On the path to immortality, I can see destiny.

Chapter 76 Exploring the Way

Before my eyes, light and shadow danced wildly, and the distorted sense of space had not yet completely subsided when an old, musty smell, a mixture of dusty medicinal herbs and decaying wood, rushed towards me.

Zhao Fan staggered, the force of Sun Yao pulling him into the cave still lingering. The sudden movement caused a tearing pain in his rib wound, making him groan and cold sweat instantly bead up on his forehead.

He barely managed to steady himself, and instead of looking around, he suddenly looked up at Sun Yao beside him.

Sun Yao had already released her grip on his hand and was slowly scanning the space they had struggled so hard to enter.

Her soaked pale blue gauze dress clung to her exquisite curves, and under the pale white light of the cave, it revealed a breathtaking yet aloof and cold beauty.

Water droplets trickled down her long, dark hair and smooth calves, leaving dark marks on the dusty ground.

Her profile remained calm, but her clear, autumn-water-like eyes were now slightly narrowed, sharp as knives, carefully scrutinizing what lay ahead, as if assessing potential threats and value.

Zhao Fan followed her gaze, and his heart skipped a beat.

This is not the spacious fairy cave one might imagine; it is more like the entrance to a passageway leading deep into the mountainside.

They were standing in a stone hall that was about three zhang square. The walls of the hall were smooth and obviously carved by man, with some simple cloud patterns that had long since faded and become blurred.

The pale white, cool light came from several fist-sized luminous pearls embedded in the dome and the side walls.

In front of the stone hall were three passageways leading in an unknown direction.

The entrances to the passages are all uniform in shape and have no markings.

Each passageway was deep and silent, exuding the same antiquated and slightly chilly atmosphere.

Even more unsettling is that on the ground in front of the three entrances, there are several twisted and intricate patterns outlined with some kind of dark red pigment.

These patterns intertwine, vaguely forming a fragmented array pattern that covers the entrances to the three passages.

At the center of the pattern, there are several obvious charred and damaged marks, suggesting that it had experienced a violent spiritual impact.

"A variant of the Three Talents Bewildering Array, it has the effect of trapping enemies and bewildering minds. Judging from the extent of the damage, it must be very old, with most of its spiritual power lost, but the remaining parts are still troublesome."

Sun Yao's cool voice broke the silence. She did not turn around, but continued to stare at the formation, her tone indifferent.

"Of these three seemingly identical passages, only one is probably a relatively safe way to survive. The other two are unlikely to be so simple."

As she spoke, she finally turned her head and looked at Zhao Fan's pale and weak face.

She paused, her slender fingertips unconsciously rubbing the storage bag at her waist.

"We cannot linger here; delay could lead to unforeseen circumstances. We cannot afford to wait idly here."

Zhao Fan's heart sank; he could almost guess what Sun Yao was going to say next.

Sure enough, Sun Yao parted her rosy lips slightly, uttering words that were clear and cold.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, I'll trouble you to scout ahead. There are three paths; you may choose one to proceed first."

"Don't worry, this formation is damaged and its power is less than one-tenth. In your current state, as long as you don't trigger the core killing intent, your life should be safe."

Anger and frustration surged to Zhao Fan's head, making his vision go black for a moment.

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, bringing a sharp pain, barely suppressing the angry rebuke that was about to escape his lips.

The wound under his ribs, the depleted spiritual energy, the broken magical artifact, and the unknown strength of the woman before him.

She can save herself, and she can kill herself, without the slightest hesitation.

Zhao Fan's chest heaved violently a few times, aggravating his wound and causing him to gasp in pain.

He slowly lowered his head, avoiding Sun Yao's calm gaze, and used all his strength to make his voice sound less trembling.

"If Miss Sun gives the order, I, Zhao, will obey."

Sun Yao seemed unsurprised by his reaction, turning her gaze to the array on the ground and the passage ahead.

She even stepped slightly to the side, indicating that Zhao Fan could come forward.

Zhao Fan stood there, his body ice-cold. He slowly raised his eyes and looked again at the three seemingly identical passages.

Choosing the right path doesn't guarantee survival, but choosing the wrong one guarantees death.

Zhao Fan shook his head, forcing himself to calm down.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and silently began to circulate the Heavenly Origin Technique. The remaining ethereal spiritual energy in his dantian flowed slowly, bringing more stinging pain to his meridians than a sense of power.

Just then, that familiar airflow appeared before his eyes again.

Most of these streams of air originated from Sun Yao. After tumbling a few times in the air, they drifted towards the right-hand passage.

Based on previous experience, the road on the right must be the way out.

However, Zhao Fan was now caught in a dilemma.

Sun Yao was right behind them, her spiritual awareness perhaps subtly enveloping the area.

The secret of the ring is his greatest asset at present, and also his only trump card for a possible comeback in the future. He must not lose it!

Countless thoughts flashed through Zhao Fan's mind. Finally, Zhao Fan made up his mind and decided to take a gamble.

He slowly opened his eyes, a hint of despair on his face.

He glanced at the three passageways, his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and spoke in a slightly trembling voice.

"Miss Sun, I choose the one on the left."

After stating his choice, Zhao Fan could feel Sun Yao's gaze lingering on him for a moment.

"Please do as you please, fellow Daoist."

Without further hesitation, he dragged his heavy, unsteady steps toward the entrance to the passage on the left, where the malevolent energy surged.

Cold sweat soaked through his tattered clothes, mixed with bloodstains, cold and sticky.

Just as his toes were about to step into the dark red remnant array in front of the left passage entrance, Sun Yao's voice rang out from behind him.

"Go to the right."

Sun Yao remained standing in the same spot, her gaze shifting from the array patterns on the ground to calmly looking at him.

"I've deduced it. The left side is stagnant with death energy and hidden killing power, which should be a deadly situation. The middle is chaotic and unclear, easy to enter but difficult to exit. Only the right side is a line with weak energy, but it has the intention of flowing, which is the gate of life."

"I let you choose just now to test your intuition and fortune, but it seems you're having bad luck."

Her explanation was reasonable, as if it really was just a quick array simulation.

"Thank you for your guidance, Miss Sun."

Zhao Fan lowered his head and thanked him in a dry voice.

"In that case, please set off on your journey, fellow Daoist."

After Sun Yao finished speaking, she still did not make any move, but simply gestured for Zhao Fan to go first.

Zhao Fan nodded silently, took a step forward, carefully avoiding the dark red, broken array patterns on the ground, and headed towards the entrance of the passage on the right.

The cold light of the luminous pearl cast a long shadow behind him, disappearing into the darkness of the passage.

Sun Yao stood quietly in place, watching Zhao Fan's staggering yet submissive figure gradually disappear into the darkness of the passage on the right.

Only after his figure had completely disappeared and his footsteps had become so faint as to be almost inaudible did she furrow her delicate brows almost imperceptibly.

"Is it an illusion?"

She didn't linger for long. After a brief moment of rest, she took her steps and followed silently, her figure quickly disappearing into the darkness of the right-hand passage.

Inside the passage, it was even darker than at the entrance, with only a few scattered lights in the distance barely outlining the rough rock walls.

The air was cold and damp, carrying a stronger smell of dust and rocks.

Despite the excruciating pain and weakness, Zhao Fan tried to walk as quietly as possible, listening intently for any unusual movement ahead. At the same time, he kept a close eye on the airflow to prevent any danger.

However, just as he walked about ten feet and passed a seemingly ordinary corner with a slightly concave rock wall, a strange change occurred!