The Science of Cultivation
Chapter 294: Retreat or Press Forth

Li Lang took several deep breaths before he recovered from the surprise. When he did, he immediately withdrew his spear from his space ring and was on high alert.

Stay focused. Don’t let the sight of a few brutally mauled bodies unnerve you.

As cutthroat as the cultivation world was, he thankfully hadn’t been exposed to too many scenes of carnage. The lack of experience dulled his judgement in these moments, but seeing scenes like this wasn’t something he would like to get used to.

With his nerves under control, Li Lang proceeded to cautiously investigate the situation at hand. He had been expecting to find the disciples of the Radiant Wing Sect taking on the challenges left behind by the expert who built this place. Instead, he found four dead bodies that were too mutilated to identify.

There were several stone statues broken into pieces nearby, with small portions still standing toward the side of the passageway. In fact, the plinth where the statues once stood was still fully intact. There were a few words engraved on it, explaining how this was the crypt of someone named Kan Wuji, along with a brief biography.

It was enough information for the sect to conclude that Kan Wuji left a sizable inheritance and his life’s work, which was his research into defensive Qi arts, behind. He hoped someone would continue his legacy of creating the perfect self-defense technique in hopes of creating a more peaceful world, or so it wrote.

Li Lang believed a majority of it to be platitudes, as few orthodox cultivators ever really valued such noble causes. Still, it didn’t change the attractiveness of this inheritance, but unfortunately, whoever or whatever caused the murders did.

There was a very big possibility that the threat was still running amok, so he was hesitant to move forward. It was only because the area seemed so quiet that he took that chance to scour for as much information as he could from where he stood.

Once he saw everything to be seen, he didn’t even bother retrieving the remains or any identifying items before retreating back the way he came.

The waterfall was right behind him, though he couldn’t hear it due to whatever barrier the place was enveloped in. Either way, he knew it wasn’t the time to bother with these details, and he proceeded to pass through to the other side—or so he thought.

Just as he was about to exit, a harsh reality struck him. His hand met some form of resistance, blocking his way out.

No, this can’t be. A trap? Who would bother?

He swiftly ran his hand all over the invisible barrier to find it completely blocking every inch of the exit. It was a smooth surface that wouldn’t budge, no matter how much pressure he exerted on it. Not even a full power strike with everything he had did anything.

Think rationally, Li Lang. There’s no point in wasting your strength. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If this barrier could be broken so easily in the first place, I’m sure the more combat-oriented members of the Radiant Wing Sect would’ve reported back before I came.

Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind as he desperately searched for the best thing to do when trapped in some old tomb with dangers lurking about.

He wanted to stay put and ride out the tide. Surely, the people outside would notice something amiss sooner or later. However, that also left him particularly vulnerable. With the blocked off exit against his back, if whoever or whatever was responsible for the murders were to return, he would be trapped in a corner with no way out.

With that option ruled out, he had to consider his other remaining options.

Venturing appeared to be the more risky choice at first, and it truly was for the short term, but those risks would quickly lessen once he went further into the greater part of the crypt.

Stolen novel; please report.

There was a network of tunnels in the tomb that stalled the exploration progress of the Radiant Wing Sect disciples. Otherwise, they would’ve explored everything already, even with the challenges and obstacles the creator left behind.

With a critical analysis of his options, it soon became clear to Li Lang that the safest option was to continue forward. Despite the logic backing it up, it ran contrary to what his instincts—what his fears were telling him to do.

He fully realized his combat capabilities were lacking, and his life-saving measures with the talismans would only give him a few minutes when in an entrapped space. Every cell in his body was telling him to put as much distance between himself and the threat as possible. Despite knowing it was just his body’s autonomic nervous system and an acute stress response, knowledge of it didn’t mean you had total control over it.

He fretted over it for a long moment before taking several deep, slow breaths and letting out a weary sigh.

I should stay behind in my lab more, rather than take these risks for some small gains. Maybe once I can put this ordeal with the Abductress behind, that’ll just be what I do.

Anyway, now that my parasympathetic nervous system is activated, it’s now or never.

Feeling his heart rate slow down, Li Lang steeled himself and began deeper into the rocky tunnels. The aftermath of a massacre remained undisturbed, but this time, he would be heading into the mess up close and personal.

He rushed forward as the sooner he lost himself in the tunnels, the safer he would be. The path ahead soon split into twos, then threes. His rapid advance into the tomb didn’t last long, though. He soon found himself inside a spacious room with wooden flooring instead of the cold bedrock.

This change of scenery had happened suddenly, without any warning. Before he knew it, he was at the center of the dojo-like room. The entire place was empty save for a sign hung on the back of the wall.

“Defend yourself, defend others,” Li Lang read under his breath.

A split second after he uttered those words, the wall under the sign deformed. A section of it bulged out before emerging. Four wooden puppets quickly found their footing as they turned to the lone intruder.

Wait? Puppets? Is it the Abductress, after all?

Li Lang didn’t get to muse over the matter as four figures blurred as they charged at him. They didn’t have any weapons, but they were definitely a threat. Anything that moved at a speed a Foundation Establishment cultivator could barely follow posed a danger that couldn’t be underestimated.

The newly appointed headmaster of the Star Gem Academy dove away in time as the four puppets swung their wooden limbs through his afterimage. The onslaught didn’t pause for a split second, as Li Lang dove again and again. The only reason he could even do so with such rapid succession was thanks to the Earthbound Steps technique he practiced. No matter how erratic the movement he made, he never lost balance.

However, there was no question that Li Lang was in a dire position. The only form of combat that was brought to the Foundation Establishment level was his poisons that targeted the DNA. It was the wrong tool for the job in this situation, as the wooden puppets would surely shrug it off.

Thankfully, he still had tools in his arsenal that could be effective despite their neglect.

The next time Li Lang dove out of the way, he threw several thick needles out in the process. The rods of metal nimbly flew through the air as if they were alive, forcing the puppets back.

It wasn’t the needles themselves or the Gossamer Knife Dance technique that they were afraid of, it was instead the eye-catching bluish silver flames!

The Primordial Star Fire had many unique properties that it was known for, but there were even more functions it shared with many other heavenly flames. One of them was how its strength scaled with the user’s cultivation and their understanding of the fire element.

At first glance, it was easy to conclude that fire countered the wood element, but that wasn’t the case under the relationships between the five elements. In this chain of thought, the wood element supported the fire element, but it was the metal element that countered wood.

However, quantity mattered. If the wood element fed the fire, the latter would only get stronger as time passed. The effects weren’t that exaggerated when the intent wasn’t there, but it still existed.

That’s why one of the wooden puppets panicked when a needle punctured its torso. The blue fire flared up in an instant, setting the area around the wound on fire. It only grew more rapidly as more needles landed, fanning the flames.

Before the four puppets could adjust, they were soon all engulfed in flames. They continued their desperate pursuit of Li Lang, but the heat inevitably took a toll on their mobility.

While slightly winded, Li Lang gleefully watched his inanimate foes burn. He was hoping it would mean he had cleared the room, giving him a place to stay while he waited for reinforcements. Contrary to his expectation, what he got instead was a second wave with double the numbers.

Hearing the wooden clacking grow louder, he couldn’t help but shake his head.