Chapter 125: An Unusual Anomaly

This snake spirit is very large, and this cave is wider than the previous ones, but as soon as the snake spirit appeared, it seemed that the cave was very narrow.

The previous sentence, “It’s over here,” was a communication with our minds.

Unlike the cautious wolf spirit in the previous cave, this big guy chose to directly devour the Taoist boy as soon as he came out.

But just like last time, the big snake was not allowed to get close to us, and was suppressed by the familiar domineering power, instantly revealing a look of fear.

“You chose correctly again this time.” The voice appeared again, but it sounded a little annoyed. It seemed to be saying, “How can you choose correctly again? It’s not fun, not at all!”

“I have nothing, I just have a bit of luck.” The Taoist priest directly attributed the cause of the matter to luck. When I saw the snake demon appear so dramatically, I thought we had made the wrong choice, but when this power appeared, I realized that our choice was not wrong.

“You’re lucky,” the voice seemed to be convinced by the Taoist’s luck, which made me feel even more of its “childishness,” like a child who was convinced by seeing the surface of things, but the same question once again came to my mind. What kind of child could have such terrifying power?

Although I don’t have a very specific understanding of this underground cave, I have received a vague message from the Taoist monk that this underground cave is covered with exquisite patterns. It can be said that the entire underground cave is an impenetrable great formation. Under such a formation, it can still transmit its own power between caves, and the power can also absolutely suppress the various evil spirits that exist in these caves. This is why I keep saying that this power is terrifying.

But such power coupled with such a mind is like a child who is fully armed in front of you, with every weapon feeling like a big killing weapon, which is actually even more terrifying.

Compared to my thoughts, the Taoist monk didn’t care at all. He just pointed his finger at his nose and said calmly, “Don’t always show up at the critical moment, okay? If you’re a little late next time, I’ll accidentally die, and it won’t look like you’re keeping your word. Do you want that?”

“Because I don’t know if you’re making the right choice, I have to see the situation!” The voice sounded a little anxious. Since I thought it sounded like a child, I felt more and more that it was a child, including the tone of the moment, which felt like a child arguing anxiously.

The Taoist monk didn’t care about this at all, and just said, “Well, I hope you’ll be prepared in advance next time. If you give me a heads-up in advance, even if I choose the wrong one, what impact will it have on you? It’s just a matter of words. But if you break your promise, how can I be comfortable?”

The Taoist monk seemed to have seen through the true nature of the voice’s owner even earlier than I had, and spoke in a tone that was like an adult trying to coax a child. After a moment of hesitation, the voice actually agreed directly.

Before leaving, it did something that left me and Daotongzi dumbfounded. It turned its power into a hammer again, and slammed the giant snake hard, then roared, “What are you doing growing so big? You don’t have a body, you’re just a demon spirit! Shrink down.”

The giant snake seemed very aggrieved, but after being “hammered” by the power of the voice, it obediently turned into a little snake in front of me and Daotongzi…it was probably about 3.40 cm long.

What kind of evil taste is this? But the owner of that voice definitely couldn’t explain it to me and Daotongzi, and just silently retreated.

The snake, which had been forced to become small, looked at Daotongzi with a look of grievance and shame, as if it were a young wife who had been forced to do something. It raised its head and left… What was that about?

Seeing such a human side of the demon spirit, I felt very ridiculous. Besides, it wasn’t me or Daotongzi who bullied it… I wanted to say a few words to it, but Daotongzi didn’t feel anything at all. He didn’t even look at the little snake again, and walked straight towards the exit of the cave.

I believe that everything has an end. Spiritual awareness, as a kind of ethereal and intangible feeling, has not yet been concretely transformed into power, strictly speaking.

My consciousness became more and more blurred, like in the winter when the snow was flying, I stayed in a room with a lot of heat, and I was about to fall asleep, completely, deeply asleep… but I was awakened again and again by Daotongzi.

The purpose of his awakening me was to ask me to choose the gate with him, but in fact, before that, I did not feel that he had reached any limit.

Moreover, it was my consciousness that was sleeping, not my spiritual awareness. As the membrane became thinner and thinner, more and more of Tao Tongzi’s power was pouring into my body, and the reason he woke me up was that he didn’t want me to fall asleep completely.

Perhaps this is the affection that the Taoist monk has for me. After all, from a certain point of view, I am the same as him, even though we are completely different.

I have forgotten how many caves we have passed through, and in those caves there are normal demon spirits, as well as strange demon spirits that I recognize but cannot remember what they are… And the gates have changed from four to sixteen.

As Daotongzi said, our luck has been good. We have barely stopped in these caves, and we have kept moving forward. In the first two caves, we even came out before we could see clearly what kind of demon spirits were in the caves.

But this really wasn’t luck. Of all of us, I’m afraid only Tao Tongzi and I knew that we were close to our limit… It turns out that when the spiritual senses are used to the extreme, it makes the whole soul feel weak, and the brain feels like it’s about to explode at any moment.

The dust rose gently, and Daotongzi stood in front of the 16 gates. Here, the complex patterns on the gates were no longer hidden… It was dizzying to look at. Here, the seemingly mysterious gates could not contain the breath of existence within.

I can’t tell who is who, but just standing here… I can feel the great, powerful aura… the kind of terrifying, shocking, unstoppable power. I’m thinking, if it weren’t for the trick, I or Daotongzi would have long since died in one of the caves.

Because there were several caves before, although those that existed did not attack us, but the aura that did not deliberately restrain the body was terrifying, and I don’t think the current Tao Tongzi is an opponent.

However, we have finally arrived here… I felt a faint sense of pride in my heart. Daotongzi gently wiped his nose with his sleeve, and there was a bright red bloodstain on the cuff… and his nose was still itchy, obviously still bleeding.

“I’ve overused my spiritual senses. Unfortunately, we have the most choices to make. Chen Chengyi… if you choose the wrong one, are you afraid?” The Taoist’s voice was the same as before, without much emotion, but this was the first time he had ever spoken to me like this.

It wasn’t an exchange of ideas, but rather a conversation like talking to myself, directly to me.

Unfortunately, I have now lost control of my body. I can’t speak, so I can only convey my thoughts: “If you choose the wrong one, it’s fate. It’s meant to be, so what’s there to be afraid of? I just know that I have to keep going.”

“Haha, well… I didn’t think you had anything good to offer… You, you have a very unique view of the Dao. Compared to my single-minded pursuit, it seems more natural and spontaneous. And sometimes, have I already strayed into the path of paranoia?” The Taoist boy’s voice gradually grew quieter.

This was the first time he had spoken with such an indescribable emotional tone, and I was unable to answer him… Because in just one lifetime, I had already split into two different paths, two completely different people. Some things cannot be changed with a single answer or a single persuasion.

And, even now, it cannot be changed.

Today, I have come to realize how profound the saying of my master, “If you don’t pick it up, you can’t put it down,” is. Simply put, you can’t shape something without experiencing it.

In two lifetimes, he has been a hermit in the mountains, while I have been running around, experiencing emotional trials and tribulations again and again… I vaguely feel that this is the last door, as if the end is approaching. If we can’t get out, we will perish together. If we can get out, Chen Chengyi will still be able to exist for three more days.

“I didn’t think you would really make it here… I was right to wait here.” A voice came from above the cave, sounding like the contact person.

Because we didn’t stop at all, he never showed up. I didn’t expect him to wait here.

“You are extreme, otherwise you would not have believed that I could walk out. Or is it a kind of humor to wait here until the last exit?” The Taoist monk’s style of speaking has always been sharp. He also didn’t bother to care about the nosebleeds, letting them slide and drip on his white shirt like a winter plum blossom.

“Where is the humor? It’s just a gamble. Are you the destined one? Do you still need food? No, I’m leaving. Next time, you’ll see me at the exit.” The contact’s tone was relaxed, as if he had already decided something.

“No need, you can go.” The Taoist boy’s voice was faint, and then he looked at the sixteen gates.

The upper part of the room was quiet again. At this point, the Taoist boy said in a low voice, “Chen Chengyi, let’s choose together again. I don’t know why, but the unease I sensed before is now very clear. Do you want to feel it?”

I didn’t want to feel it because it would affect my confidence. I was already feeling a bit shaky, but the Taoist boy wouldn’t let me refuse. The next moment, a wave of anxiety surrounded me.

Because I had to feel it, the pressure from him also relaxed a little, but at that moment, I felt a strange feeling! An extremely unusual feeling!