Free Web NovelChapter 390: Chapter 373: A Life and Death Chase Game
(Holy Hall I: Wrath of the Evil God will be released in November.)
In times of danger, Wang Meng’s Divine Sense was always scanning the surrounding hundred-li radius for killing intent. Suddenly, he felt something was off. Wang Meng reacted instantly, grabbing Sanmao and barking a single word, "Run!"
The two of them sprinted wildly through the world of endless yellow sand... naked.
It seemed they had just escaped the wolf’s den only to enter the tiger’s maw. According to his Divine Sense, the aura belonged to that damn Zheng Dasheng.
If he had also reached Minor Perfection, Wang Meng wouldn’t have minded turning back to annihilate the bastard. But as it was, he had just advanced. He had felt his qi and blood churning after finishing off Yu Zimo. What he needed most right now was to regulate his breathing, not fight.
About ten minutes later, Zheng Dasheng arrived at the spot where Wang Meng and Sanmao had just been.
Zheng Dasheng snorted coldly. ’They’re fast runners. Let’s see how long you can last!’
’Zheng Dasheng’s supervisory role this time was secondary; his main goal was the Life Pill. Things had ended up like this instead. But that’s fine too. Since Yu Zimo is dead, the Celestial Fire Cauldron is mine for the taking. It seems I truly underestimated Wang Meng. The Five Elements Body might not grant much physical power, but it seems to be excellent for Alchemy.’
Zheng Dasheng’s figure flickered and vanished into the yellow sand.
Wang Meng and Sanmao fled madly. Wang Meng was quite experienced in this regard; he had been chased for a long time by some piece of trash in the Slaughter Space. This time, however, the pursuer was not to be trifled with.
To become a Protector of the Extreme Dao Alliance, this Zheng Dasheng had to be extraordinary—at least not some low-life like Yu Zimo.
Right now, all Wang Meng could think about was how to evade his pursuit. He was certain that he wouldn’t leave any traces. Even if there had been any, they would have been completely refined away by the Celestial Fire Cauldron.
On this point, Wang Meng was correct. A mark had indeed been placed on him, but after being refined by the Celestial Fire Cauldron, no trace of it remained.
This created considerable difficulty for Zheng Dasheng’s pursuit.
And so, the chase and escape continued. Wang Meng and Zheng Dasheng were locked in a war of attrition. It had to be said, Zheng Dasheng’s tenacity was quite impressive; it seemed he wouldn’t rest until he caught Wang Meng.
"Sanmao, you think this guy is on steroids or something? He’s relentless. What the hell is he after?"
Wang Meng was completely naked, his skin tanned to a bronze color after many days under the scorching sun. He wasn’t sure if it was because of being refined by the Celestial Fire Cauldron, but his body was now remarkably well-defined.
Despite being hunted, Wang Meng was in high spirits. He could endure for months without food or water; his reserves had been thoroughly replenished inside the Celestial Fire Cauldron. As for the Extreme Dao Alliance, he would absolutely not let them off. A gentleman always takes revenge. Since starting his path of cultivation, this was the first time he had suffered so greatly.
When they rested, Wang Meng and Sanmao would bury themselves in the sand, completely suppressing their Elemental Power to avoid Zheng Dasheng’s pursuit.
Zheng Dasheng had ample supplies in his Qiankun Bag. As soon as his target’s Elemental Power vanished, he would also rest and take the opportunity to study Yu Zimo’s Alchemy Technique.
’Once one breaks through to Minor Perfection, their Elemental Power becomes abundant, and the boundaries between different Magic become less distinct. If one already has a solid foundation before Minor Perfection, practicing them is twice as effective with half the effort.’
’The Extreme Dao Alliance places great importance on the use of Magical Artifacts and Pills. This is the true path for humanity. Of course, Body Refining is essential, but the role of external objects is equally important, perhaps even more so.’
’Of course, what I covet most is Yu Zimo’s Life Artifact. Although a seized Life Artifact can’t be controlled as freely as one’s own, it’s still far superior to an ordinary Magical Artifact. If nourished properly, it could even become my own Life Artifact.’
’An extra Life Artifact is like having an extra life.’
After studying Yu Zimo’s Alchemy Technique, Zheng Dasheng’s desire for the Celestial Fire Cauldron grew even stronger.
Meanwhile, Master Wang had already submerged the Celestial Fire Cauldron into his Sea of Fate to begin nourishing it. The speck of light in his Sea of Fate remained just a speck of light. Even though his Five Elements Technique had made another breakthrough, the speck of light stubbornly refused to change in the slightest.
’It just goes to show, someone with a Five Elements Body probably isn’t fated to have a Life Artifact, let alone a Holy Statue.’
But Master Wang never got discouraged. ’Didn’t heaven just deliver one to me?’ It had to be said, Sanmao was truly a freak of nature. His flames seemed to have leveled up, actually managing to sever the connection between a Life Artifact and its owner. Of course, this was also because Yu Zimo was already on the verge of death. If not for Yu Zimo’s unwillingness to give up and Sanmao’s decisiveness, the owner could have destroyed his own Life Artifact.
Within his Sea of Fate, the Celestial Fire Cauldron quietly nourished itself in his Elemental Power. Wang Meng was working hard to establish a connection with it. ’If it’s just a simple Pill Furnace, that would be too much of a waste.’
Wang Meng was in no hurry. This was another leap forward. The explosive growth pattern of his Five Elements Body was a headache for him, but there was nothing he could do about it. As the saying goes, "every sip and every peck is preordained." He began using his Nourishing Essence Technique to temper each newly formed Life Mark. This had already become a habit, and he was now so proficient that he could do it while resting.
The Celestial Fire Cauldron was indeed beautiful in form. It was a typical five-legged cauldron used for refining, with five cauldron windows, which also made it a five-sided cauldron. Each side was engraved with one of the Five Elements Sacred Beasts. The Heaven-Reaching Pill God Sect was clearly a master of the Five Elements Technique, having integrated this method into its Alchemy. And although Yu Zimo had Fallen into Demon, he was meticulous when it came to Alchemy—a true genius. He had poured an immense amount of effort into forging his Life Artifact, all of which now benefited Wang Meng.
Wang Meng tried to send his consciousness into the Celestial Fire Cauldron, but it put up fierce resistance, as if it would rather be destroyed than allow him to invade.
But Master Wang wasn’t one to give up so easily. ’If not now, when would be a better time to use my Divine Sense?’
An ordinary consciousness was immediately met with a fierce counterattack upon contact with the Celestial Fire Cauldron. But when his Divine Sense appeared, the Celestial Fire Cauldron trembled. Wang Meng gloated inwardly. ’So you want to resist, you bastard? Resistance will get you nowhere!’
Wang Meng wanted to subdue the Life Artifact, not destroy it. Ownerless Life Artifacts had strong resistance and, nine times out of ten, would self-destruct. Very few could be successfully claimed, which was another difference between them and ordinary Magical Artifacts.
Before long, the Life Artifact’s consciousness submitted to his Divine Sense. Moreover, since it was being nourished by Wang Meng’s Sea of Fate, it soon began to accept his consciousness.
It was Wang Meng’s first time truly connecting with a Life Artifact, and he was deeply shaken.
The Celestial Fire Cauldron could not only refine Pills, but during the process, it could connect with the Alchemist’s Heart Spirit. In terms of Alchemy, the Celestial Fire Cauldron had no limits.
The Celestial Fire Cauldron was also a Magical Artifact in its own right. It could suppress demonic beasts and even smelt them down to absorb their essence. Of course, the strength of this ability depended on the owner’s power to control it. Yu Zimo had been so devoted to his Life Artifact that it had even hindered his own cultivation. The Celestial Fire Cauldron was already very powerful for refining Pills and also possessed a certain ability to suppress demons.
At the very least, Wang Meng was certain of one thing: this Celestial Fire Cauldron would be an excellent tool for his advancement. Inside the cauldron, he could lock in his Elemental Power to the greatest extent, preventing it from leaking out and allowing his Five Elements Technique to be unleashed freely. It could be said that being inside it was like being in his own kingdom, where he was a god!
Having been refined himself, Wang Meng had stumbled upon a new method of cultivation. Of course, this method was only suitable for a freak like Wang Meng... and perhaps Sanmao should be added to that list.
Sanmao had also been refined and was now brimming with vitality. However, Sanmao did not walk the path of the Five Elements, but a pure path of fire.
But... other than the three tufts of hair on his head turning multicolored, there weren’t any major changes to Sanmao. That little guy was a real freak.
Following Wang Meng’s lead, Sanmao copied his every move, down to his posture.
Night fell, and Wang Meng knew it was time to move. In the desolate, cold desert night, two shadows, one large and one small, darted across the moonlit landscape.
Zheng Dasheng hovered in the air, a cold sneer playing on his lips. ’The moment they move, there will be a reaction from their Elemental Power. You want to run? You can run, but you can’t hide.’
The red moon flickered with an eerie light. This was the blood moon of the Five Elements Desert Space. Was it an omen...?
This was a game of chase where life itself was the stake.
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