In the secret realm immortal firmament, the second layer of hell:
Having suffered severe injuries in the earlier battle, Mortal Gautama and Jiang Gautama now sat cross-legged and recuperated.
Heavenly Gautama sat on a mountaintop, continuing to refine the crimson heavenly eye on his forehead.
Vairocana had vanished. Gu Hai and the White Emperor were in the distant Buddhist Energy sea. The three Gautama Heavenly Demons considered them already dead.
However, Gu Hai actually did not die.
The moment Gu Hai entered the poison swamp, many poison threads rushed into his body. However, he did not resist. Instead, he circulated the Worldly Sorrowful Endowment to absorb these poison threads.
The poison thread contained Poison Energy. Furthermore, it was the strongest poison in the world.
Previously, a line of the shaman race focused on cultivating Gu poison; it gathered all the venomous creatures and poisonous herbs in the world and created five venom kings, the Toad King, the Spider King, the Snake King, Scorpion King, and the Centipede King. However, these five venom kings lost to the divine blood poison ant. This showed how incredible the divine blood poison ant was, the king of kings of venomous creatures.
The supreme poison of the world was the divine blood poison ant’s, and the source of its poison was its poison gland. This was where the purest and most intense poison in the world could be found.
Poison Energy?
Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivators cultivated energy. Few cultivators in the world cultivated using Poison Energy since one might die of poison if one were careless. However, Gu Hai was undaunted, as he had the Worldly Sorrowful Endowment.
At first, the poison had some corrosive effect on Gu Hai’s skin. Soon, it became nourishment for him.
Poison could destroy the nerves. Hence, absorbing Poison Energy was his most challenging cultivating experience thus far. The pain far exceeded anything he had endured before.
However, he gritted his teeth and plowed through it.
As he absorbed the Poison Energy, the poison threads that had stabbed into the White Emperor’s body slowly shifted to Gu Hai.
In the surroundings, the Poison Energy had already corroded the bodies of those pulled into the poison swamp, and the White Emperor fared no better; her body was also mangled.
Fortunately, Gu Hai fervently absorbed the Poison Energy, allowing the White Emperor’s souls to suffer less from the poison.
Absorb! Absorb! Absorb!
As the Worldly Sorrowful Endowment circulated, Gu Hai’s cultivation skyrocketed.
Buzz!
The Poison Energy in the poison swamp poured into Gu Hai’s body like he was a black hole. The divine blood poison ant suddenly felt discomfort. However, the divine blood poison ant was simply too big, containing too much poison. Despite his frantic absorption, he took in only a tiny portion.
The divine blood poison ant simply squirmed slightly at the discomfort, making the Buddhist Energy sea churn.
Heavenly Gautama, Jiang Gautama, and Mortal Gautama all opened their eyes and glanced over. However, the divine blood poison ant soon calmed down, so the three thought little of it.
This continued for ten days before the divine blood poison ant finally noticed something off. Its discomfort was now intense.
“Roar!”
The divine blood poison ant suddenly roared and writhed, kicking up towering waves on the Buddhist Energy sea. Then it rushed out of the sea.
Rattle!
The remaining chains pulled on it—to no avail. The divine blood poison ant continued struggling.
Snap!
One chain broke.
“Oh no! The divine blood poison ant is resisting again. Mortal Gautama, what’s going on?” Jiang Gautama asked anxiously.
Heavenly Gautama handled the crimson heavenly eye, and Mortal Gautama handled the divine blood poison ant. When it roared for no apparent reason, Mortal Gautama turned exceptionally grave.
“We used Buddhist Energy to indoctrinate and control the divine blood poison ant. It is struggling now. Did its consciousness return, so it wants to shake free of our Buddhist Energy control?” Mortal Gautama frowned.
Mortal Gautama guessed right. The discomfort made the divine blood poison ant’s consciousness resist the Buddhist Energy control, as it thought it would feel better after shaking off the control.
“Look! The divine blood poison ant’s abdomen is turning black!” Jiang Gautama goggled.
“Oh no! It has already expelled some Buddhist Energy. Hurry! Jiang Gautama, control the Buddhist Energy Sea with me and increase the Buddhist Energy’s control over it!” Mortal Gautama urged anxiously.
“Alright!” Jiang Gautama answered.
The two quickly took action. Then the Buddhist Energy in the sea suddenly poured towards the divine blood poison ant, entering it. With the infusion of Buddhist Energy, its black abdomen became golden once more. The divine blood poison ant was originally black; however, the indoctrination had turned it golden.
The divine blood poison ant calmed down only after the surging Buddhist Energy saturated it.
“Phew! It finally calmed down!” Mortal Gautama released his bated breath.
Jiang Gautama nodded. “This beast is truly troublesome. If not for needing it to replicate experts, we could have killed it long ago.”
“Don’t be impatient. Continue recuperating,” Heavenly Gautama said indifferently.
“Yes!” the two answered.
While the surging Buddhist Energy poured into the divine blood poison ant, some of it entered the poison gland.
Gu Hai was absorbing the Poison Energy when Buddhist Energy flowed into his body.
“Huh? Buddhist Energy?” Gu Hai felt slightly startled.
Since Gu Hai could absorb Poison Energy, he naturally could also absorb Buddhist Energy. Furthermore, Buddhist Energy was an extremely gentle energy. When it entered his body, it alleviated the Poison Energy’s damage to his nerves.
“I’ll absorb however much that comes. Humph!” Determination flashed in Gu Hai’s eyes.
Whoosh!
It seemed like two black holes formed in Gu Hai’s surroundings. One black hole frantically consumed the Poison Energy, and the other frantically consumed the Buddhist Energy. He absorbed everything available.
The three Gautama Heavenly Demons closed their eyes and regulated their energies for three more days.
“Roar!”
The divine blood poison ant started roaring from the discomfort again. It surfaced and kicked up a storm.
“Again?” Jiang Gautama’s expression changed.
“Oh no! This beast’s abdomen and back have returned to black. The Buddhist Energy is leaking. Why is it struggling?” Mortal Gautama said anxiously.
“Hurry! Continue to pour in more Buddhist Energy!” Jiang Gautama shouted.
Mortal Gautama nodded, and the two sent surging Buddhist Energy into the divine blood poison ant’s body.
After the infusion of Buddhist Energy, the divine blood poison ant calmed down once more.
However, Gu Hai could absorb however much Buddhist Energy was there.
Absorb! Absorb! Absorb!
Although Gu Hai had to use the divine blood poison ant as an intermediary, which was much slower than directly absorbing from the Buddhist Energy sea, it did not matter to him. He was currently in the second layer of hell, where time was no issue.
One day outside equaled two thousand years here.
As Gu Hai slowly absorbed the energies, the divine blood poison ant periodically struggled, causing Jiang Gautama and Mortal Gautama many setbacks since they had to get up and manipulate the Buddhist Energy sea. This delayed their recuperation.
“Just lay a ritual array.” Heavenly Gautama could no longer take it.
“Alright. We’ll lay a ritual array to send Buddhist Energy automatically into the divine blood poison ant. As long as the divine blood poison ant expels some Buddhist Energy, the ritual array will automatically replenish it.” Mortal Gautama nodded.
Jiang Gautama took charge of laying the ritual array.
A few days later, a ritual array like a golden net appeared above the Buddhist Energy sea, suppressing the divine blood poison ant at the bottom.
The three Gautama Heavenly Demons finally could recuperate or cultivate in peace.
However, the three did not know that the Buddhist Energy in the divine blood poison ant’s body decreased not because its consciousness expelled the Buddhist Energy but because the Buddhist Energy entered Gu Hai’s body once it was in the divine blood poison ant’s body.
Gu Hai frantically absorbed the Poison Energy and Buddhist Energy in the poison gland.
The White Emperor’s body had already corroded, leaving only her spiritual souls. Furthermore, her spiritual souls had suffered damage. However, Gu Hai wrapped his body around her spiritual souls, helping the White Emperor’s spiritual souls shake off the poison gland’s influence.
“Husband, are you alright?” one of the spiritual souls asked worriedly.
“Xianer? You are Xianer?” Gu Hai said with pleasant surprise.
That spiritual soul answered, “It’s me. I’m Xianer. Husband, Xianer is not worth you doing this!”
“Not worth? No. Anything is worth it for you. Xianer, I’ve already found your heavenly soul and mortal soul. After we leave, I’ll help you return to life. Xianer, you are finally back!” Tears flowed out of Gu Hai’s eyes.
“Husband, Xianer…!” Xianer choked up a little.
“Where’s the White Emperor?” Gu Hai’s expression changed.
“The White Emperor’s heavenly soul and mortal soul? The White Emperor’s two other spiritual souls suffered damage earlier while protecting my earthly soul. I don’t know what the White Emperor’s consciousness was thinking. It seemed like she was helping me, protecting me. However, her other two spiritual souls suffered severe damage, and her consciousness went into a deep sleep. It looks like her consciousness can scatter at any time. My will controls the three spiritual souls now,” Xianer said with a bitter smile.
“What? The White Emperor’s consciousness sacrificed herself to save you?” Gu Hai said in shock.
“Yes!” Chen Xianer answered.
Gu Hai felt silent. He did not know why the White Emperor had done this.
“No matter what, the White Emperor’s consciousness suffered severe damage to protect you. If I can, I will bring her back in the future,” Gu Hai said.
“Alright!” Chen Xianer nodded.
Gu Hai took out a jade box. “Your heavenly soul and mortal soul are here. Go in, and I will bring you back to life in the future.”
“Alright!” Xianer’s earthly soul entered the jade box with the White Emperor’s two injured spiritual souls.
Thud!
Gu Hai closed the jade box and resumed cultivating.
Although this place was dangerous, it was an ideal place for cultivating. With the Poison Energy and Buddhist Energy entering his body, his cultivation would soon improve. Furthermore, he would advance by two layers in one go.
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One year after Gu Hai started cultivating in the poison gland:
Boom!
A loud report came from Gu Hai’s body. His cultivation advanced by one layer. The Poison Energy had condensed into a dark-green Poison Energy core.
“A Poison Energy core? The Upper Heavenly Palace Realm’s fifth layer!” Excitement flashed in Gu Hai’s eyes.
Although Gu Hai reached the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm’s fifth layer, he did not stop absorbing the Poison Energy. He could store the remaining Poison Energy in the Poison Energy core’s surroundings and turn it into Divinity Destroying Light.
At this point, the divine blood poison ant’s consciousness seemed to have struggled free of Mortal Gautama’s control. It arrived at the poison gland and tried to stop Gu Hai from absorbing its Poison Energy.
However, the Worldly Sorrowful Endowment was overly domineering. At worst, the divine blood poison ant’s interference only slowed Gu Hai down a little.
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Ten years later:
Boom!
Another loud report came from Gu Hai’s body. He had condensed a golden Buddhist Energy core.
“The Upper Heavenly Palace Realm’s sixth layer! A Buddhist Energy core? Excellent!” Gu Hai said excitedly.
It was not just the Buddhist Energy core. He had also accumulated enough Poison Energy for one beam of dark-green Poison Energy Divinity Destroying Light by the Poison Energy core’s side.
The Upper Heavenly Palace Realm’s sixth layer? That did not satisfy Gu Hai. There was still boundless Buddhist Energy and Poison Energy around.
The Worldly Sorrowful Endowment circulated at full force. Absorb! Absorb! Absorb!
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