### Chapter 68: The Pond's Opportunity (Part 5)
"Quick! Detonate your artifacts!" Elder Zhao shouted, panic edging his voice. He reached into his storage bag, pulling out a disc-shaped top-grade artifact. Channeling spiritual energy, he triggered it—its light flaring brilliantly, teetering on the brink of explosion.
The others followed suit, scrambling to detonate their own top-grade artifacts. If the python's core exploded, none of the Qi Refinement disciples would survive.
A chain of top-grade artifact explosions might destroy the python's valuable remains, turning their victory into a loss. But life mattered more.
Yet as they readied their artifacts, the python let out a furious hiss, suddenly swallowing its demon core back. Its massive body lunged downward, ignoring the cultivators and the incoming explosions.
To Elder Zhao and the others, this looked like fear—an attempt to flee.
"Monster, don't run!" Elder Zhao roared, accelerating his disc artifact. It detonated two feet from the python.
*Boom!*
The pond's bottom seemed to crack. Water churned violently; mud and rocks cascaded, piling into a several-zhang mound. The python's tail split open, blood gushing into the murky water.
It reared, hissing in pain, its descent slowing. Its body neared collapse.
But there was no mercy. Another top-grade artifact closed in, then another—each detonation shaking the pond like a tsunami.
…
Inside the cave at the pond's bottom.
Lin Yi had slipped in at some point, his body trembling—not from cold, but from excitement. The bone-chilling air that would daunt even Foundation Establishment cultivators no longer fazed him.
His face flushed, eyes blazing with excitement,激动 (passion), and a barely restrained urge. He pinched his cheek hard. "Ouch!" The pain confirmed it wasn't a dream. The treasure before him was real.
On a creamy stone pedestal stood a plant, shrouded in mist, its palm-sized leaves fanning outward. At its center bloomed a lotus-like flower with six petals. As Lin Yi watched, a seventh petal emerged from the cold mist, taking shape.
Cold—bone-deep cold—emanated from the plant. It was the source of the cave's chill.
Staring at it, Lin Yi's blood raced, his chest burning.
"七叶雾莲 (Seven-leaf Mist Lotus)…" he whispered, repeating the name. A heavenly treasure of extreme cold属性 (attribute), it was a godsend for ice-spirit-root cultivators. Any cultivator, regardless of rank, would疯狂 (crave) it.
A fully mature Seven-leaf Mist Lotus could spark a bloodbath in the cultivation world. Beyond aiding ice-spirit-root users, it could even grant a non-spirit-root mortal a chance to awaken an ice spirit root. For water-spirit-root cultivators or those practicing water-based techniques, it was equally irresistible.
Lin Yi, with his five spirit roots and the *Eternal Life Art*, had no immediate use for it. But its value was incalculable—enough to buy mountains of spirit stones, forge an ice-spirit-root prodigy, or trade for any treasure he desired. It might even save his life one day.
Risk had indeed brought fortune. This alone made the peril worthwhile.
The seventh petal solidified. Suddenly, all cold in the cave rushed into it, absorbed. The mist-shrouded lotus exuded no more chill, only an air of mystery.
Lin Yi's breath quickened. He inched forward, heart pounding as if to leap from his throat. A fully mature Seven-leaf Mist Lotus must be plucked within an hour, or it would wither, useless.
He pulled a jade box from his storage bag, gently plucking the lotus and sealing it inside. Staring at it for a long moment, he reluctantly closed the box and stowed it away.
Just as he turned to leave, the cave shook violently, as if collapsing.
With a *bang*, a massive object slammed into the rocks outside, showering stones. It rolled down, blocking the cave entrance—a python's head, its eyes wide with不甘 and fury.