As soon as Shawn Young entered the cave, he realized that what looked like an ordinary mountain cave from the outside was actually something else entirely inside. First off, the cave was much larger than it appeared from the outside, and seemed to connect with other caves nearby, forming a tangled web like a spider's nest. It was deep and bottomless, and contrary to his expectations, it wasn't dark at all. The stone walls glowed with a dim red light, and when Shawn reached out to touch the wall, his hand picked up some crimson dust. He leaned in for a closer look, then brought it to his nose to sniff.
"Hmm—this is Redfire Ore!" Shawn instantly recognized the red substance on the cave wall. Redfire Ore is a rare mineral, rumored to be formed from the saliva of the Vermilion Bird dripping onto the mountains. It's considered the most potent yang element in the world. Because of its properties, Redfire Ore is prized by Taoist sects across China as the perfect material for drawing talismans and spell scripts.
The strangest thing was, Shawn caught a whiff of that weird smell again—it wasn't coming from the Redfire Ore, but from somewhere deeper in the cave. "Swish—swish—swish—" Strange noises echoed from the depths, mixed with the sound of something heavy scraping over rocks, as if something was being dragged into the farthest reaches of the cave.
Shawn sensed something odd and didn't dare let his guard down. He quickly raised his P5 submachine gun, summoned a stream of true energy to shield himself, and cautiously followed the noises deeper into the cave.
Soon, at a bend in the cave ahead, Shawn was confronted by a dense patch of bizarre plants—each only about ten centimeters tall, creeping along the ground, with paired leaves and many branches. The leaves were oval-shaped, dark brown, serrated at the edges, and heart-shaped at the base. Their surfaces were wrinkled and covered in bristly hairs, and they bore strange six-petaled blue flowers.
This whole patch of odd plants covered the cave floor, but what Shawn saw was a mess of broken branches and scattered leaves. A clear drag mark ran across the ground, and it was obvious that something had just barreled through, smashing the plants aside. That weird smell was coming from the juices released by the crushed leaves.
Shawn couldn't help but wrinkle his nose, frowning at the strange plants. Suddenly, a memory from the Codex of Ascension flashed through his mind—these were Shadowwort!
"Shadowwort!"—An ancient, poisonous plant recorded since antiquity. It doesn't need sunlight or rain, only growing in unusual subterranean veins, absorbing the natural yin energy within. Its sap is highly toxic, making it one of the softest and purest yin substances in existence!
This kind of plant only appears in extremely rare Twin Pits—unique geological formations in karst landscapes, usually small at the entrance and vast inside, with their own peculiar scenery. In feng shui, Twin Pits are called 'vein apertures,' the breathing organs of the earth's veins, regulating the flow of yin and yang. They're key spots for balancing the attributes of subterranean energy.
"Uh—Redfire Ore, Shadowwort, Twin Pit—crap! This is the Realm of Boundless Yin and Yang!" Shawn's mind flashed to a passage from the Codex of Ascension, describing one of the 'Three Great Cursed Lands'—the Realm of Boundless Yin and Yang!
The Realm of Boundless Yin and Yang—according to the Codex of Ascension, it's a bizarre place: 'Pure yang on the outside, pure yin within, the earth's veins breathe in and out, neither yin nor yang, boundaries blurred.'
This cave had all three: the pure yang Redfire Ore, the pure yin Shadowwort, and the ambiguous Twin Pit. Together they created a feng shui pattern described as 'cold gathers, spirits thrive, the five elements can't enter, immortals and demons can't be distinguished.' Such a place is special—it isn't bound by the rules of yin, yang, or the five elements. Usually, these areas are sealed off, and inside, you might find powerful and bizarre creatures that don't care about good or evil. If a person enters, their fate is unpredictable! That's why, in feng shui, the Realm of Boundless Yin and Yang is called one of the Three Great Cursed Lands!
"Since I'm already here, it doesn't matter if Black Eye is alive or dead—I have to find him!" Shawn made up his mind to brave this weird and dangerous Realm of Boundless Yin and Yang!
With his decision made, Shawn headed straight for the depths of the cave. Soon, all the side tunnels disappeared, leaving only a winding passage leading to the unknown heart of the cave. The strange noises echoed from that single path.
The passage wasn't dark at all—in fact, the deeper Shawn went, the brighter it got, as if lights were flickering inside. He took care not to touch the poisonous Shadowwort, carefully making his way toward the brightest spot deep within the cave.
Suddenly, a weird sound echoed through the tunnel—like heavy breathing, mixed with a sick person's wheezing cough, and the slow, deliberate movement of something scraping along. The low, unsettling noises made Shawn tense up, a wave of psychological pressure washing over him!
Next, the ground trembled and a sound came from around the bend ahead, reaching Shawn's ears. Instinctively, he sensed that some unknown creature was lurking, watching, waiting for him to walk right in—an aura of extreme danger!
Shawn's pupils narrowed. He thought for a moment, then bent down and picked up a palm-sized hard stone from the ground. With a strong toss, he hurled it toward the bend ahead, the stone arcing through the air.
"Whoosh—crack!"
Suddenly, a long, strange black shadow whipped past like lightning—the stone was smashed to bits by a powerful force, scattering fragments all over the ground!