Chapter 266

Chapter 266: Entering the Treasure with Snake Maiden

Shen Sang Ruo spoke calmly, “Later, you had other plans, so you disguised the village: you even moved the blood in the cave and the bones of that Snake Demon.”

She kept her gaze steady, “You cleaned up all your own blood in the village ahead of time and left only the Snake Demon’s.”

Her tone cooled as she added, “But you missed one thing.”

She lifted her eyes and said, “Back when you were still Little Shi, I saw two traces of scent on the blood at the hem of your skirt.”

She explained in a low voice, “One scent was faint. It was your own blood that you forgot to clean.”

Snake Maiden listened and smiled, for she had put on a full show: she had turned into Little Shi and run through the village at the time when the smell of blood was strongest to act like she was fleeing for her life.

But when she cleaned the blood later, she forgot the stains on Little Shi’s clothes.

She tapped her chin and nodded: “I didn’t expect to overlook that. I’ll try to improve next time.”

Shen Sang Ruo did not circle around it and asked, “So, why did you lure me here?”

The story of this village was made up by Snake Maiden, so the Snake Demon did not eat people after all.

Snake Maiden would only devour her own kind, and she would not devour a Cultivator.

Also, Snake Maiden had never shown any intent to attack her, so there had to be another goal.

She voiced her guess: “Is it the treasure?”

[If so, then the treasure is likely real.]

She added, “You devoured the other Snake Demon not only to raise your strength, but also for the treasure, right?”

Snake Maiden did not deny it and only said, “You will know my goal very soon.”

She lifted her red lips in an easy smile: “Don’t worry, I won’t harm you. This is a win win for us.”

She had already checked Shen Sang Ruo’s strength in secret. Back when she hugged Zhu Miao, she had confirmed that Shen Sang Ruo was not someone she could afford to offend.

Luckily for Shen Sang Ruo, Snake Maiden’s goal was never to strike at her.

As Snake Maiden’s voice fell, light began to glow under their feet.

A complex Formation appeared beneath them. Snake Maiden’s vertical pupils flashed with joy as she said, “The Teleportation Formation has been triggered!”

The light of the Formation grew so bright that Shen Sang Ruo had to raise a hand to shield her eyes.

When the light faded, the two of them had already been Teleported to a different place.

She opened her eyes and blinked: “Is this the flatland behind that mountain?” The mountain she had just searched stood ahead of her.

She turned around, and what she saw behind her looked completely different from before.

On the flatland stood countless rare spirit plants, including many Alchemy and Medicine Brewing materials that had long vanished from the Cultivation World.

Shen Sang Ruo’s eyes widened, showing the same excitement that had just flashed across Snake Maiden’s face.

[If we gather all of this, Ninghua Sect won’t need to worry about Medicine Brewing plants for years!]

The Dodder Flower Sprite in her hair quivered with excitement. It greedily drank in the air thick with Spiritual Qi, and its vines stretched out in comfort.

The Spiritual Qi inside the Starfield Plain was already far richer than outside the Barrier Ward, and here it was several times richer still.

She looked left and saw a clear Spirit Spring. Its spring eye kept rising with fresh Spirit Spring Water.

This kind of Spirit Spring Water was rare. Even her Master, Immortal Lord Chang Li, had only a few jars. Last time, Shen Sang Ruo had begged for one jar to soak the Dodder Flower Sprite.

With a happy chirp, the Dodder Flower Sprite leaped straight into the Spirit Spring. One vine floated on the surface as it swam about with abandon.

The Spirit Spring gave off thick Spiritual Qi and nourished a wide patch of land, so the spirit plants here grew especially well.

Shen Sang Ruo forced her gaze away from the Spirit Spring and looked to the right at the giant there.

On the right stood a tea tree soaring into the clouds. Its lush branches cast a wide shadow, and countless emerald buds swelled on its twigs.

She hurried closer, plucked one low bud, and examined it. After she confirmed what it was, even she, usually so calm, couldn’t hold back a soft cry: “It’s a Living Spirit Tea Tree with Marrow Washing and Body Tempering effects!”

Brewed as tea, these buds could achieve a bit of marrow washing.

There was no need to explain how amazing “marrow washing” was. At birth, a person’s talent was normally fixed, but this Living Spirit Tea Tree could raise one’s talent after the fact. It was almost like changing fate.

She remembered that Flying Cloud Sect had once found a knee high Living Spirit Tea Tree.

It yielded only twenty four leaves in total, and they were still kept in Flying Cloud Sect’s Treasure Pavilion as sect guarding treasures.

The effect was slight, but with the recipe for Marrow-Washing Pill lost to the Cultivation World, this was the best thing left to improve one’s body.

If one could drink it for a long time, the results might even approach a Marrow-Washing Pill.

The Living Spirit Tea Tree before her rose out of sight; no one knew how many leaves it could produce.

[If I bring these leaves back to Ninghua Sect, why would we worry about weak talent or slow training anymore?]

This treasure was truly a treasure. No wonder the spells here were so complex.

If she guessed right, this place was another space stacked on top of that flatland.

They existed in the same location yet did not interfere with each other.

If you could not find the entrance, you would only see and enter the ordinary flatland.

Shen Sang Ruo’s mind raced as she began to plan how to Teleport these things out.

Snake Maiden cut in with a light laugh, the corners of her red lips lifting: “Do you believe me about win win now?”

Shen Sang Ruo arched a brow at her: “Happy to work together.”

Snake Maiden’s eyes curved. “This is still not the best. Come with me first.”

[Not the best yet?] Hearing that, Shen Sang Ruo pressed down her eager hands and followed after her.

As they walked, Snake Maiden explained, “Ever since I can remember, I have heard a rumor.”

“It says there is an area here in what you call the Starfield Plain that was sealed by an ancient Grand Adept.”

“That area holds countless treasures, and the Spiritual Qi is unimaginably rich.”

They came to a slanted tunnel that could fit two people side by side.

Shen Sang Ruo could feel that the Spiritual Qi inside the tunnel was even denser.

She stepped in and lit a flame to brighten the path.

Snake Maiden’s voice echoed softly: “You were right. I fought the other Snake Demon not only to devour it but also for this treasure ground.”

“I searched for hundreds of years. That Snake Demon and I found the treasure entrance one after another. I wanted to hold back my urge to eat it and work together, but that fool tried to keep the treasure for itself.”

“I had no choice but to eat it. Elder Sister, you don’t think I’m cruel, do you?” Snake Maiden blinked, helpless, wearing some of Little Shi’s innocent look.

Shen Sang Ruo fell silent.

Even in two lives, she had probably not lived as long as Snake Maiden had.

Being called Elder Sister by Little Shi fit well enough, but being called Elder Sister by Snake Maiden like this felt strange.

After a moment she said, “Go on.”

Snake Maiden’s tone turned thoughtful: “When I tried to enter later, the Formation would not open. I know a bit about Formations. After some research, I found the Teleportation Formation could only be opened by the Human Race.”

Shen Sang Ruo took the thread and said, “So you made this disguise to trick me into opening the Formation?”