Chapter 553: Reunion with the Iron Corpse Sheath

He had only briefly clashed with him before, and even with that contact, his understanding of the Fan Luo True Fire wasn't extensive. If he could take this opportunity to learn more about Lu Xiaotiān'...Repeatedly eyeing the scabbard hanging at his waist, the sapling named Ziye Zhenwu didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. It was just like a scabbard imbued with mana, perfectly normal. For most Jindan cultivators, nurturing a dan yuan magic weapon involved softening it with liwu lingcao and swallowing it into their dantian.

However, some cultivators within the family inherited container-like magic artifacts. After refining them, they placed their own dan yuan artifacts inside, utilizing the artifact's nourishment. Although the effect was not as strong as directly ingesting it for nourishment, each cultivator was busy with their own cultivation. Moreover, nurturing artifacts consumed a considerable amount of primordial spirit and dan yuan, and too much would be detrimental, potentially harming the foundation.

Although containers that cultivate and nurture spiritual tools are less effective, they still require the consumption of spirit stones or corresponding spiritual creatures. However, over a long period of accumulation, they can also increase the power of the alchemy instruments during cultivation.

However, the effects of these container-type magic artifacts vary in quality. You can't judge Lu Xia Tian's extraordinary background or wealth simply by an ordinary scabbard. After all, there are all sorts of cultivators in the world, and some like to show off, wearing powerful artifacts like this to appear imposing. While such people are relatively rare, they certainly exist. Because Lu Xia Tian's act of carrying a scabbard is not unique, it's at most just uncommon.

By comparison, compared to Wang Tumai's hunchbacked image, Lu Xiaoteng is undoubtedly more accepting of the current situation.

This place is made of incredibly hard gold-based ore, and earth escape techniques are useless against it. There's a barrier in the air above, originally set up to prevent the King Camel Beast from escaping through the sky or underground. Lu Xia Tian was very familiar with this environment and naturally used it to his advantage, but these precautions weren't needed as the King Camel Beast died within the formation.

Lu Xiaitian retracted his formation and left in a hurry. After several hours, he arrived at the foot of a mountain and jumped into a small river. A dozen or so demon crocodiles nearby seemed to sense the movement and swam over, but Lu Xiaitian had already entered a crack at the bottom of the river. The crack led directly to a closed space within the mountains, which was extremely difficult for other cultivators to discover. This place was discovered by Lu Xiaitian during his pursuit of a seventh-rank blood-black demon eel a few months ago. It was an ideal hiding place. At this time, with the icy healing unable to immediately recover his injuries, Lu Xiaitian also needed to rest and recuperate for a period of time.

Ten days later, Lu Xia Tian reappeared on the riverbank in a new set of blue robes. The six-tiered demon crocodiles sensed the aura of a Golden Core cultivator and fled in panic. A smile played on Lu Xia Tian’s face. He had originally thought it would take some more time for his injuries to fully heal, but after replenishing his potential within the magic bead, he used the second round of Binghan's healing technique. His body was restored to normal. He also refined the spirit-linked artifact, which was the pair of hao-ya, so that he could use it at will. It’s a pity that he wasn't a blacksmith, and the broken Fire Jiao bow and arrow couldn't be repaired for now. His dan yuan artifact, which he had nurtured for decades, was just like that. If an ordinary Golden Core cultivator had their years-nurtured dan yuan artifact damaged, without a suitable substitute, their combat effectiveness would immediately suffer a significant setback. Lu Xia Tian, however, had many tricks up his sleeve. By plundering a pair of spirit-linked artifacts, he managed to avoid a decline in power.

This time it was just pure luck, and I might not be so lucky next time. If you want to go farther on the path of cultivation, you have to start preparing early. Just relying on the current approach, I don't think we can get very far.

Because of this, even though this secret place is very safe and unlikely to be discovered, it can only offer refuge. If he was only concerned about safety, he wouldn't have come here to find the location of Miaodao Hall in the first place.

Now that his vital energy had fully recovered, Lu Xia Tian naturally wouldn't stay cooped up in that secluded place any longer. He continued to cultivate while trying his best to familiarize himself with the surrounding environment.

Most of the time, Lu Xiaoteng would try his best to avoid direct contact with other cultivators and monsters. Until one day, several earth-shattering sounds rang out in succession, and Lu Xiaoteng felt that the restriction above his head seemed to be trembling. This violent sound lasted for two hours, causing Lu Xiaoteng's expression to change. He wondered what kind of monster or cultivator could cause such a commotion, or perhaps it was a drastic change within the Misty Palace itself

Lu Xiaotian was about to turn and leave when a sinister and incomparable aura suddenly came from behind him.

“Iron Corpse Sheath!” Lu Xia Tian felt a gust of wind behind him and without hesitation, drew his Earth-Splitting Blade. He swung it back in a counterattack.

With a deafening boom, Lu Xia Tian's body was sent flying backward. In his vision appeared a rigid-faced yet chillingly cold and cruel Iron Corpse warrior.

"Kid, didn't expect to run into you again. This time, see where you run." Tie Shi She chuckled darkly and pounced on Lu Xia Tian once more.

This Iron Corpse Sheath's strength seems to have weakened considerably compared to the last time we met. Of course, it's still stronger than me. I'll flee first and then if I can't escape, I'll fight with all my might.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!

The Iron Corpse's sheath opened wide, and a stench of rot filled the air. Within the gray mist, there were also some terrifying cries of corpse worms. Lu Xia Tian frowned, not daring to breathe in the mist. He quickly summoned his black and white twin bowls, bringing them together to enclose himself within. The mist was thus kept at bay, unable to penetrate.

At this time, under Lu Xiaotiān's urging, the yin-yang twin orbs spun rapidly, speeding away in a breathtaking manner. Even though they were flying towards the direction where the commotion had just occurred, their escape route was blocked by the Iron Corpse Sheath. Lu Xiaotiān had no choice but to flee. It had been months since he last escaped the Iron Corpse Sheath's pursuit. Running into it again was simply bad luck.The Iron Corpse Sheath seemed slightly slower than before. A sliver of relief washed over Lu Xiaotiān's heart. After all, the opponent's power was already formidable. If their speed were still as fast as before, their combat prowess would be comparable to that of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. Lu Xiaotiān estimated that after a fierce battle, he would still likely be killed.After all, challenging levels higher wasn't easy. If not for his arrays, Di Kun, and the Soul Devouring Art - techniques that could temporarily enhance his power, facing a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, Lu Xiaotiān wouldn't stand a chance. Even with these methods, he couldn't bridge the gap in strength between him and a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.As cultivation levels progressed, the difference in strength between each level became greater. If the opponent only had the speed they were currently displaying, Lu Xiaotiān still had a glimmer of hope.

Please: m.lvsetxt.ccring Corpse Nails aimed for Muye Bianran's vital points. Muye Bianran, held back by his opponent at this moment, had just knocked down the Corpse Arrows fired by those low-level headless White Corpses...