Douluo Dalu Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Part 1 (TL by Bagelson)

The two looked face to face. Hu Liena smiled sweetly at Tang San, and the gaze in Tang San’s eyes also became a lot more gentle. No matter what was said, Hu liena had already pa.s.sed his test.

In the moment just now, with the threat gone, Hu Liena could completely have abandoned him, reaping the benefits of victory alone. But she obviously hadn’t done so.

Moreover, she had pulled Tang San back the instant he finished his attack, clearly without any struggle in her heart.

Judging by this part, she would be perfectly safe for at least a time.

With the death of the dark golden three-headed bat king, the other blood bats instantly turned into a headless dragon, charging wildly at Tang San and Hu Liena in retaliation.

However, as a leaderless army, not only had they lost morale, but also lost the wit to organize. Even though the quant.i.ty of these remaining blood bats was still considerable, it was still difficult for them to produce any further threat to Tang San and Hu Liena.

Tang San’s fingers constantly moved, each silver thread that shot from his hand would take the life of a blood bat. Hu Liena was even more direct, the five meter long enormous fox tail behind her constantly whipping the approaching blood bats like a giant racket.

The strength of that fox tail was incomparable. As each swing struck the blood bats, those creatures would instantly turn into a rain of blood.

Strangely, Hu Liena’s fox tail seemed to be covered with a layer of peculiar energy, and wasn’t polluted by a trace of blood.

Each strand of fur on the big s.h.a.ggy tail stood erect like a steel needle. The killing power of this enormous wolf fang mace super weapon against the blood bats was no less than Tang San constantly shooting steel needles with the blue domain open.

Finally, the last blood bat was first hit by Tang San’s steel needle, then again sent flying into the distance by Hu Liena’s fox tail. Calm returned to their surroundings.

Wiping fragrant sweat from her forehead, Hu Liena looked at Tang San. Her face revealed a faint smile. Defeating this group of bats clearly wasn’t the contribution of any one person, but rather the result of both cooperating.

If not for Hu Liena’s fox tail ensuring the safety of the narrow road, it would also have been very difficult for Tang San to deal with the entire swarm of bats on his own. Equally, without Tang San killing the dark golden three-headed bat king, they would inevitably have been forced to withstand the opponent’s most frightening attacks.

Through this brief time of cooperation, the two had both gained an all new understanding of the counterpart, and Hu Liena trusted this man in front of her even more.

Tang San’s reservations towards her had also lessened a bit.

Pulling up the rope and holding one end out to Hu Liena, Tang San said:
“How about we rest a bit?”

Hu Liena stretched out a hand to take the rope, swiftly tying it around her waist. Loosing a long breath,

While speaking, she clapped her ample chest with one hand, arousing great waves. Right now her style of dress really was refres.h.i.+ng. Tang San immediately turned his head, not daring to look straight at her.

A laugh escaping her, Hu Liena smiled:
“I thought you were a blockhead, so you can also be enticed?”

Tang San wrinkled his brows slightly,

While speaking, he leapt up, once again landing on the road in front of Hu Liena.

The enormous tail once again turned into orange light and quietly melted onto Hu Liena’s body, her face displaying a difficult to suppress weariness,
“Let’s still rest a while. It’s been tiring on both of us, and we still don’t know what we’ll face later. According to what I know, this h.e.l.l Road has altogether three trials, one more difficult than the other. Just now we should have broken through the first one.”

Tang San’s heart trembled, he understood that Hu Liena was certainly like a spent arrow.

Even though he was the main attacker just now, in fact he had spent less spirit power than Hu Liena. He didn’t ask about that fox tail, just like Hu Liena didn’t ask about his blue domain.

But judging by the previous situation, Hu Liena’s enormous fox tail absolutely wasn’t as simple as just a spirit. Very likely it was the same as his Eight Spider Lances, an effect caused by a profound external spirit bone.

No wonder the Supreme Pontiff would take her as disciple, just this external spirit bone already put her far ahead of her peers. In the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament four years ago, Hu Liena clearly didn’t have this weapon. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for his side to take the victory. Spirit Hall’s Golden Generation really was tyrannical.

The two managed to sit down on the narrow road. They were both true elites, and within a short time had entered cultivation, quietly recovering their strength. Of course, their minds weren’t completely submerged, both with a part of their minds still alert for anything that could happen around them.

After two hours, the two of them opened their eyes at practically the same time, each taking out food and drinking water held in their magic tools for a simple meal. Then they stood back up, continuing forward.

Advancing once again, Tang San’s speed was clearly a bit higher. Being less on guard towards Hu Liena allowed him to keep more of his attention on the road in front. With a teammate like Hu Liena, there was no need to worry about the security in the back.

The air became hotter and hotter, and gradually even Hu Liena could see deep red flowing in the abyss on either side. The air starting to become scorching made breathing feel uncomfortable, as if their lungs were burning.

While walking, Tang San explained his judgement,
“This h.e.l.l Road seems to be going in a spiral, not a straight line. Otherwise, we should have left the range of Slaughter City long ago. But the curve is very shallow, therefore it’s not easy to notice.”

Hu Liena said:
“Won’t we rest a while again, it’s too hot, I feel my strength already starting to drain faster.”

Tang San didn’t reply, a pale blue light once again spreading from his body, only this time the blue light only spread to envelop him and Hu Liena.

Immediately, a burst of coolness spread through their bodies, their surroundings fresh and cool. Not only did the temperature drop, but even that scorching impure air became clean. It seemed to be filtered by that layer of blue light.

Hu Liena inwardly gasped in admiration, thinking to herself that while she didn’t know what this innate domain Tang Yin had was, even though it didn’t feel particularly powerful, its applications were varied, superbly practical.

From interfering with that flock of bats before, to improving the environment now, it would undoubtedly let Tang Yin maintain his greatest fighting strength under any conditions.

Clear Sky School, it really was a place of talent.

Just as they walked, suddenly, there was a rustling sound further ahead, making Tang San and Hu Liena halt simultaneously. Tang San didn’t turn his head, only putting his hand behind his back to gesture at Hu Liena.

A pair of sharp swords immediately appeared in Hu Liena’s hands. Right now she still couldn’t see the enemy, but she believed that with Tang San’s astonis.h.i.+ng eyesight, he had already seen it.

Indeed, Tang San had already seen the enemy. That was a pair of fiery red eyes. Just ahead on the narrow road crawled a deep red creature.

He couldn’t clearly see the size of its body, but he could discover through simple observation that it should be a snake. A snake with its enormous body twisted around the narrow road.

Its eyes weren’t especially large, but for some reason, Tang San immediately felt that the l.u.s.ter those eyes held was even more terrifying than the dark golden three-headed bat king from before.

Serpent? Tang San sneered, his palm brus.h.i.+ng Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges, a piece of realgar falling into his hand.

With a rustling sound, that dark red serpent began to slowly slither forward. Once it got closer, Tang San made an accurate estimate of it.

On this serpent’s head and back were altogether nine protrusions, each bulge was like a scarlet mushroom, and there seemed to be something like blood flowing inside. This serpent’s belly was especially enormous, swelling over the narrow road, and its length was at least ten meters.

As they saw the serpent, the monstrous snake had clearly also seen them. Its tongue slowly rose as it crawled on the narrow road, and its reddish golden eyes immediately became bright like lanterns.

Neither Tang San nor Hu Liena knew what sort of creature this was, there was no record of it among known spirit beasts. But the less they knew, the more they were on alert, watching that uncanny serpent continue swaying forward, an incorporeal pressure filled the air.

Even if the blood bats from before had brought them no small amount of trouble with their attacks from the air, the true crisis had still been when the blood bats had tried to cut off their road forward.

Right now, this strange snake was blocking in front of them. Without a doubt, it had the ability to destroy the narrow road with absolute ease. Therefore, if the two of them wanted to attack this serpent, they had to consider a method of attack that wasn’t destructive to the narrow road itself.

Starting at a distance of a hundred meters, the strange snake issued guuguu sounds, just like the cries of an infant.

The nine fleshy tumors on its back also began to issue a reddish golden radiance.

Guu——

When it was still twenty meters from Tang San, the monstrous serpent launched its attack. A line of fiery red light abruptly belched from its mouth, bringing an intensely stinking air as it extended towards the two humans.

Making Tang San and Hu Liena even more startled and furious was that this flame unexpectedly stick to the ground. In other words, it swiftly spread along the narrow road below their feet.

If it was on level ground they could have dodged it, but in these circ.u.mstances, that was basically impossible.

Part 2 (TL by Bagelson)

The firey red light on the narrow road fluctuated violently, even to the extent that it caused cracking sounds of burning rock. Even more terrifying was that this firey red light still brought a faint red mist. There was no need to ask, this red mist inevitably contained powerful poison.

Drawing a deep breath, the Clear Sky Hammer appearing out of nowhere, Tang San slightly squinted, his right foot swiftly taking half a step forward, his left leg bending into a crouch, the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand slipped from his palm, skimming out close to the ground.

As the Clear Sky Hammer met that fiery red radiance, red lines immediately appeared all over it. Like a street sweeper, spinning over the fiery red light, everywhere it pa.s.sed the firelight disappeared immediately. Moreover, it struck towards that strange serpent sticking to the narrow road with incomparable speed.

A strange scene appeared. The strange serpent didn’t collide rigidly with the Clear Sky Hammer. Seeing the Clear Sky Hammer was about to reach it, that serpent’s upper body bowed, unexpectedly falling sideways into the abyss. Just after Clear Sky Hammer pa.s.sed by where it was before, its head twisted around the narrow road once again, and its rear body followed the same process, unexpectedly dodging the Clear Sky Hammer’s attack like this.

Even though the firelight had disappeared, that sweetly stinking mist already filled the air.

“What brilliance can a grain of rice hold?”
Tang San snorted disdainfully, a big leather bag already appearing in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, the leather bag flew into the air, straight at the center of the poison mist. Immediately afterwards, his other hand threw out the piece of realgar he took out before. Destroyed by Tang San’s strength, the realgar turned into a cloud of dust in midair, bombarding the leather bag.

Immediately, alcohol sprayed out over a wide expanse, mixing together with the smashed realgar, forming a realgar alcohol screen.

Tang San originally used the same method to easily destroy Poison Douluo’s granddaughter Dugu Yan’s poisonous spirit ability. Even though this serpent in front of them was something Dugu Yan was far from able to compare to, no matter how you put it, it was still a snake.

As long as it was snake venom, it would always be suppressed by realgar. Even though it might not always be able to detoxify it, when it was blocked like what Tang San did now, it was completely possible.

Indeed, where that liquid screen fell, that red poison mist immediately disappeared like fading mist or scattering clouds.

Even to the extent that there was still some realgar alcohol that fell on that strange serpent.

But what shocked Tang San was that the uncanny snake didn’t seem to react at all, seemingly uninjured. But its enormous body still instantly accelerated, suddenly das.h.i.+ng at Tang San and Hu Liena.

The Clear Sky Hammer reappeared in Tang San’s hand. He suddenly undid the rope around his waist, changing his original one handed grip on the Clear Sky Hammer into two hands, saying in a low voice:
“Stand where you are and don’t move.”

Finished speaking, Tang San was already swiftly das.h.i.+ng forward, charging to meet that uncanny serpent. But he only dashed three steps forward. As he took the third step, instantly, he swung the Clear Sky Hammer gripped in both hands, half turning, one swing already blasting out.

Strangely, this swing of his wasn’t aimed at the swiftly approaching giant snake, but rather upwards, blasting into empty air.

Immediately afterwards, Hu Liena, standing in place, saw a bizarre scene.

Tang San’s Clear Sky Hammer shed rich black light, and Tang San’s body began to swiftly rotate like a gyroscope. She could only vaguely see that each time Tang San turned, the Clear Sky Hammer in his hands would blast out once, and the strength of his imposing manner would multiply exponentially.

Just like an enormous black whirlpool, constantly growing.

What Hu Liena admired the most was that even while spinning so rapidly, Tang San’s balance unexpectedly didn’t waver in the slightest, both feet always stepping on the narrow road. How could she know that when Tang San was originally training with the hammer, it was on top of a slippery round rock, while constantly battered by a two hundred meter tall waterfall. Compared to that, now staying on a narrow road for a while was fairly easy.

How could this balance waver? Before on the round rock, each time Tang San spun, he could step on the same point with the same amount of force.

The monstrous snake approached quickly, but suddenly, it repeated its skill from before. Its upper body swayed over the narrow road once again. It seemed as if it wanted to pa.s.s by Tang San. With the ability it used to dodge the Clear Sky Hammer before, clearly, this was something it could do.

Apparently it could by now already sense the dreadful aura of the Clear Sky Hammer, and wanted to attack Hu Liena first.

Daggers raised in front of her chest, Hu Liena stood with her legs crossed, toes facing different directions, properly prepared to meet the attack.

However, what shocked her was that the strange snake couldn’t pa.s.s by Tang San.

When its ma.s.sive body swayed out from the narrow road, trying to move past below Tang San’s feet, suddenly, a tremendous force unexpectedly pulled its body back onto the narrow road. The head of its more than ten meter long body even raised even higher, flung up sharply by that current.

In fact, this strange serpent’s body was thick as a bucket, how heavy would such an enormous body be?

Not only that, but its strength was also extremely frightful, the pressure of its aura alone felt far more tremendous than the dark golden three-headed bat king from before.

But even so, it unexpectedly still couldn’t do as it wished in front of Tang San, and was moreover even blown up by that bizarre black light.

From where did Tang San draw such strength?

Hu Liena looked with shock and uncertainty at the man not far in front of her.

She discovered that the currents that previously gathered around Tang San had completely disappeared, and one could see the black light growing stronger and stronger in his surroundings. But, strangely, it didn’t give off any feelings of spirit power fluctuations.

The monstrous serpent was clearly infuriated. It didn’t try to move around Tang San again, its enormous body swung, unexpectedly turning around, a three meter long section of snake tail las.h.i.+ng directly at Tang San. Its goal wasn’t Tang San, but rather the one meter of narrow road Tang San stood on. It clearly planned to use this method to break Tang San’s balance. However, the black light in Tang San’s hands covered an even larger distance than it had imagined, and before that serpent tail had even struck, it was curled up by this. This time even the entire enormous serpent was flung up. If not for it promptly twisting its tail around the narrow road, it might have been thrown into the abyss.

That pair of reddish golden eyes finally displayed alarm, and the nine reddish golden fleshy tumors on its enormous back grew even brighter.

Guuguu, guuguu, it seemed to cry in rage.

Bowing over the narrow road, the nine fleshy tumors were all aimed in Tang San’s direction.

Suddenly, those nine fleshy tumors burst open simultaneously, nine streams of golden red liquid suddenly squirting out. That liquid didn’t travel straight at Tang San through the air, but rather shot at a spot in front of Tang San, where the nine shares of liquid merged together in midair. The instant before it struck Tang San, it suddenly halted, and all the liquid contracted simultaneously, forming an only fist sized golden red little ball, which then smashed on towards Tang San.

But at this moment, the movements of the previously constantly spinning Tang San suddenly stopped, changing from extreme motion to extreme stillness. From movement to stillness immediately seemed exceptionally strange. And the instant he stopped, the Clear Sky Hammer held in his hands was in a forward leaning pose.

A terrifying scene emerged in front of Hu Liena’s eyes. She seemed to see a giant black dragon soar from the Clear Sky Hammer, and immediately afterward, the black dragon bombarded that reddish golden pearl in an instant. The originally about to strike pearl shuddered violently a moment, as if struggling. However, its struggle only lasted for a moment, the next instant it was blasted into the sky.

The black light gus.h.i.+ng from the Clear Sky Hammer didn’t stop at this point. The inclined forward black light sweeping angle dropped somewhat, streaking forward close to the narrow road.

This time, that giant snake no longer had any chance to dodge, because the length of the erupting black light already surpa.s.sed the length of its body by far.

Chii——

The black light flashed and pa.s.sed. That giant serpent suddenly halted, and the black light disappeared without a trace into the darkness, without developing any loud sound.

Hu Liena still didn’t understand what just happened, she only saw Tang San inhale deeply once, his whole body seeming to relax, and he also withdrew the Clear Sky Hammer in his hands in the first moment.

Just when Hu Liena was about to ask Tang San whether he needed a helping hand, she suddenly saw an extremely frightening scene.

The previously erupting powerful energy seemed to have utterly destroyed the giant serpent.

Each part of that enormous body that was on the narrow road unexpectedly quietly disappeared, turning into motes of dust and sliding away. And the parts of the body above, having lost the support of the ground, broke into several pieces and simultaneously fell into the abyss.

“You, what did you do?”
Even though Hu Liena knew she shouldn’t pry into Tang San’s secrets, she couldn’t help it, and still asked.

Tang San didn’t turn around, only calmly said:
“Clear Sky School, Disorder Splitting Wind, nine by nine becoming one.”

Raising his head, deep blue rays of light shot out of his eyes, looking above.

A golden red speck fell from the sky. Tang San stretched out his right hand, and with the pull of an incorporeal attractive force, that golden red light fell into his palm.

Astonis.h.i.+ngly, it was the little golden red pearl previously condensed from the liquid shot from the uncanny snake’s nine fleshy tumors before.

“Careful, it might be poisonous.”
Hu Liena didn’t have time to digest Tang San’s words, anxiously warning him.

Part 3 (TL by Bagelson)

Tang San shook his head,

He wiped that little pearl he had caught on an unremarkable jade surface on the side of the Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges, putting it inside.

“You’re not worried it will explode?”
Hu Liena took a few steps forward, coming up behind Tang San.

Tang San shook his head. Perhaps it was because he was somewhat excited, but he didn’t hide it from Hu Liena,
“This is the neidan[1] of that monstrous serpent. Having lost the control of its main body, it’s impossible for it to explode.”

“You recognize that snake?”
Hu Liena’s voice was filled with incredulity.

Tang San nodded silently. Indeed, this serpent wasn’t cla.s.sified as a spirit beast of this world.

However, after Tang San observed it for a short time, he discovered it was unexpectedly an extremely poisonous creature he had read about in the ancient texts of the Tang Sect in his old world.

Prehistoric beast, Ten-headed Fierce Yang Serpent[2]. Incomparably poisonous, adult length over ten meters, possessing the most powerful fire poison of snake types, capable of forming a neidan after ten thousand years of cultivation, within those nine heads on its back. The emergence of the neidan would cause heaven and earth to pale. Obtaining that neidan, one could terrify the kings of serpents.

Thus being a lord of snakes.

What Tang San obtained was undoubtedly the neidan of the Ten-headed Fierce Yang Serpent. Even the nine by nine swings of his Clear Sky Hammer’s Disorder Splitting Wind fused into one was still unable to compare to the destructive force of this neidan. However, right now Tang San really wasn’t the Tang Sect disciple of his old world. In this world, he had still obtained mental strength.

When that eighty first swing blasted out, Tang San had already accurately locked on his spiritual force, striking at an angle. He didn’t truly collide with that neidan, but rather instantly merged his spiritual force to cut off the connection between the neidan and the Ten-headed Fierce Yang Serpent.

Having released the neidan, the Ten-headed Fierce Yang Serpent’s defensive strength dropped substantially, how could it resist Tang San’s tyrannical Clear Sky Hammer attack? Its body immediately turned to dust.

The benefit of the Ten-headed Fierce Yang Serpent neidan was of course not limited to frightening the elders among serpents, and still had numerous marvellous uses. Obtaining it, Tang San’s current mood could already no longer be easily described, not even using words like ‘transcendent’ would do.

Even though Hu Liena didn’t see the smile on Tang San’s face right now, she could guess that the neidan was extremely important to Tang San. Tang San killed the Ten-headed Fierce Yang Serpent. That he took the neidan was also normal.

“Tang Yin.”
Hu Liena called out.

Tang San turned slightly,
“You want it too?”

Hu Liena shook her head, saying:
“No, I only want to know the history of this snake. I also have some knowledge of spirit beasts, but I have no recollection of this serpent. We’re teammates, even though I didn’t help you with anything before, at least I have some right to know.”

If it was something ordinary, Hu Liena naturally wouldn’t raise a request that might provoke Tang San’s dislike like this, but the bizarre death of that strange serpent, even more bizarrely leaving behind this so-called neidan, she was unable to inhibit her desire for knowledge.

Tang San smiled calmly, saying:
“There’s no harm in telling you. This serpent was no spirit beast, but should have been a prehistoric beast. After its neidan has formed, its attack power is extremely dreadful. Just now I severed the connection between it and the neidan, exploiting the gap in the instant before the neidan exploded, then luckily killed it. And the advantage of this neidan is that it can make any snake venom ineffective, and moreover restrain all types of snakes.”

Hu Liena’s heart twitched,
“This means that it will be difficult for Spirit Masters with snake type spirit beasts to get a good result against you.”

Tang San smiled:

Right now, the alertness in his heart rose once again. What is called ‘treasuring a jade ring becomes a crime’, who knew whether Hu Liena would launch an attack against him because of greed?

But Hu Liena didn’t argue over this issue, and the pair rested a while again. Within Tang San’s blue domain, the surrounding impure air was effectively filtered, and the two very soon recovered their strength.

Having pa.s.sed two successive alarming challenges, their mood became a bit more relaxed, and they advanced at an even pace. If this h.e.l.l Road truly only had three challenges, then they only needed to pa.s.s the final test in order to be able to leave this wretched place.

The temperature still rose constantly, and the flowing deep red liquid in the abyss on either side gradually became clearer.

The road seemed to always move downwards. n.o.body knew the true circ.u.mstances of Slaughter City, but Tang San vaguely guessed that it was near the mountain behind that small town where he and his father entered.

Perhaps Slaughter City wasn’t underground, but rather within the mountain.

These thoughts only flashed through his mind, right now it was even more important to them to leave as quickly as possible. For anything else, there would be time later.

The temperature outside gradually changed into something the blue domain couldn’t resist. The greater effect of Tang San’s blue domain was to filter the air, relying on the breath of life within the range of the domain to slightly adjust the temperature. It didn’t truly isolate them.

Consequently, as they moved forward, the scorching heat the two endured also began to grow greater.

Even more unsuitable to them was that this air seemed to contain a kind of particular miasma. The stifling feeling deep in their hearts grew clearer and clearer, and their own killing intent also grew more unrestrained.

An impatient mood gradually appeared, especially for Hu Liena walking behind Tang San.

She didn’t have the orthodox sect mental techniques to control her mood like Tang San did. Along with her irritation, the killing intent in her heart grew more and more flouris.h.i.+ng, and the things before her eyes no longer seemed distinct, the scorching heat around them seemingly provoking every cell in her body.

What Tang San endured wasn’t easy either. Even though his circ.u.mstances were a bit better than for Hu Liena, the scorching heat outside was like a source of temptation for the slaughter intent within him, but unfortunately they couldn’t prevent revealing their killing intent, otherwise they would be completely swallowed up by the terrifyingly vicious energy within this h.e.l.l Road.

Gradually, Tang San grew to understand.

From the moment he and Hu Liena entered the h.e.l.l Road, the two had always been influenced by the atmosphere within this place. Even though killing intent could obstruct this sinister atmosphere, it couldn’t filter it out completely.

Thinking of this, Tang San understood that he and Hu liena had miscalculated. Pa.s.sing this h.e.l.l Road seemed to be not only about possessing enough strength, but it moreover had to be pa.s.sed in as short a time as possible. The longer one stayed, the deeper the influence of that sinister aura would be. If it confused the heart, then perhaps one would never be able to leave.

“Keep calm. We’ll speed up.”
Tang San called out to Hu Liena behind him.

Right now Hu Liena could still keep a clear head, and forcefully nodded at Tang San. The two no longer walked, but leapt, swiftly das.h.i.+ng forward.

The faster the moved, the faster they approached the depths, and the air clearly became hotter and hotter, their vision also became fuzzier and fuzzier. Even Tang San’s Purple Demon Eye could only see a kilometer or so in the faint red mist that filled the surroundings.

In the abyss on either side of the narrow road, the deep red liquid boiled. That was indeed blood, but this stinking liquid seemed to have the temperature of magma.

“Tang Yin, I can’t go on.”
Hu Liena’s speed gradually fell, the killing intent in her heart rus.h.i.+ng out, intense desire to slaughter everything around her constantly eroding her mind. She knew that if she didn’t stop, she might attack Tang San at any time.

Halting, Tang San turned to look at Hu Liena.

Right now, Hu Liena’s entire body had turned pink, her naked skin somewhat fragrant from her sweat, seeming even more glossy.

Eyes closed tightly, her body trembled constantly, that layer of white killing intent around her fluctuating irregularly.

Tang San raised a hand to press the s.p.a.ce between Hu Liena’s eyebrows, a blue energy flooding her mind,
“Sober up. Endure. If my guess is correct, we’re almost out.”

By now, the distance to the deep red liquid on either side of the narrow road was only fifty meters or so, and the scorching heat in the air already made the clothes Tang San and Hu Liena wore emit a faint burnt smell.

Having taken the Infernal Precious Apricot, Tang San wasn’t overly concerned about this, but Hu Liena was different. The overwhelming majority of her spirit power was used to resist the terrifying heat, and it became increasingly difficult to restrain her killing intent.

With a ceng sound, the enormous fox tail once again stood erect from Hu Liena’s b.u.t.t, and despite Tang San helping her sober up somewhat, very soon she was submerged in the killing intent evoked by that sinister atmosphere. She was already on the brink of collapse.

Seeing Hu Liena’s suffering appearance, Tang San’s heart gradually sunk. He knew that if Hu Liena lost it, the first target of her attack would be him. With her body spurred by the killing intent, perhaps she wouldn’t be as intelligent as before, but her attacks would inevitably be even more terrifying under the effect of the killing intent. Even if he could kill her, he might still pay an enormous price. No matter what was said, the spirit power of the woman in front of him was more powerful than his, and she also possessed an external spirit bone, and might even possess other spirit bones.

Shouldn’t he take advantage of this moment, and kill her before then? Tang San hesitated. By all reason, he should indeed do it. If this formidable teammate became an enemy, it would be a devastating setback for him.

[1] Neidan (内丹), internal alchemical pill in Daoism.

[2] (十首烈阳蛇)