The Map Fragment Secured-What Are You Doing Here?

With Little Gold there, Xiao Chen and Xiao Yan reached the cave entrance below without any obstacles along the way.

The Rock Snake did not appear either.

As they walked through the quiet, dark cave, a faint chill wreathed Xiao Yan.

Only their soft footsteps sounded in the silent passage.

At last, they arrived before a stone door giving off a faint yellow glow.

"Ancestor, there's no way forward," Xiao Yan said, scratching his head.

Xiao Chen shook his head at that. "Our destination is right behind this stone door."

Xiao Yan stepped forward and ran his palm over the stone door, testing its thickness. He asked hesitantly, "It's very thick. Should we break through by force?"

"No need. This is a mechanical contrivance. With a little care, opening it won't be difficult." Xiao Chen stepped forward, touched the stone door, and slowly moved his hand over it.

"A mechanical contrivance?" Xiao Yan looked over curiously.

"It's this."

Xiao Chen touched a small protrusion beneath the stone door and pressed down gently with his finger. A series of creaks slowly echoed through the cave.

Watching the stone door gradually rise, Xiao Yan's face filled with wonder.

Looking into the brightly lit space beyond the door, Xiao Chen smiled faintly and strode straight inside.

He had read this part of the story more than a dozen times and truly knew it by heart.

Experiencing it firsthand really was something different.

Seeing his ancestor step inside, Xiao Yan followed close behind.

As the two stepped through the stone doorway, the view before them abruptly opened up.

Beyond the stone door lay an enormous stone chamber.

The chamber looked rather plain and empty.

Moonlight Stones used for illumination were embedded in its walls.

At the center of the chamber stood a chair.

A skeleton sat upon it.

Its sunken skull had fallen onto its ghastly white thighbones.

In the quiet atmosphere, the sight looked rather sinister.

Xiao Chen's gaze immediately landed in front of the chair.

There stood a broad, long Bluestone Platform.

Three locked Stone Boxes rested on the Bluestone Platform.

Xiao Yan's gaze instead moved toward three corners of the chamber.

Piles of glittering gold coins and other rare valuables lay there.

At least several hundred thousand!

Of course, Xiao Yan had no shortage of treasure or money.

So he shifted his gaze away from the glittering gold and settled on the final corner.

There was a small flower bed.

All sorts of flowers and herbs grew within it.

An unusual fragrance slowly drifted over.

"Ice Spirit Flame Grass!"

Xiao Yan immediately spotted what he had yearned for day and night.

The herb's leaves were divided into white and red, and tiny ice-crystal-like specks covered its white stem.

Its fiery red crown, meanwhile, looked like a blazing flame.

A faint mist wreathed the plant, making it look rather as though it stood amid clouds and fog.

His face flushed with excitement as he stared fixedly at the medicinal herb, a look of elation spreading across his features.

"Pack up all these herbs and take them with us," Xiao Chen instructed.

With that, he walked toward the skeleton behind the stone table.

Three black keys hung from the skeleton's hand.

Rubbing his hands together, Xiao Chen took the three keys, then put the skeleton, chair and all, straight into his purple-gold bracelet.

The map fragment was secured!

Tossing the black keys in his hand, Xiao Chen flashed a toothy grin and turned toward the three Stone Boxes on the stone table.

Soon, the first Stone Box was open.

Inside lay an ancient-looking, multicolored scroll.

"Ancestor, what's this?" Xiao Yan asked, leaning over curiously.

"A Poison Scripture that records how to concoct poisons," Xiao Chen said with a faint smile.

"A Poison Scripture?"

Xiao Yan raised his brows in surprise. Looking at the small characters written along the side of the seven-colored scroll, he said, "The Seven-Colored Poison Scripture? Something devoted to concocting poisons really exists? Could the person who left these things behind have been a physician too?"

On the Dou Qi Continent, generally only physicians made poisons to defend themselves.

People on the continent generally called such people poison masters.

"Perhaps."

As he spoke, the second Stone Box opened too.

"Another scroll?" Xiao Yan's brows rose at the sight of the Black Scroll.

Xiao Chen reached out, took the Black Scroll from the box, and looked it over before tossing it to Xiao Yan. "Congratulations, brat. You can fly now."

"Advanced Profound Tier Flying Dou Technique: Eagle Wings?"

Xiao Yan's eyes slowly widened, and he cried out in astonishment, "It's actually one of the rarest Flying Dou Techniques?"

As everyone knew, on the Dou Qi Continent, one needed to be at least a Dou Ling to leave the ground and fly.

Yet even a Dou Ling expert could only fly short distances.

Only a Dou Wang or a Dou Huang expert could form energy wings on their back and soar freely through the sky.

This was what was known as turning Dou Qi into wings.

Flight was a temptation enough to set many hearts racing.

Holding the somewhat heavy Black Scroll, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled.

Just then, Xiao Chen opened the final box.

His gaze sharpened when he saw what lay inside.

Rather than the single fire-attribute scroll he had imagined, there were actually two crimson scrolls inside!

Xiao Chen picked up one and opened it.

"Advanced Profound Tier Dou Technique: Mad Lion's Roar."

It was an offensive Dou Technique enhanced by sound waves.

"Take it and practice."

Xiao Chen was not surprised by this.

After tossing it to Xiao Yan, he looked at the other scroll.

"Early Earth Tier cultivation method: Purple Extremity Flame Sun Art!"

Seeing that it was an Early Earth Tier cultivation method, Xiao Chen nodded thoughtfully.

According to the book, this third box had been snatched away by Qingshan Town's Wolf Head Mercenary Group.

Later, Mu She, the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, had used the Advanced Profound Tier Dou Technique, Mad Lion's Roar.

Everyone had assumed that the box contained only that Advanced Profound Tier Dou Technique.

Now it seemed that the person had not merely left behind a Dou Technique, but had also passed down the cultivation method he practiced.

But an Early Earth Tier cultivation method...

Neither Xiao Chen nor Xiao Yan thought much of it now.

Just then, Xiao Yan suddenly froze before swiftly turning around to look toward the stone doorway, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Ancestor, it seems someone's coming."

"Someone's coming?" Xiao Chen turned his head, his expression calm.

"Who could it be?" He was curious too.

By all rights, no one should have discovered this place yet.

The two waited quietly.

Soon, the footsteps outside grew louder and louder.

"Heh, I heard something over here. There really is a whole hidden world inside!"

The next instant, more than a dozen figures slowly emerged from the darkness outside the doorway.

A soft, smug laugh rang out through the stone chamber.

"You're... Mu Li?"

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Xiao Chen swept his gaze over the young man in the lead before finally settling on a badge on his chest.

A one-eyed wolf's head was carved into the badge.

"That's right. It seems you know who this young master is."

As he spoke, Mu Li first swept his gaze over the piles of glittering gold coins inside the chamber, a trace of greed flashing through his eyes.

Then he licked his lips and glanced at the Stone Boxes Xiao Chen had already opened, smiling as he said, "Sorry to disturb you two."

"No, what are you doing here?"

Xiao Chen looked at the young man before him with a strange look in his eyes.