Xiao Heng scratched his head helplessly and looked to Zhang Haobo for help.
Zhang Haobo smiled, “Little Sister isn’t foolish at all. In fact, back when Senior Shuo…”
He paused and corrected himself, “Actually, she’s very smart. Sometimes she may seem impulsive, but she has already weighed the pros and cons in her mind.”
“Even you were fooled by her. Doesn’t that prove how capable Little Sister is?”
Su Xiaomei snorted, raising her head high.
“So it seems our Little Sister is actually smarter than me!” Xiao Heng quickly agreed.
After some more sweet-talking, they finally earned Su Xiaomei’s forgiveness.
“Alright, I forgive you!”
“Now quickly take out the little cauldron and try it out!”
Xiao Heng sighed in relief and took out the last remaining Medicinal King Cauldron. After some thought, he infused it with spiritual power. The small cauldron was activated, emitting a faint azure glow.
Xiao Heng brought the small cauldron close to the bronze door. Bathed in its glow, the previously impenetrable door seemed to melt, forming an entrance.
“See, I was right!” Su Xiaomei said proudly before slipping inside first.
Zhang Haobo followed closely behind, and Xiao Heng entered last, making sure to put away the small cauldron. Without the azure glow, the entrance disappeared, and the bronze door returned to normal.
Although Su Xiaomei entered first, she did not act rashly. Once the three were together again, they began observing the space behind the door. The narrow, dim passageway extended far beyond what they could see, their spiritual senses also suppressed and unable to probe further.
“Could there be danger?” Xiao Heng asked.
“Traps, mechanisms, or prohibitions are all possible,” Zhang Haobo replied solemnly. “We must be cautious.”
After exchanging glances, they had Su Xiaomei lead, Zhang Haobo guarding the rear, with Xiao Heng in the middle as they cautiously advanced through the passage.
They stayed vigilant, not daring to let their guard down. To their surprise, the narrow passage was uneventful, allowing them to pass without any trouble.
“It doesn’t feel right that it was this easy,” Su Xiaomei muttered, glancing around as they continued.
At the end of the passage, the space opened up into a bright, spacious hall divided into three levels. The central area was empty, with many rooms surrounding the three levels and corridors leading further in.
“It seems to be some kind of gathering place, but something must have happened,” Xiao Heng observed. “The furniture is scattered haphazardly, and plants and decorations are strewn about.”
“This true Medicinal King Cauldron is amazing. Despite all this time, everything inside remains well-preserved,” Su Xiaomei remarked, picking up a fallen potted plant in amazement. “Look at this flower—it doesn’t look thousands of years old at all.”
Xiao Heng and Zhang Haobo’s faces changed slightly at her words.
“It’s strange,” Xiao Heng said. “If ordinary spiritual plants can stay so well-preserved, what about the cultivators inside this cauldron?”
Su Xiaomei answered, “It’s been over twenty years since the cauldron returned. If any cultivators of the Medicinal King Sect were still active, they would have already reclaimed the cauldron instead of leaving it here for us to find.”
Zhang Haobo nodded, “Either they’re all dead, or they’ve disappeared.”
Xiao Heng added, “Let’s just hope there aren’t any eerie half-dead entities around.”
The hall contained nothing of value, and all the doors to the rooms on the three levels were sealed tight. Left with no other option, they continued to explore deeper. Despite their unease, the true Medicinal King Cauldron was surprisingly devoid of traps or prohibitions, unlike other ancient sect ruins.
As they moved forward, a gray-white stone door blocked their path. This time, the small Medicinal King Cauldron trick did not work, and the stone door proved even sturdier than the bronze one. Combined attacks from Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo didn’t even make it tremble.
Frustrated, Su Xiaomei said, “Are we really going to leave empty-handed after coming this far?”
The thought crossed all their minds. Xiao Heng, unwilling to give up, said, “Let’s keep looking.”
Determined, they conducted a thorough search and were fortunate enough to make a discovery.
“Look! This door doesn’t seem to be sealed,” Su Xiaomei called out.
Xiao Heng and Zhang Haobo hurried over. Zhang Haobo nodded, feeling the slight gap in the door, “Indeed, it’s different from the others.”
With hope rekindled, Xiao Heng grew excited, “Does that mean we can open it?”
“Let’s give it a try,” Zhang Haobo and Su Xiaomei combined their efforts again. Under the illumination of their powers, the bronze door groaned as it gradually opened.
After a moment, they managed to create a gap big enough to squeeze through.
“Be careful,” they cautioned each other as they entered.
Contrary to their expectations, no danger awaited them. Instead, the room’s scene left them surprised. It was a single-person dwelling, fully equipped with a bed, table, chairs, and a cabinet. On the floor lay a cultivator, facing the door, seemingly in the act of trying to close it.
To their shock, the person was still alive, breathing steadily as if only asleep.
“What do we do? Should we engage?” they communicated through their spiritual senses.
While they debated, the cultivator stirred, groaning and slowly waking up. The three retreated together, wary of the unknown.
The Medicinal King Sect cultivator, upon waking, looked around in confusion before seemingly recalling something, his eyes regaining focus. He calculated with his fingers and exclaimed, “Twenty-four years have passed?”
Noticing Xiao Heng and the others, he showed a brief surprise before regaining his composure.
“Greetings, Senior!” Xiao Heng and his companions said in unison.
“Was it you who woke me?” he asked.