The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 370 - 230: Exchange of Interests_3

Chapter 370: Chapter 230: Exchange of Interests_3

"It seems that the ’Eternal Immortal Vault’ is still being secretly passed down among the people; no one knows how many incomplete copies have been transcribed by now..."

...

"Gentlemen, be careful on your journey!" Yuan Hundred Households said solemnly with a respectful fist and palm salute.

The next day, before dawn, the torrential rain had already stopped, and Li Yan, unable to wait for the river to become navigable, planned to take the mountain roads to Zigui County.

As for Yuan Hundred Households, he needed to plot his own future.

And those ship workers averted their gaze, not daring to look around carelessly.

They were all locals; Li Yan feared he wouldn’t understand the villagers’ dialect, so he thought of hiring a guide.

But after witnessing his methods the night before, who would dare to follow him recklessly?

He could only hire someone upon reaching Zigui County.

Sha Lifei quirked an eyebrow and said with a fist and palm salute, "Yuan Thousand Households, I wish you swift and sure success!"

"Hahaha... nicely said!" Yuan Kejian also felt a surge of boldness in his heart, no longer concealing his ambitions.

Watching as the figures of Li Yan and the others gradually disappeared into the forested mountains, Yuan Kejian then turned, his expression turning stern as he looked at the ship workers:

"Gentlemen, you must have overheard some things."

"Now you have no choice but to be wanted by the court and wander the pugilistic world, or you can follow me in pursuit of wealth and honor!"

...

After the storm, the mountain path was extremely difficult to traverse.

Not only was the ground beneath their feet muddy, but in some places, mudslides had destroyed the mountain paths, forcing them to climb along the cliffs.

The journey from Yichang to Zigui would take less than half a day by boat.

However, traveling across the mountain ridges on foot took them a whole day and a half.

Of course, the scenery along the way was breathtakingly beautiful.

Having climbed over a hill, they saw a massive rock standing on the opposite riverbank, tens of meters high with a precipitous wall that looked unscalable. Bathed in the setting sun, with the evening glow as a backdrop, from afar it resembled figures on a shadow play screen—uncannily lifelike...

This was the famous Dengying Gorge.

After bypassing Dengying Gorge, they saw a row of steep cliffs towering above the surrounding peaks, overlooking the moonlit rapids. Below the sheer cliffs, nine mountain ridges hung down like nine dragons descending into the water—a magnificent sight to behold, none other than the renowned Huangniu Gorge.

At that moment, the moon was rising over the mountain tops, scattering its light like broken silver over the river. On the dark mountain tops in the distance, there were faint glimmers of spiritual light twinkling.

"Treasure!"

Sha Lifei’s eyes lit up on seeing it.

Lv San immediately released a hawk, which circled overhead before returning to whisper in his ear, causing Lv San’s expression to turn peculiar.

"It’s either treasure or a coal spirit!"

"There are coal spirits here!"

Hearing this, Sha Lifei immediately became intrigued.

They quickened their pace and arrived at the forest near Huangniu Gorge to take a look.

Between the crevices of the giant boulders, they could see several firefly-like spiritual lights buzzing and flitting about, each as large as a fist.

Their speed was so fast that they left afterimages in the onlooker’s eyes.

"What do we do?"

Sha Lifei, eyes filled with urgency, asked in a low voice.

"Cool it!" Li Yan shook his head, "This thing is not easy to catch. Without the Treasure-holding Skill, you have to be careful or you could get blown up."

"Besides, there aren’t many of them, so they’re not worth the trouble."

He understood in his heart that the area within Huangniu Gorge didn’t seem to possess coal mines, but likely had remnants of ancient trilobite fossils.

Coal spirits, though hazardous, were also exceptionally timid; seeming to sense their approach, they ’whooshed’ into the rock walls and disappeared from sight.

Not just Sha Lifei, but even Wang Daoxuan felt somewhat disappointed as he stroked his beard and shook his head, "The art of Treasure-holding is complex and diverse, with different techniques in each locale. To learn it, you’d need at least a decade’s study."

"But for something like a coal spirit, there is a fixed method to seize the treasure. If we could learn it, we wouldn’t be in such dire straits the next time we encounter one."

"It’s my fault."

Li Yan also felt some regret, "I forgot to ask Zhao Lvzi for advice. When we return to Yichang City, I’ll see if I can find out more."

Traveling in the mountains at night is unavoidably accompanied by wild animals and wandering ghosts.

Li Yan from time to time deployed "Beidi’s Protection Spell," instantly scattering the wild beasts and sending the wandering ghosts into hiding underground.

Finally, another day before dawn, they climbed a hilltop.

Through the misty morning light, a mud fortress stood on the plains below...