14: Chapter 14 Want to eat it all by yourself? No way!

Xia Youchu felt her patience being worn down bit by bit by Zhao Mengmeng.

This woman followed her like a ghost, her mouth never stopping.

Xia Youchu even suspected that Zhao Mengmeng's War Beast wasn't a Crimson Flame Wolf, but some kind of chatterbox parrot skilled in mental attacks.

"I say, Young Miss Xia, what exactly are you looking for?"

Zhao Mengmeng yawned. "You've almost plowed through this entire periphery. Aside from those stupid Cave Spiders, there's nothing here. Any further in, and you'll be in truly dangerous territory. I might not be able to cover you there."

Xia Youchu paused.

Dangerous?

Danger was exactly what she was waiting for!

According to her memories from her Rebirth, a small ancient ruin entrance was hidden deep within Black Wind Valley.

In her previous life, that ruin was only discovered by chance several years later. It contained some Legacy and resources left by ancient Cultivators. While the level wasn't high, for her current self, it was a timely help.

More importantly, the interior of the ruin was complex, with some natural Restrictions and labyrinths.

It was the perfect place to shake off this tag-along, Zhao Mengmeng!

She had been lingering on the periphery partly to hunt Cave Spiders to Cultivate her Demonic Technique, and partly to observe the terrain and combine it with her memories to confirm the general location of the ruin entrance.

Now, the time was almost right.

"I want to go inside and take a look." Xia Youchu pointed towards the deeper parts of Black Wind Valley, where the mist was thicker and the light dimmer.

Zhao Mengmeng raised an eyebrow. "Inside? Are you sure? The Yao Beasts inside aren't comparable to these Cave Spiders on the periphery. There might even be Late Stage Demon Soldier or even Yao General level guys."

"I know." Xia Youchu's tone was flat. "If you're scared, you don't have to follow."

"Using reverse psychology? Naive!" Zhao Mengmeng sneered, but her gaze became a bit more serious. "However, I am a bit curious. What exactly are you after, risking your life to go in there? Don't tell me it's just to kill a few stronger Yao Beasts."

Xia Youchu didn't answer and just started walking towards the depths.

The answer would be revealed soon enough.

Zhao Mengmeng looked at her back, curled her lip, but still followed, while patting the head of the Crimson Flame Wolf beside her.

"Buddy, perk up. Looks like this job isn't going to be so boring after all."

The Crimson Flame Wolf let out a low growl, its crimson eyes vigilantly scanning the increasingly gloomy environment.

...

Meanwhile, in another direction of Black Wind Valley.

Ling Tian was feasting on a "Rock Giant Lizard" he had torn apart.

This giant lizard had astonishing defensive power, its skin like real rock, and it was quite strong, giving him some trouble.

[Devoured Rock-Armored Lizard (Middle Stage Demon Soldier), gained Evolution Points +80. Strength +8, Stamina +10. Acquired passive skill: Hard Skin.]

[Hard Skin (Elementary): Skin durability permanently increased by 10%]

His Evolution Points had also broken through the 600 mark!

Awesome!

Ling Tian felt his strength had increased by another notch, and his skin was tougher too.

He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, still unsatisfied.

This deep part of Black Wind Valley was truly a great place!

The Yao Beasts were strong and nourishing!

Much better than those dry, bony spiders on the periphery!

Through Energy Perception, he could clearly see that the energy reaction in this area was intense. High-intensity life sources were one after another, and the quality was very high!

It was practically an all-you-can-eat buffet!

"Looks like that woman is still picking up trash on the periphery, while I'm eating a feast here! Hehe, I've made a fortune!"

Ling Tian thought happily, completely unaware that the area he was in was actually a recognized danger zone of Black Wind Valley, occupied by tough Demon Soldier level characters.

And the ruin entrance Xia Youchu was looking for was in another, relatively safer but more hidden direction.

Just as Ling Tian was preparing to look for his next target.

His powerful Energy Perception captured a trace of extremely subtle but high-quality energy fluctuation.

The fluctuation came from the Soul link, carrying the scent of aged fine wine.

"Hmm? Is that woman trying to hog the spoils?"

Ling Tian looked up abruptly.

He could feel that Xia Youchu seemed to be approaching some huge energy source.

"No way! Trying to hog the spoils behind my back? No way!"

Ling Tian immediately followed that trace of sensing and began to dig.

He used his strengthened claws and Atomic Fission Breath alternately, and the hard rock was like tofu in front of him.

He was like a high-efficiency underground boring machine, moving rapidly in the direction of the sensing.

...

Xia Youchu stopped in front of a rock wall covered in vines and moss, relying on fragments of her memory from her previous life.

This is it.

She carefully observed the rock wall, her fingers tapping lightly on some inconspicuous bumps.

Zhao Mengmeng watched from the side with her arms crossed.

"Don't waste your effort. I've sensed this rock wall; it's solid. There's no path behind it."

Xia Youchu ignored her.

If the entrance to an ancient ruin were so easily seen through, it wouldn't have remained hidden for so many years.

She recalled the information she had heard about this ruin in her previous life.

She looked up, through the dense canopy, barely identifying the position of the sunlight in the sky, and then looked at a few naturally formed holes in the rock wall.

She calculated silently in her heart.

A moment later.

She circulated the trace of Demonic Origin Qi she had just transformed within her body and flicked her finger.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several strands of Demonic Origin Qi shot precisely into a certain hole in the rock wall.

"Hum—!"

On the surface of the rock wall, ripples like water spread out.

Immediately after, under Zhao Mengmeng's dumbfounded gaze, the solid rock wall slowly dissipated like a phantom, revealing a deep hole behind it that could only accommodate one person!

A pure and ancient Origin Qi wafted out from the cave!

"This... what is this?!"

Zhao Mengmeng's eyes widened, the impatience on her face instantly replaced by shock. "Ruin entrance?! You... how did you know there was a ruin entrance here?!"

Xia Youchu also breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.

She had bet right!

Her face remained calm, however, and she said lightly: "I was lucky, I happened to see a few words about it in an ancient book."

Naturally, she wouldn't say that she was a person who had experienced Rebirth.

"Ancient book?" Zhao Mengmeng's eyes flickered, clearly not believing it.

An entrance to a ruin of this level, hidden so deeply, how could it be found based on a few records in an ancient book?

This Xia Youchu had secrets!

However, now was not the time to investigate this.

A ruin!

An undiscovered ruin!

What did this mean? It meant Opportunity! Resources! Wealth!

Although she, Zhao Mengmeng, was the daughter of the guild leader, resources didn't just fall from the sky!

"Ahem!"

Zhao Mengmeng immediately changed her expression and leaned close to Xia Youchu. "Well... little sister Youchu, look, we discovered this ruin together, so it should be shared, right? Big sister here even saved your life just now!"

Xia Youchu glanced at her, sneering in her heart.

Calling it trouble just a moment ago, and now it's little sister Youchu?

However, she didn't intend to hog it all either.

First, she needed Zhao Mengmeng's strength to deal with the potential dangers inside the ruin.

Second, it was no longer realistic to completely shake her off, so it was better to cooperate temporarily and take what each needed.

"The situation inside is unclear, exploring together is fine."

Xia Youchu's tone remained cold. "As for the gains, it depends on one's own ability."

"No problem!" Zhao Mengmeng patted her chest in assurance, her eyes already shining as she looked at the cave entrance. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go in!"

The two went in one after another, cautiously entering the cave.

The Crimson Flame Wolf remained at the entrance to keep watch.

Not long after they entered, the ripples on the rock wall spread again, and the entrance slowly closed.

"Bang!!"

But the next moment, a black shadow suddenly inserted itself into the gap, forcefully prying the entrance open!

The person who came... was none other than Ling Tian!