Li Yu raged, “This dilapidated temple was clearly entered by us first…”
Xiao Chen’s fingertips moved imperceptibly, and Li Yu instantly lost the ability to speak.
Stepping forward, Xiao Chen said, “Since these are fellow Daoists from the Xuantian Sect, we won’t disturb you any further.”
Once they were well clear of the dilapidated temple, Xiao Chen lifted the silence spell on Li Yu. Li Yu immediately pointed at Xiao Chen and shouted angrily, “Xiao Chen, you’re afraid of them, but I’m not! Back at the Taiyuan Sect, you act all tyrannical and overbearing, so why are you turning coward now that we’re out here?”
Every novel had one or two brainless cannon fodder characters like this, and Xiao Chen couldn’t be bothered to waste his breath. With a flick of his fingertips, he slapped a silence spell right back on him.
Furious, Li Yu moved to strike, but Xiao Chen gave a light wave of his sleeve and froze him completely in place, finally restoring peace and quiet.
The other cultivators didn’t agree with Li Yu’s approach either. After all, the opposing side consisted of Xuantian Sect disciples. Although the Taiyuan Sect was located far away from the Xuantian Sect, they had heard plenty of rumors about them, they were notoriously tyrannical and shameless, and even engaged in infighting and resource-snatching within their own sect. Provoking them was far worse than provoking the demonic beasts from earlier.
After putting a safe distance between themselves and the temple, Zhang Xiang, one of the accompanying cultivators, asked, “Young Master Han, which direction shall we head next?”
Han Wenxuan replied, “Rest in place.”
A faint smile crossed Xiao Chen’s eyes. It seemed Han Wenxuan had noticed it as well.
About a quarter of an hour later, massive spiritual energy fluctuations suddenly erupted from the direction of the dilapidated temple, followed by miserable screams.
“What is this?!”
Zhang Xiang and the other accompanying cultivators bolted upright in shock. At least two of the Xuantian Sect cultivators who had entered the temple earlier were at the Nascent Soul stage or above, just what on earth had they run into?!
Li Yu felt a secret surge of panic. If they hadn’t left earlier, the ones suffering disaster right now would have been them. So Xiao Chen hadn’t been scared of the Xuantian Sect after all, but had simply sensed the abnormality? No! It must have just been a blind cat running into a dead mouse.
Another half-hour passed, and spiritual fluctuations ceased entirely near the temple, the wails dying out completely. Han Wenxuan looked at Xiao Chen. “Follow me…”
Xiao Chen and Xie Yuanjia were already moving. Han Wenxuan furrowed his brow slightly and caught up to their pace, though before leaving, he didn’t forget to instruct the others: “Do not act rashly until we return. If you encounter powerful enemies, fire the distress signal.” With a light wave of his sleeve, he removed the array binding Li Yu.
Upon returning, the ruined temple had been razed flat, the surrounding area reduced to a mess with more than a dozen corpses of Xuantian Sect disciples scattered about in utterly tragic states of death.
After inspecting the bodies, Xie Yuanjia stated, “There’s no sign of the lead cultivator; he must have escaped with severe injuries.”
Xiao Chen nodded. “Among that group were two Nascent Soul stage cultivators, and neither of their bodies are here. This demonic beast is no simple creature. Do the two of you want to place a bet?”
Xie Yuanjia and Han Wenxuan spoke almost simultaneously, “Since we’ve come back, that was the gamble we were aiming for.”
The three exchanged a tacit nod. Han Wenxuan’s fingers moved swiftly as he cast a tracking array to locate the escaping beast. However, upon finding its coordinates, all three of them felt their scalps tingle because the beast was right beneath their feet, or more precisely, buried directly beneath the earth they were standing on.
All three soared into the air on their flying swords at once. At that exact moment, accompanied by a furious roar, a flame python burst forth from the ground. Its size was simply incomparable to the ones they had encountered previously.
Xiao Chen’s gaze darkened. He was beginning to regret this; the book had never mentioned a demonic beast of this cultivation level throughout the entire secret realm. Judging by its appearance, it was at least four thousand years old, and horns were already sprouting from its head, indicating it was on the verge of transforming into a jiao (dragon). Everyone knew that a serpentine beast transforming into a jiao possessed strength comparable to the Deity Transformation stage, which meant the creature before them rivaled at least an early-to-mid Nascent Soul expert or higher.
Beyond the Core Formation stage, every single gap in cultivation level meant a world of difference in strength though naturally, that applied to those with comparable spiritual roots and natural talent.
The flame python stared icily at the three of them.
Xiao Chen and Xie Yuanjia both looked toward Han Wenxuan. Both of them were at the Core Formation stage; even though this flame python had already been wounded by the Xuantian Sect disciples, if a real fight broke out, the two of them could at most serve as auxiliary distractions. Han Wenxuan was the primary offensive force, and whether they could actually fight depended entirely on how much confidence he had.
Han Wenxuan was momentarily undecided. If they could slay it, absorbing this demonic core might allow him to step directly into the mid Nascent Soul stage such an opportunity rarely presented itself, and he was unwilling to let it slip away. Yet should they fail, all three of their lives would be buried right here.
While he hesitated, the flame python made the choice for him, lunging straight toward them. The three timely dodged out of the way, exchanging glances filled with hardened resolve: they had no choice left except to fight to the death.
Xiao Chen and Xie Yuanjia were primarily responsible for diversion and restraint, while Han Wenxuan took charge of the primary offensive to secure the kill.
A quarter of an hour later, with still no sign of the three returning and roars once again echoing from the direction of the temple, Li Yu and the others grew restless and uneasy:
“Should we go over and check it out?”
“Young Master Han told us to wait here. If even they can’t handle it, us going over will only drag them down.”
“Are we just going to sit here and do nothing? We’re cultivators too…”
“For us to stay quietly right here right now is helping them.”
The battle at the ruined temple had reached its critical phase. All three were covered in wounds, and the flame python had likewise been driven to its absolute limit. Looking bitterly at the three men, it found it intensely frustrating that as it stood on the cusp of transforming into a dragon, it was about to die at the hands of these three human cultivators. Even in death, it was determined to drag someone down with it.
With that thought, the flame python made a desperate, all-or-nothing lunge directly at Xiao Chen, who was closest to it. Han Wenxuan thrust his immortal sword toward the serpent’s vital seventh inch to force it back, but to his surprise, the flame python completely ignored defense, determined to perish together with Xiao Chen.
It was already too late for Han Wenxuan to offer rescue, and absolutely impossible for Xiao Chen to dodge. He could only raise his full strength to meet it head-on. At that critical, hair-trigger moment, Xie Yuanjia yanked Xiao Chen back, dodging sideways while pulling him firmly into his embrace.
Accompanied by a muffled grunt, Xie Yuanjia took the brunt of the flame python’s strike, spat out a mouthful of blood, and passed out cold. Without a second thought, Han Wenxuan wielded his immortal sword and slashed straight through the beast’s vital seventh inch, severing its head.
He then flashed to the side of Xiao Chen and Xie Yuanjia. Xiao Chen poured spiritual energy into Xie Yuanjia over and over again, but there was still no response.
Impossible. Xie Yuanjia possessed the protagonist’s “invincible golden body” law; how could he possibly die this easily?
Han Wenxuan grabbed Xie Yuanjia’s wrist. His pulse was so weak it was practically nonexistent. “At this point, we can only treat a dead horse as though it’s still alive.”
With that, Han Wenxuan extracted the flame python’s demonic core, forcefully administered it to Xie Yuanjia, and channeled his own spiritual breath into Xie Yuanjia’s body to help refine the core. Seeing this, Xiao Chen assisted from the side.
After half an hour of this, Xie Yuanjia finally showed signs of life. Han Wenxuan withdrew his spiritual breath, rechecked Xie Yuanjia’s condition, and let out a sigh of relief. “Rest assured, he’s fine now.”
Xiao Chen murmured an assent and tried to stand up, but halfway up he wobbled and fell back down. Han Wenxuan hurriedly steadied him. Once he stood firm, Xiao Chen said, “I’m alright.”
Han Wenxuan helped him to the side to check his injuries. Upon doing so, his expression turned grim. He produced a medicinal pill, had Xiao Chen swallow it, and said in a deep voice, “Immediately regulate your breathing and heal your injuries.”
Even without Han Wenxuan saying anything, Xiao Chen would have done just that. For the next half-hour, Han Wenxuan alternated between regulating his own breath and keeping a careful watch on the surrounding environment.
Around midnight, a flash of lightning suddenly split the firmament, nearly illuminating the entire night sky, followed by rolling peals of thunder closing in from the distance toward their location.
Both Xiao Chen and Han Wenxuan were startled by this sudden development, looking up at the sky together. “This heavenly tribulation is a bit strange. A Nascent Soul tribulation shouldn’t be this powerful, yet a Deity Transformation tribulation seems a bit too weak.”
While the two stood in mutual suspicion and astonishment, purple halos began to ripple across Xie Yuanjia’s entire body. With a tacit understanding, the two retreated a safe distance away.
A moment later, the tribulation lightning struck. Feeling an infinite pressure wash over them, the two hurriedly flew away on their swords, unable to shake off the effects until they had retreated a full hundred miles away.
Watching the lightning light up half the sky from afar, both felt a chill in their hearts.
At that moment, Xiao Chen suddenly felt a bit of pity for the “dragon-swallower” protagonists in books. It wasn’t just Xie Yuanjia, but male-lead protagonists from web novels he used to read in general readers might find it satisfying, but the protagonist himself genuinely suffered through torments no ordinary person could endure.
Not only did this tribulation lightning arrive with ferocious momentum, but it lasted for an exceptionally long time. Normally, when someone entered the Nascent Soul stage, the lightning would strike once or twice just to go through the motions, but this was genuinely trying to beat a person to death!
Half an hour later, the tribulation lightning finally faded. Xiao Chen and Han Wenxuan flew back on their swords. By the time they arrived, Xie Yuanjia had already cast a cleansing dust spell, and his spiritual aura was exceptionally clear, deep, and steady.
Knowing full well that he had achieved this fortuitous stroke of luck entirely because Han Wenxuan and Xiao Chen had given him the demonic core, Xie Yuanjia cupped his fists and said, “Many thanks to both of you.”
Yet the two of them asked almost simultaneously, “Are you alright?”
Xie Yuanjia smiled slightly. “I successfully weathered the tribulation and entered the Nascent Soul stage.”
Han Wenxuan nodded. “Opportunities and dangers coexist within the secret realm. Having an extra powerhouse is immensely advantageous to us, so don’t overthink it.”
Xie Yuanjia looked at Xiao Chen. “Did you sustain any injuries?”
Xiao Chen shook his head. “Just now… thank you.”
Xie Yuanjia flashed to Xiao Chen’s side, grabbed his wrist to channel a wisp of spiritual energy inside, and teased, “Then how does Young Master Xiao intend to repay me? For a life-saving grace, shouldn’t you…”
Before he could finish the sentence, the ground beneath them suddenly caved in. Before they had time to think, Xie Yuanjia had already pulled Xiao Chen high up into the air.
Han Wenxuan frowned slightly. “Could there be an even higher-tier flame python?”
Xiao Chen’s gaze turned dark and cool, harboring the exact same suspicion. Did they poke a snake’s nest?! If another one came along, he truly didn’t have the strength to fight anymore.
After the violent tremors subsided and the dust cleared, the three of them finally saw what lay beneath: an underground palace.
A flash of delight crossed Han Wenxuan’s eyes. “No wonder this flame python chose to cultivate near a dilapidated temple—so this was the reason. This palace is hidden extremely deeply; it must have collapsed under the pressure of the tribulation just now.”
Xiao Chen subconsciously glanced at Xie Yuanjia. As expected of the Dragon-Swallower! Following the Dragon-Swallower really does mean there’s soup to drink.
Noticing Xiao Chen looking at him with a gaze that seemed faintly laced with a blend of relief, admiration, and awe, Xie Yuanjia couldn’t help raising a hand to brush against Xiao Chen’s dark hair, asking softly, “What is it?”
Xiao Chen felt his scalp practically explode. Only then did he realize he was still wrapped inside Xie Yuanjia’s embrace. He hurriedly broke away, feigning calm with a cool, collected tone: “It’s nothing.”
Xie Yuanjia couldn’t help laughing, his eyes brimming with deep pampering. Now that he was at the early Nascent Soul stage, even though he hadn’t crossed swords with anyone yet, he could sense that his Nascent Soul was by no means ordinary compared to other Nascent Soul cultivators. He was finally beginning to have the ability to protect the people he cared about in his heart.
Good grief! I’m not your harem member—Xie Yuanjia, stop looking at me with that kind of gaze! Xiao Chen inwardly ranted, trying his absolute best to avoid making eye contact with Xie Yuanjia.
Han Wenxuan looked at the two of them with a slight frown, a nameless sense of displeasure welling up in his heart. “Let’s go down and take a look.”