Adrian came out of the cave and started descending towards the mountain. After walking for a while, he soon discovered a valley that appeared between two mountains.
He approached it slowly, but with weary. He didn't find any beasts, which was a bit peculiar. For a seemingly good location, not having any magical beasts around was not a good sign.
That meant that there was something strong enough to chase them all away. His only conclusion was that the region had an overlord, so he had to be careful.
It was common knowledge that magical beasts that could claim an entire area for themselves weren't simple.
However, he didn't need to think so much. He didn't know that what was keeping them away was the stench coming from him. At the bottom of the valley was a small lake. Its clear waters sparkled under the sun's rays while radiating a serene atmosphere.
Its surroundings are filled with vegetation, making it resemble an ambient paradise. Adrian could even recognize some rank 1 herbs among them as he made his way towards the lake.
The fog around it was denser, but it couldn't hinder his vision too much as his body increased in strength.
He noticed that he could see everything clearly, even within the fog.
'This must be one of the benefits of body tempering.' Adrian thought as he reached the edge of the lake. He was right, the Diamond Sovereign Physique was a technique that enhanced all physical aspects, not just his strength.
Staring at the clear water of the lake, he noticed that he couldn't see the bottom of the lake. It was too deep for him to make out. However, he could recognize some species of fish swimming within the lake, so it wasn't uninhabited.
After surveying the area for a few minutes, he finally took off his clothes and entered the lake. The cool water cascaded off his body as he swam in the peripheral of the lake. Even if he couldn't find anything dangerous there, he wasn't going to let his guard down.
After diving for a few meters, Adrian noticed that the amount of qi increased the deeper he dived. At first, he thought that he had made a mistake.
He tried to dive down once again in order to confirm his suspicions. Even if he couldn't see it, he could sense the qi in the water getting denser, the deeper he dived. He knew that there had to be something valuable there.
A dilemma arose in Adrian's mind. He wanted to check out the mysterious treasure, but he knew that it would also be dangerous. Such a valuable item would not be without protection, and judging from the density increase in qi in the environment, such an area would contain a powerful beast.
He was even surprised that no one had discovered this place before and raided it. If it were another cultivator, he would have returned to the city to form a team to scour the whole lake.
However, Adrian was in a different position. His current situation meant he could only avoid interacting with others as much as possible.
He soon swam to the surface and put on his clothes. He had already washed off the grime from his body. He sat down on a nearby boulder to assess his options.
The danger that was lurking deep within the lake was immense, but its reward would be equally worth it.
Adrian heaved a long sigh as he made up his mind. 'No risk, no reward.' He thought as he steeled his determination. He was going to go after it.
Whatever it was, it seemed immensely useful. Something that could affect its surrounding environment was definitely not ordinary.
His mind wandered to something, but the sheer unbelievability of it made him disregard that thought.
According to the Sage of Slaughters' inheritance, there were many treasures that could influence the surrounding environment. One of them was a magical flower that fed off the qi in the environment.
However, its peculiarity did not stop there. As it fed on the qi in the environment, it would then release much purer qi back into the environment. It was in a perpetual cycle of refinement.
The value of the flower couldn't even be represented by ranks. A single one of them could turn a barren area into a cultivation paradise.
However, like all good things, this flower was exceedingly rare. It was so rare that even the sage of slaughter had only seen it a few times during his lifespan. It wasn't the kind of item that could be sought after. It could only be discovered.
Even if it were found, no one would be willing to sell it.
The possibility of Adrian finding the flower in this sort of environment was virtually zero, which was why he quickly dismissed this thought. His mind wandered, trying to decide whether to take the risk and investigate the bottom of the lake or give up on the supposed treasure.
After a short internal dilemma, Adrian decided to take the risk. He was currently not in a position to relinquish any opportunity he came across due to the possibility of danger.
His thoughts quickly settled, and he started trying to come up with a plan to seize whatever was down there.
Countless ideas soon popped up in his head, but he discarded most of them until he finally decided on the one most likely to work. He swiftly jumped off the boulder and left the valley to find his bait.
"It's time to go fishing." He muttered to himself as he made his way out of the valley.
Meanwhile, in a different location east of the valley, a group of cultivators was leisurely chatting while strolling through the woods.
They didn't even seem as if they were paying attention to their surroundings. Of course, this was the farthest thing from the truth, and assuming that would have been a mistake that most beasts wouldn't live to repeat.