Chapter 26: What A Fortune

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: What A Fortune

The sound of water breaking echoed throughout the quiet ice cave.

Yizhou’s figure disappeared beneath the surface of the lake, leaving behind only ripples that slowly spread across the previously calm water before gradually returning to silence.

Inside the water, just as expected, Yizhou could feel his spiritual qi being absorbed at a much faster rate. However, he ignored the discomfort and focused on finding the place Sui Sui had mentioned.

After swimming deeper into the lake, he noticed that the crystal-like stones around him became increasingly dense.

At this location, the rate at which his spiritual qi was being drained became even more intense, confirming that this was most likely where the Ice Elemental Spirit was hidden.

Yizhou took out his sword from its sheath. Since his spiritual qi was constantly being absorbed, he could only rely on his physical strength to break through the layers of crystal surrounding the Ice Elemental Spirit.

As time passed, his condition continued to worsen. However, he did not stop. If he gave up now, he might never get another chance, because according to Sui Sui, the exit would only appear after obtaining the Ice Elemental Spirit.

After spending a great deal of effort, Yizhou finally managed to break through the outer layer of crystals. However, his sword, which had accompanied him through two lifetimes, had already become damaged from repeatedly striking against the tough material.

Seeing that his sword was no longer useful, Yizhou threw it aside and continued using his hands instead. His fingers quickly became injured from the forceful strikes, with blood slowly mixing into the surrounding water, but he did not stop.

Suddenly, perhaps due to his overwhelming determination, a faint trace of spiritual qi gathered at his fingertips. Seeing this, Yizhou immediately seized the opportunity and formed a hand seal.

The moment the spell was released, the remaining crystals surrounding the Ice Elemental Spirit were blasted apart. However, the moment he used his spiritual qi, the force absorbing his energy became even stronger, as if the object inside was desperately trying to prevent him from reaching it.

But it was already too late.

With the surrounding crystals destroyed, Yizhou could finally see the true appearance of the treasure hidden inside. A small crystal no larger than a fingernail floated in the center, emitting a light far brighter than the surrounding icy stones.

Yizhou immediately swam forward and reached out his hand. The moment his fingers touched the Ice Elemental Spirit, he felt a strong rejection from the object, as if it refused to acknowledge him.

However, thankfully, the force absorbing his spiritual qi disappeared at that moment. It seemed that the energy-draining phenomenon was not the lake itself, but a defensive mechanism created by the Ice Elemental Spirit to repel intruders.

Yizhou placed the Ice Elemental Spirit inside a jade bottle before storing it safely inside his spatial ring. The moment the crystal was removed, the entire lake began to tremble.

A loud rumbling echoed through the cave, followed by the sound of something slowly opening. Seeing this, Yizhou finally let out a breath of relief.

It seemed that the little fool had not lied to him.

Just as Yizhou was about to swim toward the newly opened passage, he suddenly remembered another thing Sui Sui had mentioned.

He turned back and returned to the place where he had found the Ice Elemental Spirit. After gathering his remaining strength, he cast another spell and shattered the layer of crystals behind it.

Behind the broken crystals was a smooth surface that looked almost like a mirror. Yizhou placed his hand against it, and instead of meeting resistance, his hand passed straight through.

There was another space behind this surface.

Without hesitation, Yizhou stepped inside. If Sui Sui’s information was correct, then beyond this hidden entrance should be the place containing high quality magic herbs.

After passing through the mirror-like entrance, Yizhou found himself within another lake. At first glance, the surroundings were almost identical to the place he had just left, yet there was a subtle difference.

The moment he entered, the spiritual qi he had exhausted began to recover at a steady pace. A rich and pure spiritual aura permeated the water, flowing into his body with every breath.

This lake was far more extraordinary than the previous one, containing a vast amount of spiritual energy. Could this be spirit water?

Spirit water was an extremely precious treasure. It could replenish spiritual energy, nourish the growth of spiritual herbs, improve the quality of pills, and serve countless other purposes. Even a small amount was enough to drive cultivators into a frenzy.

At that moment, however, Yizhou felt a strange force gently pulling him upward, as though something above was silently guiding him.

Following that sensation, he swam toward the surface until he finally broke through the water. Droplets slid from his hair as he lifted his gaze, only to discover that although this cave looked almost identical to the one below, there was one striking difference.

The crystal formations lining the cave walls were no longer ordinary icy crystals. Every single one had transformed into spirit stones, their translucent surfaces shimmering with dense spiritual qi.

They stretched throughout the cavern in countless numbers, illuminating the surroundings with a faint glow. Judging from the sheer size of the cave, the amount of spirit stones hidden here was beyond imagination.

It was practically a gold mine.

Yizhou’s eyes narrowed slightly. Even with his calm temperament, he could not help but admit that he had truly stumbled upon an extraordinary fortune.

Spirit stones were among the most precious cultivation resources in Tianqiong. They are formed naturally over countless years, they contain dense spiritual qi that cultivators could directly absorb to aid their cultivation.

Throughout the entire Human Realm, there were fewer than ten spirit stone mines, each firmly controlled by one of the major powers.

Yet here, an entire cave was filled with them.

No wonder the spiritual qi in this place was so abundant and was even able to produce a spiritual lake.

Unlike the previous cave, this one was far from barren. Spiritual herbs grew around the lake, nourished by the dense spiritual qi that permeated the entire chamber.

Among them, one particular plant immediately caught Yizhou’s attention. Its translucent petals reflected the faint light around it, making it appear like it was carved from ice.

The Frost Lotus.

The very plant Sui Sui needed.

Yizhou looked at it for a moment before carefully storing it away. It seemed that the little fool’s information was even more accurate than he expected.

However, before he could leave, Yizhou sensed another unfamiliar source of energy coming from the direction of one of the chambers of the cave.

Curious, Yizhou followed the source of the energy deeper inside. As he walked further, the cold aura surrounding him gradually faded, replaced by an increasing warmth that grew stronger with every step.

By the time he reached the end of the pathway, the source of the energy finally appeared before him.

A small purple flame floated quietly in the center of the cave.

It was so tiny that it looked as though it could disappear at any moment, yet the aura it emitted was far beyond anything Yizhou had encountered before.

The flame flickered gently, almost as if it had sensed his arrival.

And for some reason, Yizhou felt that it was calling out to him.