Chapter 36: The Fortuitous Encounters of the Demons

He roared with excitement and smashed his fist into a massive boulder.

The boulder shattered upon impact, sending shards flying in every direction.

"Holy crap! This spirit herb is absolutely insane!"

Zhu Ganglie was overjoyed. He continued to search for more spirit herbs, eager to further elevate his cultivation.

The Flood Dragon, however, was not as fortunate. After searching for a long time, he failed to find any such herbs; instead, he was bitten by a colorful venomous spider, leaving him dizzy and weak.

"Damn it! What kind of hellhole is this? Why are there so many poisonous creatures?"

Cursing, the Flood Dragon sat cross-legged and began circulating his internal energy to purge the toxin.

Meanwhile, Han Yang and Bai Suzhen traveled on the wind, reaching the center of the secret realm in no time.

An ancient altar stood tall, carved with strange runes that seemed to whisper secrets from a bygone era. In the center of the altar, a seven-colored orb hovered in mid-air, emitting a dazzling radiance that was utterly mesmerizing.

"Such dense spiritual energy!"

Bai Suzhen covered her red lips, her beautiful eyes filled with wonder.

"This orb is certainly no ordinary object."

A sharp glint flashed in Han Yang’s eyes. The bloodline of the Chaos Golden Peng gave him an innate, acute sensitivity to treasures. Licking his lips, he said greedily, "This treasure is mine!"

He stepped forward, reaching out to claim the orb.

However, the moment his fingertips were about to touch it, the altar suddenly began to vibrate violently!

The runes on the ground seemed to come alive, glowing with a blinding light. A powerful suction force materialized out of thin air, locking onto Han Yang and Bai Suzhen.

"What is happening?"

Han Yang’s expression changed. He tried to break free, only to find the suction force overwhelmingly powerful and impossible to resist.

"Young Master Han!"

Bai Suzhen gasped, clutching his arm tightly, her slender frame trembling.

The next moment, both of them were sucked into the altar and vanished.

...

Elsewhere, Zhu Ganglie was rampaging through the secret realm like an unleashed wild boar, scavenging for spirit herbs. He consumed one after another, his cultivation steadily rising and his belly growing rounder by the second.

"Haha! This realm is truly my blessed land!"

Zhu Ganglie hummed triumphantly, his fat wobbling with every step. Suddenly, white fog filled his vision, and he realized he had wandered into a misty forest.

"What the hell, what kind of place is this?"

Zhu Ganglie rubbed his eyes, feeling uneasy as the surroundings grew eerie and dark.

At that moment, a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the mist. A pack of ferocious beasts surged out, lunging straight at him.

"Oh, mother!"

Terrified out of his wits, Zhu Ganglie scrambled to run. In his frantic flight, he stumbled and fell into a dark, damp, and musty cave.

As he scrambled to his feet, rubbing his backside, he caught the scent of rich spiritual energy. He looked up and was overcome with ecstasy.

Deep in the cave grew a massive lingzhi mushroom, glowing with a soft, precious light and radiating an intense aura.

"I’m rich! I’m going to be rich!"

Zhu Ganglie’s eyes lit up, his mouth watering. He rushed forward impatiently, but just as he reached for the prize, a sharp hiss stopped him cold.

A giant python, as thick as a water barrel, emerged from behind the lingzhi, its scarlet tongue flickering with a bone-chilling hiss.

...

The Flood Dragon took quite an effort to purge the spider venom. Standing up unsteadily, he realized he was in the middle of a swamp.

"Bad luck! How did I end up in this godforsaken place?"

He cursed, moving cautiously to avoid sinking into the mud. From time to time, massive crocodiles would surface with deafening roars, making his hair stand on end.

Suddenly, he spotted a shadow deep within the water. Squinting, he realized it was the ruins of a palace!

Though decrepit and broken, the remnants still hinted at its former glory. A spark of hope ignited in the Flood Dragon’s heart—could there be treasures hidden here?

After the altar swallowed Han Yang and Bai Suzhen, the world blurred before their eyes. They found themselves in a strange space, not dark or cramped, but filled with a soft white glow. In the center floated a massive seven-colored orb, radiating spiritual energy a hundred times denser than before, refreshing their very souls.

Around the orb, ancient runes orbited like a galaxy, rotating slowly and exuding a mysterious, immense power.

"What... what is this place?"

Bai Suzhen clung to Han Yang’s arm, her eyes wide with amazement.

Han Yang licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with greed. "Who cares where we are? This orb is mine!"

Confident, he walked toward the treasure, his Chaos Golden Peng bloodline driving an insatiable hunger for this power. However, as he approached, an invisible force blocked him, as if he had run into a transparent wall.

"Damn it! What is this?"

Han Yang cursed under his breath and tried again, but he could not get any closer.

Just as he was filled with confusion, the orb suddenly flared with intense light. A surging wave of energy poured into Han Yang’s body. He felt his Chaos Golden Peng bloodline boiling, a surge of unprecedented power rushing through his veins, and his cultivation began to climb at a visible rate.

"Haha! Good! This is perfect!"

Han Yang laughed aloud, greedily absorbing the energy. Bai Suzhen was also bathed in the orb’s radiance; her own Teng Snake bloodline was further stimulated, and her strength surged. She felt her body become incredibly light, as if she could command the very space around her.

As they immersed themselves in the joy of their growing power, they failed to notice the space beginning to tremble violently. The light of the orb gradually dimmed as a massive silhouette slowly emerged from within, blotting out the sky and radiating a suffocating pressure.

...

Back in the cave, Zhu Ganglie was cornered by the giant python, on the verge of becoming its meal.

"Crap! Is this how I die?"

He closed his eyes in despair, but at that moment, a surge of burning energy erupted from within him.

"Roar!"

Zhu Ganglie let out a beast-like howl. His Taotie bloodline awakened, and his chubby body exploded with astonishing force. With a single punch, he sent the giant python flying.

"Holy cow! I’m this strong? Wait—I’ve transformed!"

Zhu Ganglie stared at his own fists, completely bewildered.

The python, reeling from the blow, cast a terrified glance at Zhu Ganglie and, not daring to get close again, turned and fled deep into the cave behind the lingzhi.

Zhu Ganglie was still shaken, but seeing the giant mushroom within arm's reach, his greed took over once more.

"Heh heh, lucky me!"

He plucked the lingzhi and shoved it into his mouth without a second thought, chewing it up like a radish. The lingzhi melted upon contact, transforming into a stream of pure energy that rapidly boosted his cultivation. He felt his body brimming with strength, his flab firming up significantly.