Chapter 80

Inside the Nether Demon mine, Shixi held the Juling Lamp, releasing a large expanse of green fireworks, forcibly scattering the towering gray qi pillar ahead.

The fireworks burst in pieces, the gray qi pillar was blown to fragments, with tremendous booming sounds; shockwaves spread outward wave after wave, and several elite warriors of the Shi Family were knocked over.

He fully activated the Juling Lamp, forcibly blowing apart that huge qi pillar; Shixi was drenched in sweat, panting as he smiled at Jia Zhengfeng: "Vice Sect Master, that treasure lies just ahead."

Jia Zhengfeng glanced at Shixi with a smile, naturally pointing at the Juling Lamp in his hand.

"It's a fine treasure."

Shixi's face twitched; he gave a dry 'heh heh' laugh and said, "This is a bloodline artifact of my Shi family's kin; my Shi family possesses some Giant Bloodline, so I can activate this treasure."

"Giant Bloodline... I have plenty under my command," Jia Zhengfeng said, smiling at Shixi without concern. "But since we're all on the same side, this fine treasure, even if left in your hands, naturally counts as property of our sect, right?"

Shixi gave a dry laugh, cold sweat breaking out on his back, unable to stop himself from cursing inwardly.

I had long heard that the Changsheng Sect was evil and mysterious, besides being insatiably greedy; seeing it today, it's indeed so. Before even getting hold of the blazing treasure ahead, they're already eyeing the Juling Lamp...

Lowering his head, Shixi felt a Heaven-Man Struggle within his heart.

If he could obtain immortality, this Juling Lamp... might well serve as a bargaining chip. After all, he's already prepared to sell out his Shi family; selling a bit more wouldn't matter.

Shixi's expression shifted rapidly; the Chief Steward chuckled 'ge ge' beside him, narrowed his eyes, glanced at Shixi, then warmly greeted Jia Zhengfeng: "Vice Sect Master, the treasure lies ahead... please be cautious, Vice Sect Master, for there may be risks with this treasure."

Jia Zhengfeng smiled reservedly, shook his head indifferently, and said calmly: "What do I have to fear? In the Cangyan Realm, I wonder what threat could possibly endanger me."

Speaking with lofty righteousness, Jia Zhengfeng flicked his sleeve; an oval-shaped Blood-Colored Scale Plate silently flew from his sleeve. With a 'hum', the Blood-Colored Scale Plate scattered, forming thirty-six palm-sized Blood-Colored Scale Shields that circled and danced around him.

For a moment, dazzling blood light filled the air, forming a thick Blood-Colored Light Aura around him that shielded him at its center.

Within that blood-colored aura, several slender, beautiful female figures swayed and flickered, occasionally emitting soft laughter—truly gorgeous yet eerie, causing onlookers to feel dazed and entranced.

Shixi and the Chief Steward's faces twitched simultaneously.

The Changsheng Sect's deeds are wicked; how could their protective treasure also be so wickedly sinister? Those female figures... are not anything good.

They are both quite old, yet hearing those faint, soft laughs made them feel their blood surging, as if they had returned to the impassioned fervor of youth.

Both turned their heads to see the vigorous Shi Family warriors and the Mist Blade assassins, each with bloodshot eyes, expressions somewhat dazed and confused, bodies swaying, seemingly unable to stand steady.

"Vice Sect Master, indeed a fine method," Shixi and the Chief Steward thought in shock, yet they put on smiles and hurriedly flattered him.

Jia Zhengfeng smiled, stepping forward step by step toward the fire pillar that shot straight to the heavens.

The closer he approached the fire pillar, the higher the surrounding temperature; the sand and stones on the ground had melted, thick rock layers scorched crimson. The Blood-Colored Light Aura around Jia Zhengfeng's body swayed slightly, emitting a faint 'humming' sound.

"Indeed a fine treasure, such power..." Jia Zhengfeng murmured, his eyes turning snow-bright, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, his steps suddenly quickening.

Vast flames spread from the air, heavy waves of fire washing over Jia Zhengfeng's surface blood-colored aura.

The aura trembled slightly; the thirty-six tiny Blood-Colored Scale Shields flying around suddenly sped up considerably, and six slender, beautiful female figures detached from the aura, moving like living beings as they sang and danced around Jia Zhengfeng.

With a 'thud', several Shi Family warriors were attracted by the maidens' dance; they stared wide-eyed, fixed on the blood-colored maidens, their legs going weak as they knelt on the ground.

Some strange odor drifted from them; their bodies trembled slightly, and certain unspeakable instinctive impulses arose.

"Trash... fall back!" Shixi's face flushed slightly, he hastily waved his hand.

The fire pillar shot to the sky, blazing fiercely; the surrounding gray mist was pushed far back by the heat wave, the Shi Family warriors retreated in disarray. Having left the protection of the Juling Lamp, the heat radiating from the fire pillar drove away the gray mist and cold qi, so they no longer feared the gray mist invading their bodies.

Jia Zhengfeng walked step by step to the edge of the deep pit at the center of the mine.

A three-legged, double-eared cauldron stood upright in the pit, its mouth spewing countless strands of fire shooting skyward. Clusters of fire clouds swirled and danced around the cauldron; within the fire clouds, faintly visible were Yingdragons with wings growing from their backs, occasionally raising their heads to emit a clear, resonant, awe-inspiring long cry.

The Blood-Colored Scale Shields surrounding Jia Zhengfeng's body trembled with increasing amplitude.

The firelight spewed from the cauldron seemed to clash with his protective Blood-Colored Scale Shields; strands of firelight arose from nowhere, condensing into fiery giant pythons that roared and charged at him.

Jia Zhengfeng's body trembled slightly; the cauldron's spontaneous impact made him feel immense pressure.

Amidst the 'boom boom' sounds, the cauldron seemed to sense Jia Zhengfeng's approach; suddenly, a mass of sticky fire clouds burst from its mouth, within which could be clearly seen palm-sized flames condensed into twin-winged Yingdragons; their eyes spat white firelight as they howled and rushed at Jia Zhengfeng.

The Blood-Colored Scale Shields trembled violently, emitting a piercing roar.

Jia Zhengfeng's body also swayed slightly; while enduring the cauldron's tremendous pressure, he exclaimed joyfully: "Indeed an ancient marvel... haha, this is an ancient treasure... a geode-fire ancient treasure that has given birth to spirituality."

His white, tender, youth-like palms suddenly shot out, grabbing toward the cauldron.

A large amount of blood qi surged rapidly into his palms; his white, tender palms quickly turned blood-colored, like blood-colored crystal carved, becoming semi-transparent.

His palms broke through the protection of the Blood-Colored Light Aura, pressing onto the small Yingdragon that lunged forward.

With a tremendous boom, the fire-condensed Yingdragon was smashed to pieces; Jia Zhengfeng's palms were also engulfed in firelight, and a faint scent of scorched meat drifted in the air.

This cauldron, in its utmost resistance, opposed Jia Zhengfeng's approach.

Jia Zhengfeng's aura seemed to be a natural enemy of this cauldron.

"Resistance is futile; you are destined to be mine," Jia Zhengfeng murmured, his eyes shooting out blood light about a foot long, gazing greedily at the cauldron: "With you, my status in the sect will surely rise... hey, hehe."

The Blood-Colored Scale Shields trembled violently; the six slender, beautiful female figures stood in a line before Jia Zhengfeng, exhaling blood light, constantly weakening the oncoming fire light and heat wave for him.

The Blood-Colored Light Aura entirely gathered before Jia Zhengfeng's body, the heavy aura condensing into a Blood-Colored Light Shield that firmly protected him.

Jia Zhengfeng's entire back was exposed, his rear... unguarded.

Among the handsome men and beautiful women he brought, one was tall and agile, half a head taller than Jia Zhengfeng; among women, such a stature could be called peerless. She narrowed her eyes, her long, narrow pupils instantly becoming as sly and dangerous as a spirit cat's.

A thread of cold light shot from her pupils; she suddenly lifted her head and glanced toward the vault.

A thumb-thick strand of blue light descended from the vault, swiftly sinking into the crown of her head.

Cold qi rose; her body was covered in large patches of dark blue ice crystals swirling and dancing, her clothes torn apart by the cold, revealing her smooth, white skin.

Amidst the swirling ice crystals, her body was enveloped in a set of intricately structured Xuanbing Ice Armor adorned with profound patterns; she waved her hands, and two longswords condensed from thin Xuanbing Ice Blades appeared in her hands.

Carrying piercing cold, she took a single step forward and silently thrust her longsword toward Jia Zhengfeng's vital spot on his back.

"Indeed..." Jia Zhengfeng, who was 'fully' resisting the cauldron's impact, sighed and murmured softly: "Around me, there are also you rebels... Poxi, Poxi, I have regarded you as my own daughter..."

Just moments ago, Poxi had been trembling all over from the pressure of the fire‑condensed Yingdragon spewed by the three‑legged cauldron; now she turned around completely unharmed.

Strands of fire‑condensed tiny Yingdragons frenziedly struck the Blood-Colored Light Shield; the shield blazed dazzling, like a flawless blood‑colored crystal, utterly unmoving. The original thirty‑six trembling Blood-Colored Scale Shields now hung silently within the shield, steady as mountains, making no sound at all.

Jia Zhengfeng extended his hands, translucent and crystalline like blood jade; with a 'crack crack', a pair of exquisite Blood-Colored Metal Gauntlets sprayed from his wrists, swiftly covering his hands.

Faint light flowed across the exquisite metal gauntlets; Jia Zhengfeng gazed expressionlessly at Poxi, his ten fingers trembling, tracing beautiful orchid‑like patterns of light and mist in the air.

With a 'ding', Jia Zhengfeng's fingers slammed hard onto the two ice swords.

Bo Xi's body shuddered, she violently stepped back dozens of steps, her face suddenly turned a deep crimson, her throat convulsed, and she violently spat out a stream of blood that was extraordinarily vivid red, even faintly glowing.

Ice crystals condensed on Jia Zhengfeng's ten fingers; the dark blue ice crystals rapidly spread along his arms to his entire body.

A mass of blood light erupted from Jia Zhengfeng's chest, rapidly dispelling the cold energy from his arms, and fine ice crystals sprayed from his fingertips, striking the scorched red rock ground with a violent impact, emitting a piercing 'hiss' sound.

"Long ago we discovered that among the disciples of the Changsheng Sect, many young disciples with extraordinary talent and outstanding performance behaved very strangely..." Jia Zhengfeng looked at Bo Xi, who kept vomiting blood from her mouth, and gave a sinister smile.

"After careful investigation and probing... we happily discovered that our sect, which originally excelled at digging into others' walls, planting spies, buying traitors, and seizing nests, had actually been planted with a spy..."

Jia Zhengfeng gave a strange laugh, cursed a profanity: "From the Sect Master to us Vice Sect Masters, and all the Elders and Grand Elders, it's really too pleasant of a surprise... Too bad we haven't caught a live specimen... Bo Xi, are you willing to be the first live specimen?"

Jia Zhengfeng stared fixedly at Bo Xi, seriously examining the twin swords in her hands and the armor on her body.

"Which faction do you belong to? Why are you hiding in our Changsheng Sect? Where do you come from, what do you intend to do? What schemes? What plans?"

"And what's with this set of gear? You are only at the Half-Step Chonglou Realm cultivation, yet wearing this gear you can withstand thirty percent of my magical power's strike... and even a chill can invade my body."

"What's with this set of gear?"

The expressionless girl Bo Xi looked at Jia Zhengfeng and said in a cold tone: "You want to capture me as a live specimen? Do you know who you're opposing?"

Jia Zhengfeng laughed brightly: "Precisely because we don't know, that's why we want to capture a live specimen and torture them... Bo Xi, you've followed me for so many years, you should know the various tortures of our Changsheng Sect... especially for a young woman like you, how cruel and terrifying it is."

Spreading his hands, Jia Zhengfeng smiled: "How about you surrender? Then confess properly? Out of past sentiment, I'll give you a way to live."

"Idiot." Bo Xi's eyes suddenly turned a pure blue.

Cold, piercing, an emotionless blue.

"Are you not Bo Xi?" Jia Zhengfeng startled, stepped back, and shouted sternly: "You... what are you? Bo Xi just... was... you, you, you..."

Bo Xi raised her head and glanced at the vaulted ceiling.

"Foolish and ignorant..."

A bowl-thick blue light descended from the heavens and quickly entered Bo Xi's body.

The Xuanbing Ice Armor on Bo Xi's body writhed rapidly, becoming more splendid and heavier, swiftly transforming from a set of agile light armor into a fully enclosed heavy armor.

She brought her hands together, and the two originally agile single-handed longswords also transformed into a single two-handed heavy sword eight chi long.

A terrifying cold surge emanated from her body in waves; wherever it passed, the ground was quickly covered with ice up to three inches thick.

The cold ice spread outward, and when it neared the circular pit where the Three-Legged Cauldron stood, the ice and fire forces violently collided, continuously emitting muffled thunder-like explosions.

"Changsheng Sect? Guess how many of our people are in your Changsheng Sect?" Bo Xi, who seemed completely transformed, exhaled a long stream of cold energy from her eyes and asked Jia Zhengfeng in a strange voice.

"Who... exactly are you?" Jia Zhengfeng's face darkened, and he actually felt a strong threat from the transformed Bo Xi.

But Bo Xi's own cultivation is only at the Half-Step Chonglou Realm!

And Jia Zhengfeng had already been a Chonglou Realm master a hundred years ago; over the past century his progress has been rapid, and he has already stepped one foot into the realm above Chonglou.

They differ by almost an entire Chonglou Realm... how could she pose a threat to Jia Zhengfeng?

Bo Xi gave a strange laugh, brandished the heavy sword, and slashed straight at Jia Zhengfeng.