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墨書 Inktalez
"Cough cough!"
When Bai Yujing opened his eyes, he was hit by a strong smell of sulfur and heat. He felt as if he was about to dehydrate from the intense warmth. Bai Yujing realized that he was being held by that woman, who gently embraced him as if he were a lifeline.
Looking around, Bai Yujing noticed that flames were soaring all around him. The volcano here seemed to be in a dormant state. Observing his surroundings, he saw red hues seeping through cracks in the thick layers of rock. Moving forward, he could see lava flowing freely.
The temperature of the lava here was likely terrifyingly high. The ground felt scorching beneath him, yet Red Consort stood on the surface without any apparent discomfort. Was this really a body made of flesh?
"Awake? If you're awake, then stand up by yourself!"
Red Consort immediately noticed Bai Yujing's condition and tossed him aside. As soon as Bai Yujing's feet touched the ground, he felt an intense heat: "This place is too hot! This must be the lowest point of the volcano, right?"
"Not the lowest; there's another layer below that, which is the Yan Emperor's Imperial Tomb. I need to follow that path!"
They were indeed at the bottom of the volcano, but it seemed that due to its long dormancy, the lava had cooled and solidified into thick layers of rock, sealing the remaining lava beneath.
The area below was vast; Bai Yujing felt as if he were standing in a large Mountain Valley. The closer he got to the central region, the more lava seeped through, and the higher the temperature became. He could even see thick black smoke and smell sulfur.
However, in that central area, there appeared to be an artificially dug passageway. This place must have once been a dormant volcano, but someone had chosen it to excavate a tunnel at the bottom, leading directly to the molten lava!
"This is truly insane; what significance does this have for them?"
Bai Yujing didn't quite understand it either, but what caught his attention even more was that someone had built what looked like a staircase structure here. A bridge connected from the rock wall to a vertical shaft in the center and extended downward straight to the bottom.
The bright red flames extended from the shaft, appearing frighteningly hot. However, the temperature of lava is only around nine hundred to just over a thousand degrees, while the melting point of iron is one thousand five hundred thirty-five degrees. Many metals and alloys have even higher melting points, so Bai Yujing was not surprised that buildings could be constructed here; he simply did not understand why such structures were built in this place.
Moreover, such a massive metallic object could not have been easily forged by ancient people. In the eyes of modern individuals, it was nothing remarkable, but in ancient times, it could almost be considered a miracle. After Red Consort pointed in this direction, the two of them began to climb up.
At that moment, Bai Yujing suddenly remembered something: "What happened to that monster earlier?"
Red Consort immediately replied, "It’s dead. It lost its sanity and shattered its own remains, which is that statue. It wasn’t really a monster; it was Chisongzi. I never expected someone like that would ultimately escape the fate of death. Does eternity truly exist?"
It seemed that Red Consort was also very confused. Their Mountain Spirit Clan was trapped here by the Kuaiwei Clan, forever guarding the sacred mountain and Imperial Tomb of the Kuaiwei Clan, unable to break free. Even their masters, the god-like Kuaiwei Clan, could not escape the fate of fading away. Someone like Chisongzi ultimately died as well, with not even a spirit preserved.
Bai Yujing quickly asked, "So what is your purpose for coming here?"
Eternity was something that even Chisongzi and the Kuaiwei Clan could not achieve; it certainly wasn't Red Consort's goal. What secrets were hidden here that led the Kuaiwei Clan to bury their sacred mountain along with the Imperial Tomb here, allowing the entire Ancient Mi Kingdom populace to enter and become guardians of the tomb while leaving the Mountain Spirit Clan outside to watch over?
At this point, Red Consort seemed unwilling to hide any longer: "To obtain the seed of Jianmu! Only by destroying this place can we nullify the enslavement that the Kuaiwei Clan has imposed on the Mountain Spirit Clan. Then we can truly be free!"
Bai Yujing felt a shock: "Jianmu? Is there really such a thing?"
Legend has it that Jianmu is a bridge connecting heaven and earth with humanity and deities; some can climb along Jianmu all the way to the celestial realm. However, this was merely a legend. Now that Red Consort claimed there was a seed of Jianmu here, it was indeed astonishing.
Bai Yujing climbed up this metallic structure that resembled a mine shaft alongside Red Consort. There should have been something like a vehicle above that would allow people to slide down smoothly from above into the shaft and then delve deep below; however, it was no longer present.
"Someone has already gone down ahead; we can only climb down ourselves!"
Bai Yujing exclaimed, "Climb? The temperature here is too high; I fear my body can't withstand such heat. Do I have to go down with you?"
Red Consort glanced at Bai Yujing and said, "Aren't you carrying Water Essence? Just consume it!"
"Water Essence? What is that?" Bai Yujing didn't quite understand. At that moment, Red Consort grabbed Bai Yujing's backpack and pulled out an Azure Copper Gourd. This was the same Azure Copper Gourd that Bai Yujing had found in the ancient ruins of the town of Shanxia after entering the mist of Shennongjia. He had thought it was an ancient relic worth keeping, intending to examine it later to see if it was a valuable treasure, as it certainly looked like something worth collecting.
However, now that Red Consort had it in her hands and claimed it was some kind of Water Essence that could be consumed, he doubted its edibility. After all, this item must have been around for at least a few thousand years; even if there was something inside, it must have deteriorated long ago.
Holding the Azure Copper Gourd, Red Consort easily opened the gourd's mouth, which Bai Yujing had struggled to open before. With a pop, it opened quickly, and Bai Yujing immediately caught a whiff of a fragrant aroma. Looking inside, he noticed a faint glow emanating from within.
"Water Essence is a potion refined by Chisongzi. When consumed, it grants protection against fire and water and makes one impervious to blades and bullets. Chisongzi once leaped into a furnace while under the influence of Water Essence, emerging unscathed. However, this effect has a time limit. But it should be enough for us to go down once!"
After taking a large sip herself, Red Consort handed the gourd to Bai Yujing. He looked inside and saw clear water glowing faintly with silver light. After hesitating for a moment, seeing that Red Consort had already drunk some, he decided there was no reason to hesitate any longer.
With one gulp, Bai Yujing drank a large mouthful. Immediately, Red Consort took back the gourd, sealed its mouth, and placed it back in Bai Yujing's backpack!
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