I made the entire cultivation world cry

Chapter 273 Kundao Palace (Bonus chapter for 500 June votes)

The fragment of tortoise shell in the hands of Zhao Cangyun and the masked girl came from the same place, and both had some connection with Xuanwu.

The Heavenly Ruler cracked, and the suppressed aura leaked out, causing an anomaly within the Kun Emperor Palace. This also allowed the fragments of the tortoise shell to draw upon this aura, opening a path.

Therefore, Zhao Cangyun and his group, along with the masked girl, were all teleported to the underground palace beneath the Zhangtian Ruler.

As soon as they landed, they saw countless dark red fleshy growths hanging from the wide dome of the underground palace, like suspended hearts that beat intermittently.

The end of the Heavenly Ruler was deeply inserted into the abyss in the center of the underground palace. The ancient characters on the ruler shimmered with a faint golden light, and it was unknown whether they were the cultivation techniques left behind by Emperor Kun.

Zhao Cangyun immediately saw a ghostly blue light, as smooth as water yet shaped like flames, flickering beneath the abyss. The light illuminated the densely packed stone terracotta warriors and giant mechanical weapons on the walls of the underground palace.

The stone terracotta warriors, clad in heavy armor and wielding long spears, had solemn expressions. Originally left by Emperor Kun to guard the underground palace and the seal, they were now corrupted by demonic energy, with dark red blood seeping from the gaps in their armor and eerie blue flames burning in their empty eye sockets.

Beneath the ruler of heaven, a constantly wriggling, yellowish-brown tumor floated, its surface covered with vascular patterns.

It was unclear what it originally was, but now it had grown twisted fleshy tentacles, each wriggling accompanied by a chilling, sticky sound.

The blue flames in the abyss coiled around the lump of flesh like venomous snakes, tearing at each other as if the flames wanted to devour the lump.

Zhao Cangyun could sense that the blue flames overflowing from the abyss were the Xuanwu Heart Flame he was looking for.

Before Zhao Cangyun could go ahead to check, the mad voice of the Heavenly Heart Ancestor came from the edge of the abyss.

"...What I hate most is being told what to do by others. How dare you, a demon, be so arrogant in front of me?"

Zhao Cangyun, Liu Taozhi, Shen Puning, and Xin Wushuang held their breath and used their concealment techniques to hide behind the giant crossbow cart.

Through the gap, they saw the Burning Heart Ancestor's five fingers gripping the masked girl's neck like iron clamps, and gray-white flames burst from her palms, instantly engulfing the girl's entire body.

The girl's body melted like wax in the ash flames, and the black iron mask fell to the ground with a clatter, revealing a face that looked exactly like Jiang Yi's.

Instead of screaming, the girl grinned, revealing a smile even more manic than Burning Heart's, "So, Ancestor is just abandoning us after we've served our purpose?"

Hongli huddled at the edge of the battlefield, blood still seeping from the charred wound on her severed tail.

Its instinct was to flee, but it suddenly remembered Jiang Yi's serious warning: never gamble on either ambushes or escapes; if you're not absolutely certain, it's better to remain still.

The bulging eyes of the fire-swallowing toad were fixed on it, while Hong Li shrank into a ball, forcibly suppressing her impulse and waiting for a more suitable opportunity.

"Does the Ancestor want to taste what it's like to be demonized?"

The girl suddenly laughed fiercely, and her melting body twisted and deformed, turning into a black mist serpent that coiled around Fenxin's arm. The serpent's head moved with lightning speed, and its fangs pierced Fenxin's neck. The entire serpent's body also turned into black mist and quickly invaded Fenxin's body.

Burning Heart's pupils shrank sharply, and spiderweb-like black lines instantly spread across the veins in her neck. Just a moment ago, she felt as if she were being watched by some terrifying being, suppressed by the pressure of a high-level cultivator, making her body stiff and unable to resist.

Burning Heart's right arm mutated and swelled uncontrollably, as if countless black worms were swimming under her skin, gnawing at her flesh. Her consciousness was pulled by some powerful force, and strange murmurs drowned out everything, causing her body to involuntarily turn towards the Zhangtianchi.

However, Fenxin abruptly stopped his body, and a cruel smile hardened on his face, which was covered with black blood vessels.

"You mere demons are far too disrespectful to me!"

With a sinister laugh, countless ghost-faced gray moths surged out from the refining cauldron on the back of the Fire-Swallowing Golden Toad like a black tide, instantly covering her entire body.

Grayish-white flames erupted from inside and outside her body, transforming into countless tiny fire snakes that frantically devoured the invading demonic energy along her meridians.

Her skin rapidly rotted in the ash flames, revealing stark white bones, only to be reshaped by the flames in the next instant. The charred flesh peeled away, and new flesh sprouted and regenerated amidst the ash and fire.

Fenxin gritted her teeth with a smile on her lips. She enjoyed the pain and even laughed maniacally, forcing the demonic energy that had invaded her body to her left arm. She flipped her right hand, and golden needles connected to red threads flew through her fingers, piercing her left arm where the demonic energy was surging.

"Trying to escape now? Too late!"

The golden needles, with red threads attached, swiftly wove a dense, impenetrable net across Burning Heart's left arm, tightly binding the black energy.

The black energy surged wildly like a living thing, pushing against the skin of Burning Heart Arm and struggling to form the outline of a human face, but it could not break through the red line seal. In the end, it was forcibly pressed back to the left arm, condensing into a black and red fire phoenix pattern on the skin.

The phoenix spread its wings as if about to take flight, but its eyes revealed ferocity and pain.

Hong Li watched this scene and was glad that she hadn't acted impulsively. Fen Xin was too powerful. Even though she was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, her spiritual strength was stronger than that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator. The Burning Heaven Fire Wheel and the Red Thread Golden Needle could unleash the power of high-level magic weapons in her hands.

Moreover, Hong Li only discovered this now: Burning Heart can freely transform ash fire into Yin Erosion Moth Fire or Candle Moth Purification Fire. Yin Erosion Moth Fire is impervious to everything, while Candle Moth Purification Fire can purify and repair.

Dealing with her is too difficult!

Burning Heart stared at the pattern on his arm, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Your true form is actually a cultivator's fire elemental root? That's interesting. It seems you have quite a connection with that crazy girl named Jiang Yi!" The fire phoenix pattern trembled slightly under Burning Heart's gaze, as if it were screaming silently.

Burning Heart's fingers traced the pattern, sensing the two completely opposite yet perfectly integrated powers contained within it—pure fire spirit and twisted demonic energy.

"No wonder he could disguise himself so perfectly and pass through the secret realm entrance array I set up. That array is one that would kill any demon who touches it."

Fen Xin narrowed his eyes, "But now, you belong to me. After refining the demonic energy, your fire spirit root can help me form my core."

The evil cultivation method that steals people's spiritual roots and foundations for advancement was something that Burning Heart used to disdain, but now he finds it surprisingly appealing!
Amidst the pungent smell of burning, Fenxin suddenly turned his head to look in the direction of the crossbow cart.

"Have you ants seen enough?"

quack!
Having mastered the Phantom Escape technique, the Fire-Swallowing Toad teleported behind everyone, its long tongue sweeping across with foul-smelling venom!

"Back off!"

Zhao Cangyun roared and slashed out with his twin blades, golden fire roaring like a dragon, colliding fiercely with the long tongue.

Liu Tao drew her Cold Moon Sword at the same time, and the icy sword energy poured down like a waterfall, instantly freezing the long tongue into ice.

The two men flanked Shen Puning, their movements perfectly coordinated amidst the flashing blades.

"Jade Serpent!"

Zhao Cangyun's black dragon shot out from his sleeve, growing larger as it faced the wind, and in an instant transformed into a ten-zhang-long giant dragon, its black scales gleaming with an eerie light, its tail slamming fiercely towards the Fire-Swallowing Golden Toad.

The fire-swallowing toad's long tongue broke off once again, causing it to croak in pain. The gray flames on the refining cauldron on its back surged, and ghost-faced gray moths swarmed out like a tide.

The jade dragon's tail swept across, scattering the swarm of gray moths. The two giant beasts tore at each other and fought fiercely, and for a time it was difficult to determine who was superior.

"careful!"

Suddenly, Fenxin appeared nearby. Xin Wushuang fired a barrage of arrows, three golden arrows whistling through the air, aiming straight for Fenxin's brow.

The wild boar king, Baozhu, shattered the ground with its iron hooves, standing in front of Shen Puning and charging wildly against the approaching gray flames.

With a cold laugh, Fenxin raised his hand to deflect the arrow, his five fingers forming a claw as he reached for Zhao Cangyun's throat.

She wants that kid's fire too!
"Go away!"

Zhao Cangyun's golden flames surged, and his blade cleaved through the gray flames, but he was forced back three steps by the recoil.

Liu Taozhi turned her sword, and the icy sword energy swept across Burning Heart's right arm, spreading frost flowers.

With a jolt of her right arm, the ashes exploded and the frost shattered. With a wave of her hand, a wave of flame crashed down on the crowd like a tsunami.

Liu Tao's sword danced in a circle, and layers of ice walls condensed. Zhao Cangyun's twin blades were planted in the ground, and golden fire transformed into a barrier.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, enduring the devastating blow. Their protective auras trembled violently, and blood trickled from the corners of their mouths, yet they did not retreat an inch.

"You two are quite in sync."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cangyun turned to look at Liu Taozhi and snorted coldly.

The fiery wheel roared in, and Liu Tao's ice wall collapsed with a crash.

At the critical moment, Xin Wushuang's arrows flew like meteors, and the three arrows in succession deflected the trajectory of the fire wheel.

Hongli huddled at the edge of the battlefield, hoping that Fenxin would forget about it; it really didn't want to hurt Zhao Cangyun and the others.

But Hongli didn't just hide all the time. She moved carefully, keeping Fenxin within her attack range, ready to strike.

"It's over!"

After several rounds of fighting, Burning Heart's patience ran out. He flashed above everyone's heads, and the gray flames transformed into a giant hand that pressed down like a mountain. Zhao Cangyun's golden flames dimmed, Liu Tao's sword shattered, Xin Wushuang's quiver was empty, and Shen Puning was powerless to do anything about it.

Just then, a simple, honest female voice pierced the air!

"You old hag, hand over the treasure!"

　Um... I was wrong, sob sob~
　　You dare to be so arrogant next time!

　　I'm timidly asking for more monthly votes.
　　See you tomorrow~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)