Extreme Training in Death Valley, and All the Pain Flew Away

Extreme Training in Death Valley, and All the Pain Flew Away: Lung Mist Na'er and Divine Doctor Gu Yue (4K)

"Senior Body, that laugh of yours doesn't sound like something a good person would make."

The large hand was only 0.01 centimeters away. Zhao Xuanzhen opened his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Is that so?"

The dark gold slowly faded away, revealing Muye's face. The Ben Ti Sect Master rubbed his chin and said in surprise, "Although I wasn't deliberately concealing my aura, it still shouldn't have been something a Soul Elder in meditation could detect. Your perception seems far too sharp."

Zhao Xuanzhen merely smiled without replying. The wind was his second pair of eyes, inspecting everything around him in his stead.

"Since you've seen through me, This Sect Master won't bother pretending anymore!"

Muye chuckled. Then Zhao Xuanzhen felt his collar tighten, and his entire body rose into the air as though he were riding the clouds.

The moonlight was silver, and the sea of clouds blended into the sky at the horizon. Cool night wind rushed at him as Zhao Xuanzhen looked down upon the land. The brilliantly lit Heaven Dou City gradually shrank and receded into the distance.

"Senior Muye, changing from a sneak attack to coercion isn't very honorable." Zhao Xuanzhen looked at Muye.

You're dangerous enough already!

He had nearly triggered the Eight Deceitful Gods' protective mechanism just now. The Soaring Serpent had almost given him a point-blank explosion!

"You little brat, stop acting spoiled after gaining an advantage." Muye snorted. "Tonight, This Sect Master is taking you through the most important ritual in a Ben Ti Soul Master's life: the Second Awakening of Original Martial Soul.

"You aren't joining the Body Sect, yet I'm making an exception to grant you a Second Awakening. I'll give you another chance to choose your words. Am I honorable or not?"

"Extremely honorable."

Zhao Xuanzhen nodded and sincerely raised a thumb.

This exception had been foreseeable. Zhao Xuanzhen had noticed it while eating: Muye before and after cooking seemed like two entirely different people. He had probably been persuaded by someone.

Among everyone Zhao Xuanzhen knew, the only person qualified and capable enough to persuade Muye was Illusion Brain Douluo Han Tianyi. At the same time, it was Han Tianyi who had directed Zhao Xuanzhen here instead of to Leng Yaozhu. The Old Comrade had calculated everything perfectly, ensuring both sides benefited.

No matter what, the favor of a Second Awakening was real. Repaying a gushing spring with a drop of water was only right; repaying a drop of water by courting death was the behavior of a beast.

As a normal human being, Zhao Xuanzhen would certainly repay Muye in the future and lend a hand in reviving the Body Sect.

The two streaked through the skies. Zhao Xuanzhen suddenly frowned and asked, "Senior Body, where are we going?"

"I'll tell you when we get there." Muye spoke mysteriously, though a closer look revealed a rather mischievous expression.

An ominous feeling rose inexplicably in Zhao Xuanzhen's heart. His sense of direction was excellent, and Muye was not flying toward the nearest sea from Heaven Dou City. Instead, they were steadily heading inland.

"Looks like my Second Awakening won't take place in the ocean..."

Zhao Xuanzhen understood perfectly. The first Body Sect Master had been framed and sunk into the deep sea. Under the immense pressure of the seawater, his Martial Soul underwent a Second Awakening, unleashing the true power of the Original Martial Soul.

The Second Awakening of Original Martial Soul was, plainly speaking, the use of external pressure to stimulate the limits of the human body, squeezing a Soul Master's potential to the utmost and forcing new potential to emerge in desperate circumstances.

The sea was merely one form of pressure among many. Tang Wulin underwent Deep Sea Training because he had been aboard a ship bound for the Star Luo Continent at the time, with almost no other choices. Zhao Xuanzhen's situation was completely different. He was now in the inland city of Heaven Dou City, free to go anywhere above or below ground.

Muye had no need to obsess over the sea. He had nine different ways to squeeze Zhao Xuanzhen dry!

An hour later, a canyon entered his vision. Moonlight spilled across jagged mountain rocks, coating the entire gorge in an eerie crimson.

Above the dark-red ground, withered trees twisted like devil claws dancing wildly. Thick red fluid seeped from cracked bark, while half-rotted vines hung from the branches like countless nooses swaying soundlessly.

"Welcome to Death Valley." Muye deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound sinister.

"Death Valley..."

Zhao Xuanzhen narrowed his eyes. This place was not marked on the continental map, but he had read through three parts of Douluo Continent, even forcing himself through half of that salted fish story set ten thousand years later. He rapidly searched his memories and found a few scattered details.

Twenty thousand years ago, during the Soul Master Competition, the Spirit Hall team had lost to the Shrek Seven Devils led by Tang San. The Golden Generation reflected painfully on their defeat and vowed to temper themselves, reclaiming their dignity and glory. Hu Liena had entered Slaughter City alone, while Xie Yue and Yan had ventured into Death Valley together!

"Death Valley can be traced back to the era of Spirit Hall."

Sure enough, Muye began explaining. "Death Valley's environment is extremely harsh, and it possesses little practical value. Thus, Spirit Hall had always treated it as one of its cruelest punishments.

"After the disastrous defeat in the battle of Jialing Pass, Spirit Hall was destroyed. Death Valley became unclaimed land before the Body Sect's predecessors incorporated it into the sect. A Second Awakening requires precisely such a vile place.

"A Second Awakening is the process of extracting the body's potential. It is an ordeal of extreme pain.

"Are you ready?"

Without waiting for Zhao Xuanzhen's reply, Muye immediately released the hand gripping his clothes. Ready or not, down he went!

Fierce winds howled past his ears as Zhao Xuanzhen fell from the sky like a meteor. Moonlight streamed down, illuminating the deep blue in his eyes.

"Xun Word, Storm."

The raging wind steadily caught his falling body, and Zhao Xuanzhen landed safely.

"Damn it, what kind of miraculous trick is that?"

Muye shouted in exasperation. He had originally planned a surprise attack, intending to save Zhao Xuanzhen at the critical moment and use that to stimulate his potential. Yet Zhao Xuanzhen could control the wind, and the plan had failed immediately!

Zhao Xuanzhen curled his lips and followed the twisting, winding path straight into the depths of Death Valley.

Evil wind spiraled through the gorge, stirring up sand as fine as bone fragments. Every Trace of airflow felt like the fingernails of wandering souls, scratching bone-piercing cold across his skin.

Air poured into his mouth and nose, and the suffocating sensation became blades scraping through his chest. Zhao Xuanzhen faintly heard his bones creaking, his eardrums swelling with pain, his body seeming bound by invisible chains that dragged him toward the Abyss.

"Evil aura..."

Death Valley possessed evil qi that had lingered for ten thousand years, constantly eroding the bodies and souls of intruders. Zhao Xuanzhen decisively released Yin and Yang Dual Qi, annihilating the evil attribute that permeated the air.

The moonlight shattered into mottled fragments, growing farther away and dimmer.

His foot crushed a half-buried white bone. The instant Zhao Xuanzhen passed by, pale flames ignited in its hollow eye sockets. Green Will-o'-the-wisp shot three feet into the air before vanishing into ashes in an instant.

Rustling sounds came from the depths of Death Valley, like countless insects gnawing on flesh. A thick stench of decay spread through the air, mixed with the smell of rust and Sulfur, almost solidifying into substance.

Zhao Xuanzhen stopped. In the distance, faint green lights flickered like Will-o'-the-wisp.

Muye's voice rang out at just the right moment. "The evil aura inside Death Valley is not its most terrifying danger.

"The truly deadly threat is the Undead Creatures that have bred here. They are neither human nor beast, fear neither life nor death, and possess an abnormal craving for Life Energy."

The green lights began to sway. They were pairs upon pairs of cruel, greedy eyes. The grinding of bones was harsh and unpleasant as the Undead Creatures gradually revealed their forms.

The Lich's hunched body was covered in rotting bones. Pus and blood dripped from the broken horns of the Banshee, while skeletal claws scraped across the ground, sending sparks flying.

At the front, a fat monster opened a bloody mouth split all the way to its ears. Its tongue licked layer upon layer of sharp teeth, and green saliva dripped onto the rocks, corroding sizzling pits into them.

Undead Creatures naturally existed on the Douluo Continent. Otherwise, there would not have been Abominations, Liches, Skeleton Kings, or Soul Masters with Bone Dragon Martial Souls. Death Valley was one of the gathering places for Undead Creatures.

Dense masses of Undead Creatures filled every inch of the horizon. Zhao Xuanzhen slowly raised his head and quietly looked at Muye. Though he said nothing, it was as if he had said everything.

"The sect has neglected clearing this place for decades, so there are a few more than usual." Muye scratched his head awkwardly. "But their overall strength is limited. This Sect Master believes in you. Kill them all—True Self is invincible!"

"Seriously...?"

Zhao Xuanzhen exhaled a breath of stale air. Three Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings lit up instantly as the Earthly Dao Technique erupted at full force!

Things had come to this. He just had to fight!

Boom—

At dawn, a beam of dark gold light burst from Death Valley. Muye's strike shattered a large number of Undead Creatures. From a pile of skeletons stacked like an Arhat formation, he dragged out a blood-soaked figure and clicked his tongue in amazement.

"You really can fight, kid. A peerless monster of the Practical School! Your Soul Power and Mental strength were both depleted, yet you could still barely hold on with that fist technique that borrowed force to redirect force. It took twenty-seven consecutive waves of Undead Creature Charges to bring you down."

Zhao Xuanzhen had no strength left anywhere in his body. After draining the final trace of energy within him, he no longer even had the strength to speak. His face was as pale as a dead fish, utterly devoid of vitality.

When it came to stimulating potential, the better one's talent, the more painful it was. Others would collapse after enduring at most eight or nine waves of Undead Creatures, but Zhao Xuanzhen was far too persistent. His combat strength vastly surpassed that of the Body Sect's former geniuses. He had fought from deep night until dawn, finally achieving the effect of burning himself dry.

The two returned to the Heaven Dou City Forging Association by the same route. Muye tossed the limp Zhao Xuanzhen onto the bed, turned both palms dark gold, and slapped his back dozens of times. With every strike, a stream of air silently entered his body.

A glow spread across Zhao Xuanzhen's skin. It was a layer of magnificent golden patterns, distributed over his entire body like blood vessel networks.

"Ben Ti Secret Technique. It will allow your body, which is on the verge of its limit, to relax to the greatest extent."

Muye flung away the beads of sweat on his forehead and said with satisfaction, "The vigor of your blood and qi, the strength of your spirit—both are unprecedented in my life. The True Self imagined by the sect's predecessors is indeed extraordinary.

"I can't wait to see what rank your True Self will reach after its Second Awakening...

"Oh, right. You have quite a few injuries. I'll get you some medicine. We'll continue training tonight."

After dropping those words, Muye left the room humming a tune. Zhao Xuanzhen was left lying face-down on the bed with a sorrowful expression, feeling that he was destined for a life of toil and labor...

Creak—

The door was gently pushed open. Before the person entered, a fresh fragrance had already filled the room. This definitely was not the scent of food clinging to that cook Muye. Zhao Xuanzhen struggled to turn his head and saw a slender black figure carrying a jade bottle, smiling as she sat beside him.

Gu Yue.

Perhaps the question in Zhao Xuanzhen's eyes was too obvious, so Gu Yue explained, "I ran into Senior Body on the way. He said you were injured and sent me to apply medicine for you."

"I see. Sorry to trouble you."

Zhao Xuanzhen was in poor condition. The Soaring Serpent's mental backlash coupled with a night of high-intensity training gave him the exhaustion of burning through a month's reserves in thirty seconds. He buried his face in the fluffy pillow, exposing his bloodied back and obediently letting Gu Yue do as she pleased.

"It's no trouble."

Gu Yue smiled like a little fox whose scheme had succeeded. In truth, she had indeed run into Muye, but she had volunteered herself to apply medicine for Zhao Xuanzhen.

All she had needed was to put on the shy, bashful expression of a young girl in love, and Muye had naturally handed the task over to her!

The Silver Dragon King, a symbol of wisdom!

Lung Mist Na'er, cry! Cry loudly!

Gu Yue tore open Zhao Xuanzhen's tattered clothes and discovered that he was the type who looked lean in clothes but was well-built underneath. His jade white back glistened with moisture, his muscles rising in perfectly measured contours, making him resemble nine-section green bamboo—vigorous and upright.

Clothing scraps clung to the wounds. Gu Yue gathered Water Element to carefully wash the surrounding areas, then used Ice Tweezer to remove them precisely. Finally, she squeezed a dollop of ointment onto her fingertips. The instant she pressed it against him, Zhao Xuanzhen sucked in a sharp breath.

"Does it hurt?"

"...I suspect Ben Ti Douluo is taking revenge. He probably added several times the normal amount of some spicy herb."

Zhao Xuanzhen turned his head and spoke seriously. A burning pain swept over him, making his expression twitch slightly.

"Shh—"

The young girl pressed her index finger against his lips. The morning breeze carried the fragrance from her sleeve into his nasal cavity. As Zhao Xuanzhen stared blankly, he heard the sticky sound of ointment being rubbed in.

Kneeling beside him, Gu Yue's slender calves beneath her skirt hem resembled jade soaked in milk. Her hands, covered in white ointment, waved before Zhao Xuanzhen's eyes.

"Bear with it. It has always been girls who cry out in pain." Gu Yue's tone rose at the end.

Zhao Xuanzhen was convinced Muye had added something extra. Heat seemed to burst through his skin, as though someone were pouring boiling copper into every pore.

Yet the girl's tender palms felt wrapped in icy silk. With a strange rhythm, they moved from his tailbone to his shoulders and neck. Pain and coolness intertwined wherever they passed. Zhao Xuanzhen clearly felt Gu Yue's little finger hook beneath his ribs, deliberately scraping the edges of his wounds with her nail.

"Evil aura... I heard evil attributes are difficult to remove completely. Will the wounds leave scars?"

She leaned down, her nose brushing his shoulder peak. Warm breath swept over him, and Zhao Xuanzhen's ear tip turned a suspicious red.

"They won't. The Original Martial Soul has strong recovery abilities."

The medicinal effects boiled like countless fire ants biting his back. Yet at that moment, Gu Yue tucked her long hair behind her ears, and the ends of it brushed over Zhao Xuanzhen's waist hollow like a gentle rain falling from the sky.

"Turn over. It's time for the front."

"Mm."

Dust motes danced like golden powder in the morning light, gathering into tiny halos upon the young girl's eyelashes. Zhao Xuanzhen's eyes reflected an incomparably beautiful, tranquil face, tinted with a captivating flush of red.

"What did you and Senior Body do? How did you end up covered in injuries?"

"Probably a whole night of clanging and banging, crackling and popping, snapping and crashing..."

"Is that so? Your sound effects are truly a complete mess."

Gu Yue smiled as she played along. Lowering her gaze, she evenly applied the ointment and softly asked with meaningful intent, "If it were Na'er right now, what would she say at a time like this?"

"Her..." Zhao Xuanzhen tried to imagine it.

"Most likely, 'Little Zhen, Little Zhen, be good. All the pain flew away!'"

Gu Yue burst into laughter and imitated Zhao Xuanzhen's tone. "All the pain flew away!"

"You're so childish... huh?"

Halfway through mocking her, Zhao Xuanzhen suddenly realized in horror that the pain had really flown the hell away!

Divine Doctor Gu Yue!