Chapter 830: Underground Volcano
Only in the descendants of the half-phoenix human race, deep within their bloodline, lies the hidden divine power of the ancient phoenix. Once awakened, it is like a young phoenix emerging into the world—unimaginable the heights their future achievements will reach.
Mu Lingxi said, "It's not entirely that they are all half-phoenix humans. Rather, an ancestor of the Mu Clan once mated with an Ice Phoenix, giving birth to a son. This lineage has been passed down to this day. However, our branch has extremely poor fertility, with only one heir per generation, making it the weakest branch within the Mu Clan."
Zhang Ruochen said, "According to records, the Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix are ancient divine beast races, passed down from the Primordial Era to the Middle Ages. However, both the Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix are quite noble races, looking down on weak humans. This is the first time I've heard of an Ice Phoenix mating with a human."
Mu Lingxi retracted the wings on her back, a joyful expression appearing on her delicate face as she smiled, "Regardless, the Ice Phoenix bloodline has awakened. From now on, if the old fellows in the clan try to force me to do things I don't like, I'll have the capital to negotiate with them."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred slightly. He thought to himself, her heart might not be as happy, playful, and laughter-filled as it appears on the surface.
"Does the Mu Clan not like you very much?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Mu Lingxi sighed softly, "Come on, if those old fellows liked me, they wouldn't have sent me to infiltrate the Martial Market Academy. How dangerous was that? If my identity were exposed, you should know better than I what the consequences would be."
"Whether it's internal family power struggles or conflicts within the sect, they are all quite dark. Everyone has a price tag above their head. Those with value can thrive; those without may be abandoned at any time. And even those with value often find themselves in situations beyond their control. Sigh!"
"I would rather stay in the Underworld, in the Scroll World, forever and never return. But I know that's impossible."
Zhang Ruochen wrapped his arms around Mu Lingxi's slender waist, pulling her into his embrace.
At that moment, the entire world became incredibly still. Neither of them thought about the conflicts and hatred of the Kunlun Realm.
However, it didn't last long. Mu Lingxi broke free from Zhang Ruochen's arms, stepping several zhang away, and giggled, "I was just too carried away earlier. I'm sorry. It shouldn't happen again."
Zhang Ruochen understood clearly that Mu Lingxi said "sorry" because there was someone between them they couldn't face.
"Your three swords, I'll return them to you."
Mu Lingxi waved her sleeve, sweeping up a stream of Saint Qi. The Skyward Sword, Abyssal Ancient Sword, and Golden Serpent Saint Sword flew out from the Saint Qi and plunged into the ground before Zhang Ruochen.
The bottom of the canyon was extremely cold, and the spatial structure was highly unstable. Even a slight fluctuation in power could shatter the space.
Although those cultivators had fallen to their deaths, some of their treasures remained intact, undamaged.
Zhang Ruochen gathered all the intact treasures, piling them into a large heap. After a careful count, he found thirty-seven Hundred-Mark Saint Artifacts in total.
Among them, Feng Han's Hundred Beasts True Cauldron was ranked twenty-ninth on the Hundred-Mark Saint Artifact List, its value incalculable.
In addition, there were three sets of Saint Artifact armor: the Five Elements Five Beasts Armor, the Ice Serpent Armor, and the Fire Saint Golden Armor.
The value of Saint Artifact armor naturally far exceeded that of ordinary Hundred-Mark Saint Artifacts. They were rare treasures, and even an ordinary Saint clan couldn't produce three sets at once.
Mu Lingxi picked up the Ice Serpent Armor, holding it in her hand. It felt extremely light, as if it had no weight at all.
Mu Lingxi reforged the Ice Serpent Armor, then stood before Zhang Ruochen without any hesitation, wearing the armor close to her body.
Her slender arms, rounded waist, and long, graceful legs were entirely covered by small, white snake scales, making her look like a serpent woman.
The next moment, the scales across her body gradually faded, eventually blending completely with her skin and disappearing without a trace.
Then, Mu Lingxi picked up her clothes from the ground, leisurely putting them on. Every movement was elegant, alluring, and full of captivating charm.
"I'll take this. The rest of the Saint Artifacts are all yours," Mu Lingxi said.
She knew that the Abyssal Ancient Sword needed to absorb many Saint Artifacts to continuously improve its grade, so she voluntarily gave up her claim to these Saint Artifacts.
Zhang Ruochen looked up and tossed the Hundred Beasts True Cauldron to her, saying, "Take this."
Mu Lingxi caught the small black cauldron, holding it in her hand and playing with it.
"The Hundred Beasts True Cauldron is ranked twenty-ninth on the Hundred-Mark Saint Artifact List. Its value is equivalent to thirty ordinary Hundred-Mark Saint Artifacts," Zhang Ruochen said.
Mu Lingxi pouted, "Are you so unwilling to owe me anything?"
Zhang Ruochen didn't answer her. Instead, he put away the Five Elements Five Beasts Armor and the Fire Saint Golden Armor, then controlled the Abyssal Ancient Sword to begin refining the remaining thirty-three Hundred-Mark Saint Artifacts.
It took about an hour. The Abyssal Ancient Sword refined all thirty-three Hundred-Mark Saint Artifacts, and the number of inscriptions within the sword body reached seven hundred and fifty-three.
Even without Zhang Ruochen injecting Saint Qi into the sword, the Abyssal Ancient Sword already weighed over one thousand three hundred jin.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword hovered in midair. On its surface, lightning, flames, ice, beast patterns—various forces intertwined, emitting powerful sword energy fluctuations.
Mu Lingxi exclaimed in admiration, "My Heavenly Silkworm Crystal Ball has nine hundred and seventy-six inscriptions and is ranked sixth on the Hundred-Mark Saint Artifact List. But compared to the Abyssal Ancient Sword, it seems far inferior. If the Abyssal Ancient Sword were ranked on the Hundred-Mark Saint Artifact List, it would definitely be in the top three."
The Abyssal Ancient Sword was forged from Creation Raw Iron, naturally making it far more powerful than other Hundred-Mark Saint Artifacts.
Zhang Ruochen put away the Abyssal Ancient Sword, then looked at the white bones in the large pit, saying, "Since we obtained their Saint Artifacts, we should do something for them."
Afterward, Zhang Ruochen and Mu Lingxi used broken stones to bury all the white bones, forming dozens of stone graves, fulfilling their duty.
Standing at the edge of the pit where Feng Han's corpse lay, Zhang Ruochen was shocked to find only a silver skeleton remaining inside. The flesh and blood had completely disappeared.
"How could this be? What just happened?"
Mu Lingxi widened her eyes, a chill running down her spine, a feeling of dread creeping over her.
For a living being to silently devour Feng Han's flesh and blood right under their noses was utterly terrifying.
If something could do that, it could also silently ambush her and Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen activated his Divine Mark Eye, scanning the surroundings. Finally, his gaze fell to the bottom of the pit, where he saw a long, blood-red shadow rapidly moving underground, heading into the distance.
"Quick, chase it!"
Zhang Ruochen pushed his speed to the limit, charging forward.
Mu Lingxi, having awakened her Ice Phoenix bloodline, had already greatly increased her cultivation. With the speed boost from the Ice Serpent Armor, she matched Zhang Ruochen's pace.
They chased for who knows how long, finally stopping at the edge of an underground volcano.
Here, the invisible pressure became even more terrifying. Even with their strength, comparable to Half-Saints, they could only move on foot.
The black volcano was enormous, oddly shaped, exuding an immensely majestic aura that made one's heart tremble, almost compelling them to kneel.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen had the protection of the Divine Marks, and Mu Lingxi had the Ice Phoenix bloodline, allowing them to withstand it.
Below the volcano lay a sea of crimson magma.
Above the sea, the space was severely damaged, covered in dense cracks and holes.
"This place... is too terrifying... It's like a chaotic land."
Mu Lingxi held her breath, feeling her soul tremble, and said, "Zhang Ruochen, this is a forbidden zone for us. We should leave quickly."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was fixed on the distant black volcano. He felt all the Divine Marks in his Qi Sea flickering, as if about to burst out from between his brows.
"I have a feeling that the legendary divine corpse might be inside that volcano. If I don't investigate, I might regret it for the rest of my life," Zhang Ruochen said.
"But..." Mu Lingxi began.
Zhang Ruochen gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I won't do anything without certainty. Give me a month. If I can't succeed, we'll retreat then."
The cliff earlier was not only riddled with spatial cracks but also had powerful gravity. Surviving the fall to the bottom was already incredibly fortunate.
With their current cultivation, returning to the top of the cliff was impossible.
Now, they had only two choices.
First: hide in the Scroll World, cultivate for decades, and only after breaking through to become a Saint would they have a chance to escape this place.
Second: take the risk to search for the divine corpse, look for traces left by Qiangu Nüdi, and hopefully escape the Ghost God Valley as soon as possible.
Clearly, Zhang Ruochen was eager to return to the Kunlun Realm, so he chose the latter.
Mu Lingxi preferred the former. She didn't want to return to the Kunlun Realm. Living with Zhang Ruochen in the Scroll World, enjoying a peaceful life for just the two of them, was the most beautiful thing.
Still, she respected Zhang Ruochen's choice.
Mu Lingxi looked at the burning light in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. A flicker of disappointment passed through her own, but she forced a smile, showing a joyful expression, and said, "Alright! We should take the gamble. Maybe it's a way out."