Chapter 259: The Location of the Supreme Earth-Tier Cauldron
Ye Yan's body instinctively warned him:
Never look back.
He knew he was no match for Shen Mo.
As he fled at full speed, a bitter feeling welled up in Ye Yan's heart.
Just a few years ago, he had already reached the Nascent Soul stage (minor completion), while Shen Mo had barely stepped into the Nascent Soul stage.
Yet now, Shen Mo's strength had surpassed his.
Facing Shen Mo, Ye Yan felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness and fear.
This feeling was terrifying.
From Shen Mo's perspective, Ye Yan's figure gradually disappeared beyond the horizon.
He didn't give chase.
The distance was already considerable, and catching up to Ye Yan would take time.
Moreover, someone like Ye Yan, a "child of destiny," would be difficult to kill without an overwhelming disparity in strength.
Since that was the case, pursuing him was unnecessary.
He Tianchou, in tears, knelt and exclaimed, "Elder Shen, thank you! Thank you so much!"
He even wanted to kneel and hug Shen Mo's legs.
If not for Shen Mo's intervention, his life would have surely ended here.
"No need to be so emotional, Hall Master He," Shen Mo said with a wave of his hand, helping him stand up. "I have the strength to assist, so I naturally will."
He Tianchou took a few deep breaths to calm his emotions.
Looking in the direction Ye Yan had fled, his eyes burned with hatred. "I, He Tianchou, will never share the same sky with Ye Yan!"
Shen Mo patted his shoulder. "Focus on healing for now. Once we return to the sect, Ye Yan's reputation will be in shambles."
The Fire Pill Palace had always been a place with few rules.
Murdering for treasure was not uncommon; many had done it in secret.
But the prerequisite was leaving no witnesses.
For someone like Ye Yan to use He Tianchou to fend off a Fire Flood Dragon while escaping unscathed—similar things had been done before.
If He Tianchou had died, no one would have known what Ye Yan had done.
But now that He Tianchou had survived, Ye Yan was in deep trouble.
"Alright," He Tianchou replied, sitting cross-legged and pulling out several healing pills to begin his recovery.
Meanwhile, Shen Mo strode over to the two Fire Flood Dragons.
With a small knife, he skillfully cut open their abdomens.
Moments later, two thumb-sized Fire Beast Demon Crystals rested in his palm.
"As expected, powerful Fire Beasts like these are likely to have demon crystals inside."
"And these are two fifth-tier Fire Beast Demon Crystals!"
A smile spread across Shen Mo's face.
This trip had been well worth it.
By now, He Tianchou had recovered significantly.
When he saw the two fifth-tier Fire Beast Demon Crystals in Shen Mo's hand, he couldn't hide his envy.
"Elder Shen, you truly are blessed with great fortune. If someone else had encountered these Fire Flood Dragons, they'd only have fled in panic. How could they slay them and obtain their demon crystals like you?"
His words were filled with admiration.
He had realized how vast the gap between himself and Shen Mo was.
Naturally, he wouldn't harbor any covetous thoughts about the demon crystals.
He even felt that Shen Mo's strength was now comparable to that of Lü Dongxuan.
It was clear that choosing to ally with Shen Mo had been a brilliant decision.
"By the way, I have something for you as a token of my gratitude for saving my life."
He Tianchou solemnly retrieved a tattered pill recipe and handed it to Shen Mo.
Shen Mo accepted it and glanced over the recipe.
The front of the recipe was heavily weathered, with much of the text obscured.
Even with his extensive knowledge of rare materials, Shen Mo could only identify five or six ingredients at first glance.
What use is this?
"The key lies on the back," He Tianchou said with a smile.
Shen Mo flipped the recipe over.
On the back, a string of clear and distinct words caught his eye.
"I am Elder He Chun of the Four Cauldrons. I have discovered a supreme Earth-tier cauldron, but I am gravely injured. I can only hide the cauldron in a secure location, hoping that future generations of the He family will retrieve it."
"I hope my descendants will diligently practice and not squander the sect's cultivation."
Beneath these words was a roughly sketched map, seemingly marking the location of a hidden treasure.
Shen Mo was astonished.
It was the location of a supreme Earth-tier cauldron!
And he indeed needed such a cauldron to refine pills at the moment.
He Tianchou sighed. "He Chun was my grandfather. He perished in the Fire Pill Palace over 200 years ago."
"I've entered the Fire Pill Palace multiple times under the guise of earning contributions, but my true intent was to locate my grandfather's legacy."
"This was something I found near Furnace No. 9. Ye Yan didn't notice the writing on the back and discarded it like trash."
At this, He Tianchou sneered, seemingly mocking Ye Yan's inability to recognize its value.
"Now I'm giving it to you. This opportunity should belong to someone stronger." He looked into Shen Mo's eyes with sincerity.
Shen Mo thought for a moment before nodding solemnly. "If that's the case, I'll gladly accept it. Thank you."
"Hall Master He, you are gravely injured. I'll escort you back to the safehouse before searching for the cauldron myself."
"I also have a bottle of healing pills here for you."
The value of a supreme Earth-tier cauldron was immense. He Tianchou's deliberate act of offering such a significant gift clearly carried an ulterior motive—he wanted Shen Mo to protect him on his way back to the safehouse.
Moreover, if He Tianchou returned alone, there was a chance Ye Yan might ambush him en route.
With Shen Mo escorting him, Ye Yan wouldn't have the opportunity.
This way, once He Tianchou reached the safehouse, he could also publicly reveal Ye Yan's despicable actions.
Even if this didn't completely ruin Ye Yan's reputation or isolate him, it would at least make others wary of him.
People like Yang Wenyuan and others might not voice it outright, but they would likely grow cautious of Ye Yan.
As a result, Ye Yan would often have to act alone, reducing his chances of acquiring treasures.
He Tianchou accepted the pills, his heart settling.
He knew he had made the right gamble.
Shen Mo was not like Ye Yan.
If it had been Ye Yan, he might have killed He Tianchou on the spot, taken the map, and sought the treasure himself.
With that, Shen Mo and He Tianchou set out for the safehouse, Shen Mo leading the way.
A Day Later
The two passed by Furnace No. 8.
Shen Mo noticed a broken stele with many inscriptions carved into its surface.
As the pair stopped to rest for a moment, Shen Mo examined the writing and chuckled. "The words on this stele are full of insults against the Jade Cauldron Sect."
He Tianchou burst into laughter. "That's normal. When the Nine-Turn Pill Dao Sect was annihilated, many of their cultivators, knowing their deaths were imminent, carved these stones to hurl insults at the three sects of Yu Province. They accused them of betrayal, biting the hand that fed them, and other such nonsense."
"Further into the depths of the Fire Pill Palace, beyond Furnace No. 12, there are even more of these steles."
"Honestly, it's all because the Nine-Turn Pill Dao Sect brought it upon themselves. If they had acted with decency, the three sects wouldn't have banded together to destroy them."
Shen Mo was intrigued.
The Jade Cauldron Sect's library contained numerous texts on such topics.
However, most of the books he had exchanged were about the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, leaving him with little knowledge about the Nine-Turn Pill Dao Sect.
"Hall Master He, tell me—what exactly did the Nine-Turn Pill Dao Sect do to bring about their downfall?" Shen Mo asked with a smile.
He Tianchou grinned. "This is something my grandfather told me—he participated in that great battle back then. At the time, the Jade Cauldron Sect, the Supreme Purity Sect, and the Danhe Sect were all subordinate branches of the Nine-Turn Pill Dao Sect."
"If life had been tolerable under their rule, no one would have risen in rebellion."
"Let me give you a few examples, Elder Shen, and you'll understand."
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