Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Re-entering the Ancient Cave
Translator: 549690339
By the time Fang Lin reacted, the golden beast had devoured a dozen medicinal herbs, leaving a scene of utter devastation.
Fang Lin was stunned, then yelped and rushed to catch the golden beast.
“You ungrateful beast! Dare to consume the herbs I painstakingly cultivated? Do you wish to die?” Fang Lin gritted his teeth in anger.
The golden beast looked at Fang Lin with an air of indifference, burping satisfiedly, with a hint of the herb’s aroma wafting with each belch.
Fang Lin twitched at the corner of his mouth. The creature was audacious, appearing as if it was inviting Fang Lin to do its worst.
Nevertheless, had it been the Corpse Ginseng that had devoured his herbs, Fang Lin would have surely taught it a harsh lesson.
But with the golden beast, Fang Lin couldn’t bring himself to hurt it. Firstly, because the little creature had saved him before, and secondly, because it was too adorable for Fang Lin to inflict any harm.
“You can’t eat anymore!” Fang Lin scolded the creature, patting its little head. The golden beast blinked its large eyes, still gazing longingly towards the herb field.
Fang Lin touched the creature’s belly, which wasn’t bloated at all. Shocked at this realization, he wondered how such a small creature that had just eaten a dozen herbs could still avoid ballooning.
“Do you still want to eat?” Fang Lin asked tentatively.
The golden beast nodded its head with a look of anticipation.
Fang Lin frowned slightly. At this rate, his herb garden was far from sufficient for the creature’s ravenous appetite.
Moreover, Fang Lin was uncertain if the golden beast would undergo any changes after consuming so many herbs.
“Can you eat anything?” Fang Lin asked again.
The golden beast squealed, seemingly urging Fang Lin to provide it with more delicacies.
Chuckling, Fang Lin shunted his Nine Palace Bag and brought out the Corpse Ginseng.
“Hahaha! I see daylight once again!” Corpse Ginseng chortled immediately upon his release.
“Quiet now.” Fang Lin habitually slapped the Corpse Ginseng onto the ground, causing it to grumble incessantly.
Upon seeing the Corpse Ginseng, the golden beast’s eyes gleamed, and saliva began to drip from its mouth, evident of its desire.
“Huh? What’s this hairy thing?” Corpse Ginseng too, stared at the golden beast, his lewd face filled with curiosity.
The golden beast squealed at the Corpse Ginseng a few times, who gazed back at it without losing interest.
As soon as Fang Lin let go, the golden beast pounced on the Corpse Ginseng and began to gnaw on it.
“Ahh!!! I’m done for, I’m being eaten!” The Corpse Ginseng cried out in horror while the golden beast gnawed at it fervently.
However, Fang Lin noticed that despite the golden beast’s vigorous gnawing, there wasn’t a single mark on the Corpse Ginseng’s body. Not even a piece of it was bitten off.
The golden beast squealed in dissatisfaction, seemingly unable to accept the fact that it couldn’t gnaw on the Corpse Ginseng and even started to nip at its legs.
“My legs! My legs are going to be devoured!!!” The Corpse Ginseng squirmed and shrieked, but in reality, it was entirely unharmed. Despite the golden beast’s desperate attempts, it hadn’t managed to bite off a single piece of the Corpse Ginseng. Not even a single rootlet was missing.
Curiosity rekindled in Fang Lin’s heart. He thought for a moment and retrieved a piece of metal from the Nine Palace Bag, offering it to the golden beast.
The moment the golden beast bit down, the rarely seen and exceptionally hard metal got deformed.
“This little thing sure has strong teeth. Almost gnawed me…” Corpse Ginseng shuddered.”
Fang Lin was greatly astonished. The golden beast was so formidable that even it couldn’t bite through the Corpse Ginseng. This just showed how extraordinary the Corpse Ginseng was.
Fang Lin had never noticed it before, but now it seemed that the Corpse Ginseng must have some secret that he was unaware of.
No ginseng grown absorbing corpse energy could possibly be this hard.
Plus, the golden beast could gnaw and consume anything, except for the Corpse Ginseng.
“Old Pickle, who are you really? How are you so hard?” Fang Lin stared at the Corpse Ginseng and asked.
The Corpse Ginseng snorted haughtily, “Like I told you before, I have a thousand years of cultivation behind me. Who can compare to me?”
Fang Lin had no words. Nevertheless, the Corpse Ginseng was not wrong. A cultivation of a thousand years was truly terrifying—if even a pig lived for a thousand years, it would turn into a Pig Demon.
What’s more, the Corpse Ginseng was nourished in the Endless Dungeon, having absorbed a massive amount of corpse energy. It had gained an intellect; this long-enduring ginseng could undoubtedly be regarded as a demon beast.
“Old Pickle, you’ve been alive for so long…do you know anything about this little creature’s origins?” Fang Lin asked again.
The Corpse Ginseng eyed the golden beast warily, “I don’t recognize this creature. But it’s so brutal, trying to nibble on me at every opportunity—certainly no good can come from it.”
Fang Lin sighed and massaged his temples. One troublesome Corpse Ginseng was enough, and now an unknown creature had joined the party. If the golden beast got out, it would devastate the herb gardens of the entire Purple Mist Sect.
While Fang Lin was still pondering how he would manage the two, a woman’s voice suddenly rang in his ear.
“Come to the Ancient Cave!”
Fang Lin was startled. The voice belonged to the woman sealed within the Ancient Cave—the woman whose mark he still bore.
Frowning, Fang Lin wondered what the woman wanted from him. If it were not for her mark, he would rather not have any further contact with her. She was too mysterious, and he was powerless—she could manipulate him at will.
But Fang Lin had no choice but to comply. He quickly stored the golden beast and Corpse Ginseng into his bag and headed straight for the Ancient Cave.
Upon arriving at the cave, the one-eyed old crone sat cross-legged atop an old tree root. Seeing Fang Lin, she showed a surprised expression.
“Elder, I need to enter the cave once more,” Fang Lin cupped his hand in a salute.
The one-eyed old crone nodded, “At present, no one is within the Ancient Cave deciphering the stele. You may enter.”
Fang Lin acknowledged her and immediately stepped into the Ancient Cave.
As soon as he entered, Fang Lin was met with an incredible suction force—a force he had encountered when he first ventured into the cave.
Splat!
After a while, Fang Lin landed heavily on the ground, grumbling as he picked himself up.
“Elder, what do you need from me?” Fang Lin asked aloud, looking around the cavern.