Chapter 871: The Opportunity of Compensation

As Li Luo was moved by the strange sight before him, Xu Xu's voice drifted softly: "This place was once the ancestral altar of the Fire Spirit Monkeys. Whenever a new Monkey King is born, the entire tribe gathers here; the Monkey King drinks a sip of the pool's water, then casts an unripe 'Flame Infant Holy Fruit' into it. Over time, most of the 'Flame Infant Holy Fruits' are corroded by the water—only a rare few manage to refine perfectly through its fire energy."

"And whenever a new Monkey King is born, the monkeys divide and consume one ripe fruit in celebration."

"This place is a secret sanctum of the Fire Spirit Monkeys. Only by capturing the Monkey King and terrifying its spirit—until its fear reaches its peak—will it flee in panic and take refuge here."

Li Luo murmured in wonder; the world truly held strange marvels—who could have imagined such a mystical place hidden within this volcano?

Had Xu Xu not obtained fragments of the 'Corroding Spirit True Demon's' memories, they would never have discovered this secret.

"That water-fire pool absorbs the essence of subterranean springs and volcanic fire, their convergence forming this very phenomenon. The pool's water possesses a miraculous effect in tempering the body. Your Glassy Calamity Body is still incomplete—if you harness this water-fire energy to forge it further, you may very well perfect it."

Hearing Xu Xu's words, a flame of eagerness flickered in Li Luo's eyes—this opportunity was indeed excellent.

"Younger brother Li Luo, I offer this as my apology. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me a little?" Xu Xu said softly.

Li Luo smiled. "Sister, feel free to annoy me more often—as long as you remember to call me when another opportunity like this comes up."

Xu Xu paused, surprised by his directness, then let out a light laugh.

"If you're satisfied, then hurry and seize this opportunity. Once it's done, we can leave quickly," she said.

Li Luo nodded, his figure shifting instantly to land beside the 'Water-Fire Miracle Pool.' He reached out and unceremoniously scooped up the two floating 'Flame Infant Holy Fruits.'

With the 'Flame Infant Holy Fruits' secured, Li Luo felt a weight lift from his heart—this mission in the Dark Domain was finally completed, and the problem that had plagued Uncle Biao for years could now be resolved.

He then gazed hungrily at the 'Water-Fire Miracle Pool' before him—by the look of it, to temper his body, he would have to enter it himself.

Li Luo paused, gently tapped the crimson bracelet on his wrist, then quietly removed it along with some outer garments, placing them beside the pool.

He was reminding the Three-Tailed Sky Wolf within to keep watch over Xu Xu.

Though Xu Xu's current behavior seemed untouched by the 'Corroding Spirit True Demon,' Li Luo still did not fully trust her. This cousin of his possessed deep cunning and strategic depth; without understanding her true state, he felt it wise to remain cautious, lest he be betrayed during cultivation.

As Li Luo set down the crimson bracelet, the 'black insect' formed by Xu Xu cast a glance its way—but said nothing, instead retreating a few paces back.

Xu Xu understood: she had manipulated Li Luo once. Though she acted for her own survival, having opened this precedent meant Li Luo would never truly trust her again.

Li Luo stepped into the pool. As his skin touched the water, a searing, piercing heat surged through him—but after several breaths, a cool, clear sensation welled up, soothing the burn.

The two sensations alternated continuously, granting Li Luo a wondrous sensation of ice and fire intertwined.

Yet, it was quite comfortable.

Li Luo sat cross-legged within the Water-Fire Miracle Pool, activating the Dragon Breath Calamity Refining Art, inhaling and exhaling the pool's strange energies.

His body gradually radiated golden light; within the glow, flowing patterns of glassy luminescence could be seen. As the pool's energy circulated through his flesh, the glassy luster grew steadily clearer and brighter.

Li Luo could clearly sense his blood and flesh rejoicing, radiating intense longing—clearly, this Water-Fire Miracle Pool was profoundly effective in tempering the body.

He quickly activated Ping Bi Wai Zhong Jie, greedily absorbing the water-fire energy within the pool.

At a distance from the Water-Fire Miracle Pool, Xu Xu silently watched the glassy luster glowing on Li Luo's skin—this radiance represented his latent foundation.

In Outer Shenzhou, the Glassy Calamity Body was nearly standard among sect prodigies. When Xu Xu herself was in the Calamity Body stage, she had also cultivated the Glassy Calamity Body, so she knew—even among Glassy Calamity Bodies, there were distinctions of strength.

Li Luo's physical strength had long been sufficient to cultivate the Glassy Calamity Body, yet he had never rushed into it—he clearly harbored greater ambition: to achieve the highest-tier variant, the 'Three-Light Glassy.'

Such a level of Glassy Calamity Body was beyond the reach of ordinary prodigies, requiring not only rare opportunities but also extraordinarily stringent foundational requirements.

Yet Li Luo seemed capable of meeting them.

"His talent is even stronger than mine was," Xu Xu murmured inwardly. Then her gaze flickered to her own black insect body, a flicker of revulsion crossing her eyes—though she suppressed it instantly.

She disliked this True Demon's original form too—but to restore her talent and secure her path to survival, her mind was not easily swayed by such appearances.

Once Li Luo brought her back to the ancestral manor, all these years of suffering would finally bear fruit.

As Li Luo immersed himself in body tempering, a day passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, the black mist that had blanketed the forest vanished entirely; Li Li Fengyi, Zhao Zhao Jingyu, and others gradually awoke.

The moment they awoke, their eyes filled with terror as they scanned their surroundings.

"We're still alive?" Li Li Fengyi's face shifted, turning to Li Jintao and Deng Deng Fengxian.

Both looked equally bewildered. When the black mist had surged, all their defenses had failed, and then their minds had spiraled into one nightmare after another.

Their sudden awakening left them feeling as if they had crossed through lifetimes.

"Where is the Corroding Spirit True Demon?" Deng Deng Fengxian scanned warily—but saw no trace of it.

"Where's my little brother?!"

Li Li Fengyi's expression suddenly changed—she realized Li Luo was gone. Instantly, panic seized her.

Li Jintao remained calm, however—he spotted a jade slip floating ahead. He caught it, swiftly scanned its contents, and his expression eased.

"Don't worry. Third brother seems to have gone deep into the mountains seeking the Flame Infant Holy Fruits. This is his note—it says the Corroding Spirit True Demon has also been eliminated?" Li Jintao handed the jade slip to Li Li Fengyi, uncertainly.

Li Li Fengyi snatched it, read it quickly, then frowned. "What exactly happened? How could the Corroding Spirit True Demon vanish so suddenly? Is this note even real?"

Her cascade of questions revealed her utter confusion.

Deng Deng Fengxian glanced at it too, eyes filled with suspicion.

"The Xiangli within is definitely Third Brother's," Li Jintao scratched his head. The Xiangli in the jade slip was unmistakably Li Luo's.

"Third Brother is sharp. I think the note is genuine. Since he said to wait here two days, shouldn't we wait?"

Li Li Fengyi's face shifted, then sagged in resignation.

"Fine—we'll wait two days. If he doesn't return by then, we'll leave immediately and turn this Dark Domain upside down until we find him!"

While they fretted over Li Luo's disappearance, Zhao Zhao Jingyu's group also felt the relief of survival.

"Quickly, find my arm—and get out of this hellhole as soon as possible!" Zhao Zhao Jingyu's face was pale, teeth clenched.

The others scattered immediately to search for his severed arm.

Moments later, seeing no trace of it, Zhao Zhao Jingyu's heart sank. If he could recover his original arms, the injury wouldn't be severe—but if they were lost, matters would grow far more complicated. Even with medicinal remedies to regrow limbs, the new arms would never regain their former strength.

For him, this would be a devastating blow.

"Damn it!"

Zhao Zhao Jingyu raged inwardly—he never imagined coming to the Dark Domain would bring such misfortune: facing one True Demon and aberration after another, now losing both arms and his Spatial Sphere.

For the first time, he truly regretted coming here to trouble Li Luo.

Fortunately, Li Luo seemed to have vanished, likely hunted down by the mysterious True Demon that appeared earlier—this was the only good news.

"Go!"

Zhao Zhao Jingyu gritted his teeth and decisively chose to retreat, no longer lingering.

The other companions, upon hearing this, nodded in agreement; the mysterious True Demon had indeed instilled great fear in them, so none wished to remain longer in this Dark Domain.

Thus, at their command, a large force began a chaotic, disordered retreat.

Li Li Fengyi and the others made no move to stop them; after all, Li Luo's condition was unknown, and they had no interest in further entanglements with Zhao Zhao Jingyu and the rest.

As the noise of chaos and commotion faded into the distance, the mountain forest once again fell silent.

Only Li Li Fengyi and the others exchanged uneasy glances, their faces filled with worry as they gazed into the depths of the mountains.