Upon hearing the words "Nether Lotus," Chen Guan immediately had an epiphany.
When he had previously researched information about the Profound Yin Cave, he had come across records of the Nether Lotus, though he hadn't paid much attention at the time.
Legend had it that when the Profound Yin Cave was first discovered, someone had indeed found a Nether Lotus inside. However, that was a long time ago, and no one had discovered one in the past hundred years. It was unclear whether the rumors were true or false.
The legend stated that the Nether Lotus could increase a pet's growth rate. Whether this was true or not, Chen Guan didn't know. But if it were true, its value would be immeasurable—far surpassing that of a secret realm card or a unique pet.
Duan Shulin was about to say something more, but Chen Guan turned and left without hesitation.
Seeing Chen Guan's reaction, Duan Shulin's expression changed instantly. "Could he possibly have another Tomb Lord-type pet? No, that can't be. The Tomb Lord is a unique pet—there couldn't possibly be a second one in this world."
"Still not giving up?" Duan Shulin sneered and chased after him, shouting to Chen Guan's retreating figure, "It's useless for you to go now! Without a pet that can withstand the Profound Nether Yin Flames, there's no way you can pluck the Nether Lotus!"
Chen Guan didn't respond, merely continuing steadfastly toward the Profound Yin Cave.
Even without the Tomb Lord, he still had Consort Ming. Though she was only level 1, her Sacred Body was even stronger than the Tomb Lord's Yin-Yang Ecstasy Body. While she might not be able to defeat the Mutated Profound Yin Ghost Mother, the Profound Nether Yin Flames certainly couldn't kill her. Retrieving the Nether Lotus shouldn't be a problem.
Duan Shulin was well aware of this fact, which was why he wasn't in any hurry. He followed behind Chen Guan, confident that Chen Guan couldn't possibly have another pet capable of withstanding the Profound Nether Yin Flames.
Apart from anomalies like the Tomb Lord with its Yin-Yang Ecstasy Body, only pure Yang pets could withstand the Profound Nether Yin Flames. And most true pure Yang pets were, nine times out of ten, legendary-tier pets—far from easy to obtain.
If not for this, Duan Shulin wouldn't have been so willing to trade his high-grade anonymous limited-edition secret realm card for the Tomb Lord. That card was the most valuable item he possessed.
When they reached White Cloud Ravine, Chen Guan swiped his card and entered without paying. The guards respectfully opened the gate for him, granting him access to the express lane. Chen Guan couldn't help but marvel at how convenient a high-grade secret realm card was.
In contrast, Duan Shulin, now without his secret realm card, had to pay out of pocket to enter.
By the time he got inside, Chen Guan was already far ahead.
"What's the point of running so fast? You don't even know where the Nether Lotus is," Duan Shulin called out several times, but Chen Guan acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to sprint forward.
At first, Duan Shulin was certain Chen Guan couldn't possibly take the Nether Lotus. But as he watched Chen Guan accelerate until he was nearly out of sight, a sense of unease crept over him. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ Nove1Fire.net
"While the Mutated Tomb Lord is unique and there can't be a second one, who's to say Chen Guan doesn't have a regular Tomb Lord pet? What if even a regular Tomb Lord can resist the Profound Nether Yin Flames? That would be disastrous!" Now Duan Shulin began to regret his earlier boastfulness in revealing the existence of the Nether Lotus.
Little did he know, a regular Tomb Lord was actually the Shituo King—a creature far more powerful than Chen Guan's Mutated Tomb Lord. Mutation didn't necessarily mean superior.
But then again, Duan Shulin reassured himself, "Even if he has a Tomb Lord, he doesn't know where the Nether Lotus is. That place isn't easy to find."
Though he believed Chen Guan wouldn't locate the Nether Lotus, Duan Shulin still chased with all his might, afraid Chen Guan might stumble upon it by sheer luck.
Gritting his teeth and pushing himself to the limit, Duan Shulin was dismayed to find the distance between them widening. Suspicion gnawed at him.
He had claimed to be level 3 when he entered the Profound Yin Cave, but he hadn't mentioned that by the time he met Chen Guan, he was already level 5.
He had also inquired about Chen Guan's level and knew Chen Guan was only level 4. Yet now he couldn't catch up, which puzzled him.
"That bastard doesn't have a single honest word in his mouth," Duan Shulin muttered through clenched teeth. He activated his Lightfoot Secret Skill, hoping to close the gap.
But to his shock, Chen Guan also activated a secret skill, his speed increasing abruptly as he left behind an afterimage, widening the distance even further.
"What the hell? Does he actually know something? Otherwise, why would he be running so fast?" Duan Shulin's unease grew. He hastily pulled out a small vial and swallowed several Primordial Energy Pills.
As a level 5 cultivator, his Primordial Energy reserves were limited, preventing him from using the Lightfoot Secret Skill continuously. These pills could quickly restore his energy, allowing him to use the skill more frequently.
"Chen Guan, today I'll show you the power of money," Duan Shulin thought smugly as he felt his energy replenish. He activated the Lightfoot Secret Skill again, accelerating once more.
Assuming that at such low levels, Chen Guan couldn't possibly sustain continuous use of secret skills like he could with the aid of pills, Duan Shulin expected to close the gap.
But soon, to his astonishment, Chen Guan began using a skill resembling Ghost Steps repeatedly. Instead of closing the distance, Duan Shulin found himself falling further behind.
"Damn it... I should have known... With pets like his... how could he be from an ordinary background... If I can use pills... so can he... I've been fooled again..." Duan Shulin was genuinely panicking now, desperately consuming pills while running at full speed.
But even with the pills, they took time to take effect—his energy couldn't be instantly restored. He could only use the Lightfoot Secret Skill intermittently.
Meanwhile, Chen Guan ahead continuously employed Forest Net Ghost Steps, the distance between them growing ever larger.
With 16 points of Primordial Energy, enhanced by the power of his First Secret Skill and his energy recovery rate, Chen Guan could easily use Forest Net Ghost Steps over a dozen times consecutively without needing pills.
Had Chen Guan not deliberately waited for Duan Shulin, he would have left him in the dust long ago.
Just as Duan Shulin had surmised, Chen Guan didn't know the Nether Lotus's location. Going in blindly would be futile—he needed Duan Shulin to lead him there.
Unaware of this, Duan Shulin grew increasingly uneasy as he watched Chen Guan's relentless advance. "When I was fleeing from the Ghost Mother, I was too panicked to conceal my tracks. Chen Guan saw which direction I came from. Later, instead of hurrying out to meet me, he circled the area several times... Could he have noticed something then and gone to investigate on purpose...?"
The more Duan Shulin thought about it, the more convinced he became that something was amiss. His panic mounted, but with no way to catch up, he could only watch helplessly as Chen Guan's figure disappeared into the Profound Yin Cave.
"Damn it... the Nether Lotus is mine... You won't steal my treasure!" Duan Shulin sprinted toward the cave entrance like a madman.