Chapter 393 - 379: Mozhou Exploration (2)

Chapter 393: Chapter 379: Mozhou Exploration (2)

The third and fourth boxes were in just as bad of a state. The pills and talisman papers inside had failed to withstand the erosion of several hundred years, turning into useless waste.

Only the last box was left.

This box was a size smaller than the other four, but its material was completely different. The body of the box was neither metal nor wood, with faint runes shimmering on its surface. The layer of Sealing Spirit Glue was also twice as thick.

Li Yuan carefully sliced through the seal and lifted the lid.

The inside of the box was divided into several small compartments. Most were empty, or contained some kind of weathered powder.

But in the far left corner, a jade box lay silently.

The jade box was perfectly preserved. The isolating Restriction on its surface was still active.

With a light tap of his finger, Li Yuan shattered the Restriction on the jade box and opened it.

The box was lined with a layer of soft Spiritual Cloud Brocade. In the center of the fabric, a Talisman lay flat.

The talisman paper was a deep, dark gold, its texture less like paper and more like a thin sheet of metal. The Array Patterns on its surface were exceedingly complex, with dense lines interwoven to form a design resembling a miniature labyrinth.

Although no Spiritual Power fluctuations emanated from it, Li Yuan’s Divine Sense felt a slight stagnation just from gazing upon the Array Patterns.

’A High-Tier Talisman. And a top-quality one that targets Divine Sense, at that.’

Li Yuan held the Talisman in his hand, examining it closely.

In the corner of the talisman paper, three ancient seal script characters were written with extremely fine brushstrokes: Solid Spirit Talisman.

This was a high-end product from the Profound Nether Sect’s golden age. Judging by the material and the intricacy of the Array Patterns, its quality was exceptionally high, far surpassing any Tier Two Talisman he had ever seen. It might even have reached the threshold of Tier Three.

Unfortunately, after several hundred years, the Spiritual Power contained within the Talisman had completely dissipated. The Array Patterns, which should have been flowing with Spiritual Light, were now lifeless, like a hollow shell without a soul.

Without Spiritual Power, the Talisman couldn’t be activated, and was therefore impossible to use directly.

Li Yuan wasn’t disappointed.

Even though he couldn’t use it directly, this perfectly preserved Solid Spirit Talisman was a priceless treasure in itself. As long as the runic structure was undamaged, he could reverse-engineer its creation method through repeated observation and study. When his strength was great enough in the future, he could simply craft a new one himself.

’Besides, the system’s analysis doesn’t always require an item to be in an active state.’

He placed the Solid Spirit Talisman back in the jade box and tucked it deep inside his storage bag, deciding to study it carefully after returning to the city.

After giving the stone chamber one last thorough search and confirming nothing was missed, Li Yuan turned and left the diversion chamber.

The rewards from this underground exploration were already substantial. Not only had he managed to map out a partial outline of the Profound Nether Sect’s underground system, he had also obtained a physical High-Tier Talisman.

’Time to return to the surface.’

Li Yuan retraced his steps, walking for a while along the abandoned miners’ tunnel before using the Earth Escape Technique to ascend.

As he passed through the thick layers of rock, the surrounding pressure gradually eased.

A moment later, he burst out from the ground.

The first thing he saw was the same deathly-still, gray-white landscape of the Stone Wilderness. The sky was overcast, and a cold wind sent sand spiraling across the ground.

Li Yuan got his bearings and was about to head toward the underground chamber containing the Teleportation Array.

Just then, while still concealed by his stealth technique, his steps faltered slightly.

His dual sensory net, woven from Dark Evil Insight and Spirit Vein Affinity, detected several extremely faint Spiritual Power fluctuations on the edge of the wilderness, roughly two li away.

’Someone’s here.’

There were other Cultivators active on the Stone Wilderness, a place considered dead, where Spiritual Qi was almost completely depleted.

Without any hesitation, Li Yuan’s figure flickered and instantly merged into the bleak, gray background. His stealth completely erased his presence and tracks. Like an invisible wind, he silently closed in on the source of the Spiritual Power fluctuations.

Li Yuan stopped behind a heavily weathered stone hill and peered out.

In a low-lying area not far ahead, four people were standing.

Three at Late-stage Qi Refining, and one at Early-stage Foundation Establishment.

The four were dressed in a bizarre fashion. They wore matching gray-white Daoist robes, with faint, complex cloud patterns visible on the cuffs and collars. But the robes were tattered beyond recognition, covered in mended seams and, in some places, even patched with animal hide.

All four had the pale complexion of those who hadn’t seen the sun in a long time. They were gaunt, yet their eyes were as wary as a wild beast’s.

They were gathered around the remains of a stone pillar, half-buried in the sand, digging furiously with pickaxes and small shovels.

The Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator stood guard to the side, gripping a rust-spotted longsword. His Spiritual Power fluctuations were very faint and unstable, a clear sign that his Cultivation had been destabilized by long-term exposure to an environment lacking Spiritual Qi.

"Hurry up," the Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator urged in a low voice. "This Spirit Gathering Pillar is ruined, but there might be some dregs of Spirit Marrow left in the base. Dig it out, and it’ll be enough to last our group for half a month."

"Boss, this place is so remote. What if we run into an Earth Abyss Beast?" one of the Qi Refining Stage Cultivators asked, wiping sweat from his brow. His voice trembled slightly.

"What are you afraid of!" the Foundation Establishment Cultivator snapped in a low voice. "We remnants of the Profound Nether Sect have been scraping by underground for hundreds of years. What haven’t we seen? If we don’t find Spirit Marrow, we’re just going back to wait for death anyway. Now dig!"