After instructing Mayor Buck to quickly finalize the apprentice selection and the blacksmith shop expansion, Lei Luo took Aid and walked straight up the Valley.
The further up the Valley they went, the more rugged the terrain became, with steep mountain walls on both sides, denser trees, and few traces of human activity.
"Lord, it should be not far ahead."
Aid pushed aside the obstructing bushes, pointing towards the faint sound of rushing water ahead.
The two walked a bit further, bypassing a cluster of giant boulders, and then the view suddenly opened up.
A wide waterfall, like a galaxy pouring down, cascaded from a cliff tens of meters high, crashing into the deep pool below, creating a sky full of mist.
The booming roar echoed through the Valley, deafening, and the mist assailed their faces, carrying the crispness of the mountain stream and the damp scent of plants and trees.
"What a magnificent waterfall!"
Lei Luo couldn't help but exclaim.
Aid didn't speak, only carefully observed the surroundings of the waterfall.
After a moment, he pointed to a spot behind the side of the waterfall, near the cliff face: "Lord, look there."
Lei Luo followed his gaze, and saw that behind the massive water curtain of the waterfall, some uneven rocks were faintly visible, and a crevice seemed to be hidden within.
If it weren't for Aid's sharp eyes, and their prior speculation, an ordinary person would never have noticed this corner obscured by the water curtain.
"Let's go, let's take a look."
As they approached the waterfall, the tremendous sound of the water crashing made their chests feel heavy, and the pervasive mist almost soaked their clothes.
The two carefully stepped on the slippery rocks, Around to the side and back of the waterfall.
Pushing aside the thick water curtain and hanging vines, they indeed found a narrow crack that allowed only one person to pass sideways.
The inside of the crack was pitch black, emanating a damp, cold aura.
Aid took out a torch from his satchel, lit it with a flint, and the dim yellow light dispelled some of the darkness.
"Lord, I'll go in and scout first."
Aid held the torch and was the first to squeeze in.
Lei Luo followed closely behind.
The crack passage was not long; after about a dozen steps, the view suddenly opened up.
This was a naturally formed large grotto, with stalactites of various shapes hanging from the ceiling, sparkling with strange light under the torch's glow.
The air was filled with a long-sealed musty smell, mixed with a faint, strange scent of herbs and minerals.
Deep inside the grotto, there were obvious signs of artificial modification.
The stone wall near the inner side was relatively smoothed, with some vague symbols and patterns carved on it.
In the center of the cave was a large stone table, scattered with various oddly shaped glass vessels, crucibles, mortars, and some unknown metal tools, most of which were covered in dust, and some even broken and shattered.
In a corner, there were piles of withered strange plant specimens, oddly colored ores, and several half-human-tall wooden shelves.
On one shelf, a few dried lizards, toads, and bat wings were still hanging by thin threads, casting menacing shadows in the flickering torchlight, adding a touch of eerie gloom.
"It seems this should be a wizard's laboratory."
Lei Luo looked around and said in a low voice.
From the traces at the scene, this wizard must have left here a long time ago.
"Lord, look over here!"
Aid made a discovery under a pile of scattered sundries.
Lei Luo walked over and saw Aid dragging out something tightly wrapped in thick oilcloth from the bottom of a decaying wooden box.
The oilcloth had become stiff and brittle, with some edges even damaged, but it still provided excellent protection.
Carefully untying the oilcloth, a rather thick notebook, with a cover made of some unknown beast hide, was revealed inside.
The cover was dark brown, without any text or markings, only a distorted and complex mysterious rune branded in the very center.
Lei Luo's heart stirred as he took the notebook.
It felt quite heavy in his hand, and although the leather cover was ancient, it was very well preserved, with a supple feel. He took a deep breath and carefully opened the first page.
The paper inside was yellowed and coarse, but the handwriting was clearly visible.
It was a strange script, a mix of common language and a large number of unknown symbols and graphics.
Lei Luo patiently, with the aid of the torchlight, carefully deciphered the parts of the common language he could understand.
The contents recorded in the notebook were extremely complex, involving various fields such as herb identification, mineral purification, elemental transmutation, and rune drawing. Many records were vague, even contradictory, like random experimental notes and fragmented inspirations recorded by a wizard.
However, when Lei Luo turned to the latter half of the notebook, his breath hitched slightly.
The content of the following dozens of pages suddenly became clear and focused, all revolving around a special field—magical beasts!
From how to identify potential young beasts, analysis of the habits of different types of magical beasts, and taming techniques, to deeper levels of bloodline activation, potential induction, and even... targeted cultivation under human intervention!
Several pages, in bright red ink, meticulously recorded the formulas for several magical potions, their refining steps, and corresponding magic spells.
The names and effect descriptions of these magical potions made Lei Luo's heart pound.
"Young Beast Growth Accelerator: Main ingredients are Earth Dragon Grass, magical beast spinal fluid, supplemented with Moonlight Stone powder... can greatly shorten the bone development cycle of young beasts..."
"Potential Activation Potion (Trial Model Three): Requires the heart blood of a third-tier magical beast, deep-sea night pearls... extremely unstable, with a high risk of failure, but if successful, it can forcibly activate a certain hidden talent or bloodline power of the target magical beast..."
"Attribute Solidification Fluid: Formula incomplete, only partial records.
It seems to be able to permanently solidify a certain elemental power within a magical beast's body, enhancing its corresponding attribute resistance and attack power..."
Lei Luo's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and his fingers gripping the notebook tightened slightly, his knuckles turning a bit white.
This was simply a priceless treasure!
What did he lack most now?
It was time, and methods to quickly enhance the territory's strength!
Blackstone Town was in ruins, and the talents and forces at his disposal were stretched thin.
If he could master the refining methods of these magical potions, even if it was just the simplest "Young Beast Growth Accelerator," it would be enough for him to quickly cultivate a batch of usable magical beast mounts, and even form a small-scale magical beast cavalry!
This would play a crucial role in the territory's defense, exploration, and future expansion!
"Aid, search this place thoroughly again, see if there are any other similar notebooks or valuable items."
Lei Luo's voice carried a hint of suppressed excitement, as he carefully closed the wizard's notebook, rewrapped it in the oilcloth, and solemnly placed it close to his body.
Aid nodded, holding the torch, and began a more detailed search of every corner of the laboratory.
Unfortunately, apart from finding some Invalidation alchemy materials, a few low-quality magic crystal fragments, and some damaged parchment scrolls containing scattered magical knowledge, no other important items like the notebook were found.
"Lord, there are no other discoveries."
Aid returned to report.
"That's enough."
Lei Luo patted his chest, feeling the thickness of the notebook, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face, "Today's harvest has far exceeded expectations."