Chapter 1449 - 747: Something Is Coming Up from Below (Part 2)
Chapter 1449: Chapter 747: Something Is Coming Up from Below (Part 2)
Xu Hansong’s eyes flashed with greed.
"After the deed is done..."
"The treasure will be divided equally."
Zhang Tianxing immediately interjected.
"I just want the storage ring and cultivation technique from that kid, Xu can take the Bronze Ancient Hall."
In the scalding magma lake, Gu Sheng sat cross-legged, with the parts below his knees fully adapted to the lava that could incinerate gold and melt iron.
His skin displayed a dark golden hue, shimmering with a metallic sheen under the reflection of the magma.
"Physical Strength at the peak of the Sixth Layer Heaven..."
Gu Sheng felt the strength emanating from his legs, and his lips slightly curled.
Over the past seven days, he had experienced the agony of his flesh being burnt and reborn every day, and now he finally saw the results.
"Master, the life force in the Divine Phoenix Essence Blood seems weaker than expected."
The voice of the Innate Spirit Embryo echoed in Gu Sheng’s mind.
"The essence blood of the Ancient Divine Phoenix fallen should not be so depleted; I suspect there’s something mysterious beneath this magma lake."
Gu Sheng frowned slightly, his gaze set on the boiling magma below.
"Do you mean..."
"There might be something at the bottom absorbing the Divine Phoenix Essence Blood’s life force."
The Innate Spirit Embryo’s tone was grave.
Gu Sheng pondered for a moment and shook his head.
"Now is not the time to investigate.
The life force of this magma lake is already insufficient to sustain my tempering for much longer; I must complete the body tempering first."
With that, he submerged in the magma again. The scorching lava enveloped his body, and every breath felt like swallowing fire.
But Gu Sheng had grown accustomed to this pain, his muscles continuously strengthened between destruction and rebirth.
At the lakeside, Xie Qingxuan sat cross-legged on a protruding rock, hands sealed in a gesture, surrounded by a faint red glow.
The life force dissipating from the magma lake was slowly absorbed by her, merging into her body.
"Physical Strength at the Third Layer Heaven..."
She opened her eyes with joy upon her face. She turned to gaze at the lake’s center, where only a small vortex remained, and Gu Sheng’s silhouette had vanished completely.
"That guy is really crazy."
Xie Qingxuan murmured to herself, her eyes filled with worry.
Just then, Xie He hurriedly ran over from a distance, his face extraordinarily grave.
"Qingxuan, something terrible has happened!"
"What’s wrong?"
Xie Qingxuan stood up, dusting off the volcanic ash on her clothes.
"I was wandering outside and found that Sun and Moon Sect and Divine Blood Sect have actually allied!"
Xie He gasped urgently.
"There are more than ten Heavenly Martial Realm experts hovering around mid-mountain, suspiciously, not knowing what they’re up to."
Xie Qingxuan’s face changed abruptly.
"These two sects have always been at odds, how can they suddenly ally? Let’s go, check it out!"
As she was about to step forward, the magma lake behind her suddenly began to boil violently.
The originally calm lake surface seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand, magma surged into giant waves several feet high, and a destructive aura erupted from the center of the lake.
"Not good! Run fast!"
Xie He’s expression changed drastically, he grabbed Xie Qingxuan’s wrist, attempting to lead her away quickly.
Xie Qingxuan, however, broke free, anxiously looking towards the magma lake.
"Gu Sheng is still inside!"
"Can’t worry about that now! This magma uprising is something even Heavenly Martial Realm experts can’t withstand!"
Xie He roared in anger, seeing Xie Qingxuan still hesitating, his eyes filled with determination, and he chopped swiftly at the nape of her neck.
"You..."
Xie Qingxuan only managed to utter one word before her vision went dark, collapsing into unconsciousness.
Xie He picked up the unconscious Xie Qingxuan and ran wildly toward the mountain’s exit without looking back.
Behind him, the scorching magma splashed like torrential rain, a drop landed on Xie He’s back, instantly burning through his clothes, leaving a charred mark on his skin.
But Xie He gritted his teeth, his speed unaffected.
Meanwhile, deep within the mountain.
Xu Hansong and Zhang Tianxing stood before a huge array, with malevolent smiles on their faces. In the center of the array, a ghostly shadow of a phoenix was struggling in agony.
"Hahaha, the array is finally broken!"
Xu Hansong laughed loudly.
"The Divine Phoenix Soul is losing control, the entire Spirit Flame Mountain is about to erupt!"
Zhang Tianxing nodded coldly.
"Gu Sheng is doomed to die. Daring to offend both our sects at once, this is his consequence!"
As they spoke, the entire mountain began to shake violently, countless cracks spreading across the ground. The illusory phoenix shadow let out a piercing cry, its sound penetrating the mountain and echoing through the clouds.
"Go! If we don’t leave now, it will be too late!"
Xu Hansong waved his hand, leading the people from both sects to swiftly retreat.
In the scorching Magma Lake, Gu Sheng sat cross-legged, surrounded by crimson magma.
His eyes were tightly closed, blue veins bulging on his forehead, sweat beads the size of beans evaporating instantly due to the high temperature.
At this moment, ninety-nine percent of his body had been tempered, leaving only his head still being baptized by the magma.
"Hiss—"
Gu Sheng took a sharp breath, the flesh on his head continuously dissolving and regenerating under the erosion of the magma.
Every dissolution felt like ten thousand ants gnawing at his heart, but he gritted his teeth without moving an inch.
The Spirit Embryo Incarnation hovering beside him cautiously surveyed the surroundings.
"Master, there is an anomaly in the magma flow."
The Spirit Embryo Incarnation suddenly communicated, its voice directly resonating in Gu Sheng’s mind.
Gu Sheng abruptly opened his eyes, a golden gleam flickering in his pupils.
He perceived an unusual vibration from the depths of the Magma Lake, the originally stable heat flow beginning to surge chaotically.
"As expected, it’s coming."
Gu Sheng sneered, taking a crimson elixir pill from his Storage Ring and swallowing it.
"Zhang Tianxing and Xu Hansong, those old fools, finally couldn’t restrain themselves."
The elixir pill entered his stomach, turning into a surge of cooling energy that temporarily eased the pain of tempering his head.
Gu Sheng formed seals with his hands, the golden light around him expanding, isolating the incoming violent magma three feet away.
"Spirit Embryo, enhance the protection, I want to finish the tempering in one go!"
"As you command."
The Spirit Embryo Incarnation formed hand signs, a cyan light barrier enveloping Gu Sheng tightly.
The eruption of the Magma Lake grew increasingly intense, countless bubbles rising from the depths, the shockwaves from their bursts strong enough to gravely injure ordinary cultivators.
Gu Sheng ignored the chaos, focusing intently on guiding the magma’s power to temper the last few critical points of his head.
Three hours passed, and Gu Sheng suddenly let out a long howl, the sound penetrating the magma and reaching the entire lake bottom.
Blinding golden light erupted above his head, intertwining with the golden glow on his body, ultimately merging into one.
"It’s done!"
Gu Sheng clenched his fist, feeling the brand-new physical strength. At this moment, the magma felt like warm water, no longer posing any threat.
Yet, just then, a muffled sound came from the lake bottom, forming a gigantic whirlpool in the Magma Lake.
Caught off guard, Gu Sheng was carried downward by the turbulent magma flow.
"Master!"
The Spirit Embryo Incarnation hurriedly pursued, but was scattered by a sudden magma column.
Gu Sheng remained composed, utilizing his newly tempered body to stabilize himself.
However, the whirlpool’s suction was too strong, so he decided to stop resisting, letting the magma carry him deeper.
"Since someone went through the trouble to send me down here, I might as well let the plan play out and see what secrets lie at the lake bottom."
As he descended, Gu Sheng noticed a peculiar phenomenon.
The deeper he went, the higher the magma’s temperature, yet the contained Life Force grew increasingly thin. Logically, the Magma Lake’s depths should have a more concentrated Life Force.
"Something is devouring the Life Force..."
Gu Sheng squinted, examining the activity within a hundred-foot radius.
Suddenly, the Innate Spirit Embryo’s urgent warning exploded in his mind.
"Master be careful! Something is coming up from below!"
Gu Sheng simultaneously sensed the danger, swiftly dodging to the right.
A black shadow brushed past his left arm, lifting a large amount of magma.
Up close, Gu Sheng finally saw what it was—a completely blood-red demon plant vine, as thick as an adult’s arm, covered with fierce barbs, with five blade-like leaves at its tip.
"Blood Blade Demon Vine?"
Gu Sheng’s pupils narrowed, seeming to have seen this demon plant in sect’s ancient texts.
The vine missed and, incredibly agile, turned in midair, attacking Gu Sheng again.
This time, its speed was even faster, almost becoming a blood-colored lightning.
"Hmph!"
Gu Sheng snorted coldly, his right hand bursting with golden light, directly grabbing the attacking vine. The contact between the two produced a sound of metal clashing, sparking a series of sparks.