With all these qualities, I will eventually become immortal.

Chapter 555 Exploring the Fire Cave and Tracking the Hunting Dogs! (6k)

After a fierce battle, it's essential to balance work and rest.

Meng Chuan also slept for a while.

As time quietly passed, the sky grew even darker.

His eyelids twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes.

As his thoughts flowed, the faint kidney essence that lingered around his body was completely gathered.

Although there is [Fire Resistance], the heat is not unbearable.

But the coolness brought by the evaporation of water vapor is still somewhat comfortable.

Unfortunately, his kidney essence was limited, and the water element was scarce in the Demon Nest environment.

I can only enjoy it by myself now.
After a short rest and changing into clean clothes, he glanced around.

He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at the four monks huddled together a hundred meters away.

Master Liao Hai, a master of Xingyi Quan and a practitioner of the Water element in the Five Elements theory, is currently acting as a human air conditioner.
He walked over and reminded her:
"How did you all get your rest, masters?"

"That would be great, it would be even better if we could have something cold to cool down."

Liao Chen stood up, dusted off his clothes, changed into his fourth-grade divine armor, and looked quite regretful.

You're dreaming.

The four monks tidied themselves up and then gathered under the big tree.

Including Meng Chuan and the other four, they formed a circle to discuss their next steps.

"Move to the left a bit, the shade of the tree won't block my view anymore."

"You two, move to the right a bit, you're squeezing this monk to death."

The two monks, Liaochen and Liaoyuan, were too lenient, and were subsequently pressured by several people, putting them in a real dilemma.

Finally, having no other choice, he could only stand there, his expression indignant.
Meng Chuan was the team leader, and he sat cross-legged at the innermost part.

Seeing that the commotion had subsided, he slowly began to speak:

"Next, we need to delve deeper into the demon's lair to find the temple. Have the masters forgotten the battle we fought earlier?"

Upon hearing this, Liaoyuan glanced at the monk beside him, who was even fatter than him, and chuckled.
"Of course I haven't forgotten that Master Chen led the charge in both the [Front Guard Ring Formation] and the [Triangle Thrust Formation]."

Liao Chen's face darkened, and he opened his mouth.

Suddenly his expression froze, as if he had thought of something.

He closed his eyes again, and didn't refute it.

Considering Meng Chuan's responsibility and performance since entering the Demon Nest, there's no need to worry too much about these things.

After things quieted down, Meng Chuan coughed twice, and said, "Liao Yuan was right."
Then he spoke:

“We want to find a temple, and I have a way.”

Instead of searching aimlessly like a headless fly, it saves a lot of time.

Liao Chen wiped his sweat and asked:
"How did you discover the temple in the first place? Buddha is also a person blessed with good fortune. He won the grand prize on his first trip down to the demon's lair."

Back then, the Buddha was only at the second stage of cultivation, and after being chased by the Great Demon for three days, he actually found the temple.

At this moment, Liao Chen recalled these unbearable past events.

Damn it, the more I think about it, the angrier I get.

When I was on my second limited-time event, why couldn't I use the veiled demon?
"Fat monk, you've been running around for three days, and you haven't even scraped off much of that layer of fat on your body."

Liao Qing made a couple of sarcastic remarks, but seeing that Liao Chen ignored him, he turned to Meng Chuan and said seriously:
"This humble monk possesses exceptional talent. The temple was discovered by the state through a trial of his abilities."

I really don't know if there's any pattern to it.

Before Meng Chuan could speak, he saw the two monks, Liao Hai and Liao Yuan, nodding in agreement.

They, too, were all intentionally guided by the state, not entirely "independently excavated" by the temple.

After everyone finished sharing their stories, Liao Chen dismissed them with disdain:
"Buddha was luckier than you; he found the temple first!"

"you"

"Alright, alright, you four, listen to my plan, stop arguing."

Meng Chuan had a headache and quickly stopped the four monks.

Liao Chen, this fat monk, truly possesses a naturally formed tank-like physique.

Not only could he mock the Heavenly Demon, but he was also constantly targeted by the other three monks.
After he finished speaking, he saw that the others remained silent.

Meng Chuan had an idea.

He borrowed Qing's iron rod and, while standing in the circle formed by the group, began to talk and draw.

"My discovery of the temple was also an accident, somewhat similar to Master Liaochen's experience."

Upon hearing this, Liao Chen's eyebrows instantly lit up with joy:
“You three idiots, look, this is the commonality in the experiences of the strong.”

Seeing the fat thief's smug expression, the other three monks wanted to refute him, but they were speechless.

After leaving the demon's lair, a life-or-death battle ensued.

Only then did the group realize that Meng Chuan's true strength was far more monstrous than what he had displayed on Shaoshi Mountain.
"Back then, I didn't know what a [temple] was. During the hunt for the Heavenly Demons, I accidentally found several powerful Heavenly Demon lairs."

After exploring inside, we found various rubbings on the walls, each with different content, but all pointing to the same carved mural.

After Meng finished speaking, the four monks fell into deep thought.

Liao Hai, whose mind worked the fastest, spoke first:

“What you mean, Benefactor Meng, is that we should follow your method.”

Are they searching for murals to find clues about the temple?

The other three monks suddenly realized what was going on, and after thinking about it for a while, they thought it was a good idea.

It allows you to gather resources and find temples with a specific purpose; not bad.

Meng Chuan nodded and said:
"That's the idea. Finding the lair of the Great Demon is definitely much easier than excavating a temple."

Besides, we've already killed four major demons. Their lair may be empty, with only lowly minions guarding the rooms, or they may be completely deserted.

"The demon's lair is full of good stuff; we should loot it and leave some for the garrison."

He didn't finish his sentence, but I believe the four monks understood.

If there are any rare and precious treasures inside the nest.

These items are tax-free; you can simply take them yourself.

The confiscation of most of the materials from the Heavenly Demon was also for the smooth operation of the battle merit system.

There must be input before there can be output; after all, resources cannot be conjured out of thin air.

It's useless if the government takes all the benefits.

The purpose of all this is nothing more than this.

The ultimate goal is to promote the development of the human race in a more rational and sustainable way, so as to better resist the demons.

After hearing his story, the four monks rubbed their hands together excitedly, filled with anticipation.

His expression was the most exaggerated, and his tone was almost bursting with barely suppressed excitement:

“Benefactor Meng, Captain! I have a hunting secret technique here, which my master taught me when I was practicing archery.”

Specifically, it allows one to trace the shared energy source and locate the prey's lair.

"Could we find the Great Demon's lair?"

"You can do anything!"

Meng was overjoyed upon hearing this, as there were even hunting dogs in the group.
My teammates this time are all incredibly talented!
The other three monks were also somewhat excited, and even Liao Chen's tone became a bit more polite.

After a brief discussion, Meng Chuan finally made the decision:
"Let's start with the fire giant, and connect the four dead demon lairs together."

Sweep through the area along the way until you completely piece together the clues to the temple!

"I second that!"

"Yes!"

A moment later, the resolution was passed unanimously, and everyone prepared to leave.

"Wait."

Meng Chuan called to the four monks to wait a moment.

He then summoned several martial arts masters and company commanders from the garrison, as well as Wang Mian.

He asked the group to sit down and earnestly gave them his advice:

"We're going deeper in to begin our mission. Keep an eye on things and make sure the soldiers below don't stray too far."

Stay near the entrance, avoid being greedy or reckless, and conduct a complete sweep. It will be safer for Commander Shi Cheng to enter after the mission is over.

The officers naturally listened to Meng Chuan's words.

Putting aside their previous decisions, everything was fine.

Commander Shi Cheng also specifically instructed us to act according to his orders.

Moreover, in the era of Qi and Blood Martial Arts, strength is paramount.

Both being second-tier, even if they were tied together, their combined strength wouldn't be enough for Meng Chuan to hit with one hand.
As the saying goes, among martial artists, whoever has the bigger fist gets to decide.

The group's expressions turned serious, and they solemnly said:
"Thank you for your concern, Captain Meng. We understand and will definitely control the military formation and keep it within 50 kilometers of the Demon Nest."

Although the titled Great Demon is leading the charge, the possibility of another surge is very small. The fifty-kilometer distance should be enough to hold out until Commander Shi Cheng arrives from outside the demon's lair to provide support.

"Thirty kilometers, I guess."

After some deliberation, considering the long passageway and past experiences, Meng Chuan couldn't help but restrict the distance once again.

"clear."

After a moment's thought, the group obeyed the order.

After giving his instructions, Meng Chuan and his group broke away from the garrison and traveled alone.

Inside the demon's lair, there is no distinction between day and night, and no one knows what time it is.

Meng Chuan looked up at the sky, where the red color appeared even deeper.

After calculating how long it had been, let's say it was the middle of the night.

Everyone's bags were stuffed with food and supplies.

The soldiers had each given up some extra supplies when they heard that the soldiers were about to depart.

Under the blazing sun, the demon's lair was covered with scalding hot rock and soil.

Through the relentless attacks and trampling of the Heavenly Demons day after day, the loose soil and rocks were compacted into rocky ground.

The deeper they went, the more subtle changes Meng Chuan noticed.

The soles of my feet felt even hotter.

Liao Chen led the way, with Liao Yuan walking alongside him.

The tip of his nose kept twitching; this "tracking" secret method really relies on smelling.

Meng Chuan wanted to ask if this was some kind of prerequisite secret technique for the [Dog-Shaped Divine Skill] of the Pictographic School.
He didn't say it in the end, worried that if he did, Master Liaoyuan would quit.
A warm breeze caresses the face, and the fire element energy gathers at the fingertips.

With a flick of his fingers, a fireball took away several foolish little demons.

The fireball pierced through his chest, its power undiminished.

It smashed through the small rock formation behind it before exploding into sparks and drifting clouds, its energy returning to the world within the demon's lair.

Since we were just passing through, we might as well practice our ranged attack methods, primarily using the Qi Observation Technique.

Less than an hour after setting off, Liaoyuan suddenly stopped in his tracks, and then...
Upon seeing this, Liao Chen, who was standing next to him, burst into laughter.
Meng Chuan almost lost his composure, only to see Master Yuan lying on the ground, sniffing around for a while.

After a few breaths, he stood up with a happy expression.

As he stood up, he noticed the strange expressions on everyone's faces, and Liaoyuan's expression instantly changed.
Seeing this, Meng Chuan quickly spoke up to maintain harmony within the team:

"Stop laughing, apologize to Master Yuan."

"Pfft. Hahaha, Buddha was wrong."

Liaoyuan remained silent, nocking an arrow and aiming at the fat monk.
"."

After the commotion subsided, Liao Chen offered a snake demon arm as an apology, which softened Liao Yuan's expression.

"About four or five kilometers to the left, there is the same aura as the fire giant blocking the gate."

"Really? It has to be you!"

"Buddha suggests you change your title. Don't call yourself 'Hunter's Arrow' anymore, just call yourself 'Hunter's Hound'!"

"Go to hell!"

Liao Yuan couldn't help but curse. He truly regretted letting this trick slip; Liao Chen had completely ruined his chances.
The group was overjoyed; the dog's nose, which had granted their wish, had indeed come in handy!
Meng Chuan followed the direction it was pointing and narrowed his eyes.

The Qi Observation Technique penetrated the pervasive fire poison and finally revealed a mountain that was pointed at the top and wide at the bottom.

"Crater?"

Liao Yuan was surprised; how could he see that?

"That's right, there's a smell of sulfur mixed with demonic energy, it must be a volcanic nest."

Extremely difficult to identify; if it weren't for the power of my secret technique, hmph!

"Yes, Buddha has always thought highly of you. Your nose is really sharp!"

He fulfilled his wish without speaking, and drew his bow and nocked an arrow!
After a short rest, the group finished up their work, set up their pre-arranged formation, and headed to their destination.

The five men, each armed with their weapons, crept forward under the cover of the uneven hillock.

As we approached the crater, the dry heat turned into intense heat.

Liao Chen's iron bucket was glowing red from the heat, and sweat poured down his face. His steps were heavy, as if filled with lead.

"Let's switch, Buddha can't take it anymore." In the end, he switched places with Meng Chuan and stood in the back row.

Even Liao Yuan, who was leading the way, couldn't hold on any longer and switched places with Liao Hai, who was proficient in water-based boxing, and stood at the back of the line.

As they drew closer, Liao Qing finally couldn't hold on any longer.

Slowly, he retreated to the back like the two others, hiding inside the blue protective shield cast by Meng Chuan and Liao Hai, where a faint mist of water vapor swirled around him.

Having climbed more than halfway up the mountain, Meng Chuan took a step forward.

He shielded his forehead with his hand and gazed at the crater not far away.

He had excellent eyesight and could see that the rock walls near the crater were red and cracked.

Lava could be faintly seen emerging, darting and slithering through the ravines like venomous snakes.

The splashing sulfur sparks scorched and twisted in the air.

The charred, blackened skeleton was half-buried in the scalding volcanic ash; a slight step would turn it to dust.

Rumble!
Meng Chuan swayed, pressed his knees to steady himself, and felt a tremor beneath his feet.

Dozens of molten lava tentacles suddenly sprang out from a crack near my feet.

Like a burning steel whip lashing down, with a crack, deep red sparks burst forth and scattered, and everyone dodged in panic.

Where the viscous lava drips, the rock is instantly corroded into honeycomb-like holes of varying sizes.

The group quickly changed formation. Liao Hai's fists shimmered with dark water, and the heavy water transformed into a canopy that extinguished the flow of liquid that was spreading towards them.

Seeing this, Meng Chuan slowly put away the kidney water he had been channeling and gave a word of advice:
"You three wait at the bottom of the volcano, Hai and I will go in."

The situation was clear: the lair of the fire giants was located beneath the lava pool in the crater.

This is not an ordinary volcano, but a "demonized volcano" catalyzed by the "Blazing Sun," carrying a large amount of toxic fire.

Judging from the three monks' "cowardly" appearance, they certainly couldn't bring themselves to go down.

After Meng finished speaking, Liao Chen was the first to raise his hand in agreement.

"Buddha is about to collapse. I'll keep watch down the mountain."

Liao Qing and Liao Yuan nodded repeatedly without the slightest hesitation.

Just kidding, you'd almost melt if you got close.

If you dare to jump again, do you have a death wish?

"Master Hai, how is it?"

Upon hearing the news, Meng Chuan spoke, but he only knew about his own situation.

He possesses resistance to fire and the essence of kidney water within his body, coupled with his already formidable physique.

Even though the lava here is more ferocious than outside, it's no problem to jump in and swim.

But he can only protect himself; he cannot share his special abilities and physical strength with others.

"This humble monk has no problem; my heavy water is not something to be trifled with."

"If one possesses the cultivation of a Grandmaster, even extinguishing an entire volcano would be no problem!"

Seeing Hai's confident appearance, Meng Chuan nodded without saying anything more and led the way to continue climbing towards the crater.

The black mystic water manipulated by the other party is indeed somewhat mysterious, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

Two unexpected guests arrived at the crater.

As he climbed to the edge, the thick sulfurous smoke that rushed towards him made his throat tighten.

The scorching heatwave baked spiderweb-like cracks into the rock wall, and Meng Chuan rubbed his toes.

With a little effort, the pebbles tumbled down and plunged into the churning pool of crimson lava below.

Following the trajectory of the falling pebbles, the pool seemed to swell violently as if it were a living thing.

The surface kept bursting open with viscous bubbles, and the splashing fire rain drew long, thin lines of fire in the air.

Seeing this, Meng Chuan became somewhat worried again.

"Master Hai, are you sure everything is alright?"

Liao Hai also looked distressed and didn't rush to answer.

He moved even closer, tentatively flicked his wrist, and unleashed a black water blade.

The rolling lava swallowed it up without leaving a trace.

After a couple of breaths, the surface of the magma exploded with a loud "boom".

A large section instantly caved in, and the splashed slurry scorched carbonized marks on the rock wall.

"no problem."

Liao Hai raised an eyebrow, looking confident.

Meng Chuan looked at him, his face showing a hint of surprise.

What martial art forged this heavy water true energy? It's quite powerful.

Once we're outside, we'll ask around.

As everyone knows, he is extremely studious.
"Then I'll go down first, Master Hai, you follow behind me."

After saying that, Meng Chuan jumped down.

"Hey! You"

Before Hai could finish speaking, he was seen shirtless with no protective gear whatsoever.

Jumping straight down was like being plunged into a vat of boiling oil.

With a "plop," Meng Chuan rose from the lava.

Its head popped out from the surface and shouted upwards at the sea:

"Get down!"

".Coming."

Upon seeing this, Liao Hai almost choked on his breath and was unable to speak.

He stared intently at Meng Chuan, who was floating in the lava, his bare upper body without even a trace of burn.

The pool full of molten lava was easily displaced as if it were warm water!

How can this be considered a second limit?
Even a martial arts master specializing in the fire element of the Five Elements wouldn't dare to break into the demonized rock pool so easily!

The heavy water in Liao Hai's hand became even more viscous and heavy, rising from his waist and slowly enveloping his entire body.

With everything prepared, I carefully gritted my teeth and jumped down from the hole.

Puff.
The viscous heavy water collided with the surrounding magma, eroding and neutralizing each other.

It immediately produced a piercing hissing sound, and white smoke billowed up.

His body was covered in black water, like armor, supporting him as he slowly moved.

As the heavy water shield was constantly deformed by the magma, he also had to periodically draw upon his kidney water and true qi to repair and replenish it.

Ten feet in front of him, near the rock wall inside the crater.

Meng Chuanyou moved with ease, without even a bubble rising.

This pool of lava seemed to flow as freely as one's own hot spring water.

It plunged down, then surfaced a while later, waving at him.
"Master Liaohai, hurry, there's a cave down there."

The sea churned, and the heavy water thickened by another three-tenths.

"coming."

After Hai swam over, the two of them dived down one after the other.

Meng Chuan pushed aside the viscous lava with both arms, the fiery flow sliding over his slightly reddened skin without causing any harm.

He held his breath and squinted down.

Through the surging crimson waves, a deep crack can be vaguely seen embedded in the rock wall.

The magma fluid accumulates at the fracture opening, then turns back.

I couldn't get in; it was as if there was a powerful airflow inside.

The wind blows outward from inside the cave, pushing everything aside.

It should be here.

The rift was wide enough to allow the fire giant to pass through; though not wide, it was long and narrow enough.

Meanwhile, there were also many charred handprints around, which, judging by their size, looked like they were left by a fire giant.

Only it could create such a huge, palm-like mark.

After a while, Liao Hai finally arrived late.

She touched the ground with her toes, pointed to the crack, and looked at him.

Meng Chuan nodded and transmitted his voice:

"It should be here. Let's go in and take a look."

After making thorough preparations, he calmed his breathing and walked ahead.

Liao Hai had to maintain his heavy water defense, so he lagged behind and slowly followed him toward the crevice.

Seeing that he had slipped inside silently, he gritted his teeth and followed.

The moment Meng Chuan stepped into the rift, he was instantly struck by a powerful shockwave, as if it were trying to prevent him from entering.

Just as we guessed, these air currents, which seemed to come from nowhere, were enough to block the intrusion of magma.

"That's quite amazing."

Meng Chuan clicked his tongue twice, then stopped looking at him.

His feet seemed to have hooks attached to them, gripping the rock face tightly.

Step by step, until his figure was completely swallowed up by the gap.
Upon entering, he noticed that the strong wind had suddenly stopped.

My vision suddenly became clear.

Squinting and looking around, I noticed that the inner walls of the cave were covered with irregular grooves and patterns.

These peculiar arrangements vaguely resembled a magic circle.

After taking two steps, there was no more wind resistance.

Touching the indentation with my fingertips, I felt a cool sensation, a stark contrast to the intense heat of the magma outside.

His mind raced, and he pondered to himself:

"The wind has stopped. Due to the balance of internal and external air pressure, this strange array pattern can block heat, and it is definitely not formed naturally."
Is it the wisdom of the native inhabitants of the Demon Realm?

It is completely hidden under the magma, like a natural protective barrier.

With the interior arranged in this way, the raging airflow at the entrance of the fissure can be used to further conceal the aura.

They also used a formation to draw away the hot air and maintain stability inside the cave.

No wonder the airflow outside the rift was so violent, while the inside remained calm.

Looking back, Liao Hai hadn't followed yet, so they decided to wait.

Extending your senses deeper into the cave, you suddenly realize that the winding path leads to a secluded spot.

The interior is winding and labyrinthine, and so far, no living creatures have been detected.

That's a good thing; it would be best if only the fire giant and the demon lived in the cave.

They can loot and leave without much trouble.

When Hai caught up, his expression was predictably one of surprise.

Listening to his explanation, I suddenly realized that Meng Chuan, who seemed so reckless, was actually quite knowledgeable.
The two stopped their idle chatter and began to explore deeper into the area.

Meng Chuan held a wisp of fire in his palm to illuminate the cave as he walked ahead.

The two walked slowly as they followed the winding corridor.

Be careful to observe the nearby rock walls so as not to miss sacrificial murals or the like.

Meng Chuan reached out and brought his hand closer, the flame in his palm illuminating the rock wall.

With his other hand, he brushed away the dust on the surface but found nothing.

"Let's go further in."

"it is good."

Liao Hai agreed, and all the heavy water in his body was gathered into his body.

Take advantage of the fact that the magma cannot seep into the fissure and quickly adjust your breathing.

Anyway, he doesn't understand, so he should just follow Meng Chuan.

The sound of footsteps echoing underfoot became even more pronounced in the silence.

As you go deeper, the fissure passages gradually widen.

The further you go in, the more spacious it becomes.

After rounding a sharp bend, the two of them stopped in their tracks, motionless.

Meng Chuan frowned, released his senses, and crawled inside.

Liao Hai closed his eyes and, just like Meng Chuan, forcefully dispersed his spiritual sense to investigate.

In Buddhism, the soul is called "mind" and spiritual perception is called "spiritual consciousness," which implies the outward feelings and sensations of the mind.

A few moments later, the two looked at each other, their eyes revealing a solemn expression.

"and many more!"

(End of this chapter)