The battle's aftermath was silent, the only sound being the faint crackle of cooling embers. Liu Xi descended lightly beside the massive corpse of the White Ape, his long blade still gleaming with residual heat. With a single fluid motion, he swung it downward—
Slash!
A sharp blade aura tore through the air, splitting the ape's sturdy body cleanly in two. A wave of chilling energy seeped out from within, brushing against Liu Xi's face.
His expression remained calm as he dispelled the fading flames of his Flame Blade, raising a hand in a subtle grasping motion. A whirlpool of Dou Qi spun into existence within his palm, drawing the frigid energy toward him.
A silvery-white crystal core, radiating a cold, icy aura, trembled once before being pulled free from the beast's abdomen and shot into his hand with a whoosh.
"A 5th Rank Ice Attribute Monster Core," Liu Xi murmured, examining the gleaming sphere. "Not a bad find."
As the battle's dust settled, Zi Yan came darting through the air, landing cheerfully beside him. Raising both hands high above her head, she grinned from ear to ear. "Yay! The stupid monkey's finally down! Now it's treasure-hunting time!"
Though she looked like a mischievous little girl, Liu Xi knew better. Zi Yan had wandered the world alone for years—slaughter and death no longer fazed her in the slightest.
Liu Xi slipped the core into his ring, smiling as he turned to her. "Alright, let's go. Can you sense exactly where the treasure is?"
Zi Yan closed her eyes, the purple glow in her pupils flickering faintly. After a moment, she pointed ahead excitedly. "That way!"
"Good."
With a flick of his wrist, Liu Xi dispersed the last traces of azure fire burning across the battlefield. His cyan wings unfurled with a soft whoomph, and he followed closely behind Zi Yan, thinking to himself, 'Having Zi Yan around makes treasure hunting much easier.'
The once lush valley had been reduced to ruins—grass and shrubs scorched away, the ground cratered and cracked from their fierce battle.
Before long, they arrived at the mouth of a massive cavern—the same one from which the White Ape had emerged. Zi Yan, eyes sparkling, darted straight inside without hesitation.
Liu Xi followed, his fingertip flicking as a wisp of azure flame appeared. Instantly, the cave brightened as if touched by daylight. The cavern was vast and high-ceilinged, its walls glimmering faintly under the firelight.
At the end of the tunnel, Zi Yan crouched in front of a stone wall, frowning slightly. "Big Brother, I can feel the treasure's presence right here... but I can't find it."
"Let me."
Liu Xi smiled, raising his hand. A small flame leapt from his fingertip and floated forward, growing in size as it reached the wall. The flame suddenly flared, roaring as it bored downward.
Ssshh—
Stone, dust, and roots vaporized under the Heavenly Flame. Within moments, a dark passage opened before them, leading deep underground.
"Look! There's a tunnel! The treasure must be below!" Zi Yan exclaimed.
"You're right," Liu Xi said, retracting his flame. "Let's go."
"Okay!"
Zi Yan leapt down first, and Liu Xi followed close behind, his wings folding as they descended into the glowing depths.
The tunnel twisted and wound downward for a long distance. Ten minutes later, a pale light appeared ahead. As they emerged, an enormous underground world unfolded before them—stalactites hanging like crystal spears from the ceiling, glittering white light illuminating everything.
"It's over there!" Zi Yan cried, her voice filled with excitement as her violet gaze locked onto a distant glow.
Liu Xi smiled faintly. "Zi Yan truly never disappoints. Let's take a look."
"Hehe! Big Brother can always count on me!" Zi Yan puffed out her small chest proudly before darting forward.
Two streaks—one blue, one violet—shot through the cavern like flowing light. They landed moments later before a gigantic stalactite that stretched from the ceiling to the ground like a colossal crystal pillar, a hundred meters long and so thick that it would take two adults to wrap their arms around it.
"Magnificent," Liu Xi murmured, gazing up at the glittering column. "Only a place this wondrous could nurture something as rare as Earth Core Body Tempering Milk."
But before he could take another look, Zi Yan suddenly shouted, "Wait! This isn't the treasure I sensed!"
She had darted to the base of the stalactite, where a shallow stone basin of jade-green rock sat beneath the dripping tip. In it rested a pool of milky-white liquid, two inches deep, swirling faintly under a layer of mist that never dispersed.
Zi Yan crouched over it, her tiny nose twitching as she sniffed repeatedly. "Hmm…" After a few moments, she straightened, disappointment clouding her small face. "Big Brother, I couldn't be wrong… but this liquid definitely isn't what I sensed earlier."
Liu Xi walked over, smiling softly as he reached out to ruffle her violet hair. "You're not wrong. What you're sensing is the treasure—this substance is called Earth Core Body Tempering Milk. It's formed deep within the earth from pure elemental energy. Over centuries, it condenses from mist into liquid, and after a thousand years, it becomes the Body Tempering Milk we're seeing here. It can cleanse marrow, strengthen the body, and even help break through bottlenecks. For magical beasts, it can reshape the body and awaken intelligence."
He paused, lowering his gaze toward the shallow pool. "However, this…" he gestured lightly, "...is only a diluted form of the real thing."
Zi Yan blinked curiously. "Then where's the real one?"
Liu Xi's lips curved into a confident smile. "Still within the stalactite itself. It's because of the true Earth Core Body Tempering Milk that this structure grew so massive without collapsing. Come, I'll show you."
With that, he spread his wings once more, soaring upward along the shining pillar. Zi Yan quickly followed, her earlier disappointment replaced by renewed excitement.
The two ascended higher and higher, tracing the hundred-meter length of the stalactite until they reached the point where it connected to the ceiling of the cavern.
Hovering in midair, Liu Xi glanced at Zi Yan and nodded. "Try sensing again."
Zi Yan pressed her small hands and feet against the translucent surface, hugging the crystal column tightly. Her face pressed to the cool surface as her eyes glowed faintly with violet light.
Moments later, she gasped, her voice trembling. "It's here! This is it—the treasure I sensed!"
Turning toward Liu Xi, her expression shone with pure admiration. "Big Brother, this is the one! You were right all along!"
Liu Xi only smiled faintly, eyes glimmering with quiet confidence as he looked toward the heart of the glowing stalactite.
'The true Earth Core Body Tempering Milk…' he thought, 'Now that's worth the effort.'
(End of Chapter)
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