Missing Thoughts Literature

After eating their fill and sleeping soundly, the two set off again.

As they entered a valley, the Treasure Seeking Mouse suddenly squeaked frantically and excitedly on Yun Luo's shoulder.

Seeing its conflicted reaction for the first time, Yun Luo held it in her hands and took a step in the direction its nose pointed.

"This way?"

The Treasure Seeking Mouse couldn't speak human language, but it could understand it. Upon hearing her, it nodded vigorously, but then seemed to remember something and bristled.

"Perhaps it's a Heavenly Grade Spirit Plant," Pei Yanqing said.

Yun Luo's steps faltered.

A Heavenly Grade Spirit Plant would surely be guarded by a Demon Beast at the Spirit Transmutation stage or higher.

If the two of them were to retrieve it, Pei Yanqing might still have the ability to fight, but she would be a liability.

Before her strength was sufficient, staying alive was paramount.

"How about we just forget it? We've already obtained enough things anyway."

Besides, the Secret Realm only opened once every sixty years. Perhaps in sixty years, she would have the ability to venture into restricted areas alone.

Pei Yanqing understood her concerns and suddenly remembered the spiritual energy shield she had used in Xiaoyao Town.

He looked at the bell on her wrist: "What intensity of attack can this Magic Artifact of yours withstand?"

Yun Luo then remembered that three days had long passed, and the bell's energy had already recovered.

However, she kept a part of herself back: "At most, it can withstand a full-power strike from a Void Refining early-stage cultivator."

She had exaggerated the realm.

It wasn't that she intentionally deceived him, but they weren't that familiar with each other yet. She couldn't fully trust him based solely on their interactions during this period.

If Pei Yanqing intended to kill her for her treasures, he would also be wary of the Magic Artifact in her hand.

"That's enough."

Pei Yanqing didn't doubt her, only marveling that it was indeed the Hehuan Sect, so generous to its disciples.

"Do you want to try?" Yun Luo heard his implication.

He neither confirmed nor denied: "Yes. If you feel it's unsafe, I can carve out a Cave Abode for you. You can wait inside for me. If you also want to take a look, I believe your Magic Artifact is sufficient for self-defense. Even if we're outmatched, we can still escape in time."

Yun Luo hesitated for a long time, then decided to go and see.

Cultivation was inherently about seizing opportunities. If you didn't take a gamble, you couldn't grasp an opportunity even if it was placed right in front of you.

The two followed the Treasure Seeking Mouse's guidance deeper into the valley.

The valley grew narrower, and the light dimmed accordingly.

The air was damp, and the smell of decaying deadwood mixed with a fishy odor, making one nauseous.

Yun Luo's fingers remained on the bell, and she didn't even dare to breathe heavily.

They walked for several miles without encountering a single Demon Beast, which meant the beast guarding the treasure must be extremely ferocious.

Pei Yanqing slowed his pace, closing the distance between himself and Yun Luo.

"Stay close."

Yun Luo stepped forward two paces, almost sticking to his back.

Unfortunately, the timing was wrong; she couldn't muster any amorous thoughts.

After walking for another hour, there was almost no light in the valley.

Yun Luo couldn't see the ground clearly and could only hold onto Pei Yanqing's clothes as she walked.

He didn't stop, but through the fabric, she still felt his muscles tense for a moment.

"We're here."

After walking in the darkness for an unknown amount of time, Pei Yanqing suddenly stopped. The Chengying Sword in his hand emitted a cold, sharp light.

Yun Luo, unable to stop in time, bumped into him.

She rubbed her nose and looked past him into the distance.

Before them was a huge cave entrance, with a faint light emanating from within.

It wasn't strong, but it was enough to see the path underfoot.

Pei Yanqing probed the cave with his spiritual sense and, after a moment, encountered a barrier.

"There's a restriction inside the cave, likely set by that Demon Beast."

His tone carried a seriousness she hadn't heard before.

Since they had come this far, they naturally couldn't retreat without investigating.

Yun Luo jiggled the bell in her hand:

"Just keep the demon beasts busy, don't worry about me."

He nodded almost imperceptibly.

The two stepped into the cave entrance. Yun Luo discovered the light inside came from glowing ores embedded in the stone walls.

Chapter 32 Fortune Fruit (2/2)

During her free time, she occasionally read encyclopedias of the cultivation world, and immediately recognized the ores here as materials for refining Heaven Grade Spiritual Artifacts.

She even saw several pieces of Dragon Crystal Iron, and they were enormous.

Yun Luo's blood began to boil. If Pei Yanqing successfully defeated the demon beasts inside, all these things would be theirs. Even if she got just one-tenth, she'd be set for life.

"With so many shiny things, could there be a Jiaolong inside?"

Pure-blooded dragons were rare, but Jiaolong or snakes that cultivated to a certain level would deliberately imitate dragon habits and preferences to distinguish themselves from ordinary creatures.

"No."

Pei Yanqing suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed intently ahead.

Yun Luo followed his gaze and saw a giant spiderweb blocking the cave entrance before them.

A Demon Beast Spider.

Yun Luo's hair stood on end. She wasn't afraid of snakes, but she was terrified of spiders, cockroaches, and other crawling creatures. A demon beast that could make Pei Yanqing so alert was probably something she couldn't even fill its teeth with.

The Chengying Sword was drawn. After a flash of sword light, the spiderweb before them was cut into four pieces, falling to the ground and piling up high. Yun Luo could clearly feel that the force of the Chengying Sword this time was much heavier than when it sliced through those Nascent Soul demon beasts.

She approached the spiderweb and found its strands were pure white. After some thought, she collected it. Pei Yanqing didn't stop her, and the two continued deeper into the mountain cave.

The further they went, the narrower the cave became, forcing them to stoop even to pass. The spiderwebs also grew denser and tougher than those outside, now requiring two or three sword strikes to cut through. Yun Luo collected them all.

After walking two li deeper, the cave entrance had become so narrow that even breathing felt oppressive. After passing through a tight squeeze that only allowed one person to crawl through, the area suddenly opened up. They appeared in a massive cavern, their every breath echoing. Various ores adorned the stone walls, illuminating the cave almost as brightly as daylight.

Yun Luo took a deep breath but dared not covet these treasures, relying on the stone wall for support while constantly remaining alert to her surroundings. Her gaze swept inch by inch across the cave, finally landing on a glowing spirit plant halfway up the cavern wall. The spirit plant was barely half a person tall, but its thick roots clung to half the stone wall. Its leaves were star-shaped, and on them hung five white fruits shaped like infants, each as large as a palm.

"It's a Fortune Fruit."

Yun Luo exclaimed in a low voice. Fortune Fruit could extend lifespan. Depending on its quality and age, one fruit could add 200 to 1000 years to one's life. She focused her intent to observe the patterns on the fruit and found nine very faint golden lines on them.

"Heavenly Grade, Nine Ranks!"

The highest quality, capable of adding a thousand years to one's lifespan. Pei Yanqing saw it too. The Longevity Pills refined by alchemists, despite their painstaking effort and heavenly materials and earthly treasures, could only extend a lifespan by fifty years at most. Furthermore, a cultivator could only consume two Longevity Pills in their lifetime, extending their lifespan by a hundred years at most. Yet, one Fortune Fruit could extend a lifespan by a thousand years, buying cultivators more time to break through realms. Even Tribulation Crossing cultivators with lifespans exceeding twenty thousand years would likely fight tooth and nail for it.

Take it. They must take it. The Chengying Sword, in sync with its master's will, vibrated with excitement. Pei Yanqing leaped towards the spirit plant. Just as he was about to touch it, a thick strand of spider silk blocked his movement. A giant black spider gradually materialized, its massive body almost occupying the entire stone wall. Its body was pitch black, with only a white totem on its head resembling a human face. Its eight slender legs, the shortest of which were estimated to be twenty zhang long, made its body appear exceptionally small. No wonder they hadn't seen the demon beast at first; it turned out this spider could turn its body transparent.