You said it was a useless body, yet you punched a saint to pieces?

Chapter 52 Earth's Vein Fire

The vast wilderness stretches to the horizon.

The Ten Thousand Mountains resemble a primordial beast that has slumbered since ancient times, lying horizontally at the horizon, its undulating ridges piercing the clouds and cutting off the sky.

Here, ancient trees reach for the sky, each requiring dozens of people to encircle. Their thick bark cracks like dragon scales, and their lush canopies block out the sun, locking away the year-round miasma in the mountains and forests.

The colorful poisonous miasma roamed through the forest like living creatures, and every now and then, the mournful roars of beasts shattered the mountain mists, carrying a chilling and ferocious aura that startled countless birds into flight.

Wang Dao trod on withered branches and fallen leaves, his figure moving like a ghost through the outer forest.

A grotesque mask with green faces and fangs covered his face, revealing only a pair of dark, deep eyes.

Within his dantian, the mysterious Dragon Abyss Sword floated silently, its sharpness completely concealed.

At this moment, the "Mysterious Turtle Breath Concealing Technique" was operating silently. The originally surging and burning blood and qi, which were like a furnace, all subsided and the heartbeat slowed down to almost nothing.

His immense Dragon Spine Realm cultivation was suppressed to the initial Silver Bone level, making him as weak as an ant in this place where spirits roam freely.

After passing through a thorny canyon, the view suddenly opened up.

The once deserted entrance to the mountain was now bustling with noise and dazzling lights.

Countless streaks of light rushed in from the horizon; they were the flying boats and war chariots of various sects, their banners fluttering as they swept across the void and cast huge shadows on the ground.

The ground was teeming with people, all sorts of strange and powerful beings gathered together for the soon-to-be-born treasure.

Some rode two-headed fire lions, some carried giant swords wider than a door, and others were shrouded in a chilling black aura—clearly unorthodox practices.

Wang Dao blended into the crowd, completely inconspicuous.

The surroundings were filled with noisy discussions and boasts, with spittle flying everywhere.

"Have you heard? Yesterday, a martial arts expert at the Yang Blood Realm, relying on his superior physical strength, forced his way into the depths, only to be smashed into a pulp by a blue-eyed, golden-eyed beast with a single slap. The scene was...tsk tsk, the blood even stained the river red!"

A burly man with a face full of scars was standing on a boulder, gesturing vividly as if he were witnessing it firsthand.

"Tch, Yang Blood Realm is nothing!" A thin man in a Taoist robe next to him curled his lip in disdain, flicked his whisk, and said, "I heard that even the patriarch of Taihao Sword Sect has come this time. He is a true giant. His flying sword can kill Nirvana Realm cultivators. These mere demonic beasts are nothing more than a dish to go with wine."

"The human race's powerful beings possess extraordinary abilities. The emergence of this secret treasure will likely unleash another wave of bloodshed."

Wang Dao stood quietly in the corner with his arms crossed, listening to the mixed reports of information.

Just then, a mocking voice suddenly rang in his ears.

"Hey, look who's this? Where did this masked guy come from?"

Wang Dao glanced sideways and saw a burly man wearing an animal skin vest, reeking of alcohol, looking down at him with a spiked club in his hand and his face full of contempt.

The burly man's gaze swept over Wang Dao like a searchlight twice, then he let out an exaggerated sneer.

"Brothers, look! These days, any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to come to the Ten Thousand Mountains!"

The burly man pointed at Wang Dao, his voice loud enough for dozens of people around to hear:

"Just reached the Silver Bone Realm? That's only mid-stage Dragon Spine Realm, right? Not even good enough to be cannon fodder for us! The mosquitoes in these mountains could probably suck you dry!"

Upon hearing this, a burst of laughter erupted from those around them.

"Hahaha, it really is! You dare to join the fun with such paltry skills?"

"Kid, listen to your uncle's advice, hurry home and drink your milk. This is a battlefield, not a place for you to play house."

"They're probably so desperate for a chance that they think they're some kind of chosen one?"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Wang Dao as if he were a fool.

The lowest level of those present was a cultivator at the early stage of the Divine Travel realm. In terms of martial arts realm, they were Thunder Furnace Realm experts capable of achieving the Five Qi Gathering and the Thunder Sound of the Internal Organs.

The silver bone cultivation that Wang Dao was displaying at this moment was indeed as fragile as a baby who had just learned to walk in their eyes.

Let alone silver bones, even if Wang Dao were to reveal his true golden bones at this moment, in the eyes of these cultivators who have already stepped into the threshold of the extraordinary, he would still be a lowly joke.

A slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth beneath the mask. He ignored the mockery, merely glancing indifferently at the burly man before turning away and continuing to walk deeper into the crowd as if nothing had happened.

"Hey, he's a mute!" The burly man, seeing that Wang Dao ignored him, felt bored and spat, "You ignorant fool, don't come crying for help later."

The commotion continued, and no one paid any more attention to this presumptuous little incident.

Only the Kingly Way, with his back to the crowd, gently stroked the purple dragon-patterned pendant with his fingertips, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

Sometimes, it can be quite amusing to see a husky mixed in with a pack of wolves.

Wang Dao raised his hand and glanced at his palm. A faint layer of crimson energy flashed by, but it seemed to lack momentum.

"Too slow."

Wang Dao secretly made his own calculations.

Although the "Burning Heaven Crimson Emperor Fist" is domineering and imitates the spirit of the ancient fire god Zhurong, this fist technique is an absolute resource-devouring beast.

Even if you practice your boxing routine in such a spiritually mild place, you might not achieve mastery even if you do it ten thousand times.

"If one could find a place where volcanic eruptions erupt, draw the poisonous fire into one's body, and practice martial arts by enduring the high temperature with one's own body, the effect of one session would be equivalent to ten sessions in the past."

Thinking of this, Wang Dao paused, his gaze falling on several rogue cultivators who were starting a fire and roasting meat ahead.

These men were dressed in disheveled clothes and reeked of blood; they were clearly seasoned veterans who had been lurking in the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Mountains for many years.

Wang Dao walked straight over, and the ghost mask looked particularly eerie in the flickering firelight.

"stop!"

The one-eyed cultivator at the head of the group suddenly dropped the beast leg he was holding, grabbed the ghost-headed saber beside him, and stared fiercely at Wang Dao.

"Where did this greenhorn come from? Don't you know any rules? Take another ten steps, and I'll chop you up and use you as firewood!"

Without uttering any unnecessary words, Wang Dao reached into his robes with his right hand and then flicked his wrist slightly.

"bite."

A crystal-clear, mid-grade spirit stone, radiating rich spiritual energy, landed precisely in the soil at the one-eyed cultivator's feet.

The one-eyed cultivator's fierce expression froze instantly. His single eye stared intently at the spirit stone on the ground, and his Adam's apple bobbed violently.

The rogue cultivators who make a living on the outskirts of the area would fight tooth and nail for a few low-grade spirit stones. One mid-grade spirit stone was worth half a year's harvest for them.

"I need to find an extremely hot place, preferably one with a fiery vein spewing forth toxic earth fire."

Wang Dao's voice came through the mask, somewhat muffled, yet exuding an undeniable calm.

"If you can provide me with useful information, this spirit stone is yours."

The fierce aura on the one-eyed monk's face receded like a tide, replaced by a face full of fawning wrinkles.

He quickly bent down to pick up the spirit stone, wiped it with his sleeve, and chuckled:

"Sir, you should have said so earlier! Talking about money hurts feelings... oh no, talking about feelings hurts money."

He pointed to the southwest, where the sky was a strange dark red.

"Go in that direction, about three hundred li, and there is a place called the Corpse Burning Ridge."

"There is a broken fire vein underground there, which spews out fire all year round, and the toxic smoke is so thick that it can even melt iron and stone."

"but……"

The one-eyed cultivator put away the spirit stones, his gaze shifting strangely as he examined Wang Dao's seemingly frail frame, and kindly offered a reminder:

"That place is a true forbidden zone; even demonic beasts in the Divine Travel stage don't like to go there because it's too hot to walk in."

"Sir, you..."

Wang Dao didn't listen to his nonsense at all. He blurred into motion and sped off in the southwest direction.

Looking in the direction where Wang Dao disappeared, the one-eyed cultivator weighed the spirit stone in his hand, and the fawning on his face instantly turned into mockery.

"Big brother, this idiot actually wants to go to Corpse Burning Ridge?" a henchman couldn't help but sneer. "We went to the edge of that place last time, and Third Brother's eyebrows were singed off. Is he, a Dragon Spine Realm newbie who's only cultivated a little bit of Silver Bone, going there to die?"

Another henchman's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He made a throat-slitting gesture and said:

"Big brother, should we follow them?"