A Mortal's Start in the Spirit Beast Mountain

Chapter 281 Gold-Eating Insects and Azure Fire Thunder

If you could only read one novel in your life, it would probably be "The Greatest Novel in History".

But Tianjing Sanren's next words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head: "Don't be too happy! To refine the 'Crimson Sun Golden Essence' that's enough to upgrade your Treasure Mirror, you need at least the fleshy crest of an eighth-level Golden-Crowned Fire Lizard, which requires special refining! If there really is an eighth-level demon beast here, kid, I advise you to turn around and leave immediately, without the slightest hesitation! With your current cultivation and abilities, facing an eighth-level Golden-Crowned Fire Lizard head-on, especially in this environment, is certain death!"

His gaze swept across the fire lizards frantically attacking in vain on the lake's surface, lingering for a moment, especially on the crimson-gold fleshy crests atop the heads of a few level-five golden-crowned fire lizards. In his sea of ​​consciousness, the words of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit about the "Crimson Sun Golden Essence" and the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror" still echoed in his ears.

"Although the 'Crimson Sun Gold Essence' extracted from the golden crown of a level-five fire lizard is far from meeting the standard, it should still have an effect on my imitation Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror, at least enhancing its power a little." Luo Ming's mind started working.

"Moreover, seeing how easily the Crimson Flame Old Monster did it, if I follow his method and use the water attribute power of the Profound Origin Pearl, I might be able to create a similar effect. Crossing this lake shouldn't be difficult, and I might even be able to harvest some Golden Crown materials along the way."

Time is of the essence; the Lava Road has a time limit, and it's impossible to stay here and wait indefinitely.

Seeing that the Crimson Fire Monster's figure was sinking deeper and deeper into the lake, yet still not attracting a more terrifying attack, Luo Ming finally made up his mind.

"This is a golden opportunity. The Crimson Flame Monster has drawn most of the firepower, which is the perfect chance for me to cross the lake. Besides... it would be a shame not to take these golden crowns."

Without further hesitation, he quietly emerged from his hiding place. With a thought, several Xuan Yuan Pearls flew from his dantian, hovering around him and emitting a soft, aquamarine glow. A pure water elemental aura spread out, forming a pale blue water vapor shield around him.

Just as Luo Ming cautiously stepped onto the lava lake using the Xuan Yuan Pearl, he caught a glimpse of a slender figure shrouded in a bluish-black light shield on the other side of the lake shore, arriving at the lakeside almost simultaneously. It was Yuan Yao.

She had obviously observed the Crimson Fire Monster crossing the lake from afar and imitated him, except that what she was stepping on was not some kind of spirit pearl, but a giant hammer with an exaggerated shape, all black in color, and wrapped with wisps of silvery-white lightning.

The hammerhead was the size of a millstone, and its weight was astonishing. The flashing lightning on it also showed its extraordinary power—this was clearly one of the spoils she had obtained from the young master of the Qingyang Sect.

Yuan Yao also noticed Luo Ming on the other side. From a distance, she could almost feel Luo Ming's gaze lingering on the giant thunder hammer at her feet for a moment.

Through her black robe, she glanced coldly in Luo Ming's direction, gave a soft snort, seemingly implying "let's go our separate ways," and then ignored him, riding the heavy thunder hammer, "floating" on the surface of the lava lake, and began to move inward.

However, the thunder hammer was clearly more suitable for hard smashing and striking. It seemed somewhat sluggish for this kind of delicate lifting and floating, and its speed was slower than that of Luo Ming and the Crimson Fire Old Monster.

Luo Ming withdrew his gaze, suppressing any interest in the thunderous hammer that was clearly suited for body-refining cultivators. Right now, crossing the lake and obtaining the Golden Crown materials was the priority.

For the first few hundred feet, the lake was calm and still, seemingly unaware of the monsters in the lake or merely observing. However, Luo Ming's powerful divine sense keenly perceived that beneath the seemingly tranquil black lava shell beneath his feet, several auras of monsters, filled with greed and ferocity, were quietly gathering and approaching, their target being him.

"Hmph!" Luo Ming sneered inwardly, far from being afraid, a hint of anticipation rose within him. Since the crimson-gold crests of these golden-crowned fire lizards contained special metallic materials, his Gold-Eating Insects should really like them.

With a slight thought, the seemingly simple Five Elements Bracelet on his wrist flashed with a faint light.

"Buzz—!"

A dense, teeth-grinding buzzing sound suddenly rang out! A golden cloud of insects surged out of the bracelet and hovered in front of Luo Ming. It was his carefully cultivated Gold-Eating Insects! The shells of these beetles gleamed with a cold metallic light, and their mouthparts flashed with a cold light as they opened and closed, making them look ferocious and thirsty.

"Go, taste the flavor of these golden-crowned fire lizards." Luo Ming pointed to a spot in the lava lake below, where several level three or four fire lizard auras converged.

"Whoosh!"

Upon receiving the command, the Dark Gold Insect Cloud instantly condensed into a sharp golden arrow, whistling as it tore through the air, and plunged headlong into the lava below without hesitation, disappearing from sight.

The next moment, the once calm lake surface suddenly churned violently, and a few short, extremely shrill cries were heard before abruptly ceasing.

Luo Ming could clearly sense through his mental connection that the swarm of insects was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. The low-level golden-crowned fire lizards that were lurking there were almost powerless against the Gold-Eating Insects. Their sturdy scales and blazing demonic fire seemed to be non-existent to the Gold-Eating Insects. They were instantly engulfed, decomposed, and devoured by the insect cloud!

In particular, their crimson-gold fleshy crowns seemed to have a special attraction for the gold-eating beetles, and they were devoured first.

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In just a few breaths, the aura of the golden-crowned fire lizards that had gathered around him completely vanished. The feedback from the swarm of gold-devouring insects, however, was one of unprecedented excitement and agitation!

After devouring the golden crown containing special metallic properties and supreme yang power, these spirit insects seemed to be infused with some kind of vitality. The dark golden luster on their carapaces seemed to solidify slightly, their wingbeats became more powerful, and they even faintly emitted a faint, scorching, and sharp aura, which was different from the purely cold and devouring feeling they had experienced before.

"It really works!" Luo Ming was overjoyed, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He immediately thought of something deeper: "The evolution of the Gold-Eating Insects requires mutual devouring, and even more so, it requires the stimulation of devouring high-quality metallic or special materials."

The golden crown of this golden fire lizard contains the rudimentary form of Crimson Sun Gold Essence, extremely yang and sharp. It may be the key to stimulating the Gold-Eating Insects to undergo benign mutations, or even to reignite their mutual devouring and survival of the fittest! He had previously used the essence of the Demon-Attracting Grass, but its effects were not as good as before. He was struggling to find a new and powerful stimulus, and this golden crown was like a godsend!

He no longer restrained the swarm, but instead loosened some restrictions, issuing orders for them to hunt freely.

Instantly, the dark golden swarm of insects beneath the magma, like sharks smelling blood, began actively seeking out, chasing, and hunting down those low-level, and even level-five, golden-crowned fire lizards!

Wherever it passed, low-level fire lizards were almost instantly wiped out. Even level 5 fire lizards could only hold out for a short while longer under the swarm tactics and natural countermeasures. The golden fire pillars it spewed had limited effect on the gold-devouring insects and were quickly turned into nutrients for the insect swarm amidst the horrifying gnawing sounds. The golden crown on its head was the cleanest part of the insects.

While maintaining the support of the Xuan Yuan Pearl and the water vapor shield, Luo Ming steadily moved forward, his mind focused on sensing the subtle changes in the Gold-Devouring Insect swarm, his heart filled with anticipation. He could even sense a very subtle, instinctive competition and restlessness emerging within the swarm, as if the intake of high-quality "food" was rekindling their primal desire to devour and evolve each other!

However, just as he was focused on manipulating and sensing the swarm of insects, and the crossing of the lake was going exceptionally smoothly, having already reached the center of the lake.

"BOOM!!!"

A deafening, earth-shattering explosion suddenly erupted from the other side of the lava lake! The violent shockwave, carrying scorching magma and blue flames, instantly swept across the surrounding lake surface. Even from a distance, Luo Ming could clearly sense the power of the explosion.

He turned his head abruptly and saw that the source of the explosion was right where Yuan Yao was! At this moment, the area was shrouded in a huge, still lingering mushroom-shaped cloud of flames, a mixture of bluish-black and crimson, with scorching air currents raging wildly.

Below the explosion's epicenter, the two level-five golden-crowned fire lizards that had been attacking her had vanished without a trace, leaving only boiling magma and chaotic spiritual energy currents, demonstrating the terrifying power of that attack.

"Azure Flame Thunder?" Luo Ming's pupils contracted slightly as he instantly recognized the distinctive azure flames and the violent explosive nature of the thunder and fire. This thing was indeed as powerful as a strike from a Nascent Soul cultivator. Using it to deal with a level 5 demon beast was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut; the effect was naturally "significant," leaving not even a trace behind.

Luo Ming watched the gradually dissipating violent energy, then glanced at Yuan Yao's pale face and the damaged magic weapon. His lips twitched slightly, and he sighed inwardly, "This woman... she really knows how to spend money. But this is too wasteful! That was a one-time-use weapon capable of threatening Nascent Soul cultivators, used to blast two level-five fire lizards? It's utterly a waste!"

However, he also knew that Yuan Yao didn't possess many means of self-preservation; most of her abilities stemmed from the inheritance of the young master of the Qingyang Sect. When faced with formidable danger, she had no choice but to unleash her strongest trump card in a moment of desperation. But the price was far too high. Moreover, the commotion was enormous…

Luo Ming's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned his gaze to the deeper parts of the lava lake and the area where his Gold-Eating Insect swarm was active. Sure enough, the earth-shattering explosion, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattered a delicate balance!

"roar--!!!"

"Hiss—!!!"

Deep within the lake, a terrifying aura that sent chills down one's spine erupted! Accompanied by a deafening roar filled with rage and majesty, the entire lava lake trembled violently!

At the same time, near the area where Luo Ming's Gold-Eating Insect Swarm was active, magma churned wildly, and several auras far stronger and more violent than level-five fire lizards suddenly awakened like dormant volcanoes. Carrying the raging fury of invaded territory and slaughter of offspring, they rushed towards the Gold-Eating Insect Swarm and Luo Ming's main body like arrows released from a bow!

One of the auras was scorching, sharp, and filled with majestic majesty; it was none other than the leader of this race. Within this lava lake, the strength he displayed was absolutely no less than that of a human Nascent Soul stage cultivator. Meanwhile, the other several powerful auras that had recently appeared around Luo Ming were also firmly at the sixth level!

Even more troublesome was that the explosion of that blue fire thunder not only alerted the terrifying being deep within the lake, but also thoroughly enraged the entire fire lizard population of the lava lake! Countless hisses merged into a wave of death, and more fire lizards emerged from the lake!