Chapter 223: Dark Crystal Ball, Three Fairy Tales (6000)

Hearing this, Cao Xing fell into thought once again.

So, the soldier he had just encountered was an experiment in the ancient castle.

In other words, there were many more soldiers inside the castle?

That was great!

This made Cao Xing even more eager to enter!

After all, he had just been thinking about killing more fused soldiers to drop a large number of [Soul Beads] to enhance himself.

And according to the Old Witch, those soldiers only appeared in the castle at night.

Of course, he didn't fully trust what the Old Witch said.

Cao Xing continued to ask, "Old lady, do you know how to enter the castle?"

Hearing this, the Old Witch slowly spoke.

"The barrier set by that evil witch is very powerful… even I… cannot break her barrier…"

Disappointment immediately appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

But then, the Old Witch changed the subject.

"However… a few days ago, a young girl brought me my lost crystal ball…"

A young girl?

Cao Xing immediately thought of the Survivors who had entered the Witch Forest with him last time.

Could it be… Qiu Yating?

Cao Xing asked, "Is the girl you mentioned someone like me?"

The Old Witch nodded.

"She is like you… carrying the aura of another world… but she is much weaker than you…"

"I never expected that such a weak human could successfully cross this dangerous forest… and bring back what I had lost…"

"However… she seemed terrified… saying her teammates all died in the forest… and only she managed to find me…"

"I comforted the child, gave her ample rewards… and sent her out of the forest…"

A look of realization appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

He now understood what Qiu Yating's mission was.

It was to deliver the crystal ball to this Old Witch.

He hadn't expected that they had actually completed this mission.

But the price was that all her teammates had died, leaving only her alive.

As for what happened in between, Cao Xing had no way of knowing.

Cao Xing didn't bother with how Qiu Yating completed her mission and continued to ask, "You mean, this crystal ball can help us enter the witch's ancient castle?"

"Hehehe…"

The Old Witch nodded, "Yes… this is a very magical crystal ball… its power has already been activated by me…"

Hearing this, curiosity appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

"Can you give us this crystal ball? We want to take a look inside the castle."

"We'll return it to you after we're done."

"Of course, if you need anything, we can trade."

Hearing this, a deeply hidden expression appeared in the Old Witch's murky eyes.

It was like a patient angler finally getting the fish to bite…

"Hehehe…"

The Old Witch let out a piercing laugh, her voice even rising a few pitches.

"I don't need anything…"

"I only need… you to help me… kill the witch in that castle…"

Hearing this, Cao Xing was startled.

In an instant, he understood the Old Witch's purpose.

Cao Xing asked, "You want to deal with the witch in the castle?"

The Old Witch nodded, "Yes… she is an evil being…"

"I have waited here for many years… waiting for someone to enter the castle and kill her…"

Upon hearing this, Cao Xing showed a thoughtful expression and didn't make a decision immediately.

After all, his plan was only to explore the castle.

The witch who could set up such a barrier must be very strong, and Cao Xing wasn't sure he could handle her.

As if knowing Cao Xing was hesitating,

The Old Witch directly took out a black crystal ball from her bosom.

It emanated a magical dark aura.

"Here… young explorer…"

"Take a look at this crystal ball first…"

Cao Xing tentatively took it.

[Obtained: Dark Crystal Ball (Orange) *1]

…

Cao Xing was secretly shocked—this was actually an epic quality item.

He silently checked its attributes.

[Dark Crystal Ball (Orange)]

[Quality: Epic]

[Item Effect: Can create two dark portals that are connected to each other. The maximum distance between the two portals is 5 meters, duration is 60 seconds, and can be used once every 7 days.]

…

Wow, this was actually a teleportation item.

Moreover, its effect was extremely powerful!

That is to say, with this crystal ball in hand,

For Cao Xing, sealed doors or special areas would basically be as good as nonexistent!

At this moment, he suddenly thought of something.

He mused, "I remember, in the underground palace of Ascalon, there is a sealed treasure vault."

"It is said that only those with the bloodline of Ascalon's royal family can open the door…"

Obviously, in the short term, Cao Xing had no chance to go to the Orchid Kingdom to find someone with Ascalon royal blood.

If he had this thing, could he enter the underground treasure vault directly without finding the royal blood?

Cao Xing was shocked!

After all, inside there were clues about repairing the [Ancient Sword – Magdail], and there might also be a large amount of treasure!

Thinking of this, a hint of greed gradually appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

He even subconsciously thought about taking the crystal ball away.

However, he didn't act on that thought.

Because Cao Xing knew that the Old Witch in front of him was definitely not as simple as she appeared.

The Old Witch's eyes, like those of an old cat, saw Cao Xing's reaction and seemed to guess what he was thinking.

A terrifying smile appeared on her wrinkled face.

"Hehe… young adventurer… this is a magical crystal ball, it can take you through any door…"

"If you can kill the evil witch in the castle, I can give you this crystal ball directly…"

At the same time, a system prompt appeared.

[Do you accept the Forest Witch's commission: Kill the Castle Witch?]

[Quest Reward: Dark Crystal Ball (Orange) *1]

…

Looking at the quest information, Cao Xing pondered for a moment.

The others also stood in place, seemingly waiting for his decision.

Even the Old Witch in front of him looked at Cao Xing with some anticipation.

Then, he shook his head and said, "Forget it."

"Forget it?"

The Old Witch looked puzzled, seemingly very confused.

"That's right."

Cao Xing nodded, "According to you, the witch in that castle could set up such a barrier, so her strength must be extremely powerful."

"We're not strong enough; we won't take this risk."

Hearing this, the Old Witch seemed a bit anxious.

She quickly said, "Young explorer…"

"Although that evil witch is strong… your group's strength is not weak either…"

"Moreover, that witch's body has some problems, and she can't use all her power…"

"I think you can complete this task, of course, it requires a bit of luck…"

However, Cao Xing still shook his head and didn't agree.

Seeing this, the Old Witch seemed to understand something in her murky eyes.

"Young explorer… how about this…"

"If you can enter the castle and kill that evil witch…"

"Besides this crystal ball, I can also tell you the whereabouts of a Legendary item…"

Hearing this, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of Cao Xing's mouth.

Finally succeeded.

He definitely planned to enter the witch's castle to explore.

He just wanted to ask this mysterious Old Witch for more rewards.

Now it seemed he had succeeded.

Cao Xing concealed his thoughts and asked with feigned confusion, "A Legendary item? What is it?"

The Old Witch recalled for a moment, then continued with her piercing voice, "That Legendary item is called the Shield of Origin – Anodite…"

"It is a shield used by a Legendary knight, imbued with the divine power of the goddess of air and life, Devina…"

Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Cao Xing's eyes.

It was actually a Legendary shield.

He already knew that any Legendary equipment had extremely powerful effects.

And this [Shield of Origin – Anodite] must also have its special features.

If he could get his hands on it, whether he gave it to Liu Muxue or Braum, it would surely bring him a great boost.

So, Cao Xing directly said, "Alright, I accept."

[Quest Accepted: Kill the Castle Witch]

[Quest Progress: Enter the castle and kill the witch: 0/1]

…

Hearing that Cao Xing accepted, a terrifying smile appeared on the Old Witch's face again.

Cao Xing couldn't stand the old woman's smile, so he directly put the [Crystal Ball] into his backpack.

Then he said, "Old lady, we'll take our leave now."

After all, he had already gotten what he wanted.

With that, he was about to lead the others away.

But at that moment, the Old Witch called them back.

"Young explorer, please wait…"

Cao Xing asked in confusion, "Is there anything else?"

The Old Witch nodded, "Before you enter the castle, how about listening to three stories?"

"Stories?"

Cao Xing asked, "Are they related to our upcoming actions?"

The Old Witch nodded again.

Seeing this, Cao Xing directly said, "Alright, go ahead."

The Old Witch cleared her throat.

"The first story is about a wolf…"

Her voice changed, giving a sense of vicissitude and antiquity.

"Many years ago, there was a wolf working in a circus. From a young age, it underwent strict training. The circus people took it with them every day to perform the story of Little Red Riding Hood."

"The story goes: the wolf ate Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, then was chased by the hunter. The hunter cut open the wolf's belly, and Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother miraculously revived."

"Their performance was wonderful, and every time they received full applause. The audience loved watching this show."

"But one day, the wolf went mad on stage. Its body became very tall, and it could stand up like a human. Its eyes glowed with a sinister red light. In front of everyone, it ate Little Red Riding Hood and ate the grandmother…"

"The audience below clapped and cheered, applauding the wolf's perfect performance…"

"However, when the wolf jumped off the stage and began to tear apart human bodies with its terrifying claws, the audience finally began to panic…"

[part:gemini-3.5-flash-lite]

"The wolf killed everyone present, tore out everyone's intestines, and connected them together."

"Then, it was similarly hunted by a hunter; in a forest, this wolf was struck by an arrow and fell down."

"The hunter quickly walked over and cut open the wolf's belly. However, this time, no grandparents and grandchildren jumped out of the belly; instead, there were two magic beans…"

After hearing the Old Witch finish her story, Cao Xing was lost in thought.

Evidently, this was the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, just another version.

The Old Witch paused and continued.

"The second story is a story about an Ogre."

"A long time ago… an Ogre lived in the forest…"

"It appeared in the forest I don't know when, and no one knew its past, only that it loved eating people very much!"

"This Ogre was proficient in the art of cooking human flesh…"

"The children of the nearby villages were almost all caught and eaten by it!"

"Until one day, a kingdom's princess appeared in the forest and was captured by this Ogre."

"The king was very furious upon receiving the news! He immediately dispatched a large contingent of knights to hunt down this Ogre."

"However, when people entered the forest again, they found that the knights and soldiers sent by the king, including that princess and the Ogre, had all disappeared into the forest and never appeared again…"

…

After the Old Witch finished speaking, everyone present fell into deep thought.

Her vocal timbre was extremely hoarse and heavy, seemingly born to tell all kinds of horror stories.

However, Cao Xing had indeed never heard this story about the Ogre.

The aged voice sounded again.

"The third story is about a kingdom's princess…"

"A long time ago… there was a very beautiful princess whose appearance was like the moon in the sky, admired by many. Princes from many neighboring countries came to this country, wanting to marry this princess…"

"However… in order to prevent others from having designs on the princess, the king specially built a hundred-meter-high tower, locked the princess inside the tower, and forbade anyone from contacting her…"

"Afterwards, the king brought food and water to the princess every day…"

"The queen clearly knew all this. One day, she wanted to let her daughter escape from the tower, but she was discovered by the king…"

"As days passed by day by day, the princess's hair also grew longer and longer…"

"Until one day… her hair reached a length of one hundred meters, enough for her to slide down from the tower…"

"As the number of victims grew and grew, the legend of that tower gradually spread… From then on… that area became a forbidden zone where few people set foot…"

…

After listening to these three stories, Cao Xing was lost in thought.

Clearly, this was related to the monsters in the ancient castle that she had mentioned before.

Cao Xing directly said, "Are the three stories you told the three types of monsters you mentioned to me earlier?"

The Old Witch let out a sharp laugh.

"Heh heh heh…"

"Yes… if you want to meet the witch in the ancient castle, you must first defeat these three…"

"They are stronger than one another. If you can find their weaknesses, you can defeat them more easily…"

"Weaknesses?"

Cao Xing asked with puzzlement.

"That's right… Their weaknesses are hidden in the stories I told…"

Hearing this, Cao Xing also understood the Old Witch's purpose in telling these three stories.

At the same time, a system prompt appeared.

[Forest Witch Elimination Quest has been updated]

[Quest Objective: Defeat the Three Great Guardians of the Castle: Big Bad Wolf, Ogre, and Long-Haired Princess, 0 / 3]

[Head to the highest level of the ancient castle and defeat the Forest Witch: 0 / 1]

[Quest Rewards: Dark Crystal Ball (Orange) * 1, Shield of Origin — Clues of Anodite…]

…

After the Old Witch finished saying this, a dim green light appeared in her cat-like eyes once again.

"Oh, this young adventurer… Wish you good luck… Heh heh heh…"

"A reminder once again… The ancient castle only reveals its true appearance at night; you need to enter at night…"

After saying that, she closed the door of the small wooden cabin.

Hearing this, a thoughtful expression appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

"It only reveals its true appearance at night?"

He checked the time.

[Time until nightfall: 1 hour and 17 minutes…]

…

Cao Xing didn't say much and quickly led the group away from here.

…

…

At this moment, as time continuously passed, the environment of the Witch Forest grew increasingly dim, and the time of nightfall was approaching.

Liu Muxue also noticed this, and then softly asked, "Axing, are we going inside the ancient castle tonight?"

Cao Xing pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Let's not go in tonight."

"According to that Old Witch, the levels of the monsters inside this ancient castle should be quite high."

"We won't return to the territory tonight either; we'll just rest in the forest for the night."

"Tomorrow morning, we will continue exploring the Witch Forest, strive to clear out all the monsters near the ancient castle, and get more [Advanced Heart of Strength] and [Intermediate Heart of Strength] for our breakthroughs."

"Only after our strength improves will we have greater certainty."

After listening to Cao Xing's analysis, everyone nodded successively.

Clearly, his decision was correct.

Cao Xing still maintained his consistently steady style.

Rather than diving right in after obtaining the [Dark Crystal Ball] and seeing the quest rewards, he still chose to proceed steadily.

He still chose to take it step by step, ensuring he possessed sufficient strength to deal with the dangers of the ancient castle before choosing to enter.

This was also one of the reasons why Assam and the others respected Cao Xing.

Sometimes on the battlefield, blindly charging might have remarkable results, but it would pay a heavier price in casualties.

Rationally analyzing one's own strength and trying one's best to improve oneself before battle is the way to go further.

Moreover, the Old Witch didn't require them to complete it within a specific time.

Cao Xing could enter whenever he wanted.

Rabb spoke excitedly at this moment, "My Lord, are we going to spend the night in the forest?"

Cao Xing nodded, "Yes."

Rabb immediately replied, "That's great! Wild Boar Warriors love the forest the most!"

"By the way, My Lord, would you like to come and rest at our Wild Boar tribe?"

Hearing this, Cao Xing also remembered.

In this forest, there was a Wild Boar tribe; the temperature inside was very comfortable, and there were ready-made rest rooms.

He opened the map and glanced at it.

Finding that the location of the Wild Boar tribe was over a dozen kilometers away from him, which wasn't too far.

Thus, Cao Xing nodded and said, "Alright, then we'll go rest at the Wild Boar tribe for the night."

Hearing this, smiles appeared on the faces of everyone present.

They were all powerful existences of Tier 3 or 4 now.

Relying on everyone's constitution, enduring a night in the forest wasn't a big deal.

But if there was a warm dwelling, it was obviously also a good thing.

At this time, Cao Xing said,

"Chuchu, tell your mother and report that you're safe, so she doesn't have to worry."

Tong Chuchu was following beside Elisa, her little head nodding repeatedly, "Mm-mm, alright, Big Brother!"

After saying that, she went to contact Xia Yanni.

And Elisa beside him said, "My Lord, you should also tell my father, otherwise he'll think that you and I are staying out all night and secretly doing something outside!"

Cao Xing speechlessly looked at her, "Got it."

Then, he pressed the communication device on his ear and dialed Ilena's communication.

"Bzz… bzz…"

The sound of current rang out.

After a moment, Ilena's voice sounded in his ear.

"My Lord?"

Ilena seemed not quite used to using this kind of technological device.

"It's me."

Cao Xing directly said, "Ilena, we won't return to the territory tonight."

"You go notify the others; all work will proceed as usual."

Hearing this, Ilena softly replied, "Alright, My Lord. Be careful outside, remember to keep warm, and miss me too~"

"Alright, I will."

Having given these instructions, Cao Xing prepared to hang up the communication.

At this time——

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Currently, in the territory, besides Ilena and the three female Dragon Blood Warriors, there were over two hundred combat personnel.

This was a very formidable force.

Those soldiers had nothing to do at night besides standing guard.

Could they use a wave of [Ice Dragon Horns], summoning Ice Nest Monsters to farm points and Ice Dragon Marks?

Relying on their strength to deal with the intermediate Ice Dragon Horn challenge might be a bit difficult.

But if it was dealing with the monsters summoned from the [Ice Dragon Horn (Small)], it would be a complete piece of cake.

Thinking of this, Cao Xing added, "Right, Ilena."

"Continue to pass the word down, telling those soldiers to prepare for battle tonight."

"Tonight, I will use a small Ice Dragon Horn, and a large number of Ice Nest Monsters will descend by then."

"You lead the three Dragon Blood Warriors and the two Centaurs to organize the team well."

"To deal with the attacks of those Ice Nest Monsters."

…

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