Chapter 556 - 457: Breaking the Seal
The wind howled fiercely in the valley, sweeping up layers of snow and forming white tornadoes, resembling demonic creatures with bared fangs and claws.
Yuan Hong pointed at the raging snowstorm in the distance and shouted:
"Fellow Daoist Pei, Fellow Daoist Liuu, once we pass through this wind zone, we’ll reach the entrance to the ruins."
Pei Xiu’s eyes were distant as he sighed repeatedly.
"If not for the guidance of you two fellow Daoists, who would have thought that there would be ruins deep within Snow Dragon Ridge!"
A few days ago, the other party approached him, telling him about the ruins and showing him previous findings, which piqued his strong interest.
After some negotiation, the other party agreed to his request, allowing his Dao Companion to join in too, and they would take a quarter of the loot.
If fierce battles ensued, that share might increase, up to a maximum of thirty percent.
Yuan Hong grinned and said, "It was a coincidence; Fellow Daoist Zhang and I chased a Moon Fox and stumbled upon the secret within."
It was a Fox Demon with a pure Demon Core, making it a very high-quality material for medicine, comparable to spirit medicine aged a thousand years, capable of refining pills for consumption at the Chao Origin Stage.
This type of Demon Beast can absorb Moonlight, and the pills have the effect of nurturing the Spirit Soul, while its flesh also has a unique taste.
The Moon Fox made its nest at the edge of the ruins; otherwise, they wouldn’t have discovered them.
Zhang Le, standing by, also laughed and said, "With the help of this virtuous couple, we are bound to break through to the core area of the ruins. I am very eager to see what kind of gains we can make."
He was initially reluctant to accept two cultivators joining in, but not many cultivators met their criteria, and others asked for too much, so he reluctantly agreed.
Pei Xiu and his Dao Companion exchanged a smile, saying:
"We are also looking forward to it."
If they could acquire well-preserved magical treasures or valuable spirit medicines, they’d have the resources to purchase a Gold Core Pill.
The couple were Loose Cultivators from Red Rock City, and reaching this point had not been easy for them.
"Lower the altitude, let’s pass through, and be careful to keep up,"
Yuan Hong loudly reminded before taking the lead in flying escape, with Zhang Le close behind.
The four maintained a distance as they flew over thirty miles, then landed by a cliff shaped like a monkey’s head, hovering in the wind.
Liuu Ruyan looked around, her slender eyebrows knit together:
"Fellow Daoist, is the entrance to the ruins really here?"
The area was covered in snow, and it didn’t look like there could possibly be ruins here.
Yuan Hong laughed heartily, "Fellow Daoist, don’t be anxious."
With a wave of his large sleeve, a ball of blue Fire Cloud flew down and landed under the cliff.
The accumulated snow quickly melted, and the steam rose, transforming into tiny ice crystals that were blown away by the wind.
Soon, Liuu Ruyan saw a square cave entrance about two zhang wide and three zhang high.
On either side of the entrance stood gray-white stone sculptures, with sheep heads, wolf hooves, dome-shaped—a Qilin was unmistakable.
Pei Xiu, his spirits soaring, laughed heartily:
"Had I not seen it with my own eyes, who would have thought that there was a hidden Grotto Heaven beneath the snow cover?"
Such an entrance was undoubtedly constructed by a cultivator.
Zhang Le let out a soft chuckle, saying:
"We also found it incredible when we discovered it. If not for such a coincidence, who knows how many more years it would have taken for this Grotto Mansion to see daylight again?"
Not saying it would take too long, but in another thousand years, everything inside could likely have decayed.
Yuan Hong landed on the ground, calling out:
"Everyone, let’s go, the treasures are beckoning us!"
Saying this, he equipped a Spiritual Artifact to protect himself before stepping in.
Though he had been here several times, he remained vigilant. It was his cautious nature that made him and Senior Brother Zhang close partners.
He and Zhang Le were from the same Sect, but publicly they were known as friends for Demon Hunting.
"Let’s go, no time to delay, the sooner we finish exploring the ruins, the sooner we can leave."
The others quickly summoned their Spiritual Artifacts for protection, then entered the cave one by one.
After walking for a while, a white lion was summoned. It was the Ice Crystal Lion, and from the emptions of Demonic Power around it, one could tell it had reached the Chao Origin Stage.
Pei Xiu and his partner were slightly taken aback; they hadn’t anticipated the other party having such a strong card up their sleeve.
If a conflict broke out, they would certainly be at a disadvantage.
Zhang Le noticed the subtle change in their expressions but acted as if he didn’t know, instructing:
"Guard here. If any cultivators enter, signal immediately."
Although he didn’t believe any cultivator would coincidentally enter the ruins, it was necessary to be on guard.
He didn’t want to find himself in danger due to negligence, as that would be foolish.
The Ice Crystal Lion let out a low growl in response, lazily lying on the ground, its large head facing the cave entrance.
Pei Xiu suppressed the unease rising in his heart and cautiously smiled:
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, possessing such a powerful beast makes one truly envious."
At this moment, he realized that the other two likely had no ill intentions. If they did, there was no need to reveal such a powerful trump card.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for the compliment. Abai is my closest companion."
Zhang Le pointed ahead, "Let’s catch up with Fellow Daoist Yuan."
The three quickly caught up, soon truly entering the ruins and arriving at a huge underground cave, with countless Luminous Beads shining from the cave’s ceiling. They were like bright stars, illuminating the place like daylight.
Beside them was a giant black stone, and Pei Xiu observed small arm-sized claw marks densely covering it, alongside traces of corrosion dappling the surface, likely left by a massive creature.
In the very center, a layer of red light curtain flickered, shaped like an overturned bowl.
Moments later, the light curtain turned yellow, then a while later transformed into silver-white.