Free Web NovelChapter 41: Chapter 41: Molten Rock Jade, Postnatal Realm
The Demon Fog billowed, submerging the mountains, leaving only their faint, indistinct outlines visible.
Within the roiling sea of fog, not a single chirp of an insect or bird could be heard, and even the roars of Demon Beasts had vanished completely.
This region of Demon Fog seemed like another world, separate from the one outside.
"Cough, cough."
A weak cough rang out. Its source was a youth dressed in white, his face pale, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.
’These injuries are quite troublesome.’ Ning Jiang’s situation was grim. freewёbnoνel.com
In truth, his injuries were threefold.
First, by using the Ape King’s Demon Power with only a Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer cultivation, the immense power had placed a huge burden on his body, damaging many of his meridians.
Second, unleashing the Instant Sword Technique with all his might had damaged his muscles and bones.
Third was the blow from Chen Wu that had sent him off the cliff. It not only shattered his bones but also caused severe damage to his internal organs.
Normally, a Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer Martial Artist’s internal organs were as tough as steel, but the Innate Gang Qi of an Innate Realm Martial Artist was far too powerful.
If Ning Jiang hadn’t used the Wind Chasing Sword to block the majority of the force at the critical moment, his internal organs would have been violently ruptured, killing him on the spot.
If an ordinary person had sustained such injuries, the pain from the broken bones alone would have made them scream and break out in a cold sweat. Yet, Ning Jiang’s expression didn’t so much as twitch; he acted as if nothing was wrong.
He had endured pain a hundred times more terrifying than this; his will had long since become indomitable.
’This cliff I fell from is shaped like an ox’s horn. It seems this is the place that Innate Limit Strong Person entered, which is why even Chen Wu didn’t dare to follow me.’
Ning Jiang knew that while people dared to enter some parts of the Demon Fog region, they just didn’t dare to venture too deep.
This place, however, was essentially considered a forbidden zone.
In the past, an Innate Limit Strong Person had entered the Demon Mist Mountain Range from this very Ox Horn Cliff, only to never return.
Chen Wu obviously knew the history of Ox Horn Cliff. That was why he hadn’t pursued Ning Jiang after he fell, fearing that if he went in, he too would never come back.
’Good. I don’t see any Demon Beasts here. Otherwise, in my current state, my chances of survival would be slim.’
Ning Jiang assessed his condition. The Ape King’s Demon Power was completely depleted, and his meridians, muscles, bones, and internal organs were all severely injured. He couldn’t even muster half his usual strength.
If he encountered a Demon Beast now, he could only fight for his life by resorting to some forbidden techniques.
’Since I’m here, I’ll take things as they come.’
His experiences from his past life allowed Ning Jiang to remain calm no matter the circumstances.
Even if this were the Nine Netherworld, he would feel no fear.
The surrounding white fog was vast and boundless. Even with Ning Jiang’s Eye Power, he could only see clearly for about fifty feet around him. Anything further was a hazy blur.
’This place?’
Pushing his thoughts aside, Ning Jiang began to examine a rift at the bottom of the cliff.
The rift was just over three feet wide and ten feet high, barely large enough for a single person to walk through. A wave of scorching hot air rushed out from within.
’That’s the smell of sulfur. Could there be lava inside?’
A strange light flashed in Ning Jiang’s eyes. He had been looking for Molten Rock Jade, and the one prerequisite for Molten Rock Jade was lava!
Exceptionally skilled and therefore daring, he walked right in.
The rift was narrow, but fortunately, Ning Jiang’s lean frame gave him enough space to walk.
The entire rift sloped downward. The further in he went, the more scorching the air became, making it somewhat difficult to even breathe.
Before long, Ning Jiang had walked over three thousand feet. By now, the temperature had reached a level unbearable for ordinary people. The tips of Ning Jiang’s hair were beginning to singe and give off a burnt smell.
He didn’t stop.
Four thousand feet.
Five thousand feet.
’The smell of sulfur is getting stronger. Nine times out of ten, it’s lava!’
Though the rising temperature became increasingly uncomfortable, Ning Jiang’s eyes lit up with excitement.
After he had descended nearly ten thousand feet.
Finally.
A light appeared at the end of the dark rift. Ning Jiang took a step forward, and his view suddenly opened up.
It was a cavern about a thousand feet across.
The center of the cavern floor resembled a large pool, but it wasn’t filled with water—it was filled with fiery red, boiling lava!
POP... POP... POP...
Fiery red bubbles occasionally rose from the bottom of the lava, bursting at the surface and releasing a puff of intense heat. It was the only sound in the entire place.
The entire cavern felt like a blazing furnace.
If an ordinary person were to arrive here, a single breath would severely burn their respiratory tract. In under an hour, the moisture and blood in their body would evaporate, turning them into a dried corpse. Eventually, their skin would crack and they would crumble into a pile of dry bones.
However, Ning Jiang was a Martial Artist, after all. Despite his heavy injuries, he could still withstand such high temperatures.
’Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Chen Wu, I suppose I should thank you.’
Ning Jiang’s gaze fell upon the wall to his left, about thirty feet from the lava, and a rare look of joy appeared on his face.
Reflected in his pupils was a patch of jade as red as blood.
Molten Rock Jade!
The very thing he had gone to such great lengths to find! Who could have guessed it would be here, beneath Ox Horn Cliff?
This was a Molten Jade Ore deposit!
Molten Rock Jade was extremely difficult to form. It required a jade deposit to be eroded by the fire poison of lava for over a thousand years.
However, the jade deposit couldn’t be too close to the lava, or it would melt. Nor could it be too far—more than thirty feet away—or the fire poison couldn’t seep in.
It was just like Alchemy; the degree of heat was crucial.
The combined conditions—the presence of lava, a jade deposit, the perfect distance, and over a thousand years of time—made Molten Rock Jade exceedingly rare.
Of course, for most people, this rare Molten Rock Jade was useless. Its fire poison was impossible to absorb. Anyone who dared to try would be playing with fire, seeking their own death.
’These holes?’
Around the Molten Rock Jade were several dark holes, each about the size of a washbasin. They formed a network of tunnels leading to unknown destinations.
Inspecting some of the holes, Ning Jiang found a few silver scales.
’These scales must belong to a Silver-armored Mountain Rat. So that’s how it is. A Silver-armored Mountain Rat must have been burrowing underground and carried a piece or two of the Molten Rock Jade out with it.’
Ning Jiang deduced that the piece of Molten Rock Jade Yan Shuangying had was obtained by a Martial Artist who had most likely just stumbled upon it outside.
Silver-armored Mountain Rats loved to burrow through the earth and mountains, sometimes digging thousands of feet deep.
Sometimes, Martial Artists in the Demon Mist Mountain Range would find rocks that could only exist deep underground, all because of the Silver-armored Mountain Rats.
’It’s a good thing the Silver-armored Mountain Rat isn’t here now. In my current condition, I might not be its match.’
’The top priority now is to break through to the Postnatal Realm. Then I can use this Molten Rock Jade to cultivate the Great Sun Glazed Golden Body.’
’If I had the Great Sun Glazed Golden Body, I wouldn’t have ended up in such a pathetic state today.’
For Ning Jiang, the most urgent task was to increase his strength. In this world, strength was the only thing he could rely on.
This just happened to be a perfect place for secluded cultivation.
Ning Jiang sat down cross-legged and took the Pure Essence Fruit from his Storage Ring.
The Pure Essence Fruit was as red as fresh blood. The moment it appeared, it emanated a dense and pure Primordial Qi.
’Although it’s not as good as the ripe one, it should still be enough to break through to the Postnatal Realm.’
Right now, Ning Jiang had no time to recover from his injuries. Though he was in constant, severe pain, he paid it no mind.
He opened his mouth and swallowed the fist-sized Pure Essence Fruit in a few bites.
The fruit’s flesh was sweet. As it entered his stomach, an enormous wave of Primordial Qi instantly filled his entire body, so vast it felt as if it would tear him apart.
A Pure Essence Fruit was something typically only a Postnatal Realm expert could consume.
’Devour!’
Ning Jiang was unconcerned. He was cultivating the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill, and his Dantian contained three Qi Vortexes. Activating them at full power, they spun like mysterious, deep nebulae, rapidly devouring the immense Primordial Qi and converting it into surging True Qi.
In an instant, the aura around his body swelled, soaring higher and higher.
Half a day later.
Ning Jiang officially stepped into the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer: Qi Refining and Gang Transformation!
This half-day of progress was equivalent to half a month of his usual bitter cultivation.
But it was far from over. Ning Jiang’s aura continued to climb, and the True Qi within his Dantian grew even more condensed. It was like cotton evolving into iron, a massive change in quality.
At the same time, his three Qi Vortexes grew more solid, transforming from a gaseous state to a liquid one, like swirling whirlpools.
Time passed.
The leap from the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer to the Postnatal Realm was more than ten times harder than breaking into the Tenth Layer.
For several days, Ning Jiang did nothing but cultivate.
Until the night of the third day.
’So close, just a little bit more!’
Ning Jiang screamed inwardly. His aura had reached its peak, but at this moment, he was stuck in a very awkward position.
He was just half a step away from the Postnatal Realm!
One foot was in, but the other was still out.
The Pure Essence Fruit had actually failed to push him through.
’I still underestimated the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill.’
Ning Jiang thought to himself that while the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill was a powerful Cultivation Technique, the amount of True Qi required to advance each Realm was also far greater.
If this Pure Essence Fruit were given to someone else, it would have been more than enough to reach the Postnatal Realm, but for him, it wasn’t.
The Primordial Qi he needed to step into the Postnatal Realm was at least ten times that of others!
’Today, I will enter the Postnatal Realm!’
Ning Jiang took out a large pile of Primordial Stones. The pores all over his body opened as he pushed the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill to its absolute limit. He became like a black hole, voraciously devouring everything.
Majestic Primordial Qi rushed into his body. This frenzied devouring caused his already damaged meridians to snap one after another.
But he no longer cared. He would not stop until he entered the Postnatal Realm.
It was do or die.
The tyrannical nature of the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill was also on full display here. With ordinary Cultivation Techniques, once Primordial Qi was devoured, it could only circulate through the meridians.
But even with Ning Jiang’s meridians broken, it had no effect on him.
Every inch of his flesh and blood could circulate Primordial Qi and send it to his Dantian.
PST!
Suddenly, a piece of flesh on his shoulder burst open, spraying blood and revealing the bone beneath.
It wasn’t just his meridians; now, even his flesh and blood were beginning to give way.
He was like a bottle being filled far beyond its capacity, naturally beginning to crack.
In the next half an hour, more than a dozen spots on his body burst open.
Yet he remained like a stone buddha, ignoring the excruciating pain, his face serene.
"Break!"
Finally, with a thunderous roar, Ning Jiang’s aura abruptly surged to its absolute peak, like boiling water blowing off a lid or a volcano erupting, shooting toward the sky.
BOOM!
In that instant, Ning Jiang’s clothes whipped about wildly and his black hair flew. A powerful aura erupted from his body, transforming into a violent hurricane that swept through the cavern.
Immediately after, his tightly shut eyes snapped open, flashing with a brilliant light. His aura was more than ten times stronger than before.
The Postnatal Realm.
Finally achieved!
