Chapter 845 521: Treasure (Part 2)
Because it was almost impossible for others to keep up with his pace, especially such a seemingly weak boy, taking him along would only invite trouble.
However, Wang Zhifan's eyes were very sharp. He noticed that in addition to the short sword, the boy seemed to be clutching something else in his other hand. This made him decide not to leave immediately and instead wait for the boy to run up to him.
As expected, the boy, with a short sword in one hand and something else in the other, ran up to Wang Zhifan, who was the only other person in the grand canyon, panting slightly and said:
"Uncle! You look like a powerful warrior! Please team up with me to enter Purgatory! I must explore Purgatory! I beg you!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhifan's face showed slight displeasure. Not only did the boy's words lack substance and only considered his own perspective, making them unpersuasive, but the way he addressed him as "uncle" left him speechless.
"Do I really look that old? You actually called me uncle?"
So Wang Zhifan rudely replied, his gaze revealing a hint of coldness.
"Uh... B-brother, don't be angry! You look really young! I must have been seeing things! Please, you have to help me! I have a reason to explore Purgatory..."
The indigenous boy, although frightened by Wang Zhifan's intimidating gaze, persisted in trying to persuade him, his desperation undisguised.
However, Wang Zhifan quickly cut off his endless chatter and said directly:
"Kid, you need to remember!
When asking for help, you have to tell others why they should help you. Talk from the perspective of why they must help you!
Just saying how anxious you are is meaningless! Goodbye!"
After saying that, Wang Zhifan leapt into the air, ready to head deeper into Purgatory, but as he was about to leave, the boy below seemed to have an epiphany, quickly raising what he had been holding and shouted:
"Wait! If you're willing to help me, I can give you half of the treasure we find!"
His words caught Wang Zhifan's attention instantly. Looking down, he saw the boy holding up a small Crystal Ball, faint wisps of light dancing inside it.
"Treasure? What treasure?"
He halted his Lightweight Skill, landing on the ground, and looked at the somewhat nervous boy in front of him, inquiring.
"I... I don't really know... but my grandfather said it could guide me to a treasure in Purgatory. If you help me, you can have half..."
The boy tightly grasped the peculiar Crystal Ball, his response fragmented due to his nervousness.
"So, you're saying this thing is a guiding Crystal Ball? Pointing to a treasure's location in Purgatory?"
Wang Zhifan repeated the boy's words to confirm.
"Yes! My grandfather said this treasure can only be found using it, and warned me that I must grow up and become strong, joining an adventure group before going!
But now, my younger siblings are sick and need a lot of money for treatment! I can only rely on this!
I beg you to help me! I'll split whatever we find with you as agreed!"
The boy seemed to have resolved to take a gamble, revealing the general situation.
Wang Zhifan looked at the indigenous boy, possibly not even thirteen years old, then at the glowing Crystal Ball he held tightly, judging that he probably wasn't lying. After some thought, he responded:
"Alright, since I'm planning to have a look deep in Purgatory anyway, taking you along doesn't matter. Let's go now!"
Then he grabbed the boy's arm, lifting him into the air, and amidst the boy's panicked cries, he activated the Wind and Thunder Heaven-Treading Skill, gradually accelerating towards the depths of Purgatory.
I must say, this boy had strong adaptability. After overcoming the initial fear and panic, he gradually got used to being flown through the air by Wang Zhifan, even curiously observing the vast land of Purgatory below.
"Stop looking around, pay attention to guiding us."
Seeing this, Wang Zhifan urged him to focus on what he should be doing, which was using the Crystal Ball in his hand to determine the treasure's path, lest they become two headless flies, aimlessly darting around.
"Please pay attention to the Crystal Ball's light! The brighter it shines, the closer we are to the treasure!"
The boy promptly explained, making Wang Zhifan realize that the path guidance wasn't going to be straightforward. After flying a certain distance, the Crystal Ball's brightness had hardly changed.
"Goodness... this could be troublesome."
He muttered inwardly, so Wang Zhifan had no choice but to continue flying with the boy while observing the brightness of the Crystal Ball. Despite his excellent vision, it took him quite a while, exploring several directions, to determine the rough location.
However, once he accurately determined the target direction, the journey became simple.
Wang Zhifan accelerated along the way, watching the Crystal Ball grow brighter and brighter, until they landed on a rather mundane wilderness in Purgatory, where the Crystal Ball reached its brightest state, even emitting a faint buzzing sound.
This place wasn't far from the previous grand canyon area, less than fifty kilometers away, far from being considered the core of Purgatory. Other than barren rocky ground and sparse strange vegetation, there were only remnants of unidentified creatures' white skeletons around, filled with a sense of desolate death.
The indigenous boy, holding the glowing Crystal Ball shimmering like a lamp, looked very distressed. Scanning the surroundings, he spoke in a trembling voice filled with deep disappointment:
"Why is there nothing at all... How could this be! My grandfather couldn't have lied to me!"
On the other hand, Wang Zhifan appeared much calmer. He hadn't expected the boy's Crystal Ball to lead him to an ultimate treasure, so naturally, he wouldn't feel strong disappointment.
Moreover, his extraordinary perception told him that things might not be that simple.
"Big brother! I understand! The treasure must be buried underground! I will start digging right away! I will surely find the treasure!"
The boy placed the Crystal Ball on the ground and began digging with the short sword nearby, convinced that the treasure was buried beneath.
But each effort only unearthed a little bit of hardened soil from the barren ground, yet he refused to give up, persistently battling with the earth using his short sword.
"You're wasting your energy; there's nothing underground. Just wait patiently."
Wang Zhifan calmly reminded him but did not join in.
With his heightened perception, he was certain there was nothing buried beneath their feet.
If something really was buried in such an outer area, it would have been excavated long ago by other indigenous professionals.
It's well-known that those people have an exceptionally keen sense.
However, this didn't mean he thought the treasure hunt was a complete scam.
Because he had already noticed something was quietly gathering around them, forming at the center of the glowing Crystal Ball on the ground.
Thus, as the indigenous boy, madly intent on digging, nearly collapsed from his efforts, Wang Zhifan saw a tiny light spot appear next to the Crystal Ball, circling slowly around them.
"Stop digging; it's time to move on."
Wang Zhifan kicked the boy who was busy to no avail, urging him to get up immediately.
After all, the current trajectory of the light spot's movements undeniably indicated it wanted them to move on, with it providing the guidance from now on.
The boy wasn't truly foolish. Upon noticing the unusual phenomena around them, he and Wang Zhifan followed the light spot deeper into Purgatory, not forgetting to pick up the Crystal Ball first.
They followed the light spot for about two kilometers and soon arrived in front of a grotesque thicket.
This shrubbery was very low, and at first glance, one could see nothing beyond the inherent dangers.
But the light spot that led them quickly merged with a part of the thicket, transforming one tree into a towering, tenfold thicker form, and a circular hole appeared on its trunk.