I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

The crack was deeper than Lin Che had anticipated.

He squeezed sideways into the narrow passage that could only accommodate one person at a time, the rough surface of the rock wall brushing against his robes with a soft rustling sound.

The air was filled with the scent of damp earth, mixed with some indescribable, ancient mineral aroma.

The passage is winding and twisting, sometimes wide and sometimes narrow, sometimes requiring you to squeeze through sideways, and sometimes suddenly wide enough for several people to walk side by side.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the passage suddenly widened.

Before us was a small cave with a diameter of no more than ten feet.

The dome is low, only four or five zhang high, like an inverted bowl, enveloping this space.

The surrounding rock walls were covered with silvery-white crystals of varying sizes, from as small as grains of rice to as large as fists, densely packed and layered, illuminating the entire space as bright as day.

The light emanated from within the crystal, soft and cool, like moonlight solidified.

In the center of the cave, a Ganoderma lucidum grows quietly on a protruding rock.

The Ganoderma lucidum was translucent silvery-white, with a cap about the size of a palm and slightly curled edges.

The surface has fine lines, like tree rings or ripples, spreading outwards from the center, as if each ring records a passing moment.

The stem is short and thick, rooted in the crevices of the rock, almost becoming one with it.

Timeless beauty.

Upon seeing this object, Lin Che realized that his guess was correct.

This thing can only grow by absorbing the power of time formed by different flow rates.

Clearly, time has changed here.

However, what Lin Che needed was the Law of Acceleration. He needed to figure out first whether time here was fast or slow.

Having prepared in advance, he took out an hourglass and communicated with the Azure Profound Realm Spirit in his mind.

"How's it going? How much sand is left in the hourglass?"

Lin Che had prepared two identical hourglasses beforehand. He carried one with him and had the Azure Profound Realm Spirit wait outside the rift with the other, in order to compare the difference in the flow of time.

Soon, a response came from the depths of my heart.

"A quarter of the sand has fallen."

Lin Che raised his eyebrows and looked down at the hourglass in his hand.

Two-quarters of the way down.

Time flows at twice the speed of the outside world here.

Lin Che felt good; he hadn't expected to find his target in the very first cave.

"Okay, you've found the right one, Xiao Xuan, teleport over here."

As spatial fluctuations appeared beside Lin Che, the figure of the Azure Profound Realm Spirit slowly emerged.

"Let's begin. Replicate the time rules here."

The Azure Profound Realm Spirit nodded, and blue light began to appear in its eyes.

The blue light was deep and cold, like the color of the deep sea, spreading outwards in concentric circles and enveloping the entire cave.

But soon, it frowned slightly, the blue light suddenly receded, and then it withdrew from the copying process.

"What's wrong?" Lin Che asked.

"The laws here are incomplete." The voice of the Azure Profound Realm Spirit echoed in Lin Che's heart, tinged with regret.

"A mere trace of the power of time is too weak to form a complete law of time."

This made Lin Che frown slightly.

If this place is governed by such incomplete laws of time, then this trip would have been in vain.

Just as he frowned, footsteps came from another passage in the cave.

The footsteps were very light, but they were exceptionally clear in the empty cave, accompanied by the sound of small stones being stepped on.

Lin Che nodded slightly to the Azure Profound Realm Spirit.

The Azure Profound Realm Spirit understood.

The two simultaneously activated Absolute Void Concealment and disappeared behind the stone pillars at the edge of the cave.

Soon, two figures emerged from another passage and entered the cave.

Leading the way was a young monk dressed in brocade robes.

He was in his early twenties, with a handsome face, a hint of arrogance between his brows, and a slightly raised chin.

He exuded the aura of a late-stage Qi Refining expert, and a finely crafted spirit sword hung at his waist, its scabbard inlaid with several gems that shone brightly in the silvery-white light.

He was also holding a compass in his hand, the pointer on the compass trembling slightly, pointing in the direction of the cave that Lin Che had found.

Behind him followed an old man in gray.

The old man had a gaunt face, high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and skin as dry as orange peel, covered with deep wrinkles.

His eyes were slightly closed, his aura deep, and every step he took was extremely steady. He was subtly protecting the young man, and he was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

"Young master, we have a rare Ganoderma lucidum!" The old man in gray said in a hoarse voice, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes.

The young man in the brocade robe also had a bright look in his eyes. He quickly stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the silvery-white Ganoderma lucidum, his eyes filled with greed, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

"well!"

He rubbed his hands together, his voice full of smugness:

"We didn't expect to be so lucky, we've already made a harvest so soon! I picked these myself, and I'll refine them into a youth-preserving pill to give to Sister Wan'er. She'll definitely feel my sincerity!"

Just as he was about to step forward, the old man in gray reached out and stopped him.

"Young master, let this old servant do it."

The old man's voice was still hoarse, but with a hint of caution: "If this Ganoderma lucidum is not picked properly, its medicinal effects will be greatly reduced. This old servant has picked it a few times and knows the proper way."

The young man looked slightly displeased, his brows furrowed, but he didn't refuse. He simply took a step back, crossed his arms, and stared intently at the Ganoderma lucidum.

The old man took out a small jade shovel from his sleeve.

The jade shovel was pure white with a warm luster, and its blade was as thin as a cicada's wing. It was clearly a tool specially used for collecting spiritual plants and was quite valuable.

He gently dug away the rock around the roots of the Ganoderma lucidum with a jade shovel.

The rock had become brittle under the erosion of time, and it crumbled into powder with a gentle shovel, falling down in a flurry.

The old man moved very gently and slowly, carefully avoiding the roots of the Ganoderma lucidum with each shovel, afraid of damaging it in the slightest.

The young man in the brocade robe stood to the side, his eyes filled with anxiety. He would occasionally tiptoe and then put his feet down, his lips moving slightly as if he wanted to urge him on, but he held back.

Just as the gray-robed old man's jade shovel was about to completely unearth the Ganoderma lucidum—

A sharp whistling sound suddenly rang out!

The sound was piercing, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, instantly shattering the tranquility of the cave.

The old man in gray's expression changed drastically, and he suddenly turned to the side!

A jet-black crossbow bolt grazed his shoulder and struck the rock wall behind him with a "clang," exploding into a cloud of black mist.

The mist emitted a pungent, fishy stench, its edges gleaming with a ghostly green light. When it landed on the rocks, it hissed and corroded them, clearly indicating that it was coated with a potent poison.

"Who?!" The young man in the brocade robe drew his sword and shouted sharply. His voice echoed in the cave, causing the silvery-white crystals to tremble slightly.

On the other side of the passage, a figure slowly walked out.

He was a middle-aged man dressed in a black outfit.

His face was ordinary and unremarkable, the kind that you could easily lose in a crowd.