Inside the Nether Demon Mine, Shi Gui held the Giant Spirit Lamp and released a large amount of green fireworks, forcefully dispersing the towering gray column of gas in front of them.
Explosions rang out as the gray column of gas was shattered by the bursting fireworks, and the shockwaves spread out in all directions, causing many elite warriors of the Shi family to stumble.
With all his strength, Shi Gui activated the Giant Spirit Lamp, forcefully bursting the giant column of gas, causing him to break out in a cold sweat and pant heavily. He smiled at Jia Zhengfeng and said, "Vice Leader, the treasure is right ahead."
Jia Zhengfeng glanced at Shi Gui with a smile and naturally pointed at the Giant Spirit Lamp in his hand. "It's a good treasure."
Shi Gui's face twitched, and he dryly laughed, "This is the ancestral treasure of my Shi family. Our family has some Giant bloodline, which is why I can activate this treasure."
"We also have people with Giant bloodline under my command," Jia Zhengfeng smiled dismissively at Shi Gui. "But since we're all on the same side, this treasure, even if it's good, will naturally be considered a property of our sect if it remains in your hands, right?"
Shi Gui forced a smile, cursing in his heart. He had heard long ago that the Church of Longevity was wicked and greedy, and today he finally witnessed it for himself. They were already eyeing the Giant Spirit Lamp even before they obtained the treasure engulfed in flames ahead...
Lowering his head, Shi Gui engaged in an internal struggle. If he could obtain longevity, perhaps the Giant Spirit Lamp... wouldn't be a bad bargaining chip. Anyway, he was already prepared to sell out the Shi family, so selling a few other things wouldn't make much difference.
Shi Gui's expression changed rapidly, while the Supreme Commander on the side chuckled a few times, squinting at Shi Gui before sincerely greeting Jia Zhengfeng, "Vice Leader, the treasure is right ahead... Please be careful, Vice Leader. This treasure may have some risks."
Jia Zhengfeng smiled composedly. "What do I fear? I'm curious to see what kind of threat I'll encounter here in the Cangyan Domain."
He spoke with great pomp, but with a wave of his sleeve, a palm-sized crimson plate flew out from his sleeve. With a buzzing sound, the crimson plate dissipated, transforming into thirty-six palm-sized scale shields that revolved and danced around him.
Dazzling blood light filled the air as the shields formed a thick barrier, protecting him at the center. Within this blood-colored barrier, several graceful and beautiful young girls could be seen. They occasionally emitted gentle laughter, exuding a captivating and mysterious aura.
Both Shi Gui and the Supreme Commander's faces twitched simultaneously.
The Church of Longevity was sinister in its methods, but why did this protective treasure have such a strong evil aura? And those young girls... their origins were not good at all.
Despite their age, after hearing the soft laughter that seemed nonexistent, they felt their blood boil and seemed to return to their impulsive and excited youth.
The two men looked back at the energized warriors of the Shi family and the killers of the Mist Blades. Each one had bloodshot eyes and wore bewildered expressions. Their bodies swayed as if they were having trouble standing.
"Vice Leader, that's quite a remarkable technique," Shi Gui and the Supreme Commander were secretly shocked, but they put on a smiley face and hurriedly flattered Jia Zhengfeng.
Jia Zhengfeng smiled and took steps towards the towering pillar of fire ahead.
The closer he got to the pillar of fire, the higher the temperature became. The sand and rocks on the ground had melted, and the thick layers of rock had become red-hot. The blood-colored barrier around Jia Zhengfeng's body trembled slightly, emitting a faint buzzing sound.
"It's truly a good treasure. Such power..." Jia Zhengfeng muttered to himself, his eyes becoming bright and clear. The corners of his mouth twitched, and his pace quickened.
A great burst of flames spread out from the air, forcefully bathing Jia Zhengfeng's body in scorching heat. The blood-colored barrier that surrounded him trembled, and the speed at which the thirty-six scale shields revolved suddenly increased. The six graceful and beautiful young girls separated from the barrier and began to dance around Jia Zhengfeng as if they were living beings.
With a thud, several warriors of the Shi family were captivated by the girls' dancing. Their eyes widened as they stared fixedly at the blood-colored figures of the girls. Their legs weakened, and they knelt on the ground.
A peculiar aura wafted from their bodies, causing their bodies to tremble. A certain inexplicable instinctual impulse took over.
"Useless... Retreat!" Shi Gui blushed and hastily waved his hand.
The pillar of fire soared into the sky, forcing back the gray mist. The warriors of the Shi family stumbled as they retreated. Now that they were out of the protection of the Giant Spirit Lamp, the heat emanating from the pillar of fire had driven away the mist and the cold. They were no longer worried about the mist entering their bodies.
Jia Zhengfeng walked step by step to the edge of the deep pit at the center of the mine.
A tripod with three legs and double ears stood firmly in the deep pit, spewing countless flames into the sky. Fire clouds surrounded the tripod as if hidden-winged dragons appeared at times, raising their heads and emitting clear and intimidating long howls.
The blood-colored scale shields vibrated more violently. The fire spewed by the tripod seemed to counteract against Jia Zhengfeng. Flames condensed into small flame serpents that rushed towards him.
The blood-colored scale shields roared, emitting an ear-piercing sound. Jia Zhengfeng's body also trembled as the tripod pushed against him, making him feel immense pressure.
Amidst the booming sounds, the tripod seemed to sense Jia Zhengfeng's approach. Suddenly, sticky fire clouds burst out of the tripod, revealing clearly visible palm-sized flame wings on the dragons within the fire clouds. Their eyes spewed white flames as they roared and charged towards Jia Zhengfeng.
The blood-color scale shields shook violently, emitting a loud noise. Jia Zhengfeng's palm turned blood-red as it struck the approaching small flame dragons. The dragons disintegrated, and his palm was engulfed in fire, emitting a burnt smell into the air.
This tripod was vigorously resisting Jia Zhengfeng's approach.
Jia Zhengfeng's aura seemed to be in mortal opposition to the tripod.
"Resistance is futile; you are destined to be mine." Jia Zhengfeng murmured to himself, eyes emitting a foot-long blood light as he greedily watched the tripod. "With you, my position in the sect will undoubtedly rise... Hehe, hehehe."
The scale shields vibrated intensely while the six graceful and beautiful young girls lined up in front of Jia Zhengfeng. Blood radiated from their mouths as they continuously weakened the onslaught of flames and waves of heat rushing toward him. The blood-colored barrier focused entirely on Jia Zhengfeng's front, transforming into a blood-colored shield that firmly protected him.
Jia Zhengfeng exposed his entire back, leaving it undefended.
Among the group of handsome men and beautiful women he brought along, there was a tall and flexible young woman who was half a head taller than Jia Zhengfeng himself. Her body was unparalleled among the women. She narrowed her eyes, and her slender eyes became shrewd and dangerous.
A cold light flashed from her eyes as she suddenly glanced at the dome above them.
A strand of blue light, as thick as a thumb, descended from the dome and quickly immersed itself into the top of the woman's head. Rising cold air enveloped her body, causing her clothes to be instantly torn to pieces, revealing her fair and tender skin.
Amidst the swirling ice crystals, a complexly structured and intricately patterned armor made of profound ice covered her body. With a wave of her hands, two thin blades made of the same thin layer of profound ice appeared out of thin air.
With a bone-chilling aura, the young woman swiftly stepped in front of Jia Zhengfeng, and her swords silently aimed for his vital point in the back.
"It seems..." Jia Zhengfeng sighed while he was 'struggling' to resist the impact from the tripod. "I also have rebels like you around me... Po Xi, Po Xi, I treated you as if you were my own daughter..."
Just as Jia Zhengfeng, who had been trembling all over due to the flames spewed out by the tripod, said that, he abruptly turned and faced the young woman.
Little flame dragons, made of condensed fire, continued their frenzy attack against the blood-colored shield. The shield sparkled like an intact blood-colored crystal, without any tremors. The formerly trembling thirty-six scale shields suspended silently in the air within the shield, stable as mountains and no longer emitting any sounds.
Jia Zhengfeng extended his jade-like translucent hands. With a crisp sound, an exquisite blood-colored metal hand emerged from his wrist, quickly covering his hand.
The exquisite metal glove glowed with a faint glimmer as Jia Zhengfeng, expressionless, stared at Po Xi. His ten fingers trembled, creating a series of flickering phantom images like a beautiful orchid in the air.
With a 'ding' sound, Jia Zhengfeng's fingers struck the twin swords fiercely.
Po Xi's body shook, and she retreated dozens of steps. Her complexion suddenly turned crimson, and her throat wriggled as she vomited blood, spewing a shade of red that even emitted a faint fluorescent glow.
Ice crystals formed on Jia Zhengfeng's fingers, and the azure ice quickly spread across his entire body from his arms. Scattered broken icicles emerged from his fingertips and violently clashed against the red-hot rock floor when they fell, emitting a piercing 'sizzling' sound.
"A long time ago, we discovered that many outstanding and exceptionally talented young disciples of the Church of Longevity were behaving strangely..." Jia Zhengfeng looked at Po Xi, who kept coughing up blood, smiling gloomily.
"After careful investigation and research... we were 'surprised' to find out that our beloved sect had been infiltrated by individuals who excelled at wooing away others, inserting spies, buying traitors, and seizing others' nests..."
Jia Zhengfeng chuckled a few times and cursed, surpassing his usual rough language. "From the leader to us, the vice leaders, and even the elders and supreme elders, it was truly 'surprising'... Unfortunately, we never managed to capture any of them alive... Po Xi, do you want to be the first to be captured alive?"
Jia Zhengfeng stared intently at Po Xi, carefully examining the twin swords and the armor on her body.
"To which faction do you belong? Why did you infiltrate the Church of Longevity? Where do you come from and what do you plan to accomplish? What are your intentions?"
"And... what about that set of equipment? How did you come to possess it? You aren't even at the Half-Step Heavy Tower Realm, yet after putting on this equipment, you could withstand a third of my strength... and there is even a chilling power that can invade my body..."
"What's the story behind this equipment?"
The expressionless Po Xi gazed at Jia Zhengfeng and coldly said, "You want to capture me alive? Do you know who you are dealing with?"
Jia Zhengfeng smiled brilliantly. "Precisely because I don't know, that's why we intend to capture you alive and subject you to severe interrogation... Po Xi, you've followed me for so many years. You should be aware of all the brutal tortures the Church of Longevity has... Especially for a small woman like you, it will be extremely cruel and terrifying."
Jia Zhengfeng spread open his hands and said, "How about surrendering? Then, we can have a good interrogation. Considering our past relationship, I'll let you have a way out."
"Fool." A strange blue light filled Po Xi's eyes, turning them completely blue.
It was bone-chilling and emotionless blue.
"You... You're not Po Xi?" Jia Zhengfeng took a step back in horror. He sternly shouted, "You... What are you?"
Po Xi looked up and glanced at the dome above her.
"Naive and ignorant..."
A blue light as thick as a rice bowl plummeted from the sky and quickly submerged into Po Xi's body.
Her profound ice armor writhed rapidly, becoming more magnificent and heavy. It transformed from a set of agile light armor into a fully enclosed heavy armor.
With her hands together, her two nimble and delicate one-handed swords turned into one eight-foot-long two-handed heavy sword.
A terrible wave of cold spread from her body, and wherever the cold wave passed, the ground was quickly covered with three-inch-thick ice.
The ice spread outwards, and when it approached the circular pit where the triple-legged tripod was situated, the clash of ice and fire erupted with thunderous explosions.
"The Church of Longevity? Do you know how many of us are in your Church of Longevity?" Po Xi completely transformed, her eyes emanating long streams of freezing air as she strangely and mockingly asked Jia Zhengfeng.
"You... Who are you?" Jia Zhengfeng's face turned ashen. He felt a strong threat from the changed Po Xi.
But Po Xi's cultivation was only at the Half-Step Heavy Tower Realm!
There was almost an entire realm of difference between them... How could she pose a threat to Jia Zhengfeng?
Po Xi sneered, swung her heavy sword, and struck down directly at Jia Zhengfeng.
(End of the chapter)