197: Chapter 197 Exploring the Cave Abode Brings Another Opportunity; Understanding the Mysteries Within the Earthly Origin Technique

Liu Yun and the other two led the way, while Ye Qing followed behind them at a leisurely pace, flying towards the northeast.

About the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn later, the four of them landed in front of an inconspicuous small hill.

This small hill was no more than a hundred zhang high, its surface covered in thick gray moss, indistinguishable from the surrounding desolate hills and completely unremarkable.

"Senior Brother, this is the place." Liu Yun pointed to a crevice at the foot of the hill obscured by loose rocks and said, "The entrance is behind that pile of stones; the concealment Formation we set up earlier is still there."

Ye Qing looked in the direction Liu Yun indicated and indeed discovered that the layout of the pile of rocks was somewhat deliberate, faintly forming a simple concealment Formation.

If not for knowing beforehand, even if one flew past here, it would be difficult to notice anything unusual.

"You are quite meticulous." Ye Qing casually praised them, then walked to the pile of rocks and waved his hand. A gentle force of mana pushed the stones aside, revealing a narrow entrance that only allowed one person to pass through.

The entrance sloped inward, leading deep underground, and a musty, dry scent mixed with a faint smell of earth wafted out from the cave.

Ye Qing did not rush in, but first probed the cave with his Divine Sense, carefully inspecting it.

The passage was not deep; after sloping downward for about a few dozen zhang, it reached a stone chamber about ten zhang in circumference.

The stone chamber was empty, with only a stone table in the center, and a dusty jade box placed on the table.

"There are no Yao Beasts, nor are there any traps." Ye Qing withdrew his Divine Sense and said to Liu Yun and the others, "Let's go, let's go in and take a look."

He took the lead, bending down to enter the hole, and walked down along the slightly steep sloping path. Liu Yun and the others quickly followed.

The stone chamber was much simpler than Ye Qing had expected; the four walls were rough rock, without any traces of carving or decoration.

The stone table was also simply chiseled from a piece of ordinary bluestone, appearing very casual.

Ye Qing walked to the stone table, his gaze falling on the jade box.

The jade box was carved from a piece of palm-sized cyan jade, its surface also covered in a thick layer of dust, looking completely unremarkable.

He extended his finger and gently brushed the dust off the jade box, revealing the original color of the jade.

It was a piece of medium-quality cyan jade, not considered any rare item.

He carefully opened the jade box; inside, there were no traps or hidden weapons as imagined, but only a well-preserved Jade Slip lying quietly within.

He picked up the Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Sense.

What was recorded in the Jade Slip was not some profound Cultivation Technique or Divine Ability, but an auxiliary method called the "Earth Origin Manual".

This method described how to channel the power of the earth's veins to nourish Magic Treasures, cultivate Spirit Medicine, and even reinforce the Restrictions of an Immortal Cave.

"Earth Origin Manual... channeling the power of the earth's veins?" Ye Qing quickly browsed through the contents of the Jade Slip, a look of interest appearing in his eyes.

Although this method did not improve direct combat power much, its concept was quite ingenious and had significant value for long-term development.

Especially the method within it regarding channeling the power of the earth's veins to nourish Magic Treasures, which made his heart stir slightly.

"If I could integrate this method of channeling the power of the earth's veins into my Chaos Sword Dao, perhaps I could raise the power and spirituality of the chaos sword to another level."

He properly put away the Jade Slip and carefully searched the stone chamber again, confirming there were no other hidden compartments or secret rooms, before saying to Liu Yun and the others, "The owner of this Immortal Cave seems to have been a Cultivator focused on the auxiliary Dao."

"The method in this Jade Slip is somewhat useful to me, so I will keep it. As for this jade box and other odds and ends in the stone chamber, if you find them useful, you can divide them."

Liu Yun and the others, upon hearing this, all showed a hint of joy on their faces. They had originally thought they might return empty-handed this time, but they hadn't expected to still receive some things.

Although the value of the jade box and the items in the stone chamber was not high, it was at least a gain.

"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Liu Yun quickly bowed and thanked him.

Ye Qing waved his hand, said nothing more, turned around, and walked out of the simple Immortal Cave along the path they had come.

Standing outside the cave entrance, he looked up at the eternally gray sky and calculated silently in his heart.

""Earth Origin Manual"... channeling the power of the earth's veins... This is indeed a good idea. Perhaps I can try to combine this method with my Chaos Dao and the evolution of the space within my body."

He had a faint premonition that this seemingly unremarkable "Earth Origin Manual" might bring some unexpected inspiration to his path of cultivation.