Chapter 231: Underground Cave

The two of them landed silently in the center of the valley, unwilling to leave the coverage of the Xiao Mi Yun Flag treasure, so they searched together for the so-called "entrance."

"Sister, can you finally tell us what we're supposed to retrieve?" Wang Yu asked, his eyes gleaming as faint yellow spiritual patterns flickered deep within his pupils—his senses had entered overdrive, and the Observation of Qi Art had been activated.

Though he himself didn't know if this technique would help, it was the only secret art available to him right now.

"You didn't ask about this all the way here—I thought you weren't going to," Ximen Mei said with a light laugh, suddenly producing a white token of unknown material from her sleeve, from which streams of misty white light shot out and sank into the surrounding ground.

"Oh, please, Sister, guide me." Wang Yu asked, deeply intrigued.

His cultivation goal was certainly not merely Foundation Establishment, but the terrifying six- to seven-hundred-year lifespan of the Golden Core realm.

"In the inheritance my ancestor received, it was recorded that Jialan Shiren left several items within this secret realm for future worthy seekers. Though the inheritance described them vaguely—barely a few sentences—it mentioned that here, once, a natural Earth-Origin Spiritual Spring had been discovered, and several Blood-Origin Mushrooms planted." Ximen Mei spoke slowly.

"Blood-Origin Mushrooms? I've never heard of such a thing," Wang Yu said, shaking his head.

"It's normal you haven't heard of them. These Blood-Origin Mushrooms require impossibly strict growing conditions, and only after a thousand years do they become truly useful. Outside, at least in Great Ming Province, they've long been extinct. And a thousand-year Blood-Origin Mushroom has only one use: as the primary ingredient in a third-rank longevity elixir." Ximen Mei finally revealed the true value of the item.

"Third-rank Longevity Pill"

At this, Wang Yu's heart leapt.

"Correct. It's said that a Golden Core elder who consumes one of these Nine-Element Life-Prolonging Pills can extend their life by about sixty years. But anyone below Golden Core who takes it will explode and die. Even Golden Core elders can take it only once."

"Of course, before being processed by a third-rank alchemist, a thousand-year Blood-Origin Mushroom is a deadly poison—consuming it directly is suicide," Ximen Mei added casually.

"So that's it. Sixty years of lifespan. No wonder even your ancestor couldn't sit still—he had to send you into the secret realm at all costs," Wang Yu sighed.

"Yes. Though my ancestor is still relatively young for a Golden Core, with at least two hundred years left, any chance to obtain a third-rank longevity pill must be seized without hesitation."

"But in a way, Brother, you're quite lucky. If we bring out this thousand-year Blood-Origin Mushroom, my ancestor will be overjoyed—and might truly take you on as a nominal disciple. At any other time, you'd have zero chance—you're merely a Qi Refining cultivator, and still unsure if you'll even succeed at Foundation Establishment," Ximen Mei said with a light laugh.

"Sister speaks wisely. We must obtain this Blood-Origin Mushroom at all costs."

"But since Jialan Shiren mentioned the Earth-Origin Spring, it's likely located where moisture is heaviest," Wang Yu nodded, then added thoughtfully.

"You've reminded me—but if the Earth-Origin Spring lies deep underground, how can we tell which spot is moister?" Ximen Mei immediately understood, but then frowned in difficulty.

"Using Earth-Dividing Technique? This valley isn't large, but it's not small either—we couldn't possibly dig through the entire underground in a short time."

"If Sister has no method, let me try," Wang Yu smiled.

"Go ahead, Brother—though we haven't found any demonic cultivators yet, we can't linger here too long," Ximen Mei said without hesitation.

"Sister, wait a moment."

Wang Yu nodded, avoiding her gaze, his eyes flashing with light several times, his nose instinctively sniffing the air, then he began walking.

Ximen Mei naturally followed.

Under overdrive mode, Wang Yu's senses far surpassed those of an ordinary person by countless times. Relying solely on the scent of moisture in the air and the subtle tactile sensations imperceptible to normal skin, he walked several circles before heading decisively in one fixed direction.

Though Ximen Mei didn't interfere, her expression grew increasingly astonished.

Soon, Wang Yu led Ximen Mei to a seemingly ordinary large tree in the valley. After circling it several times, he said firmly to her:

"It's here. This is the spot with the heaviest moisture in the entire valley."

Ximen Mei frowned, sniffed twice deeply, studied the unremarkable tree, then waved her token toward its base.

A beam of white light shot from the token, vanished instantly, and sank into the tree's roots.

The next moment, the token began to hum softly.

Though quiet, the sound was clear enough for both to hear distinctly.

"Indeed, there's a hollow beneath."

Ximen Mei beamed, tucked away the token, formed a hand seal, murmured incantations, flicked her sleeve—and a semi-transparent wind blade shot out, slicing the tree cleanly at its base.

With a loud crash, the tree fell, revealing a dark, gaping hole in the ground.

"Found it."

Ximen Mei smiled broadly, then pulled a fist-sized orb from her robe, tossed it to the ground—and under Wang Yu's astonished gaze, it began to crackle and reshape into a half-foot-long mechanical dragonfly.

The automaton was lifelike; had it not emitted a faint yellow glow, Wang Yu would have mistaken it for a mutated demonic insect.

Then Ximen Mei pulled out a yellow bracelet from her robe, slipped it onto her wrist, and pointed at the mechanical dragonfly.

Instantly, its wings flapped, its body rose slowly, circled once in midair, then darted ahead into the black hole.

"Let's go. If there's danger, this thing will warn us," Ximen Mei said with a smile, stepping inside.

Wang Yu stood silent for a long while.

This mechanical automaton was hardly different from a drone from Blue Star.

And it could change shape, shrink, and be carried on the person.

Combined with the giant mechanical mechs he'd seen before, he now harbored doubts about whether Blue Star's high technology or this world's mechanical arts were superior.

If the two worlds truly merged and went to war…

Giant mechanical automatons facing equally massive mech warriors, swarms of mechanical constructs and flying magical artifacts confronting Blue Star's drone armies and high-tech weapons…

The image made Wang Yu shudder. He forcibly suppressed the thought and stepped into the underground hole.

(Wang Yu has been unwell these past two days—feverish—so only one chapter for now. Hope he recovers tomorrow.)