Chapter 20: The Cave of Fallen Blossoms, A Bride Betrothed to a Phantom

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Chu Danqing did not rashly approach Dabao. Instead, he waited until Dabao had completely devoured the Cave Beast Priest before making a move.

By then, Dabao’s health had fully recovered, and he grabbed the treasure chest, moving toward Chu Danqing.

“Here, treasure chest.” Dabao handed over the excellent-grade chest and said, “Berserk... not easy.”

“Can’t control it.”

“Next time, run farther.”

Dabao didn’t mind Chu Danqing’s evasive actions; in fact, he thought Chu Danqing was right to do so.

In his berserk state, he was entirely governed by rage and savagery. This time, since the Cave Beast Priest was the target, it was fine.

But one must always fear the unexpected.

Chu Danqing felt a sinking feeling in his heart. If Dabao were kited below 30% health by ranged attacks, wouldn’t he turn into a team wipe engine right then and there?

“Alright, I understand,” he said, agreeing verbally but inwardly pondering how to resolve this.

He stored the excellent-grade treasure chest in his inventory, deciding not to open it immediately.

With the Cave Beast Priest and the Skeleton Monkey dead, the next step was to blow up the Falling Flower Cave.

As for the Cave Spirit, Chu Danqing had no intention of delving deep into the cave.

Time was short, so he planned to open the chest back at the Dimension Paradise.

“Let’s go. We need to get up the mountain quickly; time is tight,” Chu Danqing said.

Setting up the explosives wasn’t easy, and Dabao couldn’t be relied on for this task.

Doing it himself, an hour would be tight.

“Donkey, too slow,” Dabao said, as he untied the donkey’s restraints and drove it down the mountain himself, taking over pulling the cart.

No battle was expected ahead, so Chu Danqing didn’t worry about Dabao’s stamina.

With Dabao pulling, efficiency and speed far surpassed the donkey’s.

Before long, they reached Falling Flower Cave.

“So big? Looks like we’ll have to blow up the passage,” Chu Danqing said. He had planned to blow up the entrance, but upon seeing it was no smaller than a football field, he reconsidered.

Instead, the passageway narrowed continuously, wide enough for only two people to walk side by side.

The entire passage spiraled downward, like a mountain road winding through the terrain, eventually reaching the mountain base before disappearing into the earth’s veins.

Chu Danqing unloaded all the explosives from the cart and began affixing them to the walls of the passage using paste.

He didn’t neglect the ceiling either.

Though the height was out of his reach, Dabao simply lifted him up.

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Once the explosives were secured, he took out the fuse lines, connecting all the charges together.

This step was the most complicated and tedious. Chu Danqing needed to ensure all the explosives detonated simultaneously.

So he planned carefully, though lacking professional skill, the connections were somewhat haphazard.

As he neared completion, Dabao suddenly said, “The Black Hole is watching us.”

Chu Danqing froze momentarily, instinctively glancing toward the dark depths of Falling Flower Cave.

Dabao’s eight-point perception attribute combined with his wild instincts greatly enhanced his senses, granting him extraordinary intuition.

The chance of error was infinitesimal.

Chu Danqing swallowed hard. The Cave Spirit was watching him, which was certainly not a good sign.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the cave. Dabao immediately stood before Chu Danqing, covered in blood-fury energy, his claws gleaming with a crimson radiance.

He let out a savage roar into the cavern, warning the Cave Spirit.

The wind’s sound reached Chu Danqing’s ears but transformed into a seductive female voice.

“My love is true, my heart sincere; through lifetimes, I shall be with you…”

Restlessness stirred within Chu Danqing’s mind, and decisively, he slapped his own face.

The slap left a clear handprint on his cheek, which quickly swelled and reddened.

Yet it brought him clarity and banished the turmoil, sparing him from the Cave Spirit’s enchantment.

Deep within the Falling Flower Cave, a large crimson figure appeared at some unknown moment.

Her head was draped in a red bridal veil, her body clad in a red wedding gown, standing at the furthest point visible to Chu Danqing.

[Hidden Quest: Cave Spirit’s Daughter, Marry the Falling Flower Maiden, Complete the Wedding Ceremony]

[Quest Difficulty: ??? Level (???)]

[Quest Rewards: Hidden Profession ×1, Profession Bloodline ×1, Permanent Summon: Falling Flower Maiden, Paradise Points ×100,000, Attribute Points +25]

[Quest Failure: None]

[Accept? Yes/No]

(Note: Accepting the hidden quest prevents returning from the trial until completion; after completing the hidden quest, you may return.)

At that moment, the Dimension Paradise’s task panel appeared.

“Accept my foot!” Chu Danqing clicked ‘No’ without hesitation and lit the fuse. “Run!”

Without a word, Dabao turned, grabbed Chu Danqing, and fled.

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The trial’s difficulty was marked with question marks, the rewards immense enough to inflate Chu Danqing’s confidence, and failure bore no consequences.

This was no simple trap falling from the sky.

The fuse ignited, flames rapidly traveling along it, detonating most of the explosives in an instant.

Chu Danqing’s work was incomplete; a small portion of the explosives remained unlinked.

However, what was detonated was sufficient—the explosion’s force was tremendous, causing the entire cave to collapse.

Amid the roar, Chu Danqing heard a piercing cry—at first, it sounded feminine, but upon closer listening, it resembled the roar of some wild beast.

As the thunderous noise gradually subsided, the commotion did not cease.

Falling Flower Cave had completely collapsed, but from the soil seeped a black, oil-like substance, writhing slowly.

Chu Danqing witnessed this and suspected this creature to be the Falling Flower Maiden.

Glancing at the return timer, only three minutes remained.

“Can we kill it?” Chu Danqing asked Dabao.

Dabao shook his head decisively. “Not human. She’d eat me. Not a match.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Keep running!” Chu Danqing turned and grabbed a handful of Dabao’s fur.

Dabao reacted swiftly and dashed down the mountain at full speed.

Meanwhile, the black oil seeped fully from the ground, not forming into a female shape but spreading like sludge across the earth.

Countless eyes appeared on its surface—not growing from it but seeming soaked within, shifting as it moved.

The sludge-like oil adapted to the environment, moving faster and locking onto Chu Danqing, rapidly gaining ground.

Dabao carried Chu Danqing away while he observed.

“They’re catching up. Half a minute left to return!” Chu Danqing shouted.

Without hesitation, Dabao used all his strength to hurl Chu Danqing forward, then turned to confront the sludge.

“You, run!” Dabao shouted after throwing him.

He understood his agility was inferior; better to stand and fight than be caught.

Half a minute—he could hold out!