Chapter 112: A Great Treasure in the Dark Swamp

Zhang Nuo had been holding the upgraded Mysterious Heaven Gold-Devouring Insect in his hand, and after a long while, he still had no intention of putting it away. The spirit insect kept rubbing against his hand, looking quite adorable!

"Strange! Why didn't the spirit insect produce any crystals this time?"

After another moment, Zhang Nuo muttered to himself in suspicion.

"So you were waiting for this! Put it away! I'm afraid it won't be producing any crystals this time!"

Inside the Sword Box, Chunyangzi's voice slowly sounded after a light chuckle.

"Why?"

Zhang Nuo asked, puzzled.

"I don't know the specific reason either. It might be because the metal-attribute essence required for the spirit insect's advancement was too much; after supplying it for the advancement, the remaining metal-attribute essence wasn't enough for it to produce spirit stones!"

Chunyangzi explained vaguely, but to Zhang Nuo, it sounded somewhat reasonable. One cannot have both fish and bear's paw; since the spirit insect had already advanced, it would be greedy to expect too much!

After playing with the spirit insect for a while longer, Zhang Nuo put it into the Spirit Beast Bag. However, the little fellow looked extremely unhappy as it entered the bag; presumably, it did not want to stay inside.

Seeing this, Zhang Nuo's heart stirred, and he said to the spirit insect:

"You should still go in! It's for your own good!"

The spirit insect merely twisted its head before crawling into the Spirit Beast Bag with extreme reluctance. Placing the Spirit Beast Bag back into his robes, Zhang Nuo wanted to return to the cave immediately.

"Kid Zhang, there is one more thing I need to tell you!"

Seeing Zhang Nuo about to summon his Flying Sword, Chunyangzi suddenly spoke up to interrupt him.

"What else does Senior have to say?"

Withdrawing his Flying Sword, Zhang Nuo looked back at the Nine Dragon Sword Case on his back in surprise and doubt.

"Are you really not interested at all in the great treasure inside the Dark Swamp?"

As if trying to whet Zhang Nuo's appetite, Chunyangzi said deliberately and mysteriously.

"Of course I'm interested, but I know nothing about the great treasure. Although the two-headed snake is dead, that girl Zhuge Qing has refused to tell me where the treasure actually is!"

Whenever Zhuge Qing was mentioned, Zhang Nuo felt a headache. This girl was too shrewd; during the time he lived with her in the cave, Zhang Nuo would deeply ponder every single sentence the young girl said, fearing there was a trap hidden within.

"You stupid kid! Just look at the strength of the two-headed snake and you'll know that the great treasure in the Dark Swamp definitely isn't an ordinary object. Would she easily reveal anything to you?"

Laughing and scolding Zhang Nuo, Chunyangzi said with annoyance.

"Then what should I do?"

Zhang Nuo was also in a bind. Trying to pry information out of Zhuge Qing's mouth was basically impossible. The young girl's shrewdness far exceeded her age. Even a cultivator who had lived for a hundred years might not necessarily gain the upper hand if they tried to compete in wits with her!

"What to do? Go find it yourself! It's not too far from here to the Dark Swamp; with your escape speed, you can arrive in half a day!"

"But Senior, the poisonous gas inside the Dark Swamp is extremely fierce. If I stay inside for three consecutive days, I will surely perish!"

Zhang Nuo had not completely failed to consider the method Chunyangzi mentioned, but even without the threat of the two-headed snake, the Dark Swamp itself was a dangerous place.

"Danger and opportunity coexist. If it were something easily obtained, could it still be considered a treasure? How do you know it won't work if you don't try?"

This time, Chunyangzi did not show any mercy, scolding Zhang Nuo relentlessly until the latter felt ashamed, only then did he soften his tone.

In truth, Zhang Nuo was not a cowardly person, but after the great battle with the two-headed snake, he discovered that his cultivation was simply not worth mentioning in front of the snake. If not for Zhuge Qing's 'Small Six Paths Sumeru Array', he wouldn't have lasted even a few moves against the two-headed snake.

It was precisely because he saw his own strength clearly that he was unwilling to perish there in vain. However, Chunyangzi's mention of the great treasure in the Dark Swamp did make him feel a bit restless.

Who is afraid of having too many treasures? Zhang Nuo was the same; if he had a few more treasures in his hands, he would have more confidence when facing enemies!

"Today won't work. I'll find an opportunity to go another day. Zhuge Qing is too shrewd; if I act unusually, it will arouse her suspicion!"

Zhang Nuo pondered for a moment before saying in a deep voice.

"En! You've made progress, kid! It seems you didn't spend time with that girl in vain; you've learned a thing or two!"

This time, Chunyangzi completely agreed with Zhang Nuo's view and praised him greatly.

A streak of light rose from the deep mountains as Zhang Nuo piloted his Flying Sword toward the cave. Along the way, he kept pondering how he could trick Zhuge Qing into revealing something about the great treasure in the Dark Swamp.

However, after thinking for a long time, Zhang Nuo always felt it wouldn't work. The young girl was craftier than a monkey, and his little tricks were useless in front of her.

Thinking as he flew, Zhang Nuo soon approached the cave. Suddenly, a wave of Spirit Power was sensed by his Divine Sense. This wave of Spirit Power was not small; it appeared to be at the strength of the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage.

Hurriedly landing on the ground, Zhang Nuo carefully ran toward the cave. When he was still over ten zhang away from the cave entrance, he saw two people standing there, a man and a woman, and the corpse of a man on the ground!

"Zhuge Qing! I didn't expect you to have such a day! To think you've become a turtle hiding its head! Do you think you'll be fine just by hiding in the cave?"

A woman in purple, who looked to be in her thirties, stood in front of the cave entrance, cursing loudly. It seemed the man who died on the ground had been killed by Zhuge Qing.

"Senior Sister Ding, why bother wasting words with her? Let the two of us join forces to destroy this cave and see where she can hide!"

The white-robed man standing beside the woman in purple also said with a fierce look. Looking at the man, he was only in his early twenties, yet his cultivation had already reached the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

Zhang Nuo took a deep breath, suppressed his aura, and quietly approached the cave. Inside the cave, Zhuge Qing remained silent; no matter how the others cursed, she simply would not come out. The man and woman at the entrance, having learned from the previous lesson, dared not rush in easily.

With a soft "hum," a crescent-shaped Magic Treasure suddenly flew out from inside the cave, startling the woman in purple and the white-robed man and forcing them back a great distance! This Magic Treasure was the Moonlight Wheel, but it only forced the two back without launching a further attack, and after circling once, it flew back into the cave.

"Moonlight Wheel! Senior Sister, I wasn't mistaken this time; the person in the cave is definitely Zhuge Qing!"

After the young white-robed man shouted, he said with great joy on his face.

"It seems we've caught a big fish this time! That vixen Zhuge Qing is too cunning. It's a pity Nangong Senior Brother isn't here, otherwise..."

The woman in purple stopped halfway through her sentence, a bright light suddenly flashing in her eyes! With a cold, sinister laugh, she took out a red Talisman from her Storage Bag!

Upon seeing this, the white-robed cultivator immediately understood her intention, and a sinister smile appeared on his face. After the woman in purple whispered a few words to the red Talisman in her hand and infused it with Spirit Power, the red Talisman turned into a ball of fire and shot high into the sky.

Seeing this, Zhang Nuo secretly thought "bad" and reached for the Storage Bag at his waist!