The cave was dark and deep, filled with the smells of rotting wood, damp earth, and a faint stench of blood, which sent chills down one's spine.

Cui Shenghe and Zhao Zhi lay on the cold ground, slowly waking up, their bodies aching as if they had been run over by a wheel.

When they took in their surroundings, Zhao Zhi nearly fainted again. They were surrounded by a giant python with eyes as big as copper bells. The two of them and the snake faced off, the atmosphere extremely tense, but to their surprise, there was no hostility in the snake's eyes.

Seeing that the two had woken up, the giant snake slowly wriggled, its body gradually relaxing, and finally completely released them. After crawling a distance away, it coiled up again, its head pressed against the ground, seemingly having entered a state of deep sleep.

Cui Shenghe and Zhao Zhi exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts filled with doubt. Why hadn't the python harmed them?

Zhao Zhi was so frightened she dared not utter a sound. She clung tightly to Cui Shenghe, their eyes occasionally meeting, conveying mutual comfort and support. Cui Shenghe barely managed to support himself with his longsword, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously.

Just then, they noticed a huge tiger carcass lying quietly not far away, its body covered in wounds, clearly having just gone through a fierce battle.

What's even more chilling is that there are several human skeletons scattered not far away, their clothes tattered, but you can still vaguely tell that the owners of the bodies were noble and extraordinary.

Just as the two were trying to recover from their shock, their gaze was drawn to a sudden stone door.

The stone gate in front of us seemed to have grown out of the cave wall, fitting together perfectly without any gaps.

Its surface is covered with a layer of mysterious, intricate stone patterns. Some of these patterns resemble dragons soaring through the clouds, while others resemble phoenixes dancing gracefully in the heavens. Every line is lifelike.

What's even more surprising is that some of the patterns bear a striking resemblance to the designs on the keys that Cui Shenghe had previously found in the pear wood box.

"Zhizhi, look at the pattern on this stone door. Isn't it very similar to the pattern on the key that Mother left us?"

Cui Shenghe lowered his voice and asked Zhao Zhi softly, his voice trembling slightly.

Upon hearing his words, Zhao Zhi immediately focused her attention on the stone door and began to examine it carefully. After a while, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Same! Absolutely identical!" Zhao Zhi exclaimed in a low voice.

Cui Shenghe nodded silently, already having made up his mind. He took a deep breath, then deliberately made a sound, successfully attracting the giant snake's attention. The giant snake turned its head, its gaze fixed on him, seemingly waiting for his next move.

Just as the giant snake looked over, a clear, crisp sound of a copper bell echoed through the cave.

As the bell rang, the giant snake's eyes gradually became vacant and then slowly closed.

“It’s done!” Cui Shenghe said in a low voice.

He then slowly stood up, took out two pills to replenish his strength from his pocket, swallowed one himself, and handed one to Zhao Zhi. After taking the pills, the two clearly felt their strength recover. Supporting each other, they walked step by step with difficulty toward the stone door.

Finally reaching the stone gate, Cui Shenghe took out a luminous pearl from his pocket and illuminated the surroundings. He then discovered that the stone gate consisted of two doors, left and right, each with an irregular groove in the seam. He gazed at the grooves thoughtfully.

“Brother, look at the shape of these two grooves. Don’t they look like the yin-yang jade pendants in our hands?” Zhao Zhi reminded him from the side.

Cui Shenghe's eyes lit up. He exchanged a glance with her, and the two of them simultaneously took out their jade pendants from their bodies. They then carefully placed them in the corresponding slots, applied pressure with their internal force, and slowly pressed them in. With a soft "click," the stone door began to open slowly.

The two exchanged a glance, both revealing a hint of anticipation.

"Boom—"

As soon as the two stepped inside, the stone door behind them suddenly slammed down with a dull thud.