Immortality Cultivation: I Can increase My Stats Using Clansmen's Qi-Blood

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang walked over to observe the symbols carefully.

They were ancient and complex, seeming to contain some mysterious power.

"I've never seen these symbols before, but they give me a familiar feeling," Qing Shuang said, frowning.

"Perhaps these symbols are related to the Ancient Warrior," Luo Chen speculated.

They decided to try and decode these symbols, hoping to find some clues.

After some effort, they finally discovered these symbols seemed to be an ancient script recording a legend about the Ancient Warrior.

In the legend, the Ancient Warrior was a powerful warrior who once guarded this land, battling countless times against the evil forces of the Nine Netherlands.

Ultimately, he sealed his power within the Sky Heart Grass.

And this Sky Heart Grass was exactly what the Ancient Warrior wanted them to find in the Nine Netherlands.

"Sky Heart Grass..." Luo Chen murmured softly, his gaze wandering around the cave in search of the legendary herb.

"If what's recorded by these symbols is true, then the Sky Heart Grass should be nearby," Qing Shuang said, hope gleaming in her eyes.

Hong Ling appeared somewhat cautious, looking around and whispering, "We must be careful; nothing in the Nine Netherlands is simple. If the Sky Heart Grass truly exists, it might have a Guardian nearby."

Luo Chen nodded, knowing that Hong Ling's concern wasn't unwarranted.

The three of them continued to explore the cave, treading carefully with every step to avoid triggering any traps or alerting unknown creatures.

Time flowed slowly in the cave, and they finally discovered a medicinal herb emitting a faint blue light in a hidden corner.

The leaves of the herb were heart-shaped, with a crystal-clear dew drop in the center, like the brightest star in the night sky.

"This should be the Sky Heart Grass," Qing Shuang said softly, her eyes filled with delight.

Luo Chen and Hong Ling gathered around to observe this magical herb carefully.

Luo Chen reached out, intending to touch the dew drop, but just as his fingers were about to make contact, an invisible barrier suddenly appeared, bouncing his hand back.

"It seems the Sky Heart Grass isn't so easily obtained," Luo Chen said, frowning.

"Perhaps we need to unlock some mechanism or perform some ritual," Qing Shuang pondered.

Hong Ling suggested, "Let's not act hastily; let's carefully observe if there are any clues around."

They began searching the cave for possible clues, scrutinizing every corner and every stone.

Finally, on the other side of the cave, they found a stone slab with some writing similar to the previous symbols.

"These writings seem to describe a ritual," Luo Chen said as he deciphered them and began trying to follow the slab's instructions.

Following the instructions, he moved the stones around the Sky Heart Grass in a specific order.

With the last stone in place, the entire cave suddenly shook, and the ground around the Sky Heart Grass slowly cracked open, revealing a deep hole.

"Be careful!" Qing Shuang shouted, quickly standing to Luo Chen's sides with Hong Ling, ready to face any situation.

From the hole, a transparent light sphere slowly rose, containing an even brighter Sky Heart Grass.

Luo Chen reached out, and this time there was no obstruction; he gently took down the light sphere.

"We did it!" Hong Ling exclaimed excitedly.

Luo Chen handed the light sphere to Qing Shuang, saying, "This should be the ultimate goal of our quest; now we should head back."

Qing Shuang took the light sphere, feeling the powerful energy within.

The three decided not to linger and began retracing their steps back.

However, just as they were about to leave the cave, a deep voice suddenly sounded, "Do you think you can leave so easily?"

The three quickly turned to see a figure slowly walking out of the shadows.

It was a mysterious figure in a black robe, his face obscured by shadows and unclear.

"Who are you?" Luo Chen asked warily.

The mysterious figure did not answer but slowly raised his hand, and a black light shot from it, heading straight for Luo Chen.

Luo Chen swiftly dodged, but the light seemed to have a life of its own, relentlessly pursuing him.

Qing Shuang and Hong Ling joined the battle immediately; they knew only by defeating this mysterious figure could they leave safely.

The battle was extremely fierce; the mysterious figure's spells were powerful and bizarre. Although Luo Chen and the others coordinated well, they still felt immense pressure.

Just as they were about to be overwhelmed, Luo Chen suddenly remembered the power of the Sky Heart Grass.

He quickly raised the light sphere of the Sky Heart Grass above his head, and a surge of powerful energy flowed from the sphere, enveloping the three of them.

Empowered by that energy, Luo Chen's Swordsmanship became sharper, Qing Shuang's spells more precise, and Hong Ling's whip moved as if it had a life of its own, striking the mysterious figure's weak points with pinpoint accuracy.

The mysterious figure seemed surprised by this sudden change, and his assault became disorganized.

Luo Chen seized the opportunity, rushing forward with his sword pointing straight at the mysterious figure's chest.

Qing Shuang and Hong Ling followed closely, each unleashing their strongest spells and techniques.

Under the trio's combined efforts, the mysterious figure finally revealed a flaw.

Luo Chen's sword tip pierced his chest, while Qing Shuang's spells enveloped him in a dazzling light.

Hong Ling's whip tightly wrapped around the mysterious figure's body, immobilizing him.

With the fall of the mysterious figure, the cave suddenly became silent.

The three, breathing heavily, exchanged glances, seeing a hint of fatigue and relief in each other's eyes.

"We did it," Qing Shuang said softly, the light sphere in her hand still radiating a warm glow.

"Yes, we did it," Luo Chen replied, his gaze turning to the fallen mysterious figure, filled with confusion.

Hong Ling began inspecting the mysterious figure's body, trying to uncover his identity.

However, when she unveiled the mysterious figure's mask, all three were utterly shocked.

"How is this possible?" Hong Ling's voice was filled with disbelief.

The mysterious figure turned out to be an old man they had met on their journey, who had given them much help and guidance.

The three could never have imagined that this seemingly kindly old man would be their opponent.

"Why would he do this?" Qing Shuang's voice carried a hint of sorrow.

Luo Chen was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Perhaps he had his reasons, or perhaps...he was under some power's control."

Hong Ling nodded, knowing that Luo Chen made sense.

In this world full of mystery and the unknown, the truth was often much more complex than it appeared.

The three decided to bury the old man's body in the cave, as gratitude for his previous help.

Silently, they dug a grave, placed the old man within it, and built a simple stone tomb in his honor.

After finishing everything, they left the cave with the Sky Heart Grass.

The three, carrying the Sky Heart Grass, embarked on their journey home.

Along the way, they talked about the old man, trying to understand why he became the mysterious Guardian of the Sky Heart Grass.

Luo Chen proposed a hypothesis; perhaps the old man had also come for the Sky Heart Grass but was eventually drawn by its power, losing himself to it.

"Power is always a double-edged sword," Qing Shuang sighed, "It can aid us, and it can destroy us."

Hong Ling fell into thought, reminiscing about the help the old man had given them, his warm words, and selfless guidance.

She couldn't connect the kindly old man with the mysterious figure in the cave.

"Perhaps we'll never know the truth," Hong Ling whispered, her eyes showing a hint of sadness.

Luo Chen reached out, gently patting her shoulder, comforting her, "At least we can remember his good side, remember the help he once gave us."