Chapter 1248: Water Crystal Well and Heavenly Demon

The ape-ghost pressed forcefully several times, but the stone door remained unyielding. It let out a couple of chitters.

Ling Guang translated, "The stone door is fused with the ground, as if rooted. Outside, there are signs it's been chiseled and pried."

He Lingchuan held up the glowing spores and examined the door closely. Sure enough, there were axe and knife marks around the stone frame, along with white impact marks, indicating someone had attempted to open it previously.

"This stone door was likely reinforced by a magical array."

The one-armed ghost urged them, "Quickly, quickly! The Ghost King's aura is fading." Any further delay, and it would lose the trail.

As they continued, the path surprisingly grew brighter. "We've reached the Well of Light!" exclaimed the one-armed ghost, its eyes fixed ahead. The path ended, opening into a vast space filled with brilliant light.

It was an enormous grotto, towering over thirty *zhang* high and spanning more than a hundred *zhang* in diameter. The space was so vast that a single shout produced a lingering echo. The grotto floor was covered with stalagmites, resembling countless small peaks, making it impossible to traverse off the narrow path cleared in the center.

Everyone's eyes were immediately drawn to the colossal crystal dominating the center of the grotto. It was perfectly translucent; more accurately, it was a crystal mountain, as it stood twenty *zhang* tall, surpassing the height of many small hills on the surface. From their vantage point, it appeared truly magnificent. What's more, this crystal mountain glowed, illuminating the entire grotto as bright as day. The light they had perceived earlier originated from it.

Dong Rui was fixated, his eyes unblinking, for something was contained within the crystal mountain! More precisely, over a dozen monsters were suspended within it. Most resembled humans, standing upright with hands and feet and hairless bodies. However, some had an extra eye on their forehead, while others possessed multiple tails. Despite these variations, their faces were not ugly, and their forms were surprisingly harmonious, unlike the grotesque corpse puppets under Ghost King Xuanlu.

They were all imposing figures, even the shortest standing at least a *zhang* tall.

Fu Liushan murmured, "Could these also be Sky...!"

"Sky Demons," He Lingchuan stated. Though he had only ever seen Sky Demon remains before, he had no trouble identifying these at first glance. The colossal remains encased in the crystal were, with ninety percent certainty, Sky Demons!

He asked Dong Rui, "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

Dong Rui understood the implication and shook his head emphatically, "Never so perfectly preserved!" He had once infiltrated a secret divine tomb and retrieved divine bones and blood from it, but the remains found there were nowhere near as complete as those within the crystal mountain.

No one knew how this crystal mountain had formed, but the Sky Demons encased within it appeared remarkably lifelike, like insects perfectly preserved in amber, forgotten by time. These Sky Demons had perished thousands of years ago.

Fu Liushan coughed. "Whoever did this has exceptionally peculiar tastes." To seal Sky Demons and display them as sculptures—whoever was responsible for this must possess truly distinctive abilities and aesthetics. He Lingchuan grew even more curious about the original owner of this dwelling.

After the three had satisfied their curiosity, the one-armed ghost pointed to the cave wall. "The Ghost King's aura leads that way," it said, "it may have escaped through the top." In the direction it indicated, a narrow path had been carved along the cave wall. Each step was a rectangular bluestone slab, with one end suspended and the other embedded directly into the rock.

Looking up again, they saw an opening on the sloping side of the grotto, roughly a *zhang* in diameter, yet it seemed insignificant in such a vast space.

"Does that opening lead out of the mountain?" they asked, following the one-armed ghost up the steps.

"Yes, this passage leads directly to the surface. That's the original entrance and exit of the underground palace!" it added. "This great crystal glows day and night, which is why this place is called the Well of Light."

The three ascended higher and higher, effectively circling the crystal mountain. At one point, the path drew so close that they could reach out and touch it. Up close, the crystal mountain appeared even more magnificent, and the Sky Demons sealed within were strikingly lifelike. Ling Guang, huddled on He Lingchuan's shoulder, couldn't shake the feeling that they might open their eyes and stare at any moment. Fortunately, that terrifying possibility never materialized.

Dong Rui, however, showed no such fear. He reached out to touch the crystal mountain, pressing it twice. "It's soft," he observed, "very elastic. It's not crystal." He Lingchuan also pressed it, confirming that the "crystal" was indeed quite springy, though the resistance increased the deeper he pushed.

"What is this substance?"

Even the well-traveled Dong Rui shook his head, admitting he didn't know. He then took out a dagger and attempted to cut it several times. It wouldn't yield. He prompted He Lingchuan, "Your turn?" He Lingchuan's blade was unique. He Lingchuan merely ignored him.

"Whatever this material is, it has preserved the Sky Demon remains perfectly," Dong Rui marveled. "Remarkable! This crystal mountain not only serves as a display, but also maintains the viability of experimental subjects."

Ling Guang suddenly pointed. "There's a hole!" They had ascended to a height of fifteen *zhang*, and from this vantage point, they could just make out a hole in the crystal mountain itself. A few more steps brought them directly in front of the opening. After a careful look, Dong Rui suddenly announced, "The hole was dug from inside the crystal mountain, working outward." In other words, something had dug its way out from within!

And what else could be inside the crystal mountain? Sky Demons! The thought was truly horrifying. Even though she knew this had occurred ages ago, Ling Guang felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively pressed closer to He Lingchuan's neck.

He Lingchuan gazed intently at the breached opening. "This hole is too small for a Sky Demon," he observed. Sky Demons averaged over a *zhang* in height, yet this hole was only large enough for a bear to crawl through.

Fu Liushan interjected, "Perhaps one of the Sky Demon's attendants?" Inside the crystal mountain, some other monsters didn't resemble Sky Demons.

"No," Dong Rui replied, his eyes unblinking. If not for the pressing time and their important task, he would have climbed right into that hole in the crystal mountain for a closer look. "This hole connects directly to a Sky Demon, specifically at its—" He shifted his position for a better view. "—its abdomen?"

Ling Guang murmured, "The creature that dug its way out, did it emerge from its belly?"

"Let's be even bolder," Dong Rui chuckled. "Perhaps the creature was originally inside the Sky Demon's belly and gnawed its way out!"

Ling Guang let out a yelp, her fur bristling all over.

"This way, quickly!" The one-armed ghost, already at the cave entrance, had to urge them on. These people were enjoying themselves too much; did they think this was a leisurely sightseeing trip?

The cave entrance was a beautifully carved, perfect crescent shape, clearly meticulously polished. Above the entrance, a full sun and a crescent moon were depicted. The pigment, whatever it was, shimmered faintly under the Well of Light's illumination.

He Lingchuan mused, "Are these two symbols a code?"

The Soul-Seizing Mirror in his possession affirmed, "Ancient immortals often embedded their names or titles on ceremonial gates."

A ceremonial gate? He Lingchuan's steps faltered slightly. A ceremonial gate is traditionally the second main entrance to a cave dwelling, an immortal sect, or a government office. This indicated they were truly very close to the main entrance of this dwelling.