As the effects of the two potions began to take hold, Xu Que felt as if he were basking in a warm spring…
In less than five seconds, he was on his feet, quickly gathering the eight glowing orbs scattered on the ground.
Casting a glance at the Hellhound's corpse, Xu Que gripped his Primal Sword and methodically dismembered the beast, swiftly storing its flesh in his inventory.
For Xu Que, eating Hellhound meat didn't matter much, but for Shen Mengchu, it was different. Until she reached B-level, this meat was essentially a supercharged elixir of spiritual energy!
This potent elixir was invaluable — he remembered a mysterious alchemist from his past life who crafted one, and it fetched over 200 spirit stones at auction.
Xu Que didn't immediately enter the Anchor Space; he needed to call down Zhao Xian and the others before he could safely search for the node.
By now, the stone platform was piled high with more than a hundred Deadly Toad corpses, along with a dozen or so light orbs.
The group had no time to collect them, as the Deadly Toads kept swarming.
"Make way!" Xu Que's voice echoed at the cave's entrance.
Everyone moved without hesitation, closing in on the cave.
"Gather everything quickly, then get down here!" Xu Que shouted, deftly commanding his Primal Sword to strike down the advancing Deadly Toads.
As the group hastily collected the orbs without pausing to examine them, they bolted toward the cave passage.
Retrieving his Primal Sword, Xu Que swung it in an arc, then swiftly leaped into the tunnel.
Kun Shao and the others finally understood what Xu Que had been blasting shut.
"Hurry up! Those Deadly Toads are catching up," Xu Que's voice urged from behind them.
They pressed on, ignoring other tunnels, and when they reached the passage's end, they were stunned to see such a vast expanse.
"Help me close the door!" Xu Que commanded, striking behind him as he swept his sword.
With the massive stone door sealed, Kun Shao and the others leaned against it, gasping for breath.
"Xu… Brother Xu, why aren't we leaving?" Kun Shao asked, panting, as he glanced at the dimensional rift before them.
Drawing a deep breath, Xu Que steadied himself and replied, "With the abundant spiritual energy here, I want you all to continue cultivating quickly."
Realizing his intent, everyone understood, though the ceaseless thumping of the Deadly Toads against the stone door made some hesitate.
"Relax, with two of you holding the door, those creatures won't get in," Xu Que reassured them.
"Alright, I'll stay here and hold the door. You guys go train," Kun Shao volunteered.
"I'll join him since our cultivation progressed the fastest," Zhao Xian quickly added.
Seeing the task assigned, Xu Que nodded, "Good. You two stay on watch. I'm heading to the Anchor Space."
Hearing Xu Que would enter that mysterious space stirred curiosity among the group.
He understood their curiosity, but this time, he couldn't bring them in. It was an A-level space, after all, as perilous as single-handedly fighting a Hellhound.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated, sensing the node's direction, and soon arrived at a wall.
Turning the Anchor Key, a rippling portal appeared, followed by a narrow fissure opening before him.
"Buzz!"
Xu Que vanished instantly, leaving everyone in amazement.
"Why wouldn't he let us in?" Kun Shao wondered aloud.
"It's too dangerous. He doesn't want us to die in there," Zhao Xian replied.
"You believe that?" Kun Shao asked, skeptical.
"Try it if you don't. I trust him," Zhao Xian answered.
"…"
Kun Shao fell silent, reassured by Xu Que's promise to let him try a C-level space next time.
"Let's get back to it. Time to cultivate!" Zhao Xian urged.
Inside the Anchor Space, Xu Que found himself in a narrow passageway. Glancing around, he closed his eyes to sense the treasure's location.
"Hm… What's this? Treasure on both sides?" Xu Que muttered in surprise, closing his eyes again.
In his past life, he'd entered an A-level Anchor Space twice, but never encountered dual treasures.
Opening his eyes, he proceeded down the left path toward the nearer treasure.
As he moved deeper, the path became clearer.
"This can't be right… is it really this far?"
He'd walked a long way before reaching a sharp turn, where he sensed several auras approaching.
"They're here?"
Xu Que pressed himself against the wall, gripping his Primal Sword tightly. In humanoid treasure chambers, provoking its denizens was unwise.
He would have to fight his way through, eliminating them one by one.
*Clang, clang.*
The sound of clashing metal echoed, and Xu Que's brows knit together.
"Undead creatures?"
Curiosity tempted him, but patience prevailed.
He'd face them soon enough.
Clutching his Primal Sword, he stilled his breath and began the countdown.
"Three… two… one!"
*Clang, clang.*
At last, the creatures emerged.
Xu Que struck without hesitation, aiming for their necks.
*Slash!*
*Clang!*
The clash of metal rang out. Thankfully, his Primal Sword cut through their defenses, beheading one.
"A knight?"
Xu Que's eyes widened.
This armor and helmet unmistakably belonged to a knight! But when he saw the severed head, his shock deepened. These were no undead; they were ancient Earthstone Golems!
Earthstone Golems were spirits hidden in the earth, their origins unknown, their power immense. But one thing was clear — these were no spirits but constructs.
In his previous life, Xu Que had encountered these creatures in a dungeon; they'd ignored him unless provoked. But once angered, they'd hunt relentlessly, their ethereal nature granting them fearlessness.
Xu Que didn't fully know how to handle them; back then, he'd been a super A-level ability user.
Seeing that these false Earthstone Golems showed no sign of awakening, Xu Que continued onward.
After dispatching two more, he finally arrived at a stone chamber.
The room was conspicuously risk-free, leaving him completely baffled.
Unnervingly simple…
As he pondered, a figure began to emerge from the opposite wall.
Though formed from soil, its appearance was unmistakable.
"Damn! A mirror match!"
Xu Que's expression twisted as he stared at the Earthstone Golem bearing his exact likeness.
At this moment, he truly regretted coming here. He didn't fear any Earthstone Golem — except one that was a copy of himself!
He'd faced one in his previous life when he was still B-level, only to be brutally beaten.
His doppelgänger possessed his skills, wielded his weapon, and the worst part of this mirror challenge was that it could even anticipate his own anticipations!