Chapter 31: A Dou Zun Secret Realm?
"Big monkey, take my fist!"
Zi Yan let out a coquettish shout, stepped into the void with a single stride, and vanished entirely from Jiang Yun's side. When she reappeared, she was already within half a meter of the beast. She raised that fair, tender little fist of hers and directly punched straight at it. With that single punch, a quaking shockwave rippled through the air. The sheer, pure force triggered the explosive sound of compressed air.
By now, the Snow Demon Sky Ape had also fully snapped awake. A flash of terror streaked through its crimson eyes. Only at this moment did it remember that this little creature before it was the very same one that had brutally beaten it up last time.
This was an existence it absolutely could not afford to provoke!
As the sense of danger struck, the Snow Demon Sky Ape displayed an agility and flexibility entirely unbefitting its massive frame. Just as Zi Yan's fist was about to slam into its body, it sidestepped, dodging the blow.
"Rumble—"
A ripple of force, visible to the naked eye, violently expanded outward. Everywhere the ripple passed, the surrounding boulders let out a sharp crack and were instantly fractured with countless fissures.
"Hold your hand! Let's talk this over!"
Seeing the destructive power of Zi Yan's single punch, a bead of cold sweat slid down the Snow Demon Sky Ape's forehead. It hurriedly raised its hands in a plea for mercy.
"Hmph—"
"Now you know to beg for mercy?!"
"It's too late—"
Faced with the Snow Demon Sky Ape's pleas, Zi Yan was utterly unrelenting. Once you'd provoked her, if you didn't take a beating, how could things possibly end so easily?
In the blink of an eye, the surrounding space rippled once again, and Zi Yan's figure vanished once more.
"Where?!"
The Snow Demon Sky Ape was equally on high alert. Having already suffered a loss at the hands of this transformed human little girl once before, it held nothing short of twelve parts vigilance toward her.
But the gap in talent and bloodline was simply this unreasonable.
"Right here!" Zi Yan's voice rang out once again. She had, at some unknown moment, appeared right in the Snow Demon Sky Ape's embrace.
Zi Yan was a mere 1.4 meters tall, fair and tender-skinned, as exquisitely delicate as a porcelain doll. The Snow Demon Sky Ape, by contrast, stood a full four zhang tall, its eyes bloodshot, radiating a ferocious, vicious, and bloodthirsty savagery from head to toe.
The two appearing in the same frame created an immense visual contrast, making one couldn't help but worry that Zi Yan would be torn in half by the beast.
Yet the reality was something else entirely.
Zi Yan's fair, tender little fist slammed heavily into the Snow Demon Sky Ape's chest with a resounding boom. Then, the Snow Demon Sky Ape's body, as if struck by an earth-shattering blow, was sent flying sideways, crashing directly into the mountain wall.
"Boom—"
Along with a deafening crash, mountain rocks shattered, spraying and flying in all directions. The Snow Demon Sky Ape's body was outright embedded into the mountain wall. That massive frame had been punched straight into the mountain by Zi Yan's single fist.
Truly deserving the title—humanoid tyrannosaurus!
Zi Yan's current physical strength was more than enough to thrash and hammer ninety-nine percent of all Dou Wang on the Dou Qi Continent!
Watching such a violent, brutal scene, Jiang Yun couldn't help but sigh inwardly with feeling. Although his own physical body was also terrifyingly strong, he still wasn't accustomed to Zi Yan's kind of savage, violent fighting style.
"Big monkey, you're still unable to take a beating!"
Looking at the Snow Demon Sky Ape, floored by her single punch, Zi Yan placed her hands on her hips, her face full of displeasure. She hadn't even used her full strength yet, and the other had already collapsed! Even less durable than last time!
"Roar—"
"You bully apes beyond all endurance—!"
A rank 5 demonic beast's intelligence was already no weaker than a human's. Let alone this Snow Demon Sky Ape, guardian of the Earth Core Body-Tempering Milk—its intelligence was even greater than that of an ordinary rank 6 demonic beast. Hearing such words from Zi Yan, it immediately flew into a mad, raging fury.
The Snow Demon Sky Ape let out a great roar. The snow-white fur across its entire body abruptly transformed into a blazing red. Its pair of originally merely scarlet eyes turned completely and utterly blood-red.
Its body abruptly swelled and bulked up several degrees. Its muscles expanded and bulged further. A surge of blood-red energy spread outward in all directions from its body. Its entire aura rapidly intensified.
If one said that previously, this Snow Demon Sky Ape only rivaled a 3-star Dou Wang, then right now, this Snow Demon Sky Ape was fully capable of fighting a 5-star Dou Wang!
"Bloodline power. It seems it's truly been pushed into a corner!" Watching it deploy its final, hidden trump card, Jiang Yun knew the result would arrive very quickly.
Just... was he about to lie his way to victory yet again???
"Go die!"
Having activated its innate talent, the Snow Demon Sky Ape's confidence swelled explosively. It roared furiously as it snatched up a millstone-sized boulder. It hurled the boulder at Zi Yan with violent force. The stone, carrying a howling gale, smashed into the spot where Zi Yan had just been standing. More and more boulders rained down in a torrential barrage.
Even more terrifying was how these boulders, scattering like a heavenly maiden strewing blossoms, carried a sharp, fierce, bone-chilling cold energy. Continuously freezing and expanding midair, they also continuously burst apart. If a single one of these stones, brimming with terrifying cold energy, managed to hit Zi Yan—even with the physical body of a Taixu Ancient Dragon, she would definitely not come out unscathed.
Facing the Snow Demon Sky Ape's assault, a flash of purple light flickered through Zi Yan's eyes. She suddenly inhaled a great, deep breath. From her abdomen, indistinct, faint dragon roars actually rumbled and echoed!
A surge of dragon might violently erupted from within Zi Yan's body in an instant. At this moment, though her figure was still somewhat childishly small, an intangible, majestic, and awe-inspiring aura radiated from her form, causing even the Snow Demon Sky Ape opposite her to tremble and quake in terror.
"This is..." The spectating Jiang Yun immediately felt a wave of pressure wash over him—the aura of a high-tier predator. At this moment, the Nine Divine Meridians within his body slowly radiated a faint glow, as if displeased by this bloodline-imposed pressure.
"Ang—"
A terrifying dragon's roar burst forth from Zi Yan's mouth. The dragon's roar shook the very nine heavens. In this instant, Jiang Yun felt as if he was watching a colossal purple dragon, rousing from slumber, opening its eyes, and letting forth a furious, heaven-shaking roar.
The dragon's roar came crashing and surging forth. That roar, infused with surging dragon might, could annihilate everything in its path. The domineering dragon might swept across all enemies under heaven.
The Snow Demon Sky Ape's attack instantly crumbled and disintegrated in this very moment. Those boulders wreathed in cold energy simply could not withstand this sonic onslaught and all shattered into fragments.
The Snow Demon Sky Ape was also heavily affected. Threads of blood slowly trickled from its ears and the corners of its eyes.
At this moment, the Snow Demon Sky Ape—where was the fierce, ferocious appearance of its berserk bloodline activation? It had already been scared completely witless by Zi Yan's dragon roar.
What followed was simple. The already terror-stricken Snow Demon Sky Ape, facing Zi Yan's monstrous strength, possessed absolutely no ability to resist. It was pinned firmly to the ground and pummeled ruthlessly.
Zi Yan's little fists smashed down again and again, actually beating the Snow Demon Sky Ape forcibly straight out of its berserk state! How savage and ferocious could one get?
"Hmph— a guy who just doesn't learn his lesson." After finishing, Zi Yan patted her palms. Her mood now smoothed and satisfied, she spoke with complete contentment.
Looking at the bruised, battered, swollen-faced Snow Demon Sky Ape, Jiang Yun held not the slightest shred of pity. The strong preyed on the weak—this world was simply this real. That they hadn't killed it was already mercy and righteousness enough.
"Let's go. Time for the harvest!"
With Zi Yan, the 'treasure-seeking dragon,' present, they arrived at the location of the Earth Core Body-Tempering Milk without any difficulty.
This was an underground world, covered in strange, unique stalactites. Milky-white stalactites stretched on without end. A pale white radiance, like that of night pearls, emanated from within the stalactite spires, banishing all the darkness here.
Stalactites were visible everywhere. Beneath their feet, above their heads—everywhere one looked, there were traces of them. Some even stretched a hundred meters in length. Occasionally, drop after drop of white liquid dripped down, splashing up milky-white droplets upon the ground.
"Over here!"
Just as Jiang Yun was marveling at nature's miraculous, divine craftsmanship, Zi Yan let out an excited shout. She grabbed Jiang Yun and hurriedly dashed toward the left.
That place was precisely where the power of the earth was densest and richest in this entire subterranean world.
Very soon, a colossal, inverted, suspended stalactite appeared before their eyes. One end of it connected to the dome of the mountain ceiling, while the other end drooped directly downward. Its massive body was over a hundred meters long, and its width required two people joining hands to fully encircle.
A faint, glimmering fluorescence seeped out from within the stalactite, rendering it akin to a pillar of crystalline quartz. This particular stalactite was, without a doubt, the largest and most unique one here—like the sovereign emperor among stalactites.
"Strange... I clearly remember taking all of it last time. How did it come back so quickly?" Just then, Zi Yan blinked her eyes in confusion, staring fixedly at one spot without pause.
It was an enormous slab of bluestone. At the top of this bluestone, there was a concave groove directly aligned beneath the stalactite above. Dripping water can pierce stone—this groove had been carved out by the stalactite spirit liquid over who knows how many countless years.
Within the groove, less than half a foot deep, lay some milky-white spirit liquid radiating a faint fluorescence. Pale white mist drifted and hovered above the liquid.
The moment one drew near, a feeling of utter refreshment and clarity washed over them, body and soul.
Zi Yan was now staring at that newly accumulated Earth Core Body-Tempering Milk in bewilderment. She had definitely taken all of it last time!
Could it be that this stuff wasn't as rare a treasure as Little Yun had said? But that majestic, surging energy within it could not be faked. With so many years of experience as a glutton, she could also assess the rarity of various heavenly treasures and earthly rarities to some degree.
"These aren't the true Earth Core Body-Tempering Milk. They're merely a diluted byproduct. The real treasure... is up there!"
Faced with the 'unlearned student' Zi Yan's question, the 'top scholar' Jiang Yun chuckled lightly and raised his head to look at the cave ceiling.
"Hmph—"
"Who told it to hide so sneakily!"
Raising her head to glance up above, Zi Yan had, for once, blushed a rare deep crimson. She stamped her foot with an air of great indignation and chagrin.
Jiang Yun chuckled lightly. He gently consoled her, "Alright, alright. No matter how sneakily it hid... didn't it still end up unable to escape Zi Yan's mouth?"
"That's right! That's right!" Zi Yan nodded repeatedly at these words, looking at Jiang Yun with a face full of approval. Little Yun truly understood her!
Had I not found it? No—I simply wanted to unveil this surprise together with Little Yun!
Having silently consoled herself inwardly, Zi Yan wrapped both hands under Jiang Yun's armpits. Her purple Dou Qi wings shuddered, and she flew straight upward along that vertically suspended, massive stalactite, a full hundred-odd meters long.
Very soon, the two arrived at the mountain ceiling dome. The surroundings still bore some stalactites similarly suspended from the ceiling, emitting faint, soft light—like tube lamps—bringing illumination to this entire underground world.
At the point where the giant stalactite met the mountain ceiling, faint fluorescence surged forth from all around, reflecting and mapping it as beautifully as translucent crystal. This was the true location where the greatest treasure was hidden.
"Move in closer!" Jiang Yun directed Zi Yan to slowly approach the target. Once at the right position, he retrieved a fine, top-grade cyan jade piece from his storage ring. Wrapping it in Dou Qi, he carefully cut upward from the base of the stalactite.
Under Jiang Yun's exceptional soul perception, he flawlessly carved out a small, round hole. Within the stalactite, a mass of viscous liquid, the color of jadeite, floated in suspension.
This mass of liquid, as if possessing its own spirit and nature, slowly drifted and flowed within the stalactite. The pure, refined energy it contained was no less than ten times denser than the diluted pool down below!
"Quick, quick, Little Yun!!!"
At this moment, with both her hands otherwise occupied, Zi Yan couldn't do much more than stare fixedly at the Earth Core Body-Tempering Milk, drool streaming down. Were it not for the fact that she was holding Jiang Yun, Zi Yan would absolutely have charged straight at it without the slightest hesitation.
Jiang Yun didn't keep Zi Yan in suspense. He took out a jade piece and siphoned off over half of the Earth Core Body-Tempering Milk. The crystalline stalactite naturally dimmed considerably. Still, as long as the source remained, countless years in the future, this rare treasure would once again be nurtured and born here—only, no one knew who the next destined person would be.
Having finished everything, Jiang Yun handed a bottle of Earth Core Body-Tempering Milk to Zi Yan.
"I recommend you hold off on drinking this for now. This Earth Core Body-Tempering Milk contains the power of the earth accumulated and condensed by this stalactite over a thousand, a hundred years. The energy within it is immensely vast. You're already nearly at the peak of rank 5. The energy required to break through to rank 6 is incomparably enormous. This Earth Core Body-Tempering Milk can serve as the perfect catalyst when the time comes."
Watching Zi Yan, who was already itching to down it immediately, Jiang Yun offered his suggestion at just the right moment.
"Hm?" Zi Yan looked at the jade bottle in her hand with some inner conflict. Her little face practically scrunched into the character for 'river.' There was reluctance, but also internal struggle.
Moments later, Zi Yan gritted her teeth. She handed the jade bottle to Jiang Yun and spoke through clenched jaws, "Little Yun, you hold onto it for me. I'll reach the peak of rank 5 very soon!"
Jiang Yun accepted the jade bottle and rubbed the top of Zi Yan's head. "Let's go. Let's take a look outside and see if there are any other good things. Having come all this way, it would be too much of a pity to just head straight back!"
"Let's go!" Zi Yan's eyes instantly lit up. She tugged Jiang Yun along and charged exuberantly toward the outside.
"I want to grow up! I want heavenly treasures and earthly rarities..."
"Did you hear? A Dou Zun secret realm has appeared on the Great Plains of the Black-Corner Region!"
"A Dou Zun—"
"Who knows how many years it's been since a Dou Zun appeared in the Black-Corner Region! Those big shots must be going absolutely insane!"
"No wonder there have been so many humans around here lately—so they've come treasure hunting!"
"Hmph— that secret realm borders the Demonic Beast Forest. It should also have a share that belongs to us!"
"Exactly! Let's go, let's all go together!"
In no time at all, two colossal beast silhouettes launched themselves from the ground and flew off into the distance. Judging by their auras, both were rank 6 demonic beasts—equivalent to human Dou Huang experts.
Not long after the two beasts departed, a dark shadow suddenly flickered and darted into a dense cluster of thickets. The thickets rustled, and two small heads poked out.
"Did you hear that?!" Zi Yan now looked at Jiang Yun with barely contained excitement. A secret realm—a secret realm meant treasures! And treasures were her absolute favorite.
Jiang Yun, however, was somewhat different. His considerations were more thorough and comprehensive. This Dou Zun secret realm was absolutely going to churn the winds and clouds of the entire Black-Corner Region. Dou Huangs, ordinarily a rare sight, would certainly be in no short supply. Even Dou Zongs would personally descend onto the playing field.
The two of them, to be perfectly honest, were a bit too weak!
"Zi Yan, that place is a zone of absolute turmoil. Dou Huangs and Dou Zongs will definitely be plentiful. If we go, we cannot guarantee our own safety."
"Ahhh~~~" With Jiang Yun opposing it, Zi Yan instantly deflated like a punctured ball. Disappointment surfaced vividly on her face.
"Go!" Just as Jiang Yun was about to lead Zi Yan back to the Inner Academy, a familiar voice resounded within his mind.
Jiang Yun was somewhat surprised. This was Qing Ming's voice. One had to understand that, under normal circumstances, adhering to the policy of free-range raising, Qing Ming rarely ever spoke up. This truly was unexpected.
"Is there something special about that secret realm?"
At this moment, the only thing Jiang Yun could think of was that secret realm. What was so unique about it that it had drawn Qing Ming's attention?
(End of Chapter)