Chapter 365: Beneath the Lava

At this very moment.

"SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!"

The Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat stood with its front paws on its hips, squeaking at Chi Yi, who was prostrate on the ground. It had the air of an elder scolding a junior, lamenting its misfortune and angry at its lack of ambition.

Chi Yi pressed its large head to the ground before the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat without a hint of resentment, its brows curved in a fawning expression.

Seeing this, Xin's eyes widened with curiosity. She couldn't help but walk over. "Wow, so you're this powerful!"

"SQUEAK SQUEAK!"

The Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat placed its paws on its hips again and lifted its head slightly, looking rather pleased with itself. It then let out a few squeaks at Chi Yi.

Chi Yi abruptly raised its enormous head, moved closer to Xin, and affectionately nuzzled against her.

The nuzzling tickled Xin, and she couldn't help but giggle.

Nearby, Chu Guifeng, Luo An, Tao Ying, and the others were dumbfounded by the sight.

It was obvious. This little gray rat, which looked so ordinary, was able to make Chi Yi—one of the Four Great Fierce Beasts of the East Continent—so completely obedient. It was clearly no ordinary creature.

And yet, such a beast was merely a pet.

Everyone instinctively looked over at Shen Daoxing, who was still meditating and cultivating, their admiration for him growing even deeper.

"ROAR!"

And just then.

Another earth-shattering roar echoed, one that seemed to resound in their very souls.

The group felt the entire hall shake violently. Outside the entrance, a curtain of blood had sprung up, completely blocking the main doors.

"Quick! We have to get out of here!"

Luo An, after a moment's stupor, shouted urgently. He raised the sword in his hand, preparing to blast a hole through the wall in front of him.

However, at that moment.

Without any warning, wisps of red mist began to drift out from the cracks in the corners of the hall. Following the mist, tendrils resembling blood vessels extended, twisting and turning as they crept up the walls, squirming just like living veins.

In just a few moments, they had covered all four walls and began to spread upward toward the ceiling beams.

Seeing this, Tao Ying cried out in alarm, "This is bad! The Celestial Demon is trying to assimilate the entire hall to devour us all!"

As she spoke, Tao Ying quickly looked toward Shen Daoxing, only to see that he was still at a critical point in his cultivation.

"SWOOSH!"

Tao Ying swiftly drew a longsword and leaped up, unleashing a crescent-shaped arc of blue sword light.

"BOOM!"

It smashed against one of the hall's walls.

The vessel-like tendrils on it exploded on impact, but within moments, the red vessels nearby squirmed and immediately repaired the damage.

Seeing this, Chu Guifeng took a large stride forward. "Everyone, attack together."

The long spear in his hand was like a sky-shaking Wandering Dragon. With a soft hum, it flew out.

Large swathes of the vessel-like growths on the ceiling beams fell away.

However, at that moment, a red glow lit up the four walls of the hall, and a massive amount of crimson blood mist suddenly surged forth.

After the blood mist appeared, it quickly coalesced. Before long, ghouls with ox horns and three arms emerged, baring their fangs and claws.

Instantly, the hall filled with dazzling light as dozens of Magical Artifacts soared into the air.

Everyone summoned their Magical Treasures and engaged in a fierce battle, tangling with the red monsters.

In the center of the hall, Shen Daoxing was still in meditation. Steam rolled off his body, and sweat continuously trickled down his forehead.

Within Shen Daoxing's body, the Venerable Essence Blood had transformed into strands of red thread, flowing through his limbs and bones, gradually integrating into his flesh and blood.

At the same time, the Venerable Power from the Seven-Colored Profound Platform in his Dantian silently emerged, transforming into strands of black thread. It flowed to all parts of his body, merging with the red threads and also integrating into his flesh and blood.

Faintly, arcs of black light flickered within Shen Daoxing's flesh, which began to take on a black-gold sheen.

Shen Daoxing felt as if he had arrived high in the sky, surrounded by a raging sea of fire that dyed the entire sky crimson.

Across the sea of fire stood the same towering figure, solemn and majestic. With a single glance, Shen Daoxing could feel an unquestionable authority emanating from it, like an absolute existence reigning from on high.

Enduring the scorching heat and the searing pain that felt like his entire body was melting, Shen Daoxing continued to walk forward.

Meanwhile, outside, the walls and beams of the great hall were now densely covered with the blood-red, vessel-like tendrils.

Chu Guifeng, Tao Ying, Ma Wan, and the others leaped through the hall, flashes of their blades and swords cutting down one red monster after another. But after a strange red monster was struck down, the crimson blood mist would soon drift over, and it would revive. There was no end to them.

At this moment, within Shen Daoxing's body, a small red snake suddenly opened its eyes. It raised its head, looked toward the sky, and then shook its head indifferently. 'Mola! Oh, Mola! How pitiful you are, to have fallen so far as to become a puppet of the Human Race!'

With that, the small red snake transformed into a streak of light. Unnoticed by anyone, it silently flew out of Shen Daoxing's body, out of the hall, and arrived above the churning lava pool. With a flash of light, it dove in.

Within the lava, everything was a vast expanse of blood-red. Billowing red Demonic Qi continuously rose and surged out.

And in the depths of this red expanse, a colossal shadow was bound tightly by thick golden chains at the bottom of a crimson abyss.

It was a figure as tall as a great mountain, like a titan holding up the sky. On its thick neck were three enormous, ferocious heads, and a single vertical, crimson eye on each forehead gleamed with a vicious, malevolent light.

Its three pairs of thick arms and legs were currently bound fast by the massive golden chains.

The golden chains extended up from the depths of the abyss, their full length hidden from view.

After the red snake appeared.

"ROAR!"

The massive Celestial Demon figure abruptly threw its heads back and roared.

Then, its six thick arms began to move. Like Tianze obscuring the entire sky, they rose high and pressed down on the small red snake with immense force.

In the face of its gigantic palms, the red snake was no larger than an ant.

However.

The red snake merely lifted its tail slightly and pointed it forward in the void. Abruptly, the colossal Celestial Demon's movements froze, as if it had been suspended in time.

Then, the red snake's tail gently twirled in the void.

The Celestial Demon's six Tianze-like arms began to move again, but this time they crossed and bent inward. In a bizarre posture, it hugged itself, its six arms overlapping and stacking like twisted ropes.

After that, the red snake lifted its tail high once more.

Suddenly, the Celestial Demon's massive body flew up without any warning, tracing a graceful arc through the air.

Then, the small red snake's tail abruptly whipped downward.