Gou's Liver Experience in the World of Demons and Demons

The lake returned to calm, and the phantom of the divine phoenix gradually dissipated, as if it had never existed.

Gu Sheng then turned around, looked at the ashes scattered on the ground, and sneered.

"To attack the lava lake is to desecrate the body of the divine phoenix and court death."

Zhang Tianxing's face was ashen, and his lips trembled as he couldn't utter a word.

His proud elite forces of the Divine Blood Sect were completely wiped out.

"Senior Brother Gu is incredibly insightful!"

The disciples of the Sun Moon Sect cheered.

A flicker of jealousy crossed Xu Hansong's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

He walked quickly to the lakeside and tentatively asked.

"Senior Brother Gu, this magma seems to be beneficial to you. I wonder if I..."

Gu Sheng glanced at him.

"Anyone below the fifth level of physical strength, whose marrow has not been tempered, will die upon entering. You may not even have reached the second level; do you intend to throw your life away?"

Xu Hansong's face turned pale and then red, and he awkwardly stepped back.

Gu Sheng stood in the middle of the lake, his legs below the knees completely submerged in the lava. His skin was constantly carbonized and rapidly regenerated under the high temperature, and each cycle made his muscle fibers more resilient.

"what--!"

A piercing scream suddenly came from the shore.

Xu Hansong's martial artist was rolling on the ground clutching his severed leg. His right foot was gone, the cut was charred black, and even the blood had evaporated instantly.

The warrior's face was deathly pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, clearly indicating that he was enduring immense pain.

"waste!"

Xu Hansong snorted coldly, his eyes filled with disgust, but when he looked at Gu Sheng in the lava lake, that disgust was immediately replaced by jealousy.

Zhang Tianxing stood to the side, his fingers unconsciously stroking the long sword at his waist, his eyes gleaming.

"Brother Xu, it seems that kid wasn't lying to us. This lava is indeed not something ordinary people can touch."

Xu Hansong's face was gloomy, and he did not answer immediately.

He stared at Gu Sheng's figure, which was faintly visible in the lava, and his fists clenched involuntarily.

With each step Gu Sheng took deeper into the depths, the aura emanating from his body grew stronger, and this visible rate of progress fueled a burning jealousy within him.

"Walk."

Xu Hansong suddenly turned around.

"Since there's nothing for us here, let's go look somewhere else."

Zhang Tianxing raised an eyebrow and followed Xu Hansong's footsteps.

"Brother Xu, are you just going to give up like that?"

"Hmph, do you think I wanted to?"

Xu Hansong lowered his voice.

"But that woman, Tantai Bingtang, could return at any time. If we make a move against that kid..."

Zhang Tianxing's eyes were filled with malice.

"Brother Xu, you're overthinking it. Opportunities and dangers coexist in the secret realm. Who can guarantee that the kid will make it out alive?"

Xu Hansong paused, then turned to look at Zhang Tianxing.

"What does Brother Zhang mean?"

The two exchanged a glance, then quickened their pace in unison, quickly disappearing into the mist of the lava lake area with their respective groups.

In the lava lake, Gu Sheng closed his eyes and felt the changes in his legs.

The burning from the magma was no longer as painful as it had been at the beginning. Although the rate of flesh and blood regeneration had slowed down, each regeneration made the bones more crystalline and the muscles more toned.

"Not enough"

Gu Sheng muttered to himself, urging his internal energy and blood to circulate faster.

The blood vessels under his skin glowed with a faint red light, guiding heat to all parts of his body.

On the shore, Xie Qingxuan paced anxiously back and forth.

She tried several times to approach the lake, but was deterred by the sweltering heat.

"Senior Brother Gu! The Spirit Flame Immortal Herb is on the stone pillar in the center of the lake, but neither Xie He nor I can fly."

Xie Qingxuan shouted, her voice filled with resentment.

Gu Sheng opened his eyes and glanced at the fiery red spirit herb in the center of the lake.

Instead of acting immediately, he suddenly pointed to the west.

"Xie He, go over there, three hundred feet away, there's something three feet underground."

Xie He was taken aback, then clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Yes, Senior Brother Gu!"

After Xie He left, Gu Sheng looked at Xie Qingxuan again.

"Junior Sister Xie, you can cultivate on the shore. Although the life energy emanating from the lava lake is thin, it will still benefit your physique."

Xie Qingxuan was skeptical, but she still sat cross-legged as instructed. After a moment, she was surprised to find that a faint warm current was indeed seeping into her skin, and her muscle fibers were becoming stronger without her realizing it.

“It really works!”

Xie Qingxuan said with delight.

Gu Sheng smiled slightly, said no more, and continued to focus on his body tempering.

He vaguely sensed that something deep within the lava lake was calling to him, but he dared not venture deeper yet.

Meanwhile, in another stone forest within the secret realm.

"Brother Zhang, what did you mean by what you just said?"

Xu Hansong stopped and waved for his men to disperse and maintain vigilance.

Zhang Tianxing's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Brother Xu, do you know if there is an ancient formation in this secret realm?"

"Array?"

Xu Hansong frowned.

"good."

Zhang Tianxing lowered his voice.

"According to the records of my Divine Blood Sect, this formation requires the combined efforts of a Sect Realm expert or more than ten Heavenly Martial Realm experts to activate. Once activated, the remnant soul of the Divine Phoenix in the lava lake will erupt."

A glint of light flashed in Xu Hansong's eyes.

"you mean"

"Kill with a borrowed knife."

Zhang Tianxing made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Let the remnant soul of the Divine Phoenix deal with that brat for us. Even if Tantai Bingtang investigates afterward, it won't be our fault."

Xu Hansong pondered for a moment, his eyes growing increasingly murderous.

"Where is the formation?"

"It's inside the mountain."

Zhang Tianxing pointed to a mountain peak in the distance that resembled a phoenix spreading its wings.

"There is an array there that maintains the stability of the remnant soul of the Divine Phoenix. It was probably set up by our predecessors or before the Divine Phoenix perished."

Xu Hansong still had concerns.

"But Tantai Bingtang"

"Don't worry, Brother Xu."

Zhang Tianxing was confident.

“Our Divine Blood Sect has a special magic weapon called the ‘Restriction-Breaking Cone’ specifically designed to counter formations. It can disrupt the outer restrictions of a formation without anyone noticing. Even if someone investigates afterward, they will only think it was an accident caused by the formation’s long-term neglect.”

A glint of greed flashed in Xu Hansong's eyes.

"After it's done."

"The treasure will be divided in half."

Zhang Tianxing immediately responded.

"I only want the storage ring and cultivation technique on that kid. Brother Xu, you can take the Bronze Ancient Palace."

In the scorching lava lake, Gu Sheng sat cross-legged, his lower body completely accustomed to the molten lava that could melt gold and iron.

His skin had a dark gold hue, gleaming with a metallic sheen under the lava.

Peak of the sixth level of physical strength

Gu Sheng felt the power coming from his legs, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

For the past seven days, he has been experiencing the pain of his flesh being burned and reborn every day, and now he is finally seeing the results.

"Master, the vitality of this Divine Phoenix Essence Blood seems weaker than expected."

The voice of the innate spiritual embryo resounded in Gu Sheng's mind.

“The essence and blood of the ancient divine phoenix after its fall should not be so scarce. I suspect there is more to this lava lake than meets the eye.” Gu Sheng frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the churning lava beneath his feet.

"you mean"

"There might be something hidden at the bottom of the lake that is absorbing the life force of the divine phoenix's blood essence."

The innate spiritual fetus spoke with a solemn tone.

Gu Sheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"Now is not the time to investigate."

The life force of this lava lake is no longer sufficient to sustain my tempering for much longer; I must first complete the tempering of my physical body.

With that, he sank back into the lava. The scalding lava enveloped his body, and each breath felt like swallowing flames.

But Gu Sheng had become accustomed to this pain, and his muscles were constantly strengthened through destruction and rebirth.

On the shore, Xie Qingxuan sat cross-legged on a protruding rock, her hands forming a mudra, surrounded by a faint red light.

She slowly absorbed the life force emanating from the lava lake, integrating it into her body.

"Physical strength has reached the third level."

She opened her eyes, a look of joy on her face. Turning her head to look at the center of the lava lake, she saw only a small whirlpool; Gu Sheng's figure was completely out of sight.

"This guy is really a madman."

Xie Qingxuan murmured to herself, her eyes filled with worry.

Just then, Xie He rushed over from a distance, his face unusually grave.

"Qingxuan, something terrible has happened!"

"what happened?"

Xie Qingxuan stood up and patted the volcanic ash off her clothes.

"I was just wandering around the outskirts when I discovered that the forces of the Sun Moon Sect and the Divine Blood Sect have actually formed an alliance!"

Xie said, panting heavily.

"More than a dozen experts at the Heavenly Martial Realm were flying around the mountainside, acting suspiciously and doing something unknown."

Xie Qingxuan's expression changed drastically.

"The two factions have always been bitter enemies, how could they suddenly form an alliance? Let's go and see!"

Just as she was about to take a step, the lava lake behind her suddenly began to boil violently.

The once calm lake surface was stirred up as if by an invisible hand, with lava churning up huge waves several meters high, and a destructive aura erupting from the center of the lake.

"No! Run!"

Xie He's expression changed drastically, and he grabbed Xie Qingxuan's wrist, trying to rush out.

Xie Qingxuan broke free and looked anxiously at the lava lake.

"Gu Sheng is still inside!"

"We can't worry about that now! Even a Heavenly Martial Realm expert couldn't withstand this magma eruption!"

Xie He roared, and seeing Xie Qingxuan still hesitating, he made a resolute gesture and slashed her neck with a sharp chop.

"you"

Xie Qingxuan only managed to utter one word before everything went black and she collapsed.

Xie He scooped up the unconscious Xie Qingxuan and ran wildly out of the mountains without looking back.

Behind him, scorching lava splashed like a torrential rain. A drop of lava landed on Xie He's back, instantly burning through his clothes and leaving a charred mark on his skin.

But Xie He gritted his teeth and did not slow down at all.

Meanwhile, deep inside the mountain.

Xu Hansong and Zhang Tianxing stood before a massive array, their faces contorted in a grimace. In the center of the array, a phantom phoenix was struggling in agony.

"Hahaha, the formation is finally broken!"

Xu Hansong laughed loudly.

"If the remnant soul of the Divine Phoenix goes out of control, the entire Spirit Flame Mountain will erupt in chaos!"

Zhang Tianxing nodded coldly.

"Gu Sheng is doomed. Daring to offend both of our sects at the same time, this is his fate!"

As they spoke, the entire mountain began to tremble violently, and countless cracks spread across the ground. The illusory phoenix shadow let out a mournful cry, the sound piercing through the mountain and echoing through the heavens.

"Let's go! It'll be too late if we don't leave now!"

Xu Hansong waved his hand, and led the two groups of people to retreat quickly.

In the scorching lava lake, Gu Sheng sat cross-legged, his body enveloped in crimson lava.

His eyes were tightly closed, veins bulged on his forehead, and large beads of sweat evaporated from his skin as soon as they seeped out.

At this moment, his body had completed 99% of the tempering process, with only his head still undergoing the baptism of magma.

"hiss--"

Gu Sheng gasped for breath as the flesh and blood in his head melted and regenerated repeatedly under the erosion of the magma.

Each time flesh and blood melted away, it felt like a thousand ants gnawing at his heart, but he gritted his teeth and remained motionless.

The avatar controlled by the innate spiritual embryo hovered beside him, vigilantly observing its surroundings.

"Master, the lava flow is abnormal."

The spirit embryo suddenly transmitted a message, which resounded directly in Gu Sheng's mind.

Gu Sheng suddenly opened his eyes, a golden light flashing in his pupils.

He sensed unusual vibrations coming from the depths of the lava lake, and the previously stable heat flow began to surge erratically.

"Sure enough, it's here."

Gu Sheng sneered and took out a crimson pill from his storage ring and swallowed it.

"Those two old geezers, Zhang Tianxing and Xu Hansong, finally couldn't hold back any longer."

The pill entered my stomach and transformed into a cool force that rushed straight to my mind, temporarily relieving the pain from the tempering of my head.

Gu Sheng formed a hand seal, and his body shone with golden light, keeping the incoming raging magma three feet away.

"Spiritual Embryo, strengthen its defenses! I must complete the tempering in one go!"

"As ordered."

The spirit embryo formed hand seals, and a barrier of azure light surrounded and protected Gu Sheng.

The turmoil in the lava lake intensified, with countless bubbles surging from its depths. The shockwaves generated when the bubbles burst were enough to severely injure ordinary cultivators.

Gu Sheng ignored him, focusing intently on guiding the power of the magma to temper the last few vital points on his head.

Three hours later, Gu Sheng suddenly let out a long howl, which pierced through the magma and echoed throughout the entire lake bottom.

A dazzling golden light emanated from his head, reflecting off the golden light on his body and eventually merging into one.

"It's done!"

Gu Sheng clenched his fist, feeling the newfound physical strength within him. The magma was now like lukewarm water to him, posing no threat whatsoever.

However, at that moment, a muffled sound suddenly came from the bottom of the lake, and the entire lava lake formed a huge whirlpool.

Caught off guard, Gu Sheng was swept away by the raging lava flow and sank to the bottom of the lake.

"Owner!"

The spirit embryo avatar hurriedly chased after it, but was scattered by a sudden pillar of magma.

Gu Sheng remained calm in the face of danger, using his newly tempered body to stabilize himself.

But the vortex's suction was too strong, so he simply gave up resisting and let the lava carry him deeper into the vortex.

"Since someone has gone to the trouble of sending me down here, why not turn the tables and see what secrets are hidden at the bottom of this lake?"

During the descent, Gu Sheng discovered a strange phenomenon.

The deeper you go, the higher the temperature of the magma, but the thinner the life force it contains. Logically, the deeper the magma lake, the more abundant the life force should be.

Something is devouring life force.

Gu Sheng narrowed his eyes, probing the movements within a radius of nearly a hundred feet.

Suddenly, a sharp warning from the innate spiritual embryo exploded in his mind.

"Master, be careful! Something is coming up from below!"

Gu Sheng sensed the danger almost simultaneously and suddenly dodged to the right.

A dark shadow grazed past his left arm, stirring up a large amount of lava.

Up close, Gu Sheng finally saw what it was—a blood-red demonic plant vine, as thick as an adult's arm, its surface covered with ferocious barbs, and its tip bearing five sharp, knife-like leaves.

"Blood Blade Demonic Vine?"

Gu Sheng's pupils contracted slightly; he seemed to have seen this demonic plant in the sect's records.

The vine, having missed its first attack, deftly changed direction in mid-air and attacked Gu Sheng again.

This time it was even faster, almost turning into a streak of blood-red lightning.

"Humph!"

Gu Sheng snorted coldly, his right hand blazing with golden light as he grabbed at the attacking vines. The two clashed, producing a metallic clang and sparks flying. (End of Chapter)