With all these qualities, I will eventually become immortal.

Chapter 556 The Crypt Firebird and Precious Coral! (6k)

After he finished speaking, Liao Hai was surprised to discover something.

Meng Chuan's neck twisted, and as the black mist dissipated, a huge, ferocious black dragon head emerged.

The dragon's mouth opened and closed, revealing two rows of ferocious, enormous teeth, each as thick as an adult's finger.

The dragon horns on its head, resembling sharp swords and gleaming with a cold light, looked particularly eerie.

"This is."

Liao Hai was utterly shocked and couldn't understand what this thing was.

Isn't Meng Chuan the same as me, following the Xingyi school?
The dragon head emerged, and it looked remarkably like a dharma image from the Pictographic School.

Pictographic and semantic-based ideas are of the same lineage, but they are clearly distinguished from each other through the transformation of meridians.

There is no such thing as dual cultivation.

"Shh, pet."

Meng Chuan told Hai to keep his voice down, raised an eyebrow, and gestured for Long Mo to tone down.

It understood, and the dragon's head twisted and tried to emerge, while the mist continued to dissipate faintly.

As its size shrank, the entire dragon body emerged, only a few meters long.

"Go inside and take a look, be discreet, and don't get spotted."

Meng Chuan patted his head, and the dragon demon's four claws hooked onto the rock wall above his head. He turned and circled around to the inside, and the soft rustling sound of climbing gradually faded away.

After witnessing the entire process, Liao Hai vaguely understood.

"Captain, is this an astral creature?"

Meng Chuan pointed to the purple light that flickered on his body like the light of his breath.

"I have mastered the Daoist martial arts to perfection and made some breakthroughs, which is why I have achieved such changes."

"sharp."

Liao Hai couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. What kind of technique could give a creature with an image a physical body?

Simply unheard of.

However, Meng Chuanjiang's hard skills in nurturing imagery creatures reached an unprecedented level.

Perhaps there has been some kind of "mutation" at the level of martial arts itself.
There are still too many unknowns and unsolved problems in the art of Qi and Blood Martial Arts; it is not advisable to get bogged down in trivial details.

Meng Chuan, who was standing to the side, wanted to say something when he saw Hai.

Sensing that something had been discovered at the Dragon Demon's place, his expression shifted, and he gestured to freeze in place:

"Let's go back and talk about it. We've found something."

Now is not the time to talk about martial arts.

Meng Chuan led the way forward, extinguishing the flames in his palm with a flick of his wrist, and the passage returned to darkness.

"Follow closely."

After saying that, Meng Chuan slowly ventured deeper into the area, following the trail left by the dragon demon.

Liao Hai followed closely behind him, step by step.

Watching Meng Chuan move freely in the darkness and even send out "pets" to scout ahead, he became increasingly concerned.

Not only are they incredibly strong, but they're also extremely capable fighters.

In addition, there is his extraordinary perception beyond the average person, unparalleled endurance, and skin and flesh that are impervious to fire, poison, and magma.

Putting aside skill, none of these "unorthodox" methods are easy to learn.

Meng Chuancai is only twenty years old, how does he manage his time?
Liao Hai thought to himself, "If it were me..."

Even with the right talent, 48 hours in a day isn't enough.
If someone older than yourself were to come, there would be no need to be so surprised.

"Don't even think about it. That's just how talent is; there's nothing you can do about it."

"really."

Liao Hai followed him inside, secretly agreeing with him.

Having shared a gunfight with Meng Chuan, he truly witnessed Meng Chuan's monstrous nature.

Comparing myself to others, I found myself to be somewhat absurd.

"Let alone me, I'm afraid even Senior Brother Liao Huo would feel inferior to Benefactor Meng."

Liao Huo will only turn twenty-eight next year, but he has already reached the fourth level of martial arts master.

Looking at the entire history of Shaolin, we can trace the entire historical river.

Compare all the young masters together.

Even if he's confused, he's still good enough to be in the top three!

But Meng Chuan.
Liao Hai could hardly imagine that in eight years he would be the same age as his senior brother Liao Huo.

By then, just how strong will we be?
Although the lifespan of martial artists cannot match that of ancient Qi cultivators, it is still far greater than that of ordinary people.

If one breaks through the fifth major limit between the ages of thirty and thirty, one can be considered a young venerable one.

If that were to happen, it would break the mold of human history.
"Snap out of it, there's something inside, be careful."

Why do I keep getting distracted when I'm by the sea?
Meng Chuan walked at the very front, his toes pointing downwards at a 45-degree angle, signifying that the entire terrain sloped downwards into the ground.

He silently calculated the distance and then made another sharp turn.

A faint red glow appeared under the eyes, which was somewhat noticeable in the darkness.

He observed from afar, pondering in his heart:

"It doesn't look like firelight; it's more like the reflected light of some kind of red crystal."

Whoosh-!
A dark figure crashed into his arms. The Dragon Demon sent back a message, and Meng Chuan nodded secretly.

Let it go back first, as it is currently digesting the true spirit of the Flame Giant.

In addition, the manifestation of the dragon demon consumes a lot of mental energy, so it is unnecessary to send it to the battlefield unless absolutely necessary.

He stopped, looked at the sea behind him, and waved.

“There is a firebird sleeping soundly inside, Great Demon.”

"Do you want to do it or not?"

"Dry!"

Liao Hai rubbed his hands together excitedly, stepped forward, and leaned against the rock walls on both sides of the passage with Meng Chuan.

Although the Great Demon is dangerous, the rewards are absolutely worth the risks.

It's done!

The two of them did their best to suppress their auras and slowly moved to the opening.

Meng Chuan held up three fingers and raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment.

Liao Hai understood and nodded, ready to go.

Tuck in the last finger and clench your fist.

The moment their eyes met, their bodies exploded like engines starting up, bursting forth and rushing inside.

Several glistening red pillars of varying heights hung upside down from the cave ceiling.

Below, the entire stone platform, hundreds of feet square, was made of smoothed and piled-up rocks.

The giant crystal pillars, like a forest of swords, all point towards the very center of the stone platform.

There lay a firebird-like monster, its wingspan slightly extending to about ten feet.

Each of its feathers is made of flowing lava.

The golden liquid fire dripping from the bird's beak carved a deep pit into the ground.

As the two dispersed their auras, it suddenly opened its eyes, its pupils reflecting a hint of astonishment.

Be caught off guard.

Meng Chuan, with his large hand gripping a condensed mass of lightning and fire, was ruthless and taciturn. He slapped the firebird across the face.

As he smashed the ball, he noticed that Hai was also moving quite fast.

The vajra in his hand drew a black line and stabbed straight at the large eyes that were filled with astonishment.

The firebird intended to spread its wings and stand upright.

Unexpectedly, before he could even complete the action, he was hit in the face by a sudden attack.

It was ambushed and immediately let out a sharp screech.

Its massive body staggered backward, its outstretched wings instantly folding back.

Golden feathers flew up in disarray, sparks rained down on the surrounding rock platform, and wisps of smoke rose from the ground.

The heatwave surged and spread as it struggled, filling the air with a pungent, burnt smell.

But the firebird quickly regained its balance, its neck arching angrily.

His right eye was blinded by heavy water, while the firelight in his left eye intensified.

The moment the wings spread, demonic energy mixed with flames rained down, slapping towards the heads of Meng Chuan and the other two.

The fact that it was injured only fueled its ferocity.

"You provide support from a distance, and I'll find an opportunity to get closer."

After Meng finished speaking, his body blurred into a shadow and instantly disappeared from the spot.

This firebird has decent defense; it took a hit to the head, yet it's still so tough. It shouldn't be underestimated.

While he was looking for an opportunity to make a move, Liao Hai was not idle either.

With a single gesture, a great burst of Buddha's light shone forth.

The precious pestle in his hand was thrown into the air like a flying sword, repeatedly piercing through the water carrying a thousand pounds of weight.

In an instant, the entire rock platform trembled with a roar, as fire and water were irreconcilable.

Liao Hai's monk robe billowed, each strike causing water mist to surge and condense into ferocious mirages in mid-air.

Each time the pestle spun, it left behind turbid waves, as if pulling the entire underground river into the sky, even washing away the fire crystals on the cave ceiling, making them appear dim and uncertain.

"Great!"

Meng Chuan secretly praised him.

Master Liao Hai is just as good as anyone else, but when he's with Liao Chen and the others, he loses his distinctiveness.

However, at this moment, the battle against the Firebird Demon is also evenly matched.

In addition, due to the elemental advantage, it even has a slight advantage.

Meng Chuan regained his senses and, in a few breaths, analyzed the Firebird Demon in detail.

The flames on its body resembled those of a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Each time the wounds left by the heavy water on my body were washed away, they healed completely in a very short time.

His blind eye and sunken profile are slowly healing.

This kind of tenacious demon is best fought by attrition; it's the worst possible strategy.

A single, fatal blow is the best.

Liao Hai also realized this during the battle.

The mace in his hand was extremely cunning, and he focused all his strength on the firebird's still intact left eye.
Meng Chuan's figure darted about in the shadows, his waist and legs rising and falling in a zigzag motion.

It was so fast that it felt like riding a galloping horse or walking on wheels of fire.

A faint blue-purple electric light spread along his arm. With a tremor of his shoulder and neck, his entire arm, enveloped in the true energy of thunder, seemed to unleash a giant python emerging from its cave.

The tip of the fist blade is the mouth of the giant python.

With his breath rising, Meng Chuan bent down in the shadows and sped off.

Heavy water cleared a path for him, and along this path, his fist blade, like a poisonous dragon, pierced through the firebird's glowing eye socket.

Within a tenth of a second, the fist blade stabbed down several times in succession, each time bringing forth bursts of scalding demonic blood like lava.

The firebird cried out in pain and fury, its wings suddenly unleashing towering waves of heat.

The wings, formed from solidified lava, slashed towards Meng Chuan's neck like a guillotine.

But then they saw black energy surging on his shoulders, and his wing blades slashing at it, sending out blinding sparks.

It broke through the black membrane, only to be dragged into the mud by various mysterious lights, and was finally blocked, unable to get any closer.

Throughout the entire process, Meng Chuan didn't even blink; he just swung his fists and punched relentlessly.
The firebird swung its left wing again, this time with boiling demonic flames, but its free left hand gripped the base of the wing like an iron clamp.

Molten feathers hissed and steamed in his palm, and the smell of burning flesh wafted out. No matter how the firebird struggled, Meng Chuan's expression became more and more fierce!

The muscles in his right arm bulged, and his knuckles pressed against the scalding hot skull, twisting it violently!
Liao Hai rushed forward to finish him off, and as the heavy water washed over him, he plunged another fist blade into his opponent's throat.

The dying firebird shrieked, shaking the rock face and causing it to crumble and peel away.

In the hot wind stirred up by the flapping of its wings, black evil energy rose around Meng Chuan, ferociously enveloping and protecting him.

Its body leaped as if riding a tall horse, and it even stepped on the twitching neck to jump onto the bird's back.

The final blow, a powerful punch like a pendulum, pierced through the top of the head with a muffled thud as bones cracked!

The spiritual flame traveled up the head and into the chest, finding the location of the true spirit.

Twist it hard.

Utterly dead!
With a final cry, the firebird's massive body crashed to the ground and lay sprawled on the ground.

The bird's beak opens wide, unconsciously opening and closing to its maximum extent.

Seeing that there was no movement, Liao Hai jogged over to ask:

"Completely dead?" Just then, the Dragon Demon emerged from the firebird's beak, carrying a strange red True Spirit in its mouth.

Seeing this, Liao Hai felt he should say more.

My body slumped over, and I felt a sense of relief.

The fact that he easily defeated the Firebird Demon without expending much energy is mainly thanks to Meng Chuan.

If it were one of Chen's men, working together with him, it would have been absolutely impossible to take them down so easily.

At the same level, solid-type demons have an absolute advantage in physical attributes.

Only a pervert like Meng Chuan would dare to go face-to-face with someone like that.
Every time he saw him make a move, Liao Hai had this thought in his mind:
"Truly possessing both resilience and fighting prowess, a rare and invaluable Arhat's Vajra body."

Coming to his senses, he saw Meng Chuan calling him and went over.

"Master Liaohai, you can take whatever materials you need yourself. I'll take the True Spirit, is that alright?"

Liao Hai looked at Meng Chuan's left hand, which had fully recovered in such a short time.

Slightly stunned, he shook his head:
"no problem."

Cut off the bird's beak and tuck it into the small gourd at your waist.

Liao Hai saw that he was holding up a still-burning feather and looking around by the wall.

If you don't understand these things, then don't meddle.

He plucked another bird feather and stood next to Meng Chuan to help light the lamp.

"Tell me, what is the relationship between this firebird and that giant from before?"

The platform was quite large, and Meng Chuan searched the four walls carefully, both up and down.

Upon hearing Hai's question, he pressed his eyes close to the wall and casually replied:

"What kind of relationship could there be? We can just share a room. This place is so big."

"Huh? A bird and a giant, isn't there any kind of separation?"

Meng Chuan swept the dust off the wall, thinking to himself that this monk knew quite a lot.
"Do you understand spiritual communion? Besides, demons are inherently abnormal; they can communicate with anything."

“What Benefactor Meng said makes sense.”

Meng Chuan stopped rambling and carefully searched for any murals depicting rituals or sacrifices, holding up the fire feather.

Looking at this "human-bird couple," they do indeed seem to be usurping each other's place.

It's very similar to the situation inside Huangsha 011 back then.

Search carefully along the wall, and then turn right at the end.

Meng Chuan felt around on the wall, his face lighting up with joy.

Bring the bird feather closer, and in the firelight, the wall reveals twisted, dark red patterns.

I tried rubbing it with my hand, and I could feel the uneven texture.

What do the murals record?
Liao Hai stared wide-eyed, then his brows furrowed.

"Captain, can you decipher these scribbled symbols?"

What kind of nonsense are these drawings?
Like dried blood, it was dragged and splashed by an invisible hand.

Under the firelight, the lines sometimes intertwine like the veins of a human body, casting trembling shadows on the uneven rock surface.

Deepest part of it, a bulge is faintly visible, surrounded by dozens of spasmodic "S"-shaped human-shaped engravings.

All the limbs converge toward the center of the mural, yet seem to be frozen in time.

Meng Chuan blew out a strong metal aura, and peeled the mural off the rock face in a square motion.

Handle it gently and lay it flat on the rock platform. The two bald heads are close together, looking down from above.

"."

Meng Chuan tried to use his imagination, but still couldn't come up with anything.
This thing is at least a hundred times more abstract than the previous mural of "Crocodile Man Worshipping Brahma".
Liao Hai's face looked as if he had swallowed a fly; he was indescribably uncomfortable.

“Benefactor Meng, look at those coils that look like mosquito coils. Could they be an altar used for sacrifices?”

Following the guidance, Meng Chuan tried his best to align his theory with Hai's.

After a few breaths, the more he looked, the more he realized he really did have the feeling the other person had described.
"Is Master Liaohai an abstract artist?"

Liao Hai was feeling quite pleased with himself when he was suddenly asked a question that left him completely bewildered:

"What do you mean?"

"It's alright. I have a foreign friend named Van Gogh, and his aesthetic sense is probably similar to yours."

"."

Meng Chuan followed this line of thought.

Could the “S”-shaped strip be a kneeling worshipper?
They were accomplices who helped the Great Demon [Red Wrath] convert the power of faith into divine power.

His status is equivalent to that of the crocodile man who was massacred and wiped out by his own family in the previous Yellow Sand 011.

Probably!

Meng Chuan, invigorated, looked again at the upright line and pointed, asking:

"Liao Hai, do you think this might be a deity or Buddha whose power has been stolen?"

Liao Hai leaned closer to look, blinked, and nodded:

"It's somewhat similar, but this line is noticeably longer than the others, and it's a straight line."

Clearly, their social status and position are different from those of the S-shaped type.

Immediately afterward, Liao Hai frowned and asked uncertainly:
"At the very top of this line, there are several dots, which may represent the way its divine power is radiating outwards."

"I have some ideas. It's not necessarily about divine power. Someone who can turn a ritual to thank the gods into this kind of thing doesn't know anything about divine power."

Perhaps it's trying to express that the head of the deity being worshipped has a very bright spot? These dots are simply reflections.

".Then what?"

Meng Chuan, slightly excited, whispered:
"A bright head fits the stereotype of Buddhism. Besides, given the matter of the Eighteen Arhats being corrupted by demons, aren't there still several Arhat temples that haven't been discovered?"

"Let's go outside first and talk about it later, it's hard to say."

Liao Hai shook his head. According to Meng Chuan, these were all just guesses.

Meng Chuanxian put the mural into his waist token, glanced at the three walls he hadn't yet finished looking at, and said:
"Please turn on the light again so I can check if I've missed anything."

"no problem."

After confirming that nothing was missing, the two returned the way they came.

There is no second exit from this rock platform.

Upon returning to the passage, a thorough search revealed nothing and no demons.

Step onto the path leading out of the fissure and back into the lava pool.

Liao Hai erected a heavy water shield and casually inquired:
"I don't think this mural is very useful; it doesn't provide any clues about the location of the temple."

“We have hunting dogs, don’t we? With Master Yuan here, we can have peace of mind.”

Collect more similar items; each one may have a different meaning, but connecting them together will yield some results.

"Like a jigsaw puzzle?"

Meng Chuan nodded.

Liao Hai looked excited:

"Yes, we have hunting dogs. Even if we don't succeed, we can still get a lot of good stuff and raid the homes of those great demons."

"No problem."

As soon as the two emerged from the cave, the lava swarmed around them like cats attracting mice.

Meng Chuan swam around with his arms outstretched, as if he were a fish in water, completely unaffected.

The sea was enveloped by heavy water, forming a large black ball, and slowly followed behind him.

Seeing that Meng Chuan did not rise, he immediately understood what it meant.

Sinking to the bottom of the magma, scorching currents surged around me.

The two circled around the bottom, searching along the bends and turns of the ridge, but Liao Hai gradually couldn't keep up with his speed.

Meng Chuan glanced back and saw that he was in alright, just a little slow, so he stopped bothering him.

He climbed along the edge, searching, his senses expanding.

Find the hottest spot in this magma pool.

Why was this the case? When he was preparing to set up the treasure land...

He wrote down all the rare and precious materials that could serve as the core of the treasure land.

This kind of demonic volcano is a place where fire-attribute treasures frequently emerge.

Since we're already here, we should take a good look around.

The lava was extremely thick, severely obstructing visibility.

Even their senses were affected; they could only extend three or four zhang before stopping.

Rare and precious materials are not so easy to find.

They are either guarded by powerful celestial demons or grow in harsh environments.

Therefore, Meng Chuan was not in a hurry, since he was not afraid of lava.

If you search slowly, it will take at most an hour to finish, and it won't take much time.

Time flew by, and Meng Chuan had yet to find anything, so he began to consider giving up.

How much longer?

Liao Hai felt that time was passing very slowly, and he gave himself half an hour to spare.

If Meng Chuan didn't go up soon, he was going to slip away first.

The heavy water was his true energy, and the spring was almost dry.
After a slight jolt, Meng Chuan found another spot.

Seeing nothing there, just as they were about to leave, they suddenly realized that the lava felt unusually thick to the touch.

"Is there something?"

He perked up and became interested.

They drilled deeper until the sticky sensation disappeared from their palms, then turned back until they identified the most viscous part of the lava.

The surroundings were murky, and Meng Chuan observed the qi (vital energy).

Liao Hai arrived late, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Dig downwards, slowly, don't hurt the baby."

Meng Chuan set an example for the other party by squatting down, his hands glowing red, and vigorously digging into the volcanic rock.

Seeing that Hai really had something, he got excited.

They rubbed their hands excitedly and started digging together.

Suddenly, an unusual red glittered in the depths.

Meng Chuan noticed that its color was different from that of magma; it was more crystal clear, like fragments of a red star that had been repeatedly tempered.

He suddenly pushed aside the rocks and soil, and in the dark current, he was surprised to find a translucent coral rooted in the shape of crystal branches.

Its entire body is covered with dark veins like ice cracks, and unmelted white flame particles are still condensed between the branches, eerily emitting steam-like white mist in the magma.

"Red coral?"

Liao Hai's face lit up with surprise; he had almost given up, but he hadn't expected there to be something really good!
Meng Chuan nodded, gestured to indicate the size, and said with a delighted expression:

"That's right, it's a very old one. Once we plant it, it will grow into a fourth-grade plant in just a few years."

The effects of red coral are far greater than those of the "small volcano" in the Shaolin training room.

This tree was planted back at the university and combined with other materials to create a precious site.

Leaving aside the other four elements, the practice of the fire element fist alone will be enough to sustain one until one becomes a Venerable.

Most importantly, this thing is "alive".

It has life.

Not only is its misty steam conducive to the practice of fire-related arts.

If you take good care of yourself, you can advance to the fourth rank in a few years, which will be enough to keep you worry-free until you become a Heavenly King.

It's truly a treasure, its value is immeasurable!
"Brother Meng, please accept this. Let's hurry up and go up; I can't hold on much longer."

Liao Hai spoke up to remind them, implying that he did not intend to get involved.

If it's a treasure that helps with the element of water in the Five Elements theory, I might shamelessly ask for a share.

Although the coral is good, it is of no use to him except to sell it for money.

Besides, I didn't have to exert any effort to find this thing.

At best, he was just an accessory to Meng Chuan.
Meng Chuan carefully dug out a large piece of rock and soil, wrapped it around the roots of the red marrow coral, and placed it in his waist token.

Standing up again, in a good mood, he said:
"Everyone who sees it gets a share. After we got out, I transferred 200 million to Master Hai."

The price of this coral cannot be measured in money.

I feel more at ease after spending two hundred million.

Actually, it's fine not to give it to me, since I found it myself.

But Meng Chuan only wanted to spend some money to have a clear conscience.

With unwavering faith.

(End of this chapter)