Darting into the blood pond, Xiao Yan’s first sensation was the incredibly pure and dense energy. His body enveloped in emerald green Dou Qi, repelling the crimson liquid surrounding him. He did not absorb this energy but, after a brief pause, swam straight towards the bottom of the blood pond. The bloody liquid within the pond was quite viscous, almost like fresh blood, significantly reducing visibility. Even moving through it posed a considerable resistance. What startled Xiao Yan even more was that his soul power could not penetrate the blood-red liquid, much like the eerie fog he encountered in the forest.
Although his soul force could not penetrate the red liquid, Xiao Yan could vaguely sense something nearby, feverishly absorbing energy from the blood pond. It was evidently Feng Qing-er and her companions. Pausing briefly, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before casting his gaze to the bottom of the pond. Due to the obstructed view, all he could see was a dark red hue, which felt unsettling and chilling.
With a wave of his hand, the dark golden skull appeared in his grip. Xiao Yan tightened his hold on it, gritted his teeth, and moved. He broke through the red liquid and swiftly swam towards the bottom of the blood pond. As he descended further, the energy within the red liquid grew increasingly purer and denser. Yet, Xiao Yan knew that at this distance, the red energy was tainted with a potent fire toxin. This toxin was not intrinsic to the energy but emanated from the volcano. This Heavenly Mountain Blood Pond should be the epicenter of the volcano, the most intense location of the fire toxin.
Xiao Yan had encountered fire toxins in the Inner Academy’s Heaven Burning Purgatory Tower, but these two were on different levels. The volcano in the Heavenly Eye Mountain must have existed for countless years, and the cumulative fire toxin was extremely frightening. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have transformed the gold stone as it did. A Battle Sect powerhouse was not weak.
The emerald green flames around Xiao Yan vaporized the red energy, and the fire toxins within the red energy were forcibly repelled by the flames, unable to come into contact with Xiao Yan’s body. This continuous descent lasted nearly ten minutes before the dark golden skull in Xiao Yan’s hand gradually became hot, exuding a faint light.
Seeing the reaction of the skull, Xiao Yan’s heart lifted slightly. Slowing his pace, he eventually stopped, his gaze fixed downward. The space there seemed faintly distorted, and the red liquid, as if encountering an invisible barrier, parted away. “This must be the spatial mirror,” Xiao Yan thought, his eyes showing a hint of solemnity. He could sense its formidable strength, and breaking in would be exceedingly difficult.
Lifting the dark golden skull, he gently pressed it against the invisible spatial barrier. Instantly, the skull burst with a dazzling light, and ripples appeared on the spatial barrier, forming a passage that Xiao Yan could pass through. Seeing this, Xiao Yan’s face grew even more solemn. Storing the skull in his storage ring, he took a deep breath, and emerald green lotus flame engulfed his body. After setting up his defenses, he cautiously swam through the passage.
As soon as he passed through the passage, Xiao Yan felt a powerful pressure assaulting him, and his body sank several meters before stabilizing. Stabilizing himself, Xiao Yan looked around. The area enclosed by the spatial mirror was not large, no more than thirty feet. The viscosity of the blood-red energy here was terrifying, creating a resistance ten times stronger than above.
The thick, blood-colored liquid contained dark gray particles, which emitted a pungent, scorching odor. Whenever these gray particles touched the emerald green flames, they exploded, causing the flames to tremble violently. “This must be the so-called Heavenly Mountain Fire Toxin,” Xiao Yan muttered, his expression serious. “Its corrosive power is truly terrifying. No wonder even someone like Gold Stone would not dare to linger here too long.”
Below Xiao Yan was a uneven, crater-riddled terrain. These craters continuously emitted gray smoke, filled with fire toxins, indicating that a boiling active volcano lay beneath the blood pond.
Scanning the area with a sense of awe, Xiao Yan swam and sat cross-legged in the blood-red liquid. The emerald green flame within him continuously surged, blocking the fire toxins. “If not for my Flame, even knowing this is a treasure trove, I wouldn’t dare come down,” he sighed in relief, forming cultivation seals swiftly as his eyes closed.
In just a few minutes, Xiao Yan entered a state of cultivation, and a fierce suction force surged from his body. With the onset of the suction, the silent, blood-red liquid area became agitated. The viscous, red energy, shocking in its density, flowed like waterfalls into Xiao Yan’s body.
As the blood-red liquid contacted the emerald green flames, a sizzling sound erupted, and the gray particles dispersed. Under the emerald green flame, the fire toxins could not enter Xiao Yan’s body. The blood-red liquid without the fire toxin was highly beneficial, but the two elements were tightly intertwined after many years. Without the emerald green flame, separation would be impossible.
When the first wave of blood-red liquid entered Xiao Yan’s body, his entire frame trembled. Such immense energy, if absorbed normally, could sustain several days of cultivation. But now, it was happening in a matter of moments, no wonder the Devouring Golden Rat Clan had gone to such lengths to conceal it. If the fire toxins could be completely removed, the Devouring Golden Rat Clan’s strength would surge.
Directing the vast amount of energy along the meridians according to the Heavenly Flame Art, Xiao Yan felt his body’s veins, bones, muscles, and even cells greedily consuming the energy, and they rapidly strengthened. The blood-colored, viscous energy seemed to have a special effect, very strong in terms of absorption. There was also a faint sense of vitality, always keeping his body in a vibrant state, immensely profound.
If anyone saw him now, they would notice that Xiao Yan’s entire body was turning blood-red, the vast, viscous energy occupying every inch of his flesh, even making his skin more flexible. Overjoyed, Xiao Yan felt certain that this place could help him break through to the Battle Emperor level. Even if the energy required for that breakthrough was vast, he had confidence that he could fill that void here!
At the bottom of the blood pond, Xiao Yan was provided with the abundant energy needed for a complete transformation. Here, he could absorb freely without worrying about running out of energy. The feared Heavenly Mountain Fire Toxin posed no threat to him, making this place seemingly perfect for him. Although the absorption rate was alarming, Xiao Yan knew that breaking through to Battle Emperor would still take time, and the energy required for the peak of Battle Emperor was enormous.
Sitting cross-legged like a corpse at the bottom of the blood pond, emerald green flames constantly protected Xiao Yan. The viscous, blood-red energy flowed continuously through the flames, injecting into his body. Time had no meaning here, but the aura emanating from Xiao Yan, resembling an ancient monk, was slowly rising. Though it seemed gradual, it steadily approached the gap between Battle Emperor and Battle Sect. At this pace, reaching and even breaking through to Battle Sect was just a matter of time. When that moment arrived, Xiao Yan would finally achieve the breakthrough to Battle Sect!
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