Insights in the Grotto-Mansion

A strange energy flowed slowly through his bones, and an indescribable sense of power radiated from his marrow, eventually circulating to every part of his body.

"Haha, is this the seed of Origin Power?"

A look of wild joy surged in Lin Yiqing's eyes. In that instant, the entire world seemed to become clear and bright.

He could even feel a strange substance flowing through the surrounding air—the very same substance that had just been born as Origin Power within his own body.

The gates of the world were opening to him, and the pinnacle of martial arts was beckoning. Only now could he truly say he had embarked on the path of cultivation.

However, Lin Yiqing also discovered something peculiar about himself: his body was constantly surrounded by a large amount of Heaven and Earth Origin Qi.

No wonder my cultivation speed has always been so fast. It seems there is something different about my body!

Lin Yiqing was surprised to find that this Heaven and Earth Origin Qi was gently and autonomously passing through his pores, nourishing his body even without his conscious effort.

"Congratulations, Cousin Yiqing."

Lin Yun had already noticed when Lin Yiqing broke through to the sixth stage of the Body Tempering Realm, and he couldn't help but step forward with a smile to offer his congratulations.

Watching Lin Yiqing break through with his own eyes filled him with envy, but he also understood that his own combat talent was simply incomparable to the other's.

"Haha, just good luck, that's all. Let's keep moving; the inner chamber of the cave dwelling should be just ahead."

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Lin Yiqing looked toward the depths of the cave. Both of them felt a surge of anticipation. What lay ahead was the true prize; even if it were only the remnants left by an Earth Origin Realm expert, it would be a significant opportunity for the two of them.

With that said, they continued forward. The center of this natural cave hall was filled with strange, jagged rock formations that possessed a unique elegance, though the surroundings were permeated with a chilling, uncomfortable aura.

It seems this is the Yin Sha Qi.

Activating his Origin Qi Vision, Lin Yiqing could clearly see wisps of thin, grayish-white mist permeating the air of the cave. He couldn't help but think to himself.

"These frigid auras are the Yin Sha Qi required by Earth Origin Realm experts. It's quite thin here, though; otherwise, we might consider using it when we reach that realm."

Perhaps because they were about to reap their rewards, Lin Yun appeared quite excited and busily explained it to Lin Yiqing.

In this world, Yin Sha Qi and Yang Gang Qi are divided into nine grades, with the first being the lowest and the ninth the highest.

Most Earth Origin Realm experts absorb Yin Sha Qi of only the second or third grade. The Yin Sha Qi in this cave was not dense at all; it might not even reach the first grade.

Seeing Lin Yiqing's interest, Lin Yun added, "I've heard that dense Yin Sha Qi can even condense into Yin Beads, though few have ever seen one, and no one knows if it's true."

He had heard this by chance, and Lin Yiqing smiled slightly upon hearing it, remarking only that it sounded miraculous.

In truth, he knew quite a bit about these things himself, but there was no need to say everything out loud; otherwise, it would seem a bit like showing off.

As soon as they passed through the natural cave hall, a strange fragrance wafted over, smelling like orchids and musk, which made Lin Yiqing feel his internal Origin Power circulating a bit faster.

"Could it be a high-grade spirit herb?"

The two exchanged glances, both seeing the pleasant surprise in the other's eyes. It seemed this trip would indeed be highly rewarding.

With the Green Water Snake dealt with, there were no more obstacles ahead. The two relaxed their guard slightly and followed the direction of the fragrance to search.

"Hiss... could this be the fourth-grade spirit herb, the White Jade Snake Orchid?"

Before long, Lin Yiqing and his companion discovered the spirit herb in a corner on the left side of the cave.

It was a white jade-colored orchid with golden threads on its leaves that resembled snake patterns. As a light breeze blew, the swaying herb scattered specks of spiritual light.

White Jade Snake Orchids generally grow in extremely cold places, and they are invariably guarded by snake-type demonic beasts, making them exceptionally rare.

Years ago, someone had sold one of these, causing a massive stir in Qingyang Town. Lin Yun had only heard of it, which was how he recognized it.

"Strange, the Green Water Snake was so heavily injured; why didn't it consume this to heal itself?"

Lin Yiqing was quite puzzled. If nothing else, the guardian beast of this White Jade Snake Orchid had to be the very Green Water Snake that had died at their hands.

"The Green Water Snake was likely waiting for it to fully mature. Look, Cousin Yiqing, this White Jade Snake Orchid hasn't fully ripened yet. With its current medicinal potency, it's probably only slightly better than a third-grade herb. If the snake had chosen to swallow it now, it wouldn't have had a significant effect on its injuries."

Following Lin Yun's gesture, Lin Yiqing looked at the base of the White Jade Snake Orchid. Its stem was still green, appearing quite discordant with the white jade color of the leaf tips.

"It's a pity we can't wait for this White Jade Snake Orchid to mature."

With a soft sigh, Lin Yun stepped forward to harvest it. He took a wooden box from the animal-hide satchel on his back and gently placed the White Jade Snake Orchid inside.

Spirit herbs are good, but waiting for them to mature might invite other complications. To prevent any unforeseen trouble, it was better to harvest it now; an opportunity only counts as an opportunity once it is in your hands.

"Cousin Yiqing, I owe you for saving me earlier. You should take this spirit herb."

With that, Lin Yun shoved the box containing the White Jade Snake Orchid into Lin Yiqing's hands.

Lin Yiqing was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening and hurriedly waved his hands. Although the spirit herb was valuable, it was the result of their joint effort, and they still didn't know what else might be left in the cave.

Perhaps this White Jade Snake Orchid was the greatest harvest of the trip; how could he take it all for himself?

"Haha, just take it. If we see something better later, you can just let me choose first."

Lin Yun laughed with great generosity. He was already very happy to have such a harvest before even entering the main inner chamber.

Because of this, he couldn't help but feel even more expectant about what might be inside.

"Alright then, many thanks, Cousin Lin Yun."

Lin Yiqing was not one to be coy, so he reached out to take the wooden box and tucked it into his pack. He was indeed in great need of cultivation resources right now.

Reaching the end of the natural cave hall, they saw an intricately carved stone door embedded in the rock wall. The door was engraved with several types of flowers, appearing quite elegant; it seemed the owner of the cave was a person of refined taste.

"This could even be considered a work of art," Lin Yiqing couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"There must be some kind of mechanism near the stone door; let's look for it."

With that, Lin Yun began to grope around the side. Having encountered no traps along the way, it was clear that the master of this cave dwelling was likely a person of good character.

Lin Yiqing carefully examined his surroundings, and soon spotted a palm-sized lion head carved into the rock beside him.

He pressed it gently, and unexpectedly, with a loud "rumble," the stone door to the inner chamber swung open. Seeing this, both of them were pleasantly surprised.

Inside the inner chamber, a skeleton draped in black robes sat upright on a central stone chair. Even in death, it still possessed an extraordinary aura.

To the right of the stone chair, a blood-colored spear was thrust into the ground. The shaft was long and well-proportioned, while the spearhead at the joint was forged into a ferocious shape; the head of an unknown beast spat out the spear tip, with barbs cast along both sides and multiple blood grooves carved into the blade. It was enough to make one shudder—this was clearly a weapon of slaughter.

"Cousin Lin Yun, how about this spear goes to you?"

The moment the door opened, Lin Yun's eyes had been locked firmly onto the spear.

Seeing this, Lin Yiqing couldn't help but smile. Since he had already taken the White Jade Snake Orchid, he might as well give this weapon to Lin Yun. After all, he knew that beyond these ordinary weapons, there existed even more powerful spiritual treasures.

"Whew, then many thanks, Cousin Yiqing. I truly like this spear very much."

Hearing Lin Yiqing's words, Lin Yun finally snapped out of his daze. He stepped forward to pull the spear from the ground, and as he swung it, the blade sliced through the air with a sharp, whistling sound.

Looking around, the two of them felt a bit awkward. Aside from this spear, there was absolutely nothing else in the entire stone chamber.

"Cousin Yiqing, this..."

Lin Yun scratched his head, truly at a loss for words. He was the one who had invited Yiqing, and he had relied on him to slay the demonic beast, yet it seemed he was the one walking away with the greatest benefit.

Just then, Lin Yiqing caught sight of a palm-sized cyan cloth bag hanging from the waist of the skeleton on the stone chair. He suddenly remembered a description from a book he had read in his past life.

"Could this be a Universe Bag?"