Just as Master Ping said, there really was a cavern beneath the altar, and the space was quite large.

Luo Xiu strolled inside while a palm-sized golden tower floated in front of him, emitting a dazzling golden light for illumination.

"Holy shit... Big Bro, look! This place is freaking full of treasures!" Little Pouch couldn't help but exclaim, looking as if he'd never seen anything like it before.

Luo Xiu glanced around, seeing all kinds of rare treasures carelessly piled on the ground. Magical Treasures, medicinal herbs, Beast Bones, inner cores, strange metals... it had everything one could possibly want.

For a moment, even Luo Xiu was tempted. That Source of the Mysterious Realm really is a damn tycoon, he thought.

"I wonder where that son of a bitch scraped together all these goodies over the years. He's so loaded he's practically oozing oil!" Master Ping suddenly appeared beside Luo Xiu, unable to hide his amazement.

Luo Xiu chuckled. "He's probably been fishing for fools here, robbing everyone who comes by." As he spoke, he looked toward the pile of skeletons among the treasures and added, "Like those weaklings from the Swordfire Divine Sect. If it weren't for me, they'd probably be robbed of their underwear by now, and they'd be lucky to even keep their lives."

"Little Pouch, collect everything. We can divide it all up later."

"Alright, Big Bro!" Little Pouch had been waiting for Luo Xiu to say just that.

Watching Little Pouch happily flitting about the cavern, Luo Xiu asked Master Ping, "By the way, when I was unconscious, did you collect that skull?"

"Er... heh heh, actually, there are still treasures in this cavern. Real treasures."

"Don't change the subject," Luo Xiu said flatly.

"Hey, kid, you're going too far. I did teach you a Divine Technique, after all. Why are you still so fixated on my treasure?"

Luo Xiu said angrily, "Don't even freaking mention it! If it weren't for your god-awful technique, my condition wouldn't have flared up, and I wouldn't have slept for a whole month! Hurry up, cut the crap and hand over the skull!"

"Sigh, I've really been keeping ungrateful company," Master Ping muttered.

A moment later, a cracked Crystal Skull flew out of the bottle's mouth and landed in Luo Xiu's hands.

After examining it for a while, Luo Xiu asked, "Didn't you say this thing was the inner core of an Ancient God? Why does it look like a skull?"

Master Ping explained, "The inner core separated from the Ancient God and cultivated on its own for countless years, eventually developing a spirit. This Crystal Skull is merely the form it evolved into. Its essence hasn't changed; it's still an inner core. You just need to smash it open, like cracking a walnut, and you'll be able to get the inner core."

Without a word, Luo Xiu placed the Crystal Skull on the ground and started smashing it, but it was completely useless.

Master Ping laughed heartily. "Don't waste your energy. If it could be smashed open, I would have done it long ago. Did you really think it would be your turn?"

"You should know that this skull is made of malevolent energy that crystallized into a Crystal Bone. It isn't indestructible, but very few things in this world can break it."

"It's a stroke of luck this damn thing only evolved into a skull. If it had managed to form a complete Crystal Bone, few in the world could have stood against it, and we definitely wouldn't have been able to capture it."

"So, do you have a way to open it?" Luo Xiu asked.

Master Ping replied, "Later, we can use Yaya's Acne-Removing Divine Hoe. That should be able to smash it open."

Luo Xiu was astonished. "That Bronze Hoe is that strong? It can even smash a Crystal Bone?"

"You don't know jack," Master Ping laughed. "Let me put it this way: Yaya's Acne-Removing Divine Hoe and Dou Dou's Kun-stewing Divine Cauldron were both treasures of the Bronze Emperor. Although the Bronze Emperor was a Great Emperor from a minor era and wasn't that powerful in combat, his specialty was using bronze to craft all sorts of Magical Treasures. Every single item from his hands seized the essence of heaven and earth and was infinitely miraculous. Of course, I only remembered all this after recovering my memories during my seclusion."

Luo Xiu decisively stored the skull in his Holy Lotus Jade Pendant. "Fine. I'll go borrow the hoe from Yaya later."

"Hey, you're just taking it like that? I should be the one keeping it safe!"

Luo Xiu acted as if he hadn't heard him. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "You said there was a real treasure in this cavern. What is it?"

"Damn it, Luo, you're going too far! Not only did you snatch my skull, but now you've got your eyes on my other treasures!"

Luo Xiu rolled his eyes. "Aren't we partners? You're making things awkward with all this whining."

"Fine, you win. Go check out that stalagmite over there. Smash it, and you should find what you're looking for."

A moment later, as Luo Xiu shattered the stalagmite, a speck of gold burst forth in a dazzling display, emitting an indescribable, sacred aura.

When the golden light subsided slightly, Luo Xiu was astonished to find a shard of metal. Picking it up for a closer look, he realized the fragment resembled a piece of a key. This involuntarily reminded him of what Kuang Pi had said before.

Master Ping, however, wasn't surprised at all, as he had long known it was a Key Fragment. "This is a Key Fragment, one of the pieces required to enter the Divine Oracle Cave Heaven. It's a precious thing. Once you've collected the other three fragments, you can use the complete key to enter."

Luo Xiu carefully stowed the fragment away. "Brother Xiong has one too. Now we're just two short."

"By the way, Master Ping, how is Palace Master Mu?"

Master Ping said nothing. With just a flash of light, a beautiful figure appeared out of thin air before Luo Xiu—it was Mu Xueyan.

Whatever Master Ping had done, her skin was no longer dark, and she seemed to be in excellent condition, both mentally and physically. Luo Xiu checked her pulse and, finding no issues, breathed a sigh of relief.

"We've been outside for so long," Luo Xiu said. "It's time to go back."

Mu Xueyan asked in confusion, "Go back where?"

Luo Xiu just smiled without a word. His left eye twinkled, and he opened a spatial portal leading to the Land of Lawlessness. "Oh right, Palace Master Mu, I almost forgot to tell you—your senior sister, Yang Zhilu, is in there too."

"..."

「Land of Lawlessness」

Luo Xiu looked at the familiar faces, felt their concern, and was suddenly overcome with the feeling of having returned home, a warmth spreading through his chest. But at the moment, he had no energy to exchange pleasantries with Kuang Pi and the San Fei. After a few brief replies, he asked Kuang Pi to take Mu Xueyan to find Yang Zhilu.

Meanwhile, Luo Xiu himself rushed off frantically to find Luo Ying. Even though Mu Xueyan's help had suppressed his condition, he was still in desperate need of Luo Ying's Green Lotus Yuan Force. That Green Lotus Yuan Force was more effective than any Sky Yin Pill or Yin Essence Power.

"Ying'er!"

"Ying'er, where are you?"

Luo Xiu rushed into the newly built Green Lotus Palace, figuring Luo Ying must be living there.

Sure enough, the moment he entered the room, he heard the sound of splashing water. A graceful figure was faintly discernible behind a thin veil, seemingly taking a bath.

"Ying'er."

Luo Xiu hastened forward, hoping to join her for a romantic bath. But when he lifted the curtain, he froze.

"What the... how is it you?"

There stood Hua Muyan, not wearing a stitch, standing in a shallow bath with her delicate body covered in fragrant bubbles.

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