Chapter 356: Chapter 73: The First Adventure of the Dragon and the Fox
Fire Element True Qi, an average cultivator might have never even heard of it, but Ling Yunpo of Shushan had.
The reason was nothing else: beneath Shushan, there lay the Fire Element Cave, which also contained Fire Element True Qi.
Those entering needed to shield their bodies with the Xuanguang Ruler, or else, if they came into contact with Fire Element True Qi, they would die, consumed by fierce flames.
This Fire Element Cave had another characteristic, that is, every time Fire Element True Qi erupted, it would melt the nearby cave walls, and after they solidified again, the structure of the cave would be completely altered.
Even if you remembered the way you came, a single eruption would make all your previous efforts in vain, making it impossible to return the way you came.
These two factors combined to make the Fire Element Cave essentially an impassable dead zone. You only needed to look at how the Shushan Shangqing Faction used the Fire Element Cave as a storage site for the Sect’s resources to understand the great dangers within.
However, the members of the Golden Crow Clan never mentioned this, as if they didn’t care at all whether we could return alive or not.
Hm?
That’s not right.
If no one could return alive, how would they retrieve the stolen item?
Unless from the start, their intention for sending us down wasn’t for any stolen item…
At this realization, Long Long suddenly broke out in a cold sweat!
Source: NovelFull.com, updated on Ɲονǥ0.ᴄο
But as a Water Viper, being thoroughly cold-blooded, he didn’t actually sweat, and so he merely frowned slightly.
If my deduction is true, then I fear “sending us to our deaths” was the true purpose behind sending us down there.
Long Long discreetly glanced towards the door, only to see the Golden Crow Cultivator standing outside, looking over with an indifferent expression:
“Any problems?” he asked.
“In the Fire Element Cave, besides Fire Element True Qi, are there any other dangers?” Long Long asked with a smile.
“No,” the Golden Crow Cultivator shook his head, apparently not inclined to elaborate.
No dangers? Long Long’s mood instantly cooled.
Fire Element True Qi in itself was the greatest danger, yet the Golden Crow Clan obviously avoided discussing it, clearly indicating there was a problem.
And this cultivator blocking the door wasn’t showing any signs of letting us go…
With a silent sigh, Long Long turned to communicate with the Kunlun Mirror.
The little fox was hiding behind him. Although she didn’t engage in any communication, her sensitivity allowed her to sense Long Long’s anxiety, and she couldn’t help but feel uneasy for him.
After a while, everyone finally agreed to go down.
While the three Demon Race oxen were enticed by the reward, Long Long had detected the dangers within and knew that both he and Long Hu had been trapped, with no choice but to proceed.
The Golden Crow Cultivator led them to the back mountain, where it was noticeably hotter, and the earth and rocks were redder.
On the face of the rock before them, there was a noticeable Great Hollow, roughly the height of a person and wide enough for two to stand shoulder to shoulder; from within, hot winds gusted out intermittently.
Looking inside, the Demon Race oxen saw that the depths weren’t as innately dark and deep as ordinary caves, but bright and clear, which put them immediately at ease.
Long Long, however, did not share their lack of concern and knew that this brightness was the most terrifying aspect—ordinary caves did not contain the fearsome Fire Gang capable of melting common Magical Treasures!
The Demon Race oxen couldn’t wait to enter, but Long Long turned to look at the Golden Crow Cultivator, who had a smirk on his face that didn’t reach his eyes, and then at Long Hu, who appeared somewhat scared.
“Let’s go,” he said softly.
At this point, there was nothing to regret.
Before coming to ask, it wouldn’t have been possible to know about the dangers inside. Now that we know, we can’t leave; it’s truly an instance of irresistible misfortune.
However, for me, it might not necessarily be a path to certain death.
Ling Yunpo might not be able to make it through the Fire Element Cave, but that doesn’t mean Long Long has no way to survive.
Long Hu walked further inside, and with practiced ease, pulled out the Dragon Chant Sword, allowing it to hover three feet in front of him, ready to confront any potential attacks.
Though Long Hu lacked such extensive combat experience, she mimicked him nonetheless, drawing the Fox Chanting Sword and holding it her hand.
“Not like that,” Long Long instructed her, “You need to let it hover in front of you, at about an arm’s length.”
“The sword tip should be angled up, the hilt angled down, and the hilt slightly above the line of your sight.”
“Why is that?” Long Hu asked curiously.
“An arm’s length allows the Flying Sword to shield you from close attacks; the angled blade is for easier downward slashing; and above your line of sight so as not to block your view,” he explained.
“I see,” Long Hu said, suddenly understanding.
She of course didn’t know that these were combat experiences accumulated by the Shushan Sword Immortals through long-term battles, and simply took it as Long Long’s personal warfare knowledge, feeling admiration for him.
The two continued to walk into the cave, and sensing the right moment, Long Long continued to teach her:
“When advancing in narrow places like this, you must be vigilant.”
“Keep your eyes focused on the path straight ahead, but use your peripheral vision to pay close attention to the edges of your sight, such as above, below, and to the sides.”
“But that’s not enough; you also need to use your Divine Sense to scan behind you to avoid being ambushed from your blind spots.”
As he spoke, Long Long suddenly thrust his sword diagonally backwards.
Just then, a bull demon that was hiding at the fork in the road they had just passed charged out from a blind spot, rushing viciously toward their backs.
Though Long Long didn’t look back, the Dragon Chant Sword that hovered in front of him spun around and pierced backward unexpectedly, catching the bull demon off guard. By the time the demon reacted, the Dragon Chant Sword had already pierced through its brow.
Then it cleanly penetrated the skull.
Long Hu, hearing the noise, turned her head to stare at the body for a moment, then suddenly began to scream in terror.
“What’s there to scream about?” Long Long tapped her head and said, “It was just an ambush.”
His tone was so nonchalant that Long Hu stared at him blankly for a long time before she suddenly asked:
“Long Long, knowing there’s someone hiding here trying to kill us, aren’t you afraid?”
“Afraid?” Long Long smiled, “Why would I be afraid?”
The Dragon Chant Sword struck again, cutting down another bull demon charging from a different direction; its head fell cleanly from its neck.
Blood splattered on the walls of the cave, and combined with Long Long’s emotionless, toothy smile, it gave Long Hu an inexplicable sense of dread, as if facing a cold-blooded creature.
Yet inside, there was something stirring and resonating.
It was a kind of cold-blooded pride that the Dragon Clan passed down through generations, looking down on all lower demon races.
“What’s wrong with you?” Long Long suddenly asked in alarm.
He noticed that the pupils of the little fox, which had been disguised, suddenly changed uncontrollably to golden vertical slits.
Along with uncontrollable, surging Dragon’s Might erupting.
“You…,” Long Long almost stepped back, but since he himself carried the Ying Long Bloodline, he wasn’t frightened by the Dragon’s Might; he was only shocked and uncertain inside.
The Fox Chanting Sword spun and shot toward the depths of the cave ahead of them.
Then came the sound of it piercing flesh.
Long Long immediately scanned with his Divine Sense and realized it was the last bull demon trying to escape after seeing the situation go south, only to be discovered and killed by Long Hu.
“It’s actually quite simple, huh,” the little fox said with a relieved expression, her pupils shifting back to normal irises, and the Dragon Bloodline quickly receding.
The fragment of the Heaven-Mending Stone pendant she kept hidden at her chest still emitted a colorful glow.