Chapter 1771 — Cave Encounter 2, Part Two (Continued)
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
There was none of the magnificent grand hall that had lain beyond the first stone gate. Instead, he found a plain little room. Its walls were built entirely of stone, without the slightest trace of ornate decoration. What puzzled Wei Zhao was that there was nothing resembling a light source anywhere in the chamber, yet it remained as bright as day. He had no idea where the light came from.
Wei Zhao was not surprised, however. He had experienced the strange wonders of this cavern ten years ago. No matter what he encountered here, nothing could astonish him anymore.
At the very front of the stone chamber stood a small raised platform. Upon it rested another antique little box, redolent of a bygone age. Apart from that, there was nothing else in the room.
Could this be the cultivation formula for the second layer of the Xuanyuan Yulong Art? Wei Zhao was somewhat perplexed. Elder Jiao had said that the second layer offered certain benefits, the greatest of which was that the jade pendant space could transform into a storage space for holding various objects. Yet now it appeared that this place contained only the cultivation formula for the second layer and nothing else. Could it be that cultivating the second layer would automatically unlock the jade pendant's storage space?
Although the scene beyond the second stone gate disappointed him somewhat, it was also within Wei Zhao's expectations. A single little box was apparently to be the entire harvest of his journey into the cavern. He walked around the platform and, sure enough, found a third stone gate behind it.
Beside the third stone gate stood another similar stone tablet. A line of seal script had been carved upon it: "The stone gate may be opened once the divine art of the second layer has been initially mastered."
The words on this tablet stood in stark contrast to those on the previous one, and Wei Zhao nearly burst into tears of joy. Wonderful! Since the tablet said this, it meant that he no longer had to observe the five-year pact on every full moon night. Once he had perfected the second layer of the Xuanyuan Yulong Art, he would be able to open the stone gate to the third layer!
With that in mind, Wei Zhao no longer felt any urgency to investigate further. He went straight up onto the platform, picked up the box, turned around, and headed for the cavern entrance.
He had no idea how long it had taken to open the second stone gate, but judging by the sky, it certainly had not been a short while. If Elder Jiao had not warned him, he might easily have missed the proper time, and then he would have been in serious trouble. Thus Wei Zhao did not hurry to examine what was inside the little box. He could look through it after returning. If he became trapped in the cavern, he might never get out.
Although Wei Zhao's energy could sustain itself and he might not necessarily die even if trapped in the cavern for five years, there were still so many things waiting for him outside. How could he possibly remain confined here forever?
Besides, there was nothing left in the cavern worth lingering over. Every benefit it held was contained within that box. Wei Zhao did not even look back as he hurried home to West Star Mountain Village.
"You're back?" Wei Zhao had not expected Old Man Wei to have gone without sleep for the entire night. Instead, he had been sitting in a reclining chair in the courtyard, quietly waiting for Wei Zhao's return. When he saw him, Old Man Wei's eyes flew open, and he spoke.