Chapter 271: Bottom Of The Volcano
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Another two hours passed, and tens of meters away from the five of them, a crevice in the ground opened up. All of them used their spiritual will to sweep across the opening and discovered that the crevice led straight to the bottom of the volcano.
So this was how it worked. Mo Wuji stopped planting array flags as he could open this concealment array, not because his array dao was of a high enough standard, but because he had seen this concealment array before.
Initially when he was going up against horse bandits Wuchang and Wushuang, he had seen such an impressive concealment array. If it wasn’t for a horse bandit bringing him to the entrance of the array, he probably would not have found it in a hundred years.
"Alliance Head Mo, if we enter from there, there’s a good chance that we’ll die." Feng Zhe spoke worriedly as he looked at the crack leading underneath the volcano.
Bu Mo Wuji calmly replied, "We’ve found the location, everyone can go in with me or stay here. It’s up to you."
After speaking, Mo Wuji was the first to leap into the crevice. The Lost Continent’s number one pill refiner who was also a True God Stage expert was in trouble, so even if he wasn’t the Hundred Sect Alliance’s Alliance Head, he had to go save her. On top of that, based on their friendship, he had to help Linglong too.
Seeing Mo Wuji going in, Xing Huang followed suit without hesitation.
Feng Zhe was a little stunned, and he looked to Fang Zhentian, who smiled back at him, "Since the Heaven Demon Sect is a member of the Hundred Sect Alliance, we naturally can’t be left behind. Moreover, I am indebted to Alliance Head Mo, and the Heaven Demon Sect is always clear about debts and grudges."
As he spoke, Fang Zhentian also jumped into the opening.
With a sigh, Feng Zhe knew that if he did not go in, he would not be able to lift his head high, not to mention that the Great Evolution Sect would also be ridiculed. While he had some reservations, he could only leap into the crack behind the others.
Although it was below a volcano, Mo Wuji and co could not feel much heat, and it even felt a little colling. The underground seemed like it had formed naturally, without a fixed staircase, only having a twisting opening extending into the distance. The various craters around looked like the aftermath of some underground earthquakes.There was no light either. Luckily all of them had spiritual will, so the lack of illumination did not affect them one bit.
They went on in the ups and downs, twist and turns of the underground for an hour, before a sliver of light appeared in front of them.
Mo Wuji quickly sped up, and they soon reached a bright location.
This was a basin hidden beneath the volcano, which had craters everywhere. The presence of tens of Night Illumination Pearls made them understand that the basin was formed naturally, and someone had been there before. The slight cooling air was coming from the bottom of this basin too.
Some green gases descended from the ceiling, sinking straight to the bottom of the basin. At the top, the green gas was around ten meters in radius, but when it reached the bottom, only a radius of a meter remained, which made it look like a cone.
Even if Mo Wuji did not know anything, he could infer that this green gas was probably part of the Scholar's Heart fire from the outside.
As his gaze fell to the sides of the basin, he saw Linglong enveloped by a green mist. She lay flat beside the green gas, without any signs of life. Even her face was deathly pale, and her vitals could not be sensed at all.
Mo Wuji could already concoct Tier 5 Earth Spiritual Pills, hence he could be considered a true Tier 5 Earth Pill Refiner. He could discern Linglong’s condition with one look: over 90% of the blood in her body had been drained away by someone.
A short distance behind Granny Linglong, Mo Wuji spotted a niche in the wall, where a skeleton-like man sat. At that moment, the man was staring straight at Mo Wuji.
Feng Zhenqiu and co. also noticed this bony man at the same time, and they instinctively split up.
"Honest Qi?" When he saw the bony man, Mo Wuji recognised him right away. Although compared to the Honest Qi he knew, this Honest Qi only had skin and bones left, but that distinctive face was still etched in Mo Wuji’s mind.
He did not know what Honest Qi went though, to actually turn into this thing that looked neither like a human nor a ghost.
"So it’s you, good, good…" The bony man let out a voice that gave them goosebumps, and his killing intent could not longer be masked.
A familiar feeling engulfed Mo Wuji, and with a sudden shock, he stepped one step back, calmly staring at this bony man and said, "You’re not Honest Qi, you’re Jing Gumu. You possessed Honest Qi…"
After Mo Wuji finished speaking, he was secretly shocked. Jing Gumu’s leftover spirit was ambushed by Pu Qian and co, but in the end he still managed to escape. Mo Wuji thought that Jing Gumu would not be able to recover from that. However, who knew that in the short period of a few years, Jing Gumu actually possessed Honest Qi. From his appearance, he should have regained most of his strength.
This Honest Qi was also too useless, to be possessed by a leftover spirit, what an idiot. No wonder Lu Mang said that Honest Qi didn’t look for him for quite a while, the guy was actually possessed.
"Ha ha…" The bony man cackled, "Your eyes have not gone blind yet, to actually recognise that I’m Jing Gumu. I originally wanted to find a few strong spirits and vital blood to replenish my divine spirit. Who would have expected you to come to me, with four decent guys. Do you know whose blood I’m craving for the most? Yours, you little ant."
Jing Gumu was laughing, but endless rage and killing intent was hidden within his laughter.
"Jing Gumu?" As soon as Mo Wiji called out Jing Gumu’s name,Feng Zhenqiu and co.’s expressions turned ugly. They drew their own magic treasures and became on guard.
If it were someone else then it was possible that no one would recognise him, but for Jing Gumu, who would not know who he was? In the past when the Heaven Sect existed on the Lost Continent, it was much stronger than Heaven Seeking Palace was. Sect Head Jing Gumu’s strength was unparalleled, and no one dared to say no to him.
"Guys don’t worry, this guy just got possessed not long ago, so he has not even recovered 10% of his strength. He won’t be that strong…"
Before Mo Wuji could finish comforting them, Jing Gumu pounced in their direction. His spiny hands extended towards Mo Wuji’s head. Mo Wuji was the person he hated the most, so without killing Mo Wuji, there would always be a thorn in his heart.
A frightening pressure came his way, causing Mo Wuji to feel a chill all over his body, as though a poisonous snake was staring at him, which made him unable to move. The difference in strength was too great, hence even if he could react, he would not be able to escape.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Consecutive elemental energy explosions rang out, blasting Jing Gumu on his palms.
"Blergh!" Jing Gumu spat out a splotch of vital blood, and his whole body was blown backwards, smashing his niche into bits.
Looking at Feng Zhenqiu and co. in shock, Jing Gumu exclaimed, "How is this possible? How could you have three True God Stage experts with you…"
Then he turned towards Feng Zhe who didn’t make a move, "Could you have brought four True God Stage experts here? When did the Lost Continent produce this many True God Stage experts? Four at one shot?"
He did not stop Granny Linglong’s flying message because he lacked the vitality and energy to do so. What he needed was the vitality of experts to increase his cultivation level, and also their divine spirits to strengthen his own. But he didn’t expect four True God Stage experts to come at once.
There weren’t that many True God Stage experts in the Lost Continent, but since Mo Wuji was the Hundred Sect Alliance’s Alliance Head, he brought half of the True God Stage experts in the alliance over.
"Alliance head, if my guess is correct, Jing Gumu should be planning to use Linglong’s blood as a medium to refine the Scholar’s Heart…" Heaven Demon Sect’s Fang Zhentian stared at Jing Gumu from a distance, and said with a serious tone.
Upon hearing this, Jing Gumu, who had shocked the four True God Stage experts, looked at Fang Zhentian in disbelief. He couldn’t understand how such an obscure secret would be known by someone other than himself.
"How do you know that?" Mo Wuji asked.
While staring at Jing Gumu, Fang Zhentian replied, "If that’s the case, then Linglong should possess a icy spirit body. This sort of body is actually not suitable for pill refining, but Linglong not only became a pill refiner, but a Heaven Pill Refiner at that. She must have immense talent. In the Heaven Sect’s records, when the Scholar’s Heart has just been born, the blood of an icy spirit body can be used as a medium to stabilise it, then one can slowly refine it."
"Who exactly are you? How do you know the secret of my Heaven Sect?" Jing Gumu stood up and stared at Fang Zhentian with an icy glare, like he was shooting icicles out of his eyes.
Fang Zhentian replied calmly, "Because I am the sect head of Heaven Demon Sect, and the Heaven Demon Sect branched out from the Heaven Sect."
Jing Gumu was stunned. He knew a little about the Heaven Sect disbanding, but now that he had not fully recovered his strength, there was no time and energy for him to care about the Heaven Sect. Once he had recovered, he would massacre his way through the Lost Continent, then restore the position of Heaven Sect.
"Since you are a disciple of Heaven Sect, quickly come greet your grand-master, and listen to my orders." Jing Gumu commanded loudly.
But Fang Zhentian only stared at Jing Gumu, and his voice went cold, "Jing Gumu, you’re not fit to be called my grand-master. My grand-master Qu Chengzi was imprisoned in the Heaven Sect’s Demon Trapping Cave. If his luck was a little worse, my grand-master would have died in the Demon Trapping Cave. I will recognise you as the piece of trash that almost killed my grand-master. Jing Gumu, it’s not enough even if your face is even whiter than other people’s buttocks [1]."
"So you’re the disciple of Qu Chengzi that b*stard demon, no wonder you have the aura of a b*stard demon too. Since you dare to come here today, then stay here forever!"
While Jing Gumu spoke, he threw out tens of array flags. The surroundings suddenly changed, and the five of them could not see Jing Gumu anymore.
He knew that since Mo Wuji had brought four True God Stage experts along, it would be hopeless to fight them head on.
Before Mo Wuji could figure out what had trapped the few of them, rumbling noises rang out. Without looking, they knew that their way out had been sealed off.
[1] TL Note: 小白脸 is a derogatory term for guys, is used to refer to gigolos, and it literally means "small white face", so the whiter his face, the bigger a gigolo he is.