After Transmigrating Into The Body Of The Chief Disciple, The Villain Was Reborn. - Chapter 9

Lu Shi’an recalled the plot of the book to see if it mentioned how the original host and Ji Yu left the place. Unfortunately, the book only stated that the original host found the Wood Spirit, gave it to Ji Yu, and then left. It did not describe the departure process in detail, so it seemed he had to rely on himself to get out.

Just then, Yun Sheng shouted, “Junior Brother Lu, come quickly! There is a stone door here.”

Lu Shi’an walked over, feigning ignorance, and pushed against the stone door, but it did not budge. There were no clues in this cave area; to leave, they had to pass through this door. The question was how to open it without appearing suspicious.

“Senior Brother Lu, I know how to open this stone door!” Seeing that Lu Shi’an could not open it, Ji Yu immediately came forward to offer a solution.

“Oh? You know how to open it?” Lu Shi’an raised an eyebrow. Ji Yu had never been here before, so how could he know the method?

Seeing that Lu Shi’an was finally paying attention to him, Ji Yu said with full confidence, “Yes, I know. Strike the groove on the stone door three times on the left and four times on the right.”

Yun Sheng followed Ji Yu’s instructions, and the stone door opened as expected.

Watching Ji Yu, Lu Shi’an felt his earlier suspicion growing even stronger. If Ji Yu knew how to open the door, it was highly likely he had been reborn. After the stone door opened, the group entered to find a bare, empty chamber inside. Everyone felt a slight sense of disappointment, though being able to leave was a relief, let alone finding any treasures.

However, Ji Yu looked incredulous and muttered to himself, “Impossible, impossible. How can there be nothing here?” In his dreams, Lu Shi’an had found the Wood Spirit here and given it to him.

The others did not notice Ji Yu, but Lu Shi’an and Ning Yuzhao, who had been observing him since they entered the chamber, saw his odd behavior immediately. Ning Yuzhao secretly curled his lip. What “impossible”? Does he think he is the Chosen One? Does he really expect to find treasures here? He did not say anything, however, and simply gripped Lu Shi’an’s hand, staying tightly by his side. He had seen Ji Yu smiling at Lu Shi’an just now and was determined not to let him steal his senior brother away.

Lu Shi’an knew exactly what Ji Yu was talking about; the Wood Spirit was already in his possession, so naturally, Ji Yu would find nothing. He turned and instructed, “Everyone, examine the place carefully and see if there are any clues that can lead us out.”

Seeing the others searching earnestly for a way out, Ji Yu grew anxious. If they left now, he would lose his treasure. He hurried over to Lu Shi’an and said urgently, “Senior Brother Lu, take another careful look. What if there are treasures here? If we leave now, we will never get them.”

Lu Shi’an raised an eyebrow. “Why are you so certain there are treasures here? Aside from those stone walls, there is nothing.”

“Exactly! It is bare; how could there be treasures?”

“Enough, do not hold up Junior Brother Lu. Let us find clues quickly. If we get out early, we might find treasures outside instead.” The others spoke up one after another, seeing Ji Yu blocking Lu Shi’an from searching for clues. After all, they had to rely on Lu Shi’an to get out.

Seeing that no one had any interest in searching for treasures, Ji Yu became even more desperate. The Wood Spirit was not theirs, so they were not in a hurry, but that Wood Spirit was his ticket to distinction. How could he not be anxious? In his dream, Lu Shi’an had opened the door and seen the Wood Spirit right in the center. Why was there nothing here now that the door was open?

Ji Yu was bewildered. He had seen no Wood Spirit here either. Could it be because he didn’t come here alone with Lu Shi’an? Did the presence of so many people cause the Wood Spirit to hide?

Seeing Ji Yu silent and deep in thought, Lu Shi’an did not want to interact with him further and turned back to search for clues. Walking along the stone wall, he discovered some strange symbols and surmised that they might be the key to their departure. Just as he was studying these symbols, Ning Yuzhao leaned in.

“Senior Brother, after we get out, can we avoid traveling with them? I do not like that Ji Yu; he does not seem like a good person.” Ning Yuzhao shook Lu Shi’an’s sleeve, acting spoiled.

Lu Shi’an looked at him with amusement. “What? So worried your senior brother will be stolen away?”

Ning Yuzhao pouted, “It is all that Ji Yu. He keeps hovering around you. What if you fall for his tricks and decide to take him as your junior brother?”

“You! Rest assured, Senior Brother won’t fall for his tricks or take on new junior brothers recklessly. You will be my only junior brother—excluding any taken by the Master, of course.”

Ning Yuzhao finally felt relieved, but he remained wary of Ji Yu. Even though it was their first meeting, he felt a premonition that Ji Yu would steal his belongings.

After comforting Ning Yuzhao, Lu Shi’an continued to study the symbols. Ji Yu, seeing that no one was paying him any attention, quietly moved aside, trying to use his own methods to find the Wood Spirit. He recalled the scene from his dream and began groping around the empty chamber. Suddenly, as if discovering something, his gaze settled on a small hole in the floor.

Ji Yu felt a rush of excitement. He was certain he was right; the Wood Spirit must be hidden here. However, as he leaned down to inspect it, a powerful force sent him flying.

“Ah!” Ji Yu screamed as he fell heavily to the ground. The group heard the noise and turned to look. They saw Ji Yu crawling up in a disheveled state, his eyes filled with confusion and reluctance.

Lu Shi’an went over to check and discovered that the hole Ji Yu had been looking at was actually a mechanism. If triggered forcefully, it would likely have caused other dangers.

“Do not move blindly. There are traps everywhere here,” Lu Shi’an warned. “Let us look for other clues first.”

Ji Yu gritted his teeth, feeling utterly frustrated. He had thought he could find the Wood Spirit to prove his worth, only to have backfired. However, he had no choice but to obediently join the search for clues.

Lu Shi’an realized that the emptiness inside the stone door was not truly empty, but a clever formation. Using his lightning root affinity, he activated the hidden formation, and the stone door slowly opened, revealing a flight of stone stairs extending downward.

Seeing a path finally revealed, the crowd exclaimed, “Great! We have finally found the exit! Who would have thought there was a formation here? No wonder there was nothing earlier.”

“Everyone, stay safe. Be careful of danger beneath these stairs.” After giving these instructions, Lu Shi’an pulled Ning Yuzhao along and headed down.

Ning Yuzhao followed closely behind Lu Shi’an; after all, among everyone present, besides Ji Yu, he had the lowest cultivation level. Lu Shi’an and Ning Yuzhao cautiously descended the stone stairs and eventually discovered a hidden underground palace.