'This is...' Su Chen's eye twitched. Fortunately, his resistance to Underworld creatures had greatly increased, so he didn't lose his composure.
"Believer of the Black Buddha God, what are you doing here?" the female face of the giant python asked, her voice soft and enchanting.
This creature was stronger than Little Black, but still fell far short of that centipede dragon.
Su Chen guessed it was probably a Tier 7 Underworld creature. He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. It would be very difficult for him to fight an Underworld creature of this tier. If anything went wrong, his only option would be to flee and leave the Underworld.
However, he wasn't completely without options. He said in a deep voice, "I am here on the orders of my Lord to collect the spirit fire."
"The Black Buddha God's orders?" The masculine face's voice was heavy. "This spirit fire has an owner. Even the Black Buddha God cannot expect to take it away by just sending a single believer, right?"
As his words fell, several more Underworld creatures emerged from the surroundings. Various grotesque eyes stared at him, and a terrifying aura echoed through the area.
Su Chen stared back expressionlessly. "This place has already been discovered by the Outer Spirits. Even the Ruler will likely find it hard to hold on. Are you really going to disobey my Lord's orders at a time like this?"
Su Chen's voice was cold. A hint of contemplation flashed across both the male and female faces. The soft female voice chuckled, "It's hard to say who will win or lose. If Qionghuang defeats those Outer Spirits and returns to find the spirit fire taken by a believer of an Eldritch God, I'm afraid we won't survive either."
'Qionghuang' must be the name of that Tier 9 Underworld creature.
"I will ask one more time." Su Chen took out the short-handled red hammer hanging behind his back. The masculine face only let out a cold sneer.
There were billions of believers of the Eldritch Gods.
While they were unwilling to provoke them on an ordinary day, they wouldn't hesitate if they really needed to kill one.
However, as the head of the hammer split open from the center, a drop of deep, dark blood slowly floated out. Su Chen's voice was freezing. "Are you absolutely sure you want to defy the Black Buddha God's orders?"
The giant python's two faces changed drastically at the same time. They listened as the believer before them chanted an obscure, incomprehensible incantation.
The drop of divine blood gradually began to transform. Black smoke rapidly expanded and spread, faintly outlining a gaunt figure sitting cross-legged in the void behind him, head bowed and eyes lowered. It was the Black Buddha!
"Divine blood!" the female face cried out in shock.
Believers of the Eldritch Gods could occasionally be encountered in the Underworld, but a believer who possessed divine blood and could even wield it was an entirely different matter.
This meant the other party might genuinely be here on the direct orders of an Eldritch God, and their status was certainly not low.
The surrounding Underworld creatures vaguely froze, not daring to move an inch.
Su Chen discreetly observed his surroundings and felt a wave of relief. 'The effect is really good.'
He had obtained the method to manipulate the Black Buddha's divine blood back on the Crimson Thunder Planet. After all this time, he had never had the chance to use it. He never expected his first time using it would be here.
"I advise you all to leave as soon as possible. This place is being targeted by the Outer Spirits and will fall sooner or later."
Seeing their reaction, Su Chen spoke again.
He walked straight past the two-headed giant python, heading toward the location of the spirit fire.
The giant python's two human faces exchanged a look of hesitation and doubt. Under these circumstances, they really didn't dare to attack a believer holding divine blood.
But... ultimately, the female face gritted her teeth. "He is right. We should hurry up and leave."
The masculine face was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do. The Black Buddha God was an entity that even Qionghuang could not afford to offend.
Su Chen noticed the several Underworld creatures behind him leaving one after another, and he finally completely relaxed.
'My old friend Black Buddha's reputation really carries weight.'
'I wonder where my old friend's true body actually is.'
Su Chen muttered to himself, his gaze falling upon the spirit fire just inches away. His spiritual body felt a faint burning pain. He swallowed dryly in his non-existent throat and first took out the divine egg.
This item wasn't just made from divine blood; he wondered if it still had any use.
He cautiously approached. The spirit fire, which had been burning for who knew how long, suddenly fluctuated upon sensing the divine egg's proximity. It even extended two tiny tendrils of flame to wrap around the divine egg.
"Hiss..." Su Chen felt a sharp pain in his palm and immediately retracted it. The divine egg was already engulfed by the spirit fire.
Faint crackling sounds could be heard from within, and a blood-like glow gradually began to spread from the center of the spirit fire.
"So this is Morning Star Dust, something weaker than Morning Star Fire."
Su Chen was greatly amazed, carefully watching the spirit fire's properties shift. However, the transformation halted halfway. It seemed to have only permeated about two-thirds of the way through, while the periphery remained wrapped in pale golden flames.
"It's not enough..." Su Chen wasn't surprised. He took out the other portion of pure divine blood and sent it inside.
Finally, the spirit fire completely turned into crimson flames, burning quietly. The burning pain caused by being too close also gradually disappeared.
"According to the information I gathered, I just need to step inside now. There shouldn't be any problems, right? I'm only Tier 5."
Su Chen hesitated for a moment. He had too little information about forging a Holy Class. He could only occasionally pry for details from Wei Zhenghong, whom he was more familiar with.
Although this was the correct procedure, his tier was truly too low. Even within the sect, one needed to be at least Tier 7 to forge a Holy Class.
"It shouldn't be a big problem. If there is real danger, there shouldn't be much difference between Tier 7 and Tier 5 in the face of the spirit fire."
Su Chen's mind settled slightly. He tentatively reached out an arm and gradually submerged it into the fire. There was no pain, which helped him relax as he stepped his entire body inside.
'Forging a Holy Class... how exactly does this forging work? I have quite a few classes in my body; can it accurately frame the scope?'
Immersed in the crimson fire, Su Chen only felt a cool, refreshing sensation all around him. There was no burning feeling at all. Wisps of energy gradually seeped into his spiritual body.
But the next moment, the crimson fire vanished. Su Chen abruptly opened his eyes, only to find himself back in his physical body in the real world. His surroundings were a sea of scarlet.
An incomparably searing heat enveloped him. The crimson fire had followed him back.
In the next split second, the crimson flames completely swallowed him.
It wasn't an ordinary burn. The flames were like a living creature with a life and will of their own, ruthlessly drilling into the deepest depths of his body through his pores, nose, mouth, and even his eyes and ears.
An unimaginable agony erupted from every corner of his body simultaneously, as if boiling molten iron was being forcibly poured into his bone marrow.
Every sinew trembled as if about to snap, and his internal organs convulsed under the high temperatures, as though they had been thrown into a blazing furnace.
"What the f*ck..." Su Chen's pupils contracted, barely able to maintain his footing. His body completely broke free from his conscious control, plunging into a state of manic agitation.
At the same time, however, he could clearly feel something being extracted from both his physical and spiritual bodies. At first, they were as sharply divided as water and oil, actively repelling each other.
But soon, under the effects of the crimson fire, they were forced to mix and churn together, emitting a dull rumble reminiscent of a blacksmith's forge.
His muscle bundles spasmed and twitched uncontrollably. The blood vessels beneath his skin bulged prominently, looking as though they would burst at any moment.
Amidst the excruciating pain, his body began to undergo a transformation. His skin gradually became crystal clear, to the point where his blood vessels and bones were visible.
A surge of soaring vitality erupted from the depths of his body, and his status panel slowly openedâ[Scholar, Sage, Saint, Fighter, and Spirit User successfully forged. The Holy Class 'Unsullied' is born!]
[Acquired Class AbilityâUnsullied Body: Class development efficiency increased by 500%.]
[Acquired Class AbilityâUnsullied Heart: For every special class acquired, development efficiency increases by 10%.]
"These guys are too troublesome..."
Outside the mountain, Fan Zhao gritted his teeth as the surging purple flames violently swayed.
In a one-on-one fight, he wasn't afraid. But one against three was extremely tricky. These three creatures coordinated perfectly, advancing and retreating with flawless rhythm. However, he suddenly noticed the three Underworld creatures halt their movements. They exchanged a glance before transforming into three streaks of light and flying off in different directions.
"They ran away?" He was somewhat astonished, but he immediately reacted and looked into the distance.
Sure enough, the intense energy fluctuations in the distance gradually subsided. A streak of light flew over at high speedâit was Lan Yunting.
"Martial Uncle..." Fan Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Is that guy dead?"
"No." Lan Yunting shook his head. "That creature is not simple. It is on the verge of undergoing a further evolution and possesses formidable strength. I could only force it to retreat."
"Further evolution?" Fan Zhao's expression changed slightly. "Then it would reach the level of an Eldritch God."
Even if it was a Lesser Eldritch God, it would still be terrifying.
"I owe you my thanks this time, Martial Uncle," Fan Zhao couldn't help but say.
Possessing a Holy Class and not possessing one were two entirely different concepts. The difference in strength and status was like night and day.
"Think nothing of it." Lan Yunting waved his hand dismissively. "Is the divine blood prepared?"
"It is ready," Fan Zhao nodded.
"Let's inform them first, and then I will escort you there." Lan Yunting's gaze dropped, looking toward where Qin Tianlin and the others were gathered. As his gaze pierced through the fog, his brows couldn't help but furrow. He vaguely sensed that something wasn't quite right.
The atmosphere was incredibly tense. Lan Hao stood behind Deacon Feng, while Qin Tianlin appeared utterly furious.
"I've already said everything I needed to say. The facts are what they are. Senior Brother Tianlin, I am also deeply saddened by Senior Brother Meng's death, but what exactly do you want me to do to account for it?"
Lan Hao stood behind Deacon Feng with a helpless expression, while Qin Tianlin glared at him with cold, sharp eyes.
Lan Hao continued, "You can't possibly think that I killed Senior Brother Meng, can you?"
There was a hint of sarcasm in Lan Hao's tone. If Meng Shiyu hadn't dragged him along to ask about Su Chen, he wouldn't have been targeted by that newly-emerged Black Buddha believer.
And now, look what happened. He had been subjected to some unknown method within his body, becoming someone else's undercover agent. With Qin Tianlin acting so aggressively, he was also starting to lose his temper.
"Whether you did or not, you know perfectly well in your heart." Qin Tianlin seethed with anger as he looked at the other party's fearless attitude.
This guy, Lan Hao, would never have dared to bare his fangs at him before, yet now he had the nerve to speak to him with such sarcasm.
Just as Lan Hao was about to speak, Deacon Feng's expression subtly shifted.
"What is going on here?"
Before anyone realized it, Lan Yunting had landed beside them.
Lan Hao felt a wave of relief. Qin Tianlin reined in his expression, secretly letting out a cold snort.
Fan Zhao followed closely behind and also landed. He frowned and asked, "Tianlin, what's going on? Can't you discuss whatever it is calmly?"
His tone carried a hint of admonishment. After all, Lan Yunting had just done him a massive favor. If Qin Tianlin turned around and bullied the man's junior right in front of him, it would look terrible.
Qin Tianlin took a deep breath and said coldly, "Martial Uncle Fan, Junior Brother Meng is dead."
Fan Zhao's expression froze. "Shiyu... is dead?!"
"How is that possible?"
He even found it somewhat absurd and ridiculous. It had only been a short while. How could Meng Shiyu be dead?
"What exactly happened?" He desperately wanted to get to the bottom of it. His gaze swept around before landing on Deacon Feng.
Deacon Feng felt his body grow heavy as a bone-piercing chill invaded his spiritual body.
'What does this have to do with me?' Deacon Feng felt a surge of indignation in his heart, but he couldn't help forcing a bitter smile onto his face as he hastily explained, "Meng Shiyu and Lan Hao went to collect resources, but they accidentally strayed too far and were attacked by Underworld creatures. Meng Shiyu displayed great righteousness, fighting to the death to save Lan Hao."
With this simple explanation, Fan Zhao's face turned incredibly ugly. His gaze bypassed Deacon Feng and locked onto Lan Hao.
He now understood why Qin Tianlin was so angry. Meng Shiyu sacrificed his life to save Lan Hao? Only a ghost would believe such nonsense!
"Youâ" Fan Zhao subconsciously wanted to scold him, but Lan Yunting beat him to it, patting Lan Hao on the shoulder.
"Hao'er, is this true?" he asked in an indifferent tone.
Lan Hao hurriedly nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what happened."
Lan Yunting's eyes flickered slightly. "Are you certain Meng Shiyu is dead, and didn't just leave the Underworld?"
The group's gazes simultaneously landed on Lan Hao. Lan Hao inwardly sighed. He, too, wished that Meng Shiyu had just left the Underworld.
But he had watched with his own eyes as the other party's spiritual fragments were devoured by that monkey howling like a wolf. His face filled with grief. "Yes, I saw it clearly. Right before his spiritual body was torn apart, he was still shouting for me to leave."
"Shiyuâ" Fan Zhao clenched his fists tightly. After all, this was his student, and he naturally cared for him. He stared at Lan Hao with dead, freezing eyes.
Lan Yunting frowned slightly. He hadn't expected something like this to happen either. There were definitely holes in Lan Hao's story, but this was his junior.
After a brief moment of thought, he turned his head and sighed. "Martial Nephew, you truly know how to teach a disciple. It's a tremendous shame. My Lan family will comfort his loved ones to express our condolences."
'Do I need you to comfort them?'
Fan Zhao was filled with resentment. He wanted to find out exactly what had happened, but it was clear that Lan Yunting wasn't going to allow it right now.
Moreover, the man had just helped him drive away the Underworld creatures and reach the spirit fire. He couldn't possibly turn against him now.
"Damn it!" he gritted his teeth, a surge of fury and bitterness rising in his heart. This wasn't directed solely at Lan Yunting and Lan Hao.
It was also directed at Qin Yuezheng, Chu Lingyuan, and even Wei Zhenghong and the others!
If Qin Yuezheng hadn't been so adamant about refusing to help, how could this have dragged on until now, resulting in Meng Shiyu's death?
And Qin Zhelin, who insisted on having Meng Shiyu ask about Su Chen at a time like this! Thinking of this, his disgust naturally extended to Su Chen as well.
"Martial Nephew, you should go and merge with the Holy Class as soon as possible. If you delay, an accident might occur," Lan Yunting urged from the side.
Fan Zhao took a deep breath, but he could only suppress the grief in his heart. He would deal with this matter later; right now, forging his Holy Class had to come first.
Seeing him steady his state of mind, Qin Zhelin didn't say anything more.
Harboring their own thoughts, the group was swept up by Lan Yunting and flew toward the massive mountain.
'What kind of mess is this?' Deacon Feng felt incredibly anxious and only wanted to leave as soon as possible.
If he was made the scapegoat for Meng Shiyu's death, he would be in massive trouble.
The group landed at the top of the mountain. With no Underworld creatures remaining in the area, they headed together toward the deep, dark cavern.
"Once you successfully forge your Holy Class, Venerable Qin Yun will also be very comforted," Lan Yunting initiated the conversation.
Hearing this, Fan Zhao's expression softened slightly, but he still replied, "The forging process is extremely dangerous. I might not necessarily succeed."
"That applies to others. As for you, Martial Nephew Fan, heaven protects the good," Lan Yunting chuckled. "When the time comes, you will certainly take on great responsibilities within the sect. You even have a chance at the Chief Seat."
Seeing Lan Yunting lower his stance so much, Fan Zhao's expression eased even further. "Then I'll accept yourâ"
Before he could finish his sentence, his face suddenly stiffened. His pupils drastically shrank as he stared blankly ahead.
A look of shock and uncertainty similarly surfaced on Lan Yunting's face.
The crowd following behind still didn't know what had happened; they only felt the surrounding temperature suddenly plummet.
Qin Zhelin was deeply puzzled. He stepped to the side to get a clearer view, and his expression also drastically changed.
The end of the cavern was entirely empty. There was no sign of the spirit fire anywhere!
"Where is... the spirit fire?!" Fan Zhao's voice trembled as frantic spiritual energy erupted from his body!