Chapter 92: The Demon Palace's Death Zone

Chapter 92: The Demon Palace's Death Zone

Ning Xiaochuan stared at her breathtakingly beautiful face, took a deep breath, and suddenly felt a pang of regret. He regretted not slicing open her skirt with his sword back in the jungle instead of aiming for her neck.

A beauty of Princess Lanfei's caliber—if one spent too much time with her, it would become increasingly difficult to raise a hand against her.

"Cultivate. In this eerie place, the stronger your cultivation, the greater your chances of survival," Ning Xiaochuan muttered to himself. He retrieved a Frost Jade Bottle from his Heaven and Earth Bag and let a single drop of Martial Venerable's Blood fall onto his palm.

Princess Lanfei's eyes locked onto the translucent, crystalline blood in Ning Xiaochuan's palm as if it were the most irresistible delicacy. Her delicate pink tongue flicked lightly over her lips.

Without hesitation, she lunged at him, clutching his arm, her smooth and supple tongue eagerly lapping at his palm.

Slurp, slurp.

At this moment, there was no trace of her usual grace and elegance. She resembled nothing more than a ravenous bitch devouring scraps tossed by her master.

Only after licking every last trace of the Martial Venerable's Blood did she reluctantly withdraw, her tongue flicking once more over her lips. She settled into a cross-legged position opposite Ning Xiaochuan and began refining the power of the Martial Venerable's Blood.

A layer of white Profound Qi enveloped her, lending her an ethereal and mysterious aura, as if she had transformed into an elegant celestial maiden.

Ning Xiaochuan glanced at his palm, still damp with her saliva, then back at Princess Lanfei, now seated serenely within the white Profound Qi. He could hardly believe she was the same person.

What kind of monster had that hideous Old Crone turned her into after reattaching her head?

Was she still human?

Was she truly one of the Undead Servants now?

Ning Xiaochuan poured out another drop of Martial Venerable's Blood. To prevent Princess Lanfei from pouncing again, he immediately shattered the droplet into a mist of blood and absorbed it into his body.

Boom!

The power of the Demonic Sword voraciously devoured the Martial Venerable's Blood Qi, channeling its energy back into Ning Xiaochuan's body.

After this session of cultivation, Ning Xiaochuan's strength had advanced yet again. At full power, he could now manifest forty-nine Sword Qi Shadows.

Only by condensing a hundred Sword Qi Shadows could he achieve the Great Perfection of the third divine ability, Ten Thousand Swords Transforming into Rain.

He estimated he would need to refine at least eight more drops of Martial Venerable's Blood Qi to reach Great Perfection in the third divine ability and break through to the Divine Body Fourth Layer.

Ning Xiaochuan understood this was a gradual process and didn’t rush it. While refining the Blood Qi, he also began cultivating Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.

He attuned himself to the currents of the world, drawing them into his body and converting them into his own Martial Arts Profound Qi.

This was a process of communion with the heavens and earth.

And Heaven and Earth Profound Qi was the bridge.

As Ning Xiaochuan cultivated, the Bone Bead tucked in his chest absorbed a wisp of the purest Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, emitting a faint glow on its surface.

A slight chill spread through his chest, as if a thread of Cold Qi had seeped into his body.

Boom!

Suddenly, the speed at which Ning Xiaochuan absorbed and refined Profound Qi doubled. Not only did the Profound Qi of the world surge toward him in a frenzy, but even the Demonic Sword within him accelerated its absorption of the Martial Venerable's Blood Qi—twice as fast as before.

He has reached the fourth level of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.

The absorption speed of Profound Qi is eight times the normal rate.

"Why has the Demonic Sword's absorption speed of Blood Qi suddenly doubled? Could it be that the faster I absorb Profound Qi, the faster the Demonic Sword absorbs Blood Qi?" Ning Xiaochuan was overjoyed.

Previously, Ning Xiaochuan could only refine one drop of Martial Venerable's Blood per day, requiring eight days to cultivate the third divine ability to Great Perfection.

But now, with the Demonic Sword's absorption speed of Blood Qi doubled, he could absorb two drops of Martial Venerable's Blood daily. This meant he could achieve Great Perfection in the third divine ability in just four days—halving the time required.

On the distant cliff, Ming Yang sheathed his heavy sword. Sensing the fluctuations in the air, he glanced toward Ning Xiaochuan, who was enveloped in Profound Qi, and muttered to himself, "To reach such a level while cultivating Heaven and Earth Profound Qi... I must admit, I’m impressed."

From a hundred meters away, Ming Yang raised his heavy sword and swung it toward Ning Xiaochuan, unleashing a wave-like Sword Qi.

"Whoosh!"

The Sword Qi transformed into a surging tide.

Ning Xiaochuan sensed the terrifying Sword Qi flying toward him. His eyes snapped open as he let out a roar like Heavenly Thunder.

Boom!

The Sword Qi shattered, dissipating into nothingness.

Ning Xiaochuan stood up, visibly annoyed. "Are you deliberately provoking me?"

Ming Yang replied, "I merely wanted to test your strength. Blocking my strike is a great honor for someone of your cultivation level. With your current power, you stand a chance at competing for the top ten."

After saying this, Ming Yang sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff, motionless and silent.

"This man’s cultivation is truly fearsome. Even from a hundred meters away, I barely blocked his Sword Qi. If he had been just ten meters from me, I might not have survived that strike."

Ning Xiaochuan struggled to restrain himself, forcing his emotions to settle.

Since his cultivation was inferior, he had no choice but to avoid confrontation for now.

Yet, Ning Xiaochuan was confident—given time, he would surpass Ming Yang.

The night passed quietly, with only the distant howls of Yin Soldiers and Dragon Souls echoing from the Demon Palace atop the mountain. However, none of this disturbed the minds of Ning Xiaochuan or Ming Yang.

At dawn the next day, Ming Yang resumed his journey.

Ning Xiaochuan and Princess Lanfei also began ascending toward the summit.

It was worth noting that after absorbing that drop of Martial Venerable's Blood, Princess Lanfei’s cultivation had also improved significantly.

Another long day of travel followed, and by dusk, they finally arrived before the gates of the Demon Palace.

It was a grand, imposing black portal, weathered by centuries of wind and rain, now in ruins. Only eight massive pillars remained standing before the entrance, carved with ancient beasts—Dragons, Phoenixes, Luan Birds, Qilin, and Kui—exuding an aura of antiquity.

The heavy doors had long since shattered, as if cleaved by a war sword or smashed by a giant axe.

Through the cracks in the demonic gate, they could see squads of Yin Soldiers patrolling inside, with Undead Servants guarding the Cauldron. Beneath it burned golden flames, as if some kind of pill was still being refined.

In the vast and dilapidated square stood the rotting corpse of a dragon, bound by dozens of iron chains as thick as barrels. Its incessant roars were so deafening that even those outside the Demon Palace felt their eardrums ache.

The dragon dragged the chains violently, their clanking reverberating as if it sought to break free and soar into the sky.

This was merely a glimpse through the crack of the door—less than a tenth of the Demon Palace—leaving one to wonder what other bizarre things lurked in the unseen corners.

Even Ming Yang halted, unwilling to charge in recklessly. The overwhelming sense of danger made it clear this was no place for the living.

"Legends say that any item brought out from the Demon Palace is bound to be a peerless treasure. Yet, few have ever succeeded, and many Martial Venerables have failed, perishing within and becoming Undead Servants."

Ming Yang attempted to pick up a Black Brick from the ground.

These bricks were no ordinary stones—they were forged from Extraterrestrial Iron, making them exceptional materials for crafting artifacts.

But the moment his fingers brushed the Black Brick, a spectral soldier emerged from the Demon Palace. Clad in tattered armor, its hollow interior was filled only with a swirling gray mist, forming the shape of a skull—a sight eerily reminiscent of a Hellish Ghoul.

"Hissss—"

The spectral soldier let out a piercing shriek.

"Boom! Boom!"

As the soldier clashed with Ming Yang, Ning Xiaochuan and Princess Lanfei seized the chance to rush into the Demon Palace.

The moment they stepped inside, the surroundings transformed. Thick black fog filled the streets and alleys, yet the spectral soldiers and Undead Servants seemed oblivious to their presence, continuing their tasks as if nothing had changed.

Ning Xiaochuan still couldn’t comprehend—what manner of beings were these spectral soldiers and Undead Servants?

Princess Lanfei explained, "Rumors say this Demon Palace fell from Beyond the Stars into the Fire Demon Mountain Range a millennium ago. Since then, the mountains have burned endlessly, giving birth to many eerie creatures. The spectral soldiers and Undead Servants within were once the palace’s warriors. Their wills remain unbroken, their bodies undecayed, still guarding this place, awaiting their master’s return."

Ning Xiaochuan sprinted straight toward the Ancient Cauldron, intending to take it and flee this Ominous Place at once.

The cauldron stood two meters tall, crimson in color, with golden flames flickering beneath it. Wisps of Elixir Qi seeped from within—astonishingly, it was still refining pills.

Had it been refining them for over a thousand years?

Knowing the terrifying power of the golden flames, Ning Xiaochuan wrapped his hands in Profound Qi before stuffing the cauldron into the Heaven and Earth Bag.

"ROAR!"

The three Undead Servants guarding the cauldron bellowed in fury, immediately attacking Ning Xiaochuan.

Gripping the heavy Heaven and Earth Bag, Ning Xiaochuan summoned a massive Lightning Divine Beast in his palm, slamming it into the three Undead Servants.

"BOOM!"

The servants merely staggered back a step, shaking off the attack before lunging at him again.

"Damn, they’re insane!"

A sense of crisis finally struck Ning Xiaochuan, and he turned to flee.

Ahead, a group of headless Yin Soldiers charged forward, numbering over a dozen, each exuding a dangerous aura like reapers of death. Ning Xiaochuan unleashed forty-nine Sword Qi Shadows, but the attacks merely clanged against their armor without effect. Instead, the soldiers grew even more frenzied in their assault.

"Are they all immortal?" Ning Xiaochuan grew anxious. Even powerful Martial Venerables who ventured into the Demon Palace had been slain—how could he, only at the Third Level of the Divine Body Realm, hope to survive?

Strangely, however, the Yin Soldiers and Undead Servants ignored Princess Lanfei entirely, focusing solely on pursuing Ning Xiaochuan. With no other choice, he fled blindly, eventually forced into a small door at the center of the Demon Palace.

The door was set into a black wall adorned with blood-red patterns, its destination unknown.