High-Class!

The crocodile halted in the tunnel and went no farther; they had arrived at its deepest recess. Deep within the passage of Weiwei's old lair, there had also been an enormous cavern filled with toys and a nest-like bed. The same held true here. The overall layout looked almost identical to Weiwei's den. The only difference—one that left them staring open-mouthed—was that this cavern was exceptionally vast, and inside it was a damn waterfall. "A waterfall?" A flicker of disbelief flashed through Chen Fan's eyes. He froze where he stood, staring dumbly at the spectacle before him. He had never imagined that one day he would encounter a waterfall deep underground. He did not know how many meters subterranean they were, but of one thing he was certain: this was far beneath the surface. Frowning, he observed the scene with care. Plentiful groundwater seeped from the rock, pouring over a rocky outcrop to form a cascade. The waterfall was narrow, not particularly broad. Beneath it lay a deep pool, atop which floated a snow lotus. Otherwise, the cavern was rather stark—apart from the cascade and the flower in the pool, nothing else was present. There was also a crude bedding area, not made for humans, but rather resembling Weiwei's nest—heaped with dried grass, animal pelts, and the like—though it had clearly been deserted for a long time. Right then, Weiwei let out a low whimper, crawled onto the nearby bed, and sniffed gently. "Stationmaster, could that lotus beneath the waterfall be a heavenly material and earthly treasure?" Zhou Mo, who had been following close behind Chen Fan, asked tentatively while his eyes scanned every corner of the cavern. Chen Fan remained silent. He took wide strides toward the waterfall and looked down at the flower beneath the falls. Slowly, a panel surfaced before him. [Exotic Treasure Name]: Snow Lotus (Mature) [Exotic Treasure Grade]: Green [Exotic Treasure Effect]: A special heavenly material and earthly treasure that must be nurtured in a unique environment for a century before reaching maturity. A creation of heaven and earth, it can be used for alchemy, artifact refining, and array formation. Note: If harvested prior to maturity, it will release an exceptionally potent toxin blanketing a one-li radius. Once harvested at maturity, it must be stored in a low-temperature environment within one shichen, or its medicinal potency will dissipate. The information on the panel was straightforward, offering nothing beyond that. It truly was a heavenly material and earthly treasure. Unlike the Mountain Skeleton Embryo, however, it possessed no purpose other than alchemy, artifact refining, and array formation; it could not be used to stabilize underground cavern structures. Chen Fan stood before the waterfall, quietly observing the scene without moving to harvest it immediately. Deep in the cavern, a ceaseless roar reverberated as the cascade tumbled down like the Milky Way spilled from the sky, crashing into the pool and churning up clouds of mist. And that snow lotus grew within the pool, floating quietly upon the surface. It was pristinely white, completely unblemished by dust. Nine petals unfurled outward, their tips condensed with a chill, pure luminescence. It looked strikingly beautiful—so much so that it gave one the distinct impression it would taste fantastic stewed with chicken. "Stationmaster," Zhou Mo said hesitantly, gripping his broadsword as he warily surveyed the cavern. "Didn't you say an important figure once lived here? Why haven't we seen a single trace of habitation? Shouldn't there at least be a bed or a meditation cushion for cultivation?" Chen Fan shook his head. "All I know comes from the message relayed by that ghost king. Since even a ghost king didn't dare utter their name, they had to be an extraordinary figure. Someone of that caliber might have spent their days cultivating cross-legged in midair, untainted by mortal karma." Of course, it was also possible that person wasn't human at all—perhaps it was Weiwei's parents. Still, he found that rather unlikely. After all, a crocodile probably couldn't wield a hammer that massive to smash a crater right into the mountain. The figure the ghost king spoke of was very likely a formidable cultivator, with Weiwei's parents serving as kept beasts. Although he didn't have an immediate use for the snow lotus, it was still a heavenly material and earthly treasure; having it was better than nothing. Besides, his warehouse could easily provide proper storage, so he didn't need to worry about the medicinal potency dissipating. Yet the primary objective of this trip was not any snow lotus, but a Mountain Skeleton Embryo. So far, he hadn't seen the slightest trace of one. The cavern was bare, offering an almost unobstructed view. If a Mountain Skeleton Embryo were anywhere here, it could only be beneath the pool. "Weiwei." Chen Fan glanced at the crocodile sprawled nearby and called softly. Ever since entering this cave, Weiwei had seemed somewhat dejected, which he could understand. With another low whine, Weiwei plunged straight into the pool and vanished from sight, sending ripples surging across the surface. Moments later, it reemerged with an object held in its jaws. "Weiwei, did you grab the wrong thing?" Chen Fan's brow knitted as he stared at the object in the crocodile's mouth. He had seen a Mountain Skeleton Embryo before. When placed in the ghost fire, it had looked like a slowly pulsating, dark-red fleshy growth about the size of a human brain, resembling an excised tumor. Yet what Weiwei held was not dark red, but a brownish hue like mountain earth. Nor was it a ball of flesh; instead, it resembled a bamboo shoot. Weiwei opened its jaws and deposited the shoot onto the ground beside the pool, letting out a whimper as if to say the scent was identical, even if it had no idea why the shape was different. Chen Fan took a step forward, looking at the panel that materialized over the bamboo shoot. [Exotic Treasure Name]: Mountain Embryo [Exotic Treasure Grade]: Yellow [Exotic Treasure Effect]: A special heavenly material and earthly treasure formed from the essence of heaven and earth accumulated by mountains over long ages. Can be used for alchemy, artifact refining, and array formation. Extremely fragile during its growth phase. If subjected to intense tremors, fierce battles, or similar disruptions, it will perish prematurely and turn into a Mountain Skeleton Embryo. Chen Fan wore a complicated expression as he stared silently at the panel. Weiwei hadn't brought the wrong thing. This item and the Mountain Skeleton Embryo were indeed fundamentally the same. However, this one was of a higher grade—a full Yellow grade, matching his Vehicle Workshop. Its mature form was a Mountain Embryo, whereas an aborted one became a Mountain Skeleton Embryo. Yet... He felt an urge to cry without tears. He admitted this was a fine treasure, one that would fetch an exorbitant price once the rainy season passed if he found an interested buyer. The problem was, it wasn't what he needed right now. All he needed was an aborted Mountain Skeleton Embryo—just one was enough to unlock the qualitative change upgrade path for the Training Chamber. Instead, he had found a superior Mountain Embryo. Its value was higher, but it served him no immediate purpose. It was just like an explorer in the wilderness who had starved for three or four days, finally stumbled upon an abandoned human settlement, and found not a drop of food or water, but a huge pile of ghost stones. What bloody use was that? Still... Chen Fan hesitated. Perhaps this could work too. He would return home and try it out. If it didn't work, he could see if he could smash this thing dead with a club to turn it back into a Mountain Skeleton Embryo. Perishing prematurely during its growth phase turned it into a Mountain Skeleton Embryo, but who knew what a mature one would become if bashed to death? He then cast a sweeping glance over their surroundings, preparing to head back. In this cavern—the former lair of Weiwei's parents—he had acquired two heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Both were relatively rare, though neither possessed any innate functionality on its own, unlike the Mountain Skeleton Embryo, which naturally stabilized underground hollows. Before departing, his eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed up at the cascade above the pool. The waterfall was not particularly wide, but its discharge was considerable. In all likelihood, this water was rainwater absorbed by the mountain body, filtered through the earth, and seeped out here. This further corroborated his theory: the rain of the rainy season was not merely water, but something akin to a tonic, offering immense benefits to the growth of exotic treasures and the cultivation of ghost creatures. Yet it seemed to offer no help to humans. And the snow lotus growing upon the pool had been nourished by this rainwater until it reached full maturity. "Is there anything else beneath the pool?" Chen Fan asked the crocodile. The crocodile shook its head, indicating there was nothing left below. Without lingering any longer, they set out for home. The journey back was somewhat faster than the descent. In less than half a shichen, they crawled out of the deep subterranean cavern. Chen Fan slid down from the crocodile's back and surveyed his surroundings. Seeing the rainwater still being absorbed by the mountain, he breathed a faint sigh of relief. All the rain falling on this mountain gathered into the pool to nurture the snow lotus. He had been slightly worried that taking the snow lotus might cause the mountain to stop absorbing rain, leaving his rear base inside the sinkhole vulnerable to flooding. Now, there was no need to fret. However, he grew increasingly curious: if this rainwater could brew a snow lotus, then from a certain perspective, the pool itself was also a treasure. Yet no panel appeared for it, so he did not know the water's precise composition. Nor had Weiwei displayed any particular fondness for the pool water. Only with more information in the future would he perhaps discover what purpose the pool served. As for what came next... He glanced around and lingered no further, climbing back onto the crocodile to return home. The snow lotus had been harvested and had to be placed in a suitable storage environment within one shichen, or its medicinal properties would fade. Once the flower was properly stored, he planned to make another trip here. He admitted that these two treasures were already a fine haul. However, his current foundation was too weak and his resources too meager. These two treasures didn't offer him much immediate utility. In truth, he would have preferred more vulgar gains—like thirty or fifty thousand ghost stones dumped straight into his lap. With that many ghost stones, he could push the progress of his Meat Grinder plan much further. Weiwei had lived here for years and produced two dung pits; wouldn't its parents have left behind several more? If he could track down all those dung pits, wouldn't he strike it rich? Once the snow lotus was secured, he would return to hunt for dung pits. Before long, Chen Fan arrived back at camp. Without a moment's delay, he slid down from the crocodile's back, handed the snow lotus directly to Wang Kui, and gave swift instructions. "Store it in a low-temperature environment and keep it safe in the warehouse." Then he strode toward the depths of the cavern. After expending thirty-two ghost stones, the phantom outline of a building composed of white lines slowly materialized before him and swiftly solidified. A Level 3 stone house rose out of thin air. Next came the moment to witness a miracle. Chen Fan took a deep breath. With a trace of apprehension, he drew the brownish-yellow Mountain Embryo from his robes, set it carefully in the corner of the room, and prepared to proceed with the upgrade. A Mountain Embryo was an embryo all the same. He hoped it would work. He was genuinely uncertain whether killing a Mountain Embryo would turn it into a Mountain Skeleton Embryo. For all he knew, it might just become a dead fetus. After expending another fifty ghost stones, the Level 3 dwelling before him advanced to Level 4, and a panel surfaced. [Dwelling upgraded to Level 4; converted to stone house, increasingly sturdy.] [Please select an upgrade direction.] [1: Artifact Refining Workshop — Can forge spirit treasures by refining ghost materials. Requires an artifact refiner in residence.] [2: Alchemy Workshop — Can concoct pills by refining ghost materials. Requires an alchemist in residence.] [3: Qualitative Change: Spirit Accumulation Pavilion — Allows cultivators to cultivate quickly and learn martial techniques here. (Rare)] Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Fan instantly selected the third upgrade direction. He could study the panel at his leisure; making the choice came first. "Whew..." Chen Fan exhaled deeply as he gazed upon the upgraded Spirit Accumulation Pavilion before him, unable to suppress a broad grin. Had he not been mindful of his image, he would have burst into hearty laughter right then and there! Without a Mountain Skeleton Embryo, he indeed couldn't obtain the Training Chamber upgrade. Yet he had acquired the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion instead! Though both were "Rare" qualitative changes, a vast gulf could lie between one rarity and another. If nothing else, the name alone revealed they were not on the same tier—Spirit Accumulation Pavilion sounded vastly superior to any Training Chamber. Moreover... It was worth noting that this stone house had been constructed flush against the cavern's inner wall. Upon upgrading to the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion, there clearly wasn't enough room for it. Those white lines had carved out a hollow in the cavern wall on their own and slotted the enlarged structure right inside. This set it apart from other buildings; normally, if there wasn't enough clearance, a building simply couldn't be placed—it wouldn't go digging out rock on its own. The upgraded Spirit Accumulation Pavilion occupied far more ground than the old cabin. The entire structure was nearly seamlessly embedded into the mountain, leaving only a door set into the cavern wall. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside. What met his eyes was a floor paved completely flat with polished black jade stone. "High-class!" Chen Fan offered his heartfelt praise. A paved floor... what a novelty! His main base was still bare, tamped earth, compacted solely by the crocodile stomping back and forth. His own headquarters didn't even have a floor, yet the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion had one. He reached down and touched the ground. It felt quite cool—evidently a type of jade material. Prying it up and selling it outside would probably fetch a decent sum. Inside, there were no partitioned rooms. It was a vast, open expanse. The ceiling reached dozens of meters high, and the floor spanned several thousand square meters. It clearly contained an internal spatial dimension; the phantom outline had nowhere near this size. Much like the Mustard Seed Chamber, the interior was vastly larger than it appeared from outside. The air was somewhat hazy, as it had not yet been activated. Using a copper pipe, he connected the Spirit Accumulation Pavilion to the ghost fire and initiated the power. The next instant— The entire Spirit Accumulation Pavilion lit up brilliantly!