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Chapter 226: The Cave Dwelling
🕑 Added 2025-06-16 07:34:21 +0000 UTCAll Novels || Martial God
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The mountain colors gradually softened, and the mountain shapes became gentler, almost giving the feeling that one could reach out and touch solidified fat. Here, the streams flowed slowly, winding around every mountain base.
On the mountaintop, a few clusters of floating clouds, like brocade, drifted leisurely.
And beneath the mountaintop, the secluded canyon gave those within it a sense of peace and tranquility.
If possible, no one would want to disturb this somewhat warm feeling.
Even when He Yiming and Yuan Lixun arrived, they felt a sense of trance, captivated by the ethereal beauty of the place, almost forgetting their purpose.
"Young Master, this is truly a wonderful place. It would be great if we could live here permanently," Yuan Lixun said sincerely.
He Yiming nodded, his gaze sweeping around, as if searching for something. After a moment, he affirmed, "Indeed, the Heaven and Earth Qi here is unusually abundant, perhaps even comparable to the peaks of Hengshan Mountain's Main Peak and Spirit Medicine Peak's Medicine Garden. If we could live in seclusion here for a long time, it would certainly be of great benefit to our cultivation."
Yuan Lixun's rosy lips slightly parted, and for the first time, a faint hint of dissatisfaction appeared in her eyes.
Her boundless tenderness was completely shattered by that single sentence. Her pearly teeth left a faint, regular imprint on her bright red lower lip.
This blockhead...
But then she reconsidered. If he wasn't a blockhead, he wouldn't have achieved such cultivation at such a young age. If he wasn't a blockhead, would he still be alone with her right now?
She subconsciously nodded, and a strange thought flashed through Yuan Lixun's mind: it's better to be a blockhead!
He Yiming looked over in surprise. After saying that sentence, he felt the atmosphere seemed a bit off. However, when he truly noticed Yuan Lixun, he found that she had completely returned to normal, as if what he had just sensed was merely a momentary illusion.
Yuan Lixun met He Yiming's gaze, and she smiled demurely. Although most of her face was still covered by her face scarf, the smile in her eyes was clearly visible.
"Young Master, have you found it?"
He Yiming felt relieved. It seemed he had been overthinking things earlier.
He collected his thoughts, nodded slightly, and said, "I've found a spot, but I'm not sure if it's there." As he spoke, he blinked twice and said, "You search and see if you can find any other locations."
Yuan Lixun's gaze also swept around, but her delicate brows furrowed; she didn't see any suspicious locations.
With a flick of her wrist, she held the map in her hand. After a moment, her beautiful eyes suddenly lit up, and she said with delightful surprise, "Young Master, I see it!"
At first glance, that section of the stone wall seemed to have nothing unusual about it, but upon closer inspection, one could notice that the stone wall here was extremely smooth, as if it had been touched by human hands for a long time.
However, this difference was not obvious. Had it not been for He Yiming's reminder, Yuan Lixun might not have easily found this subtle distinction in the vast mountain valley.
Seeing the excitement in Yuan Lixun's eyes, He Yiming also felt joy in his heart. The reason he could identify it was entirely due to the effects of his Clairaudient Ear skill.
After the battle with Sima Yin, he had a new understanding of the Power of Wind, and all sounds entering his ears became increasingly clear.
Behind that stone wall, there was clearly a huge hollow.
Moreover, the stone wall was not completely sealed, and faint wisps of wind continuously flowed from the cracks.
In such a situation, if He Yiming still couldn't discern the mystery within, then his Clairaudient Ear skill would truly have been practiced in vain.
The two walked hand in hand to the stone wall. He Yiming looked at it carefully, then suddenly chuckled, "Lu Xinwen once said that he encountered a mechanism he couldn't decipher when exploring this cave dwelling. I'd like to see if this mechanism can stop me."
His words were filled with confident pride. He truly didn't take the cave dwelling's mechanisms seriously.
After all, He Yiming was now a terrifying Single-Line Sky Realm expert. Compared to the Lu Xinwen of yesteryear, there was absolutely a world of difference. His confidence came from his own strength. He was confident that no mechanism could stop him.
Yuan Lixun looked at his proud eyes, and for some reason, a deep sense of sweetness welled up in her heart.
Only such a confident man holds the greatest attraction for women. She quietly moved a little closer to He Yiming, clearly feeling the warmth emanating from him, and a happy smile spilled from the corners of her mouth.
He Yiming extended his hands and placed them flat against the stone wall. His True Qi slowly entered the stone wall, and gradually, a surprised expression involuntarily appeared on his face.
This stone wall looked very ordinary, not much different from the surrounding stone walls. However, when his True Qi was infused into it, he realized that this thing was far beyond what ordinary stone could compare to.
"Young Master, what did you find?" Yuan Lixun tiptoed, peeking from behind He Yiming, and asked, "Is this it?"
He Yiming chuckled blankly and said, "It must be here."
This stone before him possessed an extremely strong ability to absorb True Qi. Although He Yiming couldn't determine the origin of this stone, he knew that if this stone were taken out, it would definitely be a top-grade material for refining Treasure Tools.
To use it as a door blocker was truly too wasteful and too luxurious.
The True Qi in his hands gradually strengthened, and slowly, the stone wall began to move slowly in a fixed direction according to his will.
Yuan Lixun's small hand gently tightened. If it were before, she might not have been so nervous. But when they arrived yesterday, He Yiming had already told her that there should be an Innate Golden Pill in this cave dwelling. And this Golden Pill happened to be a Water Element Innate Golden Pill that she could use.
If she wanted to advance to the Innate Realm, guide Heaven and Earth Qi into her body, and remove the scar on her face, then this was currently the only way.
Therefore, as the cave dwelling's door was about to open, her heart pounded like a little deer.
This feeling of apprehension made it difficult for her to maintain her usual composure.
With a rumbling sound, the large stone was finally moved away by He Yiming as he wished.
He shook his head slightly and said, "What a formidable guardian stone. The owner of this cave dwelling was able to find such materials; truly an interesting person."
Yuan Lixun nodded, smiling sweetly, "Young Master, luckily you came. If it were an Acquired Stage practitioner, they might not even be able to move it."
Indeed, in her opinion, since even He Yiming found it so difficult, an Acquired Realm master would surely be at a loss.
However, He Yiming waved his hand, lightly patting the large stone, and said, "Lixun, this large stone is very strange. If it were an Innate master, it would indeed be very difficult to move this stone, but if it were an Acquired Stage practitioner, even if only a ninth-layer practitioner, it might not be so difficult."
Yuan Lixun's beautiful eyes widened. Her gaze lingered on the large stone for a moment. Such a peculiar object was truly unheard of. Had it not come from He Yiming's mouth, she would not have believed it at all.
Behind the large stone was an extremely dark cave, without a trace of light. Looking from the outside, it was a pitch-black expanse, and gusts of cold wind blew out from within, sending shivers down one's spine.
He Yiming and Yuan Lixun exchanged glances. Although they knew there wouldn't be any major danger inside this cave dwelling, their hearts were still somewhat uneasy.
He Yiming took a slight breath, and the True Qi in his body circulated. His body seemed to stabilize completely in the next moment, like a towering mountain peak, giving a sense of standing tall against the heavens. Yuan Lixun subconsciously moved even closer to him. Being with this man seemed to have become an indispensable part of her life.
He Yiming cast one last glance at the giant rock beside the cave, then retracted his gaze, took Yuan Lixun's hand, and the two entered the pitch-black cave one after another.
The ground inside the cave was surprisingly flat. Their feet tread on it as if they were walking on the smoothest main road in Kairong Country, one suitable for carriages to gallop.
Yuan Lixun's small hand tightened slightly. Both of them knew that this place had certainly been artificially processed, but it was done extremely well, almost divinely crafted, making it difficult to find any flaws unless one experienced it firsthand.
Although the cave was dim and without light, how could it pose a challenge to He Yiming now? A glint of light shimmered in his eyes, and his ears twitched slightly, listening to the seemingly endless sounds carried by the wind.
Among these sounds, there was much information that ordinary people could not imagine, all of which he captured one by one.
He even knew there was a bend not far ahead before he even walked in; this was the message the sound of the wind brought him.
If Shui Xuanjin knew that his Clairaudient Ear ability had reached such a level, he would certainly sigh, knowing that he had a worthy successor, and would feel ashamed of himself.
With a gentle squeeze of Yuan Lixun's hand, He Yiming immediately assumed the undisputed leading position.
"There's a bend ahead, be careful."
Yuan Lixun responded softly. She didn't ask how He Yiming had discovered it, merely followed quietly behind him, as if she could do so forever.
When they reached the end of this path and rounded the bend, their eyes suddenly lit up.
On the stone wall far around the corner, there was a small pearl emitting a bright light, illuminating the dark stone passage.
In fact, the light from this pearl was not strong, merely a faint glow.
However, in this dark place, even such a faint glow was enough to satisfy them.
The two walked forward. After about ten more steps, another pearl appeared on the stone wall above, emitting the same faint light.
After this, every ten steps or so, there was a similar pearl.
He Yiming and Yuan Lixun exchanged glances, both showing a hint of surprise. Even in He Yiming's eyes, such pearls were rare treasures. Yet, in this passage, there were at least dozens of them, which was truly a grand feat.
Moreover, ever since they entered the passage, they had been continuously moving forward.
Judging by the distance they had already covered, they must have ventured deep into the mountain, yet this passage still seemed endless.
The deeper He Yiming went, the more shocked he became.
To construct such a passage, it probably wasn't much easier than establishing the entire Hengshan Mountain lineage.
Who on earth, and how much manpower and resources did they employ, to practically hollow out half of a small mountain and build such a passage here?
Such a vast project, one truly wonders how it could have been completed, and how it was concealed from others.
All of this was like a mystery, making He Yiming's heart vaguely uneasy.
Finally, the light ahead suddenly brightened.
He Yiming and Yuan Lixun exchanged glances. They knew well that they had definitely reached the interior of the cave dwelling.
Inside the cave dwelling, it was indeed another world. Above their heads, a gigantic crystal sphere hung, this massive unknown object emitting a strong light, illuminating the entire cave dwelling as if it were daylight.
He Yiming and Yuan Lixun stared in shock at the giant crystal, comparable in size to an adult man, hanging above their heads. Their hearts were filled with awe.
"Young Master, what is this thing?" Yuan Lixun murmured, her eyes slightly narrowed, seemingly stimulated by the strong light and unable to open them fully.
Such light, of course, couldn't affect He Yiming in the slightest. But he too was looking up at the crystal above his head, shaking his head in a daze, "I don't know, but..." He paused, then said in a voice that even he didn't believe: "This thing has the smell of the sun."
Yuan Lixun was startled, then immediately understood. She lowered her head and said in surprise, "You're right, its light is as dazzling as sunlight. Young Master, at Hengshan Mountain, I also read the book on rare minerals, but I've never seen any similar records!"
He Yiming nodded slightly. While the luminous pearls outside were precious, they were not unique in this world.
However, the light emitted by the crystal hanging inside the cave dwelling, above their heads, was in no way inferior to the midday sun.
Standing beneath this crystal, they could even feel distinct waves of heat coming towards them.
Such an object, if brought to the outside world, would definitely cause a huge sensation immediately.
However, not only was it not mentioned in the books in the Hengshan Mountain lineage's Book Collection Pavilion, but even Medicine Daoist and Shui Xuanjin, when introducing rare and strange treasures of the world, had never mentioned that such an incredible treasure existed in the world.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through He Yiming's mind: could it be that even these two old masters had never heard of such a miraculous item?
He took a deep look at the crystal, which was as bright as sunlight, then let out a long sigh. He lowered his head and carefully surveyed the cave.
Upon first entering the cave dwelling, He Yiming and Yuan Lixun's attention was drawn to the peculiar crystal above their heads.
This was not to blame them; indeed, anyone entering here would probably cast their first glance upon this object.
For He Yiming and Yuan Lixun to escape from its allure so quickly was already quite an achievement.
Within this cave dwelling, there were three passages. One was, of course, where they had entered, while the other two branched off to the left and right, leading to unknown locations.
The two passages they intended to explore were undoubtedly these.
His gaze swept over the two passages, and He Yiming immediately pointed to one of them, saying, "Lixun, this is the passage where Lu Xinwen usually lived. His Innate Golden Pill must be hidden here. Let's go in."
Yuan Lixun asked in surprise, "Young Master, how did you know?"
He Yiming chuckled and said, "When you advance to the Innate Realm, you'll be able to feel it."
Yuan Lixun's face immediately showed an eager expression. She nodded gently and said solemnly, "Young Master, I will try my best."
He Yiming's gaze swept over her face, covered by the face scarf. Although the scar was concealed by the scarf, how could it escape his notice?
He sighed inwardly, "If not for this whip mark, Yuan Lixun would certainly not be so dedicated to this."
Was this truly the legendary "a blessing in disguise?"
He Yiming nodded to her and led the way into the passage.
Although he knew there would be no danger within this passage, otherwise Lu Xinwen wouldn't have kept it secret even on his deathbed.
However, as he entered, he was still cautious, not daring to be in the slightest bit careless.
Although the length of this passage was not short, it was far from as exaggerated as the section they had walked to enter.
Before long, they had smoothly entered the area.
Here, it was still a cave similar to a large hall, but the entire cave was built squarely, like an ordinary person's room.
Here, the most eye-catching thing was a gigantic stone cabinet placed in a corner of the cave.
The two exchanged glances and stepped forward to open the stone cabinet.
Inside, there were some yellowish books and some bottles and jars of unknown use.
However, both their gazes simultaneously fell upon a nearly transparent crystal box.
Inside this box, there was a pill of pure white color, without a single impurity.
This pill seemed to possess an inexplicable power, as if it contained a powerful life force.
He Yiming's face finally showed a hint of relief. They had found the greatest reward of this trip!
