Jin Gang

The Venerables were utterly baffled, as were the Divine Beings, the Witch, and the others. None of them had any idea why this was happening.

They had been studying the runic bones when the bones suddenly burst into flame.

Then the bones flew toward the altar at the same time, causing it to rumble. Even greater flames surged out, quickly spreading throughout the hall.

None of them dared linger, so they hurried back to this hall.

"Oh, that was terrifying. Big Sister nearly met her end up there. You're the slippery one, coming back here so early," the Witch said with a grin as she walked over and sat down beside Lei Chong.

Judging by her tone, the Witch had suffered no harm.

"I was surrounded and attacked, and you never came to help me. I was nearly besieged to death and had no choice but to flee down here early, yet you call me slippery," Lei Chong said with a sigh.

The Witch looked Lei Chong up and down, her eyes darting about.

"Little Brother, you're so strong that you even slew the Demon Spider Divine Being. With Big Sister's meager strength, I'd only have gotten in your way if I'd stepped in."

Lei Chong merely smiled and shook his head without exposing the Witch.

He quickly swept his gaze across the people ahead and saw that more than half were missing. The struggle for a precious technique was indeed brutal; it had only just begun, and more than half were already dead.

Hum!

Lei Chong paid the others no further attention and began to circulate the flames within him. Clusters of fire emerged from his body and began to heal his injuries.

Sensing the fluctuations, several people turned toward him, light flickering in their eyes. They had clearly recognized the flames.

They too had studied the True Phoenix bone and knew what those flames were.

If fighting had not been forbidden here, they would have attacked long ago.

Lei Chong ignored them and continued silently studying the True Phoenix Art.

Hum!

Brilliant flames burned ever more fiercely, a peculiar secret power circulating within them as they healed Lei Chong's injuries.

As time passed, he grew increasingly proficient in the True Phoenix Art.

But the art was incomplete and could not allow him to undergo Nirvana fully. Even so, it had some effect, and his injuries had almost healed.

Hum!

A fluctuation came from the rift above, and the flames within it gradually vanished.

Everyone looked up, staring at the rift overhead. The instant the flames disappeared, they charged into it.

Lei Chong did not move. He remained seated cross-legged, for the Ten Fiends' precious techniques were all complex, and could not be comprehended in a short time.

Even an incomplete precious technique like this one would still take a long time.

Lei Chong could not be bothered to pay attention to the battle above. The art inside was incomplete, and even if someone obtained all of it, it would have little to do with him. He could not be bothered to compete with them.

The battle above continued, and more and more Venerables died.

Before long, however, those people returned. Evidently, the flames had erupted above, forcing them to retreat.

Even fewer people returned this time, and those who did were more seriously injured. Even Jin Gang of the Western Sect bore terrifying wounds.

None of them dared waste time. They took out precious pills, spirit medicines, and other remedies to treat their injuries in preparation for the next round of battle.

Hum!

Another fluctuation came from the rift above, and the flames within it vanished again.

Lei Chong's injuries had healed. He looked up at the rift and was the first to leap into the space, intending to investigate it thoroughly.

A layer of flame still lingered around the altar. He was all too familiar with these flames: they were the True Phoenix's Nirvana Flame.

Lei Chong immediately activated the True Phoenix Precious Technique, drawing in the Nirvana Flame on the altar.

Hum!

Strands of flame rose and landed on Lei Chong's body. Their temperature was so high that they scorched his skin black.

Boom!

Lei Chong continued to use the True Phoenix Precious Technique to control the flames covering his body.

The flames were extremely violent, far beyond Lei Chong's cultivation realm, and caused him some injuries. Fortunately, he used the True Phoenix Precious Technique to bring the Nirvana Flame under control and heal himself.

Silently sensing the changes in himself, Lei Chong could not help looking delighted.

Absorbing the flames here could replenish that Nirvana Flame and also partially complete the Nirvana Art, making the precious technique more complete.

But only half of the True Phoenix runic bones remained, and too much of their contents was missing.

Completing the Nirvana Art would surely take quite some time.

There was no use rushing now, however. The flames there quickly disappeared into the altar, until at last they vanished completely.

Lei Chong stood before the altar, continuously circulating the True Phoenix Precious Technique. Yet the altar remained utterly still, and no more flames emerged.

After studying it briefly, he stopped circulating the precious technique for the time being.

In the end, he investigated the area around the altar without touching the runic bones on it again.

He examined the altar, carefully searching its surroundings. The last time he had come in, he had been busy fighting for the runic bones and had not had time to inspect it.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several figures charged up through the rift, each activating the Incomplete True Phoenix Art. A terrifying battle erupted in full as they all fought for the True Phoenix runic bones.

Boom!

A golden palm appeared, striking toward Lei Chong's back.

It was Jin Gang of the Western Sect. Seeing Lei Chong standing before the altar, he struck at him with a palm without saying a word.

Bang!

Lei Chong swiftly shifted to the side while raising a fist to meet the blow. Two golden lights collided, rumbling through the hall.

Clang!

While the two were exchanging blows, a Divine Being suddenly attacked. A streak of silvery-white sword light stabbed toward the back of Jin Gang's head.

The sword light struck the golden head as though it had hit a block of metal. A metallic twang rang out, like the sound of hammering iron.

The sneak attack was precise, piercing Jin Gang's skull.

Threads of bright red blood flowed down, staining the back of Jin Gang's head and his back red.

This man was too powerful. Whenever the Divine Beings around him had a chance, they would try to ambush him, hoping to seize the opportunity to kill him here.

If Jin Gang's skull had not been so strong, that sword strike would have killed him.

Jin Gang broke off his clash with Lei Chong and swiftly shifted sideways, unleashing the golden alms bowl in his hand to envelop his attacker.

He took out several golden pills and swallowed them all.

Hum!

Lei Chong opened his Heavenly Passage, and three spirit bodies emerged from it. Each held a treasure, guarding Lei Chong on all sides.

He did not pursue Jin Gang, but continued investigating the altar.

The altar was enormous, like a great mountain. Thoroughly investigating the place would certainly take some time.

As time passed, however, Lei Chong found nothing.

Boom!

Suddenly, the altar trembled. Strands of flame drifted out, enveloping the entire altar before spreading rapidly in all directions.

At the same time, the runic bones flew back and gathered together above the altar.

Everyone in the hall set off, charging toward the rift.

Lei Chong naturally did not dare tarry either. He recalled his spirit bodies into his Heavenly Passage, then turned into a bolt of lightning and rushed toward the rift.

Lei Chong's expression soon changed. A man stood before the rift: Jin Gang of the Western Sect. He raised his palm and struck at Lei Chong.