51: Earth fire refines the golden body, the blade slays a half-step demon king.
Following the winding crack down into Ten Thousand Snakes Valley, the surrounding air began to change drastically.
The original cold, damp, and foul stench gradually vanished, replaced by an extremely scorching sulfurous breath. The rock walls became red-hot, and the soil beneath his feet turned into charred black volcanic rock.
This was three hundred zhang beneath Ten Thousand Snakes Valley.
"Phew..."
Lin Que exhaled a mouthful of turbid Qi; the sweat had just seeped out of his skin before being evaporated by the high temperature.
"I didn't expect that beneath the extremely Yin and cold Ten Thousand Snakes Valley, there would actually be a hidden Earth Lung Fire Vein."
As the saying goes, when things reach an extreme, they reverse; Yin and Yang give birth to each other. The colder the poisonous miasma on the surface, the more violent the fire vein underground.
"Squeak, squeak!!"
The Little Snow Ferret in his arms suddenly poked its head out. Its black gem-like eyes stared fixedly at the rolling red mist ahead, letting out a scream that was both excited and wary.
It sensed it.
The thing that made the thousand changes multi-treasure pearl resonate was right ahead.
At the same time, a big fellow was entrenched there.
Lin Que reached out and gripped the flowing cloud saber on his back, his gaze piercing:
"The Aura of a half-step Rank Three Yao Beast... comparable to a half-step Spirit Sea of the Human Race, or even stronger."
"Just right. I'll use you to test my current edge."
Lin Que stomped his foot, his figure like an arrow leaving a bow, breaking through the red heat mist.
The view suddenly opened up.
This was a massive underground lava cavern. A dark red lava river flowed slowly, with huge fire bubbles bursting from time to time.
In the center of the lava river stood a solitary black stone platform.
On the platform was a broken saber tip.
Even though it was just a fragment, the Evil Qi emanating from the saber tip still forced the surrounding boiling lava back by three zhang, forming an absolute vacuum Domain!
A fragment of the myriad treasures pearl!
No wonder the pearl was so restless.
However, in the lava surrounding the stone platform, a colossus was entrenched.
It was a Lava Fire Python as thick as a water vat, its entire body covered in red crystal armor. A single horn grew from its head, and its eyes burned with golden flames like lanterns. With every breath, it melted rocks into liquid.
Mutated Fire Python, a Half-Step Yao King!
"Hiss—!!"
Sensing the Aura of a living person, the fire python suddenly raised its head and let out a deafening roar.
It had guarded this piece of "divine iron" for a hundred years, using its Evil Qi day and night to temper its yao body. Seeing that it was about to transform into a flood dragon and Undergo Tribulation, how could it allow an ant to touch it?
Boom!
The fire python's massive tail whipped out, swirling up the lava like a flaming whip, lashing towards Lin Que with world-destroying power!
This strike was enough to instantly smash a Kaiyuan Realm Perfection Cultivator into a pulp.
But Lin Que did not retreat.
Standing on a piece of charred rock, facing the overwhelming wave of fire, a fanatical arc instead curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Good timing!"
Lin Que sank into a horse stance, his muscles instantly tightening as dark golden light flowed wildly beneath his skin.
Iron Skin Technique — Flawless Golden Body, Bronze Skin and Iron Bones!
He didn't dodge or avoid, actually using his Physical Body to take the blow head-on!
Bang!!
A dull, massive sound.
Lin Que was sent flying over ten zhang, smashing heavily into the rock wall and kicking up countless stone fragments.
"Cough, cough..."
The dust settled.
Lin Que walked out from the pile of debris. He patted the slightly charred mark on his chest, his eyes full of surprise.
It didn't break!
He hadn't even spat out a single drop of blood!
One must know, this was the full-strength strike of a Half-Step Yao King! If it were before, he would have been turned into a jigsaw puzzle by this tail whip.
"Bronze Skin Major Achievement, it really is tough enough."
Lin Que grinned, showing a row of white teeth, looking at the fire python whose eyes revealed a hint of human-like astonishment:
"You're done? Then it's my turn."
Clang—!
The flowing cloud saber was unsheathed.
At this moment, Lin Que's Aura changed.
If he was a stubborn stone just now, now he was an unsheathed weapon of slaughter.
Seven Absolute Blades First Form — Water Sever!
Swish!
Lin Que's figure surged, charging across the boiling lava surface toward the stone platform. The long saber in his hand turned into a silver streak, slashing toward the fire python's seven-inch mark!
"Roar!"
The fire python was enraged and spewed out a thick cloud of Earth Core Poison Fire.
The flames were purple-black, not only high in temperature but also containing terrifying fire toxin that would rot anything it touched.
"Playing with poison?"
Lin Que sneered with disdain.
He took a deep breath and charged straight into the mass of poisonous fire!
Hiss—!
The terrifying fire toxin entered his body, instantly beginning to burn his Meridians.
[Detected Earth Core Fire Toxin!]
[Transfer initiated! Target locked: Lava Fire Python!]
[Multiplier: Double Return!]
Buzz!
The fire-breathing giant python suddenly trembled all over. It felt its internal yao fire suddenly spiral out of control, and the agonizing pain of the backlash made its movements stiffen.
In that split second of vulnerability.
Lin Que's saber arrived.
flowing cloud saber: Armor Breaker!
This Low Grade Spiritual Artifact, fused with Gengjin Sword Marrow, reached an unfathomable level of sharpness under the enhancement of Lin Que's thirty thousand jin of Divine Power.
Puchi!
The red crystal armor, as hard as a Spiritual Artifact, was like brittle paper before the flowing cloud saber.
The long saber sliced into the fire python's seven-inch mark without resistance, sinking all the way to the hilt!
"Break... open for me!!"
Lin Que roared, his arm muscles bulging. He twisted the blade fiercely and then pulled it downward!
Sizzle—!!
A terrifying wound three zhang long instantly split open!
Boiling yao blood erupted like a fountain, drenching Lin Que.
"Hiss-roar!!!"
The fire python let out a shrill scream, driven mad by the intense pain. Its massive body writhed frantically, trying to strangle Lin Que.
"Want to coil around me?"
A cold light flashed in Lin Que's eyes. He pulled out the saber and retreated, his movements smooth as flowing water.
He flipped in the air and landed on the black stone platform, standing next to the broken saber tip.
"Since you have thick skin and plenty of blood..."
Lin Que looked at the giant beast thrashing in the lava and pressed his left hand onto the broken saber tip beside him.
Within this fragment was an even more terrifying and pure "Asura Evil Qi" than the "Seven Kills Saber Intent."
"Then let me give you a taste... of true killing intent."
Lin Que channeled that sliver of Evil Qi into his body.
[Warning! Detected Destruction-level Asura Evil Qi!]
[Drawback: Mental collapse, becoming a demon of slaughter.]
[Transfer!]
Buzz!
The fire python, which had been struggling frantically, suddenly stopped its movements.
Its pair of golden vertical pupils were instantly covered in blood-red. An uncontrollable desire for slaughter crushed its yao soul, making it forget the pain, forget defense, and even forget Lin Que's existence.
It began to bite its own body frantically!
One bite! Two bites!
With its sharp fangs, it forcibly tore open its own abdomen and dragged out its internal organs!
Self-mutilation!
This was the most terrifying side effect of Asura Evil Qi — destroying everything, including oneself.
In just ten breaths.
This insufferably arrogant Half-Step Yao King tore itself into a pile of shredded meat right before Lin Que.
The lava river was dyed an even more enchanting blood-red.
Standing on the stone platform, Lin Que watched this scene and calmly sheathed his saber.
"Power, it's still about power."
He turned and looked at the broken saber tip embedded in the stone platform.
"Squeak, squeak!"
The myriad treasures pearl in his arms (which hadn't changed back yet) could no longer restrain itself and flew out from Lin Que's embrace, hovering over the broken blade.
The two shared the same origin.
Crack.
The broken blade seemed to receive a summons, turning into a streak of light and merging into the myriad treasures pearl (flowing cloud saber).
Boom!
The flowing cloud saber instantly vibrated, its blade lengthening by another three inches. A blood-red groove appeared on the originally silver-black surface of the blade.
A heart-palpitating pressure spread out.
Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact — Asura Flowing Cloud!
Lin Que gripped the brand-new long saber, and a feeling of Bloodline connection spontaneously arose. This saber was not only sharper but also seemed to have... awakened a hint of "bloodthirsty" spirituality.
"A good saber."
Lin Que nodded in satisfaction.
Afterward, he looked at the mangled remains of the giant python in the lava.
That was the flesh and blood of a Half-Step Yao King, along with a fire-attribute yao core.
"Hongyi, come out and clean up the mess."
"And Little Snow Ferret, stop playing dead; that yao core is yours."
Lin Que sat cross-legged on the stone platform, using the remaining Earth Fire Qi around him to begin stabilizing his Realm after the major battle.
The trip to Ten Thousand Snakes Valley ended in Perfection.
But Lin Que knew.
Since this saber had tasted blood, the path ahead was destined to be paved with bones.
Because after the tattered scroll of fallen treasures merged with the Aura of this broken blade, it actually automatically revealed the next part of the map.
That location pointed directly to — the prison of the Southern Commandery Demon Suppression Division.
"Interesting."
Looking at the crimson mark on the map, a hint of playfulness flashed in Lin Que's eyes:
"It seems I'll have to return to Southern Commandery City once more."
"To take a trip... into that Palace of Yama."