His gaze flickered, and he took two steps back. After observing for a moment, he stepped forward again to probe deeper inside. Finding no obstruction within, he exerted force, and to his astonishment, his entire body was swallowed into the space.
Luo Xiao had been watching Zhang Yan’s actions all along but noticed that he hadn’t emerged for a long time. Feeling uneasy, he called out, "Daoist Zhang?"
With a faint "shh" sound, Zhang Yan emerged from the cavity, his body covered in a layer of sticky True Dew Grease. Smiling at Luo Xiao, he said, "Daoist Luo, it seems there’s more to this cave than meets the eye!"
As the pair delved deeper into the earth cave, a Cloud Perching Flying Boat descended onto the Yingyun Shell Field occupied by the Mingcang Sect.
A group of over sixty people disembarked from the flying boat. Du You retrieved a Capture Token with a wave, and the massive flying boat shrank into a palm-sized vessel which he tucked into his sleeve.
Two Ming Qi Stage disciples stationed around the shell field immediately approached and barked, "Who dares intrude? State your name!"
Du You, displeased by their tone, was about to retort, but Du Bo pulled him back and stepped forward with a respectful bow, saying, "I am Du Bo, and this is Du You, the Senior Disciple of the Lower Court. We have come to seek the Shell King for the Opening Meridians ritual. Might you two have received the Sect Leader’s decree?"
"So these are disciples of the Du Family," one of the guards softened his demeanor and bowed in turn, "The Sect Leader has indeed instructed that your kind be allowed passage without hindrance. Please proceed freely; we still have our duties to guard and cannot accompany you further."
Du Bo smiled faintly, "By all means, carry on."
As the two guards walked away, Du You snorted and muttered, "Just two Ming Qi Stage disciples—why treat them so courteously, Uncle Bo?"
Du Bo chuckled but did not respond. Du You could afford arrogance with the Du Family backing him, but Du Bo himself did not have that privilege.
It was better to avoid offending others when unnecessary. After all, who knew which powers might be supporting these disciples? Yet there was no need to explain such reasoning to Du You. In Du Bo’s view, Du You was still immature—he’d learn restraint once he faced enough hardships on the path of cultivation.
Yingyun Shell Field rested against the ring-shaped Tie Li Mountain, with the vast waters of Dragon Geese Marsh stretching before it. Tributaries of the river circled the mountain, creating a view that from the skies seemed as though the shell field was cradled between the two landscapes, forming an isolated patch of land.
Though broad in appearance, the entrance to the shell field’s cave was just one zhang wide. Upon seeing it, Du You sneered derisively.
The servants were left outside at this point.
Before entering, Du Bo respectfully bowed toward the empty space above the cave’s mouth. Du You watched this gesture with a mix of confusion and disinterest.
Without explanation, Du Bo proceeded directly into the cave, with Du You hurrying to follow him. Behind them, two Ming Qi Stage disciples and ten Powerful Warriors joined the procession.
After walking for a while, their surroundings suddenly opened up. The ground sloped sharply downward, bordered on both sides by folds of stone resembling layered creases. Before them lay a sunken basin, spanning over a hundred zhang in width and rising more than ten zhang high, resembling an oversized ladle lying horizontally.
The area within was filled with countless Spiritual Shells. Their crystalline shimmering light flickered imperceptibly, like stars twinkling in the night sky.
"Is this the shell field?"
Du You’s breathing grew slightly labored. Though he hailed from a noble family and regarded Spiritual Shells as commonplace, the spectacle of over a million gathered in one location still left him awestruck.
"Fine treasures, but ultimately not ours." Du Bo patted Du You’s head lightly. "Once you achieve mastery in your cultivation, these shells will be yours to collect at will."
Du You nodded solemnly, agreeing, "Uncle Bo is right." Clenching his fists, he thought to himself, "Someday, I will claim ownership of this land."
Du Bo smiled, then clasped his hands behind his back and continued deeper into the cave.
The group traveled for about an hour before reaching the cave’s deepest depths.
But to their bewilderment, they thoroughly searched the earth cave and could not find any sign of the Shell King.
Du Bo furrowed his brows, stroked his beard, and pondered aloud, "Strange, why would the Shell King not remain in its lair? Could it possibly be a Yang Shell? But with a shell field this vast and locked in skirmishes against the Three Pools Lake Demon for over a decade, it should be impossible for it to be a Yang Shell."
At that moment, one of the Powerful Warriors suddenly exclaimed, "Master Du, there’s an empty opening here—its destination is unknown."
"Oh?" Du Bo hastily stepped forward, brushed away the obstructive True Dew, examined the hole, and suddenly his eyes lit up as if recalling something. He let out a chuckle, turned toward Du You, and said, "Nephew, if my guess is correct, your great opportunity has arrived!"
Du You, baffled, asked, "Uncle Bo, what do you mean?"
Du Bo, however, did not elaborate further. He merely gestured toward the opening and smiled, "Follow me, and you’ll understand soon enough."
Lowering his head, he took the lead and ventured into the tunnel.
The path ahead was pitch black, stretching endlessly into the unknown. After traversing several miles, Du Bo suddenly raised his hand, signaling for the group to halt.
Listening closely for a moment, he whispered, "Stay here while I investigate ahead."
He floated silently, riding on Xuan Guang toward a faint glimmer emanating from the tunnel’s end. When he emerged without a sound, he was greeted by a cavern towering over ten zhang high and spanning vast dimensions.
Below, he immediately spotted two Shell Kings!
Both were merely one foot in size, with a layer of silver-white fleshy membrane beneath their abdomens. Their crystalline shells gleamed transparently like polished water glass, exposing their organs and blood vessels with a striking clarity that exuded elegance and vibrancy. A gentle radiance emanated from their entire bodies, illuminating the cavern.
Yet at this moment, the two Shell Kings were gathered near a low cave opening. From Du Bo’s vantage point, he could see that the cavity was filled with True Dew, thick and viscous, with tiny indistinct forms writhing within.
"Marvelous, marvelous—just as I suspected! Yin and Yang Shells combining to birth offspring!"
Du Bo fixated on the slightly restless Shell Kings and sneered internally, "To harmonize Yin and Yang and conceive the Shell Xuanzhu—what cunning calculations! The Shell Xuanzhu, imbued with Earth Vein Essence, could break through the Meng Demon shell, transform into human form, and cultivate further. In a hundred years, it could become a Great Demon within the Demon Race! But you dare try to evade the Heavenly Mechanism? Your fate is bound to meet its calamity!"
"This pearl, if consumed by my talented nephew, could enable him to condense a meridian unparalleled under the heavens!"
Without lingering further, Du Bo turned to leave. His elation, however, caused him to overlook the faint flash of two human figures on a distant cavern wall.