107,1 - Little Peasant Wife

The need was for me to calculate the opportunity tied to Liu Er. If she becomes the inheritor of the legacy, she will not be harmed by the mechanisms within the cave. Or, even if she does get hurt, the injuries won't be severe. Jing Ao Xue heard this and exchanged a glance with Shen Lü Man, remarking, "If that's the case, all the better. But we should prepare beforehand even if we have a few days of leeway." Wu Yi Ling speculated that the protective shield within the mountain array would hold for some more days and nodded in agreement. Jing Ao Xue and Shen Lü Man effortlessly hacked away at some trees to create a makeshift wooden table. Shen Lü Man began taking out talisman paper to draw charms. These were handy and powerful in use, providing a safety measure if danger arose. Truthfully, she wasn't keen on entering the cave of a Nascent Soul practitioner. The inherent dangers that came with exploring such a place were far from appealing to her cautious nature. She would rather miss an opportunity than see Jing Ao Xue and Liu Er hurt. However, noticing Jing Ao Xue's interest in the cave, along with Liu Er and Feng Huang's enthusiasm, she had to find ways to increase her defenses to protect her family. Seeing Shen Lü Man busy, Jing Ao Xue also began refining pills. Witnessing this, Liu Er took out spirit stones to cultivate. The mountain's spiritual energy had been depleted earlier but had replenished somewhat over the days. Her spiritual roots were excellent, allowing her to cultivate even with minimal spiritual energy. After several days of preparation, they solemnly entered the ruined mountain array, venturing into the cave dwelling of the revered Qingmu Zhenjun. As soon as they stepped in, a faint spiritual energy surged through their bodies. The spiritual energy was slightly weaker than that of the cultivation world. She had previously found the abundant spiritual energy odd, and following the densest source, she discovered a vast, well-tended spiritual herb field. Calculating, these herbs must have been growing for thousands of years, though numerous tender sprouts appeared freshly planted. Jing Ao Xue furrowed her brow, listening to the subtle noise from the field. Focusing her gaze, she spotted a humanoid puppet about fifty centimeters tall. And that wasn't the only one; she noticed several more scattered around. Most remained motionless, with only one picking mature spiritual herbs and placing them in a nearby empty jade box. Jing Ao Xue recognized this jade box from the memories of its original owner—it was specifically designed to preserve spiritual herbs. Seeing this, Jing Ao Xue couldn't help but marvel at the intricacies of the cultivation world. If these humanoid puppets had been operating under Qingmu Zhenjun's instructions for thousands of years, indeed, how fascinating it was. What was the principle behind this? She couldn't resist picking up one of the puppets, which stayed still, allowing her to handle it. Turning it over, she clicked her tongue in wonder, "As expected, spirit stones combined with arrays. These Nascent Soul cultivators truly are formidable." With that, she handed the puppet to Shen Lü Man. Though she couldn't understand the arrays of a Nascent Soul, she could tell they were extraordinary. Her admiration for Qingmu Zhenjun grew further. Observing, Liu Er suggested, "Mother, with so many spiritual herbs here, we can store them directly in our storage bags." Jing Ao Xue agreed, as that was her intention. In the field, spirit-gathering herbs surrounded them. These herbs, when planted, attracted spiritual energy. Organized in a specific array, they ensured the necessary spiritual energy for cultivating other herbs that required it. The abundant spiritual energy in this mountain was due to these spirit-gathering herbs. Jing Ao Xue refrained from picking these herbs, noting that they were mostly freshly planted. She didn't harvest them. She watched as the humanoid puppet picked several volumes of herbs before moving elsewhere. Following closely, she discovered a thatched hut and, opening the door, found it to be filled with jade boxes. Jing Ao Xue found this curious, as if Qingmu Zhenjun had deliberately prepared these jade boxes for anyone who would eventually uncover her cave dwelling. Unable to decipher the intent, she simply walked in and collected all the jade boxes from the hut into her storage bag. Wu Yi Ling quietly observed the mountain and remarked, "This is just the outer layer. The herbs here are low-grade. The true treasures must be inside the cave dwelling, though we haven't found the entrance yet." Shen Lü Man glanced around. Being a plant-based demon clan member and now at the Golden Core stage, she could vaguely communicate with the surrounding plants. After communicating, Shen Lü Man noted, "There's a hidden array here. Previously, Wu Yi Ling mentioned a protective shield within the mountain array. I believe this array lies within the shield. We must decode this array to reach the cave." Jing Ao Xue acknowledged, recognizing the complexity of a Nascent Soul practitioner's abode. She asked, "What should we do next? Opening the shield will surely attract nearby cultivators. Lan Yi Niang is already in town and will definitely come over. Should we… lay a trap here and deal with her first?" Moreover, the national teacher would also be drawn by the disturbance, providing them the perfect opportunity. Shen Lü Man narrowed her eyes, questioning, "But isn't the shield difficult to open?" Wu Yi Ling, also appraising the array, commented, "The array is solvable, but there's an ominous aura within. The early bird catches the worm. I feel we should wait longer until the spiritual energy breaks through the shield, ensuring there's no danger before entering." After all, this opportunity belonged to Liu Er. Jing Ao Xue frowned, knowing nothing of arrays, asked, "What if we forcefully break it open?" Wu Yi Ling shook her head, answering, "I don't know." Xiao Hui, who had been uninvolved and affected by the demon clan's news, finally showed itself and proclaimed, "Opportunities should be seized. Why linger? I’ll burn through the protective shield with flames!" Liu Er glanced at it, cautioning, "Did you not hear Wu Yi Ling? There's an ominous aura inside. I don't feel comfortable…"