Chapter 511: Chapter 511

Although they promised to help Jiang Fengxian go to the "Poisonous Flood Dragon Pool" to hunt the poisonous flood dragon, Zhouyang and his group were not even aware of their current location, making this matter naturally impractical to discuss.

Therefore, after reaching a consensus, the two of them put away the array outside the cave and randomly chose a direction to fly out, hoping to find a place recorded on that fragment of a map, to determine the route to the "Poisonous Flood Dragon Pool".

The "Kunxu Realm" is vast; as a small world, it certainly cannot compare to a large world like the "Spirit Realm," but it is much larger than a small cultivation realm like the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm.

In such an expansive region, Zhouyang and his companions could naturally no longer rely on walking on foot, nor was it suitable to ride their spirit beast mounts or use cloud-riding flight.

Their mounts were only Tier Four Spirit Beasts, and if they encountered some Tier Five Demon Beasts or Golden Core Stage cultivators ambushing them, it would be easy to meet their end, which neither of them wanted. Google seaʀᴄh novｅlfire.net

Thus, Zhouyang took the initiative to summon his Tier Five Lower-Grade Flying Spiritual Artifact, the "Thunderbolt Golden Light Divine Shuttle," to carry them on their journey.

This "Thunderbolt Golden Light Divine Shuttle," as a dedicated flying spiritual artifact, had a flying speed much faster than the two Early-Stage Golden Core Cultivators’ "Soaring Through the Clouds;" it was not inferior even when compared to the speed of a Late-Stage Golden Core cultivator.

Moreover, this artifact, when flying, only revealed a streak of thunderbolt golden light in the air. Ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivators or Tier Five Demon Beasts, unless they happened to be right in the flight path, would find it impossible to intercept, unable to keep up with its speed.

Most importantly, this artifact itself also possessed a formidable defensive capability, at least being able to block a strike from an Early-Stage Golden Core cultivator without any issue.

Relying on the incredible speed of the "Thunderbolt Golden Light Divine Shuttle," Zhouyang and his companion avoided many unnecessary battles and warded off considerable danger during the subsequent month of travel.

After flying for more than a month, the two finally discovered a location recorded on the map Jiang Fengxian had acquired.

"Endless red sand, prohibited to flying birds, indeed, this desert is the one recorded on the map as the [Red Desert]. Once we cross this desert and pass the great lake where [Heaven-Reaching Peak] is located, we can reach the Poisonous Mist Swamp where the [Poisonous Flood Dragon Pool] is."

From the edge of a red-brown desert, Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian hovered mid-air, gazing out at the seemingly boundless desert ahead. Their eyes were filled with a heavy sense of concern.

This desert is not easy to traverse!

According to what is recorded on the map, although the desert spans only tens of thousands of miles, flying is prohibited; even a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator can only obediently traverse the desert on foot.

If that were the case, it would be acceptable. A distance of tens of thousands of miles, for Golden Core Stage cultivators with strong physiques, would only take a few days to traverse.

But in reality, the temperature within the desert is many times higher than the outside world, so even Golden Core Stage cultivators walking within it, over time, would be worn out, requiring the use of magical power to protect their bodies.

Furthermore, the desert is inhabited by swarms of "Spirit-Eating Fire Ants," "Golden Armored Scorpions," and other such communal insect swarms.

If, in the un-flyable Desert Sea, one were to encounter swarms numbering in the hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of insects, even Golden Core Stage cultivators could quickly exhaust their magical power and become prey for the swarms.

"Let us proceed. Although the [Red Desert] is treacherous, it is a place we must pass through. You and I can only be as cautious as possible, hoping our luck won’t be too terrible."

Zhouyang withdrew his gaze from the desert, greeted Jiang Fengxian, and then descended from the cloud to land at the edge of the desert, walking into the sandy expanse.

As a cultivator who grew up in the Desert Sea, Zhouyang naturally has unique experience and insights into traveling and surviving in the desert.

Though the "Red Desert" environment is even more severe than the Boundless Desert Sea by many magnitudes, the essence of a desert will not change, and his experiences here are still applicable.

"Speaking of which, Fengxian, you might not know yet: I, Zhou, am not originally from the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm but come from the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm west of the Broken Cloud Mountain Range. Returning to the desert feels as familiar as coming home."

In the vast desert, Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian walked one behind the other, and while journeying through this monotonous and empty desert landscape while staying alert to its dangers, both were somewhat tense.

To alleviate this tension, Zhouyang took the initiative to talk with Jiang Fengxian about his origins and the events from these past years.

After successfully forming his core, Zhouyang no longer needed to hide that he was from the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm. Even if someone knew that he came from there, he now had sufficient strength and confidence to deal with any difficulties.

Moreover, he also believed that Jiang Fengxian was not a talkative person who would tell others of this affair.

Surprised by Zhouyang’s sudden revelation of his origins, Jiang Fengxian looked at him with realization and murmured, "No wonder, no wonder that after the Beast Taming Sect put Brother Zhou on the [Demon Slaying List], and even after several increases in the bounty, there was no news of anyone finding Brother Zhou. It turns out Brother Zhou was not from the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm!"

Regarding the origins of Xu Song, this Ghost Cultivator, Jiang Fengxian was clearer than anyone besides Zhouyang. Therefore, when she heard that Zhouyang was put on the "Demon Slaying List," she merely smiled lightly and paid it no mind.

As someone privy to Zhouyang’s "Qianyang Treasure Body," Jiang Fengxian fully believed that Zhouyang could not have colluded with Demonic Cultivators to harm other cultivators, as it would not benefit him in any way.

For any far-sighted Demonic Cultivator, they knew what it meant for them if a cultivator with a "Qianyang Treasure Body" were allowed to grow unimpeded.

And each cultivator bearing a "Qianyang Treasure Body" also knew well that coexistence with Demonic Cultivators was impossible in the long term.

"I, however, do not have Brother Zhou’s winding journey. These years I’ve mostly stayed in my cave in the Wilderness Jungle, occasionally returning to the Nanman Country to discuss Dao with fellow cultivators, exchanging what we lack for what we need. The [Kunxu Order] in my possession was also obtained by trading with some Barbaric Alien Races within the Wilderness Jungle."

Jiang Fengxian talked at length, calmly and unhurriedly speaking of her experiences over the years. She then, upon Zhouyang’s inquiry, answered some questions about the changes in the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm she knew, primarily related to the Profound Sun Immortal Sect.

Zhouyang did not forget his original promise to Master Cyan Yang; now that his cultivation had reached the Golden Core Stage, it was timely and reasonable to pay respect to the other party.

Through Jiang Fengxian, he learned that in recent years, the Profound Sun Immortal Sect had even clashed with another great power in the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, the "Celestial Dao Alliance," seemingly gaining the upper hand and seizing several valuable resource points from the Celestial Dao Alliance.

He held quite an appreciation for the Profound Sun Immortal Sect. Neither Master Cyan Yang nor the Golden Core Stage cultivator Xu Zhengyang, whom he had interacted with, left him with an overbearing impression.

Compared to the Haoyang Sect cultivators he encountered in the Land of the Far West, they were much better.

If possible, he was still very willing to help Master Cyan Yang and the Profound Sun Immortal Sect in whatever ways he could.

When thinking of these matters, he chose to forget selectively the incident where Master Cyan Yang conscripted him as ’war manpower’ in the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm.

That matter had been adequately compensated by Master Cyan Yang afterward, so there was no need to pursue it further.

As Jiang Fengxian and Zhouyang conversed about their various experiences along their journey, neither of them felt lonely or bored while traversing the "Red Desert."

After traveling in the desert for seven or eight days, the two had almost reached the central area of the desert.

The temperature in the center of the desert was comparable to the temperature on the surface of volcanic lava. Zhouyang’s physical body was strong, and he practiced the Extreme Yang Attribute Technique, so he could withstand the high temperatures.

But Jiang Fengxian, being a Wood Element Cultivator, suffered greatly in this high-temperature environment.

Even though she used her magical power to isolate the heat, beads of sweat started to appear on her delicate face.

However, she was naturally proud and competitive, and despite this, she did not ask Zhouyang to slow down to give herself time to rest, merely gritting her teeth and following behind Zhouyang, reducing her words.

Zhouyang was well aware of his companion’s personality, knowing that if he slowed down to wait for her, it would make her feel like he underestimated her. Therefore, he didn’t say much, only deliberately shortened rest intervals and increased the number of times they rested each day, allowing her time to recover her expended magical power and mental energy.

However, the inevitable was bound to happen.

On the twelfth day after they entered the "Red Desert," Zhouyang, who was ever vigilant with his Divine Sense, suddenly detected numerous small life forms underground in the nearby desert.

Upon discovering this situation, his expression changed dramatically, and he quickly yelled, "Fengxian, get up here! The Spirit-Eating Fire Ants have appeared; we need to shake them off quickly!"

With that, he extended his hand, pulling out a backpack made of Spirit Wood, indicating for Jiang Fengxian to quickly get in and sit.

Jiang Fengxian hesitated for a moment upon seeing this but still gritted her teeth and jumped into the backpack, sitting down and murmuring, "Thank you, Brother Zhou."

Zhouyang shouted in a low voice, accelerating his speed several times at once, rushing towards an area with a sparser concentration of the Spirit-Eating Fire Ants.

Moments later, a hair-raising scene unfolded.

Behind Zhouyang, who was sprinting with all his strength, the red sand on the ground trembled slightly as countless adult thumb-sized, dark red ants emerged, forming an endless dark red "ant tide."

These dark red ants had razor-sharp mandibles and fangs in their mouths, moving faster than galloping horses.

They were the "Spirit-Eating Fire Ants" that made people pale in fear within the "Red Desert." While an individual mortal, wielding a sharp Tier One Spiritual Artifact, could slay one alone, countless Spirit-Eating Fire Ants in the "Red Desert" made even Golden Core Stage Cultivators flee at the sight.

Originally, with Zhouyang’s robust physique, the Spirit-Eating Fire Ants could not penetrate his defense.

But the most dreaded aspect of the Spirit-Eating Fire Ants for any cultivator was that once they bit into you, they would gnaw away at your magical power.

If Zhouyang were to lose all his magical power, even though the ants couldn’t penetrate his flesh, they could still crawl through his nostrils, ear holes, into his body. His eyes, being a vulnerable spot, couldn’t withstand the sharp teeth of the Spirit-Eating Fire Ants, unless he managed to keep them permanently closed.

In short, unless absolutely necessary, Zhouyang would never want to engage in battle with the countless "Spirit-Eating Fire Ants" at his back.

Zhouyang felt fortunate because, having discovered them early on, and with his running speed far surpassing that of cultivators at the same stage, the swarm behind him was soon left farther and farther behind, seemingly about to be completely shaken off within no time.

The "Spirit-Eating Fire Ants" were mindless, acting solely under the queen’s command. The "Ant Queen" itself was slow and combat-deficient, unwilling to let the swarm stay too far.

So Zhouyang only needed to distance the swarm sufficiently for the "Ant Queen" to decide it couldn’t overcome him and voluntarily command the swarm to stop chasing.

However, Zhouyang quickly realized he seemed to have underestimated the situation.

Even after distancing the swarm by thirty or forty miles, believing it was far enough, out of nowhere, a red cloud, spanning over a dozen acres, suddenly began moving rapidly toward him.

Simultaneously, a "buzzing" sound of wings flapping, as dense as raindrops, reached his ears.

Following the sound, he glanced over, instantly widening his mouth in horror.

"Impossible! Isn’t this area supposed to forbid flight? How come these flying ants can fly? And how did the Spirit-Eating Fire Ant evolve to grow wings and fly?"

Zhouyang exclaimed in disbelief, his rapidly fleeing body even momentarily halting.

"These flying Spirit-Eating Fire Ants must be a mutant breed. It seems the Spirit-Eating Fire Ant swarm here has evolved over tens of thousands of years and adapted to the laws of this place, allowing these flying ants to soar!"

Jiang Fengxian, her face as white as snow, gazed upward at the fast-approaching flying ant swarm, her eyes rarely showing panic as she hurriedly and anxiously offered Zhouyang an explanation.

Being well-versed in the Beast Taming Skill, she had researched various insect demon beasts, quickly understanding the situation.

Upon hearing this, Zhouyang’s expression slightly relaxed, then he fiercely shook his head, saying, "This won’t work; we must eliminate these flying ants, or even if I run faster, they’ll catch up!"

Upon hearing his words, Jiang Fengxian hesitated momentarily but then seemed to come to a decision, biting her silver teeth and saying, "Brother Zhou, just keep running; leave these flying ants to me!"

With that, she quickly began forming seals and incanted a certain spell, her jade fingers pointing at her chest, and instantly, a peculiar aura rose from her body.

Noticing the change in his beloved companion’s aura, Zhouyang could not help but glance back at her mid-run, and the sight left him stunned.

Zhouyang’s eyes widened as he stared at Jiang Fengxian, who suddenly stood up behind him, only to find that a pair of about one-foot-long Seven-Colored Phoenix Wings had somehow appeared on her back!