" Flash-Freezing Grass!"
Xiao Yan stared excitedly at the ice-blue grass plant that was currently floating in mid-air in front of him, his dark eyes filled with surprise.
The herb, known as Flash-Freezing Grass, lives up to its name, possessing an extremely terrifying icy aura. Its medicinal properties are inherently yin and cold, capable of withstanding prolonged tempering by most flames. It can be said that Flash-Freezing Grass is one of the few herbs that can be used to suppress flames.
However, right now, the Flash-Freezing Grass is one of the last two medicinal materials that Xiao Yan needs to refine the Ice Spirit Pill!
"It's truly a case of 'searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly!' I searched for you so hard before, but now that I've saved them, you've appeared right here!"
Staring intently at the Flash-Freezing Grass before him, Xiao Yan couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration. Then, amidst the astonished gazes of the two people beside him, he carefully placed the Flash-Freezing Grass into a jade box and then put it into his Storage Ring.
Although he didn't find the Soul-Congealing Fruit, the Flash-Freezing Grass was still a pleasant surprise for Xiao Yan at this moment.
Since entering the ruins, Xiao Yan had a vague premonition that this trip to the Ancient Ruins would bring him considerable gains. The Spirit Stone filling the stone chamber were just the beginning, and even the Flash-Freezing Grass was only a part of the total harvest. He was sure that even greater surprises awaited him later!
Thinking of this, the burning desire in Xiao Yan's eyes intensified, but soon, a wave of weakness emanating from his body pulled Xiao Yan back to reality.
Indeed, no matter how wonderful his imagination was, he was currently in a weak state, and his fighting Dou Qi had not yet recovered, let alone imagine any greater gains.
"Well..."
With a helpless sigh, Xiao Yan, in front of the two elders, did not stand on ceremony and directly put the snow-white Storage Ring on his hand.
After the initial exploration, it was discovered that the Storage Ring contained mostly medicinal herbs, aside from a small number of various rare stones. Since the two old men before him were clearly not alchemists, and they were just sitting there anyway, Xiao Yan figured he might as well keep them himself.
The two elders naturally had their own thoughts on this matter, otherwise they wouldn't have so readily given the Storage Ring to Xiao Yan. However, when Xiao Yan looked up, he saw a different look in the old eyes of the two men. Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled inwardly.
Although they said it didn't matter, these things were the result of their efforts, and now that Xiao Yan had taken them all, they were still a little reluctant to part with them.
With a slight flick of his eyeballs, Xiao Yan smiled immediately. Without any hesitation, he turned his fair wrist slightly, and a golden light flashed from the Storage Ring on his finger. Then, two exquisite jade bottles appeared in Xiao Yan's hand.
The moment the jade bottle appeared in Xiao Yan's hand, the expressions on the faces of the two old men in front of him couldn't help but change slightly, and even their breathing became slightly rapid.
"Hehe, since I did accept your gifts, consider these pills as some compensation. There are six third-tier pills in each of these two jade bottles; please accept them."
Xiao Yan flicked his finger, and the two suspended jade bottles flew towards the two old men respectively.
Seeing this, the two quickly reached out and carefully took the two jade bottles into their hands. These were six third-tier pills! Xiao Yan could treat them so casually, but they couldn't bear to part with them.
Upon receiving the jade bottle, the two immediately opened it, taking a deep breath of the rich fragrance of the elixir. Their faces instantly lit up with excitement, and their eyes shone with intense emotion.
These six pills are not only third-tier pills, but their quality is also top-notch among all third-tier pills. If these third-tier pills were put up for auction, even some Dou Di experts would probably be tempted to make a move.
After all, even among pills of the same grade, the potency varies greatly depending on their quality.
Generally speaking, even two types of pills of the same type, their quality will determine their value. In fact, some high-quality third-tier pills can outperform some low-quality fourth-tier pills.
In the world of elixirs, sometimes the quality of the elixir is the key to its value. Even a high-grade elixir will be greatly diminished in value if it lacks good quality. The six third-grade elixirs that Xiao Yan has given to these two old men are undoubtedly of above-average quality among third-grade elixirs, which is why they are so excited.
Coming to their senses, the two elders noticed the strange look Xiao Yan was giving them. They couldn't help but laugh awkwardly, quickly composed themselves, exchanged a glance, and then rose to their feet, respectfully bowing to Xiao Yan as juniors, and saying respectfully:
"We two old men are deeply grateful for Mr. Xiao Yan's great kindness!"
Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan's pale face showed a slight pause, then he quickly waved his hand, stood up, and shook his head, saying:
"Why do you two seniors bow so deeply to me? No matter what, I am just a junior in your presence. I am truly unworthy of such treatment!"
"Mr. Xiao Yan is too kind. In the Origin Martial Continent, strength is paramount. Anyone with sufficient strength is considered a senior. As the saying goes, those who have reached the pinnacle are respected. Mr. Xiao Yan's strength is extraordinary, so he naturally deserves our bow!"
As they spoke, their bends towards Xiao Yan deepened. Seeing this, Xiao Yan knew that it was impossible for him to stop them. After all, they were both Dou Di experts, and he was not in his best condition at the moment. How could he stop them from doing what they wanted?
Left with no other choice, Xiao Yan Xiao Yan silently accepted their gifts. Then, he glanced outside the stone chamber and couldn't help but frown slightly. Just now, he seemed to have vaguely sensed a pair of strange eyes watching him, but only for a fleeting moment. This prevented Xiao Yan from pinpointing the source of the gaze, and he could only assume he was overthinking it. After all, Xiao Yan was in extremely poor condition and could hardly use his Spiritual Strength to investigate; it wasn't surprising that he might have misjudged something.
Helplessly withdrawing his gaze, Xiao Yan then looked at the two old men in front of him again. The two men had just stood up. Seeing that there was nothing unusual on their faces, Xiao Yan confirmed his thoughts. Since even these two Dou Di experts hadn't noticed anything amiss, he must have been mistaken.
"Hehe, Mr. Xiao Yan is truly an outstanding individual. He is so accomplished at such a young age; his future achievements are likely to be extraordinary!"
The three sat down again. Among the two elders, one dressed in a blue robe couldn't help but cup his hands in greeting to Xiao Yan, speaking in a half-flattering tone.
As the old man in blue robes finished laughing, another old man beside him also cupped his hands and said with a forced smile. The two of them looked at Xiao Yan with utmost respect.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. He had indeed displayed domineering power in the previous battle, but what good was that? At this moment, he was still completely disheveled.
"Hehe, you two don't need to make fun of me. If it weren't for you two by my side today, those guys outside would probably have already rushed in and attacked me."
"Mr. Xiao Yan, you're joking. With your puppet, let alone a few mere Half-Emperor, even Dou Di expert wouldn't be able to get close to you!"
The old man chuckled, his gaze involuntarily glancing at the Northern King standing beside the three. His unparalleled metallic aura, with its slowly flowing purple-gold light, and his icy presence seemed to keep everyone at a distance. Even though the two of them were both Dou Di powerhouses, they still felt an immense sense of unease in the face of the Northern King. This was a feeling that the three black-robed elders combined could not give them.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled noncommittally, not dwelling on the matter further. The two elders clearly understood this as well, exchanging a smile before chuckling and changing the subject.
"Hehe, I wonder what Mr. Xiao Yan's plans are next?"
This time, the old man in blue robes hit the nail on the head. As soon as he said this, Xiao Yan's pale face immediately turned serious.
Upon seeing this, the playful expressions on their faces vanished instantly, and they dared not be careless.
"Do you two know where exactly the Soul-Congealing Fruit is located within these ruins?"
After a long silence, Xiao Yan finally asked the two old men in front of him in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, the two elders frowned slightly. The elder in the blue robe lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a frown.
" The Soul-Congealing Fruit is far too precious. If Mr. Xiao Yan wants to find it in this outer area, it won't be easy!"
"Outer perimeter?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling surprised. He had heard the names people used for their current location along the way. The stone chambers and passages they were in seemed to be the outermost part of the entire ruins. He wondered what kind of scenery lay deep within the ruins.
"Yes, we are only on the outskirts of these ruins."
The old man in blue robes nodded and said.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but rub his chin with two fingers, pondering something in his heart. At the same time, the blue-robed elder spoke again, saying:
"As far as I know, this entire ruin is divided into three layers. Of course, this is the common layering of most ruins. The first layer is the outermost layer, which is where we are now. The things on the outermost layer are the cheapest items in the entire ruin. I believe Mr. Xiao Yan understands this without me having to say more."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded again and continued listening to the old man's story.
"The outer perimeter of this ruin is called the Boulder Hall. The most valuable items inside would at most interest a Three-Star Dou Di, which is why my brother and I are staying here."
At this point, an embarrassed look appeared on the old man's face, and the old man beside him couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly. Then, the old man continued:
"In the middle layer of this ruin lies what is said to be an Ancient Forest, where the true treasures reside. After all, this Ancient Forest has existed for countless years, and the magical beasts within it are generally at the Dou Di level. It is the graveyard of all Half-Emperor level experts, and it also divides the entire ruin into different levels, with no distinction whatsoever."
Hearing the old man's words of lament, Xiao Yan couldn't help but nod in agreement, feeling the same way. But that was just how the rules were on this continent: whoever had the bigger fist had the right to speak. This place was forever a world full of barbarity and tyranny.
To survive and thrive here, one needs not only terrifying cultivation talent, but also various opportunities. In places like this ruin, the strong remain entrenched and will always be the strong. Although the weak may gain small advantages, in their eyes, the weak will always be weak, incapable of entering the depths of the ruin, and equally unqualified to do so!
So-called ability is the fist used to defeat them, and so-called qualification is defeating them!
"As for the depths of the ruins, the situation there remains unknown. After all, even among those who initially ventured into the ruins, very few managed to emerge alive from the middle levels..."
At the end of his sentence, the old man in blue robes frowned and shook his head. As for the depths of this ruin, not only he, but probably even the people of the Four Great Clans didn't know much about it.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but frown. Although the blue-robed elder had given a general explanation of the layout of the ruins, Xiao Yan still hadn't gotten the answer he most wanted: the whereabouts of the Soul-Congealing Fruit...
Right now, if Xiao Yan himself were to explain the whereabouts of the Soul-Congealing Fruit, then perhaps the only explanation would be the middle level of this ruin, or even deeper within the ruin itself.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan's heart sank slightly. If the Soul-Congealing Fruit was deep within these ruins, then he would inevitably have to confront the people of the Four Great Clans head-on!
If this were during Xiao Yan's prime, he might actually have been able to put up a fight with them, but right now...
"Well..."
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh again. Just then, the other old man in the gray robe hesitated for a moment before frowning at Xiao Yan and saying:
"Mr. Xiao Yan, perhaps I know the location of the Soul-Congealing Fruit."