It’s a pity that the True Essence Orb couldn’t probe into the black lava.
Otherwise, Ling Xiao could have confirmed what kind of sinister thing was inside.
This time, relying entirely on a martial artist’s intuition, he sensed something terrifying lurking in the lava, something definitely not easy to deal with.
This thing was hiding in the black lava, not only cunning but also extremely powerful.
Its strength was beyond question. For a creature to survive in such black lava, if it wasn’t powerful, that would be truly astonishing.
Could it be an Ancient Hell Dragon?
The Ancient Hell Dragon was a species, not just a single divine dragon, so the possibility of one appearing here was quite high.
After all, the Moonlight Heavenly Maiden had sealed the Land of Dragons within the Moonlight Treasure Pagoda. Sealing an additional Ancient Hell Dragon didn’t seem too surprising.
Though dangerous, Ling Xiao had made up his mind. No matter what was hidden in this black lava valley, even if it was a Heavenly Human Realm expert, he had to go down and investigate.
Because he desperately wanted the dragon soul of an Ancient Hell Dragon. Obtaining it would greatly enhance his combat ability.
Wealth and glory come from taking risks!
He had always lived this way. Besides, even if he died this time, it would only mean elimination, not actual death. So what was there to fear?
With that thought, Ling Xiao leaped off the cliff into the valley below, spreading his Golden Light Dragon Wings and hovering more than ten metres above the black lava.
As he got closer to the lava, the sensation of scorching heat mixed with eerie cold grew stronger.
Ling Xiao couldn’t help but gasp.
He didn’t dare fly too quickly. In this eerie place, he could only probe within a hundred-metre range, and he couldn’t release the True Essence Orb beneath the black lava.
Because the moment the True Essence Orb touched the black lava, it would instantly burn to ashes.
His mutated Ghost Fire Martial Soul enveloped his entire body, making him feel slightly more comfortable.
Even so, he didn’t dare let his guard down. The fleeting sense of crisis earlier made him even more cautious.
He believed that sense of danger was definitely not baseless.
Better to be cautious than sorry.
Even in this perilous, harsh environment, he forced himself to stay sharply focused.
Only then could he respond promptly to any sudden crisis.
The deeper he flew into the valley, the stronger the alternating sensations of freezing cold and scorching heat became. His body felt unbearably cold one moment and unbearably hot the next.
The discomfort was so intense it made him want to smash his head and escape the torment entirely.
Ling Xiao didn’t even dare to breathe, because even a slight breath would draw black flames into his body along with the air.
Even a tiny bit of black flame required a tremendous amount of True Essence to convert and absorb.
It was exhausting.
If he had enough time, he might have chosen to cultivate in peace, but not now. Hovering in mid-air, his Golden Light Dragon Wings had a limited flight duration. If he depleted his True Essence here, he’d be helpless when real danger arrived, left to face death with his eyes closed.
Yet, even so, the black flames were pervasive.
He couldn’t completely seal all his body’s pores, so tiny traces of black flame still entered his body.
If not for the Nine-Vein Spirit Body granted by his Mountain and River Martial Soul, which could fuse almost all types of energy…
If not for the fact that he had tempered his body since the Martial Vein Realm, making even his internal organs exceptionally resilient…
He might have already been reduced to ashes by these black flames.
Indeed, on the path of a martial artist, luck alone wasn’t enough. Without sufficient ability, even if you were placed in front of a pile of treasures, you might not be able to claim them.
Dantai Lingzi’s luck was good enough, wasn’t it? She discovered an underground city, the Spider Queen’s city, shortly after entering the third stage.
Bai Feifei’s luck was good too, wasn’t it? She encountered the avatar of Demon Flame Heavenly Sovereign and found the Black Spirit City.
But so what?
What you can’t obtain, you simply can’t obtain.
Due to the limited probing range and the dense black fog ahead, Ling Xiao had to slow down even further.
He had considered that if the Golden Light Dragon Wings could no longer sustain him, he would release the Black Dragon King to carry him in flight.
The Black Dragon King still had two uses left.
He wasn’t using it now to avoid wasting it.
But if it came to a point where he had no choice, there would be no other option.
During the flight, Ling Xiao tried to stay calm and silent, not daring to make the slightest sound.
Because he didn’t want to alert the mysterious creature in the black lava.
He didn’t want to provoke its attack.
He wanted to thoroughly observe this black lava valley first and decide what to do last, leaving combat as the final step.
As he continued flying and probing, Ling Xiao was shocked to discover that the valley was far larger than he had expected.
He had initially thought it was about the size of the Ten Thousand Thunder Absolute Land, but now it seemed he had grossly underestimated it.
The terrifying black lava had formed a surging river of molten rock, even giving rise to eerie lava fountains.
Massive columns of black lava shot up from below, forming black fire pillars four or five metres in diameter.
Each time Ling Xiao encountered one, his heart raced with fear.
Because if he were hit by one, it would essentially mean elimination.
Though he believed his current trial results were already excellent, he still couldn’t afford to be eliminated, because he was aiming for first place!
Not just good results.
By his estimation, there were only three people left in the entire Moonlight Treasure Pagoda.
One was him, and the other two were Dai Yuling and Dantai Lingzi.
Regardless of the others’ situations, he absolutely couldn’t be eliminated.
He hadn’t yet obtained the Ancient Hell Dragon Martial Soul he dreamed of, nor had he secured first place in the trial. He wouldn’t give up so easily.
Licking his dry, cracked lips, Ling Xiao felt like a pill thrown into a furnace.
Except this furnace used yin-yang fire, alternating between scorching heat and freezing cold. One moment his body felt parched, as if it were about to combust.
The next, it felt so cold he thought he’d freeze solid.
It was excruciating.
But he didn’t dare stop.
If he stopped and was hit by one of those massive black fire pillars, he’d be reduced to dust.
Hm?
Just as Ling Xiao spotted a piece of land ahead, a terrifying burst of energy erupted behind him.
The previously calm river surface suddenly roared with a sound like exploding thunder, countless scorching or chilling black lava sprays shooting everywhere.
Amid this terrifying explosion, a massive mysterious creature surged out of the black lava at incredible speed, lunging toward Ling Xiao.
Its speed was no slower than Ling Xiao’s when using Cloud Dragon Divine Movement.
