Chapter 68

There was a little something that Xiao Wu didn't tell Hu Gao: the divine beast absorbing demonic energy also required physical strength to support it. If the body wasn't strong enough, the result of absorbing a large amount of demonic energy would be the same as for humans—being directly exploded and dying a violent death.

Xiao Wu absorbed fire energy to refine his organs, precisely because of this reason. He didn't want to find himself unable to support the absorption of demonic energy when he obtained a treasure containing a large amount of demonic energy in the future.

At that moment, Hu Gao didn't linger any longer and headed directly toward the Flame Valley. Although he hadn't initially considered the Flame Valley as the destination of this trip, he had been heading in its direction all along. Now, they were less than fifty miles away from the Flame Valley.

If they sped up now, they could arrive before dark...

While Hu Gao was satisfied with Xiao Wu absorbing the demonic core and using the dragon aura to refine his body, he overlooked a problem, or rather, didn't think about a higher-level issue.

The totem absorbing the demonic core and then releasing the dragon aura to help the owner refine their body might not be unique to Hu Gao. Perhaps others didn't have a divine beast totem, but they had a similar ability in a mutated totem. If such a person existed, what were they doing, or what had they done?

Warriors pursued power to satisfy their desires, and those with great power would pursue even higher desires. If there was a person with a mutated totem who aimed to collect all the mutated totems to satisfy their desires, what impact would it have on other warriors with mutated totems, and on Hu Gao himself?

Hu Gao hadn't thought about this issue and might not think about it for a long time. Perhaps, Hu Gao would become the first collector...

In the dense forest, the Shadow Sword slashed out a sword aura, cutting a late-stage first-rank demonic beast into two pieces. A black demonic core fell to the ground.

"The fifty-eighth one..."

Hu Gao picked up the demonic core and put it in his bag, which he carried on his back. In the past few hours, they had crossed over forty miles, and they were now less than ten miles away from the Flame Valley. It wouldn't take long to arrive, but they weren't entirely focused on the journey. Along the way, they had hunted many demonic beasts with demonic cores, and this was their fifty-eighth demonic core.

"The temperature in the air is starting to rise. I can already feel the fire aura ten miles away. It seems that's the Flame Valley. But, boss, there are too many fire-attribute things here, and I can't determine which one is the Black Fire Lotus or the Black Fire Lotus Pod..."

Xiao Wu said helplessly. Although his perception was strong, the Flame Valley was almost entirely composed of fire-attribute objects and life forms. With his current strength, he couldn't determine what these things were.

"Can't sense it?"

Hu Gao was also a bit helpless but couldn't do anything about it. After all, Xiao Wu's current strength wasn't very high. However, being able to sense fire-attribute things was already quite good. At least they had a direction. He pondered for a moment and asked, "How many powerful people are there within your sensing range?"

This was a question he was very concerned about. Before entering the Flame Valley, he needed to understand the cultivation levels of the warriors in the Flame Valley and how he should face them.

"Wow, boss, there are quite a few experts here. Just from what I can sense now, there are over twenty ninth-rank Condensation Shadow Realm warriors, two of whom have reached the peak of the ninth rank. But fortunately, I haven't detected any Body Integration Realm experts yet."

Although he hadn't detected any Body Integration Realm experts, Xiao Wu's tone was also a bit excited. Ninth-rank peak Condensation Shadow Realm warriors were quite challenging.

"Ninth-rank peak..."

Hu Gao nodded. This was within his expectations. Perhaps his current combat strength couldn't match a ninth-rank peak Condensation Shadow Realm warrior, but it wasn't too far off.

"Let's not worry about it for now. Let's enter the Flame Valley and see what happens."

Hu Gao didn't linger any longer and moved forward.

"Hmm? There seems to be a fight ahead."

After walking about four or five miles, Hu Gao suddenly stopped. He sensed a strong and violent elemental energy fluctuation about two to three hundred meters ahead, indicating that someone was fighting.

"This elemental energy fluctuation isn't very intense, so the opponent's cultivation shouldn't be very high. It's within our handling range."

Hu Gao pondered for a moment and then walked forward, asking Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, why didn't you tell me about the fight ahead? Tell me what's going on..."

"Boss, this is something you'd be happy to hear, so I didn't bother to say it."

Xiao Wu had already slipped into Hu Gao's sleeve, transforming into a pattern on his wrist.

"Happy to hear? What is it?"

"Report, boss, there are a few people with treasures robbing others!"

"People with treasures robbing others?"

Upon hearing these words, Hu Gao's eyes lit up. It was indeed something he would be happy to hear.

"Yes, these people aren't very strong. The strongest one is only a ninth-rank Condensation Shadow Realm warrior, far less powerful than that old man with the pipe. If I'm not mistaken, the treasures they have are the same—Black Fire Lotus..."

"That's even better."

Mentioning the old man with the pipe, Hu Gao felt angry. It was time to vent his frustration, and it would be great if he could play the hero and save the day. Hu Gao chuckled and quickened his pace, feeling more motivated.

Soon, he saw six people surrounding and attacking two old men. However, to Hu Gao's disappointment, the person being protected and waiting to be rescued was a young boy.

The boy looked younger than Hu Gao, only thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in fine clothing, giving off an air of nobility. He was pointing at the attackers, shouting angrily, which ruined his appearance.

The attackers, hearing the young boy's shouts, intensified their attacks, putting the two old men in a dangerous situation. The two old men had to protect the young master from the six attackers.

"Master, please listen to this old servant. Follow Li Ge and escape first. I will cover your retreat..."

A gray-robed old man shouted, interrupting the young boy's voice.

"Why should I leave? I haven't even entered the Flame Valley to search for the Black Lotus yet. And aren't you two very powerful? Can't you even defeat these bandits? If you can't, you might as well go home and farm..."

The young boy clearly had no intention of leaving and hadn't fully assessed the situation. If not for the other green-robed old man holding his hand, he would have found a place to sit and watch the fight.

The two old men were clearly frustrated by his attitude, feeling anxious. Although they were ninth-rank Condensation Shadow Realm warriors, the attackers were also strong, consisting of one ninth-rank Condensation Shadow Realm warrior, two eighth-rank peak Condensation Shadow Realm warriors, and two late-stage eighth-rank Condensation Shadow Realm warriors, surrounding them tightly.

Moreover, it seemed they weren't in a hurry to end the fight, likely planning to exhaust them to death.

"What do you want? Do you really want us two old men to fight to the death with you?"

The gray-robed old man was furious, his eyes red. These people were too despicable, continuing to attack despite knowing their identities. They either had someone backing them or were extremely vicious, wanting to kill them to prevent future revenge.

"What do we want? We've already said it clearly. Our master wants Young Master Zhou Longqi to come with us."

Lin Fei, who was equally strong as the gray-robed old man, was fighting fiercely. "Don't bring up his identity as a Zhou family young master. Even if you bring up the Zhou family patriarch, our master isn't afraid. As for your threat to destroy our Demon Extermination Castle, we'll deal with that later!"

Lin Fei wore a tank top, his muscles bulging, his head bald, and his eyes glinting with a dangerous, defiant light under the sun.

"You baldhead, do you have hair on your head but not on your crotch? You want to rob my spatial ring and kidnap me? I think you're just tired of living. I advise you to scram quickly, or I'll make you pay with your life."

Zhou Longqi was furious at Lin Fei's response, shouting and emitting a strange aura, with a faint green light flashing around him.

"Master, don't act rashly. Li Ge and I can definitely repel the bandits."

The gray-robed old man shouted loudly, then released a more powerful aura, clearly using all his strength.

Demon Extermination Castle? Upon hearing this familiar name, Hu Gao felt it was necessary to intervene. Qi Hong, whom he had met before, had generously given him many good things. Moreover, the people he encountered now had Black Fire Lotus.

"This young boy must have a good background, but... he has a spatial ring? No wonder these bandits are so crazy about robbing him. A spatial ring is a valuable item."

Hu Gao finally understood why Lin Fei and his group were fighting the young boy. It was for the spatial ring. Even the lowest-grade spatial ring would be worth no less than a million gold coins, something even ordinary Body Integration Realm warriors couldn't afford.

However, these people not only wanted to rob but also kidnap without any qualms. Could the Demon Extermination Castle be a significant force?

Thinking of how Qi Hong, an eighth-rank Condensation Shadow Realm warrior, could produce a Wind and Thunder Pearl, Hu Gao became cautious about the Demon Extermination Castle.

"Should I intervene? If I can get the spatial ring, that would be great. Carrying all these things is unattractive, but these people from the Demon Extermination Castle seem tough to deal with."

Hu Gao grumbled, not only complaining about not being a rich second generation after his穿越 but also being cautious about the Demon Extermination Castle's people using the Wind and Thunder Pearl.

He didn't have the intention to rob the young boy's spatial ring because the boy's straightforward personality appealed to him.

However...

Lin Fei's Black Fire Lotus and the possible Wind and Thunder Pearl made Hu Gao both covetous and cautious.

It was like cheese on a mousetrap!