Chapter 111: Don’t Be Afraid, I Will Escort You

After a long while, Mushroom finally completed a thorough investigation of the cave dwelling.

“Big brother, except for the toxic remains on that skeleton, the rest of the cave seems fine,” Mushroom replied confidently.

But Su Jian corrected him, “No, you’ve overlooked the most important part.”

Mushroom forced a smile, suddenly realizing something. Tentatively, he asked, “Big brother, surely you’re not talking about the fissure above, are you?”

Su Jian nodded. “Looks like you’re not too dumb after all. But before that, go burn that skeleton.”

The skeleton inside the cave might harbor other dangers. It would be better to destroy it completely.

Mushroom was stunned, his face sour. “Big brother, that corpse is poisonous and can’t be moved. The toxic fumes from burning it would probably be deadly too... How about we just ignore it? I’ll go check out the fissure above for you.”

Although he knew the fissure above was likely full of danger, at least there was still a sliver of hope. Besides, having died twice already because of that skeleton, he feared being accused of courting death deliberately. He had to be cautious—losing his life here would leave him nowhere to cry.

Su Jian thought for a moment, then spent five hundred spirit energy points to unlock a gas mask. It was just a mundane item from his previous life, nothing rare, so it didn’t cost much spirit energy.

Then Su Jian handed the gas mask to Mushroom.

“This time, it should be fine, right?”

Mushroom’s eyes widened. “Big brother, you even have this thing?”

Su Jian casually replied, “An old immortal in my dream gave it to me yesterday. He said it might come in handy today.”

Mushroom was momentarily stunned—yet again that familiar excuse. “...Old immortal, you’re the best.”

After donning the gas mask, Mushroom gathered some firewood from the nearby forest and soon set the platform deep inside the cave ablaze.

Not daring to linger, Mushroom hurried outside the cave.

After a moment, Su Jian calculated that the skeleton should be mostly burned by now. He signaled for Mushroom to put on the gas mask and enter to investigate.

Even if the toxic fumes hadn’t completely dissipated, waiting a few more days should suffice.

“Big brother, something terrible has happened.”

Su Jian frowned and quickly put on his own gas mask before entering the cave.

The once dull and lifeless skeleton was now shining brilliantly, even its color had changed—not the usual dull white, but a dark gold.

Moreover, the skeleton bore no traces of filth.

Seeing this, Su Jian’s mind involuntarily thought of the term “golden body.” Could this person have been a monk in life?

“This skeleton is definitely a treasure for forging instruments... worth a fortune.”

Su Jian looked at Mushroom and instructed, “Touch it with your hand again.”

He felt the skeleton had been completely transformed—it no longer seemed to emit any toxic aura.

Mushroom was speechless.

In the end, under Su Jian’s intense gaze, Mushroom complied and took out the reward from the earlier quest.

“Big brother, help me hold this...”

Su Jian took it, then stepped back to the cave entrance and said aloud, “Go ahead and do it. This time, it will surely be returned to its rightful owner.”

Mushroom looked as if he were prepared to face death, but when his fingers actually touched the skeleton, nothing happened.

“It’s safe. Big brother, you can come over now,” Mushroom called out with joy.

Su Jian immediately stored the entire skeleton set into his storage ring. Perhaps it would be useful in the future. Even if not, forging it into a handy spiritual instrument should pose no problem. He could sell it for a good price.

“Big brother, everything’s settled now...” Mushroom asked cautiously.

His mind was filled with the thought of leaving this sorrowful place as soon as possible. Staying any longer, he feared how many more times he might die. This endless torment had pushed him to the brink of collapse.

“Think carefully again. Didn’t you forget the most important thing?” Su Jian’s gaze turned upwards.

Earlier, his attention had been focused on the skeleton; he hadn’t explored the fissure above much.

The fissure emitted not only light but also a strange aura Su Jian had never encountered before.

He took a deep breath. The aura was unlike spiritual energy—breathing it in felt refreshing to the very core of his being.

Yet it seemed to have no tangible use.

Within his purple talisman, it appeared as a mere passerby, lingering briefly before vanishing without a trace.

His intuition told him this aura was extraordinary.

Mushroom, not a fool, immediately caught on.

“That damn NPC must be really determined not to lose another life,” Mushroom forced a smile and said, “Big brother... How am I supposed to get up there? It’s dozens of feet high.”

Su Jian chuckled, “Don’t worry, I’ll send you up.”

With a wave of his hand, Mushroom suddenly soared upward, flying straight toward the fissure.

There was no need to remove the remaining pieces of his spiritual armor—perhaps they could save his life at a critical moment and help bring back more vital information.

Mushroom closed his eyes tightly. Just as his head passed through the fissure, a dizzy, heavy feeling washed over him before he completely lost consciousness.

[Player Mushroom has died. Use 1,000 spirit energy points to revive Player Mushroom?]

Su Jian: “......”

That was too fast.

Half of Mushroom’s body was still outside the fissure.

Perhaps the enemy’s strength was too weak—he hadn’t even fully activated the spiritual armor he wore.

Su Jian was not impulsive. The fissure clearly hid lethal dangers beyond his current cultivation level.

Perhaps there was something in Creation Mode that could neutralize the fissure’s threat.

But for now, he had no clue.

After reviving Mushroom, Su Jian waited patiently for his return.

Mushroom approached him, face full of lingering fear. “Big brother, you can’t go inside that fissure.”

Su Jian immediately asked, “What did you see beyond the fissure?”

Mushroom hesitated, then weakly replied, “How about... big brother, you let me go up again? I didn’t really pay attention the first time...”

“Speak plainly.” Su Jian instantly sensed that Mushroom was hiding something.

Mushroom quickly confessed, “Big brother, I was wrong. When I went up, I was so terrified that I closed my eyes without realizing it.”

Su Jian: “......”

Forget it. Even with eyes open, there probably wouldn’t have been much to discover.

The boy hadn’t survived even a single breath.

Autumn Moon Shining Bright