Chapter 34: Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva!
The three's originally charging, hurtling silhouettes came to an abrupt, screeching halt. They stood silently, motionless, just a hundred meters from that spatial rift. The expressions in their eyes as they stared at that rift were filled with unease, wariness, suspicion, and a host of other complex emotions.
Spatial power—that was something only a Dou Zong was qualified to dabble in. And now, a spatial rift capable of teleporting a person away had appeared right before the three of them. Yet not a single trace of joy or delight surfaced on their faces. Instead, they were brimming with apprehensive shock and doubt.
They simply could not imagine... just what level of strength would one need to possess to wield spatial power and whisk someone away?
Dou Zong? Or... Dou Zun?!
At this thought, the hairs on all three of them instantly stood on end. No wonder that little bast—cough, cough... that young master possessed such astonishing, masterful methods! Truly, an outstanding teacher produces an outstanding student!
The three immediately saw the light and began retreating backward with extreme, cautious care. Their eyes, unblinking, remained fixed dead on the rift, terrified that a giant hand might suddenly emerge from within and simply erase the three of them from existence.
Only after the rift naturally healed and closed did the three finally breathe a sigh of relief.
It was also then that the three noticed the utterly empty mountain peak. The hairs on their bodies instantly exploded upright. Just moments ago, not a single one of them had sensed the approach of a fifth party. Sure enough—there was still a hidden expert in the shadows!
"Forget it! The item is gone. I can only say... it was not fated for me!" Yuan Yi was the first to react. Leaving behind a single sentence, he darted toward the center of the ruins.
"What rotten luck!" Su Mei similarly huffed a coquettish complaint and followed closely on Yuan Yi's heels.
Fan Lao, however, stared at the spot where that rift had vanished, his expression profoundly ugly. In this clash, he had suffered the heaviest losses. That flame had posed the greatest threat to him in attack. Yet, facing that spatial rift, he did not dare to act out.
He could only slink away in bitter resentment.
In a dense thicket far in the distance, Jiang Yun and Zi Yan hid inside a tree hollow, quietly watching the three depart.
The spatial rift from just now had been jointly executed in secret by Jiang Yun and Zi Yan. Yet no matter how extraordinary their spatial talent was, cultivation level remained their greatest, most crippling shortcoming. They could only move short distances. This could not possibly allow them to escape the pursuit of three Dou Huangs.
Thus, Jiang Yun had resorted to this cunning scheme—bluffing the three of them!
After the three had completely departed, Zi Yan spoke excitedly, "Little Yun, you're so brilliant! Those three idiots really got scared off!"
"Shh—" Jiang Yun, however, was not as optimistic as Zi Yan. He covered her mouth and watched the sky with intense, focused vigilance.
Zi Yan was a bit puzzled. Weren't they safe already?
"Shua—" In a short while, the sound of tearing wind rang out. Fan Lao had returned! He carefully scanned and searched the midair for a while, discovered absolutely nothing, and departed once more.
In Jiang Yun's embrace, Zi Yan instantly widened her purple eyes. There was even a trick like this?!
After Fan Lao's second departure, Jiang Yun still made no move. He continued to lie hidden. And sure enough—in the following stretch of time, Su Mei and Yuan Yi returned one after another, and finally, all departed empty-handed, having gained nothing.
Only after confirming with absolute certainty that it was safe did Jiang Yun release Zi Yan's mouth. He admonished, "When out in the world, the most important thing is caution. Don't be fooled by surface appearances. Those fellows... are anything but simple and easy to deal with."
"You humans are simply far too cunning." Zi Yan scratched her head in some distress. Then, her eyes lit up. She pounced into Jiang Yun's embrace and beamed a radiant smile. "Good thing I have Little Yun. You won't let me be taken advantage of!"
"You!" Jiang Yun shook his head helplessly. Yet the doting affection in his eyes could not be concealed no matter what.
"Alright. With these six Life-Death Profound Fruits, the path to your advancement to rank 6 is now fully paved."
"Mm! Mm!!!" Zi Yan nodded repeatedly at these words, her eyes brimming with anticipation. Rank 6... she'd finally be able to grow up, right? She definitely would!
What kind of demonic beast reached rank 6 and still wasn't mature?!
"Little Yun, let's hurry inside. There are bound to be even more excellent treasures inside. Don't let them get snatched away!" Having harvested the Life-Death Profound Fruits, Zi Yan appeared exceptionally excited and eager. She tugged at Jiang Yun, ready to rush toward the interior.
"Let's go. I'm also very curious to see what's inside!" Jiang Yun chuckled. He brought out two black robes and wrapped the two of them up. A faint layer of soul power enveloped them both. Only after ensuring that no one could see through the disguise did he quietly lead Zi Yan toward the interior.
Along the way, Jiang Yun also spotted quite a few of the Black-Corner Region's desperate, ruthless fugitives. Some were locked in slaughter. Some were simply rushing onward. Jiang Yun paid none of them any heed. He concealed his form and bypassed them.
Suddenly, the advancing Jiang Yun abruptly detected something. He halted his forward steps. A terrifying, dreadful fluctuation came from not far ahead.
Exchanging a glance, Jiang Yun led Zi Yan to stealthily creep closer. Atop an enormous black giant tree, Jiang Yun watched the scene unfolding before him with some astonishment.
"These corpses can actually move?!" Zi Yan was also shocked as she pointed at the sight ahead.
In the front lay several terrifying, enormous, gigantic skeletal corpses sprawled across the center. Among them was a hundred-meter-long giant python, a several-dozen-meter-tall giant tiger, a giant hawk with a wingspan exceeding fifty meters, and more.
Without exception, they were all ghastly, skeletal piles of stark white bone. Yet the strange, bizarre thing was—they could actually move! At this very moment, they were locked in fierce, intense battle with Han Feng and the others.
From the process of the battle, Jiang Yun reached a conclusion: these demonic beasts, in life, were at the very least rank 8—and not just ordinary rank 8. Among them were even terrifying existences comparable to post-rotation Dou Zuns!
"Everyone, do not hold back any longer! Let's join forces and eliminate these corpses. Otherwise, there will be more and more people arriving from outside." After dealing with one of the corpses with a single Tearing Wind Claw, Mo Tianxing declared in a loud voice.
The people around him furrowed their brows slightly at these words. Looking at the crowds already rapidly creeping up from all around, they subconsciously increased the force behind their attacks.
"Great Blood Bodhi Devour!"
"Sea Flame Halberd!"
"Great Tablet-Splitting Hand!"
"..."
One enormously powerful Dou Technique after another was unleashed from the hands of the several Dou Huangs and Dou Zongs. Those long-dead skeletal remains were completely and utterly annihilated.
"What a pity!" Han Feng held a tiger's claw in his palm and spoke with some regret. If these high-tier demonic beasts still had their monster cores preserved within them, this place would absolutely erupt into a massive storm of bloody slaughter.
And as an alchemist himself, watching so many high-tier monster cores slip away from him filled his heart with nothing but regret.
He still didn't have a single rank 8 monster core!
"Boom—"
Suddenly, a violent, intense tremor and quaking came from up ahead!
"The legacy has emerged!"
No one knew who shouted it first. Everyone present fell deathly silent for a moment, and then immediately erupted into complete, utter frenzy.
"Those who block me shall die! The Dou Zun's legacy is mine!"
"I, Du Ziteng, am destined to rule and reign supreme! All of you, get the hell out of my way!"
"Keep dreaming your grand delusions! This old man is the one destined by heaven!"
"..."
At this moment, the entire secret realm fell into utter, absolute chaos. Dou Lings, Dou Wangs, Dou Huangs—all were locked in mutual slaughter and battle. Even the Dou Zongs, at this moment, found themselves stretched thin and unable to divide their attention, forced to maintain full vigilance against those around them.
As the crowd pressed forward, they finally arrived at a place resembling an altar.
This place, too, was littered and strewn with corpses—some of demonic beasts, some of humans. Yet, at this very moment, everyone's gaze was fixed dead upon the three items atop the high platform.
Breathing suddenly became somewhat ragged and rapid!
In the central position stood a stone platform, a full hundred zhang in breadth and roughly two meters in height.
And upon that stone platform were arrayed three items, each radiating faint, obscure, subtle fluctuations.
"To actually be these things..."
Jiang Yun looked at the three items above and spoke with some surprise. This, naturally, also piqued Zi Yan's curiosity.
"Little Yun, what is it? What is it?!" Zi Yan tugged at Jiang Yun's sleeve and asked, her face full of curiosity.
"Two of the items I am not entirely certain of. But one of them is an incomparably rare, hard-to-come-by heavenly treasure—the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva!"
Indeed. Three items were arrayed above. Among them was a mass, roughly the size of a fist, of a strange, peculiar, thick, viscous substance. It was wreathed in a mysterious, subtle, faint fluorescence and slightly tinged with an emerald, jade-green hue.
It was precisely the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva that had appeared in the original story! So this thing had actually come from this secret realm! He only wondered—how had Mo Tianxing managed to snatch it away from so many people? Or rather, had there originally not been this many people present, allowing Mo Tianxing to hide the news?
"What's it used for?" Even after learning the name of the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva, Zi Yan still couldn't quite grasp its significance.
"Legend has it that there exists a tree—the Bodhi Ancient Tree—that can allow one to immediately achieve Sainthood where they stand. And this Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva is a treasure left behind by the Bodhi Tree. Comprehend it, penetrate its mysteries, and one can obtain the opportunity to achieve Sainthood," Jiang Yun explained in a low voice.
"Then we—" Hearing this, Zi Yan's eyes immediately lit up. Even someone as carefree as her knew what 'Dou Saint' meant to the living beings of the Dou Qi Continent.
"Let's see if an opportunity presents itself!" Jiang Yun did not refute her. Facing such a rare, wondrous treasure, some risks were indeed worth taking.
Although Jiang Yun also wanted the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva, there was still another item that drew his gaze even more. It was a somewhat ancient, yellowed sheepskin scroll, carrying a trace of scorching, fiery aura upon it.
"I never imagined that even the lower planes would have traces of the Bodhi Tree!" Just then, Qing Ming's mildly surprised voice resounded within Jiang Yun's mind.
"Grandpa Qing Ming, the aura you sensed—it was this, wasn't it?"
"Yes and no!" Qing Ming replied calmly. His gaze bypassed the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva and landed upon that sheepskin scroll and the final item—a black token.
"This aura... Though somewhat faint, it is indeed the aura of that thing. I never imagined this tiny lower plane would possess so many excellent treasures," Qing Ming murmured softly under his breath.
"Grandpa Qing Ming... Grandpa Qing Ming..." Receiving no response for a long while, Jiang Yun couldn't help but call out a few more times.
"Little Yun, if it's possible, do your best to secure these items!" Qing Ming came back to his senses and spoke with solemn gravity.
"I'd like to as well! But if these skinny little arms and legs of mine go up there... I'm afraid..." Hearing this, Jiang Yun gave a somewhat rueful, bitter smile and shook his head.
He too wanted it all. But his strength was somewhat unaccommodating!
"There will be an opportunity!" Qing Ming merely spoke a single, enigmatic, ambiguous phrase and then sank back into silence.
And just as Jiang Yun was 'on the phone' with Qing Ming, Han Feng and the others had also spotted the three items upon the stone platform.
"It's actually the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva—" Seeing that mass of emerald-green, viscous substance, Han Feng let out a sharp, shrill shriek. Immediately, his gaze abruptly turned exceptionally blazing and scorching hot.
As long as he obtained it, he could advance into Dou Zun, Dou Saint! When that time came, he would never again need to fear Feng Zun-zhe and the others. He could also openly and righteously return to the Central Plains and no longer have to hide in this sunless, lightless Black-Corner Region.
To think that he, as the sole, personal direct disciple of Yao Zun-zhe, had been the center of everyone's attention wherever he went since childhood—how had he ever endured being like this, a homeless, stray, fugitive dog?!
"Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva?! The legendary existence that can allow one to achieve Sainthood?!"
"Achieve Sainthood???"
Han Feng's shout was like a heavy, earth-shaking bomb, directly stirring up a massive, colossal commotion across the stone platform. Countless cries of shock and astonishment erupted. Immediately, a myriad of greedy, blazing, scorching-hot gazes fell directly upon the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva. Everyone's breathing instantly grew heavy, thick, and ragged.
Dou Saint!
What two temptingly, achingly alluring words!
Jiang Yun's thoughts spun like lightning. He'd never expected everyone's attention to suddenly all converge upon the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva—so much so that they didn't even spare a single glance for that ancient scroll, suspected to be the map to the Purifying Demon Lotus Flame, or that mysterious black token.
One could only say... this thing was truly, simply far too conspicuous. Compared to the other two, it was the very light shining in the dark of night—gleaming brilliantly, dazzlingly snatching every eye.
"Bang—"
In the span of a mere instant, a majestic, overwhelmingly powerful aura violently erupted outward from within Mo Tianxing's body. His silhouette rapidly shot toward the stone platform.
Abruptly, subjected to the full-force, crushing pressure of a Dou Zong expert, everyone instantly quieted and stilled—like boiling, seething water into which a block of ice had been thrown.
And the moment they recovered, every single one of them began spewing profanities and curses at Mo Tianxing.
"Mo Tianxing, you son of a— Stop right there, you bastard!"
"Kill! As long as I get the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva, I can seek out the Bodhi Heart! When I become a Dou Saint expert, this Black-Corner Region... it will all belong to me!"
"Sect Leader Mo! Hogging the feast all to yourself is not a good habit!"
In that instant, dozens of terrifying energy whips and lashes shot toward Mo Tianxing, making even this stretch of space quake and tremble somewhat.
Mo Tianxing's eyes were bloodshot, yet he displayed not the slightest hint of panic or fluster. Raising his hands, bringing them down—a series of astonishing, terrifying claw shadows lashed outward.
"Tearing Wind Claw!"
"Ah—"
For a moment, anyone swept by those Dou Techniques—unless they were experts of the Dou Huang tier—immediately spat blood and died on the spot. A Dou Zong expert was just that overwhelmingly, domineeringly powerful!
Having temporarily fended off his enemies, Mo Tianxing now stood directly before the stone platform, his gaze blazing, scorching hot, as he stared at the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva.
"Hahaha— You are mine!"
"Sea Flame Halberd!" Just as Mo Tianxing was about to seize the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva, a great roar thundered out. A giant halberd of blue flame swept and cleaved straight toward Mo Tianxing!
It was none other than Han Feng. Others might have been thrown into disarray by Mo Tianxing—Han Feng, however, would not be. Just moments ago, he too had wanted to strike first and seize the upper hand—only to be beaten to the punch by the other party.
That terrifying, searing heat was enough to make the surrounding space warp and distort. At this moment, Mo Tianxing bore not a trace of his former calm composure. He tapped his toes lightly and struck out with a full-force palm.
"Mountain-Crumbling Palm!"
"Bang—"
"Heavenly Flame!"
Following the deafening boom, Mo Tianxing had narrowly, perilously blocked Han Feng's sudden sneak attack. Yet by now, he had already lost the upper hand, the initiative. His expression dark and unsightly, he glanced at his singed, scorched sleeve. Staring at the flames roiling and seething around Han Feng's body, his eyes held deep, profound wariness. "Han Feng, do you truly mean to oppose me?!"
"Where do these words come from, Sect Leader Mo? Heavenly treasures and earthly rarities—those fated to possess them shall obtain them. Besides... Sect Leader Mo, you can't possibly think that anyone could resist the temptation of a Dou Saint, could you?" Han Feng still wore that elegant, refined, scholar-like smile. The flame in his hand blazed and roiled—clearly, he had no intention of backing down.
"I imagine Senior Ying Shan and Grand Elder Fang Yan share this same sentiment!"
As Han Feng's words fell, Old Man Ying Shan, Fang Yan, and the others also wordlessly stepped forward and encircled Mo Tianxing.
(End of Chapter)