Yifeng blinked. "Didn't you already form a soul contract with him?"

"Eh? Do I have to?" she tilted her head, genuinely curious. "I haven't really gotten around to it yet. Do you think he ran away?"

Shan Yifeng glanced at the ominous entrance and gave a slow nod. "Very likely. Do you want to go in and check?"

Liu Mei gasped. "Eh? Junior Brother! You've finally grown a spine!" She clapped her hands, grinning with childlike excitement. "Let's go!"

Shan Yifeng, internally cursing himself for suggesting it, stepped in beside her.

The moment they entered, they were greeted by a strange sight.

There, not too far from the doorway, was Little Aoki—half-buried in a comically-shaped pit, legs sticking out as he weakly tried to wriggle free.

Dirt clung to his fur. His eyes, wide with despair, met Shan Yifeng's like a silent plea for rescue.

Liu Mei's eyes lit up. "Ahaha! Look at my baby! My brave little Aoki was just stuck! There's no way he'd ever run from me!" she beamed, entirely proud.

Shan Yifeng didn't respond.

His gaze instead drifted toward the direction the bear had clearly been heading before falling into the pit, completely opposite of where he and Liu Mei had been waiting.

It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

The bear had absolutely tried to run away.

And honestly? Shan Yifeng couldn't blame him. If he could have run, he would have already done the same.

He stared at Little Aoki, now being lovingly patted by Liu Mei as she tugged him free from the earth.

"Poor thing," Shan Yifeng thought. "He never stood a chance. Not when even the heavens decided to mess with him."

And as he watched the bear shudder under Liu Mei's doting affection, Shan Yifeng decided to turn the other way.

To the side of the grand hall, Shan Yifeng noticed the stretch of ancient murals carved into the stone walls, majestic depictions of dragons soaring through stormy skies and phoenixes dancing within golden flames. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Liu Mei," he called out, "it looks like dragons and Phoenix aren't just myth after all."

Liu Mei, who had just drawn a drop of blood from Little Aoki's paw, was in the middle of forming a soul pact.

As the glow from the pact faded into her palm, she turned with a radiant smile, her eyes shining with excitement.

"I never doubted Master for a second. I knew they existed the moment master said the word," she declared with a smug gleam.

Shan Yifeng rolled his eyes and let out a soft sneer, but said nothing.

Instead, he turned his full attention back to the murals, running his fingers lightly over the etched lines.

The artistry was

surely bound to held meaning—ancient stories and forgotten truths preserved in stone.

Meanwhile, Liu Mei wandered off with the bear, eagerly exploring the vast hall like a child in a treasure vault.

She flipped open old stone chests, peeked behind weathered statues, and even tried poking at decorative gems embedded in the walls.

"Where are the trades? The treasures?" she muttered, knocking on the floor tiles one by one as Little Aoki followed reluctantly, his pawsteps heavy with resignation.