Chapter 362: Scarlet Serpent
Chapter 362: Scarlet Serpent
In a certain area of the Earth Abyss.
"Dark Soul Lotus..."
Chen Mu took out the intact Dark Soul Lotus, which had seven petals in total, all of them deep and dark. After examining it carefully, he gently plucked one petal and placed it in his mouth.
His mindset had reached the level of 'Questioning the Dao without Return,' but the level of mindset and soul strength were two different concepts. The level of mindset merely determined the lower limit of soul strength, while the upper limit was not clearly defined.
At least for now, Chen Mu was well aware that his soul strength was not as powerful as those of the Heaven-Man Unity's peerless experts.
Being able to enter the Blood Replacement Realm and step into the third stage of insight, every one of them, in terms of mindset level, would not be inferior to his, and they had all soaked in that realm for several decades or even hundreds of years, making their martial willpower unshakably strong.
Although he had also reached the 'Questioning the Dao without Return' realm, and his soul strength could rival any Blood Replacement expert, it was quite normal to be a bit inferior compared to the Heaven-Man Unity existence. This Dark Soul Lotus, however, could help him improve a bit.
The lotus petal dissolved in his mouth.
Immediately, it turned into a cool sensation that quietly rose and flowed into his head.
In an instant, Chen Mu felt as if his consciousness was being soaked in a cool pond, bringing a sense of comfort and pleasure, and his consciousness seemed to gradually become more alert, and his thoughts became clearer.
Not long after.
Chen Mu regained his composure.
He sensed his body and didn't feel much change, but his perception seemed to have become a bit clearer, which undoubtedly reflected the enhancement of his soul strength.
The strength of the soul was abstract and difficult to measure accurately, but he did have a way to judge it.
Swish!
With a thought, Chen Mu unleashed the Heaven-Earth Domain, and in an instant, a radius of several dozen zhang around him was enveloped by his domain, controlling all the myriad laws of the eight directions.
"It has indeed improved a bit."
Chen Mu sensed the range covered by his Heaven-Earth Domain and couldn't help but nod slightly.
His previous Heaven-Earth Domain had a coverage of around thirty-six to thirty-seven zhang, but now, with his full power, it could reach nearly forty zhang, which was undoubtedly an improvement. Even if the enhancement wasn't very noticeable for him at this point, it was still significant because, for most people at his level, it would be extremely difficult to improve even a tiny bit.
Take Qin Mengjun, for example; after she completely consolidated her realm and fully completed the blood exchange, she reached a level comparable to Yin Heng. From then on, unless she had another epiphany and achieved the third stage of insight, it might be difficult for her to make any progress for decades.
Chen Mu's current strength was no less than Qin Mengjun's.
This complete seven-petaled soul lotus, even if its effects diminished over time, would still allow him to increase his soul strength by two to threefold after fully digesting it, and his control over the Heaven-Earth Power in his domain would also increase accordingly.
"Accumulate and unleash."
Chen Mu clenched his fist and whispered to himself.
For many, the Marrow Wash Realm was the end, but for him, it was a realm that focused on building a solid foundation. He intended to cultivate the Heaven-Earth Martial Body to an unprecedented limit in this realm and then challenge the eighth realm of Body Tempering Martial Arts.
During this process, whether it was the enhancement of soul strength or the gradual improvement of his martial body, it was all about accumulation for him. When the time for blood exchange came, he would transform like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, soaring like a dragon in the abyss.
Swish.
Chen Mu continued striding forward and soon disappeared from sight.
The slight aura he displayed when he unleashed the Heaven-Earth Domain attracted attention from various places in the quiet Earth Abyss, but after sensing the oppressive pressure, those ill-intentioned gazes quickly withdrew.
Chen Mu didn't pay attention to the strong and weak auras coming from different directions. At this point, he wasn't interested in hunting down ancient demons or demon kings; only the rare treasures in the Earth Abyss could capture his attention.
...
The fourth layer of the Earth Abyss.
Somewhere.
Within a radius of several li, the ground was crisscrossed with cracks, and from within these fissures, waves of scorching heat radiated, instantly turning any ordinary person who approached into a charred corpse.
In the midst of these cracks, visible streams of molten lava flowed, and a figure walked through this scorching environment. He wore a plain white robe, a black headscarf, and cloth shoes, seemingly unaffected by the intense heat rising from the lava beneath his feet, which stirred the air around him without burning his clothes.
Even the plain cloth shoes that almost stepped on the lava didn't burn or change color, as if they were just walking on flat ground.
The figure was none other than Chen Mu.
He walked forward with a calm expression, step by step, until he reached the deepest part of the cracks. There, he saw a fiery golden orb floating in the heart of the blazing lava, constantly swallowing and spitting out waves of heat.
"The Departed Flame Orb?" Chen Mu's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
It seemed like a material for crafting Spirit Armaments, but in reality, it was a rare spiritual treasure used by cultivators of the Southern Bright Flame lineage to refine their Martial Bodies. As Chen Mu cultivated the Heaven-Earth Body and controlled the Eight Aspects, this spiritual treasure would be beneficial to him as well.
However, compared to this, he was more eager to find the 'Southern Bright Flame' to refine a Spirit Armament compatible with his Heaven-Earth Body.
It had been over ten days since Chen Mu returned to the Earth Abyss, and during this time, he had been searching for the location recorded on the Demon Hide Map. As he had expected, the Earth Abyss had undergone significant changes, making it difficult to locate the recorded region. Thus, he had been gathering resources while slowly searching for the location.
This place was the fourth layer of the Earth Abyss.
Most Grandmasters would not venture down to this layer.
Only the strongest among Grandmasters like Feng Hongsheng or the very top-tier Grandmasters would dare to explore here. Others would generally avoid this layer due to the numerous dangers it posed. The fourth layer was filled with crises, as Eighth Stage Demon Kings and Ancient Devils roamed freely, and there was even a slight chance of encountering Heavenly Demons. Despite the low probability, such an encounter would be extremely perilous, even for top-tier Grandmasters.
Chen Mu, however, explored this layer with remarkable composure. In over ten days, he hadn't found the marked region on the map, but he had made numerous valuable discoveries, most of which were spiritual treasures suitable for tempering his Martial Body. With the addition of the Departed Flame Orb, he had almost gathered enough experience to refine his Heaven-Earth Body to perfection.
Swish!
Chen Mu took a few steps forward and reached out to grab the Departed Flame Orb.
But at that moment, the scorching lava beneath him suddenly erupted, and a surge of demonic power burst forth. A giant red serpent emerged from the lava, its head rising above the surface, and it opened its mouth to spew a torrent of fire towards Chen Mu.
The concentrated demonic power caused the surrounding lava to erupt with heat, forming a blazing orb of light that rivaled the brilliance of the sun in the sky, its radiance dispelling the darkness of the Earth Abyss.
Boom!!
The next moment, the massive orb of light exploded towards Chen Mu. It had drawn upon the heat of the lava, causing the surging waves below to dim slightly, revealing the terrifying intensity of the concentrated heat within.
However, Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged. He simply raised his right hand and pressed forward with a casual flick, unleashing an overwhelming force of Heaven and Earth that was unmatched. With a loud bang, the fiery orb was instantly extinguished, disintegrating into wisps of smoke that vanished.
Now, as Chen Mu looked ahead, he could clearly see the demonic creature within the lava—a Scarlet Serpent!
Eighth Stage.
Loved heat, hated cold.
This was obviously the creature's lair, and it had the advantage of the terrain, making it incredibly formidable. Even if three or four top-tier Grandmasters joined forces to besiege it, they might not be able to defeat it in such a favorable position.
However, for the current Chen Mu, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that all creatures beneath the Heavenly Demons were mere ants. Even an Eighth Stage Demon King, with its absolute advantage of terrain, posed no threat to him.
Swish!
After extinguishing the creature's fiery attack with a single palm, Chen Mu's expression remained calm as he extended his finger like a sword and pointed it towards the creature's head.
The Scarlet Serpent was intelligent. After witnessing Chen Mu effortlessly crush its attack, it immediately realized the terrifying strength of its opponent and recognized that it was not someone to be trifled with. It reacted swiftly, twisting its body and attempting to retreat back into the depths of the lava.
However, it was already too late to retreat.
Chen Mu's attack was faster. Just as the Scarlet Serpent began to retreat, an invisible surge of energy shot out from Chen Mu's fingertip, tearing through the heat waves and breaking through the surface of the lava. It struck the Scarlet Serpent's head with pinpoint accuracy!
This strike instantly shredded the serpent's demonic power, leaving a sword-like imprint on its massive head. Compared to its enormous size, the wound seemed insignificant, but the surging Primordial Energy within had already delivered a fatal blow.
"Roar!"
The Scarlet Serpent let out a mournful shriek, its body writhing and struggling as it splashed lava in all directions. But Chen Mu remained standing, observing the scene calmly.
All the magma that sprayed towards him rapidly cooled and solidified into chunks of molten rock within three feet of his body, falling downwards and plummeting into the magma below.
Boom!!!
The Scarlet Serpent's struggles didn't last long; it only thrashed about three or four times before its massive body twisted and crashed heavily into the magma, its demonic power quickly dissipating, and its life force fading away.
Chen Mu didn't rush to retrieve the Departed Flame Orb; instead, he took a step forward and reached out his right hand to open the serpent's belly, searching within it. He then extracted a small clump of liquid with an intense scarlet hue, which was the heart's blood of the Scarlet Serpent.
After extracting the heart's blood and storing it away, Chen Mu then retrieved the Departed Flame Orb.
He shook his head slightly, feeling a bit regretful as he looked at the massive corpse of the Scarlet Serpent. This eighth-stage Great Demon King was extraordinarily valuable, but being in the Earth Abyss made it too cumbersome to carry. He had abandoned many valuable items before due to their impracticality, and he felt a twinge of pain each time.
Aside from its heart's blood, the Scarlet Serpent's body still held other treasures. Although Chen Mu had no use for them, the serpent's blood and flesh were top-grade nourishing items, beneficial to Martial Artists in the Five Viscera and Six Bowels Realm.
Chen Mu quickly shook his head and averted his gaze.
He now carried a bulging sack on his back, containing the spoils of his journey. He planned to explore the area further, and if he still couldn't find the region marked on the Demon Hide Map, he would temporarily give up and return to the surface to settle a few matters.
After making his decision, Chen Mu set off again. A few steps later, he had left the center of the fissure and quickly moved away from the pool of magma, disappearing into the Earth Abyss's dark and silent depths.
Not long after Chen Mu's departure, a figure in a green robe appeared silently between the cracks in the earth, gazing at the bubbling magma with a slight frown. Then, a three-foot-long green sword silently flew out from behind him, landing beneath his feet and carrying him towards the center.
"Hmm?"
Upon reaching the central area of the fissure, the green-robed figure stopped and stared at the churning magma with a look of astonishment.
In the midst of the magma lay the motionless body of a scarlet serpent dragon, its body still emitting a faint aura, indicating that this Scarlet Serpent had reached the eighth stage of cultivation before its death.
An eighth-stage Scarlet Serpent, taking advantage of the terrain, had died here with surprising ease.
Jiang Changsheng stepped forward, examining the wounds on the Scarlet Serpent's body, his expression growing more solemn. Aside from the wound on its belly, where its heart's blood had been extracted, there was only one other mark on its head.
Clearly, this Scarlet Serpent had been killed in a single strike, without any chance to resist.
"Blood Exchange..."
Jiang Changsheng looked ahead with a hint of apprehension. Although he now had some confidence in breaking through to the Blood Exchange Realm, he hadn't yet entered it, and the gap between his current realm and that of the Blood Exchange Realm was vast. He couldn't match the power of that realm.
No matter who was ahead, he would have to retreat for now.
Jiang Changsheng pointed his sword, slicing through the serpent's membrane and extracting some of its blood. Then, he turned around and retraced his steps, heading towards other areas to explore.
Shortly after Jiang Changsheng's departure, another figure appeared silently between the cracks in the earth, seemingly following in Jiang Changsheng's footsteps. This person wore a hemp robe, with a jade flute hanging at their waist—it was Jade Flute Guest Sang Yanqing.
Upon seeing the scene in the magma, Sang Yanqing narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Jiang Changsheng?"
"No, he doesn't have the ability to annihilate a Scarlet Serpent in this terrain. It must have been someone from the Blood Exchange Realm. But I can't discern this aura; could it be the one from the Heavenly Sword Sect?"
Sang Yanqing pondered.
After a moment's thought, Sang Yanqing stepped forward, reached out to tear open the Scarlet Serpent's demon hide, and probed inside. He quickly found something and extracted a long, slender demon tendon, coiling it a few times before turning to leave.
Although he couldn't identify who had killed the Scarlet Serpent and taken away some precious treasure, since they had shown no interest in the serpent, Sang Yanqing believed taking a tendon wouldn't be an issue.
(End of Chapter)
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