Just as Huang Xiaolong entered the valley, an overwhelming pressure from the lightning energy pressed down on him.
This lightning energy contained a destructive force so powerful that an early Second Order Highgod Realm master would suffer heavy injuries as soon as they stepped inside the valley.
Huang Xiaolong circulated his Asura qi to form a small Hell Asura Barrier around himself, warding off the lightning energy flowing in the surroundings as he continued flying forward.
After half an hour of flying, the lightning energy around him grew thicker.
Strands of lightning energy moved in space like ropes, filling every corner of the valley. Intertwined with it was a kind of dark gray mist that, although not poisonous, could block divine sense.
When Huang Xiaolong tried to spread out his divine sense, the furthest he could sense was a thousand zhang around him.
Suddenly, Huang Xiaolong sensed a faint energy fluctuation in the air and instinctively dodged. Just as he disappeared and turned back to look, he saw a two-winged python baring its sharp fangs, lunging at him again.
Although this winged python had a large body, its speed was terrifyingly fast, comparable to a mid-Third Order Highgod Realm master.
Still, Huang Xiaolong was even faster.
He disappeared in a flicker, appearing in the air above the winged python’s crown. A long black halberd appeared in his hand, stabbing down at the winged python’s head.
Pale blue-blood spurted into the air and the giant winged python let out a blood-curdling scream.
The winged python’s physical defense surprised Huang Xiaolong. Just now, when his halberd stabbed down, the winged python’s skin felt extremely elastic and slippery, thus, the earlier attack that was sufficient to pierce through its head had merely penetrated a few inches deep into its skin.
After it was wounded by Huang Xiaolong, the winged python’s attacks became even more ferocious and frenzied due to pain.
Watching this, Huang Xiaolong no longer dodged its attacks. A thousand arms emerged from his back and one thousand Great Void Divine Fists punched out.
In an instant, fist imprints filled the sky.
The winged python was sent flying at an even faster speed, crashing into a cliff wall several miles away. Its burnt body then fell from the cliff to the ground.
Wanting to make quick work of dealing with the winged python, Huang Xiaolong’s Great Void Divine Fists were imbued with a trace of Black Tortoise Divine Fire.
The Black Tortoise Divine Fire drilled into the winged python’s body, ending its vitality, leaving it deader than dead.
Huang Xiaolong turned and flew away without a second delay. Going deeper into the valley, the strength of the lightning beasts he came across increased. The strongest of them actually reached mid-Third Order Highgod Realm.
In general, Huang Xiaolong easily dealt with lightning beasts below early Third Order Highgod Realm with two or three moves, whereas those lightning beasts of mid-Third Order and above, he would speed away quickly on his sword to cut off their pursuit.
Against a peak mid-Third Order Highgod Realm lightning beast, he could easily deal with them using the Heavenly Mountain, but the most urgent matter right now was finding Xiang Mingzhi!
However, a frown gradually emerged on Huang Xiaolong’s forehead and deepened when he still failed to sense Xiang Mingzhi’s presence an hour later.
Moreover, this valley was deeper than he had estimated, seemingly without end. Flying as fast as he did on his sword, he could make a full circle around the whole Martial Spirit World.
Along the way, he did find some one-million-years-old medicinal herbs, but nothing older, forget something as old as three-million-years-old. Of course, the better ones could have been taken away by people who were here before him, most likely Xiang Mingzhi!
From what he could gather from the two disciples’ memories, few disciples knew that this valley contained a three-million-years-old medicinal herb, no more than ten people.
Therefore, even an hour after Huang Xiaolong entered the valley, he did not run into any other disciple.
At one point, while he was still flying, Huang Xiaolong sensed something. ‘This is?’ Delight rose to his face, Xiang Mingzhi! It was the energy signature of the mark he left on Xiang Mingzhi’s body!
As expected, it was Xiang Mingzhi who entered in this valley, and he was not far from him! Huang Xiaolong accelerated.
As he grew closer to Xiang Mingzhi, the faint vibration from the mark left on his body felt stronger to Huang Xiaolong. There were also a few other strange fluctuations coming from the direction in front.
While Huang Xiaolong was rushing forward, beside a lake, Xiang Mingzhi glared coldly at the four disciples closing in on him.
All four disciples’ strength was at mid-Third order Highgod Realm. Furthermore, two of them were peak mid-Third Order.
Not far from them, there were three disciples lying on the ground, and judging from the look of things, it hadn’t been long since they took their last breath. It was hard to tell whether they had been killed by Xiang Mingzhi or the four disciples.
Hovering slightly above the waters at the center of the lake was a nine-colored flower enshrouded in layers of nine-colored glow, emitting a fresh fragrance.
This nine-colored flower was the mythical Hallowed Nine-Colored Flower that possessed unimaginable medicinal properties. As for what its medicinal properties were, no one knew. This Hallowed Nine-Colored Flower floating above the lake surface had reached an age of three-million-years.
One of the four disciples encircling Xiang Mingzhi spoke, “Brat, if you give up competing for this Hallowed Nine-Colored Flower, we can let you leave here alive.”
In fact, the four of them did not expect the brat in front of them who looked like a late-Second Order Highgod Realm yo actually have battle strength rivaling a late-Third Order Highgod Realm master.
If it wasn’t for this reason, the four of them wouldn’t be wasting time in this manner.
Xiang Mingzhi took a quick glance at the four disciples, then he let out a laugh, “What a joke, just the four of you want to compete with me? I changed my mind now; this Hallowed Nine-Colored Flower, I want it! Not one of you should dream of leaving here alive!” A bright azure light burst out from Xiang Mingzhi’s body.
Gleaming azure dragon scales rapidly covered his skin like an armor, dragon spikes growing out from his arms and legs.
This was the Azure Dragon Institute’s highest technique, the Body of the Azure Dragon.
At the same time, glaring lightning crackled around Xiang Mingzhi as lightning clouds began to gather and roll. Xiang Mingzhi had released the power of his Extreme Lightning Destruction Physique.
While the four disciples were still astonished, Xiang Mingzhi seized the chance to attack.
Angry lightning struck at the four disciples from all directions.
Furious, the four disciples no longer held back and began raining down attacks on Xiang Mingzhi.
Loud booms and crackling thunder sounded all at once. The fierce energy shockwaves from the five people’s battle blasted holes in the ground, shattered the rocks flying in the air, then exploded into dust. The strange thing was, the destructive power of their battle silently disappeared when it reached the Hallowed Nine-Colored Flower.
The intense battle continued.
Over an hour later, Xiang Mingzhi glanced coldly at the four new corpses sprawled on the ground, then swayed unsteadily as he got to his feet. Before he could steady himself, warm blood spurted out from his mouth as he coughed, dying the soil at his feet red.
In the beginning, Xiang Mingzhi thought his recent breakthrough to late-Second Order Highgod Realm, adding his Body of the Azure Dragon technique, his Extreme Lightning Destruction Physique, as well as the Azure Dragon Divine Fire, would allow him to kill the four disciples with only some light injuries on his part. Who knew the four disciples also had their hidden trump cards, actually causing him grave injuries.
‘However, this Hallowed Nine-Colored Flower is mine now!’
Xiang Mingzhi turned around, looking at the Hallowed Nine-Colored Flower with a feverish gaze. If it was any other three-million-years-old herb, he wouldn’t have fought so hard, but the Hallowed Nine-Colored Flower was different. By coincidence, he came across a record of this flower in an ancient book.
Xiang Mingzhi was about to step toward the lake when he heard footsteps.
“Who?!” Xiang Mingzhi panicked. When he saw the owner of the footsteps, he was stunned: “Huang Xiaolong!”