Red Luo Stone

Zhao Ke looked around again and saw that it wasn't a temple at all, but some unknown ruins.

"Slap, slap, slap..."

He looked down and saw that the ground was covered in small snakes, like rattlesnakes, slapping their tails against each other. The hallucinatory sound was produced by their slapping.

"Ahhh... so comfortable!"

The fat man who had been sitting next to Zhao Ke was now sitting on a rock, his eyes rolling back. He was tightly wrapped by a large snake, groaning weakly.

At this moment, the large snake opened its mouth and inhaled. A wisp of life force flowed out of the fat man's nose and mouth, being continuously sucked into the snake's mouth. The fat man's skin began to shrivel, and he instantly looked several years older.

However, he wasn't dead, just unconscious. After all, this was a long-term business, and they couldn't kill everyone.

What surprised Zhao Ke was that after these large snakes absorbed the life force from people, they didn't swallow it themselves. Instead, they gathered the life force into a ball in their mouths and sprayed it onto a stone about the size of a fist behind them.

Absorbing the life force fed back by the large snakes, the treasure bead became more and more radiant, flashing with an eerie rainbow light.

Seeing this, the large snake's face showed a satisfied expression. It turned around and began to swallow the corpses of those whose life force had been drained.

"Don't be afraid, I'll make your death comfortable."

At this moment, Zhao Ke's earlobe felt warm. He saw a woman's face gradually appear on the snake's face in front of him. She intimately pressed against Zhao Ke's cheek, her mouth opening wider and wider.

"No, don't!"

Seeing Zhao Ke's ashen expression, she couldn't help but feel smug and full of joy. In her eyes, Zhao Ke was already her prey.

Her thick snake body tightly wrapped around Zhao Ke's waist. Even if he woke up from the hallucination, he wouldn't be able to break free.

However, just as she opened her mouth to its widest, she suddenly saw a cunning glint in Zhao Ke's eyes out of the corner of her vision. Her heart skipped a beat, and before she could react.

"Thwack!"

A heart-wrenching pain struck her like lightning. A dagger was fiercely stabbed into her mouth.

The dagger was buried up to its hilt. Zhao Ke gave a forceful twist, instantly slitting open her mouth with a bone-deep gash.

"Ah!"

In immense pain, the snake woman couldn't bother with Zhao Ke anymore. She swept her tail, flinging him away from her.

Zhao Ke rolled on the ground and looked up, only to see the surrounding large snakes fixating their gaze on him after hearing the commotion.

"Hiss, hiss..."

A human face gradually appeared on the face of a white snake. Zhao Ke recognized it as the old cultivator. It slithered towards Zhao Ke, its usually benevolent face now contorted with ferocity.

"Benefactor, why do you want to leave so soon?"

Zhao Ke's eyes swept over the gem behind the white snake. He narrowed his eyes, and instead of retreating, he gritted his teeth and charged forward at the white snake.

Seeing Zhao Ke charging towards her, the white snake grinned and opened its mouth to bite his head. The attack was fast and fierce, showing no intention of letting Zhao Ke live, intending to kill him first.

A white blur flashed, its speed astonishing. The old nun's mouth almost swallowed half of Zhao Ke's body. However, with this bite, the large snake's eyes suddenly widened.

A large iron pot was stuck firmly in its mouth, causing her eyes to go wide with pain.

This large iron pot was something Zhao Ke had found in Xiong Er's house and stored in his Post Album for emergencies. He never expected it to be useful here.

The pot, cast from pure pig iron, weighed over fifty pounds. If he hadn't equipped the Bear Coat Stamp, which doubled his strength, he probably wouldn't have been able to lift it.

Zhao Ke sneered. Taking advantage of the old cultivator's momentary daze, he flipped behind her and snatched the bright red gem.

As soon as the gem was in his hand, a coolness surged from it. It was icy cold, like a block of ice, chilling his hand. Zhao Ke couldn't help but shiver. With a thought, he said, "Transform!"

His palm suddenly felt lighter. Zhao Ke sensed a change in his Post Album and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy: "A pot for a gem, this is a huge profit."

However, just as he was gloating, he suddenly heard a whistling sound from behind him. He instinctively flinched, sensing a strong gust of wind whizzing past his hair.

With a "bang," a rock in front of him was smashed to pieces. Looking again, it was the iron pot. Zhao Ke's mouth twitched. If he hadn't dodged quickly, his head would have been smashed open.

"Tear him apart!"

The old cultivator turned around and saw that her Red Luo Pearl was missing. Her eyes instantly turned red, and she roared at the other snake women to attack Zhao Ke.

Actually, there was no need for her to give the order. The snake women were already pouncing at Zhao Ke from all directions. The Red Luo Pearl was as precious as their lifeblood. They were all red-eyed, wishing they could tear Zhao Ke to shreds.

However, before they could pounce, Zhao Ke's lips curved slightly. He waved at these demons and monsters and silently thought, "Return!"

"Bang!"

The snake women lunged, but they lunged at empty air. Zhao Ke's figure gradually became ethereal, and then he slowly disappeared into the air.

"No!"

Seeing this, the white snake, which the old cultivator had transformed into, widened its eyes. After its chest heaved, it spat out a mouthful of blood, and its massive body crashed heavily to the ground.

Zhao Ke's vision suddenly went black. When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing outside the shop again.

He looked at the electronic clock hanging inside the door. The time was still the same day he had entered the horror space. It seemed as if only a few minutes had passed while he stood there.

He looked at the package in his hand and patted his numb face, even doubting if he had just had a dream.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Ke walked back into the shop, closed the door, and placed the package on the table. After thinking for a while, Zhao Ke didn't open the package. Instead, with a thought, he summoned his Post Album.

One reason was to confirm that his previous experience was not an illusion, and the other was to confirm what he had obtained in Xiangshan Nunnery.

A thick Post Album floated in front of him at Zhao Ke's command.

The corners were worn smooth, revealing a bright copper color that gave off an indescribable feeling under the light.

Seeing the Post Album floating before him, Zhao Ke's eyes lit up. Even though his expression remained unchanged, he couldn't help but feel excited inside.

He opened the Post Album and saw that many Stamps were already affixed. However, two particular Stamps stood out exceptionally among the rest.

One was a Stamp radiating a dark glow, depicting a Bear Coat. On a dark green background, a bloody bear hide hung in the center, with blood dripping down from it. Upon closer inspection, it gave one the illusion that the bear hide was still subtly wriggling, as if it were still alive.

It was thanks to this Stamp that the Post Album's permissions were unlocked in advance, doubling his strength. Otherwise, he wasn't sure if he would have survived his encounter at Zhuangyuan Tower.

But one thing was certain: he definitely wouldn't have gained such a significant reward.

Zhao Ke turned his gaze to the other Stamp, his eyes filled with anticipation. An item that could make those snake demons so agitated couldn't possibly be ordinary.

It was a very peculiar Stamp. Inside it, a white snake coiled around, holding a stone in its mouth. This was the blood-red gemstone, emitting an evil, enchanting red light. After staring at it for a few moments, Zhao Ke felt a suffocating nausea in his chest and immediately became wary. He quickly averted his gaze, no longer looking at it.

After a while, the stuffiness in his chest subsided. Upon looking at the description below, Zhao Ke's brow furrowed.

Material Stamp (Precious): Red Luo Stone

Special Use 1: Absorption Utilize the life force within the Red Luo Stone to enhance one's own power. (Note: Absorbers must possess a certain degree of special power; ordinary people cannot absorb it. Prolonged contact can be fatal.)

Special Use 2: Crafting Can be used to create items with illusory abilities using Red Luo Stone powder. The effectiveness depends on the craftsman's skill. (Remark: The powder of the Red Luo Stone can induce intense hallucinations.)

Reading the description below, Zhao Ke felt an indescribable disappointment. Although the Stamp was labeled "Precious," it seemed to have no use for him at the moment.

However, Zhao Ke quickly reconsidered. After all, it was something that had made the old cultivator so tense and angry, so its effect likely wasn't as insignificant as he initially thought. Even if it wasn't useful now, it might be in the future.

With that thought, he put away the Post Album and turned his attention to the package on the table.