C248 Dragon Cave Cold Dragon

Whoosh!

A colossal orb of blood, amassed from the lifeblood of numerous cultivators, pulsated in tandem with Wu Xiting's movements. A torrent of crimson blood erupted from the dantian within his chest, gushing forth with ferocity.

As the blood surged out, the body of Lau Zaihe, once robust and vigorous, rapidly shriveled and withered, as if its vital essence had been drained in the blink of an eye, aging a century in moments. The once strong Lau Zaihe collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

The scarlet blood that had burst from his chest was instantly drawn to the moving blood orb.

Simultaneously, the Yin God that had been lurking within the body for days transformed into a streak of blood light and shot out, following the trail of blood into the orb.

The blood and the blood light infused the massive orb with vitality, turning it from an inanimate object into something teeming with life.

Chen Qingyan, having witnessed the scene in Chilly Wind Valley, had her doubts dispelled. She recognized that the blood light was Wu Xiting's Yin God on its spectral journey, while the blood was the essence of Qi and blood that Wu Xiting had somehow infused into Lau Zaihe's body.

Both the blood and the blood light were Wu Xiting's own.

These two elements had taken over Lau Zaihe's body, using it as a conduit to perform the mystical arts of the Primordial Yang Sect and the Blood God Cult, creating an apparition that seemed to be Wu Xiting himself.

Yet, the Wu Xiting reborn from Lau Zaihe was not truly Wu Xiting.

Lau Zaihe was too frail; his corporeal form insufficiently tempered, limiting the amount of power and soul energy it could sustain. This left Wu Xiting, in the middle phase of the Soul Wandering Stage, constrained and unable to fully utilize his capabilities.

Wu Xiting had yet to exert his full might, his true level and strength hampered by the confines of Lau Zaihe's form.

But the immense blood orb appeared to be a far superior vessel Wu Xiting had found, one that could better harbor his Yin God and essence of blood, enabling the full extent of his combat prowess.

Thus, once his essence and Yin God had merged with the orb, Wu Xiting proceeded to burrow into the cavern.

The orb, like a nascent spirit embryo, underwent a miraculous transformation in the void. Driven by the circulation of Wu Xiting's blood essence, it astonishingly sprouted limbs and a spine, followed by the formation of bones and organs.

As Wu Xiting neared the cave's entrance, an unclothed duplicate of himself materialized.

This reborn Wu Xiting sculpted his form from the massive blood orb, using the Yin God and his vital blood essence as his chisel, crafting it from nothingness.

A long crimson robe soared from Lau Zaihe's fallen body, enveloping Wu Xiting.

The new Wu Xiting reeked of blood, shedding any semblance of the Primordial Yang Sect's upright bearing, instead resembling an emerging aristocrat of the Blood God Cult.

He scowled, glancing back at the Elemental Fire Mirror.

The sentient Elemental Fire Mirror seemed to detect a foreign, malevolent presence emanating from him, prompting it to shift away in distaste.

Wu Xiting let out a derisive snort.

Hidden within the Elemental Fire Mirror, numerous Blood Clouds ignited fiercely.

They swarmed the Space Oddity inside the mirror, binding the nascent consciousness of the mirror's spirit.

"I'll have words with you later," he declared, dismissing the Elemental Fire Mirror. Fulfilling Yu Yuan's expectations, he plunged into the cave.

Chen Qingyan remained in Chilly Wind Valley, along with the gaunt little girl who was swiftly regaining her strength amid the toxic mists above.

Under her green veil, Chen Qingyan's expression shifted unpredictably, her eyes betraying her bewilderment.

She had an epiphany: Wu Xiting, having reconstructed his body from the colossal blood orb, seemed mightier than before. His unique physique appeared to bolster his confidence immensely.

Unfazed by the Yin Wind, Wu Xiting would likely confront Yu Yuan in the cave without hesitation.

And yet...

A sudden realization caused Chen Qingyan's face to pale, her trepidation mounting.

Wu Xiting's recent display suggested his mastery of the Blood God Cult's central doctrines, signaling he was no conventional disciple of the Primordial Yang Sect.

He was likely a plant from the Blood God Cult itself, possibly even from its inner circle!

He must have been covertly dispatched to the Primordial Yang Sect by the Blood God Cult, assimilated into Yang Mountain, where he practiced their Spiritual Spells and secret arts, all while concealing his true origins and allegiance.

If it were truly an agent of the Blood God Cult, then why would he collaborate with Mei Qiurong to exert pressure on Ann Jieshan?

Is it possible that his presence in the Jade Peak and his encounter with Mei Qiurong were orchestrated by the Blood God Cult from the start?

Wu Xiting's true intention might be to rescue Ann Jieshan and escort him from the Profound Sky Continent back to the Quietus Continent, to the sacred grounds of the Blood God Cult!

If this is the case, it's likely that Wu Xiting and Ann Jieshan had already forged a secret pact.

Ann Jieshan, concealed in the subterranean cavern, must have been in covert communication with Wu Xiting. Indeed, all actions taken in Chilly Wind Valley were premeditated by the pair.

With this in mind, what advantage could Mei Qiurong, who fancied herself the hunter, possibly gain in the depths of the earth?

"Profound Sky Sect, Primordial Yang Sect, Blood God Cult..."

Chen Qingyan's heart soured with bitterness as she pondered. She suddenly realized that any elder from these elite sects was nothing but an old demon, brimming with cunning plots and malevolent schemes.

She, who believed she had a clear view of everything, found that with each twist of events, the truth drifted further from her grasp.

...

Deep within the cave.

Wu Xiting halted abruptly, his eyes catching the dazzling radiance of the expansive cavern.

A coiled dragon, stripped of skin and flesh, lay before him as a skeleton of emerald green.

Its skull was proudly arched, its body spiraling, filling the cavern's expanse.

The emerald bones were riddled with innumerable holes, each the size of a fingertip.

With each gust, the holes emitted a ghastly wail, the wind whistling through them was the fearsome Yin Wind.

Yu Yuan stood beneath the dragon's skull, clutching a crimson short spear, his lips curled into a particularly irksome grin as he gazed at Wu Xiting.

A moment's reflection led Wu Xiting to realize that the dragon itself had carved out the cavern.

Observing the green bones and their perforations, sensing the direction of the Yin Wind, he drew a deep breath and said, "I never imagined that the legendary Cold Flood Dragon would be interred here. I've always found Chilly Wind Valley peculiar, yet the specifics eluded me. Now, beholding this dragon's skeleton, everything becomes clear."

Yu Yuan's eyes widened with a hint of surprise. "Huh, you've heard the tales of the Nether Flood Dragon too?"

"Of course," Wu Xiting huffed, "That Nether Flood Dragon has always roamed the Cold Abyss, evolving step by step. Dragon Servitors and their dragons have made secret pilgrimages to the Cold Abyss to beseech its emergence, only to be slain or expelled by it."

"Three hundred years ago, the Nether Flood Dragon was an anomaly within the Cold Abyss, then it vanished without a trace."

"Given the Cold Abyss's peculiar nature, many speculated that the Cold Flood Dragon might have entered a dormant state to undergo another transformation. Some believe that upon its return, it could rank among the mightiest of the Nagas."

"I never imagined the Nether Flood Dragon would actually be dead, mysteriously perishing in a cave within Chilly Wind Valley." Wu Xiting marveled with a click of his tongue.

"The chilling gales themselves emanate from the perforations in the Nether Flood Dragon's bones," Yu Yuan said with a beaming smile. "Below the Yang God Stage, few possess resistance to such winds. But you..."

His gaze fixed on Wu Xiting, sensing the extraordinary surge of blood essence, Yu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly. "You're the exception."

"Who are you, really?" Wu Xiting asked, his tone grave. "You can't be the direct disciple of Mountain Lord Mo from Yang Mountain! Even your practice of the Glorious Heavenly Wheel doesn't connect you to them. Where did you learn the Evil Body Refining Skill? And your knowledge of the Blood God Cult—it's extensive."

Yu Yuan's recognition of him as an exception indicated his insight into Wu Xiting's unique physique, impervious to the Chilly Wind.

Unfazed by the Chilly Wind, Wu Xiting now stood deep within the dragon cave, before the skeletal remains of the Nether Flood Dragon. How could he, a mere youth at the Yellow Court Stage, presume to speak so boldly?

Why did Yu Yuan show no fear, no reverence?

What was the source of his confidence?

A flurry of thoughts raced through Wu Xiting's mind, deepening his perplexity.

Yet, the looming threat persisted, shadow-like, undiminished even as he confronted the scene before him in the dragon cave.

Contrarily, the sense of threat only intensified upon seeing the dragon bones of the Nether Flood Dragon and Yu Yuan before him.

"Do you know how this Nether Flood Dragon met its end?" Yu Yuan asked with a sly grin.

"How did it die?" inquired Wu Xiting.

"All the flesh and organs dissolved into blood, leaving behind only a pristine dragon skeleton," Yu Yuan said with a chuckle. "So, how do you think it died?"

"Poisoned!" Wu Xiting realized, his face suddenly turning pale with shock. "The Nether Flood Dragon, dwelling in the depths of the Cold Abyss, is immune to most of the world's deadliest toxins. How could it have succumbed to such a fate?"

The dragon bones bore no marks of being hacked or chopped; the absence of flesh or sinew suggested a death by poisoning.

Only a poison of extraordinary terror and corrosive power could have such an effect.

Wu Xiting's gaze swept the dragon cave, growing more anxious by the moment as he surveyed the items within. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had walked into a trap.

"Huff!"

Out of nowhere, a blast of cold dragon breath erupted from the deceased Nether Flood Dragon's jaws.

The icy breath instantly enveloped Wu Xiting.

Countless ice crystals surged from the breath into Wu Xiting's body, which had been newly forged from a massive blood sphere.

Wu Xiting had surmised that his new body would be impervious to the Yin Wind.

Yet, under the onslaught of the dragon's icy exhalation, the newly reborn Wu Xiting had no chance to resist. In an instant, he was frozen solid, transformed into a crystal-clear ice sculpture.

Specks of ice, carrying the utmost chill from the depths of the Cold Abyss, penetrated his bone marrow and Yin God.

Even the soul of the Yin God at the Soul Wandering Stage, capable of piercing gold and splitting stone, was immobilized by the freeze.

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