Wang Quan sat cross-legged in his straw hut, his eyes deep in thought, while the Five Elements Art circulated continuously through his body like flowing water. His training in the Cold Pool had allowed him to master the Water, Fire, and Wood elements, and his cultivation had steadily advanced to the fourth level of Qi Refining. He was at a critical juncture of his rise to power.
"Now, I still lack the power of the Earth and Metal elements in the Five Elements Art," he pondered. The material for cultivating the Earth Element technique was already clear— the Earth Dragon Worm. This beast, with which he had previously tangled, possessed strong earth energy, and its body and core were ideal for refining the Earth Element technique.
"Now that I've reached the fourth level of Qi Refining, combined with the amplification of the Five Elements Art, slaying a sixth-level Earth Dragon Worm should no longer be difficult," he resolved, deciding to head to the cave and find the Earth Dragon Worm, determined to fully master the Earth Element technique.
Following the path imprinted in his memory, Wang Quan raced forward, reaching the cave where he had once battled the Earth Dragon Worm. As he stepped inside, the cold air mixed with a damp, earthy smell greeted him. The surroundings remained as damp as he remembered, yet after navigating several twists and turns, he was surprised to find no trace of the Earth Dragon Worm.
"Strange, the Earth Dragon Worm wouldn't leave its lair so easily…" Wang Quan furrowed his brow, his mind filled with suspicion. The cave still bore the tracks of the Earth Dragon Worm's movements, indicating its recent presence. Yet, its aura had completely vanished.
Just as he was contemplating this mystery, Wang Quan detected a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy. He followed the source and discovered an anomaly behind one of the cave walls.
"The spiritual energy here feels different from elsewhere, could it be…" Wang Quan narrowed his eyes and quickly gathered his spiritual power into his hand. With a sudden strike, he unleashed a powerful blow onto the wall.
Boom!
The wall crumbled with a resounding crash, revealing a hidden passage. Wang Quan's eyes lit up, and he cautiously stepped inside.
The sight that greeted him left Wang Quan in awe.
It was a deep and expansive crystal cave, with the walls lined with transparent crystals. These weren't ordinary crystals; they shimmered faintly with spiritual light, as if the energy of the heavens and earth were flowing through them. The ceiling was adorned with hanging crystalline formations, gleaming with soft light, casting an otherworldly glow throughout the cavern.
The floor was smooth and polished, as though a tremendous force had ground it down. The cave was filled with an air of mystery, and the density of the spiritual energy was so intense it seemed to solidify, floating visibly in the air.
Wang Quan scanned his surroundings, filled with both caution and curiosity. It was clear this was no ordinary beast's lair. Even the Earth Dragon Worm couldn't dominate a place as extraordinary as this.
"As I suspected, something far more powerful than the Earth Dragon Worm resides here…" Wang Quan thought to himself as he carefully continued exploring deeper into the cave, each step taken with the utmost caution.
As he ventured further, the fluctuations in the spiritual energy grew more erratic, and the temperature around him began to drop, as though a tremendous force lay dormant ahead. Finally, deep within the cave, Wang Quan found what he had been seeking— a massive corpse.
It was the lifeless body of a gigantic beast, covered in thick scales. It was none other than the Earth Dragon Worm he had been searching for.
However, as Wang Quan approached, he saw that the beast's corpse was in ruins. Its scales were shattered, its insides hollowed out, and the entire carcass appeared pitifully mutilated. Clearly, it had faced a terrifying attack and endured a brutal battle before its death.
Wang Quan cautiously stepped closer to examine the corpse but found that the Earth Dragon Worm's core had been destroyed, and its earth-elemental energy had long since dissipated. The materials that could have been used for cultivation were completely ruined.
"What a shame, the Earth Dragon Worm's materials are now completely unusable…" Wang Quan sighed lightly, disappointment filling his heart. The beast had been a crucial target for cultivating his Earth Element technique, but it seemed that path was now entirely cut off.
Standing before the corpse, Wang Quan's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation within the cave.
"To kill the Earth Dragon Worm so easily, whatever did this must be far stronger." Wang Quan felt a growing unease. The scene before him suggested that something far more dangerous lurked in this cave—perhaps an even stronger beast, or some higher existence entirely.
Despite the danger, Wang Quan did not choose to leave immediately.
"Now that Li Cang's cultivation has surged to the ninth level of Qi Refining, he will completely overpower me unless I can improve my strength rapidly," Wang Quan's eyes narrowed, a cold light flashing within. The recent betrayal of his former allies, who had flocked back to Li Daoguang, had taught him a crucial lesson—only strength could command true respect!
"If that's the case, I'll continue to explore this place and see if any other opportunities present themselves." Wang Quan quickly made his decision. Despite the dangers lurking ahead, he knew that only by taking risks could he reap greater rewards. At this point, there could be no turning back.
He gripped his iron sword tightly, circulating the Five Elements Art as spiritual power surged through him, and continued deeper into the mysterious crystal cave.
The deeper he ventured, the colder the air became. The crystals around him grew even more transparent, radiating an odd glow. Wang Quan moved forward cautiously, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, ready for any potential threat.
He had walked quite a distance, yet still found no trace of other beasts. The only change was that the spiritual energy in the cave grew ever denser, as if some unknown force was hidden within the crystal walls.
"There's definitely a bigger secret here…" Wang Quan speculated silently, his pace steady as he pressed on through the cave. While he had not yet found the earth-elemental materials he sought, he was certain that whatever lay hidden in this cave held greater significance than he could have imagined.