Exploring the Deepest Reaches of the Demon Cavern

After Lu Qing'an plunged into the giant pit, he did not stop. Instead, he picked up speed, and the Demonic Qi surrounding him formed a faint black shield of light that enclosed him and the four others, including Xu Yunyi.

At that moment, they felt no discomfort whatsoever.

But if the black shield vanished, Xu Yunyi and the other three would instantly be reduced to ashes. Only Lu Qing'an would survive.

Sun Minzi watched as Lu Qing'an continued to carry them swiftly downward, past the depth an ordinary Great Emperor Realm expert could reach. Her throat bobbed.

Good heavens!

She couldn't feel a thing!

Yet according to rumor, at this depth, even experts in the Middle or Late Great Emperor Realm would be in extreme discomfort!

They might even die!

Was this the Eternal Night Demon Emperor's power?!

In the blink of an eye, Lu Qing'an came to a stop in the central region of the Heavenfall Demon Cavern, at a depth of roughly three li.

He found a nearby spot where the four could sit cross-legged comfortably.

With a wave of his hand, a larger black shield of light spread out to cover everything within a radius of ten zhang. The waves of raging flame inside it instantly subsided.

It was just like the normal environment outside.

Naturally, that would not let Xu Yunyi and the others temper their bodies, so he still had to do something to let a little of the raging flames through the black shield.

As the waves of flame entered the black shield, it filtered out the elements most dangerous to the human body, retaining only those that would temper it.

"I've divided this area into three zones. At the very center, where you're standing now, there's no tempering effect at all. You can rest properly here.

"About one zhang out is the second zone. Try walking into it, and you'll feel a fairly intense burning sensation in your bodies. Of course, it won't seriously harm you. It will only make your bodies very uncomfortable. That's the tempering taking effect. Endure it, and you'll reap great rewards. You might even gain some insights into cultivation. Farther out, anywhere inside the black shield is still safe. The tempering effect will simply be stronger. Got that?"

Lu Qing'an looked at the four of them and asked the question seriously.

All four nodded. Even Lu Miaomiao understood exactly what Lu Qing'an meant.

"Good. Give it a try."

Lu Qing'an did not leave. He stood to one side and watched.

Xu Yunyi and the other three walked forward.

When they reached the point one zhang away, they suddenly felt an intense burning sensation spread through their bodies.

In an instant, sweat broke out on their foreheads.

It streamed down!

"Daddy! It's so hot!" Lu Miaomiao cried.

Lu Qing'an said, "Miaomiao, do you remember what Daddy told you? Only by enduring the bitterest of hardships can you rise above others. If you can't even bear this little hardship, you won't be able to become much stronger than others in the future."

"Okay! Miaomiao can endure hardship!" Lu Miaomiao struggled to bear it.

Xu Yunyi's cultivation was much higher than the three children's. The discomfort here was not unbearable for her, so she continued forward.

When she reached the next zone, she instantly felt a terrifying wave of heat sweep toward her.

"This!"

She stopped at once. Her whole body was in extreme discomfort, but she still did not feel that her life was in danger.

After enduring it for a while, her eyes suddenly widened.

She discovered that impurities were rapidly being expelled from her body!

At the same time, she actually gained some insight into cultivation and formation problems she had been unable to understand!

Seeing that all four understood what he meant, Lu Qing'an was reassured.

"All right, remember not to leave this black shield. Even if someone appears nearby, pay them no mind. No matter how strong they are, they won't be able to get in."

He reminded them once more before leaving, then turned to his two daughters. "Zixuan, Miaomiao, Daddy still has things to do, so I may have to leave for a while. Train well here and wait for me to come back."

"Okay!" Lu Zixuan nodded seriously, gritting her teeth as she endured the discomfort in her body.

"Okay, Daddy! Miaomiao will wait for you to come back!" Lu Miaomiao said.

Lu Qing'an nodded with a smile, then turned and flew out of the black shield, heading deeper into the Heavenfall Demon Cavern.

This was only a slightly dangerous depth in the center of the Heavenfall Demon Cavern. Most experts at the Late Great Emperor Realm or above could reach it.

The materials he wanted would be found at least in the deepest region of the Heavenfall Demon Cavern.

Before he had broken through to the Great Emperor Realm, he had used every means at his disposal to reach a depth of twenty li in the Heavenfall Demon Cavern. That was the deepest he had gone.

It was also where he had obtained the Immortal-Slaying Black Flame.

But the Heavenfall Demon Cavern was more than twenty li deep.

No one knew exactly how deep the Heavenfall Demon Cavern was!

No one had been there.

Now that he had returned and grown stronger, he could explore its deepest reaches!

"I hope I can find more artifact-refining materials at the very bottom."

If he had enough materials, he could forge two more treasures for his daughters.

A suit of armor for his eldest daughter.

A divine weapon for his youngest daughter.

Then he thought of his son.

Although his son had chosen to go with Xu Qingying, he was still his son. If there were any materials left over, he would forge a suit of armor for him too.

Lu Qing'an became a streak of black light and flew even faster toward the deeper reaches of the Heavenfall Demon Cavern.

At a depth of ten li in the Heavenfall Demon Cavern.

Two people were flying deeper, sweat pouring down their bodies.

They moved as slowly as if they were strolling, their movements seemingly in slow motion.

The two descended almost level with each other.

They had all sorts of things on them.

There were treasures, formations, and surging, towering Demonic Qi.

Both of them were at the Peak Great Emperor Realm.

"Old good-for-nothing! Look! I've taken another step ahead of you! Hahaha! You just can't beat me!!" One of them, a black-robed man with the appearance of a middle-aged man, took a full step downward, then turned to look at the white-robed middle-aged man one step behind him and cackled mockingly.

The white-robed middle-aged man's face was covered in sweat, and black smoke rose from his head as if he were angry.

"Just you wait! I'm about to take that step! Aah!!!"

The white-robed middle-aged man finally took the step, once again drawing level with the black-robed man.

"Haha! See that? I've caught up with you again!"

"Hmph! Just wait! I'll soon take another step ahead of you!!"

As if locked in a contest of wills, the two continued slowly downward.

But just as their contest was growing fierce, they suddenly whipped their heads around.

"Wait! Why does it feel like someone's approaching fast?!" the black-robed middle-aged man exclaimed.

"Now that you mention it, I feel it too! But that can't be right! How could anyone be approaching fast?! At this depth, if we want to go any farther down, even people with cultivation and strength like ours could be reduced to ashes with one careless move!"

As they stood there baffled, a black figure suddenly appeared behind them. In the blink of an eye, it had flashed between them and continued speeding deeper!

It was as fast as a shooting star!

"Uh..."

Both were dumbfounded. For a moment, they even forgot where they were. Only after being badly burned did they snap back to their senses and hurriedly fend off the flames sweeping toward them.