Following closely behind Zi Yan, the group passed through several winding tunnels within the valley. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a desolate clearing overgrown with weeds.
Liu Xi glanced around at the knee-high grass and the rough, untouched rock walls. If not for Zi Yan's guidance, no one would have guessed that Demon Flame Valley's treasure vault would be hidden here.
Zi Yan stopped before a rock wall, her delicate face full of confidence. Her small white hand clenched into a fist as her petite figure tensed, then struck forward with astonishing force.
A faint ripple distorted the air, as though even space itself had thickened. Zi Yan's pure physical strength was truly terrifying.
Boom!
The entire valley wall trembled as the section she struck collapsed instantly. Stones shattered and scattered, revealing a ten-meter-deep tunnel carved into the mountainside.
Turning around, Zi Yan pointed proudly at the dark passage. "It's in here!"
Liu Xi smiled approvingly. "Good job, Zi Yan."
"Ehehe~!" Zi Yan's eyes curved into crescent moons as she grinned and eagerly dashed toward the tunnel entrance.
Before she could enter, Liu Xi quickly caught her by the arm. Exchanging a knowing glance with Su Qian and Xiao Yixian, the three circulated their Dou Qi, intertwining their auras to seal the surrounding space without leaving any gaps.
Only then did they step inside. The tunnel was illuminated by moonlight stones embedded in the walls, casting a soft glow that drove away the darkness.
To the side, a steep staircase descended into a deep abyss, its end invisible to the naked eye. The only sound within the silence was the steady tap tap of their footsteps. Su Qian took the lead, alert and watchful as they proceeded.
After descending to the bottom, they reached a dust-covered stone gate. Surprisingly, they had encountered no traps or mechanisms along the way.
Seeing the stone door, Su Qian raised a weathered hand, preparing to push it open—until Zi Yan's voice rang out.
"Leave that to me!"
Her words froze Su Qian mid-motion. Liu Xi and Xiao Yixian exchanged amused smiles; this little girl clearly had a fondness for solving problems with brute force.
"Let her handle it, Grand Elder," Liu Xi said with a laugh. "We'll watch."
Su Qian chuckled helplessly and stepped back. "All right, little one, go ahead."
Zi Yan trotted to the stone gate, her small face glowing with excitement. She let out a sharp cry, clenched her fist again, and punched straight forward.
Bang!
The stone door shattered completely, and blinding light burst from within, forcing everyone to narrow their eyes. But Liu Xi, whose Spiritual Power had already been spread throughout the area, sensed the hidden shadow within that light and shouted, "Zi Yan, watch out—something's coming!"
A fierce gust of wind rushed toward them. Zi Yan reacted instantly, her petite frame tensing before she drove her fist straight into the oncoming shadow.
Hiss!
A shrill cry echoed as the creature was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground with a dull thud.
In a flash, Su Qian and Xiao Yixian appeared before Zi Yan, shielding her as a surge of Dou Zong aura erupted, forming an invisible wall of defense.
When the dust cleared and their eyes adjusted, a spacious treasure chamber came into view. Rows of wooden shelves lined the room, each holding scrolls, medicinal pills, and weapons carefully arranged.
Near the center lay a snake-shaped Magic Beast, bloodied and twitching weakly. Its scattered scales and wounds made it obvious that this was the creature that had ambushed them.
Su Qian and Xiao Yixian retracted their Dou Qi auras. Liu Xi withdrew his Spiritual Power and said calmly, "That was a 5th Tier Magic Beast—probably the guardian of this vault. Other than that, I sense no further threats."
"Tch, just a little snake dares to attack me," Zi Yan said in annoyance. She ran up, grabbed the beast by the tail despite its weak resistance, and dragged it out of the treasury as if tossing away garbage.
Liu Xi chuckled softly. "Poor little snake…"
Shaking his head with a smile, he turned toward the vault's interior, with Su Qian and Xiao Yixian following close behind.
"No wonder Demon Flame Valley was one of the dominant powers in the Black-Corner Region," Liu Xi said with a faint smile. "These Qi Methods and Dou Techniques are all of high grade."
From the labels on the shelves, even the lowest-ranked were at the Xuan Class—though such things no longer held his interest. For Liu Xi, only Di Classr techniques and higher could enhance his current strength.
Reaching the end of the chamber, he found four wooden boxes resting under a faint energy barrier inscribed with spatial runes.
Su Qian frowned. "This energy field contains traces of spatial power. It's not strong, but if destroyed forcefully, it could damage the contents inside."
Liu Xi laughed. "Haha, Grand Elder, have you forgotten why the academy's medicine vault kept losing items every year when Zi Yan was around?"
Su Qian blinked, then smacked his forehead in realization. "Ah, yes—how could I forget that girl!"
"Zi Yan! We need you again," Liu Xi called.
When she arrived, he pointed to the barrier. "These boxes are protected by energy. Only you can get them out safely."
Zi Yan puffed her chest proudly and grinned. "Leave it to me!"
She stepped forward, easily slipping her small hand through the barrier as if it weren't even there, pulling the four boxes out one by one.
"With Zi Yan around, things really do get simpler," Liu Xi said, taking the boxes with a satisfied nod.
"Hehe!" Zi Yan giggled, clearly pleased with herself.
Opening the boxes one after another, Liu Xi examined their contents.
The first contained two silver-white scrolls flickering faintly with arcs of lightning like tiny serpents.
"Thunderburst Scripture, Mid Di Class, lightning attribute Qi Method. Shockstrike Thunder Technique, Mid Di Class, lightning attribute Dou Technique…"
He passed them to Su Qian. "These are good, but they don't suit my element. The academy can have them."
Su Qian received them with both hands, his expression full of delight. "The academy will make good use of these."
The second box held a fiery red scroll. The label read: True Flame Technique.
Liu Xi wasn't particularly interested in the imitation flame cultivation method—it produced false fire that lacked true spiritual nature. Still, it might serve as nourishment for the Green Lotus Core Flame.
"I'll take this one," he said casually.
"Of course," Su Qian replied, smiling broadly.
The final two boxes held a round, crimson orb pulsing faintly with heat, and a simple brown bamboo scroll.
"This is… a 7th Rank fire-attribute Monster Core!" Su Qian's eyes widened in astonishment. "That old devil actually had such a thing!"
Liu Xi wasn't surprised. He already possessed a Monster Core from a Heaven Demon Phoenix—one that was on the verge of reaching the 8th Tier.
Picking up the bamboo scroll, he slowly unrolled it. Bold, blood-red characters were scrawled across the page, fierce and domineering.
"Heavenly Demon Puppet."
Liu Xi's eyes glimmered with interest, a faint smile tugging at his lips. This was the true prize he had come for.
(End of Chapter)
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