Dividing the Spoils—Was Someone Lying in Wait to Reap the Benefits?

"These Stone Boxes are all locked. Let's look for the keys first."

Xiao Yi Xian followed Xiao Lei to the stone table. Seeing the metal locks on the Stone Boxes, her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she spoke.

Xiao Lei nodded faintly and pretended to scan the cave. In the end, his gaze settled on the skeleton.

Three black keys hung from the skeleton's palm.

Xiao Lei stepped forward, grabbed the keys, and gave them a gentle tug, pulling all three into his hand. At the same time, he removed the tiny scroll lodged between the bones.

"What's that?" Xiao Yi Xian noticed Xiao Lei's movements as well and looked curiously at the scroll.

Xiao Lei opened the scroll and took a look. "A fragment of a map."

As he spoke, Xiao Lei casually handed the scroll to Xiao Yi Xian, then used the keys to open the three Stone Boxes.

After several attempts, he successfully opened all three Stone Boxes.

Inside each of the three Stone Boxes lay an ancient scroll.

"The Seven-Colored Poison Manual, a Profound High-Rank Flying Dou Technique: Eagle Wings, and a Profound High-Rank Dou Technique: Furious Lion's Roar."

The two opened the three scrolls one after another and saw their contents clearly.

"You got to choose the medicinal herbs first. This time, it should be my turn to choose first, right?"

When Xiao Yi Xian saw the Seven-Colored Poison Manual, a glint appeared in her eyes. She spoke to Xiao Lei beside her.

Xiao Lei smiled. "What do you want to choose?"

"I choose the Seven-Colored Poison Manual. Because of my innate attribute, I can't become an alchemist, so I can only rely on things like this."

A trace of gloom flashed across Xiao Yi Xian's face. Then she stared at Xiao Lei and said, "The other two Dou Technique scrolls and that fragment of a map can all go to you. Do you agree?"

Although Xiao Yi Xian was also very tempted by the Flying Dou Technique, for the sake of the Seven-Colored Poison Manual, she could only reluctantly give it up.

She had not greedily considered taking both the Flying Dou Technique and the Seven-Colored Poison Manual for herself.

"That works, but I want to read through the Seven-Colored Poison Manual first. You can likewise look through the contents of the other two Dou Techniques," Xiao Lei said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Thank you." Hearing Xiao Lei agree, Xiao Yi Xian breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him gratefully.

"You're welcome. I'll take a look at the Seven-Colored Poison Manual first. If you're worried, you can hold on to the other two scrolls for now."

Xiao Lei smiled, directly took out the Seven-Colored Poison Manual scroll, spread it open, and began reading it carefully.

After reading through it once, he had already committed its contents firmly to memory and began trying to comprehend it.

You began comprehending the Seven-Colored Poison Manual. With the support of Heaven-Defying Comprehension, you quickly mastered it completely, gaining numerous methods of concocting poisons, detoxifying poisons, and increasing your strength by consuming poison.

You detected the flaws in this method and attempted to improve it, beginning an in-depth study.

You attained enlightenment. Based on the contents and characteristics of the Seven-Colored Poison Manual, as well as the essence of the various Dou Qi Cultivation Methods you had mastered, you deduced and created a new cultivation method: the Myriad Manifestations Poison Manual!

In addition to the characteristics of the Seven-Colored Poison Manual, it could directly refine and absorb all poisons in the world to increase cultivation, even absorb the poison within others for one's own use, and imbue Dou Qi with intensely poisonous properties!

Not bad!

A quarter of an hour later, Xiao Lei exhaled a breath of stale air and closed the Seven-Colored Poison Manual scroll again, feeling quite satisfied.

"Here you go." After finishing his comprehension, Xiao Lei did not go back on his word and directly handed the scroll to Xiao Yi Xian.

"Thank you." Xiao Yi Xian thanked him again and reached out to take the Seven-Colored Poison Manual scroll.

Xiao Lei smiled. "You should be at ease now, right? Can you put away what you have in your hand?"

Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face froze slightly, then a hint of embarrassment appeared.

When she opened her jade-like hand, a small pouch of green powder was visible in her palm.

"I..." Caught red-handed by Xiao Lei, Xiao Yi Xian's face reddened as she stammered, not knowing what to say.

"Forget it. You're a girl, coming alone with me in the middle of the night to search for treasure. It's only normal to keep some precautions," Xiao Lei said with a shrug and a smile.

"But rest assured. I may not be a good person, but I won't do something like burning the bridge after crossing it."

"Thank you." Xiao Yi Xian thanked him again and hurriedly put away the green powder in her hand. Then she handed the other two scrolls to Xiao Lei. "These are yours."

Xiao Lei did not stand on ceremony. He directly accepted the two scrolls and put them away for the time being, then said to Xiao Yi Xian,

"Next, we should dig up the medicinal herbs. Of those herbs, I only want the Ice Spirit Flame Grass. The rest are all yours. As for the Gold Coins, take however many you want, and I'll take all that remain. How about it?"

Xiao Yi Xian said, "You can have all the Gold Coins. I can't carry them anyway."

After saying that, Xiao Yi Xian took out a medicinal shovel and began digging up the herbs.

While Xiao Yi Xian dug up the herbs, Xiao Lei first collected all the Gold Coins. Then, standing nearby, he began comprehending the two Dou Techniques, Eagle Wings and Furious Lion's Roar.

With the support of Heaven-Defying Comprehension, Xiao Lei quickly mastered both Dou Techniques proficiently.

The Flying Dou Technique Eagle Wings, as its name implied, allowed one to fly through the sky.

Normally, only those whose cultivation had reached the Dou Ling realm could fly over short distances.

After one's strength reached Dou Wang or Dou Emperor, one could use released Dou Qi to condense Dou Qi Wings behind one's back and soar into the clouds.

But after cultivating Eagle Wings, even a Dou Zhe could condense a pair of wings behind their back and fly through the air.

In comparison, Furious Lion's Roar was much more ordinary. Xiao Lei merely studied it casually before setting it aside.

Before long, Xiao Yi Xian had finished digging up all the herbs within the Stone Chamber.

"Here, your Ice Spirit Flame Grass." Xiao Yi Xian held more than ten small bottles in her arms. She took out one jade bottle and handed it to Xiao Lei.

"Thanks." Xiao Lei thanked her and stored the jade bottle containing the Ice Spirit Flame Grass in the System Space.

Xiao Yi Xian put all the other jade bottles into her clothes. In an instant, her slender willow waist became much fuller.

"Let's go. We're heading back." Xiao Lei gave Xiao Yi Xian's waist a teasing glance and smiled.

Xiao Yi Xian nodded, having no objection.

"Hm?" Xiao Lei had just taken a step when he suddenly stopped, an amused smile appearing on his face.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Yi Xian asked, puzzled.

"Someone's here," Xiao Lei said.

"What?" Xiao Yi Xian's expression immediately changed. Then she shook her head. "Impossible. No one else knows about this place!"

"But someone really has come, and there are quite a few of them." Xiao Lei looked at Xiao Yi Xian and spoke calmly.

"You suspect I called them here?" Anger appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face. "If I wanted to harm you, why would I wait until now?"

"I never said that." Xiao Lei shrugged. "Stay alert. They're coming in."

Hearing Xiao Lei's words, Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly turned her gaze toward the stone door. Sure enough, she heard the footsteps growing louder and louder.

"Hehe, Xiao Yi Xian, thank you for leading the way. It seems the information I received was indeed correct!"

As the footsteps drew closer, a somewhat smug voice slowly rang out.