Chapter 87 Part 1

Rumble—<br><br>

Shen He only felt his head buzzing.<br><br>

The events had unfolded too quickly. As a little cultivator who had been practicing for less than a year, he could not figure out the situation at all.<br><br>

Hadn’t he been participating in the Mustard Seed Realm assessment? He had seen many new materials, learned the technique for harvesting Spiritual Fire, and was taking part in the third stage’s pill dao assessment when he was suddenly thrown into the depths of the mountain belly filled with magma and chaotic spiritual power.<br><br>

The high temperature constantly eroded his body. Even with spiritual power released for protection, he still felt a burning sensation.<br><br>

Halfway there, Shen He had run into Zhang Sizhe. Considering the abnormal environment, Zhang Sizhe had not attacked him proactively, and the two had arrived together at the deepest part of the mountain belly, where they saw this massive Great Xia Cauldron.<br><br>

What happened afterward completely upended Shen He’s understanding.<br><br>

First, Senior Wen Jingyan from Jiuxia Mountain had anxiously said that the Great Xia Cauldron was Jiuxia Mountain’s sacred relic, which required a sacrifice to restore its normal function and quell the mountain fire outside.<br><br>

Then, Zhang Sizhe had inexplicably attacked him from behind.<br><br>

While Shen He was dealing with Zhang Sizhe’s assault, Wen Jingyan, who had seemed on the verge of death, had sneak-attacked him as well and thrown him into the Great Xia Cauldron.<br><br>

Even more ridiculous was that Zhang Sizhe had been thrown in too?!<br><br>

One upheaval after another—Shen He had not even had time to get angry when he saw Zhang Sizhe, who had ambushed him, end up like this. He almost wanted to laugh.<br><br>

Then, he suddenly gained two relatives. The Jade Pendant Master was surnamed Xie and seemed to know Wen Jingyan, pulling him out of the Great Xia Cauldron.<br><br>

But both of these newly acquired relatives had met their end!<br><br>

Shen He was completely numb.<br><br>

The blue-and-white great demon had self-detonated, its divine soul drilling into the Soul Nurturing Bottle he carried, but the other relative, Zhang Sizhe, had been left inside the Great Xia Cauldron.<br><br>

While Xie Linlang and Wen Jingyan traded accusations, Shen He stayed vigilant against Wen Jingyan but could not help approaching the Great Xia Cauldron.<br><br>

Zhang Sizhe harbored hostility toward him and had even ambushed him earlier. Shen He knew he should not pay him any more attention.<br><br>

Yet he could not control his own body—this was blood kin he had longed for and searched for over many years.<br><br>

He had to ask about Zhang Sizhe’s family situation before he died, right?<br><br>

Shen He even wanted to visit them later to learn more.<br><br>

What? Pull Zhang Sizhe out?<br><br>

No, no, no. In the major classes at Silent Night Palace, the seniors had repeatedly warned that people were cheap, free things were worthless, and one must never be a pushover.<br><br>

Rumble—<br><br>

Another streak of blue light flashed past Shen He’s ear.<br><br>

Shen He quickly focused and looked over.<br><br>

At that moment, Xie Linlang was surrounded by multicolored flowing lights, with starlight tracing mysterious trajectories back and forth. The blue longsword streaked like a meteor, occasionally stabbing at strange positions.<br><br>

Though his current strength was insufficient—merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage—he fought evenly with Wen Jingyan, who was at the Nascent Soul Stage.<br><br>

This was mainly because Xie Linlang was too familiar with Wen Jingyan’s array proficiency and habits. Moreover, Wen Jingyan had previously been sneak-attacked by Shen Wei Zhenren, his Nascent Soul crushed, leaving only a remnant soul. Even if he immediately secluded himself to recuperate, it would take decades of proper nurturing.<br><br>

Wen Jingyan had first schemed against Gao Chunqiu, then fled back and forth while trying to manipulate the Great Xia Cauldron. Now, upon suddenly learning the devastating news of Shen Wei Zhenren’s death, he had fallen into madness.<br><br>

Yet as a grandmaster of arrays, to set up an array, he needed to maintain smooth and steady spiritual power input at every Array Nexus and node.<br><br>

All these factors combined meant that although Wen Jingyan’s realm and strength far surpassed Xie Linlang’s, as time passed, he fell into a disadvantage. Xie Linlang cleverly herded him, forcing him passively toward the Great Xia Cauldron.<br><br>

Seeing things turn dire, Shen He quickly retreated, hiding behind the Great Xia Cauldron and peering inside.<br><br>

“Zhang Daoyou… uh?!”<br><br>

Inside the Great Xia Cauldron, Gao Chunqiu’s Demon Race true body had turned into a pool of flowing water, gently drifting at the cauldron’s bottom.<br><br>

Crimson Demon Race blood continuously rose with golden qi, and golden light spots flickered on the inner walls of the Great Xia Cauldron, greedily absorbing the power within. Those light spots were like summer fireflies, brightening and dimming as if breathing.<br><br>

Zhang Sizhe stood near the edge, taking out a Storage Bag and releasing its contents.<br><br>

It was a massive Black Snake.<br><br>

The Great Xia Cauldron sealed all power, but somehow Zhang Sizhe managed to use the demon blood within to draw Runes on the Black Snake.<br><br>

Zhang Sizhe’s face twisted ferociously, blood highlighting his features, making him look like a malevolent ghost from hell.<br><br>

As he drew the Runes, he muttered, “You all look down on me, all want me dead—then let’s die together!!”<br><br>

Shen He stared blankly. This scene was so familiar; in a daze, he seemed to return to the Purple Radiance Mountain Secret Realm, to that secret chamber.<br><br>

Extracting a Demon Race Bloodline Divine Ability to refine it as his second Incarnation—this was… the Nine Spirits Sect’s Totem Secret Art?<br><br>

In an instant, countless details flashed through Shen He’s mind.<br><br>

Zhang Sizhe was skilled in Beast Taming but had no affection for spirit beasts, casually giving away his pet Leopard to Shen He.<br><br>

Before entering the Purple Radiance Mountain Secret Realm, Zhang Sizhe had known about Cultivator Xu’s secret chamber and even how to deal with the Black Demon Spirit.<br><br>