Chapter Fifty-Two: A Great Harvest

Feeling the energy fluctuations emanating from the stone house ahead, Ye Cheng’s face lit up with joy.

He promptly pressed his palm against the stone door, attempting to push it open. However, the moment his hand touched the door, it was immediately repelled by a wave of energy. "Energy barrier?" Ye Cheng was startled, gazing at his rebounding hand in surprise. He hadn’t expected the stone door to be protected by an energy shield. Recalling the force that had bounced his hand away, he realized it wasn’t particularly strong. If he exerted himself fully, he should be able to break through it.

He then noticed the thick moss covering the stone door, likely a result of its ancient age. Over time, the energy barrier had weakened. Ye Cheng considered this silently, feeling a stroke of luck—had the protective energy not faded, he might have been trapped outside, unable to enter.

He didn’t linger on the thought. The intense energy surging from within the stone house stirred anticipation in his heart. Mobilizing his vitality, Ye Cheng focused it into his fist, then struck the stone door forcefully.

With a thunderous boom echoing through the corridor, the energy shield on the door shattered. The stone door trembled violently, and under Ye Cheng’s delighted gaze, it slowly rumbled open.

Once the door was open, Ye Cheng stepped inside, and a wave of energy—far stronger than before—immediately surged toward him. Inside the stone house, he sensed a potent energy permeating the air, thick with the scent of blood vitality.

His gaze swept toward the source of this vitality, and his eyes locked onto a mound of crimson crystal stones piled within the stone house.

Each of these red crystals was about half the size of a fist, their surfaces gleaming, and waves of blood energy emanated from within them. Yet, each crystal’s energy varied in strength.

"These are blood cores!" Ye Cheng stared, dumbfounded, at the mountain of blood cores. After a moment, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath. These casually stored items were the blood cores condensed within the bodies of various magical beasts. He remembered how, in the past, he had to hide for days and risk his life just to obtain a single blood core.

Now, seeing this heap of blood cores—at least a thousand in number—he realized they were more than enough for his cultivation in the Vitality Realm, and likely sufficient to reach the Origin Realm.

The thought left Ye Cheng feeling as if he’d been struck dizzy by fortune, his whole being floating. For a moment, he forgot to collect this wealth, much like a country bumpkin suddenly confronted with a mountain of gold, his eyes wide with shock and awe.

"Boy, I sense an approaching energy fluctuation from this direction—it should be the girl from Yongle City. Hurry up and gather these things, or soon enough, you’ll have to share them," Old Mu’s voice rang out abruptly.

Ye Cheng snapped back to reality, realizing from the elder’s words that the newcomer must be Nangong Xue. Aside from the two of them, no one else had entered the cave. He couldn’t help but admire her—he himself had relied on Old Mu’s guidance to escape the trap, yet she had managed to break through it by some unknown means.

Though surprised by Nangong Xue’s abilities, Ye Cheng knew that every second counted. This wasn’t the time to ponder such things. He had no desire to part with these treasures, meant for his future cultivation, just to share them with Nangong Xue, whom he barely knew. No matter how beautiful she was, she couldn’t compare to the value of these blood cores.

Without further hesitation, Ye Cheng swiftly produced his spatial pouch, and with a wave of his hand, blood energy roiled forth. The mountain of blood cores surged like a tide, pouring into his pouch as he watched with immense satisfaction.

A thousand blood cores—if converted to gold, it would be a fortune beyond measure, enough to ensure generations of wealth and prosperity. Yet Ye Cheng had no such intentions. For him, these blood cores were meant for cultivation; their quantity more than sufficient to see him through to the Origin Realm.

Under Ye Cheng’s direction, the blood cores flowed into his pouch, and within moments, they were all safely stowed away at his waist.

He patted the bulging pouch in his hand, unable to contain his excitement. Who would have thought that by casually tagging along with some mercenaries, he’d stumble upon such a windfall? He hadn’t expected much at first, but when luck comes, it cannot be stopped.

"This trip was truly worthwhile."

A satisfied smile curved Ye Cheng’s lips. Just then, the sound of light, hurried footsteps came from outside the stone house. After a brief pause, the footsteps resumed, tinged with urgency.

"She’s quick, isn’t she?" The footsteps reached Ye Cheng’s ears, and he knew the owner must be Nangong Xue. Glancing at the now empty stone house, he couldn’t help but smile. He pocketed his spatial pouch, swept his gaze around for an exit.

"The exit is right ahead," Old Mu promptly informed him as Ye Cheng searched.

Ye Cheng focused his attention forward and, upon examining the stone wall, discovered faint traces of a doorway. Without delay, he pushed the wall, revealing a passage, and quickly slipped inside.

Just as Ye Cheng entered the passage, a stunning figure appeared in the stone house. Seeing the empty chamber, Nangong Xue’s beautiful face showed a hint of confusion. She distinctly sensed a surge of energy here moments ago, but now it had vanished.

Finding nothing of note, Nangong Xue’s gaze wandered. Soon, she spotted the stone door Ye Cheng had opened, not fully closed.

Her brows furrowed, and with a swift movement, she darted into the passage.

From the look of things, a meeting between the two was inevitable.