Chapter 214: Shen Nong

Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy

A bleak wind brushed Ye Mo’s ear. He instantly knew it wasn't wind, but something else entirely. His spirit sense detected a faint shadow in the sky ditch.

The digging sounds from outside intensified. Ye Mo again scanned the ditch with his spirit sense, revealing an area approximately 70 meters across. A stand was visible, but what lay beneath remained obscured.

While Ye Mo didn't believe in ghosts or ghouls—he dismissed the pronouncements of those charlatans who attributed unexplained phenomena to magnetic fields or other nonsense—he knew the world held many mysteries. Having come from the cultivation realm, he'd encountered even more inexplicable occurrences. He attributed them to a deficiency of spirit chi, the life force that fostered growth and intelligence. Without it, things lost their unique properties.

Despite sensing an unseen malevolent spirit, Ye Mo remained unconcerned. His spirit sense registered its presence, and moreover, the spirit seemed inherently afraid of him.

Ye Mo jumped down into the sky ditch, landing on the stand. He immediately spotted a camera and, without hesitation, incinerated it with a fireball.

Jumping down to the ground, he found numerous corpses, recently deceased. This place was undeniably strange.

His spirit sense revealed the location wasn't an ancient tomb, as Xiao Lei had suggested, but a dried-up riverbed. Stones, sand, ancient bones, and decaying vegetation littered the area. Ye Mo focused on finding the cauldron, quickly locating it on another stand, sitting alone.

Approaching the stand, as he reached for the cauldron, he felt a surge of hostility. He recognized the malevolent spirit, its nature still a mystery. If a ghost, why did it cast a shadow? If an animal, why was it only detectable through spirit sense?

His primary objective was the cauldron, but the spirit's attack ignited his fury, especially considering it had previously frightened Ning Qingxue. The numerous corpses might be connected.

Killing intent surged. He enveloped the shadow with his chi and unleashed multiple fireballs.

The spirit, it seemed, could only frighten; against a true cultivator like Ye Mo, it was helpless.

A shrill cry pierced the air, then it dissolved into dust.

Ye Mo was surprised by its swift demise. He hadn't even exerted himself. No wonder a charm he'd created at Stage 1 Chi Gathering could repel it; the spirit was confined to the sky ditch; outside, even an ancient martial artist could sense and eliminate it.

Despite killing it, its nature remained unknown. At least, he confirmed the absence of other cultivators.

Ignoring the spirit, Ye Mo picked up the cauldron, only to be met with disappointment. It was merely a stone carving, a decorative replica.

Shaking his head, he replaced it and continued down the riverbed for another 100 meters, where a massive stone door, several meters wide, came into view.

A tomb? It certainly looked like a dried-up riverbed.

He pushed the door; it didn't budge. His current strength was insufficient. Ye Mo drew his long sword and sliced four times through the center.

The stone door yielded like tofu. His spirit sense revealed a chamber filled with stale, decaying air, but no immediate danger.

Entering, he found rows of rotting wooden shelves holding ceramic, wooden, and jade vases. The wind from his entry caused the shelves to crumble.

Brushing away the dust, Ye Mo began a careful examination. His eyes fell upon a medium-sized cauldron. This one, unlike the replica, was genuine.

It boasted a dragon's head on each side, a waist opening, and a lid—a well-crafted cauldron. Identical to the model, but real. Ye Mo rejoiced; it was indeed a fine cauldron, capable of concocting numerous pills. Even after years, a faint herbal scent lingered.

While a fine find, it clearly didn't originate from the cultivation realm. Even Ye Mo couldn't identify the material, but it was undoubtedly top-quality, its craftsmanship exquisite, yet lacking formation markings. It wasn't used in the cultivation realm, yet Ye Mo sensed its significance.

He pieced together the scene: long ago, this might have been a hidden sect of alchemists. A river once flowed before it, but some cataclysm dried the river and buried the sect. Sadly, only the cauldron remained.

Ye Mo cleaned the cauldron, revealing an ancient design. At the bottom, the inscription "Shen Nong" appeared. Could this be the cauldron of the legendary Chinese ancestor, Shen Nong? If so, its value was immeasurable. He was fortunate to have found it first.

With this cauldron, he could achieve much, concocting pills with sufficient herbs and accelerating his cultivation. The sight of the dust-turned herbs brought a pang of regret. After a thorough search, he found nothing else of value. Satisfied with his discovery, he prepared to leave.

But as he turned, a stone figure stood at the doorway. Ye Mo frowned; he hadn't noticed it before. He hadn't been particularly observant upon entering, and yet, it seemed to have appeared after he took the cauldron. This was unsettling.

Nevertheless, unfazed after dispatching the malevolent spirit, he ignored the stone figure.

Approaching, he scanned it with his spirit sense; nothing unusual, except what appeared to be an incense burner beneath it. He carefully moved the figure, causing the ground to tremble. Suddenly, he realized it was a trap.

A tremendous rumble echoed from outside. His spirit sense revealed the sky ditch collapsing, rapidly encroaching. He understood: escape was imperative.

Even as a Stage 3 Chi Gathering cultivator, escaping from 100-200 meters underground would be challenging, especially given the mud and rock, not desert sand. But he wasn't worried; it would be difficult, not impossible.

Waves of mud fell. The stone door was undoubtedly blocked.

Ye Mo turned and ran. Rotting shelves and herbs lined the passage, reminding him of the Purple Heart Vines in the desert, now dust.

He planned to reach the end and create an escape route with his sword, but before he could draw it, more mud fell.

It was too late for regret. He immediately erected a barrier of spirit chi to protect himself from falling debris.

The collapse was swift. Just as he felt his limit, it ceased. He was completely buried.