Chapter 068: A Stunning Harvest

  The crimson light was dazzling, and the river of energy hovered above Yang Tian's head, accompanied by the sound of drums and the howling of wind. As Yang Tian frantically consumed ancient pills, the waves within the river grew larger, and the wind grew sharper.

  The phenomenon grew stronger with the cultivator's power. Yang Tian had only just begun to solidify his phenomenon, so its benefits were still limited.

  According to legends, ancient powerhouses could unleash phenomena that shattered the heavens and split the earth. The wind could reach the highest heavens and the deepest abyss; the drums could shake illusions; thunder could resonate through the world; the azure sea could illuminate the sky; yin and yang could seal the heavens and earth; and chaos could destroy all creation.

  Of course, these were just tales passed down through the ages. In the present era, such grand abilities were rarely seen. Some even claimed that true powerhouses no longer existed. Only by cultivating one's phenomenon to its peak could one truly shake the heavens and earth, awe ghosts and gods, and roam freely through the world.

  In a cave, Xing Hao and Shan Qu stared enviously at the river of energy above Yang Tian's head. To manifest a phenomenon required not only immense strength but also boundless fortune.

  Yun'er gazed at Yang Tian with admiration, her jade-like face adorned with a constant smile. Yang Tian had defeated a saint with his bare hands and nearly killed him. His talent far surpassed hers, and his unyielding heart feared no one.

  A day passed, and Yang Tian's cultivation was fully restored, even improved. The ancient pills were miraculous, far surpassing the spiritual energy of the outside world.

  "Brother Yang, you've recovered so quickly?" Xing Hao exclaimed in surprise as Yang Tian opened his eyes. Yang Tian's injuries had been severe, and under normal circumstances, it would have taken him a day or two to recover.

  "Almost there. Sorry to keep you waiting," Yang Tian said with a smile as he stood up. The recent battle had further solidified his energy.

  "Don't mention it," Xing Hao said with a grin. "Even if you stayed here until the end of Martial Path Mountain, they still wouldn't be able to open the core area."

  "That's right, Brother Yang. The mark on my hand is the key to the core area. Without it, they can't break through the outer formations," Yun'er added, waving the glowing rune on her palm.

  "Ah, I see," Yang Tian said, scratching his head. He then took out a spatial ring, a wide grin spreading across his face.

  "It's a high-grade spatial ring! Too bad Wang Long hadn't solidified his soul yet. Now it's all yours," Xing Hao said with a laugh.

  "Let's see what treasures are inside," Yang Tian said, sending his consciousness into the ring. The high-grade spatial ring was enormous, nearly a thousand zhang in size, and most of its space was filled with items.

  Whoosh! A pile of items spilled onto the cave floor, mostly ancient pills. The others gasped at the sight—there were several times more pills here than Yang Tian had obtained in the treasure cave.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Yang Tian's attention, however, was drawn to a small, inch-high furnace. It was the replica of the Yin-Yang Divine Furnace, now dull and lifeless, its intricate patterns hidden.

  "Brother Yang, it's best not to use that," Xing Hao advised, shaking his head. "It carries the mark of their sect. If you take it out, they'll be able to track it."

  "Don't worry, I have a way to hide it from them," Yang Tian said with a mysterious smile. The Ancestral Dragon Ring had its own space, capable of isolating even the demon core. A semi-finished divine artifact was no problem.

  "Let's split these pills evenly. No arguments," Yang Tian said, dividing the ancient pills into four portions. Seeing the others hesitate, he frowned. "Take them."

  "Alright then," Xing Hao said, scratching his head as they accepted their shares. Ancient pills were rare even for ancient families, let alone them.

  "What's this?" Xing Hao's eyes fell on a faint red mark, and his face lit up with excitement. As he examined it, his joy grew. "Brother Yang, we've hit the jackpot! This is the Yin-Yang Union Sect's cave dwelling on Martial Path Mountain! We're rich!"

  "Really?" Yun'er's eyes sparkled with delight.

  "What?!" Yang Tian's heart skipped a beat. Every ancient family had a cave dwelling here, remnants of ancient sects far superior to the hidden caves they had encountered before.

  "But what's the use of this?" Yang Tian asked, puzzled. Surely, the cave had been emptied long ago.

  "It's hard to explain. Let's just go there and see," Xing Hao said, his face beaming as he examined the mark.

  "Alright," Yang Tian agreed, turning his attention to the remaining two jade slips. One exuded yin and yang energy, clearly a cultivation technique from the Yin-Yang Union Sect. Given that it was in Wang Long's possession, it was likely high-level.

  "Brother Yang, that's a hot potato. It's best not to look at it," Xing Hao warned. Top-tier sects guarded their techniques fiercely, and there might be a powerful soul imprint hidden within.

  Yang Tian nodded, then focused on the final jade slip. It felt strangely familiar, as if he had seen it before.

  "Star-rank mid-level movement technique: Free Wanderer's Eight Steps. When mastered, it allows one to traverse the void and manifest seven clones. Its power rivals that of star-rank high-level techniques!"

  "Free Wanderer's Eight Steps?" Yang Tian was stunned. The jade slip contained a temporary copy of the technique—the original had likely been taken by the sect—but it was enough for Yang Tian to learn it.

  "Free Wanderer's Eight Steps?" Xing Hao burst into laughter. "This was auctioned off by the Yin-Yang Union Sect at the Senluo Auction House. I can't believe it ended up in your hands. This is hilarious!"

  "Free Wanderer's Eight Steps... I feel like I've heard of it before," Shan Qu muttered, scratching his head in confusion.

  Yang Tian couldn't help but marvel at his luck. He had been in need of a movement technique, and now he had obtained one that had fetched a sky-high price at auction.

  Outside the cave, the group stood before a cluster of buildings. The area was desolate, with few people around. They could faintly sense energy fluctuations in the air.

  "Twenty miles to the east is the outer hall. There are pills there," Yun'er said, consulting the map given to her by the skeleton's owner.

  "Pills?" The others' eyes lit up. Pills left behind by an ancient sect couldn't be ordinary.

  "Too bad there are formations guarding them," Yun'er added, dampening their excitement.

  "Cough... cough..." The group sighed in unison, shaking their heads as they hurried east. The sheer number of spirit herbs they had seen earlier hinted at the treasures within. Perhaps only by inheriting the sect's legacy could one unlock the formations.

  As they ran, they passed many treasure hunters, each more ruthless than the last. The buildings they passed were stripped bare, and they witnessed several bloody conflicts over treasures.

  After about half an hour, they arrived at a grand hall. The structure was massive, its grandeur overwhelming. They felt like ants standing before it.

  At the entrance, a crowd had already gathered. The energy fluctuations inside were intense.

  Passing through a large hall, they reached several corridors lined with stone doors. Many people were busy breaking through the formations, the faint scent of medicinal herbs wafting through the air.