Chapter 267: Ye Chen Feasts on Treasure, Huo Yuhao Gnaws on Roots
Without the slightest hesitation, Ye Chen extended his palm. A layer of purest ice-element soul power coated his fingertips as he carefully reached toward the base of the Snow Lotus, his movements so precise it was as if he were handling a priceless artifact.
With a subtle twist of his wrist, refined strength flowed through his hand.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed. The luminous blue lotus, which had absorbed the essence of the northern glaciers for a hundred thousand years, separated cleanly from the frozen ground—falling gently into the jade box Ye Chen had prepared beforehand.
He left a small portion of the roots behind.
Unlike ordinary plants, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus possessed immense vitality; even a shred of root could regrow into a new lotus over the span of decades.
Snap.
When Ye Chen closed the lid, every trace of its aura vanished completely, as if the lotus had never existed.
He slipped the sealed box into his storage device with practiced ease—his movements smooth, silent, flawless.
The entire operation happened in the blink of an eye.
Looking up, Ye Chen's gaze extended beyond the icy walls, settling on Huo Yuhao and the phantom form of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm as they trudged toward the cave's depths, chatting idly.
A faint smile curved his lips.
Then, his figure shimmered—and vanished into thin air, leaving no sign he had ever been there.
Elsewhere in the tunnel, two silhouettes—one human, one spectral—were hurrying toward the cave's depths.
"Hurry, Yuhao, hurry!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm urged anxiously.
"What is it, Tianmeng? Why are you acting so excited?" Huo Yuhao asked, breathless but curious, following the glowing insect forward.
"Heh, Yuhao, you've struck gold! I can sense an extremely rare, high-grade treasure deep inside this cave. I'm telling you, it'll be a blessing beyond imagination for you!" Tianmeng's tone was giddy with anticipation.
When they entered the cave, Tianmeng had instinctively extended its mental power to check for danger—only to detect faint traces of an incredible icy energy.
That aura belonged to a top-tier heavenly treasure.
It was faint—shielded by layers of self-protection—but Tianmeng's vast knowledge and strong perception caught it nonetheless.
It was certain the treasure was in the deepest part of the cave.
"Really?!"
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up instantly. His fatigue and despair vanished, replaced by renewed vigor. He pushed himself faster, driven forward by sheer expectation.
Minutes later, panting heavily, he stumbled into the final chamber—the ice cavern's deepest corner, the only place touched by a dim shaft of light from above.
And froze completely.
The space before him was empty.
Only a tiny mound of frosted soil remained, about the width of his hand. In its center, one thin, finger-sized root stuck out of the ground—bare, fragile, and freshly severed.
"Tian… Tianmeng?"
Huo Yuhao turned toward his companion in confusion. "This… this is your so-called top-tier treasure?"
Even Tianmeng was speechless.
"No… no, that's impossible!" it stammered.
"The aura we sensed was immense—it couldn't just vanish like that!"
It darted toward the spot, its plump body nearly pressing against the icy soil, its tiny eyes scrutinizing the root.
Then it froze, realization hitting hard.
"Yuhao! This isn't normal—it's a break! The real treasure's been taken! Someone beat us to it!"
"What?!"
Huo Yuhao knelt, staring closely. The fragment of root was indeed cleanly severed.
The cut was razor-sharp, still glistening with clear crystalline sap.
"It was harvested just moments ago!" Tianmeng hissed, its voice trembling with disbelief. "Fresh—no more than a minute old!"
It spun in midair furiously, writhing like a cat with its tail stepped on.
"Damn it! Who was it?! Who got here right before us?!"
"I told you to move faster!" it snapped, glaring at Huo Yuhao.
"This is what happens when you waste time!"
But anger quickly gave way to resignation. Blaming Yuhao wouldn't change anything now.
If the treasure had just been taken, the culprit was long gone—and with no tracks to follow.
"This cave's only entrance is a narrow crack. It can't even fit a human… So it wasn't one."
Tianmeng muttered to itself, reasoning through the evidence. "It must've been some lucky soul beast that slipped in through the ceiling and grabbed it… maybe swallowed it whole and ran off!"
"Yes… it must be that," it said finally, trying to make sense of the loss.
"Just… a few minutes late?"
Huo Yuhao's face went pale. He stood frozen, his mind blank.
Only a few minutes…
If he hadn't stopped to rest outside the cave, if his limbs hadn't been frozen stiff, if he'd pushed forward just a little harder—
So many what-ifs flashed through his mind, each stabbing deeper than the last.
His vision darkened, his chest tightened painfully. He could hardly breathe.
"Ahhhh—!"
He crumpled to his knees beside the dirt mound, pressing his face against the frigid ground, gasping like a fish out of water.
"Yuhao! Yuhao, are you okay?!"
Tianmeng's voice softened instantly. Its earlier anger disappeared, replaced by worry.
It knew its harsh words were useless now. The treasure was gone, and it wasn't Yuhao's fault.
This place was harsher than hell itself. That they'd survived this long was already a miracle.
Huo Yuhao lay motionless, staring blankly at the icy floor. The cold seeped into his bones.
Why… was the world always like this for him?
Nothing had ever gone right—neither in childhood nor now.
Why did fate mock him so much?
Seeing his despair, Tianmeng finally spoke in a gentler tone.
"Don't be so disheartened, Yuhao. Fate works in strange ways. We still gained something—even if the treasure's gone, that root remains."
"...Root?" Huo Yuhao blinked, dazed. "You mean… we can eat that?"
"Of course!" Tianmeng immediately perked up again, seizing the chance to lift his spirits.
"That treasure was definitely at least a hundred-thousand-year-grade spiritual herb! Even a tiny piece of its root is priceless. Hurry—before its energy fades—dig it out and swallow it!"
That was why Tianmeng had concluded a beast, not a human, took the lotus.
No sane human soul master would ever leave even the roots behind. They'd dig up the entire patch—dirt and all.
Only a mindless soul beast would waste such a gift.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/LightKira10