Seizing Destiny From Heavens Hands

Chapter 255: I Feel Relieved Knowing Others Didn't Gain Much Either

Seven days later, near Furnace No. 5.

Howl…

A dying wail echoed through the air, followed by the dull thud of a heavy body collapsing to the ground.

Amid the carnage of fire wolf corpses stood a figure clad in green, wielding a black-and-white sword. Shen Mo's expression remained calm and indifferent.

Slaughtering these fire wolves had not cost Shen Mo much effort.

There had been a total of 21 fire wolves in the area. Even the wolf king, a fifth-tier peak beast comparable to a Nascent Soul-stage peak cultivator, was no match for Shen Mo.

After a few exchanges, the wolf king was slain.

As for the remaining fire wolves, they were dispatched even faster, unable to withstand a single strike from him.

Shen Mo systematically cut open the bodies of the fire wolves. He only managed to extract a single fire beast monster core, the size of a thumb, from the wolf king's abdomen.

The other wolves' bodies contained nothing—not even fragments of a core.

With that task done, Shen Mo entered the wolves' den.

The den was littered with scattered remains—some from other fire beasts, and others clearly human bones.

These must have belonged to elders who had entered the Fire Pill Palace in the past, only to fall victim to the wolves' ambush and meet their end here.

After a thorough search, Shen Mo found a storage ring in a corner.

Inside the ring were a fifth-tier fire beast monster core and six fourth-tier fire beast monster cores.

"Oh? There's stardust sand here?"

In the den's corner, Shen Mo noticed an inconspicuous pile of sand.

Stardust sand is a rare mineral that forms over long periods by absorbing starlight.

It is rarely found elsewhere, but the depths of the Fire Pill Palace contain a fair amount of it.

The reason is straightforward.

At the height of its power, the Nine-Turn Alchemy Sect not only used the Fire Pill Palace for alchemy but also for crafting weapons.

Much of the stardust sand mined or purchased by the sect was stored here.

During the great war that led to the sect's downfall, the sand was scattered and mixed with the Fire Pill Palace's debris.

Every time the palace reopens, any elder willing to spend time searching can usually gather a few taels of stardust sand.

That Shen Mo found it here, far from the palace's interior where temperatures are higher, was a pleasant surprise.

"This opportunity must be uniquely mine—something even Ye Yan hasn't discovered."

Satisfied, Shen Mo carefully stored the stardust sand.

Stardust sand is an excellent material for crafting spiritual weapons.

Its balanced and neutral properties make it compatible with any elemental attribute.

Although Shen Mo had received some as part of his elder stipend over the years, he had never used it and kept it stored in his ring.

"The three treasures of the Fire Pill Palace: fire beast crystals, stardust sand, and crimson scale flowers."

"Now, the crimson scale flower is the only one I haven't found yet."

Shen Mo reflected.

Of the three treasures, stardust sand was the least immediately useful. It required proper crafting to convert it into combat power.

Fire beast crystals, while directly absorbable, benefited fire-attribute physiques the most and were less effective for others.

For maximum value, fire beast crystals were best exchanged for contribution points.

The crimson scale flower, however, was different.

This peculiar flower, once refined, could expand the dantian.

Cultivators of all levels desired a larger dantian.

With a more expansive dantian, they could store more spiritual energy.

Sometimes, having just a bit more spiritual energy could determine life or death in a critical moment.

Because of this, crimson scale flowers were highly sought after.

Not only were they prized in the Jade Cauldron Sect, but also in the Upper Clarity Sect, Pill River Sect, and even the State Governor's Office, where they commanded steep prices.

In the Jade Cauldron Sect, a single crimson scale flower cost ten Ding-grade contribution points.

If sold outside, one flower could fetch five top-grade spirit stones.

"Next, I'll head to Furnace No. 8. An elder buried a storage ring there fifty years ago, likely knowing he was near death and hoping his descendants might retrieve it."

"Still, fifty years have passed, and the storage ring remains undiscovered. It's likely his descendants have met a grim fate as well."

"That ring contains fifty-two fourth-tier fire beast monster cores—I can't afford to miss it."

Shen Mo quickened his pace, advancing deeper into the Fire Pill Palace.

Just like in the Blood Vine Valley, the boundary between the outer and inner regions of the Fire Pill Palace had a safehouse constructed later by the Jade Cauldron Sect.

Each time the Fire Pill Palace opened, this safehouse became a hub for the sect's cultivators to rest, trade, and strategize.

Whenever venturing out to seek treasures, cultivators would use the safehouse as a central point to explore outward.

The deeper regions were far more perilous, with stronger fire beasts and deadlier formations. Those unsure of their strength rarely dared to venture there.

Two Months Later, Safehouse

Ye Yan wearily stepped into the safehouse.

It had been eight days since his last expedition for treasures.

During that time, he had managed to find only two fourth-tier fire beast monster cores, a small measure of stardust sand, and a single crimson scale flower.

On several occasions, he had narrowly avoided being swept into hordes of roaming fire beasts, some numbering over a hundred.

He had come perilously close to death more than once.

Such terrible luck left Ye Yan questioning whether he was still the fortunate man he'd always believed himself to be.

Had all the good fortune he enjoyed since childhood abandoned him in the Fire Pill Palace?

Moreover, he frequently noticed traces of someone else having been in the places he explored.

Sometimes it was a field of fire beast corpses.

Other times, the disturbed dirt and gravel hinted at recent activity.

It was as if someone had passed through ahead of him, taking the treasures that should have been his.

Ye Yan rubbed his temples, shaking off these thoughts.

That's impossible.

How could someone else take opportunities meant for him? He didn't even know what those opportunities were himself.

Clearing his mind, Ye Yan stepped further into the safehouse.

The sounds of haggling and chatter filled his ears.

"Trade! A crimson scale flower for three fourth-tier fire beast monster cores—come quick!"

"Info! I know the location of a blazing wild boar nest. Five Ding-grade contributions for the intel!"

"News! The geothermal vent at Furnace No. 6 is erupting—stay away!"

The cacophony made Ye Yan feel even more irritated.

In two months of exploring the Fire Pill Palace, he hadn't traded with anyone.

He barely had enough for himself, let alone anything worth trading.

Scanning the room, Ye Yan noticed several elders in a corner engaged in hushed conversation.

Though they weren't speaking loudly, anyone paying attention could overhear them.

"How many fire beast monster cores did you find this time?"

"Don't even ask. The three of us searched for six days. We encountered plenty of fire beasts, but they were either incredibly strong individually or moved in large packs. Six days, and we only got one fourth-tier fire beast monster core."

"Same here! It feels like all the fire beasts are stronger this year."

"Didn't the stationed elder mention that the geothermal activity has been unstable over the last decade? That's probably why the fire beasts have grown stronger."

"What about you? How did it go?"

"Not great. I haven't accumulated many fire beast crystals in these two months either. It's been frustrating."

"I've been feeling uneasy the past few days. Let's hope nothing goes wrong."

Ye Yan listened thoughtfully.

"So that's it. I thought it was just me encountering unusually strong fire beasts. Turns out they've all gotten stronger and more numerous overall."

With that realization, Ye Yan felt some relief.

It seemed everyone was facing the same challenges.

No one was exempt.

The thought that others were having just as little success as he was put Ye Yan's mind at ease.

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