106: The cave holds unexpected secrets.

Li Changxing's abnormal state was certainly not accidental; it must be related to his special Physique and the strange environment of this place.

His gaze swept over the bottomless cave, then surveyed the surroundings.

Sure enough, within a hundred zhang radius, there was no trace of demonic activity. Even the ubiquitous filthy moss was sparse here, as if all living things instinctively feared this cave entrance.

There is definitely something strange here!

Perhaps the true source lies deep within this cave!

The risk is immense, but it is also an opportunity.

If this is truly the core of the nest, destroying it might solve the problem once and for all!

“I understand.”

Li Yinglong suppressed the doubt in his heart; his decision was made:

“You have fought against Sea Beasts for a long time and are most sensitive to their aura. Since you have a reaction, this might be the key to breaking the situation. However, the conditions inside the cave are unknown and the dangers are unpredictable. Everyone must be more cautious, stay close to me, and not act rashly!”

“Yes!”

Song Shuyao and Song Shuwen replied in unison.

Li Yinglong looked at Li Changxing again:

“Changxing, can you control your reaction? Remember to keep your Spiritual Platform clear. If you feel any discomfort, speak up immediately!”

Li Changxing nodded vigorously, took a deep breath, and tried hard to suppress the churning Qi and blood within him and the inexplicable desire:

“Disciple understands!”

“Shuwen.”

Li Yinglong gave the order.

Song Shuwen understood, stepped forward, and cupped his hands. The pure True Fire of the Sun gathered, compressed, and condensed in his palm. Its scorching and violent nature was cleverly transformed into pure light and heat, finally forming a fist-sized, dazzling golden light sphere that was not blinding. It hovered over his palm like a small sun, steadily emitting bright and warm radiance.

The [Solar Flare Orb] possesses no offensive power. It is an advanced application of low-level illumination techniques, consuming minimal energy and lasting for a long time.

“Move!”

Li Yinglong was the first to step into the cave, the overlord spear pointed diagonally forward, its tip faintly spitting out an imperceptible Azure glow, ready to deliver a thunderous strike at any moment.

Song Shuwen followed closely, holding the [Solar Flare Orb]. The gentle yet steady golden light dispelled the dense darkness at the entrance, illuminating the path ahead.

Song Shuyao provided support in the middle, Lunar Yin Force spreading out like a thin veil, enhancing perception and warning of danger.

Li Changxing brought up the rear, fists clenched, his gaze constantly sweeping the dark corners behind and to the sides.

The cave entrance was extremely spacious, with slippery reefs underfoot and cold water droplets constantly falling from above.

After walking only ten-odd zhang, the terrain suddenly dropped!

On the side against the cave wall, a spiral staircase made of protruding reef stones abruptly appeared!

The reef staircase was embedded in the hard rock wall, about three chi wide, spiraling downwards into the abyss.

The edges of the steps had been smoothed by time and moisture, covered in a layer of greasy, dark substance, yet the overall structure was remarkably intact!

“This is...”

Song Shuyao covered her mouth and whispered, surprise flashing in her cool eyes.

How could such a bizarre creation appear deep within what was suspected to be a demonic creature's nest?

Li Yinglong crouched down and brushed his fingertips across the surface of the steps. It felt cold and hard to the touch; the covering was not ordinary moss but more like a dried secretion.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger.

“Be careful on the stairs. Watch your footing and the surroundings.”

Li Yinglong instructed in a deep voice, being the first to step onto the spiral staircase.

The light of the [Solar Flare Orb] cast downwards, illuminating dozens of steps, but the depths beyond were still swallowed by an impenetrable darkness.

The stairs continued down, down, and further down, as if truly leading to the Nine Netherworld. Only the faint echoes of the four people's footsteps and the occasional drip of water resonated in the dead silence, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

The concept of time became blurred here. Only their seemingly steady breathing and heartbeats proved they were still moving.

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps the duration of an incense stick, perhaps half an hour.

Li Yinglong, walking in the lead, suddenly halted.

He sensed a change in the feeling beneath his feet—it was no longer a descending step, but flat, hard, and slightly slippery solid ground.

“We've reached the bottom.”

The low voice was exceptionally clear in the silent cave.

The three behind him were instantly alert. They stopped, quickly formed a simple defensive formation, and vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

Song Shuwen focused his mind, and the [Solar Flare Orb] above his head burst into intense light. The soft, steady golden radiance spread out like a tide, quickly driving away the dense darkness and revealing the sight of this underground space to everyone.

This was a natural stone cave, not particularly spacious, roughly circular and only about ten zhang across.

The cave walls were still black and wet reef rock, but much smoother than the passage, as if they had been scoured by water flow for a long time.

The stone cave was unusually empty, completely different from the filth, blood, and mountainous piles of debris they expected in a demonic creature's nest.

The place was eerily clean. Aside from the faint, yet bone-chillingly sinister, salty aura still permeating the air, there were almost no traces of living activity.

There was even a sense of solemnity and sanctity, which greatly astonished them.

Everyone looked around and finally discovered the source of this feeling.

In the very center of the stone cave stood a natural stone platform about half a person's height.

The platform was entirely black, blending seamlessly with the surrounding rock walls. Its surface was mirror-smooth, as if meticulously polished.

And upon the stone platform, an object lay quietly.

It was a long, strip-like object, about four chi long and as thick as a child's arm. Its entire body displayed a grayish-white color, as if it had endured the baptism of endless ages. Its texture resembled both rock and some kind of long-dormant dead wood, covered in fine cracks and pits.

However, what truly captured everyone's attention was not the object's form, but a layer of... “living” energy swirling around its surface!

A layer of energy, like dark purple viscous grease, slowly flowed and writhed across the surface of the strip-like object as if alive, emitting extremely unsettling, sinister fluctuations.

This energy was homologous and homomorphic to the aura of the mutated Sea Demons they had encountered before, but it was purer, more condensed, and far more ancient and tyrannical!

It seemed to be the source of all contamination; merely looking at it caused one's Spiritual Platform to be clouded, generating irritability and suppression.

“It's it!”

Li Changxing suddenly stepped forward, his breathing instantly becoming heavy. The red glow in his eyes, which had just been suppressed, erupted like a raging wildfire. He stared intently at the object on the platform, his voice hoarse and trembling with excitement:

“Clan Chief! It's this aura! It's very... very intense! It's calling out to me!”

The Qi and blood in his body surged uncontrollably, and the desire originating from the depths of his Bloodline reached its peak, nearly shattering his sanity.

Li Yinglong's gaze was sharp as an eagle's, locked onto the dark purple energy.

He didn't need Li Changxing's reminder; he clearly sensed that the sinister Origin power permeating the stone cave was emanating precisely from this object!

It was the culprit responsible for the mutation of this sea area and the creation of countless terrifying Sea Demons!

“As expected, this object is causing mischief!”

Li Yinglong's voice was icy, filled with killing intent:

“We must destroy it!”

Before his voice faded, he had already raised his right hand. The Azure Dragon Primordial Energy rapidly gathered in his palm, emitting heart-stopping destructive fluctuations, preparing to instantly annihilate the strange object along with the sinister energy covering it!

However, just as his palm strike was about to be unleashed—

A sudden change occurred!

The dark purple energy that had been slowly flowing on the stone platform seemed to sense a fatal threat and violently boiled up!

As if possessing sentience, it suddenly transformed into a dark purple lightning bolt. With lightning speed, it ignored spatial distance and instantly teleported directly to Li Changxing, who was standing at the front and whose aura resonated with it the most strongly!

“Watch out!”

Song Shuyao and Song Shuwen cried out simultaneously. Lunar Yin Barrier and True Fire of the Sun instantly erupted, attempting to intercept it.

But the dark purple energy was incredibly strange, like a void substance. It passed directly through their defenses and instantly submerged into Li Changxing's chest!

“Eugh—!”

Li Changxing let out a muffled groan, his body shaking violently as he staggered back a step.

His Qi and blood surged explosively throughout his body. Dense, dark red patterns instantly appeared on his skin, and the red glow in his eyes intensified, practically bursting forth. A wild, chaotic, yet immensely powerful force erupted within him!

“Changxing!”

Li Yinglong's eyes were bloodshot. He shook the overlord spear and instantly shielded Li Changxing, watching him with extreme caution, fearing that he would lose his mind and fall into a state of frenzied attack, just like the Sea Demons.

Song Shuyao and Song Shuwen also flashed over immediately, guarding his left and right flanks, their expressions extremely tense.

However... the expected madness did not occur.

Li Changxing stood still, his body trembling slightly. A look of pain first appeared on his face, but soon, that pain was replaced by a strange sense of comfort and satisfaction.

The dark red patterns around his body gradually faded, and the terrifying red glow in his eyes slowly receded. Although his aura remained surging and restless, he had not lost control.

He even unconsciously moved his limbs, a surprised yet satisfied expression on his face.

“Clan Chief... I...”

Li Changxing felt the sudden surge of power within him, along with the strange energy that had perfectly merged with his Qi and blood without causing any discomfort or madness. He looked at Li Yinglong, somewhat bewildered.

“I seem to be... fine? Not only am I fine, but I feel... great? It's like... like drinking a Potent Tonic Soup? My Realm... seems to have risen again!”

Li Yinglong and the other two were stunned upon hearing this.

This result was completely unexpected!

The sinister energy that was enough to make ordinary Sea Beasts mutate and go mad, when pouring into Li Changxing's body, vanished like a clay ox into the sea. Not only did it cause no harm, but it acted like a supplement?

Li Yinglong dared not be careless. He signaled Song Shuyao and the other to remain vigilant, stepped forward himself, and cautiously transferred a trace of pure Dragon Primordial Energy into Li Changxing's body for careful inspection.

Indeed!

The dark purple energy was indeed inside him. Although vast and violent, it did not erode Li Changxing's consciousness. Instead, it was rapidly broken down, absorbed, and assimilated by his special Physique, transforming into nourishment for his Qi and blood Foundation!

As a result, Li Changxing's aura was noticeably stronger than before!

“How could this be?”

Li Yinglong withdrew his hand, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Although he knew that Li Changxing possessed a so-called “Law-level” specialty, he had never been able to fully understand it.

Now he discovered that this Physique could not only absorb Spiritual Qi but also completely immunize itself against the negative effects of this energy and convert it for its own use?

Is he a reincarnation of the Taotie? He refuses nothing; he can use anything!

Only after repeatedly confirming that Li Changxing was truly unharmed and had benefited from the disaster did everyone's tense nerves slightly relax, but the confusion in their hearts deepened.

Li Yinglong redirected his gaze toward the stone platform.

At this moment, the strip-like object, having lost its dark purple energy coating, was completely exposed.

Its original grayish-white color appeared even duller, looking like an ordinary fossil.

However, when Li Yinglong's gaze fell upon the object, an inexplicable sense of familiarity, like a faint electric current, subtly crossed his mind.

This feeling... seemed familiar?

He subconsciously took a few steps closer, arriving in front of the stone platform to observe it intently.

The closer he got, the stronger the sense of familiarity became.

The texture of this object, the subtle patterns, and even the dormant aura it emitted—having endured the vicissitudes of ages—caused the trace of true dragon source blood within him to subtly throb.

Just as he was filled with surprise and uncertainty, a cold notification sound suddenly rang out in his Sea of Consciousness:

[Warning! Extremely high-level energy residue detected! Scanning and analyzing...]

[Analysis complete. Target identification: Ancient True Dragon - Fallen Remains (Fragment)]

[Specifics: A section of finger bone (distal phalanx)]

[Status: Dragon Primordial Energy exhausted, Primordial Sentience extinguished, having endured endless ages, only the solid, immortal bone casing remains.]

[Historical Retrospection Inference (Probability 87.3%): These True Dragon remains fell in this sea area during the ancient era and sank into an extremely deep trench. Although its immortal Dragon Bone has lost all Primordial Sentience, its essence still contains a trace of inviolable, supreme life Origin aura.]

[Subsequent Inference: An unknown type of exotic energy suddenly appeared an unknown number of years ago. This energy possesses extremely strong corrosive, distorting, and activating characteristics. Attracted by the faint Origin aura remaining in the Dragon Bone, it enveloped and eroded it, attempting to 'activate' it into the core of a nest. However, the Dragon Bone's essence was too high and sacred to be violated, so the resistance was successful. The unknown energy failed to devour the Dragon Bone, but was instead affected by its residual aura, causing it to mutate and spread, eroding surrounding life forms, thus creating numerous mutated Sea Demons.]

A flood of information rushed into Li Yinglong's mind. Even though his will was as firm as bedrock, he was shaken by this astonishing truth, rendering him speechless for a long time.

This seemingly unremarkable “strip-like stone” before him... was actually a section of an Ancient True Dragon's finger bone?!