35: Black Iron Body Second Stage

Deep within the Snake-People Clan outpost, at the end of a hidden passage leading underground, the heavy stone door slowly closed behind Li Ao, completely isolating all sound and light from the outside world.

Inside the door, it was not the pitch black he had expected. A scorching aura rushed forward, and the air was filled with the fiery smell of sulfur and molten rock. The entire secret chamber was not large; the walls and dome were all made of a strange, dark red rock capable of withstanding high temperatures, naturally patterned with flowing flames. In the center of the chamber was a pool about three meters square. The pool did not contain clear water, but rather churning, surging, blood-red, viscous magma! Earth Fire Essence!

This was the Earth Fire Secret Chamber, which the Snake-People Clan regarded as forbidden territory. The violent, pure fire-attribute energy had almost solidified. Cultivating here yielded twice the result with half the effort, but it also carried the immense risk of being incinerated by the Earth Fire.

Li Ao stood by the edge of the pool, the hot air currents whipping his damaged blue robe, revealing the smooth contours of muscles that held explosive power beneath. His expression was calm as he sensed the energy concentration here, which far surpassed the outside world, and the scorching Concept, full of vitality and destruction, which was completely opposite to the 'Nirvana' rule.

"This place is perfect."

He no longer hesitated, shedding the tattered clothes on his upper body, revealing his lean and powerful torso, where old and new scars looked even more ferocious under the crimson light. He stepped into the churning magma pool!

"Sizzle—!"

A sickening searing sound rang out! The high-temperature Earth Fire, capable of instantly vaporizing refined steel, frantically burned his skin! Excruciating pain surged over him like a tide!

Li Ao grunted, veins bulging on his forehead, but his eyes grew sharper. The Black Iron Hegemon Body Mind-Cultivation Technique circulated wildly, and the dark black iron luster beneath his skin flowed at an unprecedented speed, forcibly resisting the terrifying high temperature! Not only that, but he also actively opened all the pores on his body, like a thirsty sponge, frantically devouring the incomparably pure fire-attribute energy in the pool, as well as the faint but truly present power of the 'Nirvana' rule pervading the air!

He intended to use this extreme environment, using fire for Body Tempering and Nirvana for refinement, to forcibly charge the second stage of the Black Iron Hegemon Body!

Time flowed past amidst extreme agony and the rapid increase in power.

Li Ao was like a divine statue submerged in a furnace, allowing the Earth Fire to scorch him and Nirvana to erode him. His skin continuously underwent Reincarnation between charring and rebirth, his bones emitted sounds of unbearable strain yet grew increasingly tough, and his Meridians were repeatedly torn apart by the impact of the violent energy, only to be repaired and widened again and again by the power of the Black Iron Hegemon Body.

The System interface flashed rapidly in his mind, assisting him in precisely guiding every bit of energy and optimizing the route for charging the Bottleneck.

[host Physical Body strength continues to increase... Blood Qi is boiling... The Bottleneck of the first stage of the Black Iron Hegemon Body is loosening... Absorbing the power of the 'Nirvana' rule, Soul resistance is increasing... System energy recovery is accelerating...]

It was unknown how much time had passed, perhaps one day, perhaps three.

Li Ao, submerged in the magma pool, suddenly experienced a change in his aura!

The dark black iron luster that originally circulated beneath his skin abruptly retracted inward, as if entirely settling into the deepest parts of his bones, muscles, and blood! An aura far heavier, more restrained, and more ferocious than before, like a sleeping primordial Vicious Beast, slowly awakened!

He fiercely opened his eyes!

The sharp silver-gray light in his eyes was gone, replaced by a deep, dark black iron color that seemed capable of swallowing light! Deep within his pupils, two tiny clusters of crimson, flickering like Earth Fire, were faintly visible!

The Black Iron Hegemon Body, second stage, complete!

He slowly raised his hand and clenched his fist. Without activating any power, merely the Physical Body itself caused the air around his fist to emit a low hum, oppressed by extreme force! His skin displayed a healthy bronze color, seemingly no different from an ordinary person, but the explosive power contained beneath was enough to easily shatter mountain rock!

He felt that with his current Physical Body alone, he was enough to forcefully shake a high-rank Dou Ling! If combined with Furious Wind Quick Blade and Thunder Sound Steps, he had nothing to fear below the Dou King level!

His strength had skyrocketed!

Li Ao stood up from the magma pool; the searing Earth Fire was now like warm water to him. He walked onto the edge of the pool, feeling the surging power within his body, and an unprecedented sense of control flooded his heart.

It was time.

He pushed open the heavy stone door and walked out.

Outside, it was already night, and the desert sky was exceptionally brilliant with stars.

When he returned to the stone house above ground, Medusa was standing by the window, gazing at the starry sky. Hearing his footsteps, she turned around.

Their eyes met.

A hint of unconcealed astonishment flashed across Medusa's seven-colored eyes. The aura of Li Ao before her was completely restrained, like the deep sea, making his depth impossible to gauge. Yet, the sense of oppression originating from his life Origin was several times stronger than before! Especially those dark black iron eyes; beneath their calm surface, they seemed to contain a sharpness capable of tearing apart everything.

He... had Broken through again?

Only a few days had passed?

"Congratulations." Medusa suppressed the turmoil in her heart; her voice was still cold, but held less aloofness.

Li Ao nodded, his gaze falling upon the flame mark on her forehead. The crack still existed, but it seemed slightly fainter than before. Clearly, she had not given up her efforts during the days he was gone.

"I am leaving," Li Ao stated, directly explaining his purpose.

Medusa was not surprised, merely asking, "Going to the Jia Ma Empire?"

"Yes." Li Ao walked up to her and took a few items from his System space: a jade talisman inscribed with a simple spirit-gathering and protective Formation, a bottle of simple Medicinal Pills he had refined using leftover medicinal ingredients and a trace of his vital Origin Qi, and a rough beast-skin map marking the locations of several dangerous areas that might contain heavenly treasures.

"These are for you." He handed the items over. "The jade talisman can help you gather energy while regulating your breath, the Medicinal Pills can temporarily slow the depletion of your Origin, and the markings on the map might be useful to you."

Medusa looked at the items in his hand, especially the bottle of Medicinal Pills that clearly carried his aura, and an extremely complex emotion flashed in her seven-colored eyes. She remained silent for a moment, then reached out and accepted them, her fingertips inevitably brushing against his palm, which was slightly cool.

"...Thank you." She put the items away, her voice very soft.

Li Ao looked at her, then suddenly stretched out his hand. A wisp of energy, more condensed than before and carrying a dark black iron luster and a trace of crimson fire Qi, gathered at his fingertip, and he tapped the crack on her forehead again.

This time, Medusa did not resist, even tilting her head back slightly and closing her eyes, allowing his power to probe in.

That wisp of energy acted like the most skillful carving knife, cautiously moving and sorting through the crack in her rule. The intense pain remained, but accompanying the pain was a clearer sensation of the restriction being slowly pried loose.

Moments later, Li Ao withdrew his hand, his aura still steady. The crack on Medusa's forehead seemed to have subtly shrunk by another fraction, and the light from the azure flame lotus mark had brightened slightly.

"Wait for my return." Li Ao looked into her opened beautiful eyes and said. His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable promise.

Medusa gazed into his dark black iron pupils, as if trying to see everything hidden deep within. After a long silence, she gently nodded: "Be careful."

There were no superfluous words, no sentimental farewells.

Li Ao turned, pushed open the door of the stone house, and his figure merged into the desert night. With a few flashes, he vanished into the endless sea of sand.

Medusa walked to the doorway, looking in the direction he had disappeared. The night wind ruffled her purple hair and damaged brocade robe. She raised her hand, gently touching the mark on her forehead that still retained a trace of his power's residual warmth, and then tightly gripped the bottle of Medicinal Pills in her hand that carried his aura.

In her seven-colored eyes, the frost completely faded, leaving only a deep, complex ripple that even she could not fully decipher.

She knew that when he reappeared, he would undoubtedly stir up monstrous waves on the land called Jia Ma.

And she, perhaps very soon, would hear the distant hum of his blade being unsheathed.

The desert was desolate, and the Milky Way hung low.

A new storm was brewing. And this time, the wielder of the blade was named Li Ao.