With the help of the Devouring Heavenly Serpent’s obstruction, Xiao Yan finally managed to rush into the valley. Upon hearing the rumbling explosions outside the valley, he paused slightly and turned his gaze towards the outside. In the sky beyond, a rainbow of light enveloped almost everything, and the massive form of the Devouring Heavenly Serpent faintly appeared within the light, exuding an overwhelmingly strong aura. Under that pressure, another equally formidable wave of icy coldness shrouded half the sky. Even from within the valley, the chilling cold made Xiao Yan shiver uncontrollably.
“Rest assured, although it might be a bit difficult for the Devouring Heavenly Serpent to defeat the Snow Demon Sky Ape, it won’t have any problem delaying it. You should focus on finding the ‘Earth Core Body Tempering Essence’ as quickly as possible,” the Pharmacist Elder reassured, sensing Xiao Yan’s concern.
“Mm.” Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan no longer hesitated. He turned back and looked into the pitch-black valley, his brows furrowed slightly. He gently rubbed his fingers, and a few wisps of emerald flames shot out from his fingertips, spreading in the air around him like lanterns, illuminating the dark valley.
Thanks to the light, Xiao Yan realized how spacious the interior of the valley was. The area was filled with trees and boulders, but there were no other living creatures, indicating that they had all been driven away by the Snow Demon Sky Ape.
“The environment here is quite complex. Finding the ‘Earth Core Body Tempering Essence’ will take some time,” Xiao Yan muttered to himself. His Purple Cloud Wings on his back fluttered slightly, and he levitated once more. The small emerald flames followed him, circling around him like bodyguards.
Slowing down, Xiao Yan gradually flew deeper into the valley. The path was eerily quiet, but the light allowed him to see exposed white bones on the ground, creating a scene so grim that it sent chills down his spine.
“It seems not only humans are after the ‘Earth Core Body Tempering Essence’; even some magical beasts have their eyes on it,” Xiao Yan sighed, seeing the large bones.
“The marrow and bone refinement effects of the ‘Earth Core Body Tempering Essence’ are far more attractive to magical beasts than to humans. If they can obtain it, their future human-form cultivation will be much easier,” the Pharmacist Elder said calmly.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, suddenly remembering the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King he had encountered in the Magical Beast Mountains of the Jia Ma Empire. When Yun Yun wanted to exchange for the Purple Spirit Crystal, that beast had suggested trading for the Transformation Pill. Now, Xiao Yan was no longer a novice in alchemy, having reached a level of mastery. He fully understood the value of the Transformation Pill and knew how difficult it was for magical beasts to transcend their beast forms.
The name that flashed through his mind made Xiao Yan pause, his lips pressed tightly together. The beautiful, noble face of Yun Yun floated up from the depths of his memory, her calm, water-like eyes still carrying the dignity of the leader of the strongest sect in the Jia Ma Empire.
“Yun Lan… Yun Yun…” he murmured, smiling bitterly. He shook his head, trying to dispel the emotions in his heart. They were now at odds due to various reasons. She was the Sect Leader of Yun Lan, and would not change for him. And he, with his grudge against Yun Lan, would not hesitate due to her identity. So, if he returned to the Jia Ma Empire, they might have to meet as enemies.
Shaking off the self-mockery, Xiao Yan halted his flight. He had reached the end of the valley and saw a dark cave entrance with the help of the light.
“Is it here?” Muttering to himself, Xiao Yan flapped his wings and flew down to the ground, landing nimbly on a large rock near the cave.
Sniffing the air coming from the cave, he detected a faint animal smell, similar to that of the Snow Demon Sky Ape.
“This must be the Snow Demon Sky Ape’s den. Since it values the ‘Earth Core Body Tempering Essence’ so highly, it shouldn’t be far from here,” he thought. With a wave of his hand, the emerald flame floating around him entered the cave, darting around chaotically. Satisfied, he stepped inside.
The cave was quite large, tall enough to accommodate the Snow Demon Sky Ape. White fur was scattered everywhere, and Xiao Yan moved swiftly into the cave. After a while, he stood before the cave wall, frowning. “Is it not here?”
He scanned the area, noticing a deeply sunken spot in the corner of the cave, covered in white fur and surrounded by numerous footprints. He approached and examined it closely, deducing it to be the resting place of the Snow Demon Sky Ape.
Disappointed, he shook his head, but then a thought struck him. He pointed at the pile of white fur, and a gust of wind blew it away, revealing a layer of sand beneath. The sand was darker than the surrounding area, as if it had been recently disturbed.
Narrowing his eyes, Xiao Yan took a step back, curled his hand, and released a powerful suction force, drawing the sand into a ball. Tossing the ball aside, he repeated the process, eventually revealing a dark underground passage. This passage was wide enough for him to enter, and he smiled, waving his hand. The emerald flames followed him inside, lighting the way. The passageway was unexpectedly wide, and he chuckled, jumping in and following the winding tunnel.
Carefully navigating the dark tunnel, Xiao Yan summoned over twenty emerald flames to light the way, cautious of any hidden dangers. Though the tunnel was twisty, he could feel himself descending deeper into the earth.
After about ten minutes, he saw a faint white light at the end of the tunnel. Excited, he sped up, and as he got closer, the light grew larger, revealing a white-glowing entrance.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan stepped out. As his feet left the dark tunnel, he found himself in a world of stalactites. The area was filled with milky-white formations, and the pale light dispelled all darkness. Occasionally, drops of white liquid fell, splashing into milky-white puddles on the ground.
“What a wondrous underground world,” Xiao Yan marveled, shaking his head. “Where is the ‘Earth Core Body Tempering Essence’? It’s so hard to find; the stalactites all look the same.”
“Look for the place where the densest earth energy converges,” the Pharmacist Elder said, emerging from the black ring. He pointed to the left. “This way.”
Leading the way, the Pharmacist Elder and Xiao Yan walked through the stalactite-filled world. After about ten minutes, the elder stopped, looking up at an enormous stalactite. The sheer size was awe-inspiring, with one end reaching the ceiling and the other hanging down over a hundred meters. It was the largest stalactite, the king of the underground world, receiving the reverence of all the smaller ones.
Looking down, they saw a massive green stone, half-buried in the ground. On top of the stone was a shallow depression, directly under the tip of the stalactite. Inside the depression was a pool of two-inch-deep milky-white liquid, with a faint white mist hovering above it.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath, feeling a strange tingling sensation in his bones. Staring at the milky-white liquid, his throat bobbed, and a flush of excitement came over his face. He knew the long-sought ‘Earth Core Body Tempering Essence’ was finally before him.
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