However, as Leonard carefully surveyed the cave, the excitement on his face gradually faded, replaced by surprise.

Contrary to his expectations, the cavern held no magical treasures, elixirs, or secret scrolls. Only twelve bare jade pillars and an empty pool remained. Though ancient and grand, the place exuded a desolate loneliness.

"What's going on? Why is there nothing?" Leonard's face turned cold. He turned to Shuro, his gaze uncertain, and extended his hand. "Where are the immortal treasures?"

"And my Power Restoration Pill?" Shuro also reached out.

Leonard hesitated for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Power Restoration Pill? Hahaha, you're truly foolish! You actually believed it."

"Of course, I didn't believe it." Shuro withdrew his hand. "The one sealing Lady Blanche is the Hundred Days Floating Cloud Pill. The corresponding antidote is not called the Power Restoration Pill; it is known as the Worry Dissipation Life-Releasing Pill."

Laughter abruptly ceased. Leonard looked at Shuro in astonishment, his face stiffening, eyes flickering. "What Worry Dissipation Life-Releasing Pill? I don't understand your nonsense."

Seeing Leonard's reaction, Shuro became more certain.

"Fool, you don't even know this. The Worry Dissipation Life-Releasing Pill is a specialized unsealing elixir. The recipe includes Middle Milkstone, Eagle Eye Bead, Void-Capturing Grass, Hundred Days Powder..."

With each item mentioned, Leonard's face grew paler. He only knew that the Third Young Master possessed a Worry Dissipation Life-Releasing Pill given by the immortal sect of Mount Solitary Moon. It was treated as top-secret, known to no more than three people. Hearing Shuro casually list the ingredients, he suddenly felt the same unease as when he saw Shuro leaving Madame Blanche's room.

On the contrary, Lee's eyes sparkled as he listened. Watching Shuro, who spoke nonchalantly, he couldn't help feeling a profound sense of unfamiliarity.

"In short, the concoction of this pill is somewhat troublesome, and I'm too lazy to bother. Just give it to me directly," Shuro stared at Leonard.

"Humph, do you think the Young Master would give me the elixir?" Leonard no longer denied, gazing at Shuro with nothing but a murderous intent.

Even without the cautionary tale of Pang Guan, he wouldn't underestimate this young man who disrupted the Third Young Master's plans.

Suddenly, Leonard transformed into a dark wind, rushing towards Shuro.

Seven Techniques of Escapement, Wind Technique!

From the beginning, Leonard exerted his full strength, covering twenty paces in the blink of an eye. However, he never expected to be confronted by a humanoid water shadow.

This water shadow flowed from Shuro's location, initially a tiny stream, but suddenly standing upright before Leonard, taking on human form.

Not only Leonard but also Lee was taken aback. Although Lee, at the peak of the Major Ethereal Spirit realm, had practiced the Seven Techniques of Escapement, he had never seen anyone utilize it like this.

How could Lee know that Shuro's use of the Seven Techniques of Escapement was no longer the well-known national skill of the Great Tera but a mysterious and unpredictable celestial technique? Moreover, with Shuro leveraging innate true water, he had fundamentally distinguished himself. The difference was like that between a wooden spear and a golden spear.

Bang!

The black wind was blocked by the humanoid water shadow's arms. In an instant, a fierce struggle unfolded in the cavern, with fleeting shadows intertwining.

A dozen exchanges later, the black wind appeared shaky, revealing signs of defeat.

The gap between mundane martial arts and celestial arts began to manifest.

Despite Leonard's forceful and heavy-handed attacks, he struggled to gain the upper hand, gradually weakening. In contrast, Shuro employed the utmost gentleness of water, unpredictable in every assault, forming an overwhelming advantage with each strike, firmly suppressing Leonard. Lee, mesmerized, knew that if Shuro's cultivation were slightly higher than Leonard's, Shuro would have already emerged victorious.

Another resounding echo reverberated.

The black wind appeared disheveled, revealing Leonard with disheveled hair, blood flowing from his nostrils, and a pallor overtaking his face.

Leonard, both shocked and frightened, realized his defeat was imminent. He had no intention of further engaging in combat with Shuro. Enduring the intense pain throughout his body, he feigned an attack and made a swift move, escaping towards the entrance of the cavern.

"You little beast, wait for me! I'll report to the Young Master and then come back to settle the score with you!"

Even in his escape, Leonard didn't forget to utter menacing words.

Shuro couldn't allow Leonard to escape so easily. If Leonard managed to flee and disclosed everything to the Third Young Master, Shuro would have no standing in Caelius Capital.

In the blink of an eye, Shuro pursued Leonard.

Listening to the sound of flowing water behind him, Leonard revealed a smug expression, quietly chuckling.

The Wind Technique was the second-fastest among the Seven Techniques of Escapement, and combined with his higher cultivation compared to Shuro, he was confident that he wouldn't lose in speed.

The mud pit near the cavern's ceiling was only a short distance away. Leonard's eyes lit up, anticipating his imminent escape. However, at that very moment, an odd sound emanated from behind him.

Instinctively turning to look, Leonard was instantly stunned.

A surging roar of white waves appeared in his field of vision. Amidst the white waves, the figure of a young man was faintly visible.

The air fragmented into wisps, swirling around Shuro. Occasionally, splashes of water burst forth, creating a "haha" sound.

With just a single step, Shuro appeared by Leonard's side, leaving only a solidified white wave of air in his wake. His long hair billowed, skillfully riding the waves, exuding an air of casual dominance, akin to the ancient river god who controlled vast waves and rivers.

Leonard, filled with terror, fell into a hysterical fear.

The next moment, a "buzz" sounded in his ears.

A light burst forth from Shuro's water technique. The light and Shuro seemed to be molded from the same cast. As if an ethereal Shuro, uncontrollably propelled by a tremendous force, leaped out of his physical form, carrying waves that surged like a torrent, overwhelming Leonard.

The morning sunlight streamed into the cavern through the mud pit on the ceiling. Leonard, leaping in mid-air, had only half an arm's length left to reach the exit of the pit, yet he couldn't advance any further.

Lowering his head, he stared in disbelief at the gaping hole in his chest, his expression bewildered.

How could this happen?

Splash!

Leonard's mangled corpse fell to the ground, life extinguished on the spot.

Lee blushed, watching Shuro, who sparkled like the river god. He recalled the legendary stories, "Celestial arts, this is celestial arts..."

Shuro glanced casually at Leonard's lifeless body.

The Major Ethereal Spirit realm was equivalent to the second stage of foundation building. Though Shuro's cultivation had not reached the Major Ethereal Spirit realm after a night of practice, he already possessed the strength to kill someone at that level.

The Third Young Master, John, also had the cultivation of the Major Ethereal Spirit realm, but he had the support of the immortal sect of Mount Solitary Moon.

Thinking about this, Shuro was eager to condense innate true qi. Despite entering the first stage of foundation building, he needed to generate true qi to stabilize at this level truly.

Moreover, even the lowest-grade methods required true qi for cultivation. Thanks to the mysterious innate true water, Shuro could cultivate the Water Technique. Once he cultivated true qi, Shuro's power would advance significantly, allowing him to practice basic killing techniques from the memories of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign.

Killing Leonard and then eliminating one of the Third Young Master's lackeys.

Considering the numerous sins committed by this man throughout his life, Shuro felt no remorse.

A fiery gaze shot towards him. Shuro turned his head, seeing Lee staring at him with a strange expression, hesitating to speak.

Looking at Lee, Shuro said, "There are some flowers and herbs in the pool; they aren't anything special, but better to have them than nothing. Collect them later."

Lee's eyes widened. Suddenly, excitement and joy overwhelmed him!

With Shuro uttering these words, it meant he had set aside past grievances and accepted Lee.

Recalling how close he came to leaving in the middle of the night, Lee's palms sweated, silently thanking his fortune.

Luckily, he endured until dawn, quietly following Leonard into the mud pit. Otherwise, he would have missed the closest opportunity in his life to connect with immortality. He would never forget that face and the words that person spoke: "Only the celestial sect can help him restore his strength."

Shuro might be a low-ranking disciple of the peripheral celestial sect, but as long as he hitched a ride on this line, he would eventually encounter a genuine celestial sect.

"Yes, Young Master."

Taking a deep breath, Lee made a deep bow.

Looking at Lee's prominent cheekbones compared to his bulky figure, Shuro had a sudden realization. Memories related to Lee's strange injuries surfaced in his mind. Following that, he remembered the herb he glimpsed at the bottom of the pool, the main herb for treating Lee's peculiar injuries!

How coincidental could things be?

After some thought, Shuro didn't tell Lee. Accepting Lee didn't mean Shuro completely trusted him. Despite his young age, Shuro was well aware of the deceitful nature of people.

Just as Shuro was about to disperse the Water Technique, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and a sense of alertness surged from the depths of his soul.

Without thinking, Shuro swiftly retreated!

A green light flashed, not employing the Seven Techniques of Escapement, but several times faster than Leonard's Wind Technique. Before Shuro could react, the person had arrived, sporting phoenix eyes, high-crowned hair, and wielding an unusual five-foot sword.

The sword shadows rained down like a torrent, densely covering the sky, sealing off all of Shuro's retreat paths. Despite Shuro's attempts to transform his Water Technique, he couldn't escape the relentless onslaught of the green blade.

With no way to evade, Shuro could only steel himself to face it head-on.

"Hmm!" A tremendous sound resonated, water splashing everywhere like grains of sand.

Shuro was forced back to his original form, swaying a couple of times before stabilizing himself. The power contained in that single sword far exceeded ten thousand pounds. It was evident that this person was much more skilled than Leonard, at least at the half-step Nascent realm.

The person uttered a surprised "Oh," as if Shuro's performance exceeded expectations.