Chapter 524: A Blessing or a Curse?

Shui Miao’s confidence was closely tied to his recent recollection of the arrays in the other three layers.

The first layer was the Five Elemental Array of Wind and Clouds.

The second, third, and fourth layers were great arrays of water, metal, and earth, respectively, while the fifth layer was the Fire Holy Hall’s fire-elemental array, clearly following the pattern of the Five Elements in succession.

Moreover, the core layouts of the arrays in the preceding layers were quite similar.

Shui Miao, following the logic of human habit, believed the core of the fifth layer’s array must also be in its traditional place.

Bu Fa stroked his beard and thought it was worth a try.

Thus, Shui Miao instructed Bu Fa to sense the direction he indicated within the fifth layer’s array, following the layouts of the previous arrays.

Bu Fa, with his profound cultivation and spiritual perception, wouldn’t be easily deceived by illusions.

After a short while, Bu Fa opened his eyes, and his eyebrows twitched slightly. “Shui Miao, the location you mentioned indeed conceals a powerful magical treasure. Based on my deduction, I suspect there lies beneath it a high-grade Xian Bao (immortal treasure), specifically a cauldron. This cauldron is of moderate quality and contains a Five Elements Generating Array. You can try using your Soul Devouring Force on it. Even if you damage it, it won’t be a significant loss—we Dwarves possess superior cauldrons.”

“What? A Five Elements Generating Array?”

“Yes. The more sophisticated the array, the more it utilizes the Five Elements Generating method to continuously produce spiritual energy. This one produces fire-type immortal energy, clearly indicating that the cauldron’s spirit has already attained immortality.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a try!”

Without hesitation, Shui Miao channeled a surge of Soul Devouring Force into the fifth layer’s treasure vault.

As soon as the Soul Devouring Force entered the vault, flames erupted, the array activated fiercely, and streams of crimson infernal fire surrounded the Soul Devouring Force. The Soul Devouring Force’s corrosive power was immense, absorbing the crimson infernal fire and growing even stronger. Just as the crimson infernal fire approached the core treasure—the cauldron—a sudden jet of deep blue flame shot forth from the cauldron’s direction, halting the Soul Devouring Force in its tracks.

“Huh? What kind of flame is that?”

Shui Miao was astonished that a flame could resist his Soul Devouring Force.

“That should be the spirit’s life flame. If you extinguish it, the spirit will be crippled, and the array’s power will be halved.”

Seeing that Shui Miao’s Soul Devouring Force could withstand the deep blue flame, Bu Fa became excited.

Upon hearing this, Shui Miao concentrated his will, intensifying the Soul Devouring Force’s consumption of the deep blue flame. However, the deep blue flame kept pouring out endlessly, gradually surrounding all the Soul Devouring Force and threatening to sever Shui Miao’s connection to it. Forced to act, Shui Miao withdrew the Soul Devouring Force.

“Roar!”

The deep blue flame did not recede with the retreat of the Soul Devouring Force. Instead, it summoned a massive surge of fire, transforming into a roaring fire dragon!

“Uh-oh! Shui Miao, you’ve enraged the spirit! It’s coming out of the array to kill you! Run…”

Seeing the fire dragon take shape and charge outward, Bu Fa was startled and quickly fled with Shui Miao.

In a flash of lightning, Shui Miao released a surge of Soul Devouring Force and concealed it within the cave wall.

Shui Miao was thorough. Since the spirit was now enraged and pursuing him, its defenses would be weak. Using the Soul Devouring Force could serve two purposes: first, to subtly distract and contain the spirit with minimal effort; second, if the spirit truly committed all its strength, the Soul Devouring Force would have an opportunity to strike.

Bu Fa led Shui Miao to the fourth layer, with the fire dragon in hot pursuit.

Using magical artifacts to conceal their forms, Bu Fa and Shui Miao darted through the fourth layer. The experts from the three sects, confused and startled, mistook the fire dragon as an attack on them. In panic, they launched counterattacks, further provoking the fire dragon, which unleashed a deadly rampage, instantly incinerating many experts. The remaining experts, terrified by the fire dragon’s might, hastily fled.

The enraged fire dragon pursued relentlessly, only ceasing its chase at the cave’s entrance.

“Senior, it seems the spirit can detect us?”

Outside the cave, over a hundred meters away, Shui Miao was somewhat frightened by the fire dragon’s power.

Bu Fa was also greatly alarmed. “Indeed, I underestimated him. The quality of that cauldron is far higher than I expected—nearly matching the finest cauldrons of our Dwarven clan. This Luo Tong cannot be underestimated. Even at the fifth layer, he has set up such a terrifying formation and employed a supreme-grade immortal treasure. This is truly terrifying!”

A supreme-grade immortal artifact (Xian Qi)!

Upon hearing this, Shui Miao’s heart pounded with excitement. Such a magnificent treasure—after surviving in the Immortal Realm for countless years, even the finest cauldrons of the Dwarves were only of supreme immortal grade. If he could obtain this supreme immortal-grade cauldron, how incredible that would be! As these thoughts raced through his mind, Shui Miao suddenly remembered the small amount of Soul Devouring Force he had left on the cave wall. “Senior,” he asked, “is there any way to lure out this fire dragon?”

“Unless… unless you use your Soul Devouring Force to bait it…” Suddenly, Bu Fa caught on to Shui Miao’s idea and immediately transmitted his thoughts to him. “Shui Miao, if we really manage to lure it out, I’ll block the cave entrance with my artifact while you rush into the fifth layer to confront the spirit.”

“Stinky spirit! I’m not afraid of you!”

Shui Miao channeled a surge of Soul Devouring Force intertwined with immortal energy, transforming it into a black dragon that prowled outside the cave entrance, taunting the fire dragon.

The three sects’ experts, upon seeing the sudden appearance of the mysterious black dragon, immediately realized there was a hidden expert lurking nearby. They were frightened and hastily retreated to distant mountain peaks, no longer daring to linger nearby.

“Roar!”

Clearly, the spirit of the Fire Holy Hall was a hot-tempered creature. Provoked, the fire dragon surged out of the cave.

As the fire dragon charged toward the black dragon, Bu Fa and Shui Miao swiftly darted to the cave entrance, where Bu Fa immediately summoned a supreme-grade shield artifact and firmly blocked the entrance.

Meanwhile, Shui Miao immediately flew into the fifth layer’s Fire Holy Hall.

By the time he reached the entrance of the Fire Holy Hall, Shui Miao had already unleashed all his Soul Devouring Force, directly enveloping the cauldron’s location.

Suddenly realizing Shui Miao’s return, the spirit attempted to withdraw its life flame but was firmly blocked by Bu Fa outside.

The Soul Devouring Force directly engulfed the cauldron, corroding its interior.

“Ding ding ding…”

Suddenly, the Soul-Sealing Bell on Shui Miao’s body rang out. The spirit had tried to ensnare Shui Miao’s soul, but the bell blocked it.

With the energy supply to the cauldron disrupted by the Soul Devouring Force, the flames within the fifth layer’s Fire Holy Hall gradually dimmed and extinguished.

Outside the cave, the fire dragon was furiously attacking Bu Fa.

Bu Fa was not idle either, simultaneously activating several magical artifacts to counter the fire dragon.

However, the cauldron was a supreme immortal treasure, making it extremely difficult to subdue quickly. At the current pace, it would take at least several months to fully tame it. As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Shui Miao loudly called out to the cauldron, “Venerable spirit within the cauldron, let’s cease our struggle, shall we? How about we become friends instead?”

“Brat, you’re cunning and despicable. You wouldn’t deign to befriend me.”

From the direction of the cauldron, a rough male voice echoed.

Shui Miao smiled faintly. “Senior, you’re so powerful, and I can’t even defeat you. Can’t I use a few underhanded tactics? But my desire to befriend you is genuine—there’s no doubt about that. If you refuse to befriend me, it’s because you’re prejudiced against me. Once you realize I mean no harm, you’ll regret saying these words.”

“Brat, don’t try to sweet-talk me. Do you think I’m an idiot to believe you based on just a few words?”

The rough voice was so loud it felt deafening.

“Haha, Senior, of course you’re not an idiot. Only a genius could have devised such an exquisite array.” Shui Miao, fully aware that the spirit was merely a vessel spirit, intentionally spoke this way to probe deeper into the ancient tomb’s mysteries and learn more about Luo Tong, the master of the Twelve Palace Treasure Vault.

However, to Shui Miao’s surprise, the cauldron spirit fell silent.

Why was it silent?

Under normal reasoning, with such a fiery temper, the spirit should have responded immediately.

But after a long pause, the aged voice finally spoke again, this time more composed and steady. “Boy, who exactly are you? With such meager strength, you dare to come here to seize treasures? And you’re actually a living cultivator!?”

Hmm, this tone… something’s off!

Hearing this, Shui Miao was greatly startled. The tone and the question clearly didn’t match the previous fiery spirit. It sounded more like the voice of Luo Tong, the array master of the Twelve Palace Treasure Vault.

After a moment’s pause, Shui Miao bowed and replied. “Respectfully, Senior, I actually have no notable background. I merely came along with Senior Bu Fa of the Dwarves to broaden my horizons. As for seizing treasures… I simply saw an opportunity and wanted to try my luck. But now I realize I have no chance of obtaining this treasure.”

“Oh?”

The aged voice carried a hint of curiosity. “You arrived with great momentum, your spiritual energy is unique, and you’ve already gained the upper hand. Seizing the treasure is just a matter of time. Why, then, do you suddenly speak so doubtfully?”

“Respectfully, Senior, it’s because I believe you are not the cauldron’s spirit. You are Master Luo Tong, the Saintly Smith King.”

With a thought, Shui Miao withdrew his Soul Devouring Force.

“Hahahaha…”

The aged voice burst into laughter. “Very good! Human cultivators are indeed clever. However, you’re not entirely correct. I am merely a fragment of Luo Tong’s original spirit left behind. I never expected a mortal to come to this Rakshasa World to seize treasures, nor did I expect that mortal to possess the most sinister Soul Devouring Force while maintaining a pure heart. Another surprise was your sharp mind—you managed to break through my Fire Holy Hall array without even understanding arrays. You have potential, great potential indeed!”

“Senior, you know about the Soul Devouring Force?”

Shui Miao had always harbored some unease about the Soul Devouring Force.

“Of course I do. However, that’s not what interests me. Since you’ve come, I won’t let you go.”

“Hu!”

Suddenly, a short, elderly figure appeared before Shui Miao. Before he could even clearly see the figure’s appearance, he was whisked away by the figure into a pitch-black, pitch-dark place where not even a hand in front of one’s face could be seen.