by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
Xiang Shaoyun waved his hand and smiled. "It's ok. I still have a mount. Money, come out!"
At his command, a slender figure shot out. Nobody was able to see where the slender figure had appeared from. By the time they managed to get a clear look, a horned lightning snake had already appeared before them. This horned lightning snake was a Demon King, but it was too small in size to serve as a mount.
"Haha, a demonic snake like this serving as a mount? Is this a joke?" Su Jun started roaring with laughter.
The others also sneered at the sight of the horned lightning snake, thinking that Xiang Shaoyun was only doing this to save face. Even Yu Caidie had a look of pity on her face.
Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun had a completely nonchalant look as he said, "Go ahead. We will definitely be able to follow your pace. If we can't, I will voluntarily withdraw."
In truth, he was feeling rather depressed. After all, Money did look rather lacking compared to everyone else's mighty looking mounts. And with this happening in front of a woman he liked, he felt like burying his head in the ground in shame. Inwardly, he cursed, If only Little White is here. How will they be able to be so cocky with him here?
"Roar! Roar!"
Even the various Demon Kings were howling at Money with disdain in their eyes. Money seemed to have understood something. He scanned the crowd, opened his mouth, and hissed.
Hiss! Hiss!
Along with the hiss, dark clouds started gathering in the sky above. Unending thunderclaps rang out, as if lightning bolts were about to rain down at any moment. When everyone looked up, their expressions changed as they quickly and instinctively pulled some distance from Money. Sure enough, several silver lightning bolts suddenly shot down from the sky.
Rumble! Rumble!
Xiang Shaoyun, who was standing beside Money wasn't even given the time to react before he sensed silver lightning bolts shooting down from the sky above him. He quickly activated his Six Goldplate Manual.
These lightning bolts were much thicker than the ones that had appeared during Money's previous breakthrough. Not even late-stage Demon Kings could withstand the power contained within them. The expressions of the young geniuses and their mounts changed as they pulled even more distance from Money.
"These lightning bolts are silver? Are these mutated lightning bolts?"
"Yes, that is most likely the case. Otherwise, they won't be so powerful. Looks like this demonic snake is about to break through."
"From the power of the tribulation, this demonic snake is a decent beast. It is probably a mutated species, but I wonder what its form will be after the breakthrough."
"Xiang Shaoyun had just broken through to the fourth stage publicly yesterday, and today, his mount is doing the same. I reckon this can be quite a story to tell, but too bad his strength is still too lacking."
Chapter 440: Money Breaking Through Again
The rumbling thunderclaps spread far and wide, alarming people inside and outside Yu Moon Pavilion. When the people saw that it was a Demon King attempting a breakthrough, they held back from doing anything.
As far as the Yu Clan people were concerned, even if a Demon Sovereign was to break through here, their territory would not suffer much damage. In any case, nobody would try to interrupt a demonic beast breaking through because that would only attract the tribulation to them.
Xiang Shaoyun, who was standing the nearest to Money, did not try moving away. He stood there and faced the tribulation with him. As lightning bolts rained down on them, he fully unleashed the prowess of his lightning bone and started absorbing the power of the silver lightning into his body.
With his previous experiences, he no longer feared lightning tribulations. Although his Six Goldplate Manual would not be able to resist too many of these lightning bolts, his lightning bone feared no lightning bolts.
As the lightning bone absorbed the lightning energy, Xiang Shaoyun's strength started growing again, and he sensed some of the poison in his body being blasted out of his body by the lightning power. He was overjoyed the moment he noticed.
Looking at the sky, he howled with laughter, "Hahahaha! Excellent! More lightning bolts, please!"
He even charged into the incoming lightning bolts. He might have behaved as he usually did these few days, but in truth, he had been very gloomy about the poison in his body. To his surprise, the lightning tribulation summoned by Money allowed him to find out that the power of these natural lightning bolts could actually cleanse him of the poison.
A power of extreme yang would always be the counter for all sorts of poison. Natural lightning bolts were also a power of extreme yang and were the nemesis to a myriad of poisons. If he had thought of this earlier, he would have used his innate purple lightning to remove the poison long ago.
Fortunately, it was still not too late. After being struck by more than 10 silver lightning bolts, he had nearly cleared all the poison from his body. Of course, he still looked like he was in bad shape because of the various wounds the lightning strikes left on his body. In fact, he looked so terrible that the people there even feared for him.
However, Xiang Shaoyun did not mind the injuries whatsoever. To remove the poison in his body, these injuries were nothing. As far as he was concerned, the wounds on his body were more like proof that he had cleansed his body than of something that would actually adversely affect him.
After all, he had his lightning bone absorbing all the lightning power. Thus, the lightning strikes weren't able to deal him much actual damage. He had also found that after the tribulation, more than 10 additional drops of lightning liquid had formed on his lightning bone.
The moment the tribulation ended, Xiang Shaoyun used a drop of lightning liquid to recover to his optimal state. Money was also undergoing a transformation. Since he was one who had been living in the midst of silver lightning energy for an extended period of time, lightning tribulation was nothing for him.
He faced the sky and roared as his scales shone with a brilliant radiance while his body started growing in size. Instantly, appearing before everyone was a snake that was more than 10 meters long with a thickness similar to that of a tree trunk an adult could wrap their arms around. Money had grown by more than 10 times in size.
His head was raised loftily as his sole horn shone brilliantly with silver lightning energy. His mouth was filled with dreadful fangs, and his body was akin to a dragon's body that was filled with explosive strength. He radiated an aura that was both draconic and serpentine.
The mounts of the other young geniuses started stirring and howling in an uneasy manner. They could sense that Money was provoking them, and the slight sense of suppression they were feeling from him caused them to be agitated. Money seemed to be able to read their minds. He coiled his body in the air and opened his mouth once again.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a dragon's roar rang out. At the same time, a majestic draconic aura surged out of Money's body. The current Money no longer looked like a simple lightning snake. Rather, he looked more like a lightning dragon, noble and mighty.
His appearance shocked all the mounts, especially Long Yunfei's flood dragon. The flood dragon felt as if a true lightning dragon was before him, causing him to start behaving timidly and deferentially.
The other Demon Kings weren't any better off. They could all feel their bloodlines being suppressed. Money was now akin to their king, and they no longer dared to look down on him.
The only mount that remained unaffected was Yu Caidie's phoenix mount. The phoenix still had her head raised loftily in a nonchalant manner. Phoenixes were comparable to true dragons. Although Money could release a draconic aura, he was still not a true dragon. It was not surprising that this phoenix had remained unaffected.
The young geniuses were displeased to see their mounts suppressed by Money. After all, they had been sneering at Xiang Shaoyun and his mount just a short while ago. Now, they felt like they had been slapped hard on their face.
All the
young geniuses were focused on Money, and Yu Caidie was the only one who was looking at Xiang Shaoyun with a slightly concerned expression. She had personally witnessed Xiang Shaoyun face the tribulation with Money. Lightning tribulations were merciless, especially these mutated lightning tribulations.
The lightning tribulation she had witnessed earlier was powerful enough that even a late-stage King would have a hard time handling it. She wasn't sure if Xiang Shaoyun would be able to endure such a tribulation.
However, she was astonished to see that Xiang Shaoyun's aura was growing, not dropping, and that the wounds on his body were quickly healing. As the Holy Maiden candidate of the Yu Clan, she was an experienced and knowledgeable person. But not even she could understand how Xiang Shaoyun had accomplished it.
Not only was he able to withstand lightning strikes, his body was also automatically healing. This was generally something only demonic beasts could accomplish, but Xiang Shaoyun was clearly a human. She was very sure of that.
"A mere snake. No matter how it transforms, it won't be able to transform into a dragon. Get down here right now, or don't blame me for showing you no mercy," shouted Long Yunfei unhappily.
"That's right. A worm is dreaming to be a dragon? It's still too early to be daydreaming," agreed Su Jun.
As they spoke, their presence surged out and surrounded Money. They were both proud geniuses who would not accept a mere fourth-stage Demon King showing off above them after breaking through.
At this time, Xiang Shaoyun opened his eyes and beckoned to Money, "Come down here, Money."
At that command, Money immediately shot down to Xiang Shaoyun. Even so, his lofty head was still raised high as he looked at Long Yunfei, Su Jun, and the others coldly. Evidently, he did not fear them.
Xiang Shaoyun gently stroked Money's silver scales and smiled. "Well done, Money. A day will come when you eventually transform into a dragon. We will show them all."
"A raving lunatic," Su Jun sneered.
"Su Jun, after I help Caidie get the yin devil wind, the first person I kill will be you," declared Xiang Shaoyun with his finger pointed at Su Jun. Su Jun had been hostile to him ever since they had met, causing him to dislike Su Jun just like how he disliked Di Tong. He was finding it hard to hold his temper anymore.
"Haha, sure. Since you are brave enough to say that, how about I kill you right now?" said Su Jun as he roared with laughter.
Chapter 441: This Guy Has a Good Eye
Su Jun could already see how extraordinary Xiang Shaoyun was. He could still kill Xiang Shaoyun right now, but if he waited a few more years and was unable to enter the Dragon Ascension Realm before Xiang Shaoyun, he would be the one in danger. Thus, when he heard Xiang Shaoyun's brash declaration, he decided to use it as an excuse to make a move right away.
If Xiang Shaoyun was still a third-stage Skysoar Realm cultivator, he would certainly not dare to challenge Su Jun like this. But he had just broken through to the next stage. Thus, he had the confidence that even if he couldn't kill Su Jun, he could still give him an even fight.
Just as a fight was about to break out between the two, Yu Caidie snorted coldly, "If you fight, consider yourself disqualified."
As she said that, a draconic aura surged out of her. This draconic aura had already taken the shape of a dragon and was not far away from assuming the form of a full dragon. It was clear she was only a tiny bit away from reaching the Dragon Ascension Realm. Only a tiny push was required and she would be able to step into the next realm.
The young geniuses blanked out slightly when they sensed the aura Yu Caidie was emanating, and a shocked expression appeared on their faces. They knew the Holy Maiden candidate of the Yu Clan would not be an ordinary person, but they had never expected that she would be so outstanding. Furthermore, they could clearly see that Yu Caidie was younger than them.
"I'll stop out of respect for Caidie," said Xiang Shaoyun nonchalantly.
"Hmph. Just you wait. When this is over, I will meet you at the Bloodsin Arena," said Su Jun coldly.
"Cut the nonsense. If you still want to go to the Devil Domain, come with me," said Yu Caidie before she hopped onto her phoenix and flew toward a certain direction. The others also wasted no time as they all hopped onto their mounts and followed her.
Xiang Shaoyun did not hesitate as well as he sat on Money's back and said, "Follow them, Money."
At his command, Money shot forward like a bolt of silver lightning and instantly caught up to the other mounts. He was only a fourth-stage Demon King, but his speed was actually comparable to these late-stage Demon Kings. Nobody knew better than Xiang Shaoyun just how much potential Money had.
As for the reason for Money's rapid growth, it was all thanks to the nine-colored fog he had consumed from Xiang Shaoyun's astral cosmos sea. Of course, his firm foundations had also played a great role, allowing him to break through again so soon after his previous advancement.
The group soon arrived near the city hall. There, a tightly guarded open space could be found violently surging with a massive amount of devilish energy. If it wasn't for the powerful formation suppressing this place, the devilish energy would have spread throughout the city.
Devil energy was something the devil race absorbed. The moment it was allowed to cover the surface world and replace the spiritual energy in the air, the surface world would no longer be a place suitable for humans and other surface races.
Because of that, humans and the other races had always worked together against the invasion of the devils and would not allow them to step into the surface world. This open space was covered by a powerful formation that could not only suppress devil energy but also refine it. This was obvious enough if one paid attention to the change of energy in the air around the area.
When Xiang Shaoyun arrived, for some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of intimacy, as if the energy here could bring him extreme comfort. He made use of his Nether Soul Domain to observe the energy flow in the area and saw strains of devilish energy being mixed into the spiritual energy in the air. Although only minute traces of devilish energy could be found, it was undeniable that it was there.
Is the Imperial Nether Clan capable of absorbing devilish energy? Xiang Shaoyun muttered inwardly in confusion.
He did not think too much about it and followed the others as they landed on the open space. Apart from devilish energy, a large amount of baleful blood energy also existed in the air. Unlike the devilish energy, the baleful blood energy was produced by the people in the area's vicinity.
These were the people who spent a lot of time fighting in the Devil Domain. Thus, their baleful energy was far thicker than that of an ordinary person. After all, the Devil Domain was a cruel place where one could die at any moment. It was a place where one's life was always on the line. Thus, those who left the Devil Domain alive would generally be much stronger than before they entered.
The so-called "stronger" here was not referring to one's cultivation realm. Rather, it referred to one's combat prowess. The group Yu Caidie led landed before the leader of the guards. After she said something to the leader, the guards moved aside and let the group pass.
When Huo Xudong saw Xiang Shaoyun looking everywhere curiously, he said, "Brother Xiang, after entering the Devil Domain, do your best to kill as many devilish beasts as you can. The more you kill, the more benefits you will get."
"Oh? Why so?" Xiang Shaoyun asked curiously.
"Devilish beasts are the same as demonic beasts. After killing them, you will be able to harvest numerous materials from their carcasses. Look over there. People from various organizations are purchasing the products of the Devil Domain at a high price. Naturally, devilish beasts are worth even more alive. Some organizations are capable of taming devils, especially the Dark Devil Sect. These are the organizations who had obtained their power and status through taming a large number of devils," Huo Xudong explained.
"I see. Thank you for your advice, Brother Huo," Xiang Shaoyun said gr
atefully.
He knew none of that and had learned a lot from Huo Xudong. At the same time, he also started seeing Huo Xudong as a friend. Of course, he still did not see Huo Xudong as a close friend, but they were close enough that he would help him without hesitation if required.
"You're welcome. Who knows, I might be the one needing your help in the Devil Domain instead," said Huo Xudong with a smile.
Xiang Shaoyun gave Huo Xudong a deep look as he mused inwardly, Well, at least this guy has a good eye.
Soon, the group arrived at a teleportation formation. This was the teleportation formation that would send them in and out of the Devil Domain at the cost of a certain amount of spirit crystals.
"I'll say this one last time. You can still withdraw now. If you are still coming, I will repay the one who gets me the yin devil wind generously," said Yu Caidie solemnly.
Not one of them left. All of them stood there with a resolute look. In fact, many of them had entered the Devil Domain before. Although it was a cruel place, they all had their own ways of protecting themselves.
"Good. Let's go," said Yu Caidie with a satisfied nod. She then paid the spirit crystals required to send everyone to the Devil Domain.
Swish!
The power of the formation rippled through them, and they vanished into thin air. By the time they regained their senses, they found that they had arrived at a dark place. Here, they were constantly assaulted by a sense of discomfort due to the corrosive nature of the devilish energy in the air.
Xiang Shaoyun looked around and found that they had arrived at a dilapidated fort where a large number of humans and other races resided. No one was dressed tidily, and all of them were dressed in broken armors and had wounds all over their bodies. This was a shocking and sinister scene.
When Xiang Shaoyun surveyed the surroundings, he couldn't help but cry out in astonishment, "This is the Devil Domain?"
Chapter 442: The Devil Domain's Devil Blood