txolops Chapter 714 Come in for tea! An alliance?
Chapter 714 Come in for tea! An alliance?
Chen Fan paused for a moment, then strode toward the stone building.
He walked slowly, each step carefully placed in the safest position, his right hand never leaving the hilt of his sword. The Black Soul Banner trembled slightly behind him, and the Golden Cicada peeked out from its sleeve, its dark golden compound eyes warily scanning what lay ahead.
The outline of the stone building became clearer and clearer.
There were three simple buildings made of gray stone blocks, not tall, only two or three stories high. Several defensive array patterns were carved on the outer walls of the stone buildings. The array patterns were of a high grade, but they were obviously hastily carved and the technique was quite crude.
Several simple tents were also set up between the stone buildings, and tables and chairs made of animal bones and rough wood could be vaguely seen inside the tents.
A figure emerged from the central stone building.
He was a middle-aged monk dressed in a crimson robe, tall and thin, with a gaunt face, slightly high cheekbones, and a neatly trimmed goatee on his chin.
The cuffs and collar of his robe were embroidered with flame patterns, and there were still a few scorch marks left at the hem. His eyes were long and bright, with slightly upturned corners, and when he smiled, he gave people a rather shrewd feeling.
The cultivation level of the Great Perfection of the Divine Transformation Realm.
Behind him were two cultivators at the late Nascent Soul stage, one dressed in a green robe and the other in a gray robe. Both of them had ordinary faces and restrained auras.
The two stood at the entrance of the stone building and did not follow, but instead bowed to Chen Fan from a distance.
"I am Huoyuan Daoist, from Tiankui Star, a lower-tier star region of the Cultivation Alliance." The middle-aged cultivator stopped ten steps in front of Chen Fan, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and asked politely, "May I ask how you are addressed, fellow cultivator?"
Chen Fan glanced at him and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Gui Muzi, a rogue cultivator from a second-level cultivation country."
He didn't reveal his real name, nor did he mention Tian Nanxing or the Zhao Kingdom; he simply used the alias he had used on the Boundless Sea Demon Abyss Island. Revealing his true identity in such an unknown place would be extremely unwise.
Huoyuan Daoist seemed to have no reaction to the name, merely nodding slightly with his smile unchanged: "Fellow Daoist Guimu, were you also swept into this place by the spatial turbulence? Or did you accidentally enter some forbidden area?"
"I accidentally wandered into a restricted area." Chen Fan's answer was concise and vague.
Upon hearing this, Daoist Huoyuan sighed, his tone tinged with emotion: "I am in the same boat. Back when I was tracking a Nascent Soul stage beast on Tiankui Star, I accidentally stumbled into a spatial forbidden zone in the far north of Tiankui Star. The spatial laws in that forbidden zone were extremely chaotic, and before I could react, I was swept in. When I came to my senses, I had already fallen into this hellish place. All told, I have been trapped here for over three thousand years."
More than three thousand years.
Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged. He glanced at Huoyuan Daoist and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, you have stayed here for three thousand years, so you must know this place quite well. May I ask if you know exactly where this place is?"
Huoyuan Daoist shook his head, his bitter smile deepening. "To be honest, fellow Daoist, although I have been here for three thousand years, I still do not know what this place is. This place is too strange. The ruins are diverse in type and style, and are definitely not the remains of a single civilization. I have discussed this with several fellow Daoists who are also trapped here. Some speculate that this is a spatial graveyard, some say it is the site of an ancient war, and others say it is a secret realm opened up by a powerful being. But these are all just speculations, without any evidence."
He paused here, then stepped aside and gestured for him to enter: "If you don't mind, fellow Daoist, why don't we go inside the stone building for a chat? I don't have much to offer, but a few cups of coarse tea are acceptable. I also happen to have some matters I'd like to discuss with you."
Chen Fan paused for a moment, then glanced past Huoyuan Daoist at the stone building behind him and the two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.
Huoyuan Daoist seemed to sense his concerns and laughed, "Fellow Daoist, rest assured, I have no ill intentions. If I truly intended to attack, I wouldn't have released the warning array beforehand. You must also know that many cultivators are trapped in this underground space, some have gone mad and become demons, and some live by preying on others. I have survived here for three thousand years thanks to my caution and reputation. Furthermore, although your cultivation is only at the late Nascent Soul stage, I sensed an extremely sharp sword intent emanating from you. If we were to truly fight, I might not come out on top."
These words were spoken frankly yet with tact.
Chen Fan stared at him for a moment, and after confirming that there was no hostility in those slender eyes, he finally nodded slightly.
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
The interior of the stone building is even simpler than its exterior.
On the first floor, there was only a low table pieced together from animal bones and a few futons carved from rough wood. Several ever-burning lamps made from the oil of demonic beasts hung on the walls, their pale blue flames casting a rather cold and serene light on the entire room.
Huoyuan Daoist invited Chen Fan to sit down at the low table, while he himself sat cross-legged on the futon opposite him.
The two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators did not follow in; they simply stood guard outside the stone building, clearly showing their strong faith in Daoist Huoyuan.
Huoyuan Daoist took out a tea set from his storage bag, and then took out a small pinch of dark red tea leaves, brewing two cups with spiritual spring water.
The tea soup is amber in color and has a peculiar roasted aroma, which smells quite delicious.
"This is Huoyan Tea, a specialty of Tiankui Star, made from wild tea grown in volcanic craters. When I was trapped here years ago, I brought some with me, but now, three thousand years later, I have less than two ounces left." Daoist Huoyuan pushed a cup of tea in front of Chen Fan, his tone tinged with nostalgia. "Please try it, fellow Daoist."
Chen Fan picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
The tea soup has a rich, roasted aroma on the palate, but after swallowing, it transforms into an extremely pure fire elemental energy that flows through the meridians, providing a warm and comfortable sensation.
He put down his teacup and nodded slightly: "Good tea."
Huoyuan Daoist smiled and took a sip of tea. After putting down the teacup, he remained silent for a moment, a solemn expression appearing on his lean face.
"Fellow Daoist Guimu, I will not beat around the bush." He placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward slightly. "As you have probably noticed, although this place is strange, it is not without life. Over the past few thousand years, I have explored most of this area and discovered a pattern: the closer you get to the edge of this underground space, the sparser the spatial rifts and the thinner the spiritual energy. The deeper you go, the denser the spatial rifts and the richer the spiritual energy, and the larger the scale of the ruins."
Chen Fan remained silent after hearing this.
Without pausing, Huoyuan Daoist continued, "Although the edge of this underground space is relatively safe, there is absolutely no way out. Over the past three thousand years, I have searched almost the entire outer area, exploring every spatial rift, every ruin, and every underground channel, but I have not found any exit to the outside world. In my opinion, the only hope lies in the deepest part of this space."