The Jade Pendant's Transformation

Chapter 16: The Jade Pendant's Transformation

There was no doubt that the throbbing thing was the Fire Lizard's heart. Its body was covered in thick scales, but this spot was extremely soft—its fatal weakness. Under normal circumstances, it was located beneath its body, close to the ground, making it difficult for an opponent to land a lethal blow. But this time, during its fight with Chu Xiaotian, its weak spot had been completely exposed beneath Chu Xiaotian's claws.

With one swipe, Chu Xiaotian tore out its heart, and the Fire Lizard died instantly. The flames covering its body went out at the same time. Then its blood came gushing out. This was exactly what Chu Xiaotian loved most right now, so he swallowed it without hesitation.

The vital essence of ordinary creatures, once swallowed, had its yang energy absorbed by Chu Xiaotian. Although it could neutralize the Corpse Poison in his body, it usually had little effect on him. But this time, for some reason—perhaps because its yang energy was too strong—the vital essence inside the Fire Lizard erupted in Chu Xiaotian's body the moment it entered, like water poured into a pot of boiling oil.

The spiritual energy contained in the blood became incredibly violent and collided fiercely with the Corpse Poison in his body. A succession of deafening booms rang out as the two opposing forces clashed inside him without giving an inch. Chu Xiaotian's body was in utter turmoil. Agonizing pain spread through him, and even without his senses, he could feel the tearing pain.

The Fire Lizard had lived for years in this place, where yang energy was abundant. It was also a demonic beast, and the amount of yang spiritual energy in its blood was many times greater than that found in ordinary beasts. Chu Xiaotian devoured the vital essence of living creatures partly to strengthen his body, and partly to use the yang energy in their blood to counteract the yin chill of the Corpse Poison inside him.

Normally, the yang energy he absorbed could only slightly neutralize the Corpse Poison in his body. It wasn't strong enough to fight it; after all, the Corpse Poison was far more powerful. But this time, the yang energy in the Fire Lizard's blood was exceptionally abundant, strong enough to contend with the Corpse Poison. That left Chu Xiaotian in agony.

Still, the yang energy in the Fire Lizard's blood was an outsider. Compared with the Corpse Poison already in Chu Xiaotian's body, it was much weaker. After clashing for a while, it began to lose ground. At this rate, it would soon be completely dissolved by the Corpse Poison. But the valley where the Fire Lizard lived was scorching hot, and its yang energy was extraordinarily dense. At that moment, more and more of it poured into Chu Xiaotian from outside, joining the yang energy in the Fire Lizard's blood to suppress the Corpse Poison.

The Corpse Poison began to lose ground. Just then, the Jade Pendant around Chu Xiaotian's neck began to change as well. It was always suppressing the Corpse Poison in his body, but at night, when yin energy prevailed and yang energy waned, it was powerless and could only let the poison run rampant. The situation now was different. The Fire Lizard's blood and the valley's yang energy were suppressing the Corpse Poison, and there was hardly any yin energy in the valley. Under these conditions, the pendant could once again suppress the Corpse Poison in Chu Xiaotian's body.

The world before Chu Xiaotian's eyes slowly cleared. His senses gradually returned, and his zombie form disappeared as he reverted to his original appearance. The first thing he did upon regaining consciousness was suck in sharp breaths through his teeth.

When he had transformed into a zombie, he had been badly burned fighting the Fire Lizard. But as a zombie, he had no consciousness and couldn't feel pain. Now that his senses had returned, the stinging pain from his burned skin surged through his body, making him tremble uncontrollably. Fortunately, his zombie form and his normal body were practically two separate things. The burned areas had left him with nothing but reddened skin and a stinging sensation like needles pricking him; the charred flesh hadn't carried over. Otherwise, seeing himself burned black as a piece of charcoal, Chu Xiaotian might have slammed his head against the rocks and killed himself.

Feeling the unrelenting stinging pain and the valley's oven-like heat, Chu Xiaotian had just regained consciousness when he immediately bolted toward the exit. But after a few steps, he stopped and looked around. His senses had only just returned, and he had assumed it was already dawn and that he could go back. But what he saw proved it was still night. The main reason he was so clear-headed was the sweltering valley. Its dense yang energy had suppressed the Corpse Poison in his body and restored his clarity.

He didn't know what had happened to him earlier, but after looking around, he thought it over briefly and understood why he was conscious. He knew that as soon as he left the valley, he would turn back into a mindless zombie. That was the last thing he wanted.

Enduring the heat, Chu Xiaotian gritted his teeth and stood still in the valley, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons of leaving. The temperature was so high that if he stayed, his body would be roasted alive before long. But if he went outside, without the valley's yang energy to suppress it, the Corpse Poison in his body would flare up again, turning him into a zombie who knew nothing but killing.

It was a dilemma. Neither choice was what Chu Xiaotian wanted. But his situation forced him to choose. After wrestling with it for a long while, he finally decided to leave the valley. He turned into a zombie every night anyway, so one more night didn't matter. If he stayed in the valley and tried to tough it out, he would truly be choosing a dead end.

He hadn't gone far when he stopped again, his gaze falling on the Jade Pendant around his neck. It was no longer the green color he had seen before. Now it glowed red all over, greedily devouring the valley's yang energy. Then it slowly floated upward, as if it were about to break free of the red cord holding it and shoot into the sky.

This thing was what allowed him to return to human form during the day. He absolutely couldn't lose it. Seeing it about to fly away, Chu Xiaotian didn't hesitate. He grabbed the pendant. The moment he touched it, his face twisted in pain. A scream that shook the heavens and earth rang through the valley.

The pendant could no longer be called a jade pendant. It was a red-hot piece of iron. The sensation of Chu Xiaotian grabbing it in his panic needed no explanation.

That wasn't even the worst part. Although Chu Xiaotian desperately wanted to let go, he had to grit his teeth and hold on. Otherwise, the pendant would fly away.

Enduring the excruciating pain, Chu Xiaotian didn't hesitate any longer. Clutching the pendant, he charged toward the valley's exit. He couldn't stay there another second. But he had chased those beasts all the way to the center of the valley. Getting out was hardly something he could manage in a moment.

Caught between the pendant in his hand and the waves of heat in the valley, Chu Xiaotian felt his consciousness growing fainter. The hair on his head had already begun to curl, and wisps of smoke were rising from it. In a few minutes, it would probably burst into flames. Worst of all, the torment on both sides had drained his strength to the limit. He was nearly unable to run, and the exit was still a long way off.

Was this where he would be buried? A bitter smile tugged at Chu Xiaotian's lips, and his heart filled with bitterness. He had finally arrived in a world like this, hoping to make his mark, only to end up dying here without anyone even knowing.

But there was always a way out. Just as Chu Xiaotian thought he was about to die in the valley, a warm current suddenly flowed from the Jade Pendant in his palm, instantly spreading through his body. Under its warmth, his near-dead body miraculously recovered completely, and in the blink of an eye, he was full of energy again. A faint red glow surrounded him. The valley's terrifying heat could no longer harm him in the slightest.

At the same time, he suddenly realized that something new had appeared in his mind. Protected by the Jade Pendant, he was in no immediate danger of dying. So when Chu Xiaotian reached the edge of the valley, he stopped instead of charging out. This place would let him remain conscious, and if the pendant stopped protecting him, he would still be able to leave the valley safely without losing his life.

He didn't dwell on the joy of surviving. Instead, Chu Xiaotian focused on the things that had suddenly appeared in his mind.

It was a memory—a memory stored in the Jade Pendant in his hand. After examining it, Chu Xiaotian trembled all over with excitement. In that memory, he had found the thing he wanted most: a cultivation technique. It was practically tailor-made for him.