The maiden's eyes sparkled with little stars.
However, she hadn't lost her reason.
She knew that the emergence of such extremely rare and precious heavenly treasures often came with unpredictable dangers.
With a pair of cunning and sharp eyes, as black and lustrous as a pair of large black gems,
She cautiously entered the cave.
At the same time, her quasi-Heavenly Origin realm cultivation was secretly circulated, ready to deal with any sudden situations.
"If I can find a thousand-year-old medicinal herb, or a small spirit stone mine, then I can properly subsidize my family's expenses. At least for the foreseeable future, our Maplewood City won't have to worry about money."
Thinking of this,
The maiden couldn't help but sigh softly.
Although her family was the City Lord's mansion of Maplewood City, in reality, her family wasn't well-off.
It wasn't that Maplewood City's spiritual plant industry wasn't profitable.
Even after offering most of it to the Four Symbols Sect,
The remaining portion was still a considerable fortune for the City Lord's mansion.
But the problem was.
Her father, Mu Renmin, the only quasi-Giant Spirit realm expert in Maplewood City, was too benevolent and loved his people as if they were his own children.
He sympathized with the people of Maplewood City and subsidized them with the City Lord's mansion's share.
This, in turn, left the City Lord's mansion struggling financially, often unable to make ends meet.
Fortunately, the maiden possessed this talent for treasure hunting, often finding valuable heavenly treasures or other artifacts.
By selling them, she could occasionally alleviate the City Lord's mansion's predicament.
Thinking of this, the maiden's mood became even more nervous and excited.
Because the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the cave far surpassed any she had encountered before, reaching a level that was utterly astonishing to her.
This meant that the treasure this time would be unprecedented!
Soon.
As the maiden cautiously entered the cave, she witnessed a scene that would be unforgettable for the rest of her life.
In a man-made cave,
It wasn't dark all around.
The boundless and majestic spiritual energy was so dense that it was visible to the naked eye, emitting a gentle, bright light that illuminated the cave as if it were daytime.
And at the center of the endlessly flowing spiritual energy.
A young man, less than twenty years old, with his upper body bare, sat cross-legged.
He had strange gray hair.
His physique was well-proportioned.
Although not particularly tall,
It was evident that his lean and strong body concealed a terrifying power.
Almost every muscle line was as if carved by a knife.
Perfect and flawless.
The spiritual energy swirled around him, almost forming a vortex, and was frantically absorbed by his physical body.
What made the maiden's gaze tremble fiercely was.
This young man's body was covered with countless terrifying cracks.
It was as if a shattered porcelain vase had been crudely pieced back together.
The severity of the injuries was extreme.
Yet, this young man, suffering from such incredibly severe injuries, was not dead.
And in the maiden's keen perception, a life force like an ancient fierce beast lay dormant within this young man, so powerful that it made her tremble.
What kind of powerful being was this!
Although she didn't sense any astonishing cultivation fluctuations from this young man,
Just from his injuries and his vibrant life force, which was as fiery as a furnace and as fierce as a beast, she dared to conclude that this young man was by no means an ordinary person.
"Boom!"
Suddenly.
The man in the center of the spiritual energy vortex reached out with a palm.
The maiden's entire body turned cold, unable to move. It was as if the entire world was left with only that giant hand reaching out, and she had become an insignificant ant.
"Ah!"
Her eyes widened in terror, and she let out a scream.
At this moment.
The young man suddenly opened his eyes.
With a slight frown,
He waved his arm, and the giant hand reaching for the maiden was pulled back.
"Who are you?"
Ling Fan's deep eyes fell on the maiden, calm and indifferent, and he asked coldly.
"You... Who are you!"
The maiden did not answer Ling Fan's question, but instead, mustered her courage and retorted.
Seeing Ling Fan frown,
As if showing impatience.
The maiden's heart tightened, and she quickly said, "This... this is the territory of our Maplewood City. Not only did you trespass without permission, but you also opened up a cave to cultivate without permission. Did you get permission from our Maplewood City!"
The maiden puffed out her cheeks.
Looking as if she had been wronged, she snapped her hand towards Ling Fan and said, "Pay up!"
Ling Fan's expression froze.
He chuckled in amusement.
"Pay up?"
"I randomly chose an ownerless barren mountain and opened a cave dwelling to cultivate. What money do I need to pay?"
Ling Fan found it amusing and retorted to the maiden.
The maiden's cunning eyes rolled.
Seeing Ling Fan smile, she felt her pressure lighten, and she was no longer as afraid of Ling Fan.
She said righteously, "Why wouldn't you pay! Once you enter our Maplewood City, you are half a person of Maplewood City. All the benefits of Maplewood City are open to you, and Maplewood City will be your strong backing. Just ask around, among the more than ten cities within the Four Symbols Sect's sphere of influence, which one is as peaceful and prosperous as our Maplewood City!"
"But our Maplewood City's good welfare requires money. Where does the money come from? It comes from the people and is used for the people, so everyone contributes together. Since you've come to Maplewood City, you have the right to enjoy these benefits, and you also have the responsibility and obligation to contribute!!"
The maiden spoke eloquently.
And with righteous indignation.
It was as if if Ling Fan didn't pay, he would immediately become a selfish bastard who was in the wrong.
"According to you, I've been forcibly roped in just by entering your Maplewood City's territory? You didn't even ask if I was willing."
Ling Fan chuckled.
The maiden said, "You are so badly injured, and you opened this cave dwelling just to hide and recuperate, right? Since this young lady has encountered you, I cannot stand by and do nothing. This is not the style of our Mu family in Maplewood City! My father often tells me to help when I can and save people when I can. This is accumulating merit."
"Let's go, you'll come back with me to heal first. As for the payment, this young lady can allow you to delay it. It's not too late to repay our Maplewood City after you've recovered."
Ling Fan suddenly put on a sinister expression and said, "Aren't you afraid I'm a bad guy and that you're inviting a wolf into the house?"
The maiden chuckled, "Heh, what am I afraid of? How old are you? You're only a little stronger than me. Can you be stronger than the experts in our Maplewood City! My father is a quasi-Giant Spirit realm! Even among many city lords, he is a top-tier existence."
"If you dare to have any bad intentions, you'll be the one to suffer in the end! You can't scare me. Let's go, obediently come back to Maplewood City with this young lady. You're so badly injured, why are you still trying to be tough."