Chapter 1315: Chapter 681: Special Constitution (Part 2)

Daoist Yong’an raised his lone arm lightly, stroking his gray beard.

"The Yin Qi in that place is too heavy; it really isn’t suitable for long-term cultivation."

He suddenly squinted his eyes.

"Come here."

Gu Shengchi’s heart skipped a beat, but he showed no sign of it on his face, and walked forward slowly.

"What are your instructions, senior?"

"Your hand."

Gu Shengchi hesitated for a moment, then placed his right hand on Yong’an Daoist’s only hand.

That hand was as rough as bark, yet surprisingly warm. Daoist Yong’an grasped his wrist, and his eyebrows gradually furrowed.

"Your body is very weak."

Daoist Yong’an’s voice was low.

"Suffered at the Xuanming Divine Mountain?"

Gu Shengchi was secretly startled; this old Daoist’s insight was unexpectedly sharp.

He had indeed run into trouble at the Xuanming Divine Mountain, almost losing his life, which was why he was in a hurry to leave the Holy Land to find a cure.

"Senior, you have keen eyes."

Gu Shengchi admitted, lowering his head.

"As a disciple with shallow cultivation, I did eat some bitterness in the Divine Mountain."

Daoist Yong’an released his hand and pondered.

"In that case, I suggest that before you leave the Holy Land, you first go to the volcano at Golden Crow Mountain and cultivate for a few days. The Yang Qi there is extremely abundant, not only will it help you recover, but it will also strengthen your body."

"This..."

Gu Shengchi showed a troubled expression.

"I have taken on a mission, I’m afraid..."

"What’s more important, the mission or your life?"

Daoist Yong’an glared with his one eye.

"With your fragile body, if you run into trouble outside, you won’t even be able to run!"

Gu Shengchi exchanged a glance with Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Senior, your words of wisdom are correct."

Gu Shengchi respectfully bowed deeply.

"I will heed your advice, Senior."

Daoist Yong’an was satisfied with this and pulled out an Azure Dragon Token from his robe and tossed it to Gu Shengchi.

"Take my Azure Dragon Token, the guards at Golden Crow Mountain won’t give you any trouble."

"Thank you, Senior!"

Gu Shengchi received the jade token with both hands, feeling its warmth and hearing the faint sound of a dragon’s roar.

Daoist Yong’an waved his hand.

"Go now, and return soon. I look forward to seeing you grow quickly."

Gu Shengchi bowed again, then turned and left. After walking more than ten steps, Ling Xiao couldn’t help but whisper.

"Why agree to go to Golden Crow Mountain? We are pressed for time."

Gu Shengchi kept walking, his voice very low.

"My current condition is indeed poor. If we encounter people from Long Teng, I won’t even be able to protect myself."

"But if we delay, if Long Teng discovers that we took on that mission..."

"That’s why we must quickly restore our strength."

Gu Shengchi’s eyes were sharp.

"Even if we can’t win, at least there will be hope to escape."

Ling Xiao was silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

"You’re right."

The two inquired with passing disciples about the direction to Golden Crow Mountain and hurried on their way.

An hour later, the temperature in the air noticeably increased, and dry heat waves hit their faces.

"Is that Golden Crow Mountain?"

Ling Xiao squinted his eyes, looking into the distance.

They saw a crimson peak standing between heaven and earth, with black smoke continuously spewing from the top.

Occasionally, a violent explosion could be heard, followed by a fiery rain in the sky — that was the erupting magma falling like a torrential downpour.

Gu Shengchi gripped the Azure Dragon Token, feeling the heat wave rushing at him.

"Such domineering Yang Qi!"

"Indeed."

Ling Xiao felt as if his whole body’s blood was boiling.

"This place is simply a Holy Land for Body Refiners."

Gu Shengchi’s eyes were filled with determination.

"Let’s go, make good use of the time. We can stay here for no more than three days."

The two pressed on towards the volcano’s mouth against the heat waves. As they got closer, the Spiritual Energy in the air became violent, and every breath felt like swallowing a ball of fire.

Gu Shengchi’s skin started to turn red, and sweat evaporated as soon as it appeared.

"Careful!"

Ling Xiao suddenly grabbed Gu Shengchi.

A scorching rock the size of a millstone fell from the sky, crashing not far in front of them, leaving a large pit in the ground.

Gu Shengchi swallowed hard.

"It seems that not only do we need to cultivate, but we must also constantly guard against these disasters from the sky."

Ling Xiao chuckled.

"That’s just perfect. Training in such an environment will definitely double the effect."

Gu Shengchi also smiled, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"Then let’s see how much progress we can make in these three days!"

The two exchanged smiles and stepped into the realm of Golden Crow Mountain.

At the foot of Golden Crow Mountain, the hot air distorted the atmosphere.

Gu Shengchi held the Azure Dragon Token, looking up at the volcano crater constantly spewing black smoke, lava flowing slowly down the mountain like tears of blood.

"I didn’t expect Yong’an to be willing to give us the Azure Dragon Token."

Ling Xiao wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"This old Daoist does care about us somewhat."

Gu Shengchi’s fingertips brushed the exquisite dragon pattern on the jade token, his gaze complex.

"Golden Crow Mountain, like Xuanming Divine Mountain, is a Holy Land for cultivation that only Core Disciples can enter, and it consumes points each time."

"We owe him a favor."

Ling Xiao sighed.

"Although... our paths differ."

Gu Shengchi didn’t respond, just tightened his grip on the jade token.

Daoist Yong’an’s opposing stance yet repeated assistance made his chest feel heavy with conflict.

The two climbed the heated mountain path, the rocks beneath their feet scorching hot, like stepping on a red-hot iron plate.

Turning past a rocky wall, the view suddenly opened up — at the edge of the volcano crater, two stone platforms stood, atop which two Guard Disciples with robust aura sat cross-legged.

"Halt, you who approach!"

The guard on the left spoke, his eyes like lightning, the voice still clear amidst the heat waves.

Gu Shengchi stepped forward, offering the Azure Dragon Token with both hands.

"Two Senior Brothers, we come here to cultivate under Yong’an Elder’s command."

The guard took the jade token and drew a line of golden light across it with his fingertips.

The dragon pattern on the jade token suddenly came alive, entwining with the golden light from the guard’s fingers.

"Sufficient points for three days."

The guard nodded and took out a golden seal, stamping it heavily on the jade token.

At the moment the seal touched the jade token, a golden thread shot skyward, connecting with the array above the volcano crater.

The guard on the right explained.

"The Golden Seal will record point consumption in real-time; once depleted, the array will automatically teleport you out."

Gu Shengchi felt a shock inwardly. Compared to the lax entrance policy of Xuanming Divine Mountain, Golden Crow Mountain’s rules were much stricter.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

He retrieved the jade token, noticing a small golden seal beside the dragon pattern, gleaming faintly.

The guard stepped aside.

"Remember, act within your means. The deeper you go, the more intense the Yang Qi; every year, overreaching disciples end up ashes."

Ling Xiao grinned.

"Rest assured, Senior Brother, we understand our limits well."

The two reached the rim of the volcano crater and looked down.

The churning lava below was like the throat of a giant beast, spewing lethal waves of heat.

Gu Shengchi and Ling Xiao exchanged a glance, and simultaneously leaped down.

Just as their figures disappeared, three silhouettes emerged from behind a distant rock.

"They really came to Golden Crow Mountain."

Wang Yuchen narrowed his eyes.

"Seems they’ve sustained some damage at Xuanming Divine Mountain."

Liang Yu stroked his chin.

"Should we follow them in?"

"Foolish!"

Long Teng snorted coldly, his black robe flapping in the hot wind.

"The interior of Golden Crow Mountain is heavily guarded by arrays; barging in recklessly will alarm them."

His eyes carried a sinister gleam.

"They have to come out eventually. Wait here, bide your time."

Wang Yuchen frowned.

"What if they exit from another opening..."

"Golden Crow Mountain only has one exit."

Long Teng said resolutely.

"Keep a close watch; the task message from Dragon Palace must not leak."

The three concealed themselves in the shadows, lurking like venomous snakes, silently awaiting their prey to appear.

...

Inside the volcano, Gu Shengchi and Ling Xiao were like two pebbles, plunging into a boiling sea of lava.

The Protective Gang Qi emitted a "sizzling" sound upon contact with the lava, barely managing to create a small space.

"Refreshing!"

Ling Xiao laughed boldly, simply dispelling his Protective Gang Qi, letting the scorching lava engulf him.

His skin instantly reddened, pores fully opening, greedily absorbing the Ultimate Yang Qi contained in the lava.

Gu Shengchi, however, cautiously maintained his Protective Gang Qi, observing his surroundings.

This was a world of scarlet, lava flowing like liquid, occasionally a bubble would burst, releasing more violent energy.

"Not enough."

Gu Shengchi frowned.

"The concentration of Yang Qi here is still not as potent as the Yin Qi at Xuanming Divine Mountain."

Ling Xiao was adapting to the excruciating pain, stopping in surprise at his words.

"Isn’t this enough? I feel every inch of my flesh being torn apart and reformed."

"You’ve forgotten my special physique?"

Gu Shengchi spoke solemnly.

"I need a more extreme training environment."

He pointed to the dimly visible dark red region below.