Battle Through the Heavens: Unlocking the Extraction System

Shaking his head, Xiao Ling let out a soft sigh and stopped dwelling on the matter. The cave fell quiet once more.

With the flames in Xiao Ling's hand lighting the way, the group followed the cave passage deeper inside. Before long, a stone door appeared before them. The four of them stopped and examined it.

Xiao Ling pointed at the stone door ahead, then turned to the other three. "The path ahead is blocked by this stone door."

At his words, Xiao Yi Xian furrowed her delicate brows and stepped forward to study the door. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Our destination should be behind this door. Since the person who came before us built a cave here, I doubt they would have made it impossible to enter."

She raised a slender finger and tapped the door. "Judging from the yellow glow on it, a earth-element mechanism has clearly been set here. As long as one is careful, opening it will not be difficult. I have read some books on mechanisms. Give me some time, and I can open this stone door right away."

With that, Xiao Yi Xian rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her fair wrist, and stepped forward to dismantle the mechanism.

Zi Yan, who had been standing behind the others, curled her lips when she saw Xiao Yi Xian's eager expression. She walked over, gently pushed Xiao Yi Xian aside, and took her place.

Xiao Yi Xian looked back at Zi Yan in confusion. Why did this little girl push me? She was acting so aloof earlier too. Does she have some kind of problem with me?

However, Zi Yan's next action dispelled the doubts in Xiao Yi Xian's heart.

Zi Yan raised her soft little fist. Purple light swirled around it as she twisted her body, producing a string of sonic booms before smashing her fist toward the stone door.

Boom! With a deafening crash, the stone door was blasted to pieces by Zi Yan's single punch, crumbling into dust across the floor. The terrifying power behind that punch was plain to see.

Zi Yan clapped her hands, shaking off the dust clinging to them, then said calmly to Xiao Yi Xian, "It is only a tiny stone door. I can break it with a casual strike."

Seeing Zi Yan's smug expression, Xiao Yi Xian's mouth twitched slightly. She truly had not expected this little girl to be so violent. However, recalling what Xiao Ling had said earlier—that this little girl had undergone Magical Beast Transformation and possessed the strength of a Dou Wang—such violence did make sense.

With Zi Yan having shattered the stone door blocking their way, the four did not linger and entered the Secret Chamber beyond it together.

Behind the stone door was a massive stone chamber. It looked rather crude and empty, with Moonlight Stones embedded in the walls for illumination. At the center of the chamber stood a seat, upon which sat a skeleton. Its sunken skull had fallen onto its pale thigh bone. In the silent atmosphere, the sight was rather eerie.

Before the seat stood a long, broad bluestone table. Three locked Stone Boxes were arranged neatly atop it.

In addition, the three corners of the stone chamber contained piles of glittering Gold Coins and other precious valuables. There were likely no fewer than several hundred thousand Gold Coins there.

Xiao Ling and the others did not lack treasure or money. Besides, the original owner of these treasures had left them lying around so casually, which showed that he had not valued such worldly possessions much either.

After entering the chamber, Zi Yan kept her gaze fixed on one corner. Seeing this, Xiao Ling and the others followed her line of sight.

In the farthest corner was a small flower bed piled up with soil. All kinds of flowers and herbs grew within it, and an unusual fragrance lingered in the air.

Seeing those herbs, Xiao Ling suddenly understood. The scent of these medicinal plants had drawn Zi Yan over. An Ancient Void Dragon's nose truly was sharper than that of ordinary people.

The moment Xiao Yi Xian saw the herbs, her gaze was immediately drawn to them. However, thinking of the unfathomably powerful people beside her and fearing that she might displease them, she only dared to observe Xiao Ling and the others from the corner of her eye, wondering what they intended to do and whether they would honor their earlier agreement.

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's cautious manner, Xiao Ling was afraid she might misunderstand him. "Do not worry, Miss Xiao Yi Xian. What I said before still stands. Take any of these herbs that catch your eye."

The tense Xiao Yi Xian could not help but relax upon hearing Xiao Ling's words. Now that they had entered the cave, and he had not acted against her, he seemed to be someone who kept his word. She took out a small shovel from her pack, rolled up her sleeves, and carefully began digging up the precious herbs from the flower bed. She then took out the Jade Bottles she carried for storing herbs and placed them inside one by one.

"Purple-Blue Leaf, White Spirit Ginseng Fruit, Ice Spirit Flame Grass, Snow Lotus Seed..."

Her beautiful eyes stared blankly at the small flower bed as the names of rare, difficult-to-find high-grade medicinal herbs slipped quietly from Xiao Yi Xian's rosy lips.

Xiao Yi Xian had only ever seen these herbs in books introducing medicinal plants. In particular, the Ice Spirit Flame Grass seemed to be a main ingredient for refining a Sixth-grade Pill. She had never expected this expedition to yield such a great harvest. To someone like her who loved medicinal herbs, obtaining a rare plant was far more exciting than acquiring hundreds of thousands in wealth.

Xiao Ling rubbed Zi Yan's little head. Seeing her disappointed expression, he smiled and said, "Do not take it to heart. These herbs will not help your cultivation much. Once we reach the Imperial Capital, I will let you eat an entire Sky Jade Fruit."

Zi Yan's eyes immediately lit up. A Sky Jade Fruit was one of the few medicinal fruits that could be eaten directly and tasted incredibly good. Xiao Ling had treasured them before and had been reluctant to take one out. This time, he was actually letting her eat an entire fruit. His mood must be quite good. "Then it is a deal. I want to pick the biggest one when the time comes."

By then, Qing Lin had already walked over to the Stone Table in the center of the chamber and curiously examined the three ancient Stone Boxes resting on it.

Each Stone Box had three metal locks. She reached out with her little hand and twisted one with all her strength, but it did not budge at all. There was not the slightest trace of corrosion from time. It was clearly no ordinary metal, so brute force was not going to open these locks.

"Where are the keys?" Qing Lin muttered. Her gaze shifted and settled on the skeleton behind the Stone Table. As her eyes moved downward, they suddenly brightened. Three black keys hung from the skeleton's hand bones. Rubbing her hands together, Qing Lin stepped forward. Feeling a little uneasy as she looked at the skeleton, she pressed her palms together in silent apology before carefully grasping the keys and giving them a gentle tug.

Crack... After countless years, the skeleton's arm was actually pulled off by that tiny amount of force.

Zi Yan and Xiao Ling had also walked over to Qing Lin by then. Seeing the comical sight, they could not help laughing.

Hearing Xiao Ling and Zi Yan chuckle, Qing Lin's pretty face burned. She shot the skeleton behind the Stone Table an annoyed look.

But when her gaze passed through the fracture above, she vaguely noticed that a small Scroll seemed to be hidden within the gaps in the bones.

Seeing this, Qing Lin pointed at the little Scroll and looked at Xiao Ling with curiosity. "Young Master, there seems to be something else hidden there."

Hearing Qing Lin's question, Xiao Ling followed the direction of her finger and immediately spotted the somewhat familiar little Scroll.

With a beckoning motion, the Scroll flew into Xiao Ling's palm. After Xiao Ling took it away, Qing Lin held up the broken arm section and carefully placed it back onto the skeleton.

After untying the black cord wrapped around it, the Scroll's full appearance was revealed before Xiao Ling.

What appeared before him was a piece of parchment made from some unknown material. On its slightly yellowed surface were lines that seemed to follow no pattern at all. In one corner of the parchment was a blurry object resembling a lotus.

Perhaps due to the passage of time, the lotus-shaped object had yellowed somewhat and become blurred, though its general outline could still be seen.

The lotus was black, with what seemed to be a thin layer of black flame clinging to its surface. Looking closely, the entire lotus gave off a faintly demonic aura.

"The second Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map. I finally found you." Holding the Fragment Map in his hands, Xiao Ling could not conceal his excitement.

Xiao Ling now possessed two Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Maps. One was right before his eyes, while the other was naturally the one he had obtained from Hai Bodong. Having read the original novel, Xiao Ling naturally knew where the other two Fragment Maps would appear. One could be easily obtained in Black Seal City, while the last could only be auctioned at the Space Trade Fair held before the Bodhi Ancient Tree emerged. Yet by the time of the Space Trade Fair, everyone would know the true origins of that Fragment Map. It would not be as easy to acquire as the other three Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Maps. Without treasures worth a fortune and sufficient strength, it would be impossible to obtain it.

As long as he possessed the complete Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map, he could awaken the consciousness of the Nether Lotus Demon Sage sleeping within it. Whether he could learn a move or two from that Half-Emperor aside, the sage could reset the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame trapped within the Demonic Flame Space, reducing the difficulty of subduing it from hellish to merely difficult. For that alone, Xiao Ling had to collect all four Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Maps.

Xiao Yi Xian, who had just finished gathering the herbs, came over to the Stone Table as well. Seeing Xiao Ling and the others staring at the ancient Scroll, she muttered inwardly, What exactly is this thing? Even a Sixth-grade Alchemist is so delighted to see it.

Noticing Xiao Yi Xian's curious gaze, Xiao Ling briefly showed her the Fragment Map. "I want this. You do not object, do you?"

Xiao Yi Xian looked carefully at the Fragment Map in Xiao Ling's hand. Not only could she not find any clues in it, but her head also began to feel dizzy.

She quickly withdrew her gaze and shook her head. "Since you want it, take it."

"Thank you. Then I will accept it without ceremony. There are still three boxes here. Let us open them together. If there is anything you like, take it all. I am even a little younger than you, so there is no need to be so reserved around me. It makes me feel rather uncomfortable." Xiao Ling put the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map into his Ring, smiled at Xiao Yi Xian, raised the three strings of black keys in his hand, and pointed toward the three ancient boxes on the Stone Table.

Xiao Yi Xian glanced at the three boxes and nodded slightly to indicate that she understood.

Xiao Ling nodded back, then took out the keys and inserted them into the metal locks one by one.

After several attempts, Xiao Ling opened all three Stone Boxes, revealing their contents to the four of them.

Each Stone Box contained a Scroll.

Xiao Ling nodded at Xiao Yi Xian. "According to our agreement, you choose first."

Xiao Yi Xian nodded and extended her fair wrist, picking up a light-green Scroll first.

Looking at the words written on it, she softly murmured, "Mysterious Grade High-tier Dou Technique, Mad Lion Chant."

It was clearly a Mysterious Grade Dou Technique. Xiao Yi Xian had no interest in it, so she handed it to Xiao Ling. "This is of no use to me. Do you need it?"

"Then thank you. I am rather interested in this Dou Technique." Xiao Ling raised his brows and put the Dou Technique into his Ring.

He wondered whether this Mad Lion Chant had any connection to the Xiao Family's former strongest cultivation method, Mad Lion Fury Aura. He could show it to Xiao Zhan once they reached the Imperial Capital.

Yet Xiao Yi Xian was not even interested in a Mysterious Grade High-tier Dou Technique, which was worth hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins. She truly only cared about medicinal knowledge. Unfortunately, heaven had played a joke on her and made her the most talented poison master in the world.

After Xiao Ling took the Dou Technique, Xiao Yi Xian picked up the black Scroll from another Stone Box.

"Mysterious Grade High-tier Flying Fighting Skill, Purple Cloud Wings." It was Xiao Yi Xian's first time seeing such a name, and she blinked in confusion. She had heard of offensive Dou Techniques, defensive Dou Techniques, movement Dou Techniques, and the like, but this was the first time she had heard of a Flying Fighting Skill. She looked at Xiao Ling in puzzlement. "What is a Flying Fighting Skill? I have never heard of it. You are a Sixth-grade Alchemist, so you should be quite knowledgeable. Do you know what it is?"

"As the name implies, this Dou Technique allows a person to fly through the sky. I had only heard of Flying Fighting Skills before. This is my first time seeing one." Xiao Ling glanced at the Flying Fighting Skill Scroll as he answered.

Even at Jia Nan Academy, Xiao Ling had never seen anyone use a Flying Fighting Skill.

"Fly? Is that not an ability only Dou Ling experts can barely possess?" Xiao Yi Xian was startled at first, then her face filled with confusion.

"This Flying Fighting Skill is refined from the wings of an avian Magical Beast through a Secret Art. After cultivating it, two small auxiliary meridians can extend from the meridians on one's back. Once those two branches have formed, even if the cultivator has not reached the Dou Wang level, they can still condense wings and fly through the air." Xiao Ling explained.

After a slight pause, Xiao Ling added, "However, using a Flying Fighting Skill consumes a massive amount of Dou Qi. You have not even reached the Dou Zhe level yet, so using it would instantly drain all the Dou Qi in your body. Moreover, this Flying Fighting Skill contains a trace of the avian Magical Beast's Remnant Soul. To begin cultivating it, you must endure the impact of that Remnant Soul. With the little Soul Power you have now, I am afraid..."

Xiao Ling shook his head, clearly holding little hope that Xiao Yi Xian could cultivate this Flying Fighting Skill.

Although Xiao Yi Xian was somewhat unconvinced by his explanation, she remembered that Xiao Ling was a Sixth-grade Alchemist and had no reason to deceive her. In the end, she reluctantly set the Flying Fighting Skill Scroll aside.

Xiao Yi Xian then turned her gaze to the last Scroll, which was seven-colored, and picked it up.

"Seven-Colored Poison Scripture." She softly read the four words written on it. At first she was surprised, but joy quickly welled up on her face.

Waving the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture in her hand at Xiao Ling, Xiao Yi Xian said with a smile, "I will take this Seven-Colored Poison Scripture. You can keep the Flying Fighting Skill."

Xiao Ling nodded slightly and placed the Flying Fighting Skill Scroll beside him into his Ring. Once Qing Lin breaks through to Dou Shi, the Soul Power of her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, far beyond those of the same level, should allow her to disperse the avian Remnant Soul without any danger.

He then looked at Xiao Yi Xian, who was joyfully flipping through the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, and could not help letting out a long sigh. "Fate..."

Before long, Xiao Yi Xian's expression suddenly stiffened, and the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture slipped from her hand.

Clunk...

The sound of it striking the ground echoed through the spacious cave, shattering the silence.

An oppressive aura suddenly spread from Xiao Yi Xian. Even Zi Yan, who was usually so carefree, noticed that something was wrong with Xiao Yi Xian's expression.

At that moment, Xiao Ling suddenly spoke. "The Calamity Poison Body, also known as the Innate Poison Body, is an extremely unusual physique. A person with this physique only needs to keep consuming poison to grow stronger. The more potent the poison, the faster their strength rises, and there is almost no upper limit. However, the more poison they consume, the denser the toxins in their body become. Once those toxins accumulate to a certain point, they will erupt completely. When that happens, all life within a thousand miles will be destroyed."

"The way to identify a Calamity Poison Body is a fine Seven-Colored Hidden Line on the lower abdomen. This seven-colored line grows along with the concentration of poison within the body. When it reaches the heart, the Calamity Poison Body will be at its strongest—and that will also be the moment it erupts."

"From what I have observed, Xiao Yi Xian, you have a fine Seven-Colored Hidden Line on your lower abdomen. Therefore, you possess the legendary Calamity Poison Body."

As Xiao Ling spoke, Xiao Yi Xian's body gradually stiffened, and the light in her eyes faded away.

Her eyes slowly moistened. A teardrop fell onto the stone floor, and soon Xiao Yi Xian's face was covered in tears as she continuously wiped away the glistening drops.

"I only wanted to be an ordinary physician. Why would heaven play such a cruel joke on me?" Xiao Yi Xian murmured through sobs.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, Xiao Yi Xian turned a hopeful gaze toward Xiao Ling. "Y-you are a Sixth-grade Alchemist, are you not? You are so skilled. Can you help me resolve the side effects of the Calamity Poison Body? As long as you can help me, I will do anything you want. Even if you want my body, I can give it to you."

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian on the verge of tears, Xiao Ling felt rather distressed as well. He hurriedly comforted her, "As far as I know, the side effects of the Calamity Poison Body can be resolved. The Calamity Poison Body has not awakened yet, and its side effects are matters for the future. Do not think too much about terrible possibilities and frighten yourself."