...

...

Keep in mind, Luo De's spiritual strength has been enhanced by the Spirit Gem, making his perception sharper than that of an ordinary person.

"Wait a moment, Vivian, you step back first."

Luo De immediately ran out, calling Leia, Martha, and Durant in.

Before Luo De could ask, Durant took the initiative to inquire, "Lord Baron, where is Miss Vivian?"

Luo De remained silent without answering, gesturing for them to step back.

If Durant couldn't see, no one else could either.

"Martha, go make two bowls of clear soup, Miss Avril just woke up and shouldn't have anything too greasy."

"Yes, sir."

Martha turned to busy herself.

Once again, only three people remained in the room: Luo De, Vivian, and Avril.

Vivian stepped into the light again, and her silhouette became visible once more.

"As long as you hide in the darkness now, I won't be able to find you."

Luo De looked at the light, adding, "No, as long as you hide in the shadows, I will have difficulty detecting you."

Indeed, Luo De's guesses were all correct.

The egg-sized Shadow Gem, with its abundant energy, had directly evolved Avril's abilities.

Shadow clone, along with shadow hiding.

This ability is practically a natural-born assassin!

It's just unknown how it will perform during the day.

"For now, avoid going to the salt mine. I'll have Sean send a carrier pigeon there."

Luo De instructed Vivian.

Luo De needed to conduct further tests on Vivian's abilities.

But she absolutely couldn't waste any more time at the mines.

This kind of ability, even if not for assassinations, would be extremely formidable for night raids and reconnaissance in battlefields.

"Whatever."

Vivian shrugged, since it was just as leisurely wherever she was.

Leia quickly brought in the hot soup, and after they finished drinking, they felt much better.

However, having been lying down for so long, neither of them felt sleepy, and neither wanted to sleep.

Luo De, who had stayed up for a week, worrying for a week, couldn't keep the sisters company any longer.

Luo De promptly collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.

The next day, Luo De conducted a test on Vivian's abilities and arrived at a definitive answer.

Vivian indeed had invisibility abilities, but she needed to utilize shadows.

In places with strong light, Vivian's ability practically vanished, only slightly diminishing her presence.

During the day, if aided by shadows, she could blend into the environment but would still be seen upon close inspection.

However, if it was overcast or dusk, Vivian's invisibility ability would be greatly enhanced, making it difficult to detect her unless she spoke.

At night, her ability became even more potent, and even if she actively launched an attack, it would be hard to locate her.

Only by listening could one determine her position.

With such abilities, Luo De couldn't let her remain idle any longer.

Luo De ordered Durant to teach her sword skills, and Alya to teach her wilderness knowledge and camouflage techniques.

Vivian's strength was relatively weak, so Luo De had the Hunter teach her how to throw darts, allowing her to gain some basic long-range attack capabilities.

The territory returned to tranquility.

After settling everything, Luo De finally found time to personally visit the salt mine with Durant.

Luo De was filled with questions.

What was the origin of this cave?

A gem on the stone slab had evolved Avril's abilities.

An ancient tomb?

Or an ancient relic?

Luo De brought guards, along with the captured soldier slaves of the Hawk Count, and a few chickens.

After traveling for three days, Luo De arrived at the salt mine.

"Good day, my lord."

The miners were called out and greeted Luo De in unison.

Luo De nodded slightly, gave them a half-day off, and led the team into the mine.

Quickly standing at the entrance of the dark cave, Luo De took a deep breath.

Durant took the initiative to step forward, "Sir, I'll go in first and only after I confirm there's no danger, will you come in."

Next to him, Gang Le, holding an axe, impatiently interjected,

"You guys wait outside, we'll go in first to scout the way!"

"What are you two talking about?"

Luo De frowned at the two, with a touch of displeasure in his gaze,

"Your lives are very important to me; I don't need you two to show loyalty at times like this."

Luo De sternly reminded, "Don't always think about taking risks."

Saying that, Luo De gestured to the guard, "Go bring those chickens over."

"Yes, sir!"

The guards hurriedly ran out to bring the chickens and tied fine strings around their legs, sending the chickens into the cave.

The chickens were coerced by the guards into venturing deep inside, occasionally making "cluck-cluck" sounds.

After a while, Luo De had the guards pull the chickens back out.

The chickens were still alive, clucking away wildly.

This proved the air inside was normal.

"Alright, we can go in now."

Luo De instructed Durant, "Bring those five captives over."

Durant nodded and quickly brought the captured soldiers of the Hawk Count forward.

"Go down and thoroughly investigate, and don't entertain any mischievous thoughts."

Luo De stared at the five captives and said, "If everything's fine, you will be eating meat every day for the next week."

Luo De wasn't a fool, nor was he an exceedingly virtuous saint.

Confronted with a site that might hold potential dangers, Luo De would certainly not risk exploring personally.

But Luo De wouldn't make his trusted aides be the first to scout the path either.

Durant valued the lives of his most loyal followers even more.

He couldn't bear to lose anyone.

At times like this, it should be the captive soldiers who couldn't go to the battlefield that prove their worth.

The saying goes, feed captives and slaves for a thousand days, use them for an hour.

When else should they step up if not now?

Should Durant wait for his loyal guards to all risk their lives and perish, only then to give them a chance to rebel?

If he really did that, he would definitely be letting down the soldiers who fought valiantly for him.

"Alright, alright, my lord!"

The five captive soldiers nodded repeatedly.

Their treatment was far from that of trusted individuals, and they rarely had the chance to eat meat.

They also wanted to perform well and enjoy a better life.

The captive soldiers took the weapons handed to them by Durant and entered the cave with torches in hand.

When they had walked in dozens of meters with no anomalies, Durant gestured for Guard to follow, and he stepped into the cave himself.

The cave path resembled a spiraling staircase, winding continuously downward.

The deeper they went, the more expansive the space became.

Originally plain rock walls began to exhibit strange patterns.

"Slow down the ones in front."

Durant instructed, then held up his torch to carefully observe the patterns on the walls.

There were fish bones, shells, nautilus, crabs, and various marine life, as well as dense marine plants.

Incredibly lifelike, as if printed on the stone walls.

Something's not right, these should be fossils.

Plant fossils require at least a thousand years, while animal fossils require at least ten thousand years.

"It seems that this is not a land relic."

Durant murmured, his gaze wandering over the patterns.

If this were in his former life, it could surely sell for a high price.

Durant sighed internally.

These fossils basically confirm that this is likely an ancient oceanic relic.

"Keep moving forward." Durant commanded with a wave.

The soldiers continued forward.

Soon, the natural cavern path abruptly transitioned into manmade stairs.

Durant counted in his mind, and after descending 134 steps, they reached a broad, flat cave.

"Plant torches around."

Durant ordered.

As torches were set around, the dim and expansive cave suddenly became brightly lit.

A nearly five-meter-high reef wall embedded with various shells confronted Durant, with a majestically carved giant stone door in the center.

The broad surface of the ground was covered with various biological fossils, forming peculiar patterns.

Upon closer inspection, Durant discovered they were not ordinary marine life, but the fabled Sea Race, with humanoid bodies and fish tails, and horns on their heads.

Interspersed among these fossils were weapons resembling tridents.

These weapons did not appear to have fossilized.

Durant stared at these patterns, an involuntary chill running down his spine.

A great battle seemed to have occurred here.

But all that had long since passed.

"Guard, have the miners come down later and extract all these weapons."

If they can be used, use them; if not, smelt them down as scrap metal.

Durant couldn't afford to waste anything.

"Yes, Lord Baron." Guard readily agreed.

Durant surveyed the surroundings, finding nothing particularly notable, nor any obvious signs of danger.

If these fossils are tens of thousands of years old, then it proves this relic is also that ancient.

"Shall we go in?"

Guard pointed to the door and inquired.

Durant nodded, ordering everyone to retreat.

Then he instructed the five captive soldiers, "Try to see if you can open it."

"Yes, my lord."

The captive soldiers hurriedly responded and stepped forward to push the door.

One captive soldier tentatively stepped forward to test it with his hand; the stone door didn't move at all.

"Help out already!"

Subsequently, the five soldiers advanced together, straining with their bodies to push the door.

Grinding their teeth, exerting all their might, they finally managed to produce a groaning friction sound.

The stone door slowly creaked open.

The dangers and abnormalities Durant anticipated did not happen.

He promptly gestured, signaling the captive soldiers to enter.

With the torches illuminating the path, Durant found it was a long hallway, with another large door at the end, flanked by two rows of rooms.

Like outside, there were no other signs of life apart from scattered skeletal fossils covering the ground.

At the end, flanking the large door, stood two statues of mermaid monsters.

Their bodies were slender, with upper halves humanlike, muscular lines strong and powerful, each clutching a gigantic trident.

The lower halves were stout fish tails, covered in scales that glinted coldly, each scale meticulously carved, vivid and lifelike.

The mermaid monsters had grim and terrifying faces, with broad foreheads topped by sharp bony crowns.

Their mouths were astonishingly large, stretching from the corners of their lips to the base of their ears, exposing rows of jagged, saw-like teeth, their grins betraying a bloodthirsty cruelty.

Most frightening were their eyes.

High eyebrows and deep eye sockets, embedded with two blood-red gems that gleamed malevolently in the torchlight.

The craftsmanship of the mermaid monsters was impressively detailed, lifelike and authentic.

"The gems in the statue's eyes are really beautiful."

The captive soldiers exclaimed, moving forward with the torch for a closer look.

"Be careful!"

Durant cautioned.

And just as he spoke, a cracking sound suddenly came from the statue.

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