The Jade Pendant's Anomaly

Chapter 16: The Jade Pendant's Mutation

That pulsing object was, without a doubt, the fire lizard's heart. While the creature's body was covered in a thick layer of scales, this specific area was incredibly soft—its fatal weak point. Usually, this spot remained pressed against the ground beneath its body, making it nearly impossible for an opponent to land a lethal blow. This time, however, during the struggle with Chu Xiaotian, that fatal vulnerability had been fully exposed to his sharp claws.

With a single swipe, he gouged out the heart. The fire lizard died instantly, and the flames covering its body extinguished. A torrent of blood gushed out in its wake. To the current Chu Xiaotian, this was a delicacy, and he swallowed it without a moment's hesitation.

Typically, when he consumed the life essence of living creatures, the masculine energy contained within would be absorbed to neutralize the corpse poison in his body, though it never had much of an effect on him otherwise. This time, however, whether the fire lizard's blood contained an overwhelming amount of masculine energy or for some other reason, the moment it entered his system, it was like water hitting a pot of boiling oil. It erupted within him instantly.

The spiritual energy contained within that blood became incredibly violent, clashing head-on with the corpse poison in his veins. A series of thunderous booms echoed as the two diametrically opposed forces collided, neither willing to yield. Chu Xiaotian's body was thrown into chaos; a sensation of excruciating agony spread through his entire being. Even without his consciousness, he could feel that soul-shattering pain.

The fire lizard had lived for years in this place rich with masculine energy, and as a demonic beast itself, the amount of masculine spiritual energy in its blood was many times greater than that of an ordinary wild animal. Chu Xiaotian devoured the blood of living creatures partly to strengthen his body, but also to use the masculine energy within to neutralize the yin-cold energy of the corpse poison.

Generally, the masculine energy he absorbed could only slightly neutralize the poison without the strength to truly contend with it; after all, the corpse poison was far more potent. But this time, the masculine energy in the fire lizard's blood was so dense that it had reached a level capable of challenging the poison. Consequently, Chu Xiaotian suffered immensely.

However, the masculine energy from the fire lizard's blood was, after all, an outsider compared to the corpse poison that had taken root within him. After clashing for a while, the masculine energy began to lose ground. At this rate, it would soon be completely dissolved by the poison. Yet, the valley where the fire lizard lived was exceptionally hot, and the masculine energy here was incredibly dense. At this moment, it began to pour into Chu Xiaotian's body from the outside, joining forces with the energy from the lizard's blood to suppress the corpse poison together.

As the corpse poison began to falter, the jade pendant around Chu Xiaotian's neck started to change. It had been suppressing the poison within him every moment, but at night, when the world was dominated by yin, it had been powerless, forced to let the poison run rampant. Now, however, the situation was different. With the poison being suppressed by the fire lizard's blood and the valley's ambient masculine energy—and with almost no yin-cold energy present in this valley—the pendant was once again able to exert its influence over the poison in his body.

The scene in Chu Xiaotian's eyes slowly cleared. His consciousness gradually returned, his zombie form faded away, and he reverted to his original appearance. The first thing he did upon waking was to hiss as he drew in a sharp breath.

When he had transformed into a zombie to defeat the fire lizard, his body had been severely burned. As a zombie, he had lacked consciousness and felt no pain. Now that he had regained his senses, the stinging sensation from the burns across his body assaulted him, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. Fortunately, his zombie form was distinct from his true body; the charred areas had left behind only fire-red skin and a needle-like stinging pain, rather than leaving the scorched flesh behind. Had it been otherwise, seeing himself burned to a crisp like a piece of charcoal, Chu Xiaotian might have simply smashed his head against the rocks and ended it all.

Feeling the constant stinging pain and the oven-like heat of the valley, the newly awakened Chu Xiaotian didn't hesitate to bolt toward the valley exit. But after only a few steps, he stopped and turned to survey his surroundings. When his mind first cleared, he had assumed it was dawn and that he could go home. The reality, however, proved that it was not yet day. The only reason he was so clear-headed was because of this scorching valley. The dense masculine energy here was suppressing the corpse poison, allowing his consciousness to recover.

Although he didn't know exactly what had happened to him, a moment of reflection on the situation allowed him to understand why he was awake. He knew that the moment he stepped out of the valley, he would revert to a mindless zombie. That was not a fate he was willing to accept.

Enduring the intense heat, Chu Xiaotian gritted his teeth and stood his ground, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons of leaving. The temperature in the valley was extreme; if he stayed, his current body would likely be roasted alive before long. But if he left, without the valley's masculine energy to suppress the poison, it would inevitably erupt again, turning him back into a mindless killing machine.

It was a dilemma, and neither option was what Chu Xiaotian wanted. Yet, the current situation forced his hand. After a long internal struggle, he finally decided to leave the valley. He would turn into a zombie every night anyway, so one more night wouldn't make a difference. If he stayed here and stubbornly held on, he would truly be walking to his death.

He hadn't gone far before he stopped again, his gaze falling on the jade pendant around his neck. It was no longer the green he had seen before; it was now glowing with a layer of red light, frantically devouring the masculine energy of the valley. It began to float, as if trying to break free from the red string and soar into the sky.

This object was his vital safeguard for maintaining his human form during the day; he could not afford to lose it. Seeing it about to fly away, Chu Xiaotian didn't dare hesitate and grabbed it. The moment he did, his expression turned ghastly. Then, a heaven-shaking howl of agony erupted in the valley.

The pendant could no longer be called a piece of jade; it was more like a branding iron—a red-hot one at that. The feeling of grabbing it in his panic went without saying.

That wasn't even the most painful part. The worst was that although he desperately wanted to let go, he had to grit his teeth and hold on, or else the pendant would fly away.

Enduring the heart-wrenching pain, Chu Xiaotian didn't hesitate further. He clutched the pendant and bolted toward the valley exit; he couldn't stay in this place for even another second. However, he had chased those beasts into the center of the valley, and running out now was not something he could accomplish in an instant.

Under the dual assault of the burning pendant in his hand and the heatwaves of the valley, Chu Xiaotian felt his consciousness fading. The hair on his head began to curl, and wisps of blue smoke drifted upward; in a few minutes, he would likely burst into flames. Most critically, under this double torment, his stamina reached its absolute limit, and he could barely run. Yet, he was still a significant distance from the exit.

"Am I going to die in this place?" A bitter smile touched his lips, his heart filled with resentment. He had finally arrived in this world and hoped to make a name for himself, only to end up dying here in silence.

However, as the saying goes, heaven never closes all doors. Just as Chu Xiaotian thought he would perish in the valley, a warm current suddenly surged from the jade pendant in his palm, spreading instantly throughout his body. His nearly withered, exhausted frame miraculously recovered under this warmth, and in the blink of an eye, he was full of vigor again. A faint red glow radiated from his body, and the terrifying heatwaves of the valley could no longer cause him the slightest bit of harm.

At the same time, he suddenly realized that something new had appeared in his mind. With his body protected by the pendant, he was no longer in immediate danger of dying. Thus, when he reached the edge of the valley, he stopped instead of rushing out. This place not only allowed him to remain clear-headed but also ensured he could leave safely when the pendant could no longer protect him, without losing his life.

Without dwelling on the joy of surviving a disaster, Chu Xiaotian focused his mind on the new information that had appeared in his head.

It was a memory—a memory preserved within the jade pendant in his hand. Upon reviewing this memory, Chu Xiaotian was so excited that his entire body began to tremble. From this memory, he had discovered the one thing he desired most: a cultivation technique. It was, one could say, a technique tailor-made for him.