To everyone's surprise, they had proceeded the entire way with utmost caution and encountered no dangers whatsoever. After spending roughly half a shichen, they finally found the source of the fragrance.
It was actually the location of a rockery—a towering structure over ten zhang high, composed of rugged stone of unknown material, appearing as though carved from a single piece.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he studied the rockery, his expression shifting slightly. He realized that the material of this rockery was actually a rare artifact-forging material. If he could take it out, he could certainly refine several formidable Artifacts! Unfortunately, the rockery was simply too massive—even a Void Returning Stage Three expert would likely be unable to take it away, which was truly a pity.
At the base of the rockery, there was a pool no more than three chi in diameter. At present, it contained water roughly half a finger deep—but the liquid was not crystal clear; instead, it was a milky white color.
The fragrance everyone had smelled was emanating precisely from this pool.
Above the pool, there were traces of liquid flowing downward. It was clear that the pool water here had flowed in from some unknown source. Given that no one had visited this place for countless years and yet only this small amount had accumulated, the rate of accumulation must have been incredibly slow.
"This is…" The old woman stared at the half-finger-deep pool water, her expression growing grave, shifting between excitement, joy, surprise, and hesitation.
"Could this be Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk?" Cai He exclaimed.
"It really is Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk?" Du Sisi jumped with excitement. Though none of them had ever seen Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk before, they had all heard of its legendary reputation—it was exceedingly rare, yet possessed miraculous properties.
It was said that when used in pill refinement, one could create sacred healing medicines capable of reviving the dead. For any martial artist, such a treasure was beyond precious.
At first, Yang Kai had also assumed it was Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk—after all, its appearance and form were extremely similar to the legends, practically identical. But upon closer inspection, something felt off. According to the legends, Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk should have a milky white color tinged with a hint of pale gold, whereas this pool water was purely milky white.
If it wasn't Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk, then what was it? Though Yang Kai was a pill master who had read extensively about medicinal ingredients and pill formulas, he didn't consider himself capable of identifying every rare medicinal substance in the world.
He couldn't help but turn his gaze to the old woman, hoping she could identify it.
The old woman's expression had been shifting ceaselessly. After much deliberation, she finally exhaled softly and said, "Whether it's Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk or not, one test will tell!"
So saying, she extended a finger, dipped it into the pool water, and then placed it in her mouth.
In the next instant, the old woman's eyes suddenly bulged wide. An unfathomable surge of blood and vital energy erupted from her aged body, and her withered face flushed red as blood.
Visible to the naked eye, the wrinkles on her face began to fade, and her hunched back slowly straightened.
In barely more than a dozen breaths, the old woman's appearance returned to normal—yet she looked entirely different from before. It was as though she had suddenly grown younger. Though she still looked like an old woman, she was in far better condition than before.
The three Saint King Realm cultivators stared in dumbfounded astonishment.
The old woman herself could hardly believe her transformation. She hurriedly pulled a mirror from her spatial ring and held it before her face, examining herself. As she touched her cheeks and saw the changes in her appearance, tears welled up in her aged eyes, and her body trembled violently.
Yang Kai and the other two did not speak to disturb her, instead standing to the side and waiting for her to compose themselves, hoping she would offer an explanation.
After quite a while, the old woman finally chuckled softly and nodded. "So that's what it is!"
"Senior, what kind of miraculous medicine is this, to have such divine effects?" Cai He asked eagerly.
"What kind of miraculous medicine…" The old woman gave him a glance. "This is no ordinary medicine—it's a long-extinct treasure that no amount of gold could buy!"
As she spoke, Yang Kai's brow furrowed slightly as he secretly circulated his Saint Yuan, ready to act at any moment. After all, men die for wealth as birds die for food. Though the old woman had shown him goodwill throughout their journey, if the treasure before them was valuable enough, there was no guarantee she wouldn't develop the notion of killing them to seize it.
There were only four of them here, and she was the strongest. Judging by her reaction just now, a pool of water like this was more than enough to make her take the risk.
Yang Kai even caught a peculiar gleam flash through her eyes—she had clearly entertained the idea. Yet for some unknown reason, she ultimately chose not to act. Only after Cai He pressed her again did she slowly say, "Have you ever heard of the legend of the Three Great Divine Waters within the Star Domain?"
"Three Great Divine Waters?" Cai He and Du Sisi were both completely bewildered.
Yang Kai, however, showed a subtle change in expression.
"It seems young friend Yang has heard of it." The old woman observed his expression and said with a chuckle, looking at Yang Kai.