Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 248 - 190: Blood and Fire Rising

Inside the Five Elements Secret Realm.

A flash of light crossed in front of Gao Yang, who was clad in luxurious robes, and when he took in his surroundings, he found himself in a fiery red mini world.

All his fellow sect members had vanished, leaving him all alone.

He looked around, seeing the entire sky dyed with the color of the evening glow. The whole land was a barren ochre, much like vast, exposed, desolate mines.

"Is this the inside of the Five Elements Secret Realm?"

Gao Yang glanced around; noticing no danger, his wariness gradually faded, and he curiously studied the scene before him.

Riding on his escape light, he soared into the sky, quickly taking in the entirety of the mini world.

The whole Fire Element Mini World spanned only a dozen or so miles, with flat terrain and little variation, except for a small hill hundreds of feet high, seven or eight miles away.

"Hmm?!"

His vision, far superior to that of ordinary people, caught sight of the peak of that small hill at a glance, where sat a small metal jug gleaming with a silver sheen.

"A Spiritual Artifact?! Could I be so fortunate?!"

Gao Yang was filled with sudden joy.

Unlike those outside deceived by false messages, the optimistic and naive Foundation Establishment masters, he, being a Foundation Establishment Cultivator originally from the Lingyang Sect, was well aware of the circumstances inside the Five Elements Secret Realm.

After decades of exploration, few parts of the many mini worlds remained unexplored, with most having been scoured repeatedly, leaving little of value — any treasures were unlikely to fall into his hands.

He had not entered this time expecting to strike it rich, only to follow orders and take a chance for his future.

Yet unexpectedly, his luck seemed exceptionally favorable. In the mini world he was randomly transmitted to, there was indeed a treasure.

"A Spiritual Artifact collected by the Five Elements Wanderer back then should be at least a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, right?"

"Even if it's just an Early Stage Spiritual Artifact, it would still be worth a good number of Spirit Stones..."

At this thought, Gao Yang's heart was instantly in turmoil.

Any treasure is inevitably guarded by an Array Puppet; this is the experience and pattern discovered by several Golden Core Influences back then.

If he intended to take this Spiritual Artifact, he would surely have to contend with the Array Puppet. With its strength unknown, it was hard to say how long he might struggle or if he might even be beaten into hasty retreat.

This clearly ran counter to his mission objectives, making him feel a bit guilty towards the Sect, hence his inner reluctance and conflict were quite significant.

While he pondered:

Silently and unnoticed, an invisible force seeped in, subtly altering Gao Yang's thoughts and amplifying certain emotions.

"What am I afraid of?!"

The unwillingness and greed in Gao Yang's heart quickly took the leading position:

"This is the heart of the Five Elements Secret Realm; even the True Yang Ancestor can't detect what happens here. If I don't speak of it, who will know?"

"Unexplored mini worlds inside the Five Elements Secret Realm are rare; I might not encounter a second one. Besides, now that I no longer have Elder Jin's shelter, I must rely on myself in the future!"

"These treasures delivered to me, if unclaimed from heaven, would surely bring me misfortune!"

At this thought, he resolved decisively, propelling himself with his escape light toward the small hill.

It seemed as though fate was playing a trick on him:

Inside the Lingyang Sect, there are many factions, and he was a staunch direct subordinate of Elder Jin's faction. Originally, he was quite well-off; being able to assume the lucrative post of guarding the Immortal Gate Island at the early stage of Foundation Establishment indicates his solid background.

Seeing Elder Jin's status rising higher, becoming increasingly esteemed by the True Yang Ancestor, his position also solidified, naturally delighting him.

Yet unexpectedly, the bloodshed at the Celestial Treasure Tower a year prior shattered it all.

After Elder Jin's death, his faction lost its core and also the vast benefits brought by holding the managerial position in the Celestial Treasure Tower, leading to its rapid decline and eventual dispersal and absorption.

Gao Yang himself was ousted from his position as the Guardian Elder of the Immortal Gate Island, left in disgrace, and his status within the Sect dropped significantly, becoming indistinguishable among the crowd.

But today, upon entering the Five Elements Secret Realm, his fortunes seemed to turn once again.

"Whoosh!"

Gao Yang's escape light swiftly reached the hilltop, and with a gesture, he seized the small silver metal jug.

"Hmm? It's merely an Early Stage Spiritual Artifact..."

A slight sense of disappointment came over Gao Yang, but he soon felt relieved.

An Early Stage Spiritual Artifact is worth at least over ten thousand Spirit Stones, which was considerable windfall for him, especially after losing the lucrative post of guarding the Immortal Gate Island, making his current life far less easy.

And just as he put away the small silver metal jug:

"Rumble..."

The sky shifted, scarlet clouds gathered, and the ground began to hum and shake.

In an instant:

"Shriek!"

A piercing scream resounded as several humanoid giant spirits wreathed in flames descended from the crimson clouds in the sky. Enormously muscular and fierce-looking, their aura seemed formidable.

Not only from the sky, but also from the ground flames surged, and out sprang numerous Fire Giant Spirits, howling towards Gao Yang.

At once, from all directions, sky and ground, a dozen Fire Giant Spirits attacked him together.

"These Fire Giant Spirits are no weaklings!"

Gao Yang's expression turned serious. After stowing the small silver metal jug, he drew out his own Spiritual Artifact and activated his Protective Daoist Technique, instantly diving into fierce combat with the many Fire Giant Spirits.