Alibuda Chronicles Part 1: Volume 6, Chapter 7

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Chapter Seven,

the conversation with Phoenix in the Feathered Clan's Secret Cave, ended in an extremely unpleasant manner. I didn't understand what she meant by her last words. Although it sounded like she was mocking me, why would a demon do something so pointless?

Was it possible... there was some hidden meaning in her words?

I couldn't guess, and I didn't know which direction to take.

After returning to my tent, I remembered the secret cave Katrina had mentioned and immediately decided to go and investigate, to see if I could get anything useful. There was no reason for the Feathered Clan to seal away things they didn't need.

Yu Hong was easy to handle; I could just keep her locked up in the box. There was no need to worry about her escaping. I waited until nightfall before quietly leaving and heading to the secret cave.

The secret cave wasn't far from the bear-man camp, only two or three miles away. However, Youli was filled with primeval forests, with gnarled trees and ancient vines. Some cave entrances were slightly hidden; without prior knowledge, one could walk past the entrance ten or eight times without finding it. This was why the orcs firmly believed that the two thousand escaped winged female warriors were still hiding nearby, roaming the mountains and plains day and night.

But when I reached the valley and used the Hundred Ghost Pill to carve a path through the withered vines, I understood why Katrina was so reluctant to speak of this place.

It was a vast, abandoned orc graveyard. Hundreds of undulating mounds were overgrown with weeds and vines, rotten wood scattered haphazardly in the ground, and some damaged graves still revealed the white bones of orcs. Reflected in the cold moonlight, a chilling wind blew, making one's hair stand on end.

The Feathered Clan's sealed secret cave is actually located in a graveyard, a rather shameful matter, no wonder Katrina finds it hard to talk about, and probably few members of the Feathered Clan know about it either.

"Huh? Here... Damn it!"

Instead of leisurely admiring the scenery, I quickly surveyed the entire graveyard and frantically searched for the cave entrance as if racing against time.

Although I've mastered the Beast King Fist to the fourth level, in my self-perception, I still consider myself more of a mage than a warrior. After all, being a warrior means head-on combat, and for someone like me who has never had much of a sense of honor, it's always easier to launch a sneak attack from a distance than to be beaten to death head-on.

Perhaps I'm just a third-rate, mediocre mage, but having memorized the Book of Lewd Spells and the Blood Nightmare Manual, I possess magical knowledge far exceeding my current level, which prevents me from standing in the underworld like an idiot without realizing it.

This cemetery had been abandoned for many years, and all signs indicated that it hadn't been visited for a long time. Yet, in this vast valley, I heard not a single bird's song or insect chirp, as if it were a completely different world from the outside. But I did see a swarm of poisonous insects crawling among the corpses in the abandoned graves… This was enough to explain everything; this valley had become a den of the dead, a place the living should avoid. The dead vary in strength depending on their species and state in life, but they are usually very troublesome. Even the most skilled monks would not want to confront the dead and zombies in a cemetery where yin energy could be continuously replenished. After all, it's easy to help one or two dead spirits pass away, but when a large group of intangible dead spirits scream in, with a large number of zombies assisting, fighting against overwhelming odds is a sure way to hasten one's death.

"Here! Found it…"

Under the two birch trees that Katrina pointed out, I found the so-called entrance. It was an empty tomb. After digging, there was a thick stone slab. There was nothing particularly special on it, but the faint magical fluctuations it emitted indicated that a defensive barrier had been set up.

"That damned woman, framed me?"

It couldn't be that, because even Katrina herself probably didn't know this secret cave would be like this. But I couldn't help blaming her, because the constant rumbling of the earth behind me, and the rapidly dropping temperature, told me that time was running out.

Helpless, I took out the Hundred Demon Pill, relying on the sharpness of the divine weapon and amplifying my strength with the Vajra Ape Arm, and forcefully slashed at the thick stone slab, hoping to break the curse by sheer force. Otherwise, I would have to turn back and fight a life-or-death battle.

Given the importance the Feathered Clan placed on this secret cave, this should be an extremely powerful sealing barrier, not easily broken. My initial estimate was that at least level seven, or even level eight, of power would be needed to break the entrance in a short time.

However, perhaps the spell's power weakened after the caster's death, and after so many years, the barrier was no longer effective. After I slashed the sealed tombstone more than ten times with the Hyakkimaru, a dazzling red light appeared, and a staircase leading into the bottomless depths appeared before me.

Without hesitation, I rushed down, and as my figure disappeared into the protective range of the red light, the frantic shrieks of the undead echoed behind me…

Relieved that I had escaped unscathed, I took out a light source and descended the staircase in the dark.

Entering a treasure cave to search for treasure seems to be an essential experience for all kinds of young heroes going on adventures these days. Those with good luck might even have it often. In fact, the tomb raiding industry has always held a place on the rich lists of various countries.

Of course, becoming rich by digging up ancient tombs is definitely not something you can do by simply buying a few shovels and pickaxes from a blacksmith's shop, kicking down a tombstone, and digging with the iron tools. Top-tier tomb raiders are the most outstanding barrier-breaking experts on Earth, skilled at detecting the location of tombs within various protective barriers and breaking through layers of restrictions and mechanisms to obtain the treasures within.

The work doesn't end after obtaining the treasure; on the contrary, the most difficult part is just beginning. Many tombs, in addition to protective barriers, also poison or curse the burial treasures, causing tomb raiders to painstakingly enter the tomb's center only to find themselves trapped and buried alive.

This is most common in the tombs of high-ranking mages or royalty. Therefore, tomb raiders, besides being skilled at breaking barriers, must also be proficient in various mechanisms and construction techniques, as well as methods of detoxification and breaking curses, to return victorious from the tomb and boast to the living.

Given the specialized skills required, monks who practice holy magic should ideally be best suited for tomb raiding, as casting barriers, breaking curses, and curing poisons are their bread and butter. Unfortunately, monks have divine protection, and disturbing the peace of the dead would severely damage their own spiritual cultivation. Therefore, it was the wizards who practiced dark magic who ultimately excelled in this field.

Living in cemeteries year-round, surrounded by corpses, both moving and motionless, finding the target tomb was not difficult for these wizards. Their frequent dealings with the undead also gave them a degree of immunity to poisons and curses, allowing them to thrive in the tomb raiding industry. Most of the top tomb raiders I've heard of are renowned wizards, and some are even prominent necromancers.

However, these guys have a peculiar habit: after entering a tomb, they often disregard the valuable burial goods, but instead remove all the corpses, using dark magic to train them into obedient corpse slaves or undead warriors.

The tinderbox I held emitted a faint light in the darkness, barely illuminating the space two feet ahead. I didn't know what I would see at the end of the stairs, but I sincerely hoped it wouldn't be a pile of corpses. I had no interest in plundering gold and silver from the dead, much less want those creatures to rise up and thank me.

After about fifteen minutes, I reached the bottom of the stairs, followed by another winding passage. Judging by the location and distance, I thought I had arrived directly below the cemetery.

Then, the scenery suddenly opened up before me: a vast and expansive crystal cave, radiating magnificent colorful light in the darkness. Hundreds of crystal pillars, as tall as a person, were ablaze with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet light, like a rainbow of fairyland brilliance, blooming and disappearing within the cave, everything so beautiful it seemed unreal.

Bewitched by this beauty, I remained there for a while, until I saw my reflection in front of one of the crystal pillars, and only then did I come to my senses.

Looking up, all I saw was a dark, solid mass of rock, not crystal. If this wasn't a crystal mine, where did this pile of flawless crystals come from, transforming this place into such a fairyland?

If it wasn't naturally formed, it must have been man-made, and I quickly found evidence to support this idea.

On each stalagmite-shaped crystal pillar, there were eight or nine objects of varying sizes inserted within. Some were the size of a fist, others the size of a head, and their shapes differed greatly—round or square, some jet black, some snow-white, and some covered in mottled patterns, shimmering under the iridescent light of the crystal.

But there was one thing these objects had in common: they were covered in red characters I couldn't understand. However, I could deduce that they were runes of beast magic. These objects were various beast eggs; by performing a beast magic ritual and forming a contract with the beast inside, one could control and command them.

Regardless of the type of magic, there are some common physical principles. Transparent crystals like crystal have the ability to absorb and store surrounding free energy. Placing beast demon eggs within them, connecting them to the earth's energy veins, can prevent the eggs from withering and dying.

There are two ways to create beast demons. Beast demons created by slaughtering living beings and using their corpses, while possessing strong ferocity, are far inferior to beast demons hatched from eggs in terms of overall ability and potential for growth.

These hundreds of crystal pillars, if each contains ten beast demon eggs, suggest that the entire cave contains thousands of unformed beast demons. In other words, this crystal cave storing beast demon eggs is a true treasure of the Feathered Clan.

Whichever beast race obtains this secret cave will surely disrupt the balance of power in the Southern Barbarians. If it falls into the hands of the Snake Clan…

In the eastern direction, I discovered a dozen or so beast demon eggs faintly shrouded in black smoke. I recalled Katrina saying that these might be evil beasts sealed away by the Phoenix Saintess, perhaps even human-faced birds.

Perhaps I'm being paranoid, but I simply don't believe it's a mere coincidence that the Feathered Clan located this beast demon vault beneath the graveyard. These evil beast eggs still possess life; besides absorbing the earth's essence, they're likely also nourished by the corpse energy from the graveyard above.

Beasts originally born of darkness, nurtured by the earth's fire and corpse energy, would transform into incredibly powerful evil creatures. Legend says the Phoenix Celestial Maiden can command twelve different beast demons—are they all truly so righteous?

I'm just curious why Katrina didn't open this cave. Otherwise, the Feathered Clan would essentially possess a powerful arsenal, potentially reversing the outcome of this battle.

It wasn't until later that I learned that Katrina, who became the clan leader several years ago, learned the secret of this cave from a dying elder. She had come once, entered this beast demon egg vault, and obtained the Firebird Beast Demon she currently uses. However, at that time, apart from her, the cultivation of the rest of the Feather Clan was insufficient. Forcing a contract would only result in being drained of their life force and becoming a dried-up corpse. Obtaining the beast demon eggs would be useless, and if the news leaked, they would become the target of other beast clans. Therefore, she withdrew.

Later, Lou Cheng drifted around Youli and had no opportunity to come to this vicinity. Until recently, Katrina estimated that there were many capable people among her clans who could withstand the burden of the beast demon host, so she moved Lou Cheng's location here, intending to open the vault. However, she was surrounded by a large beastman army shortly after arriving and had no chance to enter this secret cave.

Although these beast demon eggs are precious, they are completely useless to me, who is not a beastman. I can only sigh helplessly.

"Huh? What's that..."

In the center of hundreds of crystal pillars, there was a largest crystal cylinder. Instead of any beast eggs attached to its exterior, something seemed to be sealed inside.

Curious, I approached to take a closer look. There were several magical artifacts—staffs, gold rings, and other magical items—sealed within the crystal pillar, shimmering with a seven-colored rainbow light. Around these artifacts, besides a few small porcelain bottles, was a blackwood box.

These items were certainly more useful to me than beast eggs, but being sealed inside the crystal pillar, I didn't know how to get them out. After a moment's thought, I decided to use the old method—to use the Hundred Ghost Pill to break it open.

However, when I casually touched the crystal pillar, preparing to use my divine weapon to break it open and retrieve the items, my hand felt as if it had touched a pool of icy water. A strange suction force pulled me involuntarily into the crystal pillar.

(Oh no! I've fallen into a trap!)

That was the only thought in my mind. If I were sucked in and fixed in place, I might be sealed inside the crystal pillar forever, becoming a living corpse that would never decay. In a moment of panic, while the suction was still strong and the crystal hadn't yet solidified, I desperately rushed forward, hoping to escape from the other side.

Not wanting to suffer any loss, I swung my right hand as I rushed forward, hoping to grab something with me. My hand suddenly felt heavy, and my body felt light. I stumbled and nearly fell flat on my face, but I escaped the crystal pillar by the skin of my teeth.

"What... what's going on?"

Although I was free from the crystal pillar, the scene before me was nothing like the secret cave; it was a completely different place.

Looking back, there was no crystal pillar at all. Instead, there was a tall, clear crystal mirror wall, shimmering with rainbow light in the darkness, reflecting my figure clearly. But I couldn't find the magical artifacts I had just seen inside.

"What's going on?"

I muttered to myself. I had a rough idea of what was happening. This was most likely some kind of spatial teleportation facility, using two crystals as teleportation arrays to allow people to cross space. However, this was probably something left over from the Phoenix Island era. With the current level of magic among the Feathered Clan, I seriously doubted they could create such a difficult magic array that even the Kingdom of Alibuda couldn't complete.

If I went through this crystal wall, would I return to the underground cave I was in? I didn't know, and I dared not try again. Not only was it uncertain whether I would succeed, but even if I did, the cave was now surrounded by undead. Going out would only mean being devoured by zombies—it was a dead end either way. It was better to find a way out this way.

I looked at my hand; I was holding a small wooden box... These were the spoils of my near-death experience. I only regretted not being faster enough to grab more items.

The box wasn't locked, but it was sealed by some kind of spell, making it impossible to open immediately. Nevertheless, I was overjoyed. This wooden box was not only placed in the Feather Clan's secret cave, but it was also specially protected with crystal stones. Given the prosperity of Phoenix Island at that time, the fact that this wooden box received such attention meant that it must contain top-tier treasures. Just imagining it made my palms burn.

I tucked the wooden box into my robes, took out a tinderbox, lit it, and began exploring this unknown new environment by walking along the wall. After a few moments, I actually found a mutton-fat lamp on the wall. Clearly, this was a man-made structure, not a natural cave. I immediately lit the lamp.

"What kind of place is this?"

Although it was a man-made structure, it had no windows or doors, and the ground was covered with thick piles of dry grass. On each pile of grass was a snow-white egg, totaling about forty or fifty. They looked similar to the beast demon eggs we had just seen, but were much larger. Each egg was about the size of a baby, and there were no red runes on the eggshells.

"How strange..."

If it were a beast slayer who creates beast demons, they would probably be overjoyed with these beast demon eggs, right? But I have no interest. This little wooden box in my arms alone should be enough to make my trip worthwhile. Right now, I feel like a child who has grabbed a handful of candy and just wants to find a secluded place to enjoy it.

Walking along the wall, I soon found a staircase leading upwards. Only then did I realize that I might be in a basement.

This thought was indeed correct. The higher I went, the stronger this feeling became, because the staircase and the basement were extremely well hidden, and it seemed that there were many protective mechanisms set up to prevent intrusion from the outside. However, since I was directly teleported inside and walked from the inside out, I did not encounter any obstacles.

As the stairs neared their end, I spotted a hidden door, connected by fuses. Upon closer inspection, I discovered a large quantity of gunpowder buried there. A single detonation would be enough to destroy the entire staircase and the chamber below. Terrified, I quickly extinguished the fuse to avoid being blown to bits.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind, and I nearly cried out in alarm: I knew my location.

Teleportation devices, without human intervention, couldn't transport people very far. This place was definitely no more than a hundred miles from that secret cave, and how many man-made structures were within that distance?

Only one… I was now beneath the city of Skeva.

This was the place Katrina had entrusted to me when she was captured; it was most likely this very place. As the serpent clan slowly excavates this far, unaware of the correct way to open the door, they will inevitably trigger the explosives, blasting these clueless fools into the air and destroying the underground chamber in the process, scattering everything and preventing the enemy from obtaining the beast egg below.

Actually, Katrina was overthinking it. She entrusted me to enter the secret passage after hearing the explosion and seeing the red smoke, and to destroy everything inside. But judging from the amount of explosives, the underground chamber was already destroyed upon detonation, so why would I need to clean it up again?

I just don't understand what kind of beast egg it is that makes Katrina so nervous? When she entrusted me with this task, she even considered it more important than rescuing her.

"Sigh, they have no conscience, just randomly throwing in explosives without thinking about the people trapped inside!"

Because of these explosives, I had to carefully avoid several fuses to open the secret door according to Katrina's instructions. Fortunately, the secret door wasn't blocked by any stones; I gently pushed it open and quickly escaped.

Skeva City is now occupied by the Serpent Clan, making it no less dangerous than the Valley of the Dead. I steeled myself and pushed open the door, prepared for a bloodbath.

However, it was clear the Serpent Clan hadn't cleared this area yet. The explosion caused by Ah Xue on the day the city fell damaged many buildings and left the ground a scene of devastation, making the cleanup even more difficult. The Serpent Clan refused to let other clans join the work, and even after so many days, the cleanup progress was still poor, which was why this underground chamber hadn't been discovered.

Of the five towers that make up Skeva City, the white tower I was currently in was the main structure. The Great Sun Mirror was originally located at the top of the white tower, but now I wondered where it was.

Thinking of Ah Xue, who disappeared in that explosion, my emotions sank. After all, we had spent a long time together and developed feelings for each other. Lately, I often thought of Ah Xue, wondering how she was doing. Would she be so unlucky as to perish in that explosion?

Compared to Ah Xue, I cared nothing for Violet. This dragon-leopard, which should have been extinct long ago, was still alive—a terrible mistake by fate. If it hadn't escaped the explosion, I'd only feel sorry for its fur.

Compared to the bustling scene within the city walls, the current state was desolate, like ruins. The White Tower itself wasn't badly damaged in the explosion, and the overall structure was largely intact. However, if the Serpent Clan's promise was true, there shouldn't be a single Feather Clan member left in the entire Skeva City. The

moment I stepped out of the hidden door, I considered detonating the gunpowder to destroy all the beast eggs below, but ultimately decided against it.

Recalling the heavy expression on Katrina's face when she entrusted me with this task, these beast eggs were probably more important than I imagined. I shouldn't take that worst-case scenario until the very last moment. After all, once destroyed, it would be too late to regret it. Besides, the explosion would attract the Serpent Clan, making my escape even more difficult.

I had only intended to scout out the Feather Clan's secret cave, never expecting to find myself in such a predicament. My equipment was insufficient, and if the Serpent Clan discovered me, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The only saving grace was that my Beast King's Fist energy was still abundant, and the stone hat on my head was intact. I wondered how effective it would be against the Serpent Clan; if I could escape unscathed without a fight, that would be the best outcome. Just as

I was pondering how to escape, a long, mournful scream suddenly made me stop and look up.

I heard it clearly—a woman's lament. But at this moment, the only women in the Skeva Song Tower should be Serpent Clan. Why would they suffer such misfortune on their own territory? Could it be… that

the three great beast clans had always suspected the Serpent Clan of harboring female captives and not handing them over completely, demanding entry into the city?

Although both sides understood this was merely a pretext, if there were evidence, the whole situation would be completely different. The three great beast clans, accusing the other of breach of trust, could decisively take strong measures.

Instigating conflict between the two sides was the only thing I could do. For this beautiful prospect, I risked everything and moved towards the source of the screams.

I wasn't familiar with the structure of the white building, and I dared not run loudly, so my movement was slow. The corridor floor was covered with layers of shiny white slime, like it had been waxed, and the pungent, fishy smell was nauseating—proof that a large number of snakes had repeatedly traversed this area.

"Ah... umm... so good, so good..."

Obstructed by these slippery things, my speed slowed even further. I listened intently along the way, but I didn't hear any more screams. Instead, I heard satisfied moans and groans from the ecstasy of intercourse. The sounds definitely indicated that there was more than one person. My heart pounded, and I wondered if a scene of orgy would unfold ahead.

After walking a few more steps, I saw light ahead. Just as I was about to go over, I discovered five giant pythons, their tongues flicking and their bodies coiled, blocking the passageway. To pass, I had to get past them.

I initially wanted to retreat, but then I noticed that the five giant pythons, though their eyes were clearly in my direction, seemed oblivious to everything, completely unaware of my presence. The stone hat had proven incredibly effective; my courage surged, and I concealed my aura, moving forward step by step, afraid to make a sound.

Each time I passed a python, I felt a deep fear. These pythons, though incapable of thought or magic, were each as thick as a human thigh and over ten feet long. If they were to coil around me, the destructive power would be no less than a strike from a martial arts master.

Fortunately, although each time I passed, they seemed to sense something, their tongues flicking faster, but ultimately they would curl back up empty-handed, allowing me to pass safely.

After passing the five giant snakes, the lights ahead suddenly blazed on, revealing me to be in the central main hall on the first floor of the White Building. Just as I had suspected, a carnal feast was unfolding inside.

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Alibuda Chronicles Part 1: Volume 6, Chapter 7

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