I Can See Health Bars in Real Life-Chapter 423 - 40: Witch of Penglai Island (Part 3)

The island clearly no longer has the people it once did.

Neither the fierce Four Fighting Gods nor the surviving island inhabitants are here anymore... but what exactly was the final outcome? Was it that the Four Fighting Gods were slain, and the survivors left peacefully; or did nothing ultimately get resolved, with the island’s people all sacrificed cleanly, and the Four Fighting Gods, unable to replenish their energy, eventually perished...

This will need a good inspection at the Great Cauldron in the mountains.

Turning to look toward the direction where black smoke was continuously rising like a volcanic crater, Gu Mo gently nodded his head; he was also quite interested in the heart of this Spiritual Land, the Clanging Cauldron that harbored enormous Spiritual Power and could even sustain the Time Barrier, making Penglai Island vanish within the flow of external time.

Leaving the lakeside village, they headed in that direction.

As they approached the crater, the surrounding environment gradually changed distinctly. The green vegetation decreased, the land became dry and waterless, many stout ancient trees were reduced to dry trunks... The path leading up the mountain was winding and tortuous, with a thousand-foot-high cliff on one side that was daunting to behold.

And the closer they got to their destination, the more obvious the signs of artificial chiseling became.

Orderly corridors carved out in the mountains...

A massive gate sculpted from a whole mountainside...

Murals carved integrally into the mountain body...

The giant mountain appeared like an ancient Divine Spirit’s palace, with the beauty of primality and artistry intertwined. Ahead lay the final gate, and the two made their way there without encountering any danger, no powerful guards, nor any monsters lurking, which made Gu Mo feel quite unaccustomed.

"Strange, the Clanging Cauldron is the spiritual source of the island; those demons couldn’t possibly not know about it... yet none have approached here..."

The witch also sensed something was amiss, thus becoming more cautious, frowning lightly in thought.

"There must be some danger here that they dread, yet I haven’t felt any evil aura; the Spiritual Power here is pure, completely different from when I was here last time. The pollution of the Clanging Cauldron by the Four Fighting Gods should have been entirely purified..."

"Could it be that the Great Cauldron itself has gained spirituality? Or perhaps Kikyo, you left something behind?"

Recalling the arrow not long ago, Gu Mo hesitantly proposed a hypothesis.

If the witch and I indeed partake in the Penglai Island battle during the Warring States Era, then with the experience from future generations, we should prepare for such situations, right?

"I haven’t sensed anything..." The witch gave him a subtle glance.

"I haven’t felt anything either..."

Gu Mo shrugged straightforwardly; he also sensed nothing except for the massive spiritual source ahead, like a fierce sun beyond the immense gate seemingly carved through the sheer cliff.

There wasn’t even a sense of impending danger.

"Let’s go inside and take a look first..." Determined, Kikyo walked straight toward the gate ahead.

Passing through the not-so-narrow but indeed oppressive corridor resembling a mountain fissure, the view suddenly opened wide, revealing a space in the mountain’s core akin to a natural cavern. Moonlight streamed in through the gaps above, faintly illuminating the dimness.

In the center stood something entirely black, like an enormous Alchemy Furnace seemingly cast from Divine Iron, towering like a small mountain. Huge iron chains tightly bound its corners, with the other ends vanishing into darkness, as if merging with the mountain itself.

The Pill Furnace stood several dozen meters high, and merely looking at it evoked a vast sense of oppression—a mental heaviness and unbearable burden...

Ahead of them was only a slightly narrow path, with bottomless abysses on either side leading god-knows-where into the dark depths, certain instant death for anyone who stumbled into it. At the path’s far end, broad stone steps ascended upward, leading to the very top of the Pill Furnace.

"The Clanging Cauldron..." Gu Mo murmured in awe, a strange glow flitting through his eyes.

——This thing...

——Is it considered a special item?

"You’ve finally arrived..."

At this moment, a calm voice sounded, seemingly with a sense of relief.

Immediately, the ground began to rumble, the massive Pill Furnace trembled, and the topmost surface of the Furnace split open sideways. Fierce flames roared out, like roaring fire dragons, with terrifying heat radiating intensely enough to make Gu Mo feel the astounding temperature even at a distance.

With his Constitution, he immediately felt a burning sensation from nearly a hundred meters away; any ordinary person here would likely be roasted within less than half a minute.

However, at this moment, Gu Mo instinctively glanced at the witch beside him; the voice just now seemed somewhat... familiar, as if she had spoken.

Yet Kikyo herself also appeared visibly taken aback.

Then, a figure appeared atop the stairs, seemingly emerging from within the continually burning Pill Furnace. Yet it was not some fiery spirit, but more like a ray of pure white moonlight.

She wore a gallant swordsman’s armor, a Cross Star Headband atop her head, and long black hair falling like satin behind her. Beneath her fringed bangs was a pair of serene eyes as still as water... except for her different attire, she bore an identical appearance to Kikyo.

"..."

"..."

The air fell silent for a moment...

Caught off guard, the witch seemed stunned by the sight.

"You are..." Gu Mo finally managed to react, opening his mouth while his thoughts rapidly spun with sudden inspiration.

Could it be... Naoki? The witch of Penglai Island?