Water Wood Hermit

After a short while.

After refining the healing pill, Wen Ning got up and came to Chen Heng's side, standing gracefully beside him, not daring to interrupt his thoughts.

At this moment.

Chen Heng was frantically pondering the connection between the artifact pattern, which combined the flexibility of water and the sturdiness of wood, and this cave dwelling.

Finding no answer after much thought, he turned to look at the young married woman, Wen Ning.

Seeing this, Wen Ning quickly stepped forward and performed a grand curtsy, kneeling and saying, "This servant, Wen Ning, greets Master!"

Her tone was extremely soft, and her attitude was extremely humble, as if she was afraid of accidentally angering Chen Heng.

Her desire to survive was clearly at its peak.

Seeing the situation, Chen Heng's expression softened slightly. He then took out the six storage bags he had obtained from Luo Yu Lei and said calmly, "Wen Ning, which one is your storage bag? Open it."

Cultivators' storage bags often have their own spiritual sense imprints and mana restrictions, which can sometimes take a considerable amount of time to remove.

However, since the owner was present, Chen Heng naturally wouldn't be polite.

Wen Ning actually had a second-tier talisman in her hand. Who knew what other precious items she might have?

Moreover, rogue cultivators usually kept all their wealth together.

This made him very curious about his new, albeit cheap, servant girl's collection.

Upon hearing this, Wen Ning looked up at Chen Heng, then stepped forward and selected a relatively delicate-looking storage bag. With a light wave of her hand, she opened it.

She then solemnly offered it with both hands.

Chen Heng took the storage bag and said casually, "Wen Ning, you don't need to be so nervous and scared. Since you have already taken a Dao Vow to be my master, and I am not a killer, you can rest assured."

"Yes, Master," Wen Ning replied cautiously.

"From now on, you don't need to call me Master. Call me Young Master."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Tell me your entire past truthfully."

"My entire past?"

"Yes."

Chen Heng nodded slightly and gave a soft hum. As he listened to Wen Ning recount her past, he also investigated all the items in her storage bag.

Aside from her few sets of personal clothing.

The storage bag mostly contained talisman-making supplies and various miscellaneous items.

There was no magical talisman like the Turtle Breath Talisman.

However, there was a second-tier talisman scripture worth mentioning, which recorded the methods for drawing many second-tier talismans.

This could also be inferred from Wen Ning's own account. Her father was a rogue cultivator in a market town, and her mother was just a mortal. She grew up in the Southern Foothills Market.

Her upbringing had no notable events, but by chance, she had obtained the inheritance of a second-tier talisman master, which was that nameless talisman scripture, as well as a few second-tier talismans.

Over the years, she had used most of them while engaging in the harmful activities with Wang Yi, Li Zheng, and others.

Only the last life-saving Turtle Breath Talisman remained, which was also consumed in this incident.

But Wen Ning's talent for talisman making was actually quite good. She was already a high-grade first-tier talisman master, and her income from Spirit Stones was quite considerable.

Chen Heng could verify the authenticity of her income from the approximately one thousand low-grade Spirit Stones in her storage bag.

She hadn't wanted to participate in those activities, but she had gained something else.

"I saw the carvings on this jade pillar in a cultivator's travelogue left by my father. This is an artifact pattern created by a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, Water Wood Hermit."

"This Water Wood Hermit was a high-grade second-tier artifact refiner. However, this senior followed the path of water-based artifact refining, so the artifact patterns he inscribed on magical artifacts are very different from those of fire-based artifact refining."

"If one had no prior knowledge, ordinary people would not be able to distinguish them."

Upon hearing this, Chen Heng mused inwardly, "No wonder I couldn't discern the defensive artifact pattern on that shield. So that shield was actually refined using water-based methods."

Water-based artifact refining was quite particular. Compared to the fire refining method, the success rate was higher, but the artifact was formed very slowly. It required a pool of excellent cold spring or icy spring to proceed.

It tested the artifact refiner's patience considerably.

"Therefore, this place is very likely the cave dwelling of Water Wood Hermit, and this is also the reason I participated in those activities!"

Wen Ning finished recounting her entire past in one go, without any concealment. She felt a bit dry-mouthed.

However, she dared not harbor any resentment in her heart, as she had already taken a Dao Vow.

After listening, Chen Heng took out five hundred Spirit Stones from her storage bag and returned the rest to Wen Ning, saying calmly, "Then do you have a method to open it?"

Hearing this, Wen Ning's beautiful eyes flickered, and she covered her mouth with a smile, "I do have a way. If Li Zheng and the others hadn't been so sure that someone would take the bait and refused to leave."

"This cave dwelling would have been opened by me long ago."

Seeing that Chen Heng was calm and gentle, and his tone was composed, she completely relaxed.

The mature charm that momentarily surfaced was indeed pleasing to the eye.

Chen Heng, having lived two lives, affirmed this in his heart.

A moment later.

Wen Ning formed a mysterious hand seal with her slender jade hands and tapped the jade pillar several times.

With a rumble!

The exquisite jade pillar in the center of the cave dwelling trembled slightly and sank down with a crash!

Chen Heng raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that this was indeed a technique set up by a Foundation Establishment true cultivator. He had just meticulously scanned the entire hall with his spiritual sense.

Yet, he had not detected any hidden mechanisms beneath the jade pillar.

This Wen Ning is truly talented. Fortunately, I spared her life, otherwise, I wouldn't have gained this extra reward...

Even better, she has already taken a Dao Vow and will serve me from now on.

Chen Heng gave Wen Ning a deep look, said nothing more, and simply smiled to show his approval.

Not long after.

After the jade pillar had completely sunk, an opening was revealed, emitting a watery, woody radiance from below, which was quite extraordinary.

"Young Master, this servant girl will go down to scout the path for you first."

Wen Ning smiled charmingly, leaped gracefully, and plunged directly into the cave.

Chen Heng pondered for a moment, sensed for a few breaths, and then flew down.

Beneath the cave dwelling, another world awaited!

An even more exquisite and magnificent cave hall appeared before Chen Heng's eyes.

This cave hall was only about ten zhang square, not as grand as the cave dwelling above, but it was more refined and beautiful.

The cave hall shimmered with a soft, blue light that was not dazzling.

Its ceiling was cast from a dark blue metal, and the north and south sides were inlaid with many unknown blue-green shells, which produced the blue light within the cave.

Above the dome, there was a small opening, which was the entrance revealed by the sinking jade pillar.

The west side of the cave hall was a crystal wall of unknown thickness, separating the underground dark lake within the cave from the outside.

Looking through the crystal wall, the water was clear and green, the lakebed undisturbed, and the scene was serene.

Strange fish and odd shrimp in the lake swam as if weightless, at ease.

The east side of the cave hall, however, was a stone wall, entirely different from the crystal wall, carved with an exquisite relief.

The relief depicted a celestial beauty with a vase in her hand, her black hair cascading like a waterfall. Her jade-like face was dignified, her eyes like water, and her overall form was as if carved from fine jade, exuding utmost grace.

She was surrounded by a pool of cold spring, her gaze fixed on the underground dark lake directly in front of her.

Beside it was a line of small text—Respectfully presented by the unworthy disciple, Water Wood!

Beneath the relief lay a green futon, and beside it, three clusters of light flickered intermittently.