182: Chapter 182 Venerable Chanyu

Ye Tian and Hou Xiaojie cautiously explored the depths of the cave, one following behind the other.

Before they had gone far, a pungent odor wafted through the air.

Gradually, the two saw a faint green mist drifting within the passage, slightly obscuring their vision.

"Senior, this mist..."

Xiao Houzi shrunk his neck nervously, his voice carrying a hint of unease.

Ye Tian's brow furrowed slightly; his Divine Sense had already detected the abnormality of the mist.

"The mist is poisonous. Be careful."

He spoke in a low voice as five-colored radiance flowed around him. A layer of Five Elements Protective Aura instantly expanded, isolating the green mist.

Seeing this, Xiao Houzi hurriedly followed suit, circulating his True Yuan to form a faint protective halo on his body's surface. Though it was far less stable than Ye Tian's Protective Aura, it could barely withstand the mist's erosion.

From time to time, pale green viscous liquid seeped from the rock walls and dripped into the shallow puddles below. It made a "chi-chi" sound and emitted puffs of green smoke that merged into the surrounding mist.

"It seems the toxic gas evaporated from these liquids is what formed the poisonous mist in this cave."

Ye Tian became even more vigilant.

To be able to form a poisonous mist of such scale, the master of this Immortal Cave was certainly no ordinary person.

Continuing deeper, the ground beneath their feet became somewhat slimy. Looking down, they saw strange small insects scattered on the ground—dead, with their bodies mostly melted. The fluids leaking from them had corroded the ground into pits and hollows, emitting a nauseating stench.

"Senior, what... what are these bugs? So disgusting!"

Xiao Houzi covered his nose. Although he was a Cultivator, he had never seen such a bizarre scene.

Ye Tian shook his head, his expression grave. "I'm not sure, but the fluids of these insects are highly toxic. Be careful not to touch them."

He warned while his Divine Sense carefully scanned the surroundings to confirm no living poisonous insects were lurking.

After traveling another distance, the passage ahead suddenly opened up, and a natural grotto appeared before them.

In the center of the grotto, the sight was shocking!

A massive dark-gold Alchemy cauldron, ten feet high, stood atop a stone platform!

The patterns of insects, fish, birds, and beasts carved on the cauldron's surface were covered in dust, emitting an ancient Aura.

Beneath the cauldron's body, there were still traces of a residual earth-fire channel.

Most eye-catching of all was a skeleton sitting cross-legged beside the Alchemy cauldron!

The clothing on the skeleton had long since rotted away, but the skeletal frame itself displayed a dark-gold luster, remaining undecayed despite the passage of time.

The skeleton's head hung low, and one bony hand remained in a posture of pressing forward into empty space, as if still channeling something into the Alchemy cauldron before death.

"Wow! What a huge cauldron! It must be a treasure!"

Seeing that dark-gold cauldron with its extraordinary Aura, Xiao Houzi's eyes instantly lit up. He was so excited he almost shouted, and he subconsciously moved to rush forward!

With the Heart-Nature of a youth, he had little resistance to treasures.

"Wait!"

Ye Tian grabbed him, his expression solemn.

He closed his eyes, and his Divine Sense at the Subtlety Realm spread forward, carefully scanning the great cauldron and the dark-gold skeleton.

The Alchemy cauldron gave him an exceptionally strange feeling. Residual energy remained inside, and the cauldron's material was extraordinary, containing a trace of the Golden Origin; its grade was definitely not low!

But what made him vigilant was that skeleton!

In his Divine Sense perception, that dark-gold skeleton had no Aura of life, nor any fluctuations of a remnant soul; it was a completely dead, withered bone.

However, this only made it more bizarre!

How could a skeleton that had been dead for an unknown number of years maintain such a perfect dark-gold luster?

And why would they pass away sitting beside this cauldron?

"Senior, what's wrong?"

Xiao Houzi, having been pulled back, looked at Ye Tian in confusion.

"That skeleton is a bit strange."

Ye Tian whispered, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings, alert for any possible traps or Restrictions.

However, after investigating for a long while, aside from the pervasive poisonous mist and the dead insects on the ground, he found no traces of any Formations or spiritual energy traps.

Except for the cauldron and the skeleton, the entire grotto seemed empty.

Just as Ye Tian was hesitating, the impatient Xiao Houzi saw that the skeleton hadn't moved for a long time. With treasure right before him, he ultimately couldn't suppress his greed. While Ye Tian was focused on his investigation, he actually broke free from his hand and dashed toward the great cauldron like a streak of smoke!

"Xiao Houzi! Come back!"

Ye Tian's expression changed, and he hurriedly followed!

It wasn't that he was afraid of Xiao Houzi snatching the treasure, but rather he was worried about unknown dangers!

The two of them rushed near the Alchemy cauldron one after the other, making quite a commotion, yet the sitting skeleton still had no reaction.

After Ye Tian approached, he cupped his hands in greeting and tentatively spoke: "We two Juniors were training outside and accidentally intruded upon Senior's place of quiet cultivation. We hope Senior can forgive us.

I wonder if Senior could tell us the way to leave this place?"

His words were respectful, but his Divine Sense remained on high alert at all times.

After waiting for a long while, there was only the faint sound of the poisonous mist flowing in the grotto; the skeleton gave no response.

Ye Tian frowned and repeated himself with a louder voice, but there was still no movement.

Suspicion grew in his heart. He cautiously and slowly approached the skeleton until he was less than three feet away. Staring intently, he finally discovered that the eye sockets of the lowered skull were empty, with nothing inside. Although the dark-gold bones were intact, they emitted an Aura of complete death!

This really was just a corpse that had been dead for an unknown number of years!

"Already... dead?"

Ye Tian was stunned.

How could a corpse maintain such an abnormal state?

And looking at his posture at the time of death, with one hand still pressing toward the Alchemy cauldron, could it be...

His gaze turned to the dark-gold cauldron. The lid was tightly closed, but a very faint medicinal scent could be vaguely smelled from the gaps, mixed with the pungent toxic Aura.

"This person... was actually still refining medicine right before death?"

A wave of emotion rose in Ye Tian's heart.

What level of obsession was this?

To be so persistent with the Dao of Alchemy that even death could not make him stop?

"Senior! Look quickly!"

Just then, Xiao Houzi suddenly pointed at a certain spot on the body of the dark-gold cauldron and let out a strange cry.

Ye Tian followed his finger and saw that on one side of the heavy cauldron's body, near the bottom, a piece was actually missing!

The gap wasn't large, only about the size of a palm, and its shape was very irregular.

Seeing this gap, Ye Tian was startled, and then he remembered the black-gold fragment Xiao Houzi had given him earlier!

He immediately took the fragment out from his storage ring and lined it up with the gap.

A perfect fit!

With a thought, Ye Tian gently pressed the fragment into the gap.

With a soft "click," the fragment embedded itself perfectly into it!

"So... that fragment was a part of this great cauldron!"

Ye Tian suddenly understood.

This dark-gold cauldron was of an extremely high grade, its material was special and contained the Golden Origin; if it were complete, its value would be immeasurable!

Unfortunately, it was an Alchemy cauldron, not a treasure for combat, and it wouldn't directly help increase Ye Tian's current combat power.

He sighed and began searching around, hoping to find another exit.

However, after searching a full circle, he found nothing except for the bare rock walls and the skeleton.

Just as he was feeling a bit disappointed, Xiao Houzi shouted again from the other side: "Senior! Come quickly! There are words here! There are many words carved on the rock wall!"

Hearing this, Ye Tian's spirits were lifted, and he immediately went to Xiao Houzi's side.

On a relatively flat section of the rock wall, there were indeed densely packed words carved everywhere.

He focused and read on: "My name is Chan Yu. I have been obsessed with the Dao of Alchemy all my life, yet limited by my natural talent, it was difficult to achieve Major Achievement on the orthodox path of Alchemy.

Thus, I sought another path, taking a radical approach by using poison for Alchemy and Gu as a guide, creating the Dao of Poison Pills, forming my own system, and was known as Venerable Chan Yu!"

Seeing the four words "Venerable Chan Yu," Ye Tian's whole body shook violently, and his pupils suddenly contracted!

This name was not unfamiliar to him!

Juetian Ridge!

The place where Perfected Han Shui passed away!

Back then, he and Mu Sisi had accidentally entered that Immortal Cave, obtained many treasures, and also learned that Perfected Han Shui had a great enemy during his life—none other than this Venerable Chan Yu, who was famous for his poison pills and Gu arts!

Perfected Han Shui had even left a message, hoping that if a fated person in later generations obtained his Legacy, they could one day slay this scoundrel for him!

Ye Tian had even made an oath at the time, but he never expected... that life would be so unpredictable, and he would actually encounter this Venerable Chan Yu in this place, in this manner!

Furthermore, the other party had long since turned into a pile of withered bones!

He suppressed the shock in his heart and continued reading: "However, I rose by the poison pill and fell by the poison pill.

Being in the company of ten thousand poisons all year round and testing medicines with my own body, I was eventually backlashed by an exotic poison that seeped deep into my marrow and corroded my Divine Soul; no medicine could cure it!

My cultivation stopped at the Sea Transformation Realm, unable to advance further, and my Lifespan was also greatly reduced!"

"I came here, wishing to borrow the power of the earth-fire to gather all I have learned to refine a Ten Thousand Poison Gu Spirit Pill. Perhaps it could resolve this calamity, or perhaps... the poison could be extinguished and sublimated, allowing me to glimpse a higher Realm!

However, heaven did not protect me; the pill was not yet finished, and my breath has already failed! How tragic! How sorrowful!"

The handwriting at this point revealed a strong sense of unwillingness.

"I have roamed the world all my life, and my poison pill arts were unrivaled in the Northern Region, yet this path is perilous and I finally suffered a backlash. Is this the will of heaven?

I do not know.

My only regret is that my poison pill arts have failed to find a successor, and I fear they will be buried here with me!"

"If someone of a later generation can reach this place, break my residual Formation, and see my remains, it is fate!

This dark gold poison gu tripod beside me is my life-bound treasure cauldron, at the peak of the Profound Rank. It has accompanied me all my life and contains within it my final unfinished pill, as well as the 'Chan Yu Poison Scripture' written with my life's blood!

The skeleton beside the cauldron has been tempered by ten thousand poisons and is dark-gold in color; it can also be used as a rare material for Artifact Refining."

"He who obtains my Legacy must swear to spread my poison pill and Gu arts to later generations and not let them be severed!

If you are unwilling to take up this path, please also take the 'Poison Scripture' out and choose someone with a resilient Heart-Nature who does not fear poison to pass it on to. I shall be grateful to you even in the underworld!"

"The exit of the Immortal Cave is deep within the earth-fire well beneath the cauldron, where there is another passage. Activating the runes on the three legs of the cauldron with True Yuan can temporarily extinguish the earth-fire and open the passage."

"Obtaining my gifts means inheriting my Karma... take care... Chan Yu... final words."

The writing ended there.

After Ye Tian finished reading, he remained silent for a long time, waves of emotion rising in his heart.

So that was it!

The master of this Immortal Cave actually had such an origin!

A Venerable of the Huahai Realm who used poison to enter Alchemy, was brilliant and talented, yet was backlashed by his own path!

No wonder the cave was filled with poisonous mist and insects.

He also finally understood why Perfected Han Shui regarded him as an enemy.

Venerable Chan Yu was famous for his poison and Gu arts, and his methods were surely bizarre and ruthless. It was not surprising that he would become enemies with an orthodox Cultivator like Perfected Han Shui.

However, times had changed, and the enemy had already turned into withered bones.

The grudges of the past seemed to have blurred with the passage of time.

At this moment, Ye Tian was faced with a difficult choice.

The lifelong Legacy of a Huahai Realm Venerable, especially the unique poison pill and Gu arts, was of immeasurable value!

If he could master them, whether for fighting enemies, refining pills, or researching ways to break poison techniques, there would be huge benefits.

That dark gold poison gu tripod was an even rarer treasure.

However, accepting the Legacy meant he would have to shoulder the other party's Karma and swear to pass down their teachings.

Poison pill and Gu arts were exceptionally perilous and easily drew the wariness of the Righteous Path; it was by no means an easy task.

Moreover, he still had a connection of gratitude with Perfected Han Shui...

Xiao Houzi had also finished reading the stone carvings from the side. He blinked his large eyes, looked at the great cauldron, then at Ye Tian, and asked in a low voice: "Senior... this, this Legacy... do we want it or not?"

Ye Tian did not answer immediately.

He looked at the dark-gold skeleton with a complex gaze, then at the silent poison cauldron.

After a long silence, he slowly took a deep breath, seemingly having made a decision.