Chương 34: Reencounter with Nangong Wan! The Ink Dragon!

The Ink Dragon!

Chapter Thirty-Four: Reencounter with Nangong Wan! The Ink Dragon!

They traveled for another hour or so.

Zhou Ding stopped at the edge of a basin surrounded by dark red, strange rocks.

The stones were grotesque in shape, their surfaces covered with fine holes, as if they had been repeatedly scorched by the subterranean fire for millions of years. Their color resembled congealed blood, and under the dim light unique to the forbidden area, they gleamed with an eerie luster.

Inside the basin, the air was noticeably more humid and sultry than the surrounding area, with a faint smell of sulfur mixed with humus drifting in on the wind.

In the very center of the basin stands an ancient and enormous bluestone hall.

The entire hall is constructed of massive, bluish-gray stones, each about ten feet square. The gaps between the stones are so tight that even a blade cannot be inserted.

The entire palace is covered with rough and wild relief totems—there are dragons soaring through the clouds, giant birds with outstretched wings, and strange deities with human bodies and animal heads, with simple lines but a majestic presence.

The temple gate was small, only wide enough for two people to pass side by side. Above the lintel were several lines of ancient runes that twisted like tadpoles, which still faintly glowed after the long years.

Zhou Ding knew that this was the place where the black dragon was entrenched.

According to the map provided by "Treasure Girl" and the clear memories from the original work in his mind, not only are there spiritual herbs everywhere in the depths of this palace, but there is also a golden treasure chest hidden there.

This treasure chest is related to the inheritance of the core third-level pagoda area of the entire Crimson Forbidden Land.

However, the guardian beast of this place, that black dragon, is infamous and has already devoured more than a dozen elite disciples from various sects who were trying to obtain the treasure.

Over time, this place became a forbidden area that disciples from various sects dared not set foot in.

Zhou Ding did not act immediately.

He stood at the edge of the basin, his gaze calmly fixed on the silent stone palace, his mind racing with calculations.

"Before advancing, the Ink Dragon was just like Little Gold, a top-tier level one demon beast."

The highest level of the first stage is the completion of Qi Refining.

With his current methods, he possesses such strength.

His divine sense was comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his mana was nearly liquefied, and he had two drops of liquid mana to suppress him. In addition, he possessed powerful weapons such as the Golden Light Blade, the Golden Spear Talisman, and the Heavenly Thunder, as well as Little Gold's elusive ability to sneak up and attack from underground.

It's not impossible to fight.

"If we can annihilate it with swift and decisive action, denying it any chance to break through in the heat of battle..."

Zhou Ding's eyes flickered.

There are, of course, risks.

The black dragon possesses extraordinary bloodline and intelligence far surpassing that of ordinary demonic beasts. Moreover, it is a dragon by nature, giving it extremely strong defensive and regenerative abilities.

But the returns are sufficient. The accompanying spiritual herb, the treasure chest, and the precious materials left behind by the black dragon after its death—dragon skin, dragon blood, and dragon horns—are all priceless.

"It's worth a try."

Zhou Ding made a decision: "Even if we are no match for them, with Tian Leizi and several intermediate-level escape talismans at our disposal, escaping shouldn't be a problem."

He took a deep breath and was about to step into the basin.

The next moment, his expression changed drastically!

Xiao Jin's Earth Listening Technique clearly detected that several auras were rapidly approaching this place from afar!

And there are quite a few, at least more than ten!

Although one of the auras appeared to be only at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, it faintly exuded a sense of oppression that made him instinctively feel palpitations!

"Nangong Wan! The people from the Hidden Moon Sect have arrived!"

Zhou Ding's heart pounded wildly, but his feet moved without hesitation.

The Cloud-Stepping Boots flashed with a burst of blue light, and the person transformed into an almost invisible afterimage, shooting towards the stone palace gate!

We must get in before they find us!

Otherwise, given Nangong Wan's Core Formation stage spiritual strength, he would have no chance of escaping if they were to collide head-on!

Zhou Ding pushed his Wind Control Technique and Cloud Stepping Boots to their limits, his figure almost forming a blurry line, leaving a faint afterimage in the air.

Like a ghost, he silently slipped into the narrow doorway of the stone hall and vanished into the dimness within in an instant.

……

Less than ten breaths after Zhou Ding's figure disappeared into the stone hall.

A large expanse of moon-white light and shadow suddenly surged onto the rocks on one side of the basin.

Fifteen cultivators from the Hidden Moon Sect filed out, their robes fluttering, their auras intertwined.

The leader, dressed in snow-white robes, dangled barefoot in mid-air. His features were exquisite, like those of a porcelain doll, yet his clear eyes held a calmness and majesty far beyond his years.

It was Nangong Wan.

She landed on the edge of the basin, her gaze sweeping over the dark red strange rocks and the sweltering air, finally settling on the ancient blue stone palace in the center of the basin.

"This is it."

A handsome male cultivator from the Hidden Moon Sect stepped forward and respectfully said, "Grandmaster, according to the map of the forbidden area provided by the sect, this hall should contain a large number of rare spiritual herbs, and it is rumored that there is a golden treasure chest left behind by an ancient cultivator..."

Nangong Wan nodded slightly, but did not reply.

Her gaze fell on the narrow doorway of the stone hall, and her delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Just a moment ago, she seemed to sense... someone nearby?

It's not an illusion.

She closed her eyes and focused her mind, fully releasing her spiritual consciousness.

The spiritual sense of a Core Formation cultivator is incredibly powerful. Even though her cultivation level has temporarily dropped due to the Reincarnation Technique, the essence of her spiritual sense is still at the Core Formation level.

In an instant, an invisible and intangible, immense divine thought swept out like a tide, covering the entire basin and seeping into every crack in the rocks and every clump of shrubs.

No one is empty.

Within a few miles of them, apart from this group of disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect, there was no other trace of cultivators.

But when her divine sense tried to probe into that stone hall—

"Buzz".

An invisible barrier gently repelled her consciousness.

A strange light flashed in Nangong Wan's eyes.

It's not surprising that the monster lairs in the forbidden area are protected by restrictions.

They had previously raided more than a dozen locations, several of which also had similar protective measures in place.

But those restrictions were useless against her; she could easily penetrate them with a mere probe of her divine sense.

And this restriction before us...

Even her Core Formation stage divine sense couldn't penetrate it.

"This is far superior to the superficial forbidden techniques of the previous places." Nangong Wan felt a slight chill in her heart, followed by a surge of excitement.

interesting.

She stopped pursuing the faint feeling she had just had.

Even if there were one or two junior disciples from other sects hiding nearby and spying, what waves could they possibly make when facing fifteen elite disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect?

"Let's go, into the hall." Nangong Wanyu waved her hand and took the lead in walking towards the stone hall.

The disciples behind him responded in unison and followed in single file.

……

After Zhou Ding stepped into the stone hall, he dared not linger for even a moment.

The light inside the hall suddenly dimmed, and unlike the stuffy heat outside, the stone hall was surprisingly cool.

He hurried along a winding corridor, the stone walls on both sides covered with mottled relief murals—scenes of ancient cultivators fighting dragons, with bold lines and a majestic atmosphere.

At the end of the corridor, the view suddenly opened up.

This was an empty hall, several tens of feet square, yet its emptiness was unsettling.

There were no pillars, no tables or chairs, and no shelter to hide behind.

Only in the very center of the hall, a dark tunnel entrance surrounded by low white jade railings, like the open throat of a giant beast, silently awaits its visitors.

Zhou Ding frowned.

Judging from the auras I sensed earlier, there were at least fifteen people approaching.

And that aura that made his heart pound... he was almost certain it was Nangong Wan.

One against fifteen, one of whom was a Core Formation cultivator disguised as a Qi Refining disciple.

Even if he was very confident, he didn't think he could get away unscathed.

"We have no choice but to go into the tunnel."

Zhou Ding made a quick decision and dashed towards the center of the hall.

The entrance to the tunnel was a neat square, about five feet wide, and the white jade railings along the edges, though covered in dust, were still delicate and smooth.

At the entrance is a row of bluestone steps that slope downwards, their surfaces worn smooth as a mirror by countless footsteps.

A damp, sultry wind constantly wafted from the depths of the tunnel, carrying a heavy stench of soil, humus, and the distinctive stench of some giant beast.

Zhou Ding stepped into the tunnel without hesitation.

The steps were long, spiraling downwards. The further down you went, the hotter and more humid the air became, and the dimmer the light grew.

But he dared not linger, much less turn back.

After descending about a hundred feet, the tunnel finally came to an end.

The moment Zhou Ding stepped out of the tunnel, even though he was mentally prepared, he was still stunned by the scene before him.

This is an underground space that is so huge it's unimaginable!

The dome is about thirty feet high, but its circumference is several miles wide.

A faint phosphorescent light, seemingly from nowhere, fell from above, illuminating this underground world with a dreamlike, deep blue hue.

But on the ground was a vast swamp!

This is not an ordinary swamp.

The "water" here is pitch black, thick as ink, with an eerie dark green sheen on the surface. Every now and then, large and small bubbles rise from the depths, bursting with a "pop" and spewing out a grayish-white, putrid fumes.

In the silt, one can vaguely see the crisscrossing trenches left by some huge creature crawling, a truly shocking sight.

Scattered around the swamp are many tall mounds of black soil, some over ten feet high, which look like mounds of earth piled up when some giant creature built its nest.

On the other side of the swamp, at the edge, lies a relatively dry area that glows with a faint spiritual light.

Zhou Ding's pupils suddenly contracted.

Miracle cure!

Dozens of exotic flowers and herbs of various colors grow scattered around, among which at least seven or eight are the three main ingredients for refining the Foundation Building Pill!

Jade Marrow Ganoderma, Purple Monkey Flower, Heavenly Spirit Fruit... the rest are also rare and precious auxiliary medicines that are hard to find outside, and they are at least three hundred years old!

Zhou Ding's heart raced, but he suppressed the urge to rush up and pick the fruit immediately.

This place is the lair of the Ink Dragon.

The infamous black dragon was lurking somewhere in the mud of this black swamp, waiting for its greedy prey to walk into its trap.

He took a deep breath and no longer hesitated.

"Little Jin".

With a flash of gray shadow beneath its feet, Little Gold leaped out of the spirit beast pouch, understanding its master's intentions without needing to say a word.

Its body shone with a bright earthy yellow light, instantly enveloping Zhou Ding as well.

Earth-遁术 (Earth-遁术) with human form!

Zhou Ding felt a sudden lightness around him, his vision darkened, and he and Xiao Jin sank into the relatively solid ground at the edge of the swamp.

He held his breath and, with Xiao Jin's help, quickly carved out a small, barely concealed space about ten feet underground, completely hiding all his presence.

Little Jin lay quietly beside him, her golden eyes slightly narrowed, her Earth Listening Technique fully activated.

All the fluctuations in the entire underground world were clearly presented in Zhou Ding's mind, like a meticulously drawn three-dimensional picture.

He had only been inside for less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

The sound of hurried footsteps and voices came from the direction of the tunnel entrance.

……

"Is this where the giant python dwells?"

A clear, delicate voice, carrying an authority far beyond its years, echoed through the empty underground space.

Nangong Wan was the first to emerge from the tunnel entrance.

She floated barefoot in the air, about an inch off the ground, dressed in white as snow, without a speck of dust on her.

His clear, autumn-water-like eyes slowly swept across the entire black swamp, finally settling on the patch of medicinal herbs shimmering with spiritual light at the edge of the swamp.

Behind her, fifteen disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect filed out.

Even though they had already seen many forbidden land wonders, seeing this astonishingly large field of spiritual herbs still evoked an irrepressible greed and excitement in many people's eyes.

"Uncle-Master Nangong, that elixir..." a young female disciple couldn't help but ask, her voice filled with longing.

Nangong Wan waved her hand, a small gesture, yet it exuded an aura that commanded respect.

"Take care of the guardian monster first, and take your positions according to the combined attack formation we practiced earlier."

"yes!"

The fifteen disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect responded in unison and quickly dispersed.

They were clearly experienced and well-trained, and within a few breaths they had occupied several key positions around the swamp, forming an encirclement.

Nangong Wanze stood alone in front of the group, no more than ten feet from the edge of the swamp.

With a flick of her wrist, a crimson ring appeared in her palm.

The ring was about the size of a palm, and its entire body was as red as the finest chicken blood stone. Its surface was densely engraved with layers of flame runes, each of which was slowly flowing, as if it were alive.

As soon as this ring appeared, the surrounding temperature suddenly soared, and the air began to distort and fluctuate due to the high heat, emitting a slight "crackling" sound.

It was Nangong Wan's natal magic weapon—the Vermilion Bird Ring.

The natal magic weapon of a Core Formation cultivator.

Even though her cultivation level has temporarily dropped to the thirteenth level of Qi Refining due to the reincarnation of her cultivation technique, and she is unable to unleash the full power of the Vermilion Bird Ring, even if it is only a trace, even if it is only a projection of the treasure's true form, its power is far beyond what any Qi Refining stage magic weapon can achieve.

"go."

Nangong Wan gave a soft shout and tossed the Vermilion Bird Ring into the air.

The ring swelled in the wind, growing to about ten feet in size in the blink of an eye, and hovered several feet above the swamp.

A bright crimson light shone from its body, and flames surged within like a tsunami. The scorching heat waves spread out in layers, dispelling some of the stuffiness and humidity of the entire underground space.

And at that very moment.

The swamp began to move.

Centered on a certain spot, the black mud within a radius of several dozen feet surged and churned violently like boiling porridge. Bubbles rose in strings from the depths, bursting open and spewing out large plumes of grayish-white, putrid smoke.

The churning area grew larger and larger, the surging higher and higher, and the mud seemed to be lifted up by an invisible force, gradually rising.

Three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

Four zhang (approximately 10 meters).

Five feet!

"Splash—!"

A torrential downpour of muddy rain fell from the sky!

A colossal creature burst forth from the mud!

It was over three zhang long, and its entire body was covered with fine, black scales like fish scales, which gleamed with a cold, metallic light in the dim underground light.

Its head is triangular, its forked tongue flickers like black lightning, and its vertical pupils are dark gold, cold, cruel, and devoid of emotion.

The moment Nangong Wan saw the demonic beast, her calm and composed expression changed drastically!

Her gaze was fixed on the center of the monster's head—there were no smooth scales there, but a slightly raised bump, with something hard that could be vaguely seen under the skin about to burst out!

"This isn't a Blackscale Python!"

She cried out, her voice carrying an unusual seriousness and surprise for the first time.

"This is... a black dragon!"

P. S.: I do not accept Nangong Wan, and there is no "Yin Nang" plot. Please do not criticize if you do not like it.

Many readers suggested adding Nangong Wan, especially those from Dianzi's side. I don't think adding her makes much sense, and the plot is too cliché.