A giant cobra and a middle-aged man in armor were locked in a battle.
Even though the beast was heavily injured, it didn't care about its state and was continuously spitting out flames while guarding the giant treasure chest standing at one of the corners.
For the past three days, Huo Jing kept on challenging the four-circle realm beast that can't leave the cave.
Whenever he felt like he would lose, he would run out of the cave and challenge it again after recovering his ether energy.
With the beast getting weaker every time, he grew confident in defeating it.
Just when he thought he would finally slay this beast and acquire the treasure, Captain Huo Jing spotted the prince and the guards at the entrance. His chest tightened all of a sudden.
Believing his subordinates were dead, he took a deep breath and calmed down.
"Your…. Your Highness…" he then cried out as if he was happy to see him.
Jumping to the side and dodging the flames, he further said, "The treasure is behind this beast. Come and help me out, Tao Fu, Zhen Song…"
As he asked the help of the royal knight standing beside Lin Xue and Shang Wei, the prince gave a look at them and nodded.
They too nodded, indicating that they understood the gesture and entered the cave.
With three warriors in a four-circle realm attacking a heavily injured rank-5 beast, the snake was fallen very quickly but it didn't die yet.
Just as one of the soldiers about to give the finishing blow, the prince stopped them.
Amid the curious gazes from everyone including Lin Xue, he took out an ancient tome from his storage ring.
After turning several pages, he started to read an incantation in a language unknown to the people around him. His ether energy was almost consumed in the process.
As the incantation was finished, five red chains with an anchor as its heads were released from his upper body and pierced the fallen giant cobra, one by one.
After five successive hits, energy started to flow into his body through the chains from the fallen snake.
As time passed, the giant cobra started to become thinner and thinner. Soon, all of its life force seeped away and half an hour later, its core was destroyed leading to its death.
In the meantime, not only the ether energy of the third prince was recovered but he also broke through and entered the four-circle realm.
After the whole process was over, the third prince opened his eyes and nodded with a smile as he was satisfied with the result. "Good, I received an abundant amount of ether particles. I'm now halfway through four-circle. Once I stabilize in this realm, I should use ether crystals and break through the next realm before 26th birthday."
While Lin Xue was curious about this mysterious book, she didn't express her curiosity as she wanted to stay away from Shang Wei.
Meanwhile, Huo Jing was feeling disappointed now that he couldn't claim the treasure.
Still, he displayed excitement on the outside. "Your highness, the treasure…"
"We'll get it to it, Captain Huo Jing, but before that, we should decide on your punishment for killing fellow soldiers and betraying the Empire." The prince maintained a bright smile while announcing his death sentence. "You know the punishment, don't you?"
Even Li Xue could feel the anger in his tone. She stepped away from him, leaving to his own.
From the start, she never intended to involve in this matter as it has nothing to do with her. She only entered because she believed that she wasn't that weak that she had to stay outside under the protection of prince's guards.
"What… what are you talking about, Your Highness?" Captain Huo Jing stuttered upon hearing the prince. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
The prince suddenly turned cold as he couldn't maintain the fake expression anymore.
He clenched his fist in anger and spoke, "One of the three soldiers that you attacked, managed to stay alive. It's over, Huo Jing. Surrender yourself and return to the Imperial city with us. I will make sure to at least pardon your death sentence and reduce it to twenty years of imprisonment."
With being surrounded by everyone, Huo Jing didn't see any ways to escape. So, he kneeled down in front of the prince and begged for mercy.
He promised that he will follow him to the court and accept the punishment.
As he couldn't use the tome for some time and neither of the royal knights possesses any spirit skills to capture him, Shang Wei concentrated on the storage ring and took out a rope that he uses for climbing.
Huo Jing's upper body was tied with the rope with his hands to back.
"Well, let's get the treasure." Shang Wei walked towards the treasure chest.
Lin Xue quietly followed him. Inwardly, she wanted to see what kind of treasure it is.
However, to her surprise, Shang Wei didn't touch the box that looked like a treasure chest.
Instead, he took out the parchment from the storage ring and carefully read it once again while placing his hand on the wall behind the treasure chest.
Nothing happened.
He moved his hand and placed his hand at another place on the wall. Nothing happened again.
"Hmm, according to this letter, it must be somewhere here." The third prince was confused.
Watching the third prince kept touching the wall, Lin Xue opened her mouth in annoyance, "What are you doing?"
"Looking for the entrance," He ambiguously replied and continued his act.
Lin Xue didn't understand what he was saying, "What entrance? Aren't we here for Emperor Jie's treasure? Isn't that the chest?"
"No, that's a trap." Shang Wei immediately replied. Turning his head with a smile, "This document warned to not open the chest or else, an area-wide five-circle spell will be released."
*Click*
Right then, his hand unknowingly touched the right spot coincidentally and a part of the wall started to back off, revealing a brightly lit cave within.
Even from far away, Lin Xue could see the several ether crystals embedded on the ground and wall.
"A hidden crystal mine?" Lin Xue's eyes widened as she followed the third prince into the cave.
