Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Fire Cave, the Growing Cauldron

“Observe the treasure?”

The old doctor was surprised, not expecting Wei Shanhai to offer such an invitation.

“Indeed, the treasure I obtained contains a special artistic conception that can cleanse the soul and have a magical effect of enlightening the mind. It is of great benefit to martial artists in their cultivation.

Especially for martial artists in the Xiantian realm, the effect is extremely good upon first observation. It may be of some help to you, Doctor Chen, in your future cultivation,”

Wei Shanhai explained.

“But this is, after all, your Wei family’s treasure. As an outsider, I’m afraid it’s not appropriate for me.”

The old doctor wasn’t particularly interested in treasures.

He helped the Wei family out of his own good will, not out of greed.

“That’s wrong. Doctor Chen’s kindness to our Wei family is like a rebirth. Our Wei family has nothing precious to repay you. We can only express our gratitude with the unique artistic conception of this treasure,”

Wei Shanhai said earnestly.

Finally, under Wei Shanhai’s sincere invitation, the old doctor agreed to his request. After the banquet, they would go and observe the treasure to see its true power.

However, he had one request: Lu Qing and Ma Gu must be brought along.

Wei Shanhai had no objection.

He already knew that Lu Qing and Ma Gu had contributed most to the safe return of Madam Wei and her son.

After all, once the treasure’s meaning was unlocked, it wouldn’t matter if one person could observe it, or if more people came along.

After the banquet, the old doctor and his companions rested for a while, then, led by Wei Shanhai, headed to the backyard.

Finally, they arrived at a tall tower in the center of the Wei Mansion.

“Doctor Chen, please.”

Inside the tower, Wei Shanhai opened a secret door, and a dry breath emanated.

“Is your mansion’s treasure stored underground?”

the old doctor asked curiously, observing the stairs leading underground from the secret door.

Lu Qing, on the other hand, remained vigilant, activated his supernatural power, and peered towards the secret door.

A rich red light emerged from the secret door.

[Secret Door: A portal leading to a strange underground place.]

[Behind the door lies a hidden world, seemingly containing treasures.]

[It contains a protective mechanism, but it’s not activated.]

Seeing the message on the secret door, Lu Qing felt a little relieved.

This was indeed where the Wei family kept their treasures; Wei Shanhai hadn’t deceived them.

As for the mechanism, that was understandable; how could a place with such precious treasures be completely unguarded?

Of course, Lu Qing didn’t completely let his guard down.

It wasn’t that he was being mean, but as the saying goes, one should always be wary of others; the necessary precautions should be maintained.

After the secret door opened, Wei Shanhai was the first to enter.

Wei Shanhai seemed to understand that inviting others into the tunnels would easily arouse suspicion.

Therefore, he walked in front, letting Wei Xinghe and Lu Qing walk together.

This was to show that the Wei family had no intention of harming anyone.

After all, with the old doctor’s strength, if something unexpected happened, capturing Wei Xinghe would be a piece of cake.

The group walked down the tunnel, illuminated by oil lamps on both sides, making it not seem dim.

As they walked, Lu Qing’s expression changed slightly.

He noticed that the tunnel was getting hotter and hotter, and the vital energy of heaven and earth was becoming noticeably richer.

However, although he had cultivated the power of his spirit, his Qi channels were still unopened. When he sensed the vital energy of heaven and earth, he was blocked by a barrier and couldn’t discern its origin.

The old doctor, however, exclaimed in admiration, “Such a rich fire-elemental Qi! I never thought there was such a hidden world beneath this county town. Your family truly possesses profound heritage.”

The old doctor now understood why Wei Shanhai cultivated fire-elemental Qi.

With such a rich source of fire-elemental Qi, practicing fire-based techniques would undoubtedly yield twice the result with half the effort.

“To be honest, this place wasn’t built by our Wei family. It’s a unique place discovered by our ancestors. Its age is untraceable, and we are merely benefiting from their legacy,” Wei Shanhai said with a touch of embarrassment.

As the two chatted, they suddenly noticed that the stairs ahead no longer sloped downwards, becoming flatter. A few dozen steps further, the view opened up,

and a spacious cavern appeared before them.

The cave walls were a pale red, resembling stone or jade, with strange runes engraved on them.

In the middle of the cave, there was a stone platform, upon which stood a pale red cauldron, half a man’s height and the size of a man’s arms, standing, emitting a faint and strange aura.

Such a magical scene stunned the old doctor and the others.

Ma Gu, in particular, had never seen such a sight before, and his mouth opened wide.

Only Lu Qing, looking at the familiar arrangement in the cave, was shocked.

Because he could see at a glance what the runes on the cave wall represented.

It was a rune array, a rune array related to the fire element.

And the method of setting up the array was quite familiar to him.

Could this cave be related to the Divine Talisman Sect?

A thought flashed through Lu Qing’s mind.

“Master Wei, could this cauldron be…”

the old doctor asked, looking at the scene before him.

“Yes, this large red cauldron is one of the treasures Wang Cangyi and I discovered in a mysterious land. It’s the most precious of all,” Wei Shanhai nodded. “Wang Cangyi went to great lengths to obtain it.” “But this

cauldron is so extraordinary. How could Wang Cangyi allow you to take it?” Ma Gu asked in confusion.

Lu Qing was equally puzzled.

More importantly, this cauldron is so large and so heavy, probably weighing at least ten thousand pounds. How did Wei Shanhai manage to bring it back ?

The journey back alone would have been a source of covetousness.

“It’s amazing! When Wang Cangyi and I discovered it, it was only the size of a thumb, rusted and unremarkable.

We thought of it as a trinket. Otherwise, with Wang Cangyi’s stingy personality, why would he let me take it?”

“The size of a thumb?”

Ma Gu exclaimed in disbelief.

He stared at the enormous cauldron on the stone platform, unable to imagine what it had once looked like.

Even Lu Qing and the old doctor were surprised.

“It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. After I acquired this cauldron, it followed me on my adventures for many years, yet it never revealed the slightest bit of its remarkable qualities. It wasn’t

until I’d traveled far enough and reached a bottleneck in my cultivation that I returned to the Wei Mansion and came to this ancestral underground cavern to cultivate. When I came into contact with the pure fire energy within, it began to gradually reveal its mysteries.

After I discovered its extraordinary qualities, I placed it on a stone platform and watched it grow year by year. It

started out as small as a thumb, then grew to the size of a fist, then slowly grew to the size of a bowl or a water tank. Now, nearly a hundred years later, it’s what it is today.”

“A giant cauldron that grows?”

Ma Gu’s mouth dropped open again upon hearing this.

What Wei Shanhai had described was beyond his comprehension, leaving him momentarily unable to process.

Lu Qing was equally shocked. With a thought, he silently activated his supernatural powers and focused his gaze on the giant red cauldron.

(End of Chapter)