I Have Medicine

Chapter 623 - (Yin-Yang Dragon Fire) Ran into some serious bad luck

[Translator: Use Wondrous Fire instead of Heterogeneous Fire.]

By this time, the group had reached the inner depths of the Fire Cave. Along the way, they harvested countless natural treasures, though not many could be transplanted; aside from a few extremely rare specimens, Gu Zuo didn’t pay much mind to the rest. As for those that had not yet fully matured, they were left behind.

Of course, Gu Zuo also knew that these leftovers had nothing to do with him anymore—in the future, this place would surely become a cultivation site for Lei Pengfei and the others, or be jointly developed by their respective families. Although he and his Big Brother had been invited this time, they weren’t the ones who discovered the place, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to let the Ten Ultimates Sect intervene. Furthermore, they had already taken everything they could use; coming back for another share wouldn’t yield much benefit. However, they could ask for a few entry slots when the time came, which shouldn’t be a problem.

With these thoughts in mind, Gu Zuo looked upon the remaining treasures with a mix of anticipation and wariness.

The deeper they went, the more precious the gains became, but the difficulty of subduing the Wondrous Flames increased accordingly. He had even been severely burned several times, requiring his Big Brother to rub rare medicinal ointments over his entire body to recover. While it wasn’t exactly a “one in ten chance of survival” situation, he had certainly endured much suffering.

Fortunately, he had eventually managed to advance to this stage; the hardship had not been in vain.

Currently, the Wondrous Flames on the lotus platform in Gu Zuo’s Sea of Qi had reached fifteen wisps, though compared to the thirty-six lotus petals, he was still more than halfway short. He had a premonition that he might hit his limit in this Fire Cave; collecting more flames would have to wait until his strength was higher and he could travel to more locations.

Ahead lay a semi-ruined palace, the most magnificent structure in the entire Fire Cave. Compared to the surrounding caves and stone grottos, it appeared opulent—even in its dilapidated state, one could still glimpse its former glory.

However, as Gu Zuo and the others arrived, a strange sense of danger rose in their hearts. It felt as though something peerless was slumbering here; once awakened, the consequences would be terrifying, making it impossible for them to escape!

Subconsciously, Gu Zuo shouted: “Run!”

Although Gongyi Tianheng and Duan Yunbeng were extremely powerful martial artists, their psyche perception was far less sensitive than Gu Zuo’s. It wasn’t until Gu Zuo’s warning that they sensed something within the palace beginning to wake.

Both were struck with horror. Given their abilities, they only noticed it now—what kind of thing was inside to have remained hidden from them for so long?

Despite their thoughts, neither dared to delay.

Duan Yunbeng turned to leave instantly, shouting, “Fast!”

Gongyi Tianheng reacted at the same moment, scooping Gu Zuo into his arms and bolting at full speed.

Both of their movement techniques were incredibly fast; in a single breath, they had already sped over ten miles away. Yet, compared to the thing in the palace, this speed seemed far too slow.

In an instant, a ball of blazing fire that looked capable of melting steel rolled out from the palace!

That’s right, it literally “rolled” out.

Gu Zuo stole a glance back and saw a massive fireball. It seemed to possess a powerful intelligence, bursting forth in an instant and carrying a terrifying, surging heat.

The flames of that fireball were frightening; the edges had turned almost white, and everywhere it passed, the very space seemed scorched. Amidst the steaming heat, everything appeared warped, causing one’s heart to palpitate with fear.

Despite having subdued many Wondrous Flames, Gu Zuo didn’t have a shred of confidence in subduing this one. What terrified him even more was the faint feeling that this fireball wasn’t the main body of the Wondrous Flame, nor even a part of it—it was merely a casual attack swiped out by the master of the palace, yet it was already forcing them into such a pathetic flight.

He had no time for deep thought; his only instinct was to “run fast.”

Duan Yunbeng and Gongyi Tianheng sensed the horror of that thing more and more and didn’t dare to slow down. But as they were running with all their might, they suddenly felt a searing heat all over their bodies, as if the surrounding temperature had spiked several times over.

Gu Zuo let out a low cry: “Three more are coming!”

Just as Gu Zuo suspected, the master of the palace was clearly annoyed by these “little bugs.” Seeing that one fireball was insufficient, it immediately released more!

Gu Zuo held his breath.

He watched as the four fireballs collided in pairs, merging into one another until they formed a giant “Sun” that nearly blotted out half the sky!

Its firepower, much like the actual sun, radiated a terrifying and majestic power.

Gu Zuo was drenched in sweat.

As a pharmacist, he dealt with Wondrous Flames almost every day, yet he had never experienced the agony of being scorched to this degree. He felt as though his very skin were about to melt into water… If he felt this way, then how much more unbearable must it be for his Big Brother, who was shielding him in his arms and weathering the thermal energy with his own back?

In a frantic rush, Gu Zuo pulled out four or five Bing Yun Pills in a row and stuffed them all into his Big Brother’s mouth.

No matter how strong a physical body was, it would struggle to prevail against such an Wondrous Flame. In that case, he would use medicinal pills to resist—even if the consumption was enormous, as long as Big Brother was safe, it was worth it!

Once Gongyi Tianheng’s complexion improved slightly, Gu Zuo shouted, “Senior Brother Duan, turn your head and open up!”

Duan Yunbeng couldn’t spare a single second to take pills himself right now. Hearing this, his face lit up with joy, and he hastily complied.

Gu Zuo flicked his fingers repeatedly, using his psyche power to wrap the pills and send them flying into Duan Yunbeng’s mouth. Yet even so, by the time the pills entered Duan Yunbeng’s mouth, they had shrunk by half. The fire was so powerful that it had instantly pierced through the psyche power and the pills’ own defenses, evaporating the medicinal strength!

Still, it was better than nothing.

Gu Zuo continuously fed the two of them pills, but despite this, the group’s escape speed was becoming slower and slower… They even felt themselves being suppressed by an extremely heavy pressure, making the air around them feel as if it were congealing, causing their inner energy to stagnate and their physical bodies to buckle under the load.

Gu Zuo was covered in a feverish sweat, his face turning slightly pale. “Big Brother, it seems… we can’t escape.”

Duan Yunbeng and Gongyi Tianheng both looked grim; they felt it too.

Indeed, aside from the fireball, they felt that terrifying aura within the palace climbing to even greater heights, and it seemed to be gradually approaching the palace exit.

If the fireball was already this hard to deal with, should that horrifying entity actually emerge, they would truly face a situation with ten deaths and no life!

Under this looming threat, Duan Yunbeng and Gongyi Tianheng exchanged a glance.

Time to go all out!

Only by destroying the fireball with maximum speed would they have a slim chance of survival!

In the next instant, the two turned around simultaneously. One wielded the power of blood-red palms, while the other held the power of black and white; both cleaved toward the fireball.

Gu Zuo’s brow stirred as he also released his Silver Wheel, which whistled through the air in attack.

All three exerted their absolute maximum strength, determined to crush the fireball in a single strike so they could make their escape once more!

The fireball’s power was immense. After the three struck it with their full might, though it did indeed shatter, it did not vanish completely. Instead, it formed countless smaller fireballs, turning into a meteor shower of flames that came rushing toward them.

However, compared to before, these attacks not only had a lower temperature but were also significantly weaker. Since all three were wearing defensive gear, even if they were hit, they wouldn’t fall here as they nearly had moments ago.

And so, the three of them intended to resume their flight.

However, exerting their full strength had a negative consequence: the consumption of their inner qi was immense. Each of them had very little left and could only rapidly swallow Bu Qi Pills to speed up their recovery.

Yet, it was already too late.

Just as the three had managed to flee a short distance further, an even more powerful pressure suddenly descended from above, making them almost unable to move for an instant!

Gongyi Tianheng and Duan Yunbeng subconsciously circulated their cultivation methods, trying their best to weaken the shocking effects of this pressure. At the same time, an object suddenly flew out of the palace—it was a full thousand zhang long, looming high in the sky above the ruins!

Gu Zuo saw the object and instantly found it impossible to breathe.

There were two entangled dragons, one black and one white, with piercing gazes and boundless power, coiling amidst clouds and mist, roaring proudly from the heights of the sky!

Black and white… twin dragons…

Duan Yunbeng’s fingers trembled uncontrollably.

He recognized this as a Wondrous Flame, and even more, he realized that a faint resonance was stirring between this flame and his own power. Could it be that this was the greatest nemesis he had ever heard of, the one meant specifically for him—the Yin-Yang Dragon Fire?

It was formed from the Qi of Yin and Yang and could nurture natural treasures saturated with Yin-Yang power, yet it felt nothing but utter loathing for living beings who cultivated by absorbing that same Yin-Yang power!

At this moment, a trace of despair surged in Duan Yunbeng’s heart.

He finally understood why the Wondrous Flame, which logically should have taken several breaths to emerge after they struck down the fireball, had appeared in a mere instant.

It was precisely because he had utilized his Yin-Yang power while fighting the fireball, triggering the fury of the Yin-Yang Dragon Fire!

Gu Zuo clearly realized this point as well.

Duan Yunbeng gave a bitter smile: “I’m sorry, Junior Brothers. This time, I’ve implicated you.”

Gongyi Tianheng said nothing.

Gu Zuo replied, “Senior Brother Duan, there is no need for that.”

Although dying here would be a cause for great regret, it wasn’t necessarily a path with no survival at all.

At the very worst, they could hide inside the Medicinal Celestial Grand Hall. Given Duan Yunbeng’s character, even if he knew they possessed a life-saving hall, he likely wouldn’t harbor any abnormal schemes.

Furthermore, treasure hunting and exploration were never guaranteed ventures. When encountering life-threatening difficulties, one could not place all the blame on Duan Yunbeng.

Duan Yunbeng felt a flicker of gratitude seeing that the two held no resentment.

Then, as he looked back at the giant black and white dragons, the fear in his eyes transformed into resolve.

If they truly couldn’t make it, he would stake his life to ensure his two Junior Brothers escaped!

In the future, someone would surely be able to avenge him!

Thinking this, Duan Yunbeng spoke his mind: “Junior Brothers, the one this Yin-Yang Dragon Fire loathes most is me. In a moment, I will take the initiative to fight it and keep it pinned down. Please, both of you, take the chance to leave first.”

Gu Zuo was slightly startled and said, “Senior Brother Duan, you don’t have to do that. We should share our trials together…”

Duan Yunbeng’s expression grew even more bitter: “If even one person can live, then one should live.”

Besides, that Yin-Yang Dragon Fire truly did hate him most of all.

And indeed, it was so. The twin black and white dragons flicked their long tails, and their entire bodies dove down, pressing toward Duan Yunbeng with crushing force!