Chapter 84: The Pinnacle of the Ninth Layer
Half a year had passed!
Luo Hao could hardly believe he’d been soaking in the Spiritual Liquid Pool for a full six months. By now, the Newcomer Tournament of the Skysea Sect must have long since ended!
“Aunt Serpent-Dragon, congratulations on breaking through to the Savage Beast Realm!”
After a brief moment of melancholy, he cast away the thought and offered his sincere congratulations to the serpent-dragon, who now possessed the ability to speak in human tongue. The cultivation of demon beasts differed greatly from that of humans—after the third tier, they entered the Savage Beast Realm.
Savage beasts, having refined the transverse bone in their throats, could speak human language, and possessed intelligence no lesser than that of humans, no longer so easily swayed by their animal instincts.
The serpent-dragon, whose body once spanned several hundred yards, had now shrunk to a few dozen yards after its breakthrough. Gazing at the creature, which drew ever closer, Luo Hao noticed he could no longer sense the formerly rampant power within it.
It seemed that, upon reaching the Savage Beast Realm, the serpent-dragon’s aura and strength had become deeply restrained. Savage beasts were already comparable to human martial artists at the Tribulation Realm. By comparison, Luo Hao was still a mere novice at the Spirit Qi Realm, and could not help but feel both envious and dejected.
Zhan Wuji had once told him that above the Celestial Might stage lay the Earth Breath stage; however, from Long Ao and Wan Qianyi, Luo Hao had learned that, in ancient and even primeval times, what followed Celestial Might in human martial arts was called the Tribulation Realm. It seemed that, after the near extinction of lightning tribulations in more recent ages, prodigies had found alternate paths to continue the martial legacy.
“Child, there’s no need to be envious. Your cultivation will surely surpass mine one day!” The serpent-dragon, now only several dozen yards in length, drew near and, noticing the disappointment in Luo Hao’s eyes, offered words of comfort.
“Aunt Serpent-Dragon, I want to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Will you help me?” Luo Hao, recalling all he had been through and how his injuries had left him in the Spiritual Liquid Pool for half a year, made this request.
The serpent-dragon regarded Luo Hao in the pool for a long moment. Upon meeting his resolute gaze, she nodded almost imperceptibly and said, “Very well. This is the resolve a true strong one must have. In that case, you must be prepared starting tomorrow.”
“I understand!” Luo Hao nodded, then climbed out of the pool. His body surged with dragon power, instantly evaporating the moisture from his clothes.
The serpent-dragon, satisfied with Luo Hao’s recovery, turned to Little Black, who was cheerfully swimming in the pool. “Child, starting tomorrow, you’ll be training with Luo Hao as well!”
“Yayayayayaya!” The little one, who had been so happy moments before, instantly shot from the pool to his mother’s side, eyes wide and pupils shining a deep black—so adorably plaintive that words failed to describe it.
“Unbelievable—how shameless! This little fellow is trying to get out of training by playing cute.” Luo Hao rolled his eyes and paid Little Black no heed.
“Mother cannot protect you forever. You must learn to fend for yourself.” The serpent-dragon’s eyes flashed with a trace of sorrow, before she seemed to recall something—Luo Hao guessed it was about the Azure-eyed Demon Spider. With a mere instant’s remembrance, her gaze grew resolute.
Night fell on the valley. Luo Hao sat cross-legged in solitude; the serpent-dragon had taken Little Black and left. In this quiet, he contemplated the Mountain and River Seal inherited from Wan Qianyi.
A glimmer of insight flashed in his eyes as he rose abruptly, muttering, “Mountains and rivers—let’s see if I can subdue the mountain veins of this valley.” He approached a cliff face, closed his eyes, and pressed his palm to the stone.
A faint, earthy yellow halo spread from his palm onto the cliff—this was the method for seeking out mountain and water veins described in the Mountain and River Seal.
Since this method was independent of cultivation base, Luo Hao mastered it with ease.
As the yellow halos rippled outward, Luo Hao sensed the valley connecting to a chain of mountains stretching outward to the world beyond.
“Where exactly is the mountain vein?” Frowning, Luo Hao grew anxious at his lack of results—this was his first attempt, and his patience began to wear thin.
He sighed and withdrew his hand. Clearly, he had failed this time.
For the rest of the night, Luo Hao did not practice martial skills, but meditated to rest. He would soon be subject to the serpent-dragon’s training, and there was little doubt it would be sheer hell.
At dawn, with the first rays of sunlight, Little Black’s cries echoed through the valley. Luo Hao looked up to see the serpent-dragon’s massive body approaching.
“Aunt Serpent-Dragon, let us begin!” Since he had resolved himself, Luo Hao had no intention of slacking off. In contrast, Little Black looked utterly dispirited.
“Climb on. I will take you to your training ground.” Luo Hao blinked in surprise—he hadn’t expected to train outside the valley, but still obediently climbed onto her back.
In a flash, the serpent-dragon soared into the sky, her speed astonishing. She had already been swift at the third tier; now, at the Savage Beast Realm, she moved with inconceivable swiftness.
Sitting on her back and gazing downward, Luo Hao’s expression changed. “This is the Skyblue Mountain Range.”
Endless mountains stretched to the horizon, their ends lost from sight. Below lay a primeval forest, shrouded in ancient aura.
From the forest came occasional, thunderous beast roars, each one exuding overwhelming pressure. Thankfully, with the serpent-dragon’s protection, Luo Hao realized that they were nowhere near the periphery of the Skyblue Mountain Range.
“We’ve arrived!” came the serpent-dragon’s voice. She descended with blinding speed into a dense stretch of forest.
“Luo Hao, this is the heart of the Skyblue Mountains. You and Little Black will remain here for one month. During that time, you must constantly battle the myriad demon beasts dwelling here. Unless a beast above the third tier appears, I will not intervene.” As Luo Hao dismounted, he heard her decree.
His face twisted in dismay, and he swallowed nervously. “Sure enough, this is insane! I’m only at the Spirit Qi Realm, and I’m expected to fight third-tier demon beasts?”
He could hardly be blamed for his reaction. The central Skyblue Mountains were filled with second-tier demon beasts, and third-tier ones appeared from time to time. The danger was self-evident.
“In one month, I will return for you.” With those words, the serpent-dragon’s massive form soared skyward, leaving Luo Hao and Little Black behind without a backward glance.
“Wuwuwuwu!” Little Black called plaintively after his mother, but she never looked back. The two could only watch her silhouette shrink to a black dot on the distant horizon.
“Let’s go, Little Black!” Luo Hao beckoned, and the two set off together. With the serpent-dragon’s presence gone, second- and third-tier demon beasts would not hesitate to approach. Their situation had become extremely perilous—they needed to find shelter quickly.
Bang!
Seven days later, spiritual energy surged and golden light illuminated half the forest. Towering dragon power burst forth like a raging river.
Luo Hao let out a wild roar, his golden fist striking toward the heavens. In an instant, a storm of golden fist shadows filled the sky, enveloping the demon beast not far ahead.
It was a lion wreathed in black flames, the heat distorting the very air around it—a formidable foe indeed.
Luo Hao cursed his luck at encountering such a powerful beast so soon, especially with a whole month to survive here. The thought sent a chill through his heart.
But his hands did not falter. The sky was filled with golden fists, but in the next moment, a deafening roar split the air. Black flames blazed even brighter.
Like a lord of fire, the lion surged forward with lightning speed to meet the golden fists. The black fire, whose origin Luo Hao could not guess, incinerated all his attacks.
“Hah!”
As the fist shadows dissipated, a figure shot from the flames. Behind him, ancient golden light surged like a golden sea, its waves tumultuous.
“Tiger Descends the Mountain!”
With a low growl in his heart, the air cracked with the thunderous roar of a tiger. A vague golden tiger shadow emerged from the golden sea behind Luo Hao, raising a claw that merged with his fist.
Boom!
At that moment, Luo Hao’s fist was like a raging tiger, seeking to swallow the lion whole. The golden fist expanded in the lion’s black eyes; sensing its terrible power, the flame lion, king among beasts, showed no fear—how could it back down?
Moved by instinct, the black flames surged, incinerating swathes of forest and stone. The flame lion leapt, striking with a paw. Black fire exploded in the air, clashing fiercely with Luo Hao’s fist.
Bang!
Black flames swept half the sky, threatening to burn it all. Luo Hao’s clothes were destroyed, revealing bronzed skin; veins bulged like coiled dragons, his muscular arms seeming to contain countless howling evil dragons.
Boom!
Another violent clash sent Luo Hao hurtling back hundreds of yards. He tasted blood but forced it down. The flame lion fared better, retreating only a few dozen yards, its aura undiminished.
“Wuwuwuwu!”
Suddenly, Little Black—who had been hidden away in Luo Hao’s storage pouch since entering the forest—let out a furious howl and burst forth like a dragon from the depths.
His three-meter-long body shimmered with black-gold light. His tail, like a steel whip, ripped through the air with blinding speed, catching the flame lion off guard and sending it flying.
Blood sprayed, flesh was torn, and the lion’s face was nearly smashed, its mane soaked in crimson.
“Well done, Little Black! Strike while the iron’s hot!” Luo Hao shouted his praise, pleasantly surprised by the little one’s knack for ambush. With a flash of golden light at his feet and a fleeting dragon pattern, his speed suddenly multiplied.
“Heaven-Splitting Hand!”
Without hesitation, Luo Hao unleashed his most powerful technique. His golden palm shattered the sky and tore the void itself. The deeper his comprehension grew, the more he marveled at this martial art’s profundity.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The golden palm fell. Explosions rattled the void as if the entire sky was collapsing. A vast will surged; the flame lion sensed lethal danger. Ignoring its wounds, it summoned all its black fire to meet the descending palm.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
Black flames and golden palm collided, unleashing terrifying spiritual force that ravaged everything within hundreds of yards like a passing storm.
The flame lion was a top-tier second-tier beast, its demonic power immense. Even with Luo Hao’s vast dragon power, he began to feel spent in such a clash.
“Twin Dragons’ Dominance!”
A majestic dragon’s roar echoed. Two ancient dragon heads appeared behind Luo Hao, inhaling with terrifying force. Spiritual energy within hundreds of yards was sucked in, even the lion’s black flames swept away.
“Aaah!”
In an instant, Luo Hao’s whole body was engulfed by black flames. Spiritual energy surged wildly through his meridians, mingled with searing pain. Veins bulged on his forehead, his blood nearly boiling.
A tearing agony ripped through his meridians; he nearly shattered his own teeth with the force of his endurance, frantically circulating the Twin Dragons’ Dominance Art to refine the influx of energy.
Sensing its foe’s distress, the flame lion spewed its core black fire and struck at Luo Hao with a claw. The space itself began to melt beneath this fire.
Bang!
The golden palm was consumed, and Luo Hao was swallowed by black flames. Wreathed in fire, Luo Hao looked like a red-hot iron, eyes bloodshot, growling like a wild beast.
He looked up to see a black-flamed claw rushing toward his chest. Just as it was about to strike, a shadow darted in front of him like a bolt of black lightning.
Bang!
Without suspense, the flaming black paw struck the intervening figure, sending it flying. Luo Hao’s heart lurched as a hellish rage exploded within him.
“Little Black!”
The lion’s claw sent Little Black—nearly three meters long—flying. His black-gold scales shattered, blood streaming, and he could only whimper helplessly as he watched Luo Hao wreathed in black flames, his own life flickering.
“Little Black! I’ll kill you!” Seeing his companion so grievously wounded, Luo Hao’s fury was unbridled. His veins seemed to ignite, blood pulsing with rage.
“Die!”
Ignoring the agony in his body, Luo Hao let out a terrifying roar. Wreathed in black fire, he became a god of slaughter, his killing intent cold to the marrow. Even the black flames burning his body weakened at that instant.
Thud!
The void shuddered as a fist wreathed in black fire, roaring like an enraged dragon, smashed into the flame lion.
Furious, Luo Hao struck with earth-shattering force, sending the lion flying in a spray of blood. With a single stride, he overtook the beast, a black sea of flames surging behind him, ready to engulf everything.
With a thunderous dragon roar within, the twin dragons behind Luo Hao howled, drawing in the black flames until they vanished. His dragon power raged through his meridians like a breached dam.
“Ah!”
Hair streaming, Luo Hao’s aura erupted like a tidal wave—Spirit Qi Ninth Layer, mid-stage, late-stage, peak!
Spirit Qi Ninth Layer, peak!
His cultivation soared to the peak of the Spirit Qi Ninth Layer before stabilizing. One step further would be the Blood Gathering Realm. The flame lion was thunderstruck—this frail human now seemed a primordial beast, the air thick with imminent death.
“Die, die, die!”
With a series of furious roars, Luo Hao’s palm fell like the might of sun, moon, and stars. The lion’s black flames were scattered, its body cracking open, and for the first time, it cried out in agony.
With a sickening crack, the lion’s body was smashed to pieces, blood and bone flying. Blood splattered across Luo Hao’s face; he instinctively licked it clean, his eyes reflecting nothing but icy cold.
Once his aura had subsided, Luo Hao rushed to Little Black’s side, quickly storing him away in his pouch, then sped off toward another part of the forest.