The Smoke King immediately couldn't stand it anymore: "Woof woof... You guys haven't even grown your fur yet, and you still want to interfere..."
Chapter 343 Duan De's Bad Luck
Faced with a group of petty bandits trying to poach its talent, Black Emperor couldn't stand it any longer. Jiang Liu was now a hot commodity, and it couldn't bear to give him up. The divine source of the Holy Land Immortal Stone Workshop, the immortal medicines, treasures, and even the elixir of immortality within it—Black Emperor's eyes turned red just thinking about it.
"Damn, dog demon! Brothers, let's eat dog meat tonight to warm ourselves up. Dog meat is so delicious, even immortals can't stand it! Brothers, grab this black dog..." Tu Fei, the grandson of the seventh bandit Tu Tian, looked at the Black Emperor with shining eyes, clearly a glutton.
Black Emperor's eyes instantly turned green, his teeth bared, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Immediately, people and dogs were thrown into chaos, and screams echoed through the night sky.
Not long after, the Black Emperor returned looking dejected, muttering, "Damn it, some random kid actually has a copy of an Emperor's ultimate weapon. If I didn't have some skill, I would have been caught off guard."
Under the astonished gazes of the bandits, Tu Fei staggered into the moonlight, looking utterly disheveled. His clothes were tattered, and rows of teeth marks could be faintly seen on his exposed skin, clearly the work of the large black dog.
"I never thought I'd be bitten by a dog one day, you bald-tailed black dog, if I don't stew you today, I, Tu Fei, will write my name backwards..." In an instant, an ancient pottery jar in Tu Fei's hand revealed a shocking devouring power, like a bottomless pit that could swallow a person's mind and spirit.
This is a replica of the Devouring Demon Jar of the ancient Ruthless Great Emperor. As soon as it was unleashed, a black hole formed in the sky.
"Tu Fei, stop!" Several bandits immediately stopped Tu Fei from using the replica of the Devouring Demon Jar.
The older one, Wu Zhongtian, who was the leader, shouted, "Tu Fei, don't lose sight of the bigger picture! What are you doing using this treasure now? It's just a dog bite. Forget about the bigger picture. Didn't you want to snatch a saintess? Why bother with a dog?"
Tu Fei gritted his teeth and put away the Devouring Demon Jar. He glared at the Black Emperor and said angrily, "I won't bother with a dog. If a dog bites you, are you going to bite back? I'll spare your life!"
Black King had no scruples whatsoever and immediately responded coldly, with the man and the dog exchanging insults across the distance.
Wu Zhongtian, looking apologetic, cupped his hands towards Jiang Liu and said, "Master, what do you think of my suggestion? If you're interested, let's join forces to plunder the immortal stone shops of the various holy lands..."
Jiang Liu looked at him from afar and said, "We're going to the Holy City soon. If you're interested, you can come and take a look. As for cooperation..."
Pointing at Black Emperor, he said, "You even need to use a replica of an extreme weapon for one of my dogs. I don't think you have the strength... Only the Thirteen Great Bandits behind you have the strength to cooperate with me!"
Having said that, he transformed into a rainbow and vanished, the bandits not stopping him. Firstly, because the Black Emperor had just bitten Tu Fei so badly that he screamed in agony, and even pseudo-ultimate weapons couldn't suppress him, they couldn't gauge Jiang Liu's true strength and dared not act rashly. Secondly, they were willing to befriend Jiang Liu because of the powerful Origin Technique he had revealed at the Immortal Stone Workshop earlier that day.
Just as he was out of sight of the bandits, Black King attacked. Jiang Liu was prepared; this big black dog couldn't stand being taken advantage of. He had just gotten the better of it verbally, and now it wanted to bite him to vent its anger.
The punch shattered the air, and when it landed on the Black Emperor, it rang out with a sound like a bronze bell. The big black dog, having taken the punch, grimaced and howled, "That fucking hurt! If you don't pay me back with two pieces of divine source, I'll definitely hold you hostage!"
"Suffering a loss is a blessing! Black Emperor, being too greedy will bring you bad luck. Don't collude with that fat man. You should know that whether or not you can plunder the Holy Land's Immortal Stone Market is not up to the fat man or you, Black Emperor!"
Shortly after the three men and their dog left Pingyan City, a group of people who wanted to rob them along the way followed them. However, they first encountered a band of petty bandits, and by the time they looked for Jiang Liu, it was too late; he had already vanished without a trace.
In the desolate wilderness under the cover of night, Jiang Liu finally met Duan De, who looked panicked. The moment he landed, he urgently cried out to the Black Emperor, "Black Emperor, quickly set up the divine runes and open the domain gate! Don't forget the Heaven-Deceiving Divine Rune; there's a formidable enemy!!!"
Hei Huang casually circled Duan De, sniffing him repeatedly, and exclaimed in surprise, "You encountered a demon expert?"
"Stop asking questions, just go! If you don't go now, you really won't be able to leave!"
Jiang Liu had never seen Duan De so panicked before, and asked, "Who exactly did you encounter?"
Duan De, with a long face and a look of utter dejection, said, "Don't ask any more questions, it's the Peacock King, the Azure Dragon King, and their entourage..."
Black Emperor's eyes lit up instantly, and he grinned at Duan De, saying, "Three pieces of Demon Emperor's essence blood, and I'll guarantee your escape!"
"Deal!" Duan De immediately agreed.
"Damn it, I didn't say enough!" Black Emperor's face was full of pain. Then he stood up, his big claws more agile than human hands, carving wildly in the void. Sweat poured from his forehead like a spring, as if he was struggling.
Its mastery of Dao patterns is extremely profound, and few can match it, yet it still looks so strained.
Jiang Taixu leaned closer to take a closer look, his cloudy eyes gradually clearing as he fell into deep thought.
Soon after, several beams of light appeared, and Jiang Liu and the others disappeared into the wilderness.
"Black Emperor, where are we now? Why do I feel a bit creeped out?" Jiang Liu looked around, but there was nothing there. The earth was crimson red like blood, and sand and gravel covered the ground. The stone mountains in the distance were also crimson red like blood, as silent as tombstones.
Looking up at the moon again, it was blood red, even more terrifying and ferocious than the blood moon that Jiang Liu had seen on the first day he descended into the Journey to the West world.
The Black Emperor's dog-like face had just been beaming with excitement at obtaining three drops of the Demon Emperor's essence blood, but upon seeing this scene, his smile froze, and he said awkwardly, "This place is truly desolate; you can't even see a ghost!"
Duan De let out a wail, trying to snap the Black Emperor's neck, and sighed, "My identity has been exposed, and the Demon Emperor's Heart has been sensed by the Demon Princess. Why is my life so miserable? This is the Primordial Ancient Mine! Black Dog, don't even think about giving you the Demon Emperor's essence blood, not even a drop!"
The Black Emperor immediately entangled Duan De, relentlessly saying, "Three drops of the Demon Emperor's essence blood, stop talking nonsense, or no one will get out of here."
Duan De and the Black Emperor were locked in a stalemate. Jiang Taixu finally pinpointed the location and said, "Stop arguing. This is the outer perimeter of the Primordial Ancient Mine. If you want to get out, stop fighting amongst yourselves."
Duan De reluctantly took out a drop of the Demon Emperor's essence blood, and said angrily, "Here's one drop for you. Once we're out safely, I'll give you two more drops..."
This drop of the Demon Emperor's essence blood had a crystalline luster, the bright red blood shimmering with golden light, flowing with incomparably vigorous vitality, and faintly vibrating with a powerful life aura.
Chapter 344 Dragon's Bloodshed
Jiang Taixu and Jiang Liu looked ahead with solemn expressions. Red dust filled the sky, like a thin layer of blood mist, approaching them from afar.
"Brother, can you tell anything?" Jiang Liu asked.
“If I were in my prime, I wouldn’t be afraid, but now…” Jiang Taixu smiled bitterly and said, “You have received the inheritance of the Source Master and learned the supreme source technique, so you should be able to find a way out!”
"Waaah..."
The sound of the wind was sometimes near and sometimes far, extremely frightening, like the wailing of a vengeful ghost, with dust and sand filling the sky.
"A black whirlwind, damn it, how did I run into such a terrible thing... Last time I encountered this whirlwind, I barely escaped with my life on the line!" Duan De's expression turned grim. From his words, it was clear that he had entered the Primordial Ancient Mine and had successfully escaped.
"Brother, I can't protect you anymore. If you are lucky enough to survive, we'll meet in the Holy City. If you can't escape, I'll burn divine essence for you as a sacrifice!" As he spoke, Duan De picked up a small broken bowl, which was the lid of the Devouring Demon Jar, the ultimate weapon of the Ruthless Great Emperor.
"Woof woof woof..."
Black Emperor looked at the black whirlwind and shouted even more anxiously.
Jiang Taixu opened his palm, and a small purple copper furnace instantly grew to a size of three zhang (approximately 10 meters).
"Fortunately, we stumbled upon this Divine Furnace of Departing Fire while in Shizhai, otherwise we would have been in real trouble!"
Jiang Liu knew that Jiang Taixu had gone out once one night when they were in Shizhai, but he didn't ask. He never expected that Jiang Taixu would find such a divine weapon.
In the distance, a large shadow rapidly approached, swirling like dark clouds pressing down. Red sand grains from all directions were covered by the black whirlwind and stained black, leaving shadows everywhere.
Hidden within the divine furnace, he could clearly sense the terror of the black whirlwind. A deafening roar erupted, feeling as if a gigantic hand was violently pounding on the bronze furnace, causing him to feel a terrifying force even inside the cauldron.
"Could it be some kind of creature?" Jiang Liu asked, vaguely hearing heavy breathing and the sound of a huge body taking steps, as if the earth was trembling slightly.
"Don't worry, this black whirlwind can't do anything to the Divine Furnace of Departing Fire. However... we might be carried into the Primordial Ancient Mine by the whirlwind. After that, we'll have to rely on you to get out alive. With your Source Technique cultivation, you can get out!" Jiang Taixu comforted him.
I don't know how much time passed, but the wind outside stopped, and the world became calm, with no more unusual sounds.
The Fire Divine Furnace was severely damaged by the black whirlwind, but Jiang Taixu felt no heartache.
Black Emperor looked at the divine furnace in Jiang Taixu's hand with a greedy expression and said, "Brother Jiang Liu, this furnace of yours is extraordinary. It's such a pity that it's in your hands. I'm willing to exchange it for the Demon Emperor's essence blood that I just obtained. You saw it yourself. That drop of Demon Emperor's essence blood has immense vitality and can increase your lifespan. You won't lose out."
Jiang Taixu smiled, put away the Divine Furnace of Li Huo, and said, "No need, this furnace is still more convenient to use."
"I wonder how that bastard Duan De is doing? That guy's character is really awful!" Jiang Liu said, he really didn't expect that he would actually run away on his own.
“It’s not that I’m a bad person, it’s just that I’ve had bad luck since I met this dog… If I hadn’t protected that broken furnace, you would have already been swept into the depths of the Primordial Ancient Mine.”
Duan De emerged from the sand layer on the ground, looking extremely disheveled, even spitting out a mouthful of yellow sand.
Faced with Duan De's sarcasm, the Black Emperor dared not retaliate any further. This place was already deep in the Primordial Ancient Mine, and even with his Supreme Emperor Divine Mark, he might not be able to escape.
“I have some skills, but I can’t say for sure that I can get out of this Primordial Ancient Mine. Brother Jiang, you have the inheritance of the Source Celestial Master. If we join forces, we have a great chance of getting out.”
Jiang Liu rolled his eyes. This guy's previous life was the Yuan Tian Emperor, who founded the Yuan Technique lineage. The ominousness of the Yuan Tian Master was related to him, but for reasons unknown to Jiang Liu, he severed his memories and buried himself, becoming a shameless fat Taoist priest.
"There are many legends about the Primordial Ancient Mine. It is said that even birds cannot cross it, but those who leap into the air and transform into rainbows will be annihilated, body and soul. This place is fraught with danger. One wrong step and you will be doomed. Look at this huge ravine ahead, which stretches for several miles. This kind of terrain is exactly the same as the Fire Dragon Tomb recorded in the book."
Jiang Liu pointed to a massive ravine stretching across the landscape before him, long and rugged. Upon closer inspection, it resembled a crouching dragon, so lifelike it was almost indistinguishable from the real thing. It was as if a dragon truly slept here, its weight crushing the earth to create this great rift. Ancient texts record this as an extremely ominous place, the legendary "Fire Dragon's Tomb," a burial ground for dragons.
"Fire Dragon Tomb? There is divine source here, and a treasure that is rare to come!" Both Duan De and Black Emperor had their eyes shining as they stared intently at the great rift valley.
Jiang Liu nodded and said, "According to the records, there must be a divine source inside the Fire Dragon Tomb. It is definitely a peerless treasure among sources. However, there is also a stern warning: you must avoid the Fire Dragon Tomb. Unless absolutely necessary, you must not dig it up, otherwise there will be a great disaster."
“If it were me, even at my peak, I would avoid this place and wouldn’t venture deep into it!” Jiang Taixu said.
“Brother Jiang Liu, at your peak, you should definitely avoid this place. But we are different. If we go around, we will miss a great opportunity!” Black Emperor said, his eyes shining.
"Going to the dragon's head, I feel this is a great opportunity for us!" The Black Emperor was fearless, and he felt that he had the divine runes of the Great Emperor Wushi, which could protect his life.
Jiang Liu was not worried about the "Fire Dragon Tomb". He would have to consider other extremely dangerous places, but fire-attribute dangerous places were nothing compared to the Immortal Fire Tree.
They walked for miles and finally arrived at the dragon's head. It was indeed lifelike, truly like a dragon's corpse lying on the ground.
"Damn it... I feel like I've been tricked by this dog again!" Duan De looked at the scene in front of him and was immediately terrified, wanting to beat the big black dog up.
"How can you blame me?" Blacklight's hair stood on end as he said helplessly.
In front of the dragon's head, there was a very small lake, only a dozen feet in circumference, its surface a deep crimson, the water as red as blood, a sight that made one's heart tremble.
The three people and the dog present were all highly knowledgeable. Jiang Taixu was a Great Accomplished God-King, Jiang Liuyou, and Duan De were the reincarnations of a mysterious Heavenly Venerable. The Black Emperor was connected to the Great Emperor Wushi, so they were all well aware of the dangers of this place. They all felt a chill run down their spines. The Fire Dragon Tomb was already terrifying enough, but if this Blood Lake were added, it would be the most ominous place of all.
According to records, this is "Dragon's Bloodshed," a rare sight in the world. It contains the source of the Blood God, which is almost impossible to obtain, and touching it will surely lead to death. "Fire Dragon Tomb" and "Dragon's Bloodshed" are such a landscape that if it is disturbed, even the most powerful god-king in the Eastern Wilderness will not be able to escape calamity.
Chapter 345 Devouring the Holy Spirit
A blood-soaked dragon, a place of great calamity!
Even as a Great Perfection God King, Jiang Taixu was terrified when he saw the "Dragon's Bloodshed" terrain. Not to mention that his strength was now only a fraction of what it was at its peak, even at his full strength, he would not dare to rashly touch this ominous place.
The three people and the dog grew increasingly horrified as they looked around. The blood lake was shrouded in a hazy mist, rising in wisps like vengeful spirits, ready to drag their lives into hell.
The small lake, only a dozen feet in circumference, was so red it was breathtaking, so vibrant it was suffocating; that expanse of water seemed capable of swallowing the heavens and the earth.
"This really is a dragon that spits blood!" Duan De had robbed countless tombs, even daring to break into the tomb of the Demon Emperor, but now cold sweat was pouring down his forehead.
The Black Emperor no longer dared to exchange words loudly, for it too could see the danger of this place.
Jiang Liu, however, looked intently at him and said, "Records say that the Fire Dragon Tomb and the Bloodshed of the Dragon are most terrifying at the turn of day and night. This is not the most terrifying time yet. When dawn breaks or sunset, strange phenomena may appear. Duan De, how about we join forces and you get half of what we gain?"
Duan De immediately shook his head and said, "No... I can't afford to mess with this place. Let Black Emperor go with you!"
"Woof, you shameless fatso, I will never set foot here..."
Jiang Liu curled his lip. He had intended to use the two of them as shields, but they were not fooled. No matter how much Jiang Liu encouraged or tempted them, they remained unmoved.