Crystal Butterflies reappeared in Jiang Yan's palm, wings lightly fluttering, as if conveying some information.
"Elder, it seems that the head of the Shi family and the others have entered that passage." Jiang Yan said softly. It was evident that no one was foolish; the cultivators led by Zhao also had tracking methods, just like the others who arrived later. Everyone displayed their unique skills, and it depended on luck.
"Let's take a different path. Should we go together or split up?" Fang Wangru looked at Jiang Yan and the others.
Jiang Yan suggested splitting up. "Elder, you lead one group, and I'll lead another. What about you, Elder Chi?"
Chi Changye, holding his sword, said, "I'll go with Xiao Yao." This received unconditional agreement from Gu Yao.
No one objected. The group following Fang Wangru was the largest since Fang Wangru was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Zhou Li and the other two members from the Star Moon Trading Company followed Jiang Yan into another fork. As they watched their figures disappear into the passage, urgent footsteps came from behind. Zhao and the others looked at each other, and then Chi Changye grabbed Gu Yao's arm, and the two of them vanished into a randomly chosen fork.
As the sounds behind them faded away, only the footsteps of the two walking in the passage remained. At this moment, Gu Yao felt particularly reassured.
However, in the blink of an eye, the two found themselves in a sea of fire. Fire serpents came rolling toward them, and the scorching breath seemed to burn them completely. Chi Changye reminded, "This is an illusion. As long as we don't fall into the illusion, we won't feel the heat."
As Chi Changye finished speaking, he swung his sword to one side. With a "bang," a puppet, the size of a fist, hidden behind a fire serpent, shattered into pieces. Then, holding Gu Yao's arm, he said, "Let's go!"
On the way, Chi Changye continuously shattered four or five similar puppets. These flying puppets blended seamlessly with the illusion, making it difficult to guard against. However, they couldn't escape Chi Changye's perception.
After Gu Yao calmed down, he also sensed the anomaly in the illusion. When he used his spiritual power, that is, his divine sense, to attack one of the puppets, he harvested a complete small spider puppet. Gu Yao squeezed it in his hand, then tossed it into his storage pouch to study later.
As the sea of fire disappeared, the two found a stone door in front of them. Chi Changye reached out to push it open, making sure it was safe before letting Gu Yao follow him inside.
Behind the stone door, the space wasn't large. In the middle was a square stone platform with several items scattered on it. The two walked over to inspect, finding two jade slips among them. The texture was simple. After Chi Changye confirmed there were no traps, he swept his divine sense and said, "This one records a fire-controlling technique. It should be useful for you, Xiao Yao. The second one contains a earth-based cultivation technique."
There are also two jade bottles containing pills, but upon opening them, it's evident that the pills have turned into waste. Finally, there's a palm-sized circular-shaped artifact. After checking, Chi Changye let Gu Yao take it. It's a defensive artifact. He has been wanting to find a suitable artifact for Gu Yao but hasn't found one yet. This one can only be considered passable.
Gu Yao also thinks the same. If the artifact doesn't suit him, he might as well use talismans directly. Defense and attack are equally important. Since he rarely goes out, he hasn't paid much attention to artifacts. Now, returning to the Shi family's ancestral land and seeing others with numerous artifacts, he's feeling a bit itchy.
"This is a high-quality artifact, quite good. Brother Ye, what kind of existence do you think the Shi family ancestors were? The things here shouldn't be considered valuable, right?"
There are no other items in the stone room. Chi Changye, with Gu Yao, leaves and continues forward. He nods and says, "Perhaps, similar to entering here, one needs to be a descendant of the Shi family to obtain the treasures guarded here. For us outsiders, a few irrelevant things are sufficient."
After walking a few steps forward, the environment changes again, turning into a vast yellow sandstorm. Two people walk for a while without noticing any other anomalies. However, they both realize that they have once again fallen into another illusion.
The desert becomes increasingly hot, and this heat is more intense than when they were in the sea of fire. Chi Changye is relatively unaffected,
Gu Yao's cheeks turned red, and his eyes became somewhat unfocused due to the intense heat.
"Fire poison?" Chi Changye, noticing this, snorted angrily and thrust his sword towards the fiery red sun hanging in the air like an ornament. With a loud "boom," the sun transformed into black-red fireballs falling down. However, before they could get close to the two, they were all intercepted by Chi Changye's sword energy. At the same time, he slapped a water-element talisman onto Gu Yao, who instantly became more alert.
"What happened to me?" Gu Yao, realizing they had left the sandy area and returned to the corridor, noticed black-red stones emitting black smoke on the ground. "What is this?"
Chi Changye, recalling the recent situation, showed a serious expression. "This is Black Chain Stone, capable of releasing fire poison. Luckily, we discovered it early, so it shouldn't have a significant impact."
Gu Yao also noticed his abnormal state just now and felt a bit scared. The various means in the cultivation world are indeed unpredictable. If he were alone, he might have been affected at any moment.
But looking at the eerie black-red stones on the ground, he suggested, "How about we collect these stones? They might come in handy."
"I'll handle it." Chi Changye stopped Gu Yao and took out a box that could isolate the breath. He remotely moved several pieces of the stone into it and then closed it, tossing it into a storage bag containing less important items.
After passing this obstacle, a stone door appeared in front of them again. Pushing it open, they saw another stone platform with four or five items scattered on it. Among them, the spirit herbs and elixirs were the same as before, depleted of spiritual energy. The remaining two artifacts were a water-based sword and an earth-based shield, both unsuitable for the two. However, Gu Yao decided to keep the shield, thinking it could be given to Little Fatty back home.
Chi Changye led Gu Yao through various levels, obtaining a diverse array of items—some ineffective spirit pills and herbs, cultivation techniques, scrolls, and even two top-quality swords. These swords, one fire and one wood, surpassed their previous artifacts in quality, a considerable gain for foundational cultivators. Upon opening an unexpected door, they found only one item—a black, egg-shaped object.
"Is this... an egg?" Chi Changye inspected it, uncertain. "There's a faint vitality inside, but I've never seen an all-black egg like this."
Even in a prestigious sect like Lingyun Sect, Chi Changye found himself puzzled by this egg-like object. If Xu Chen were awake, Gu Yao would ask him about it, but their attempt to communicate with Xu Chen upon leaving yielded no response. "Shall we put it away and investigate later?" Chi Changye suggested, taking charge of securing the mysterious item.
Gu Yao didn't object. Chi Changye handed over anything useful to Gu Yao during their exploration, but as of now, they hadn't found anything beneficial for Chi Changye. His current sword seemed to lag behind Chi Changye's proficiency, but its unique thunder attribute made it challenging to find a replacement.
As Chi Changye stored the suspected black egg, a light circle appeared on the floor, and he swiftly grabbed Gu Yao as they were transported out. Was this the final challenge in the passage? Did taking the black egg trigger their exit?
The two just steadied themselves when they heard the sounds of a battle not far away. Looking closely, they had left the mountain peak and returned to the barren area they were in before. Exchanging glances, they hurried together towards the commotion.
"Jiang Senior Brother!" Gu Yao exclaimed with joy upon seeing Jiang Yan and Zhou Li coming out. Quickly, he and Chi Changye rushed to join them.
Hearing the voices, Jiang Yan was also delighted, and Zhou Li, likewise, patted Gu Yao on the shoulder, saying, "Well done! You two made it out safely."
Chi Changye noticed a person lying nearby, and to his surprise, it was none other than the abducted Shi Yan Yan. However, her current appearance showed no trace of her former arrogance; all that remained was a twisted resentment. If one didn't look closely, it would be hard to recognize her.
After finishing the conversation with Zhou Li, Gu Yao noticed the person on the ground. He carefully transmitted his voice to Zhou Li, inquiring about the situation. Looking at the ongoing battle, numerous individuals were entangled in a melee, including Professor Fang and the Zhao cultivator encountered earlier. However, they were now on opposing sides, and the rest were unfamiliar.
"You can't recognize her? This is Shi Yan Yan. When we just came out, we encountered Senior Fang battling with others, and among them was the head of the Shi family. The Shi family head entrusted Shi Yan Yan to us to take care of," Zhou Li explained.
Gu Yao was shocked to see Shi Yan Yan in such a tormented state. If not for Zhou Li's explanation, he wouldn't have dared to believe it. He whispered, "Which one is the head of the Shi family?"
Zhou Li pointed towards a middle-aged cultivator with a ruler-shaped artifact in the middle of the crowd, "It's him in the center."
Curiosity got the better of Gu Yao, and he couldn't help but ask, "Have they found their treasures? What exactly are these items?"
Zhou Li glanced around before lowering his voice, informing Gu Yao and Chi Changye, "It's Black Abyss Flame Marrow and Pure Profound Mystic Ginseng. The former can cultivate the unique fire Black Abyss Flame, while the latter directly aids cultivators in condensing the Golden Core. Earlier, during their argument, I heard that the ancestors of the Shi family fell into the depths of the Black Abyss but managed to come out alive, bringing back several unique treasures from the Black Abyss. The Blood-Eclipsing Blood Vine we encountered earlier was one such treasure growing in the Black Abyss. Black Abyss Flame, this extraordinary fire, is extremely dangerous for cultivators, as even their flesh and soul will be incinerated upon contact. However, Black Abyss Flame Marrow, a treasure originating from the deep Black Abyss, is different. After absorbing it, one can slowly cultivate Black Abyss Flame in the dantian. Once you possess Black Abyss Flame, it's a formidable force that can stand against gods and defeat demons."
Zhou Li's eyes gleamed with excitement when talking about Black Abyss Flame, emphasizing its remarkable qualities. However, he also acknowledged its lethal nature. Although not particularly useful for alchemy, the interest in Black Abyss Flame diminished due to the information about its destructive power. Nevertheless, the fact that it attracted such contention among cultivators was not surprising given its formidable killing potential.