Chapter 048: The Ancient Cultivator's Cave

  Time flew by, and Yang Tian had been in seclusion in the cave for two and a half months without a single break. The energy vortex at the cave's entrance had grown twice as strong as it was two and a half months ago, showing no signs of weakening and continuing to intensify.

  Inside the Ancestral Dragon Ring, Yang Tian had been absorbing energy for six months straight. The strength of his body now pressed against the surrounding space, creating a whistling sound. The vitality within him had doubled compared to before.

  The river of blood and qi within him churned violently, faint thunderous roars echoing from it. The whistling grew louder, and the aura emanating from him was terrifying—a sign that he was on the verge of manifesting a phenomenon!

  "I can't hold it back anymore. It's time to break through," Yang Tian thought. In his dantian, the river of blood and qi roared like a tsunami. Although the river itself hadn't grown much in size, it had actually shrunk slightly. However, the energy swirling within it was now three times stronger than before.

  "Break!" Yang Tian let out a low roar, and the river of blood and qi surged violently, rising to the top of his head. The space inside the cave was dyed blood-red. As Yang Tian's shout ended, the river of blood and qi trembled fiercely, and a torrent of blood and qi swept out, expanding rapidly and devouring the ancient aura.

  Countless drops of faint red energy fell into the river, causing it to grow larger and larger. When it had doubled in size, a hint of joy flashed in Yang Tian's eyes. However, the river's devouring speed didn't slow down; instead, it became even more voracious.

  "Stop!" Yang Tian was startled and quickly suppressed the raging river of blood and qi, forcibly pulling it back into his body. Although he could have pushed through and broken through two levels at once, reaching the half-step Martial Warrior realm, Yang Tian believed there was still room to improve the quality of his breakthrough. He decided to wait a bit longer, aiming to fully solidify his phenomenon before advancing to the half-step Martial Warrior realm. Only then could he rival saint-level figures, and his future path would be even broader.

  Not far from Yang Tian's secluded cave, a man and a woman suddenly rushed over from the distance. Sensing the energy fluctuations ahead, they were startled and quickened their pace.

  "Such a powerful energy fluctuation. Could it be a treasure manifesting?" The man's eyes gleamed with greed as he looked at the gathering ancient aura.

  "Brother Jiang, could this be a saint-level figure cultivating here?" The alluring woman glanced at the vortex above the cave, then turned to the man in the flowery robe, her peach-blossom eyes filled with curiosity.

  "Hmph, a saint?" The man surnamed Jiang sneered. "Saint-level figures have their own caves in this ancient battlefield, passed down through generations. Most major families have them. The person inside must be a newcomer."

  "A newcomer?" The woman's eyes lit up, and she licked her lips seductively. "Brother Jiang, judging by the absorption rate, the cultivation technique they're using must be quite advanced. Should we...?"

  Seeing the greed in the woman's eyes, Jiang laughed heartily and groped her ample chest, saying arrogantly, "A great opportunity is about to fall into our hands. Once we obtain that cultivation technique, our strength will skyrocket, and our status in the family will rise. We might even surpass Jiang Ling. What do you think?"

  "Mm..." The woman let out a soft moan, her face flushing as a mist seemed to rise from her exposed skin, making her even more alluring under Jiang's touch.

  "Let's go." Although desire burned in Jiang's eyes, he suppressed it when he glanced at the cave. He slapped the woman's buttocks and strode forward.

  Inside the cave, Yang Tian and Xiao Bai were still devouring the ancient aura. Xiao Bai's body radiated a holy light, and its belly pulsed like a drum, causing the surrounding space to ripple slightly.

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  At that moment, both of them opened their eyes simultaneously. Yang Tian stretched, his crystalline bones crackling like firecrackers. The vitality surging from his heart was reabsorbed into his body.

  "Heh, trouble's coming. It seems I can't fully activate my cultivation technique in crowded places from now on," Yang Tian murmured, patting Xiao Bai's head. His cold gaze swept toward the cave entrance.

  "They've noticed us," the woman said nervously as they cautiously approached the cave. The sudden dissipation of the ancient aura at the entrance had put them on edge.

  "So what if they have? This area is vast, and there are two of us. Even if they're at the Martial Warrior realm, we can still fight. There's no way there are two people inside," Jiang said with a sinister smile, clenching his fists.

  "And what if there are?"

  Suddenly, the boulder beside the cave entrance was pushed aside, and a black-robed figure walked out, a faint smile on his face.

  "So what? I don't like talking to dead people. Even if you're a saint, I'll kill you today," Jiang said, his expression growing serious as he stared at the black-robed figure. Anyone who could walk out so confidently must have some hidden strength.

  "You talk big. With just the two of you, you think you can kill a saint? Dream on," Yang Tian said, shaking his head slightly, his voice filled with disdain. Although the two were at the half-step Martial Warrior realm, their strength was nothing impressive.

  "Kill him!" Jiang's face flushed with anger, and he roared. A three-inch iron blade appeared in his palm, and his blood and qi surged into it. A blue aura filled the air, causing the surrounding space to tremble.

  "Heh, as expected of a major family. Even a random weapon is a Profound-grade treasure. Looks like I'm about to strike it rich today," Yang Tian said, his gaze shifting to the alluring woman.

  A pink silk handkerchief floated in the air, suddenly expanding to ten feet in size. A fierce wind howled, and sonic booms erupted as the handkerchief descended like a heavenly scroll, aiming to crush Yang Tian.

  Facing the incoming attack, Yang Tian remained calm. Just as the treasure was about to strike him, he took a step forward. His body was like a drawn bow, his spine like a crouching dragon, as he prepared to face the Profound-grade treasure head-on.

  "Haha, Brother Jiang, is this guy an idiot?" the woman sneered, but before their smug expressions could fully form, Yang Tian struck.

  "Clang!"

  With a single punch, Yang Tian's fist shot out like an unbreakable iron spear. His muscles rippled, and the thunderous roar within his body grew deafening. The punch, carrying immense force, sent the three-inch iron blade flying!

  "How is this possible?" Jiang's face turned pale as he stared in disbelief at the flying blade. A half-step Martial Warrior had just physically overpowered a low-grade Profound treasure. The strength of his body was terrifying.

  "Boom!" Without hesitation, Yang Tian followed up with another punch. A fierce gust of energy erupted, sending the silk handkerchief flying.

  "Not bad. My body's strength has increased significantly. The ancient aura is truly powerful," Yang Tian thought, taking a deep breath. He glanced at the two fleeing figures and shook his head. "You just entered the ancient battlefield, and instead of absorbing the ancient aura to strengthen yourselves, you came out to kill. If you die, who's to blame?"

  "Since you're here, you might as well stay," Yang Tian said coldly. His figure blurred as he took a few quick steps, appearing in front of the two. A sharp gust of wind accompanied his palm strike.

  "Slash!" Blood splattered as Jiang fell to the ground, dead. The woman knelt in terror, pleading, "Spare me, big brother! It was all his idea. I can give you a map to an ancient cultivator's cave. Just let me live!"

  "Heh, I'll find things on my own. No need for your help," Yang Tian said, shaking his head. With a single palm strike, the woman's beautiful face was shattered.

  Shortly after their deaths, two faint black lights emerged from their bodies and silently attached themselves to Yang Tian's robe.

  Clapping his hands, Yang Tian retrieved their spatial rings, and a pile of items appeared on the ground.

  "Not bad. The wealth of major family disciples is indeed impressive," Yang Tian said, nodding. Among the items were three Profound-grade treasures, tens of thousands of mid-grade blood stones, and dozens of bottles of high-quality healing pills.

  "Huh? Are these beast cores?" Yang Tian picked up two fleshy orbs from the ground. They were different from ordinary beast cores, and the energy flowing within them resembled the ancient aura.

  "Awu!" Xiao Bai suddenly leaped out and swallowed the two cores in one gulp.

  "Glutton. You didn't lift a paw during the fight, yet you're always first at the feast," Yang Tian chided, ruffling Xiao Bai's fur. Noticing the creature's lingering hungry gaze, he shook his head wearily and shifted focus to an ancient parchment mottled with dense constellations of crimson sigils.

  "So some superpowers have their own caves here," Yang Tian murmured, scanning the map. His eyes quickly focused on one particular red circle.

  "An ancient powerhouse's cave. There must be something good there," Yang Tian said with a smile. He stored all the treasures and set off toward the location marked on the map.

  Just a few hours after Yang Tian left, several figures arrived at high speed. The aura of blood and qi they exuded was several times stronger than the two who had come before.