Chapter 122: Soaked Entry into the Cave (Third Update)

To save or not to save? That was not the question Xiao Cheng needed to ponder. What he considered was how to save her. The moment he saw the meal in the bamboo basket, he had already decided that no matter what, he would not let Liu Yiyi come to harm.

What a pure and adorable girl; she was only sixteen or seventeen, having never even seen the outside world. It would be a terrible tragedy for her life to end here. Humans naturally have a protective instinct toward beautiful things, and Xiao Cheng was no exception—especially since Liu Yiyi had fallen into the water while bringing him food.

To Xiao Cheng’s surprise, Liu Yiyi disappeared the moment she hit the water; she did not even struggle.

She had fallen from a height of at least forty meters above the lake surface. Twenty-seven meters was generally the limit for a human dive. However, Liu Yiyi was a cultivator who had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, so her physical constitution was far superior to that of an ordinary person. Xiao Cheng concluded that she likely wouldn't have been killed by the impact, but was probably knocked unconscious.

Yet, this section of the lake was exactly where the demon python had vanished. Xiao Cheng was certain its lair must be nearby. Once he entered the water to save her, he would lose all his advantages, and his greatest reliance—the Earth Escape technique—would become useless.

It was all because his cultivation base was still too shallow. If he had reached the Refinement stage, he could have utilized the Feather-Light technique, a derivative of the Mountain-Crushing technique. This ability would make his body light enough to skim across the surface of the water like a dragonfly, making the rescue effortless.

But there are no "ifs" in life. Xiao Cheng was never one to hesitate; he knew that the longer he delayed, the worse things would become. Having decided to save her, he quickly stripped off his outer garment and dove into the water.

The spot where Liu Yiyi fell was not too far from the shore, about 150 meters. Xiao Cheng could cover that distance in a single breath. Having spent his previous life constantly fleeing for his life, his swimming skills were unquestionable, rivaling those of any champion.

However, halfway there, Xiao Cheng sensed something unusual. Then, the silhouette of the demon python appeared in his consciousness. Xiao Cheng’s brows knit together. Fear often attracts the very thing one dreads; he had hoped to rescue Liu Yiyi and reach the shore before the python noticed, but things rarely went as planned.

The python was clearly an amphibious beast; its speed in the water was far from slow—it was more than enough to outpace him.

Frowning, Xiao Cheng kept his spiritual sense locked on Liu Yiyi’s precise location and quickly closed the distance. He grabbed her by the waist; she was indeed unconscious, losing all sensation, and did not even show the normal reflex of a drowning victim while being held this way.

Xiao Cheng had no time to overthink. The python was now only thirty meters away—a distance the beast could close in an instant.

Since this part of the lake was close to Mount Shenfeng, the cliff wall was only fifty meters away. If he could reach it, he could use the Earth Escape technique to dive into the stone. Without a second’s hesitation, he swam toward the cliff while holding Liu Yiyi.

His speed was no match for the python’s, and carrying Liu Yiyi made him even slower. Even with his feet infused with True Energy, he could not outrun the pursuit.

Suddenly, a thought struck Xiao Cheng. He reached into a hidden pocket in his belt and felt for a Spirit-Nurturing Pill.

He kept three or four of these pills in his belt specifically for situations where his True Energy might run dry during a fight. This was the perfect moment to use one.

Undoubtedly, the Spirit-Nurturing Pill held a lethal attraction for both cultivators and demon beasts—far more enticing than human flesh.

Xiao Cheng turned his body and threw the pill to the left. Because of the water’s resistance, it only traveled thirty or forty meters, but that was enough. Just as he expected, the python reacted immediately. It seemed to hesitate for a split second before darting after the pill.

The demon python did not rely on its eyes in the water; it used its forked tongue to detect scents and was hypersensitive to spiritual energy.

Seeing the python chase the pill, Xiao Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. He still had three pills left in his pocket, enough to sustain his swim to the cliff.

After covering about twenty meters, he sensed the python approaching again. It had clearly consumed the pill and was returning.

Xiao Cheng repeated the tactic, throwing another pill. The python chased it again, but this time, the beast seemed to realize his intention and returned even faster. Xiao Cheng had only gained another dozen meters when the python caught up once more.

While keeping his spiritual sense on the python behind him, Xiao Cheng scanned the area ahead. Suddenly, he felt his spiritual sense snag on something, and then it seemed to leak into a mysterious void.

How could his spiritual sense "leak"? Greatly puzzled, he focused most of his power on that spot. A sweep revealed a hidden hole beneath the water line of the cliff face. Probing it with his consciousness, he found that the depth of the hole exceeded his reach.

The entrance was only about a meter in diameter—which perfectly matched his previous theory regarding the growth location of the Heavenly Origin Fruit.

Joy surged in his heart. It was true that misfortune often hides blessings. If he hadn't jumped into the water to save someone and been chased by the python, he would never have found such a hidden cavern.

Although the location of the fruit was only a guess, he trusted his intuition. Whether the fruit was actually inside, he would know once he entered.

Xiao Cheng slightly adjusted his trajectory, swimming hard toward the hidden entrance while clutching Liu Yiyi.

The python was now thirty meters away, and he was twenty meters from the hole. It looked like he had the advantage, but he knew that if he didn't throw another pill, the python would reach him before he could enter.

He reached for another Spirit-Nurturing Pill, but this time, to his surprise, the python acted as if it didn't "see" it. It showed no interest, putting all its effort into closing the gap.

Xiao Cheng’s brow twitched. The beast’s intelligence was high; it understood the principle of not losing a big prize for a small gain. It knew his goal was the cave and ignored the bait. This strange behavior only made Xiao Cheng more certain that the Heavenly Origin Fruit was inside.

The python’s high intelligence was the worst-case scenario for Xiao Cheng. He was getting closer—his spiritual sense judged the distance at ten meters. He could even see the weeds growing at the mouth of the cave, but the python was now only five meters away. He could even smell the blood-chilling stench of the beast through the water.

Xiao Cheng did not look back. He kept his sense locked on the python and swam with every ounce of his remaining strength toward the entrance.

Ten meters...
Nine meters...
...
Five meters...

At that very moment, the python reached him. It opened its massive jaws, nearly engulfing his entire body. One bite, and he would be swallowed whole.

As he swam at top speed, a breathtaking arc appeared at the corner of Xiao Cheng’s mouth. His expression turned stern, and he unleashed his full spiritual power.

Under the pressure of his quasi-Golden Core level spiritual sense, the python’s movements faltered for a heartbeat. Taking advantage of this pause, Xiao Cheng pushed off the python’s lower jaw with his feet and shot forward like a sharp arrow, diving into the hole.

Reaching the opening, he quickly drew his sword and slashed through the overhanging weeds, slipping inside.

It was an inverted cave. Xiao Cheng expanded his spiritual sense to look around and was stunned. This was not a natural cave, but a man-made dwelling, complete with a stone bed, tables, and chairs.

"This must be a retreat cave opened by some cultivator long ago!" Xiao Cheng muttered to himself as he surveyed the surroundings.