As the stone door rose, a faint glow spilled out from within, driving away all the darkness nearby.
Looking at the brightly lit interior beyond the stone door, Xiao Yi Xian smiled faintly, then took two steps back and lifted her fair chin toward Gu He. "Teacher, let's go in."
"Mm." Gu He smiled slightly before walking into the stone door.
Seeing Gu He step inside, Xiao Yi Xian giggled and hurriedly followed close behind.
As the two stepped through the stone door, the view before them suddenly broadened.
Beyond the stone door was a massive stone chamber. It appeared somewhat plain and empty, with Moonlight Stones embedded in its walls for illumination. At the center of the chamber—
—stood a seat, upon which sat a skeleton. Its sunken skull had fallen onto its ghastly white thigh bone, lending an eerie air to the silent surroundings.
Before the seat stood a rather broad, long bluestone table, upon which three locked stone boxes had been neatly arranged.
Moreover, quite a few glittering gold coins and other precious valuables had been piled in the three corners of the stone chamber. The number of gold coins alone was likely no less than several hundred thousand.
Gu He did not lack wealth or treasures, and since the original owner had left them lying around so casually, it seemed he had not thought much of such worldly riches either.
Shifting his gaze away from the glittering gold, his eyes settled on the skeleton.
Was the Fragment of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame on this skeleton?
Meanwhile, Xiao Yi Xian had stopped at a corner of the cave, a faint joy appearing on her face.
In the farthest corner, a small flower bed had been heaped up from soil. All manner of flowers and herbs grew within it, their unusual fragrance lingering in the air.
Looking at those plants, Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face was filled with excitement as she quickly took several steps toward the flower bed.
Others might not recognize these things, but she knew perfectly well that these seemingly ordinary flowers and grasses were far more valuable and precious than those piles of gold coins.
"Purple Blue Leaf, White Spirit Ginseng Fruit, Snow Lotus Seed..."
Her beautiful eyes stared blankly at the tiny flower bed as names representing rare and difficult-to-find high-grade medicinal herbs slipped from Xiao Yi Xian's rosy lips.
"Ice Spirit Flame Grass!"
As her gaze swept across the little flower bed, Xiao Yi Xian's pupils suddenly contracted. At last, she fixed her eyes tightly on a blade of grass at the center, its colors alternating between white and red.
The grass had white and red portions. Its white stem was covered in tiny, ice-crystal-like specks, while its fiery red crown seemed like a burning flame. Two utterly opposite colors and attributes had somehow grown together on the same plant. It was truly extraordinary.
A faint mist coiled around the plant, making it seem as though it rested amid clouds.
This strange grass was called Ice Spirit Flame Grass, and it was generally extremely difficult to find in the outside world.
Having already received Gu He's insights as a Sixth-Grade Alchemist, Xiao Yi Xian naturally recognized this Ice Spirit Flame Grass at a glance.
Among all the herbs in the flower bed, this one was the most valuable.
"If you like them, dig them all up." Seeing the unconcealed delight on Xiao Yi Xian's face, Gu He smiled.
"Mm." Xiao Yi Xian answered excitedly, then hurried over to the flower bed, took out her tools, and began digging up the herbs.
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian start to dig up the herbs, Gu He's gaze swept through the stone chamber once more. However, this search yielded nothing else, so he could only turn his attention to the three locked stone boxes on the bluestone table.
Slowly making his way to the stone table, Gu He touched one of the metal locks. It felt slightly warm to the touch, and his brows immediately furrowed.
After such a long passage of time, it could still retain warmth. This was clearly no ordinary metal, so forcing the lock open with brute strength would not work.
"Where's the key?" Gu He muttered. His roaming gaze settled on the skeleton behind the stone table, then shifted downward. His eyes immediately lit up when he saw three black keys hanging from the skeleton's hand bones.
Rubbing his hands together, Gu He stepped forward and lightly tugged at the skeleton.
Crack... After the passage of time, the skeleton's arm was actually pulled off by that slight force.
Looking at the broken bone arm, Gu He gave an embarrassed smile, then picked it up from the ground and tried to reattach it.
Holding the bone arm in his hand, Gu He's brow suddenly rose. He sensed that the weight of the skeleton's arm seemed somewhat off...
Gu He glanced at the bone arm in his hand. Through the break at the top, he vaguely discovered what seemed to be a small scroll hidden within the gaps of the bone.
Looking at the ancient scroll that was only partially visible, Gu He was overjoyed. This should be the Fragment of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame.
Gu He carefully examined the scroll in his hand. It was a piece of parchment made from some unknown material. On its slightly yellowed surface were lines that appeared entirely irregular. He placed a finger on one line and slowly traced along it, but it eventually ran off the parchment without revealing anything else.
Gu He then slowly unfolded the parchment completely and examined it back and forth. When his gaze suddenly fell upon a blurry object resembling a lotus in one corner of the parchment, his expression changed slightly. He bent down again and carefully studied the mysterious lotus-shaped object.
Perhaps due to the passage of time, the lotus-shaped object appeared faintly yellowed and rather blurry, though its general outline could still be made out.
The lotus was black, and a thin layer of Black Flame seemed to cling to its surface. Upon closer inspection, the entire lotus vaguely gave off an eerie feeling.
Looking at the sinister lotus, Gu He's pupils contracted slightly.
It really was the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame!
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Gu He directly stored the Fragment of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame in his Storage Ring.
After doing all that, Gu He kindly brushed the dust from the bone arm, then earnestly returned it to its owner.
Tossing the black keys in his hand, Gu He smiled faintly and slowly walked toward the three stone boxes on the stone table.
Holding a key, Gu He returned to the stone table and touched the warm metal lock again. He then inserted the key directly into the keyhole.
With a soft crisp sound, the metal clasp slowly opened.
Gu He directly opened the treasure box, and a seven-colored scroll entered his view.
Gu He picked up the seven-colored scroll and opened it. Four large words immediately appeared before his eyes.
"Seven-Colored Poison Scripture!"
Before you continue