The terrifying power Elder Qing had displayed was far beyond their reach. They had no idea when, if ever, they might reach such a level. In that instant, their desire for power grew stronger than ever.
"Feifei, let's go check out the cave now," Ye Tian said with a smile, glancing at Ye Feifei. "With Ye Lin by our side, I believe that even if the experts from Lisha City came here, they wouldn't dare try anything."
"Okay," Ye Feifei said. "I also want to see what's so special about Ye Lin's cave. Who knows, we might find a pleasant surprise!"
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei then headed for the cave. This time, they didn't rush. Strolling slowly through the mountains was actually quite a pleasant experience. Ye Lin followed behind Ye Tian, fluttering its wings—as thin as a cicada's—and looking very happy.
The cave was very deep. Ye Tian's feelings upon entering this time were completely different from the last. Before, he had been cautious, on constant alert for any sudden developments. Now, however, he entered boldly, filled with a touch of excitement.
"Brother Tian, this cave is so deep! Don't tell me Ye Lin dug it all out himself? That's just incredible!" Ye Feifei exclaimed with a laugh.
"I'm not sure about that," Ye Tian said, smiling. "It might be a natural cave that Ye Lin just modified a bit. Come on, it's getting wider up ahead!"
Although the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python couldn't speak human language yet, after signing the Soul Contract with Ye Tian, it could understand it. It didn't say anything, however, perhaps intending to give the two a surprise later.
Gradually, the cave widened. Ye Tian recognized a spot as the place where Ye Lin had once been coiled up. Both he and Ye Feifei sensed a strong fluctuation of Energy. The source was just a few dozen meters ahead.
"Brother Tian, look! I can't believe it, it's the legendary Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma! How could a Spirit Medicine like this possibly appear here? It's incredible!" Ye Feifei, who had sharp eyes, couldn't help but exclaim excitedly.
Ye Tian had never even heard of the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma that Ye Feifei mentioned. When it came to worldly knowledge, he was far behind her, a natural consequence of his humble upbringing compared to hers.
The two walked closer and saw a golden ganoderma, about half a foot tall, growing quietly. It pulsed with powerful waves of Energy, and one look was enough to tell it was an extraordinary treasure.
The ganoderma had only three leaves, hence the name Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma. "This place is barren of Spiritual Qi, so how could a Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma grow here? Ye Lin, do you know what's going on?" Ye Tian asked the Eight-winged Golden Qilin flying in the air.
The Eight-winged Golden Scale Python flew over to the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma, circled it twice, and then returned to Ye Tian. Ye Tian could clearly sense that the Energy fluctuations from the Ganoderma had weakened considerably. Ye Feifei might not have noticed, but with Ye Tian's powerful Perception Power, he could.
'Ye Lin must have just absorbed some of it,' Ye Tian realized. He now understood why Ye Lin had been coiled near the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma. It had been absorbing the Energy it emitted to increase its own strength.
"Boss, this Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma has been in this cave for nearly five hundred years, and I've been here for just as long. This is an Ancient Battlefield, so it's not unusual for a Spirit Medicine like this to appear. If you could reach the depths below, I believe the things down there are even more terrifying.
The main reason the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma could grow here is that this spot is the closest to the Barrier below. After countless years, some holes have appeared in the Barrier, allowing the potent Spiritual Qi from within to leak out. This, combined with various other factors, led to the birth of this Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma," the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python explained.
Ye Tian looked at the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python, his face a mask of shock. 'If that's true, then who knows how many treasures are in the Ancient Battlefield underground? If just a tiny leak of Spiritual Qi can grow such a powerful Spirit Medicine, the rewards inside must be immense.'
"Boss, you'd better not get any ideas about going down there. You can't enter without opening the Seven Veins. Not only is there powerful Spiritual Qi, but there's also a potent Death Qi—probably the lingering resentment and bloodlust left by the ancient experts.
An ordinary person would face certain death if they encountered that Death Qi. Besides, breaking the Barrier isn't something you can do just because you want to. And you can't just take this Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma. At most, you could take two of its leaves. If you took the whole thing, the Death Qi leaking from the hole in the Barrier would slowly engulf all of Lisha City," the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python said.
"Ye Lin, are you saying the main purpose of this Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma is to absorb the Death Qi leaking from the Ancient Battlefield? That's unbelievable!" Ye Tian said.
Ye Feifei, standing to the side, only understood bits and pieces. She didn't know what Ye Lin had said to Ye Tian, but from Ye Tian's words, she could tell there was an immense secret here.
"In this world, all things exist in a balance of creation and destruction. Since Death Qi can cause such widespread devastation, it's only natural that something would emerge to counteract it," the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python said.
"Ye Lin, how do you know all this? I'm incredibly curious!" Ye Tian said in surprise. These matters were too outrageous; for someone at his current Realm, it was all like a fairy tale.
"You may not know, Brother, but after I signed the Soul Contract with you, certain things appeared in my mind. They seem to be the inherited memories of my Eight-winged Golden Scale Python clan. It's just that my strength is too low right now, so many things are still unclear," the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python said.
"So that's how it is," Ye Tian said. "Since this Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma is so important, we should leave it here. The consequences of destroying it would be unimaginable."
'He couldn't let his own selfish desires plunge all of Lisha City into death and ruin. If that happened, he would be a sinner for eternity!'
"Brother Tian, what are you going to do with the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma?" Ye Feifei asked. She believed Ye Tian must have a way to communicate with Ye Lin, and a deep longing grew in her heart to have her own Demon Pet, even a very weak one.
"We can't take the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma. It would bring disaster to Lisha City! Ye Lin is here to protect it!" Ye Tian said with a very serious expression.
(I'd planned on a three-chapter update today, but I'm still not feeling up to it! I'll do my best tomorrow! I know a lot of you are complaining about the update speed, but I really can't update too fast while the book is new. If I don't get enough recommendations and library adds, the book will have no traction when it goes on sale! Then Xiaoxiao here would starve! Thanks for all the votes and tips! I'm sure I'll be feeling better tomorrow after some rest tonight! Sorry about this!)