Chapter 84: Cave Opportunity!
"It's right here!"
With the aid of his memories, and the perception range of his Spirit Realm soul, Jiang Yun easily pinpointed the location of this opportunity.
Gazing at the unremarkable cliff before him, Jiang Yun's eyes pierced through layers of cloud and mist to the cave below.
"Zi Yan, you take Xiao Yi Xian. I'll take Qing Lin. Let's head down!" He turned back to the three girls and said softly.
"Mm!" Zi Yan gave a light nod.
Then, before Xiao Yi Xian's shocked gaze, a pair of resplendent wings unfurled behind both of them.
"A Dou... Dou Wang!"
Covering her mouth, Xiao Yi Xian was utterly speechless at this moment. They were clearly around her own age, yet they were already Dou Wang powerhouses who could dominate a region.
She had originally thought Jiang Yun was merely an ordinary alchemist, or at worst, a talented alchemist. She never imagined he was also a Dou Wang. The impact this brought was far stronger than before.
In her understanding, she only knew that alchemists were very noble. But exactly where that nobility lay, she couldn't quite grasp. In comparison, the impact brought by sheer strength was far more direct.
Now, looking at Jiang Yun and Zi Yan, an extra degree of restraint appeared in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes.
"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, Brother Jiang Yun and Sister Zi Yan are very kind people, don't be so nervous! After a few more days, you'll get used to it."
Qing Lin saw through Xiao Yi Xian's unease and pulled her close, comforting her softly.
Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian forced a strained smile at the corner of her mouth. The concept of hierarchy wasn't something that could be changed overnight. At least right now, her heart was filled with awe.
"Let's go!"
As Jiang Yun's voice fell, before Xiao Yi Xian could even recover, Zi Yan was already at her side. With a flap of her wings, they shot into the sky.
"Ah—"
In midair, the shock in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes lingered for a long while.
"Don't worry, I fly very steadily!" Zi Yan looked at the screaming Xiao Yi Xian and laughed heartily, loudly reassuring her.
Perhaps Zi Yan's words worked, or perhaps after a period of adjustment, Xiao Yi Xian gradually shed her nervousness and began to look around.
Before long, the four of them landed atop a cliff.
The moment they touched down, with a sharp sound of tearing wind, a long, snake-like creature, its color blending perfectly with the rock face, darted out to bite.
"Watch out—" Seeing the danger, Xiao Yi Xian instinctively cried out.
"Bang—"
Before her words finished, Zi Yan casually unleashed a Dou Qi beam that blasted it into meat paste. The fierce gust of wind also incidentally blew away the scattered rubble and strange trees clogging the cave entrance.
The Rock Snake, whose body was as hard as stone, impervious to ordinary blades, died just like that at Zi Yan's hand.
"Uh—" Watching the Rock Snake turned into meat paste, Xiao Yi Xian stood stunned for a moment. Only then did she react: Right, they're Dou Wangs. How could this Rock Snake possibly threaten them?
At that thought, her cheeks flushed slightly, embarrassed by her own foolish naivety.
"Let's go." Jiang Yun took in Xiao Yi Xian's reaction fully. He didn't say anything, but a trace of amusement flickered in his eyes.
Inside the pitch-black, concealed passage, Jiang Yun, leading the way, took a moonstone from his ring to illuminate the cave.
The cave entrance wasn't wide, barely allowing two or three people to pass. Even standing at the entrance was very cramped. Inside, the cave was pitch black, though faint glimmers of light faintly emanated from within, giving it a somewhat mysterious feel, like a path to the secluded and profound.
Around the cave entrance, there were many knife-carved marks, but perhaps due to the passage of many years, these carvings had become extremely blurred.
Walking through the quiet and dark cave, in the silent passage, only the four's faint footsteps could be heard.
Finally, after about ten minutes, Jiang Yun, at the front, stopped. The group looked up to see a stone door standing horizontally across the center.
"No path ahead!"
Looking at the stone door, Xiao Yi Xian observed it for a moment, then clapped her hands together, seemingly pleased to have contributed. She said excitedly, "Behind this stone door should be our destination."
"Looking at the yellow glow on the door, an earth-element mechanism has clearly been set here. With a little care, opening it shouldn't be difficult. I've read some books on mechanism arts; let me handle it."
After speaking, seeing the looks everyone gave her—especially the adoring look from Qing Lin—Xiao Yi Xian felt a sense of satisfaction and was about to step forward.
"Why bother with all that trouble?" Just then, Zi Yan stepped forward. She walked right up to the stone door and gave it a kick.
"Bang—" Following the sound of cracking stone, the door collapsed as expected, raising a cloud of dust.
"Uh..." Xiao Yi Xian's steps froze in place, her expression peculiar. She hadn't adjusted her mindset yet. This girl is a Dou Wang. She shouldn't be viewing these two through her own lens.
"Heh heh, let's go!"
Seeing this scene, Jiang Yun chuckled lightly and stepped into the stone chamber revealed by the fallen door.
The chamber appeared rather simple and spacious. Moonstones for illumination were embedded in the walls. In the center of the chamber stood a chair.
On the chair sat a skeleton. Its deeply sunken skull had fallen onto its ghastly white thigh bone. In this form, within the silent atmosphere, it looked quite eerie.
Before the chair was a somewhat long and wide bluestone platform. On the platform, three locked stone boxes were neatly arranged.
Jiang Yun paid no heed to the gold coins scattered across the floor. He walked straight to the skeleton's side and picked up a piece of yellowish, worn leather. On it were markings that seemed to follow no discernible pattern, and in the corner of the leather was a blurry shape somewhat resembling a lotus flower.
It was precisely a fragment of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map. Jiang Yun had already collected three fragments; only the one in the Central Plains remained.
"Xiao Yun, it seems you already have two pieces of this!" Looking at the map fragment, Zi Yan said with some surprise.
After putting it away, Jiang Yun didn't hide the truth. "This is a map to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. With this piece, I have three-quarters of it. I just don't know when I'll gather the last piece!"
"Xiao Yun, don't worry, I'll help you!" Zi Yan wrinkled her nose and assured him, patting her chest.
Looking at Zi Yan, Jiang Yun chuckled softly. After putting away the map fragment, he took out the keys and opened the three boxes one by one.
By this time, Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian had gathered everything else in the area into their rings. Looking at the scrolls in Jiang Yun's hand, Xiao Yi Xian asked quietly:
"These should be the tomb master's legacy, right?"
"Unfortunately, they are not."
Meeting Xiao Yi Xian's gaze, Jiang Yun gently shook his head and lifted the three scrolls with his Dou Qi, saying softly:
"Mysterious Class high-level flying Dou Technique: Eagle Wings; Mysterious Class high-level Dou Technique: Mad Lion's Roar; and a Seven-Colored Poison Manual."
"What's a flying Dou Technique?" After listening, Xiao Yi Xian's expression stirred slightly, and she finally asked, feigning nonchalance.
"A flying Dou Technique, as the name implies, is a technique that allows one to fly in the sky."
"Then it must be very precious!"
"Do you want it?" Jiang Yun looked at Xiao Yi Xian, holding the scroll and asking with a smile.
"Ah—" Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian paused, somewhat in disbelief. Immediately after, she shook her head. "Give it to Qing Lin!"
"She doesn't need it." Seeing this, Jiang Yun shook his head and explained.
"Qing Lin, you're... also a Dou Wang!!!" Having heard Jiang Yun's words, Xiao Yi Xian first froze, then stared at Qing Lin in utter shock.
"Ah—" Qing Lin was a bit confused. Looking at the bewildered Xiao Yi Xian, she shook her head and said, "Qing Lin isn't a Dou Wang, I'm still a seven-star Dou Zhe!"
"Phew—" Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, not a Dou Wang. Then she reacted, looking at Qing Lin in astonishment. At this age, a seven-star Dou Zhe was still monstrously abnormal!
"But Qing Lin has a rank six Magical Beast as her beast pet!" From the side, Zi Yan saw this and, with her big eyes spinning mischievously, smirked slyly and slowly 'helpfully' added a reminder.
"R-Rank six!!!" Sure enough, Xiao Yi Xian was instantly dumbfounded, staring at Qing Lin in disbelief.
Qing Lin smiled shyly and tugged at Jiang Yun's sleeve, saying softly, "It was all thanks to Brother Jiang Yun!"
"Qing Lin's constitution is special. She can control serpent-type Magical Beasts and absorb their power to rapidly increase her cultivation." Jiang Yun casually explained the terror of the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes.
"All of you are monsters..." Xiao Yi Xian looked at Qing Lin with envy. This was a talent everyone dreamed of—leveling up in real life while lying down.
Now, her gaze toward Qing Lin had changed. She had thought of her as just an ordinary, gentle little sister, but she turned out to be a hidden ultimate boss.
Sure enough, anyone who kept company with geniuses was no ordinary person!
But what about her?
Why had Jiang Yun sought her out, a 'plain ordinary' girl?
At this moment, a large question mark appeared in Xiao Yi Xian's mind.
"This Purple Cloud Wings scroll is for you. Whether you cultivate it or not is up to you. If you decide to, let me know. There's a remnant soul of a Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle sealed within. With your strength, without me watching over you, I'm afraid it would turn you into an idiot!"
"And this one, take it too."
While she was dazed, she reflexively caught the two scrolls Jiang Yun handed over. Among them, the colorful, ancient-looking scroll drew her attention.
Seven-Colored Poison Manual!
Seeing the name on the third scroll, Xiao Yi Xian was first stunned, then her pretty face lit up with joy as she began to flip through it. Clearly, compared to Dou Techniques, Xiao Yi Xian was far more interested in medicine and poison.
She flipped through it quickly. When she reached the last page, her hand paused slightly, and her body began to tremble.
"You saw it." At that moment, Jiang Yun, who had been surveying the chamber, looked back. Seeing her state, he asked softly.
"You... you knew?" Abruptly, Xiao Yi Xian clutched the scroll to her chest and stared at Jiang Yun with terrified eyes.
This posture left Zi Yan and Qing Lin beside her utterly confused!
"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, what's wrong?" Qing Lin reached out worriedly to support the trembling Xiao Yi Xian and asked in a hushed voice.
However, Qing Lin's goodwill made Xiao Yi Xian startle. She quickly broke free of the other girl's hand and said shakily, "Qing Lin, don't touch me!"
"???" Qing Lin looked at Xiao Yi Xian, completely baffled. She didn't understand how Xiao Yi Xian, who was fine just moments ago, had become like this. She could only turn back and look to the 'all-powerful' Jiang Yun for help.
"Xiao Yi Xian possesses the Calamity Poison Body, a physique comparable to the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes, and equally ill-fated..." As Jiang Yun explained, the way Zi Yan and Qing Lin looked at Xiao Yi Xian immediately filled with sympathy and resonance.
Xiao Yi Xian's dream was to become an alchemist, but her Dou Qi attribute made it impossible. She could only settle for the next best thing and become a physician who healed the wounded and rescued the dying. Yet now, reality told her that her greatest talent lay in being a poison master, despised by all.
This hit her hard!
"But Xiao Yun, how did you see through it?" Suddenly, Zi Yan seemed to have found a crucial point and looked at Jiang Yun curiously.
Zi Yan's question immediately drew the attention of Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin. Xiao Yi Xian seemed to think of something, and her face flushed crimson. She had seen the Seven-Colored Poison Manual's description of the Calamity Poison Body and naturally knew how to identify an unawakened Calamity Poison Body.
Every possessor of the Calamity Poison Body had a seven-colored line on their lower abdomen. Now she also knew how formidable Jiang Yun was. With his strength, could he really see through her clothes, right inside?
Jiang Yun's gaze paused for a fraction of a second, then his expression remained unchanged as he said: "Every person's attribute is related to their innate soul power. My soul power is strong enough to distinguish each individual's attribute. Combined with a few other characteristics, a little deduction and I knew."
Jiang Yun's explanation let the matter be put to rest, though Xiao Yi Xian still harbored some suspicion, she was too embarrassed to voice it.
Suddenly, Xiao Yi Xian thought of something. A glimmer of hope returned to her eyes as she asked, "Does that mean as long as I don't ingest poisons, this Calamity Poison Body won't activate?"
"In theory, yes. However, all medicine carries a degree of poison. You've been in contact with medicinal herbs for so many years, your body has long accumulated enough toxins. Now it probably lacks only a catalyst to trigger it!"
As Jiang Yun explained, the hopeful light that had returned to Xiao Yi Xian's eyes dimmed again. Thinking of the Calamity Poison Body outbreaks and the tragedies they caused recorded in the Seven-Colored Poison Manual, Xiao Yi Xian smiled miserably.
"So... Do you want to kill me? To prevent me from bringing calamity to the world in the future."
"Thwack—"
"Ouch—" With a startled cry, Xiao Yi Xian clutched her forehead, which was already swelling. She glared fiercely at the culprit.
Having given the wildly imaginative girl a flick on the forehead, Jiang Yun said irritably, "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it long ago. Why wait until now?"
Xiao Yi Xian's face instantly flushed bright red. She said nervously, "But, my body..."
"The Calamity Poison Body is indeed frightening, but it's not uncontrollable. I said I wanted you as my medicine apprentice. If I couldn't even solve this, I wouldn't have taken on this trouble myself!"
Jiang Yun withdrew his finger. The smooth sensation felt wonderful on that flick. Looking at Xiao Yi Xian, who was puffed up like an angry hamster, Jiang Yun spoke gently.
"Really?" Hearing that Jiang Yun had a way to solve her problem, Xiao Yi Xian immediately beamed with joy and stared at Jiang Yun excitedly.
"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, if Brother Jiang Yun says there's a way, then there definitely is. You can relax now!" Before Jiang Yun could answer, Qing Lin was already tugging at Xiao Yi Xian's arm, saying with absolute certainty and a beaming smile.
After hesitating for a moment, finding nothing amiss, Xiao Yi Xian didn't resist. Looking at the soft, adorable Qing Lin, her mood instantly improved considerably, and she smiled along as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
"Now it's time to explore the real secret of this place!"
Watching this scene, Jiang Yun smiled warmly. His smile fading, he looked at a certain spot within the chamber and spoke mysteriously.