Sage of Humanity
Chapter 878 - 876: Underground Cavern

Ying Wuji had an indescribably strange feeling towards this independent cultivator who called himself Niu Meng. Not to mention anything else, at certain times, this person seemed to have a tacit understanding with him.

Take the current moment, for instance. Facing the unknown portal, he and Niu Meng had confirmed their response strategy with just a simple sentence and a glance.

There was no need for excessive words or anything else; both of them understood each other's thoughts.

Ying Wuji led the way ahead while Niu Meng watched from the rear.

Working with such a person was undoubtedly very easy.

If Niu Meng were not here, Ying Wuji might not have had the intention to explore deeply. His main task in leading the team here was to protect the Cloud River Realm cultivators under his command as they collected Earth Fire and to ensure their safety.

The way ahead was unknown; it could be an opportunity or a danger. Ying Wuji could not take this risk. The biggest possibility was to immediately send a message back to the base and request other True Lake Realm cultivators to come and assist in the investigation.

But with Niu Meng by his side, there was no need to waste time.

Ying Wuji glanced at the group of Cloud River Realm cultivators and pointed out half of them: "You come with me, the rest stay outside to respond. If there are any anomalies, report back immediately!"

"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison, even the usually flirtatious female cultivator now appeared extremely serious.

Usually, Ying Wuji was approachable, and they could joke and laugh with him. But at this moment, with orders given, they could only follow and obey.

"Lord Ying, I'll go in first." A Cloud River Level 8 cultivator volunteered and immediately moved to enter the dark pit.

"Step aside!" Ying Wuji pulled him aside and leapt into the pit on the stone platform first.

The pit entrance, like a beast's mouth, swallowed his figure.

"Follow along." The voice came from below, and the selected Cloud River Realm cultivators hurriedly followed Ying Wuji's steps, one by one leaping inside.

Lu Ye was the last to go in.

After he stepped inside, only a few remaining cultivators stayed behind, scattered and vigilant in all directions.

Below the stone platform entrance were levels of stone stairs leading downward, their destination unknown.

The stone stairs were clearly man-made, smooth and flat, still stable despite years of erosion.

A group of seven or eight, with two True Lake cultivators leading and following, the Cloud River Realm cultivators in the middle, all tiptoed like cats, moving silently.

The path downward was not cramped, wide enough for seven or eight people to walk side by side. The deeper they went, the darker it became. But for these seasoned cultivators, concentrating spirit force in their eyes and enhancing Ocular Power allowed them to observe their surroundings without obstruction.

Ying Wuji, leading ahead, did not hide his figure, walking and stopping repeatedly as if he had found something.

Lu Ye, following at the back, soon realized what he had found. Passing the spots Ying Wuji had stopped at, Lu Ye clearly saw strange carvings on the stone walls of the passage.

The carved patterns were whimsical, including flowers, weapons, human figures, and beasts.

It seemed to be remnants left by ancient owners, without any special information.

However, the most frequent motif among the carvings was the big sun in the sky, with many figures kneeling and worshipping before it.

Regardless of the origin of the ancient inhabitants, it appeared they greatly revered the big sun in the sky based on these carvings.

Heading downward, everyone was uncertain how deep they had ventured.

Until suddenly, a low shout came from ahead, prompting Lu Ye, at the back, to quicken his pace.

The moment he stepped off the stone stairs, his sight caused him to be momentarily stunned.

Looking around, deep underground, nearly a thousand feet below, lay a huge cavern, its size boundless to the eye. Channels within the cavern flowed with red molten rock, resembling rivers and illuminating the cavern's scene.

What amazed everyone was not the cavern's vastness but the presence of a city-like structure within it!

Houses of varying heights and crude styles were scattered throughout the city, carved from hard stone. Many had collapsed due to years of neglect, with only a few remaining intact.

An ancient city existed within this underground cavern!

Flowing lava in the channels crisscrossed the city like its moat.

From this scene and previous experiences, it was evident the city had been uninhabited for many years.

Yet, the astonishing question was what kind of people could live in such an environment!

Even someone like Ying Wuji in the True Lake Realm could not stay here long, having to continually use spirit power to resist the surrounding heat, which consumed significant spirit force.

Suddenly encountering a dilapidated city in such a place was truly unbelievable.

"What's that up there?" A cultivator suddenly asked, looking overhead.

A black-red cavern ceiling loomed overhead due to the environment, periodically dotted with flickering lights.

Ying Wuji and Lu Ye simultaneously flew up, quickly returning with irregular crystals the size of fists.

"Fire spirit stones!" Ying Wuji exclaimed in shock.

Ordinary spirit stones were mostly without element signs, but certain environments could nurture spirit stones with special element signs.

In such hot environments with concentrated fire spirit power, fire spirit stones could be born over time.

Though not useful for ordinary cultivators, for someone like Lu Ye who cultivated fire-type techniques, these spirit stones were far more efficient than regular ones.

Moreover, spirit stones with element signs had other specific uses that regular spirit stones could not replace.

Thus, element-sign spirit stones were far more valuable, often worth three to five times their regular counterparts under the same quality and size.

Typically, element-sign spirit stones were strategic reserves for the two major camps.

Lu Ye had once tried searching for fire spirit stones in the Heaven's Augury treasure vault without finding any. Not because Heaven's Augury didn't sell them, but because they were promptly bought by the camps' cultivators whenever in stock.

They shared the same fate as the Earth's Core Fire.

The presence of fire spirit stones in the cavern's ceiling indicated a complete Fire Spirit Vein overhead, key to nurturing such spirit stones.

The sight of numerous fire spirit stones twinkling like stars on the cavern ceiling showed their overwhelming abundance.

After thousands of years, it was unsurprising for such abundant fire spirit stones to be nurtured here.

"Lord Ying, should we mine them?" A cultivator asked, possibly in excitement, his face flushed.

Facing such an opportunity, everyone was naturally tempted. Extracting the fire spirit stones meant immense benefits even if divided later.

Ying Wuji pondered briefly and said, "Since we encountered them, we must seize the opportunity."

"Shall we start now?"

"Proceed, but remain vigilant!" Ying Wuji waved.

The cultivators immediately soared towards the cavern ceiling.

"Brother Niu, what are your plans?" Ying Wuji asked Lu Ye.

He was curious, as Brother Niu seemed indifferent to this wealth.

"I'll explore around and see if there's any danger."

Ying Wuji understood Lu Ye's intention and felt grateful: "Thank you, Brother Niu!"

He truly trusted Lu Ye! Brother Niu wasn't indifferent to the fire spirit stones; he was just being cautious.

"Rest assured, Brother Niu's share won't be missing," Ying Wuji added. As Lu Ye was willing to explore and undertake unknown risks, he, of course, wouldn't be stingy when dividing the gains.

Lu Ye nodded and headed into the city, stopping briefly to suggest, "Have them give all mined fire spirit stones to you for safekeeping, making the final tally smoother and avoiding suspicion."

During collection, if anyone secretly kept some, checking each other's storage sacks would be difficult.

Instead of causing embarrassment, it was better for Ying Wuji to manage them and divide later.

Ying Wuji immediately grasped Lu Ye's meaning and nodded: "Brother Niu thinks it through. We'll do as you suggest."

Lu Ye left for the city, and Ying Wuji flew to join his Cloud River Realm cultivators, passing on the order for them to hand over mined fire spirit stones.

The cultivators complied without much resistance, understanding Ying Wuji's intent.

Cultivators worked efficiently, mining fire spirit stones and accumulating them with Ying Wuji for tallying.

While busy mining, Lu Ye also made discoveries.

In a half-collapsed stone house, Lu Ye stared at a stool, his expression strange.

It was made of fire spirit stones, not finely crafted but rough, yet unique due to its material!

Lu Ye volunteered to explore the underground city, aware of potential dangers. Investigating first before seeking benefits was prudent.

While cautious was wise on the cultivation path.

Unexpectedly, casually exploring had led to remarkable finds.

Whoever lived in the city used fire spirit stones as stools, not fearing getting burned?

Could the inhabitants have all cultivated fire-attribute techniques?

Ancient remnants lacked clues and couldn't be verified.

Lu Ye stowed the stool, checked for other items, and left after confirming none.

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