LingLingLing...
Half an hour later, the rabbit quickly darted into the passage, its bell jingling as it vanished from Aidan's sight within a few breaths.
Aidan's makeshift grass rope, tied to the rabbit's hind legs, was being dragged swiftly outward by the fleeing rabbit.
After a while, the movement of the grass rope ceased.
However, this didn't necessarily mean the rabbit had reached the end of the passage; it could have fallen into a trap or simply paused along the way.
Aidan began to pull the rope back, gradually tightening it, and then gave it a strong tug.
At the other end of the rope, a force was immediately felt. Then, the rope started moving outward again.
Evidently, the rabbit on that end had suddenly been pulled, prompting it to rush back in panic.
This back-and-forth happened several times until it seemed the rabbit had reached the end of the passage. No matter how hard Aidan pulled, the rope remained taut. Perhaps the rabbit had reached the end, or perhaps it had fallen into a trap, unable to move.
To verify the answer, Aidan began to pull in the rope. The rabbit couldn't resist Aidan's strength, and eventually, he forcefully pulled it out with the grass rope.
The rabbit struggled vigorously at the end of the rope.
Once again, the lively rabbit landed in Aidan's hands, and after examining it closely, Aidan breathed a sigh of relief upon finding no injuries on its body.
"It seems that this section of the passage is safe for now."
With this result, the rabbit served no further purpose, so Aidan squeezed it to death and casually tossed it aside.
Releasing the rabbit was not an option, as animals have memories too, and if it were to return and attract outsiders, it would be disastrous.
Taking a deep breath, after several explorations, Aidan cautiously stepped into the passage.
Although the rabbit had scouted ahead, many traps were designed specifically for humans. Small animals like rabbits couldn't trigger them. Therefore, Aidan had to be cautious.
The passage was straight, sloping downward into the depths of the earth. And the further down he went, the wider the passage became.
Aidan had to bend over and lower his head upon entering the passage. After walking about fifty steps, he could raise his head high. After a hundred steps or so, he could swing his arms freely.
In fact, the passage wasn't very long, only about three hundred meters, but it took Aidan a full hour to explore it.
He had been cautious every step of the way. By the time he reached the end, he was drenched in sweat.
"It's troublesome without an Essence Conduit for reconnaissance," Aidan wiped the sweat from his forehead, relieved that it seemed safe. Then, he carefully examined the end of the passage.
Upon observation, he froze.
At the end of the passage, there was a huge stone blocking the way. Its surface was smooth, protruding toward Aidan like a fat belly.
This giant stone was blocking Aidan's progress.
Apart from this giant stone, there was nothing else around Aidan.
"Could it be that a cave-in occurred in the middle of the passage due to an accident?" Aidan's gaze hardened; it was a very likely scenario.
Before Malagor's death, he urgently established this legacy of power. He hastily created a mountain passage. The passage led to the depths of the mountain, guiding the successor forward.
However, after hundreds of years, this passage couldn't withstand the erosion of time. At some point, a section of the passage collapsed due to long-term disrepair.
There were always various accidents in life.
"If that's the case, will I have to stop here?" Aidan approached and touched the stone; the area exposed by the stone blocking his progress was as large as a door. It was imaginable how thick the entire stone must be.
To grind away such a giant stone would take a year or two of hard work.
"It seems that I must use tools, such as a pickaxe and shovel, to break through the giant stone. However, by doing so, I'll inevitably leave many traces. The sound of pounding will also be heard," Aidan frowned deeply, considering the risks and rewards.
If the risks were too great, he would rather give up this legacy of power.
After all, if others were to discover the secret here, all the arrangements and efforts he had made before could be wasted, and he himself might be in danger of losing his life!
He looked around carefully and began to think patiently...
After a while, he realized something.
"The obstructing boulder is too round and smooth, clearly man-made. That means Malagor intentionally set up this roadblock. But why would he place such a barrier here?" Aidan pondered, his face showing a pensive expression.
He surveyed the surroundings once again.
The floor of the passage was smooth, the ceiling rounded, and the walls on both sides were made of the same reddish soil, emitting dim light.
"Hmm?" As his gaze returned to the ground, he noticed something suspicious.
Near the obstructing boulder, there was a patch of slightly darker ground. The color difference was subtle, not easily noticeable in such dim light unless observed carefully.
Aidan crouched down and touched the ground, feeling a damp sensation immediately.
No wonder the color was slightly darker; it was wet.
But how could there be water in this dry passage?
Aidan used his fingers to examine the moist soil. He found it to be loose and soft, unlike the dry red clay that typically clung together.
A glint flashed in Aidan's eyes; both his experience and intuition told him that this spot likely concealed Malagor's "key."
And this "key" was crucial for Aidan to proceed further.
Aidan began to dig into the soil, which was loose and didn't require much effort.
As he dug deeper, a special fragrance wafted into Aidan's nostrils, faint yet distinct.
"This fragrance is rich and luxurious, yet not ostentatious, exuding an air of elegance and nobility. Could it be..." Aidan's mind raced with possibilities, and his hands quickened their pace.
Suddenly, as he dug, a faint golden light appeared beneath the soil.
"It's indeed it!" Aidan's eyes lit up, and his movements became more delicate as he carefully excavated the surrounding soil, enlarging the pit.
After a moment, a buried, dark golden flower bud emerged before him.
It was about two inches deep into the ground, roughly the size of a common millstone. The surface of the bud was as smooth as silk, its dark golden hue exuding an aura of mystery and elegance.
"It's indeed the Ground Lotus!" Aidan sighed deeply at the sight.
Instead of hastily opening the petals, he sat down to rest for a moment, wiping the dirt from his hands before carefully extending them to gently lift the dark golden, massive petals.
The Ground Lotus resembled a cross between a lotus flower and a cabbage. Its petals were tightly packed, thick, and smooth to the touch. As Aidan peeled away the layers of petals, it was like unwrapping layers of silk.
Once removed from the main body, the dark golden petals dissipated rapidly, resembling snowflakes melting into the air.
After peeling off about fifty to sixty outer petals, the size of the bud halved, revealing the inner flower.
The petals at the heart of the flower were smaller, thinner, and softer, akin to delicate paper rather than silk.
Aidan's movements became even gentler, often taking several breaths before successfully peeling off a petal.
As the petals became increasingly transparent, after a while, Aidan stopped his actions after revealing the thin layer of petals at the very center.
These petals were stacked on top of each other, forming a fist-sized spherical shape.
The semi-transparent petals were filled with a golden liquid, and at the center of this golden fluid, an Essence Conduit lay dormant.
Aidan concentrated, but could only discern a blurry image of the Essence Conduit; its exact type remained elusive.
As he drew closer, his breath fell upon the flower's heart. The spherical bud trembled slightly, and the golden liquid within the petals began to sway gently.
Essence Conduits would starve without sustenance, so Ascenders devised various methods to nourish them.
The Ground Lotus was one such method.
The Ground Lotus, an extraordinary plant, once refined into an Essence Conduit, became a disposable Essence Conduit. After using it, a new Ground Lotus would grow on the ground, unable to move.
Its source of nourishment was simple: earth. As long as it was planted underground with sufficient earth, it could survive.
Its function was singular: to nurture other Essence Conduits within its heart, soaking them in the golden liquid.
This golden liquid could simulate a sealing state to some extent, causing the Essence Conduits immersed within it to enter a state of dormancy.
"Malagor planted the Ground Lotus here, and the Essence Conduit inside this flower's heart should be left for the inheritor." Aidan extended his fingers, gently pinching the remaining petals, and carefully tore open a gap.
The golden liquid flowed along his fingers like bean oil.
As the golden liquid drained away, the flower's heart gradually shriveled. Aidan manipulated his fingers, untangling the extremely delicate petals and removing the dormant Essence Conduit from within.
It was a very cute ladybug.
It was no larger than the thumbnail of a thumb.
Its entire body was milky white, resembling a circle when viewed from above.
Its head occupied only a small portion of the circle, while the rest was its plump belly and shiny carapace.
Its six slender legs were also milky white, tucked beneath its abdomen.
"The Black Boar!" A fleeting joy flashed in Aidan's eyes.