“Boom!”
A giant hundreds of zhang tall collapsed, its entire body riddled with countless holes from fierce attacks. The moment it fell to the ground, it was rapidly corroded into a pool of blood.
Lu Yu leaned against a rock, his arm covered in countless deep gashes that resembled snarling mouths, each split revealing visible nerves and white bone beneath.
Huowu stood aside, his black robe slightly damaged, but feeling much lighter after changing into another new black robe.
“This colossal demon ape?” Lu Yu stared at the giant gradually dissolving into blood. Its face and physique were strikingly similar to a demon ape, magnified hundreds of times.
Huowu said, “Legend has it that those ancient lives had always existed within the Domain of Unified Demons. It was the arrival of humanity that expelled them from this domain. Some powerful beings remained here because the cost of driving them away was simply too great!”
Lu Yu’s arm had mostly recovered, and he began walking toward the giant.
This is a level six troll ape, whose strength is close to the peak of level six.
Originally, this kind of battle wasn’t something Lu Yu’s level could even participate in.
However, Lu Yu’s eagerness for battle astonished Huo Wu!
Under the attack of the troll ape, Lu Yu didn’t even have the chance to use his “Venomous Dragon’s Touch” ability, yet he managed to hold on for over ten minutes.
Finally, just before the secret realm time was about to end, Huo Wu finally decided to lend a hand.
“Damn it! Not even a single Star Spirit Pearl dropped!” Lu Yu searched thoroughly around the spot where the troll ape had fallen, but found nothing.
“There are still a few minutes left before departure,” Lu Yu checked his watch and glanced at the sky, thinking it was no longer necessary to continue the search.
“There’s something here!” Huo Wu stood before a low mountain ravine, looking at several piles of rubble. She bent down slightly for a closer look, then said in disappointment, “What is this? It seems to be related to poison.”
“Poison?” Lu Yu perked up immediately upon hearing this. Stepping forward, he saw, among the rubble, a severely weathered skeleton whose bones had turned pitch-black. In the left hand of this skeleton was clenched the heart of some animal still bearing traces of life.
The person’s five fingers were still in a tense position, as if trying to crush the heart.
“When entering, that ball of light mentioned there had been more than ten previous entrants; this must be one of them!” Lu Yu moved even closer and saw that the heart-like mass still seemed alive, subtly pulsating at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
“Anyone who can enter the Mysterious Channel is formidable. My father once came here, but eventually left empty-handed.” Huo Wu attempted to reach out and grab it, but as her hand approached within about half a foot of the heart, countless fleshy tendrils suddenly extended from the heart, trying to entangle her hand.
Huowu quickly pulled her hand back in shock and exclaimed, “I know what this is! This is the heart of a three-headed hell serpent! Lu Yu, you need its poison—it’s essential for evolving the final stage of your Venomous Dragon’s Touch.”
“This is what I really care about! You mentioned that it’s related to the Toxic Dragon’s Touch evolving to the ninth level; how are they connected?” Lu Yu asked while carefully examining the corpse. Although the entire body had turned black, the signs of severe weathering on the corpse were also evident.
Lu Yu may not be an archaeologist, but he could still tell that these remains had been there for over a hundred years.
Bones can’t possibly come to life and commit murder!
Therefore, the heart in the skeleton’s hand could not have been left there recently.
Perhaps this heart was once killed by the person to whom these bones belonged when they were still alive.
A heart from countless years ago, yet it remains as fresh as if it were just obtained. The crimson bloodstains on it are still vivid, as if it had been taken only moments ago.
Just from this, Lu Yu could already tell that this heart was extraordinary.
Huowu said, “The strongest poison of the Poisonous Dragon is so potent that even those with the Ten-Thousand-Poison Body can hardly resist it. If one cannot resist it now, one can strengthen the Ten-Thousand-Poison Body by integrating more poisons, enhancing the Poisonous Dragon’s Touch with even more toxins, and finally combining ten powerful poisons to confront the ultimate poison. The poison of the Triple-Headed Hell Snake, which consists of three different poisons mixed together, ranks eleventh among the strongest toxins and is also one of the poisons used to evolve the Poisonous Dragon’s Touch.”
“My luck has always been great!” Lu Yu glanced at Huo Wu and laughed heartily.
If you hesitate any longer, you’ll be sent back outside the channel.
When Lu Yu’s hand approached within half a foot of the heart, countless granulation tissues suddenly extended from the heart like steel needles, piercing through Lu Yu’s numerous defensive skills and into his blood vessels.
Bang!
The skeleton suddenly crumbled into ashes!
That heart seemed to have found a new prey, rushing toward Lu Yu’s palm. The heart transformed into countless flesh tendrils, like numerous venomous snakes, burrowing into Lu Yu’s arm.
Vroom!
Lu Yu’s mind went blank in an instant. In the very next moment, three indescribable waves of pain spread throughout his body.
Almost the instant these three types of pain began to spread, Lu Yu’s body had already started to detoxify.
“Screech!”
The granulation tissue that had vanished into Lu Yu’s arm seemed to come alive, letting out terrified, eerie screams as it surged back out of his body, attempting to flee.
The ability of the poison dragon is indeed astonishing.
Lu Yu was also witnessing the Ten-Thousand-Poison Body consuming other poisons for the first time.
These flesh sprouts had barely escaped halfway from Lu Yu’s arm when they began to turn black, then transformed into pitch-black ink that dripped down his arm and fell to the ground.
Stop—
The black water has corroded all the grass on the ground, and even where it dripped onto the rocks, they have become pitted and uneven!
…
Successfully absorbed the poison of the underworld serpent.
One-tenth of the ultimate evolution of the Dragon’s Touch has finally been completed!
…
“It’s just evolved, no feeling at all, not even a boost in power!” Lu Yu slightly frowned, expressing some disappointment. “Ranked 11th on the Poison List? So this is how it ends.”
“This is because you’re too greedy,” Huo Wu said seriously. “Do you know how many people would do anything to exchange for the Poisonous Dragon’s Touch? The number one poison in the world is the Poisonous Dragon’s venom. Poisons ranked from second to eleventh are merely catalysts, enhancing your body’s resistance to the strongest poison. When you finally obtain the ultimate poison, you’ll truly understand the power of the Poisonous Dragon’s Touch!”
At this moment, a glowing halo appeared beneath each of the two individuals, transporting them out of the secret realm.
This is still the Demon King’s domain, but it is not that mountain peak filled entirely with caves.
The transmission position was at least dozens of kilometers away from Tu Xue and the others, with more than ten mountain peaks separating them.
“The teleportation of the secret realm is random, so it’s better to stay away from Tu Xue and his group.” Huo Wu said, “Follow me, let’s go to the Grand Hall of the Devil King!”
The two of them flew swiftly through the mountains, one after the other.
After several hours, in the midst of mountain ranges, a colossal stone castle spanning hundreds of kilometers appeared before the two individuals.
The Demon King’s Hall resembled a vast enclosed city, with the entire castle shrouded in gigantic stones, making it utterly impossible to glimpse anything inside from the outside.
Directly ahead stood a colossal bronze gate, dozens of zhang high and more than ten zhang wide, firmly closed. Its surface was densely covered with countless beast patterns. After who knows how many years of erosion, the bronze gate had become rusty and dilapidated, with verdigris filling the cracks between the two massive doors, clearly showing that it had not been maintained for a very long time.
Just as Lu Yu and Huo Wu landed, Tu Xue stepped out from a dark corner of the castle, his voice cold as he said, “Fan Tian, we knew you were playing games with us. Did you really think you could sneak in ahead with your people?”
Huowu’s voice, once soft and feminine, now hoarse and devoid of any trace of delicacy, coldly retorted, “Haven’t you always been thinking that if I ever emerged, you would kill me and even extract my abilities?”
“However, we are quite surprised that he is still alive?” Huanying and another Demon Lord stepped forward, followed closely by the remaining four Death Warriors.
Huowu, unwilling to back down, said, “Is that really what you want—to see him die now, so that you’ll have one fewer rival in the Grand Hall of Devils?”
“Let’s not argue about this matter for now,” another Demon Lord said. “Since everyone is here, we should follow the original rule and allow them to enter the grand hall.”
“That’s right. It’s pointless to argue here!” Huanying also nodded. “Our original goal was to unify the Demon殿, and now that we’re here, it won’t benefit us if we fall out!”
“Heavenly King, where did the other woman go?” Tu Xue only saw Lu Yu, but didn’t see the other woman. Frowning, he asked, “Did you let her escape?”
“The greatest threat to me is this man. That woman, I can kill anytime I want,” Huo Wu said. “Don’t tell me you actually believe a human woman could hinder us?”
“Alright. Enough talk. Five it is.” Huang Ying pointed at Lu Yu and said, “Now, let me explain the rules one last time. After entering the Grand Hall of Unity, you’ll encounter many rooms along the way. Some rooms will be empty, while others might contain something. Your task is to venture as deep as possible into the hall’s inner chambers. If the items you bring back don’t meet our standards, you won’t have the qualifications to talk to us about freedom and the city!”
Tu Xue said, “Once you take the items out, you will be free!”
“Is it really freedom?” someone looked at the four Devil Lords, finding it hard to believe that the demon race could be so generous.
“Hmph, do you really think you can cause any real trouble? Letting you live was already too merciful,” Brahma sneered at Lu Yu and said, “Complete the mission, and I’ll grant you a swift death. Otherwise, you’ll experience once again the soul-extraction technique of my Brahma clan!”
Tu Xue, Huang Ying, and another devil monarch involuntarily tightened their expressions upon hearing the term “soul extraction,” clearly aware of the horror this technique invoked.
If you want to make a human obey without question, this soul-extraction technique is indeed the cruelest and most effective method.
Lu Yu frowned slightly, his fists clenched tightly, his expression showing great pain as he struggled to suppress his emotions.
“Alright, open the door and send them in!” Tu Xue, together with another devil monarch, approached the giant bronze gate, placing their hands on its surface.
Boom! Boom!
The two demons’ entire bodies trembled violently, emitting a thunderous roaring sound. Their bulging blue veins coiled around their bodies like snakes.
“Creak! Creak!”
The two great doors, long sealed in dust for who knows how many ages, were pushed open once more.
The gap in the door slowly widened. Specks of verdigris flaked off its surface. The beast patterns on the massive door seemed to come alive, radiating various glows as they continuously shifted and moved.
Just standing outside, the only thing they could see inside the hall was darkness; even the light from outside was absorbed and vanished as soon as it entered the darkness.
Lu Yu and the others had never seen such a strange sight before.
However, for them, even the most bizarre events had become nothing out of the ordinary.
Everything that had happened was already strange enough.
When the door was pushed open to a width of two feet, the two demons stopped, panting as if they had just fought a fierce battle, and said, “Go inside. Once you retrieve your belongings, you will be teleported out.”
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