Ruin-Part 5

Wang Quan successfully crossed the mercury poison sea, and upon stepping onto the shore, he was greeted by a sight that made his eyes light up. Scattered across the stone beach were numerous mercury crystals, each radiating a faint blue glow under the sunlight, gleaming with a captivating, icy brilliance.

"These are… mercury crystals!"

Wang Quan's heart surged with joy. Mercury crystals were an incredibly rare material for refining artifacts, only forming in unique environments like the mercury poison sea. In the outside world, such crystals were highly coveted for crafting top-tier weapons and armor, often commanding exorbitant prices. Even within his sect, these treasures were nearly impossible to acquire.

"So many mercury crystals… more than enough to forge several superior-grade spirit weapons."

Excited, Wang Quan set aside his exhaustion from crossing the sea and quickly retrieved his storage bag. He carefully began mining the crystals. While mercury crystals were extremely hard, they posed little challenge for Wang Quan's mastery of the Five Elements Technique. He skillfully summoned his metal spirit energy, transforming it into sharp sword qi, and precisely cut through the crystal surfaces, collecting one complete crystal after another into his storage bag.

"These crystals will greatly enhance my cultivation, and in the future, I might even be able to forge my own weapon."

As he diligently harvested the crystals, Wang Quan couldn't help but plan ahead. This expedition had already proven immensely rewarding just from these mercury crystals alone.

However, just as Wang Quan was engrossed in gathering the crystals, faint footsteps echoed from the distance.

He looked up and saw that the Yunlan Mountain cultivators and the rogue cultivators had also managed to cross the mercury poison sea. However, both groups seemed to have fared poorly. The three Yunlan Mountain disciples appeared pale, clearly drained of spiritual energy during the crossing. Meanwhile, the rogue cultivator team had lost one member—one of their Qi Refining stage cultivators had evidently fallen under the attacks of the mercury poison tortoise.

The Foundation Establishment elder at the helm of the rogue cultivators had a dark expression. Though he bore no visible wounds, his spiritual energy fluctuations were significantly weaker, showing that he hadn't emerged unscathed from the ordeal.

As the three groups gathered on the stone shore, their gazes fell on the field of mercury crystals, and everyone's faces lit up with excitement. Even the Yunlan Mountain cultivators and the Foundation Establishment elder couldn't hide their greed. Such precious materials were exceedingly rare, even within the world of cultivation.

Without exchanging words, the three groups quickly began harvesting the crystals, each moving swiftly. They all understood that this was not the time for conflict—claiming as many resources as possible before moving forward was the wisest course of action in such a perilous environment.

Wang Quan continued gathering crystals, moving with speed and precision. His metal spirit energy cut through the crystals with ease, and in no time, his storage bag was filled with high-quality mercury crystals.

While working, Wang Quan noticed something out of the corner of his eye. The lead disciple of the Yunlan Mountain group, a cultivator at the ninth stage of Qi Refining, subtly moved his fingers, sending a faint beam of light into the air. The light disappeared into the void, like a hidden message.

"He's sending a signal?"

Wang Quan's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

He knew that Yunlan Mountain, as the superior sect to Yunxiao Sect, had vast resources and its disciples were highly skilled. This disciple was clearly using the opportunity after crossing the sea to send a message to the outside world, possibly calling for reinforcements or more allies to seize control of the relic's treasures.

"It seems the Yunlan Mountain cultivators aren't planning on cooperating with us for long…"

Wang Quan's gaze turned cold. He understood that in such a high-stakes environment, anyone could turn against their allies for the sake of treasure. The Yunlan Mountain cultivators were likely biding their time until they received reinforcements, at which point they could assert dominance and claim the remaining relics for themselves.

Despite his suspicions, Wang Quan maintained a calm exterior and continued quietly gathering crystals. He knew that it would be unwise to confront the Yunlan Mountain cultivators at this moment, especially with the powerful Foundation Establishment elder among the rogue cultivators. Direct conflict would not be in his favor.

Once everyone had filled their storage bags with mercury crystals, the three groups turned their attention to the next point of interest—the ancient stone door standing at the edge of the shore. The door was covered in intricate carvings and glowing with faint runes, clearly the entrance to the third level of the relic.

"What should we do next?"

One of the Yunlan Mountain disciples asked softly, his gaze shifting between the others, filled with anticipation and wariness for what lay ahead.

The Foundation Establishment elder's eyes flickered slightly as he spoke in a low voice, "As agreed, we will cooperate to break the seal on this door. Once we enter the third level, we go our separate ways."

The Yunlan Mountain disciples exchanged glances before the lead disciple nodded, agreeing to the elder's proposal.

Wang Quan had no objections either. He knew the priority now was to reach the core of the relic. What happened after entering the third level would depend on the unfolding situation.

The Yunlan Mountain cultivators and the rogue group began to work on the stone door, drawing out their spirit tools and talismans to try and break the seal. Wang Quan remained on the sidelines, quietly observing. He had already discerned that this door's seal was connected to the power of the five elements, much like the previous barriers.

"This seal… requires the balance of the five elements to be broken."

Wang Quan thought to himself, deciding to hold back for now. He would conserve his strength and observe the others' efforts before making his move, allowing him to assess their abilities and intentions.

As the combined spiritual energy assaults struck the door, the runes on the surface began to flicker and hum, gradually weakening the seal. However, at that moment, the lead Yunlan Mountain disciple discreetly pulled out a communication talisman, activating it in secret.

A sly smile tugged at his lips as he thought, "Reinforcements are on their way. These people are merely stepping stones for Yunlan Mountain. Once help arrives, all the treasures will belong to us."

Wang Quan, though unable to see the exact action, sensed something amiss. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he realized the situation was becoming increasingly dangerous.

"It looks like the true test of life and death will come once we enter the third level…"

Wang Quan took a deep breath, quietly gathering his spiritual energy in preparation for whatever trials awaited him in the next part of the relic.