58: Secret treasure land, enemies meet on a narrow road

The air in the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp had completely changed for Lin Gou.

It was no longer that pungent, sickly sweet, and rotten smell.

Instead, it was a mellow sweetness mixed with the fresh scent of plants, refreshing his heart and mind.

He took a deep breath.

The colorful poisonous mist that once made his skin tingle now surged into his lungs, transforming into warm currents that nourished his limbs and bones.

Every cell in his body was letting out satisfied and joyful cries.

“Body of Invulnerability to All Poisons, Elementary Stage.”

Lin Gou muttered to himself, unable to suppress the curve of his lips.

His gaze swept over, locking onto a “Bone-Devouring Flower” with a faint blue glow along the edges of its petals.

Touching this flower would cause flesh and blood to go numb, then rot, making it a nightmare that Outer Sect Disciple talked about with dread.

Lin Gou, however, walked straight towards it.

He reached out and unhurriedly plucked a dark blue petal.

He examined it in his hand for a moment, as if admiring a work of art.

Then, in front of the air, he put the petal into his mouth.

He chewed it carefully.

“Ding! Absorbed a trace amount of “Bone-Devouring Flower” toxin, Physique experience +1.”

Lin Gou’s eyes instantly lit up, frighteningly bright.

How was this a deadly place where one barely survived?

This was clearly a mobile, all-day, self-Cultivation buffet restaurant tailor-made for him!

He no longer deliberately sought death.

Because in this swamp, even wanting to die had become a difficult luxury.

He strolled leisurely through the swamp like an emperor inspecting his own backyard.

Passing a poisonous pond bubbling with purple foam, he would stop, scoop up a handful of poisonous water, and taste it as if it were sweet spring dew.

Seeing a “Gut-Wrenching Grass” bearing paintblack fruits, he would pluck it without hesitation, crunching and swallowing it like an after-dinner dessert.

The myriad deadly poisons that ordinary Cultivator avoided at all costs had now become excellent tonics for him to enhance his strength.

In just half a day.

His “Body of Invulnerability to All Poisons” experience bar had surged by a large margin.

During this time, he also conveniently gathered a large number of rare poisonous Spiritual Plant, filling his Storage Pouch.

“Too bad, relying solely on these small snacks, the improvement is still too slow.”

Lin Gou clicked his tongue, a little dissatisfied.

His gaze turned towards the deepest part of the swamp.

There, an Earth-Fire Grotto existed.

It was said that deep within the Earth-Fire Grotto, a wisp of heaven and earth Strange Fire that could incinerate a Nascent Soul was nurtured.

Lin Gou’s heart instantly became incredibly fervent.

That wasn’t greed for the Strange Fire.

Rather, it was a yearning for a new, high-quality way of dying.

Being burned to ashes by the Earth-Fire would definitely not yield a worse reward than being melted by poisonous Qi!

Perhaps, he could even get another “Fire Spirit Holy Body”!

He immediately changed direction and sped towards the location marked on the map in his memory.

The deeper he went, the more obvious the scorching heat waves in the air became.

Half an hour later.

Lin Gou’s figure stopped before a stretch of scorched earth.

The ground was cracked and barren.

Huge fissures crisscrossed like hideous scars on the earth, with dark red flowing light surging deep within.

A massive, crimson grotto stood silently in the center of the scorched earth.

It was precisely the Earth-Fire Grotto.

However, at the entrance of the grotto, a group of uninvited guests stood.

The leader, dressed in luxurious brocade robes, held a jade-boned folding fan, his face full of arrogance and high spirits.

It was the Ye family’s Prodigy, Ye Jun.

Behind him, seven or eight Ye family Disciple gathered, each with powerful auras and arrogant expressions.

Lin Gou’s appearance immediately caught their attention.

“Oh, it’s you, you commoner.”

Ye Jun recognized him, a look of extreme contempt and mockery appearing on his face.

“You’re quite tenacious, didn’t even die in that poisonous miasma.”

Lin Gou’s gaze did not linger on him at all.

His eyes, like the most discerning customer, calmly surveyed the Earth-Fire Grotto and the bottomless Earth-Fire fissures on the ground.

He was evaluating.

Evaluating from which angle to jump in to die most efficiently and receive the highest reward.

This complete, deep-seated disregard, more than any malicious curse, stung Ye Jun’s arrogant heart.

Ye Jun’s face instantly darkened.

Lin Gou ignored them and walked straight towards the grotto entrance.

“Stop!”

With a furious shout, two Ye family Disciple blocked Lin Gou’s path, their expressions unfriendly.

Ye Jun slowly walked over, looking down at Lin Gou with a condescending gaze, a cruel sneer on his lips.

“What, did Young Master Ye tell you to leave?”

Lin Gou finally stopped, raised his head, and glanced at him.

His eyes were as calm as a deep pool, undisturbed.

“This place has been claimed by our Ye family,” a Ye family Disciple snapped, chin raised. “Unwanted individuals, scram!”

Lin Gou’s gaze shifted from the sycophant’s face, finally resting on Ye Jun.

He suddenly smiled faintly.

“A Secret Realm is ownerless. Those who see it have a share.”

“Your Ye family, what great prestige.”

The air instantly fell silent.

The sneer on Ye Jun’s face froze.

In its place was the gloom before a volcanic eruption.

“You’re courting death!”

“You ignorant fool!”

Ye Jun slowly closed his folding fan, gently tapping his palm with the fan’s rib, laughing in his extreme anger.

“Very good.”

“It’s been a long time since anyone dared to speak to me like that.”

He stared at Lin Gou, his eyes as if looking at a dead man.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“Originally, I was going to let you fend for yourself.”

“Now, I’ve decided to personally send you on your way.”

“Crippl him!”

At his command, the two Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivator behind him grinned maliciously, pouncing from left and right!

Spiritual power surged, palm winds howled, and every move aimed at Lin Gou’s vital points.

Lin Gou’s heart, however, was at this moment, swept by a surging tide of ecstasy!

This is what he had been waiting for!

High-quality thugs, perfect motive for murder, and a death Holy Land within reach!

On the surface, he showed just the right amount of panic and disarray.

He “stumbled” backward, his hands “frantically” parrying.

He looked like a lamb besieged by two fierce tigers, struggling to cope, constantly in peril.

“Useless trash!”

Ye Jun watched this scene, the cold sneer on his lips deepening.

Dealing with such a character would simply soil his hands.

“Bang!”

A muffled thud.

Lin Gou’s chest took a solid blow.

He flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

His trajectory, perfectly aligned, was aimed precisely at the widest, deepest, and most fiercely burning Earth-Fire fissure on the ground.

Everything was within his precise calculations.

“Ah—”

A short, shrill “scream” escaped Lin Gou’s mouth.

His body traced a perfect parabola in the air, falling with uncanny precision into that Earth-Fire fissure.

Whoosh!

Deep within the fissure, dark red Earth-Fire surged several feet high, like a greedy beast, instantly devouring his figure completely.

In the air, only a pungent smell of burning protein remained.

“Young Master Ye, it’s done.”

The two Ye family Disciple who had attacked clapped their hands, their faces showing cruel satisfaction.

Ye Jun contemptuously glanced at the still-steaming fissure and spat out four words indifferently.

“Courting death.”

He turned around, his gaze burning as he looked at the massive grotto.

“Let’s go in! The legendary Earth-Fire Red Lotus must be mine!”

The group, full of high spirits, walked into the depths of the Earth-Fire Grotto.

None of them knew.

Just after they left, deep within the fissure that had swallowed Lin Gou, an almost imperceptible golden speck of light quietly lit up.

And in Lin Gou’s consciousness space.

The cold System prompt sounded like the most beautiful celestial music, exploding with a roar!

“Ding! You were ambushed by Ye family Disciple in the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm, accidentally fell into an Earth-Fire fissure, and were burned to ashes by ‘Earth-Fire’ to your death!”

“Death method evaluation: Died an unnatural death, no corpse remaining, made an outstanding contribution to the villain’s showing off!”

“Reward settlement in progress...”

“Congratulations to the Host for acquiring a Heaven Rank special Physique—‘Fire Spirit Holy Body’ (Proto-fragment)!”

“Congratulations to the Host for a significant increase in Cultivation! Current Realm: Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!”

Boom!

A surge of spiritual power, more vast and pure than any previous time, appeared out of thin air within his newly condensed limbs and bones!

His Cultivation barrier, which had just recently been Broken through, was instantly shattered like paper!

Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!

His Cultivation was rapidly skyrocketing!

At the same time, a sense of affinity for flames, originating from the deepest part of his Soul, naturally arose.

A “ghost” who had just gained fire resistance and fire affinity.

Was in the depths of the deadly place they were about to explore.

Quietly awakening.

And had already begun to meticulously prepare a grand and fervent “fireworks display” for them.