txolops Chapter 279 Snow Silk Robe
Chapter 279 Snow Silk Robe
Lock, lock, lock every update of 《》.
After everyone had made their choices and disappeared into the light screen, Luo Ming calmly stood up, straightened his robes, glanced at Han Li beside him, and the two exchanged a knowing look. Then, a faint aquamarine halo rose around Luo Ming, and with one step, his figure disappeared into the surging, crimson light gate.
Upon entering, the surrounding scenery changed drastically. After the familiar dizziness from teleportation subsided, it was replaced by a scorching airflow, and the air was filled with a strong, burning heat.
Looking around, one sees a dark red, hard lava floor beneath one's feet, with golden-red magma slowly wriggling in the cracks, making a "gurgling" sound; all around are strangely shaped dark red rock pillars, hidden behind the swirling, distorted heat waves.
Lava Road truly lives up to its name.
Luo Ming felt the scorching heat permeating the air, as if it possessed a spirit, trying to penetrate his skin and scorch his meridians. His physical body was strong and he was already immune to heat and cold, but at this moment he could clearly sense the domineering power of this pure earth fire.
Subconsciously, he slightly activated the body-refining technique, quietly incorporating a wisp of the purest and gentlest fire elemental power into his body, attempting to temper his muscles, bones, and flesh, bringing a barely perceptible sense of enhancement.
"The fire elemental power here is pure and violent. If I could find a relatively safe place to slowly draw it into my body for tempering, the effect would probably be no less than some high-level body-tempering elixirs..." Luo Ming thought to himself, then shook his head self-deprecatingly, "But right now is not a good time for cultivation."
He stopped trying to absorb the heat and instead took out a neatly folded object from his storage bag. The moment this object appeared, the surrounding heatwave paused, and the temperature dropped several degrees.
With a flick of his wrists, Luo Ming unfurled a white Taoist robe, as translucent as snow and as thin as a cicada's wing. The robe was of extraordinary quality, neither silk nor brocade, its surface shimmering with a cool, moonlit glow. Wisps of icy white mist seeped from the fabric, freezing the scorching air around them into tiny ice crystals.
This is the Snow Silk Ice Silk Robe that he meticulously wove, using most of the snow silk produced by the pair of peak-level mutated snow silkworms over the past twenty years as the main material, and adding several rare cold-attribute auxiliary materials.
In terms of quality, it might be difficult to withstand the direct bombardment of the fire magic of a level 5 or higher demon beast, but it is sufficient to isolate the environmental heat in this lava road.
Shedding his usual black outfit, he donned this snow-white Taoist robe. The robe automatically conformed to his body, and a cool sensation instantly enveloped his entire being, sweeping away all the heat and discomfort. Even his breath felt refreshingly crisp, like the scent of ice and snow.
Luo Ming looked down at himself and saw that he was dressed in a white robe, pure and spotless, which contrasted sharply with the dark red and fiery lava world around him. His face, which appeared even younger and more handsome due to refining the Wood Spirit Holy Embryo, was less profound and aloof than before when he was dressed in a white robe. Instead, he had gained a refined and otherworldly air like that of a young master from a noble family.
"It's somewhat different from before." Luo Ming examined himself and smiled slightly.
With a thought, a flash of light appeared at his wrist, and a stream of crimson-gold light shot out, transforming into a magnificent bird—the Fat Sun Bird. As soon as it appeared, it let out a joyful and clear cry, its wings spread, and crimson-gold flames around its body suddenly surged several feet high, the patterns on its feathers flowing like living magma.
The rich and pure fire elemental energy here was like sweet nectar to it. It excitedly circled Luo Ming several times, absorbing strands of pure earth fire essence, and its aura became more and more active at a visible speed.
"It's just like a fish in water. Although there are no restrictions on flying here, making it difficult for cultivators to escape, the Zhiyang Bird can fly using its physical strength. Although its flying speed and altitude are far inferior to those outside, it still provides an extra means of protection."
Seeing this, Luo Ming felt much more at ease. With the Fat Sun Bird scouting ahead and providing early warnings, he was much more confident in dealing with this lava environment. He didn't delay any longer, chose a direction, and, his figure illuminated by the faint light of his snow-white Taoist robe, walked unhurriedly into the depths of the lava path.
Just as Luo Ming was adapting to the environment and making steady progress, the other cultivators who chose the lava path were also displaying their unique abilities to resist the terrifying heat of this desolate place.
In a side path, the Crimson Fire Monster was shrouded in a layer of crimson-blue light, the source of which was a crystal-clear two-colored bead, about the size of a longan, floating above his head.
This bead is a rare ancient treasure with both water and fire attributes, the Mystic Crystal Bead. At this moment, it is continuously releasing pure water and fire attribute spiritual power, firmly isolating the terrifying heat wave that is enough to melt gold and iron from the body.
The Crimson Flame Monster stroked his crimson beard, surveying the unchanging dark red rock walls and slowly writhing lava around him. A smug smile spread across his face: "Hmph, the outside world talks about this lava path as something miraculous, but now it seems it's nothing special. With this Mystic Crystal Pearl protecting me, what can the mere residual power of the flames do to me?"
He was confident in his high level of cultivation and powerful magic weapon, so his vigilance relaxed a bit. He casually chose a direction that looked relatively open and swaggered forward, even starting to wonder if he could find some fire-attribute treasures here, making the trip worthwhile.
In another, narrower lava fissure, a figure shrouded in a wide black robe was cautiously making its way forward. It was Yuan Yao, disguised in disguise.
She clutched a jet-black jade pendant, its design ancient and simple, a relic she had obtained from the young master of the Qingyang Sect. Now, under her magical power, the pendant emitted a faint bluish-black halo, forming an oval-shaped protective shield around her.
The light shield appeared thin, but it was exceptionally stable. Whether it was the scorching heat waves or the occasional dripping of molten lava from the top of the rock, the light shield could only produce ripples when it hit it, and could not penetrate it in the slightest.
Sensing the jade pendant's astonishing protective power, Yuan Yao's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly. She let out a soft breath, a hint of relief appearing on her beautiful face beneath her black robe. "I didn't expect this playboy to possess such a useful ancient treasure. With this item protecting me, the threat of this lava road is greatly reduced. It seems I don't need to seek cooperation with Luo Ming for now, which also reduces the risk of entanglement with personal relationships and exposure."
She murmured to herself, her voice clear yet carrying its usual chill. Having confirmed that her protection was adequate, she began to observe her surroundings more carefully, searching for the safest path, her figure gradually disappearing into the winding shadows of the lava fissures.
Deep within the Lava Road, not everyone is as well-prepared or as skilled as Luo Ming or the Crimson Fire Old Monster.
On a vast expanse of land, shimmering with heat and its walls a deep red, a monk who appeared to be in his thirties or forties and dressed in an ordinary gray robe gazed with a troubled expression at the seemingly endless world of lava before him.
The pale blue protective shield around him flickered, visibly thinning under the erosion of the omnipresent scorching heat. This man, surnamed Wang, was a rogue cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation. He had obtained a fragment of the Void Heaven Map by chance and had come here hoping to try his luck, but he had not expected the environment of this Lava Road to be so harsh.
"laugh……"
After walking less than a hundred steps, the protective shield formed by the mid-grade ice shield talisman that he had purchased with a lot of spirit stones made a soft sound of being unable to bear the weight, and then shattered completely with a "bang", turning into specks of icy blue spiritual light that dissipated into the scorching air.
"Ah!" The gray-robed cultivator surnamed Wang cried out in surprise. The terrifying high temperature instantly enveloped him, rapidly eroding his protective spiritual light and causing his mana to be consumed much faster.
He frantically pulled out another identical blue talisman from his storage bag, hurriedly infused it with magic power, and a new blue light shield barely opened, once again isolating the heat wave from the outside.
But instead of showing any joy, his face turned even paler, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He counted the number of talismans in his hand, his eyes filled with despair.
"It's only been a quarter of an hour, and the talisman has already exhausted its power! It's said that it will take at least several days to cross this lava road... I... even if my talisman runs out, it can only last for one day!" His voice was dry, and his lips were cracked from the heat. "Could it be... could it be that I, Wang, am going to be trapped and burned to death in this godforsaken place?"
The cultivator surnamed Wang felt a chill in his heart. He had inquired about the dangers of the Lava Road before coming, but only after experiencing it firsthand did he realize that the rumors were far less cruel than reality! Without a top-tier cold-attribute protective treasure or powerful divine abilities, it would be virtually impossible to move an inch here.
But at this point, he could not back down and could only grit his teeth and persevere until he reached the end of the lava road.
Such impoverished cultivators, or even worse off, are not uncommon on this vast lava road. The trials of the Void Heaven Palace have always been this cruel, selecting the truly strong and those with destiny.
……
Two days later.
Luo Ming stopped and looked ahead with a slight frown. The terrain here was relatively open, no longer a complex network of lava channels, but a nearly boundless dark red "plain".
But upon closer inspection, this is not the actual site, but an extremely vast lava lake! However, the lake surface is not boiling and churning, but covered with a thick, almost solidified black lava shell, like cooled asphalt. Only in certain cracks or weak points can one see the slowly flowing, golden-red, molten lava below, radiating a heart-palpitatingly high temperature.
"Lava Lake..." Luo Ming muttered to himself. He tried to scan the surface of the lake with his divine sense, but found that the black lava shell seemed to have the effect of blocking divine sense. In addition, with the omnipresent restrictions suppressing the area, his divine sense could not penetrate deep into the lake to explore.
One can only vaguely sense that beneath this eerily calm "lake surface" lurks more than one powerful and obscure aura, almost integrated with the fire elemental power of the entire lava lake, making it difficult to discern their exact number and location.
He looked along the lake shore to both sides. As far as the eye could see, the shoreline curved and stretched out, with no end in sight. He wondered how far he would have to go to get around the lake.
"Why is it different from my original memories?" Luo Ming's heart sank.