Chapter 774 - 344
Xu Guang looked at the distant valley; the environment in the Fire Domain could never be judged by common logic.
The situation in this valley vaguely resembled the one where the Thousand Kills Saint Monarch fell, with dense Soldier Fiend aura.
However, the Soldier Fiend aura here is somewhat different from that previous valley; due to the presence of the Thousand Kills Saint Monarch’s shadow before, the Soldier Fiend aura and Demonic Thought Power were completely separated.
But here, the Soldier Fiend and Demonic Thought are in a state of complete fusion.
Standing at the valley entrance and looking inside, no trace of any soul shadow can be seen.
Xu Guang was pondering in his heart.
Suddenly, he saw a stream of light passing by in the distance.
He turned around sharply.
The person landing was the Chu Monarch.
Though apart for a few days, her face remained charming; yet in the Fire Domain, even Chu Monarch showed slight fatigue in her eyes.
After all, this is already the fourth layer of the Fire Domain, and even Xu Guang, carrying Demonic Thought, felt great pressure resisting the surrounding environment.
"Greetings, Miss Chu."
Chu Monarch smiled faintly, "You’re quite punctual."
"Xu Mou lives by his word."
A strange color flashed in Chu Monarch’s eyes, as she restrained her usual coquettish demeanor, "Do you know what this place is?"
"Please enlighten me, Miss Chu."
"This place is called the Fallen Saint Land, with at least three Saints having fallen here."
Upon hearing this, Xu Guang couldn’t help but feel shaken.
"Why?"
Does this valley have some peculiarities? Why would Saints fall here?
Chu Monarch, expressionless, asked him back.
"In the Fire Domain’s ninth layer lies Han Cuo Immortal Venerable’s artifact refining ground; do you think anyone can enter?"
Xu Guang paused, shaking his head slightly.
The fourth layer of the Fire Domain, already beyond the reach of ordinary people; even top experts in the second nirvana might not withstand long, let alone the ninth layer.
Xu Guang surmised that even those at Saint King level might not truly enter the ninth layer.
In fact, they wouldn’t have the chance to head to the ninth layer; this is just a projection of the Purple Moon Cave, with the projection range only covering the lower five layers of the Fire Domain, and those five layers are weakened.
Xu Guang had already discovered this.
"After Han Cuo’s artifact refining, countless have tried to obtain the unformed Emperor’s Divine Weapon, including Saint Kings, but to my knowledge, none succeeded, ultimately all falling in the Fire Domain."
Xu Guang suddenly realized.
"So, initially a Saint King fell in this valley, followed by Saints entering, ultimately perishing?"
Chu Monarch looked at Xu Guang approvingly. "You’re clever."
"You should sense the situation in this valley too, the fusion of Demonic Thought Power and Soldier Fiend Power. I need you to enter and bring out a corpse."
Chu Monarch stated her request.
Requesting Xu Guang’s assistance to retrieve the predecessor’s body from Moon God Manor.
Xu Guang fell into silence.
Seeing this, Chu Monarch furrowed her brows, hesitated, and then spoke.
"This matter comes at a cost to you; consider this my debt to you."
The danger level of entering this valley indeed surpassed the difficulty of her helping solve Chen Yue’s Soul Ridge aftermath for Xu Guang.
Xu Guang, upon hearing this, showed a peculiar expression.
The valley, he had to enter regardless; inside lay the legacy of the Refining Pattern Master.
Previously, Chu Monarch mentioned that a Saint King level being had entered the ninth layer of the Fire Domain, likely bringing out the Refining Pattern Master’s legacy.
Unexpectedly, he could also gain a favor from Chu Monarch; it should be considered a gain?
A favor from a Moon God Manor inheritor is a rare gift even for Saints.
"Alright."
Chu Monarch’s expression relaxed a bit and nodded.
"Let’s exchange tokens, and I’ll await you at the valley entrance. If you die, I’ll erect a monument for you, so your North Arctic Six Institutes can retrieve your corpse later."
Xu Guang: ...
Wouldn’t you even collect the corpse?
He was somewhat speechless.
As if remembering something, he asked.
"Are such Fallen Saint Lands common in the Fire Domain?"
Chu Monarch shook her head slightly, "Not common, but not rare either; after all, no one knows how many Saint Kings have ventured into the ninth layer over the years."
...
The valley was too perilous, so Xu Guang didn’t bring General Wei inside.
General Wei also didn’t protest; after entering the fourth layer of the Fire Domain, its state had declined too much, entering would only slow Xu Guang down.
"Don’t worry, I will return soon."
General Wei nodded, but a hint of concern remained in its eyes.
Under its somewhat reluctant gaze, Xu Guang ventured into the valley alone.
The environment inside the valley was somewhat chaotic, with no signs of life within, not even a single soul shadow visible.
Xu Guang frowned and continued forward.
The gray-white mist was so dense it seemed solid, walking through it felt like wading through glue.
His vision compressed to less than ten feet, his Divine Thought also weakened and corroded by the mist containing Soldier Fiend and Demonic Thought.
Underneath was no longer charred or gray-white rock, but a dark red soil seeming soaked in dried blood, soft and sticky, emitting a faint blend of rust and decay.
The rock walls teemed with dark red moss, forming a contiguous layer resembling a pulsating carpet of flesh.
Occasionally, moss fell, turning into blood upon hitting the ground, merging into it.
Xu Guang enveloped himself in the Non-Phasic Demon Garb, minimizing his presence, while the Five Emperors Bodyguard discreetly shielded him, with the Coral of Demonic Thought softly swaying, ready for sudden attacks.
He advanced approximately thirty miles without encountering any crises, the environmental pressure only mounting.