Passing through the dazzling five-colored light curtain, one officially steps into the inner sanctum of the Divine Fire Hall, where the temperature soars to levels unbearable for ordinary cultivators.
Hot! Very hot! Extremely hot!
This is Qing Muling’s sole sensation as he enters a world enveloped in a bright red glow, with waves of heat assaulting him. Despite his peak Heart Demon realm cultivation, he still feels an uncomfortable heat, as if he were inside the burning walls of a blazing furnace.
As a refining ground exclusively used by the Mysterious Dao Venerable, imbued with the essence of Dao Rhyme for millions of years, the laws of the Dao here have become starkly different from elsewhere. It is more apt to say that this place is a super cauldron itself rather than a mere palace ruin.
Xuebing Xuan and the other ladies promptly summon various magical treasures or cast divine abilities to fend off the surrounding high temperatures.
The Harmony Spirit Seed within him vibrates, releasing strands of chaotic essence that bring waves of coolness and tranquility, easily dispelling the surrounding heat, which Qing Muling quickly suppresses within his body. After all, with outsiders present, it’s best to remain cautious.
“Junior Brother, can you withstand it?”
Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord gracefully waves her jade hand, and a handful of moonlight-cold radiance falls, forming a beautiful, rounded light canopy that envelops Qing Muling, significantly easing the unbearable heat.
“Much better now.”
Qing Muling nods. With her profound cultivation, handling such a situation is effortless.
Under the effect of the spatial formation array, the interior of the hall appears vast, easily spanning tens of thousands of miles, resembling an independent world.
As far as the eye can see, there are continuous peaks, rugged boulders, towering ancient trees, and babbling lakes and streams. However, everything, including the flowing water, shimmers with a bright red luster, constantly emitting terrifying heat.
Above, the dome is covered with dense red clouds, resembling rolling flames burning overhead, occasionally flashing with dazzling red divine brilliance.
“Don’t look, there’s nothing good here,”
Fengxia says, “The real opportunity lies at the deepest part of the hall, in the Quenching Treasure Pool used by the Dao Venerable. Don’t delay; let’s hurry over! If their luck isn’t too bad, they should have gained quite a bit by now.”
Qing Muling glances at her and doesn’t refuse: “Very well, let’s go together.”
His innate divine sense confirms Fengxia’s words, so he raises no objections.
Xuebing Xuan watches her warily, her hand never leaving the hilt at her waist. From her perspective, there are ample reasons to guard against this little phoenix in every aspect.
Leading the way, Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord is followed closely by Qing Muling as they head towards the depths of the hall. The path underfoot seems smooth, paved with translucent bright red jade stones, leading to the depths of this world.
Yet on this seemingly empty jade stone path, there are many invisible traps and restrictions. Occasionally, inexplicable starlight and mist appear abruptly, which they must avoid in advance, as contact would be very troublesome.
Along the way, Qing Muling tests Fengxia several times, letting her point out the dangers along the path and verify them against his own senses. She not only accepts willingly but also does her utmost without any intention of misleading or deceiving.
As they delve deeper, the surrounding heat becomes more unbearable, to the point where even Yu Binghua and Qi Shuyu find it difficult to endure. Xuebing Xuan and the other higher-cultivation ladies can still withstand it, while Fengxia seems unaffected, as this environment is most conducive to her growth.
Thus, they proceed, stopping occasionally and sometimes waiting in place, as some special restrictions are triggered or deactivated at set times, requiring precise timing to navigate. Some restrictions cannot be forcefully broken through and must be circumvented.
This shows that the cultivators fortunate enough to enter this place in search of opportunities all have some trump cards, and their luck certainly isn’t bad, otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to avoid these invisible traps and restrictions in time.
Qing Muling isn’t surprised by this. The powers behind them have been able to pass down their heritage for millions of years without decline, so their foundation and inheritance are naturally not lacking. It’s not impossible for them to produce special methods to cope with the restrictions and traps here.
Moments later, Qing Muling and his party have covered nearly half the distance.
“After two more teleports, we’ll catch up with the previous batch of cultivators!”
Fengxia suddenly says, “And behind us, it seems new forces have entered, though their speed won’t be too fast. What’s your plan now?”
“I’ve sensed it too.”
Qing Muling responds calmly, “Ahead should be the team from the Dragon Tiger Pill Cauldron Sect. Can you find a way to bypass them? This place doesn’t seem suitable for a massacre.”
Is he finally willing to trust me?
Fengxia is inwardly pleased and immediately says, “Of course, I know the most convenient passage that will ensure we reach the Quenching Treasure Pool smoothly without encountering other teams.”
Qing Muling nods slightly, “Then lead the way.”
Xuebing Xuan frowns slightly, looking at Qing Muling with some concern but hesitates to speak. What if this little phoenix has ulterior motives?
Yu Lingzhou turns back and gives Xuebing Xuan a subtle look, signaling her to be at ease.
Their trust isn’t placed in Fengxia, but in Qing Muling, for the Junior Brother has never let them down.
Twenty steps away, a space ripple filled with illusory colors appears, and Fengxia steps into it without hesitation.
Qing Muling pauses briefly, sensing no danger, and follows suit. Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord once again steps in front of him, her elegant and slender silhouette fading and vanishing.
When he completes the teleportation, Fengxia and Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord are already waiting on the other side, surrounded by an unfamiliar red lake. Apart from the red reef a dozen acres in size under their feet, the rest is a churning, boiling lake.
The terrifying heat is enough to make ordinary Elemental Immortals feel overwhelmed. Without suitable magical treasures or divine abilities, one can only stop here.
Qing Muling surveys the surroundings without comment. The water in the vast lake appears extremely viscous, and it’s unclear whether it’s water or molten lava.
“Hold on, we can teleport again in twenty breaths.”
Fengxia explains, her bright eyes shimmering with red, and a faint phoenix shadow emerges behind her. The ladies can clearly sense the rolling heat from all around being drawn to her and merging into the phoenix shadow.
Twenty breaths later, Fengxia steps into the space ripple again, followed by Qing Muling and Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord.
This time, the destination of the teleportation is different. When Qing Muling’s vision returns to normal, he sees a lake even more vast than before, but this time they are on the shore, and the water is a normal azure blue.
The lake is perfectly circular, bordered by exquisite flower-carved aquamarine crystal jade railings. On the adjacent land, there are many finely carved pavilions and towers with clearly visible tables, chairs, and beds, all made of the same crystal jade material.
Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord, with a serious expression, summons a fist-sized sea-blue pearl, floating three feet above Qing Muling’s head. Layers of moist and cool light spread out, enveloping everyone, with the sound of ocean tides faintly audible. This is one of her defensive treasures.
“Are we really the first to arrive?”
Qing Muling looks into the distance, not spotting any other cultivators, which is an unexpected delight. It seems Fengxia hasn’t deceived him.
“That’s right, the closest team from here will take at least half an hour to arrive!”
Fengxia smiles modestly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Qing Muling, finally able to prove herself in front of him.
Qing Muling nods slightly and approaches the crystal jade railing nearby.
“Is this the Quenching Treasure Pool?”
“Yes, the Mysterious Dao Venerable used this pool to refine and purify various rare materials, quenching various Spirit Treasure embryos, and some finished Postnatal Spirit Treasures would also be nurtured here year-round. Damaged treasures can also be immersed in the water for repair and nourishment.”
“So, the water in this pool is quite extraordinary?”
“Of course, it is said to be a blend of various true waters and spirit liquids collected from heaven and earth by the Mysterious Dao Venerable, melted into one with great divine abilities. He then ventured into the depths of the Harmony Void to slay nine powerful innate spirit beasts, infusing their essence blood and souls into it. After twelve grand cycles, this pool of profound water essence with supreme uses was nurtured.”
Fengxia patiently explains, its greatest benefit being that any magical treasure or Spirit Treasure embryo, if quenched in this water during formation, not only greatly increases the success rate of refinement but also enhances its grade. For instance, a lower-grade Postnatal Spirit Treasure can be upgraded to a middle-grade, and a middle-grade can become a higher-grade, and so on.
If it’s a magical treasure or weapon embryo, undergoing this process can elevate it by at least two grades. If a finished magical treasure or Spirit Treasure is nurtured here for a long time, there is also a chance to enhance its grade.
Yu Lingzhou’s eyes light up with excitement, “Can we take some of this water back with us?”
If any sect or power obtains this essence of profound water and uses it in large quantities, it could elevate the combat level of all disciples and members by one or two tiers. As a master in the field of refining, Yu Lingzhou is naturally very tempted.
Fengxia shakes her head, “Impossible, the nature of this essence of profound water is too peculiar. Once it leaves this place, its effects will quickly dissipate, reducing it to a mundane substance. No Spirit Treasure can preserve it for long.”
Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord glances thoughtfully, “The giant Formation Array around this Quenching Treasure Pool is key to maintaining the essence of profound water, right?”
“Of course, this Formation Array was personally arranged by the Mysterious Dao Venerable. Not only is it complex and difficult to replicate, but the many rare materials required for the array are also not easy to gather.” Fengxia says.
“Then I’ll have to give it a try.”
Qing Muling smiles. The space within the Blue Lotus leaf phantom should be able to store a large amount of this essence of profound water and ensure its effects don’t dissipate.
As for the Formation Array, he can use the recording ability of the Blue Lotus leaf phantom to accurately replicate every detail of this giant array and bring it back to his master, Mu Yinghua.
With the vast resources obtained from the Misty Illusion Secret Realm, it’s not a fantasy for Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace to create a smaller Quenching Treasure Pool. The only difficulty might be that setting up the array requires a Quasi Holy Emperor to preside over it personally.
However, Qing Muling’s cultivation is not far from the Destiny Realm. Once he breaks through successfully, he should be able to heal Xinyu Emperor ahead of time, and then it would be perfect to have her take charge of this matter.
Fengxia looks at the beautiful young man beside her with confusion, not understanding what unknown special method he possesses. Unless he already has the cultivation of a Quasi Holy Emperor, but is that possible?
After some thought, she continues, “Alright, let’s try our luck now! Just stand by the railing, concentrate your divine sense into a thread, and probe into the Quenching Treasure Pool. Whether you gain anything depends on fate.”
Qing Muling says, “In that case, let’s release all the fellow sect sisters so they can all have a chance to try.”
With that, the elegant and beautiful starship emerges from his body, and nearly two thousand dazzling female cultivators appear. Suddenly, the place is filled with the rustling of jewelry and the fragrance of flowers, a lively scene of chattering and laughter as pairs of curious eyes look around.
“Don’t get distracted, focus on the task at hand.”
Yueyi Heavenly Lord commands authoritatively. Since the outer sect cultivators will inevitably arrive here, conflict and fighting are unavoidable. Fortunately, their side has an absolute advantage in numbers, so there’s no need for too much concern.
The female cultivators compose themselves and quickly form an array, their mana connecting seamlessly, with the Supreme Elders acting as the core nodes of the array, allowing for swift transitions between offense and defense.
After all preparations are complete, Yu Lingzhou concentrates her divine sense into a thread and cautiously probes into the water, trying to communicate with the treasures at the bottom of the lake. If she resonates with a certain mystery, a treasure will respond and be subdued by her.
The Lolita Elder is quite lucky. After several breaths, accompanied by a deep and pleasant humming sound, dazzling divine light shines, and a stream of light gracefully leaps out of the water, flying into her hands.
It’s a delicate and beautiful ladies’ fan, with a semi-transparent fan surface diffusing bright luster, and a subtle aura of authority. Judging by its grade, it’s an upper-grade magical treasure.
“It’s a good item, but unfortunately not suitable for Junior Brother to use.”
Yu Lingzhou glances at Qing Muling with a hint of regret. With her own cultivation level, she naturally wouldn’t care for such an item, and Qing Muling wouldn’t accept such a feminine magical treasure.
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Xuebing Xuan says with interest, releasing her divine sense towards the lake surface. The other ladies follow suit, all pondering the same thing: hoping to obtain a suitable magical treasure to present to Qing Muling, to win his favor and have the chance to get closer to him in the future.
Qing Muling also begins to try. When his divine sense touches the lake surface and extends into the depths, he immediately discovers that the space inside is much larger than imagined, essentially another Hidden Cave Mystical Realm.
At the unfathomable bottom of the lake, many varying auras lie dormant, some fierce and domineering, some grand and majestic, some cold and deep, some gentle and peaceful… a multitude of them.