Chapter 85: Rose Quartz

Shen Duo channeled more sword energy into the transformed silver bracelet, and she could clearly sense the space within it. It was a space of about twenty to thirty square meters, obviously divided into two parts, one large and one small. The smaller section had a slightly different color, and Shen Duo could even feel the air moving inside. Her eyes sparkled instantly—could this small space actually hold living things?

With that thought, Shen Duo acted at once and instructed Benyi to catch a few insects. Benyi glanced at her, rather confused, but complied nonetheless. To send a nine-star holy phantom beast to catch bugs was a waste of its talents, and Benyi sighed helplessly.

Taking the cloth bag of insects from Benyi’s claws, Shen Duo divided them into two groups: some she placed in the large space within the bracelet, others in the small space. Shortly after, the insects in the large space were dead, while those in the small space remained lively and energetic.

Astonished, Shen Duo realized the bracelet’s small space could truly store living creatures! Wasn’t this a top-tier storage artifact? Aisha must not have discovered the bracelet’s hidden function, or she would never have used it as a wager against her.

Leaving the insects in the small space, Shen Duo wanted to test how long it could sustain life. Following the method Master Yusha had taught her, she dripped blood to recognize the artifact as her own. Gazing at the unexpected treasure, Shen Duo was delighted. Outside, the moonlight glowed softly, and soon she drifted off into dreams.

Suddenly, a thunderous noise woke all three in the middle of the night, and they simultaneously flung open their tent.

The sight before them left them wide-eyed with astonishment. The large pool beneath the massive waterfall was aglow with brilliant silver light, illuminating its banks as bright as day. Strange schools of fish excitedly swam toward the waterfall.

“Brother Wei, do you know what’s happening?” Shen Duo asked. Of the trio, Wei Dong was the most experienced; there were things the others had never even heard of, but Wei Dong seemed to know them all. Instinctively, Shen Duo turned to him.

Wei Dong, broad-shouldered and carrying a hefty greatsword, stared at the scene. The silver light revealed the scar on his face with chilling clarity, lending him an almost menacing look. He shook his head, “I’ve never been here before, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The silver glow grew even stronger, lighting up the entire waterfall. Feng Jun narrowed his long eyes, “Duo, let’s go take a look.”

Shen Duo nodded. The light seemed to emanate from behind the waterfall, and the fish were heading that way too—the truth surely lay there. Feng Jun entered armor transformation mode, this time using the River Crocodile. The pentagram beneath his feet shone, and a layer of blue light enveloped him. Within it appeared a handsome man with long silver hair, clad in tight-fitting silver armor.

The River Crocodile’s body was covered in silvery-white scales; the appearance of a phantom master after armor transformation depended on the beast’s form, so Feng Jun’s armor and hair changed accordingly.

Shen Duo had Benyi reveal its true form, and together with Wei Dong, she rode on Benyi’s back. The three sped toward the waterfall’s mouth.

The pool below was jammed with fish of all kinds, undeterred by the force of water falling from dozens of meters. Even when swept away, they would desperately fight their way back.

Feng Jun gathered spiritual phantom energy in his right hand and cast a phantom skill toward the back of the waterfall. A long time passed before they heard the skill strike the hard stone wall. Shen Duo furrowed her brows, “It’s hollow inside!”

Upon confirming this, the group rushed behind the waterfall. Indeed, the enormous cascade acted as a curtain, concealing a hidden world within. Even in broad daylight, the waterfall’s wide stream hid the cave from outside view.

Water dripped steadily from the rocky walls at the entrance, echoing throughout the cave. The temperature inside was low, and the floor was stone; along the sides, small streams ran beside the walls.

The white light radiated from deep within the cave, making the stone chamber as bright as day.

Wei Dong exclaimed, “There’s such a huge stone cave behind this waterfall!”

Feng Jun, however, was cautious. He glanced at Shen Duo and said, “Let’s be careful—I feel something’s off about this cave.”

Benyi assumed the form of an ordinary white wolf, staying close to Shen Duo and watching the surroundings alertly. With the young master Yusha absent, the responsibility of keeping Shen Duo safe fell entirely to Benyi.

Their footsteps echoed in the cavern. Shen Duo drew her sword from her storage pouch, gripping it tightly, unwilling to let down her guard in the slightest.

The tunnel extended as far as the eye could see, and the group marveled at its strange length. Benyi kept watch, then suddenly stared at the wall for a long time, its whole body trembling. It communicated with Shen Duo telepathically, “Duo, the light in this cave doesn’t seem to come from deep inside—the cave walls themselves are glowing!”

What? Shen Duo quickly asked everyone to wait, pressing herself against the wall to inspect it. Sure enough, as Benyi said, she was stunned: “The cave walls are glowing!”

If the light source were deep inside, it couldn’t reach so far. But if the walls themselves emitted this light, it made sense. The glow was silvery-white, and the source easily confused the eye; without careful examination, one wouldn’t notice.

Wei Dong and Feng Jun’s faces turned grave. Wei Dong glanced toward the depths of the cave, anxiety in his voice, “Should we keep going?”

The cave behind the waterfall was indeed strange, sending chills through them. But Shen Duo and Feng Jun were born adventurers; halfway in, they would never turn back. The more mysterious the cave, the more determined they were to solve its secrets.

“Of course, Brother Wei—look, the end isn’t far,” Shen Duo pointed deeper into the cave. Wei Dong, encouraged by their resolve, shook off his fear and pressed onward.

As they drew near the cave’s end, the silver light grew so intense it was blinding. When they finally reached the terminus, they were left speechless.

Before them stood clusters of crystal-like solids, gathered together, emitting eye-piercing silver light, with faint red luminescence weaving through them.

Wei Dong cried out in shock, “Duo, this… this is Rose Quartz!”

Feng Jun was much calmer, his expression stone-faced as he succinctly explained to Shen Duo, “It’s an extremely rare mineral—top-tier alchemical material.”

Shen Duo was not yet familiar with some of this world’s rare substances. She used to have Master Yusha, a living encyclopedia, by her side—whenever she encountered something unknown, he would always explain it to her. Now, she could only grope blindly…

Suddenly, Shen Duo’s face became serious. She pointed at a pile hidden among the rose quartz and frowned, “Look—what’s that?”

Following her finger, Feng Jun and Wei Dong immediately adopted defensive stances. Among the rose quartz was a heap of white bones!