PID Chapter 33.1

Looks like Choco wanna get me drunk on coffee

ꉂ(≧ヮ≦)

Again Kofi thanks to Choco!!!!

(2/5)

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Under the guidance of his treasure-seeking mouse, the gray-robed demonic cultivator pressed forward while skillfully avoiding all Immortal Alliance cultivators along the way.

 

Not only was he adept at concealing his demonic aura, but he was also highly skilled at hiding his movements.

 

Unfortunately for the gray-robed demonic cultivator, Xiao Mo was tailing him—and far more skilled.

 

After pursuing him for one or two hours, they had reached the edge of Black Forest, close to its boundary.

 

The beast tide in Black Forest had been triggered by a spiritual vein. Spiritual veins were rich in spiritual energy, not only aiding cultivators in their cultivation but also producing spirit stones. Twenty miles outside Black Forest lay a lower-grade spiritual vein.

 

Lower-grade spiritual veins produced low-grade and mid-grade spirit stones; mid-grade veins produced mid-grade and high-grade spirit stones; high-grade veins exclusively produced high-grade spirit stones.

 

Spiritual veins were always controlled by powerful sects and noble families—never by rogue cultivators. Regardless of the grade, spiritual veins were heavily guarded. If not for this, Xiao Mo would have loved to take a stroll through one himself.

 

Just a little digging for some money—just a tiny bit would suffice.

 

Even the edge of Black Forest near the spiritual vein benefited from its proximity. The spiritual energy here was so abundant that just one breath could match half a day’s worth of cultivation. Even Chu Jinglan felt his occasionally aching dantian ease considerably.

 

However, both Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan frowned.

 

If the treasure was located in Black Forest, it would be manageable. But if they ended up following the trail to the spiritual vein itself, they had no idea what level of cultivators were guarding it. If their cultivation levels were too high and they were discovered, it could spell trouble.

 

Xiao Mo spoke to Chu Jinglan in the sea of consciousness: “If we end up needing to enter the spiritual vein, we’ll retreat ahead of time.”

 

Chu Jinglan: “Mm.”

 

When emotions weren’t clouding their judgment, they were always able to reach consensus on major decisions with ease. This greatly improved their cooperation efficiency—saving both time and effort.

 

After following for a while longer, they arrived at a medium-sized cave near the very edge of Black Forest. The gray-robed demonic cultivator stopped at its entrance.

 

It seemed they wouldn’t need to go to the spiritual vein after all. Xiao Mo quietly let out a sigh of relief.

 

The gray-robed demonic cultivator’s eyes gleamed as he circled the cave entrance twice, seemingly confirming something before bursting into laughter: “Haha! That old fool really hid the treasure here—I’ve finally found it!”

 

As he spoke, he raised Zi Jiao from Xiao Qing Sect and casually tossed him toward the cave entrance.

 

Zi Jiao didn’t roll into the cave as expected.

 

Suddenly, red light flared at the entrance, and dense patterns spread across the previously bare mountain wall. Zi Jiao collided with the red light, breaking the demonic cultivator’s silencing spell. He let out a piercing scream as his body began to swell rapidly, as if about to explode. Wounds burst open across his body, spraying blood everywhere.

 

Zi Jiao’s eyes bulged in terror as blood poured from his seven orifices. His face twisted into an unrecognizable shape. Just as his body reached its limit and seemed ready to burst entirely, it abruptly deflated like a punctured balloon. All his blood gushed out in torrents until his once-rounded body shriveled into a dried corpse that fell lifelessly to the ground.

 

Zi Jiao’s screams were cut short—his death was one of utter horror and despair.

 

The sound jolted Su Baimo awake for a brief moment from his fainted state. He opened his eyes just in time to witness this horrifying scene before rolling his eyes back again and passing out completely.

 

Zi Jiao’s blood was absorbed by the glowing patterns at the cave entrance. Once satiated, the patterns dimmed. The demonic cultivator waited briefly before attempting to toss Su Baimo forward as well to test further.

 

Su Baimo landed on the ground near the entrance—but this time, there was no reaction from the patterns.

 

Satisfied, the demonic cultivator nodded approvingly. He picked Su Baimo up again and carried him into the cave.

 

Once his figure disappeared into the cave entrance, Xiao Mo wrapped himself in black mist and flew inside after him. The cave entrance wasn’t tall, but Xiao Mo made sure not to touch even a speck of dirt on its edges or disturb Zi Jiao’s dried corpse lying nearby.

 

It was no wonder demonic cultivators were universally hated by righteous cultivators—their methods of killing truly elicited visceral disgust.

 

The gray-robed demonic cultivator, however, watched the gruesome scene with great relish. If Xiao Mo felt like he was witnessing a scene from Resident Evil, then in the eyes of the demonic cultivator, it was an entertaining play.

 

For a moment, neither Xiao Mo nor Chu Jinglan spoke. Chu Jinglan noticed the small black mist sphere beside him shift slightly.

 

Did he dislike such methods of killing?

 

As a demon who could manipulate the hearts and minds of others while maintaining his own purity, Xiao Mo was, in some ways, the most terrifying kind of being. As he grew stronger and his cultivation advanced, he would stand high above the clouds, gazing down on all human hearts and their petty dramas.

 

And yet, none of this chaos—the deceitfulness of human nature or the weight of desires—could affect him. His enemies would face a truly formidable opponent.

 

Originally, the greatest enemy of an Inner Demon should have been himself.

 

Chu Jinglan’s consciousness remained quiet and composed. While the little black mist sphere occasionally revealed its emotions outwardly, the snowy white sphere concealed everything perfectly. All its calculations and thoughts were tightly wrapped within, showing not a hint to the outside world.

 

After entering the cave, Xiao Mo discovered that while the entrance was small, it opened into a vast underground space. The cave extended deep into the earth, carved into a wide chamber. Standing on the ground at the bottom and looking up gave an illusion of a towering dome high enough to pluck stars from.

 

The temperature inside was extremely high—not something Xiao Mo felt directly but something he observed. The heat rising from the cave had dried out all the weeds growing in cracks along its walls.

 

Xiao Mo couldn’t help but wonder: Could they have dug so deep that they’ve hit underground magma?

 

He had to add several layers of spiritual energy protection to Chu Jinglan’s body as they moved forward. While doing so, he asked: “Is it very hot?”

 

It had been, but with the added spiritual energy protection, it instantly cooled down. Chu Jinglan knew this wasn’t the time for bravado—he needed to report his sensations and conditions accurately so Xiao Mo could make informed decisions.

 

“It was very hot earlier; now it’s fine,” Chu Jinglan replied. “But as we go deeper, the temperature is still rising.”

 

By the time they reached the innermost part of the cave, Xiao Mo had added five or six layers of protection to Chu Jinglan’s body. What they found inside confirmed Xiao Mo’s suspicions—a flowing river of molten lava.

 

The scorching, viscous lava bubbled and gurgled as golden flames erupted from its surface with every burst bubble. Su Baimo had been tossed onto the ground nearby; his exposed skin was already red and blistered from contact with the heated surface. Sweat drenched his body. Even if he hadn’t fainted from fear earlier, he would have passed out from heat exhaustion by now.

 

The lava river formed a circular flow around a central stone pedestal where an egg rested.

 

It seemed like fire yet not fire; like gold yet not gold. The demonic cultivator’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he reached out greedily toward the egg.

 

However, as soon as his body came within three meters of it, the lava river suddenly surged upward. Golden flames erupted violently from within, catching him off guard. A burst of fire scorched one of his arms; wherever it touched, it instantly reduced his clothing and flesh to blackened ash that crumbled away in flakes.

 

Even the blood was vaporized by the intense heat.

 

The gray-robed demonic cultivator winced in pain, his eyes filled with both resentment and excitement. He was eager to try again: “So what if it defends itself? The Golden Flame Flowing Fire Phoenix is mine!”

 

Golden Flame Flowing Fire Phoenix!

 

Xiao Mo’s eyes widened slightly.

 

It was a growth-type demonic beast, starting at first-tier but capable of growing all the way to ninth-tier. Bloodlines were crucial for demonic beasts, and this phoenix’s bloodline exerted a natural suppression on most other demonic beasts. Its innate ability, the Flowing Golden Flame, made it exceptionally powerful, even at first or second tier.

 

Its flames burned everything they touched to ash.

 

And more importantly, one of Su Baimo’s future contracted demonic beasts was a Golden Flame Flowing Fire Phoenix.

 

Even though Su Baimo later had so many cheat-like abilities, treasures, and contracted beasts that they became mundane to readers, the Flowing Fire Phoenix remained one of his key battle companions. It appeared so frequently that readers grew used to it—after all, they weren’t there to watch Su Baimo fight. His habit of pulling out treasures randomly became something everyone stopped questioning.

 

So… could it be that the Flowing Fire Phoenix originated from this Black Forest expedition?

 

Why wasn’t this written in the original novel!?

 

Xiao Mo glanced at the demonic cultivator, who was fighting fiercely against the golden flames as if he’d been injected with adrenaline. Then he looked at Su Baimo lying on the ground, nearly cooked by the heat. A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind.

 

Su Baimo had no chance of surviving either the magma or the demonic cultivator—he was utterly powerless. If the Flowing Fire Phoenix truly came from Black Forest, then Su Baimo must have gotten it by sheer luck.

 

The demonic cultivator might very well die fighting the golden flames.

 

Su Baimo was unconscious now, and in this cave… well, let’s count Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan as one person for now.

 

That meant there were still two conscious and fully capable individuals present.

 

Sorry, Su Baimo—this opportunity isn’t yours anymore.

 

Whether it was interfering with Su Baimo and Dai Zisheng’s romantic subplot or ensuring he didn’t spark anything with Chu Jinglan, those efforts carried uncertainties. There was always a chance for a reversal in the future—it was a long game. But snatching opportunities like this? That was different.

 

A demonic beast could only form a contract with one master in its lifetime. Once the Flowing Fire Phoenix belonged to Chu Jinglan, even if he somehow lost his mind one day and wanted to hand it over to someone else, it would be impossible.

 

Whether or not this phoenix was originally meant to be Su Baimo’s fated opportunity, Xiao Mo had already decided—it would belong to Chu Jinglan now.

 

And if it was supposed to be Su Baimo’s? Well, that would just make taking it twice as satisfying.

 

Still… Su Baimo’s luck truly seemed extraordinary. Was it because he was the protagonist in the original novel and favored by fate? Other characters who were also considered protagonists—like Chu Jinglan and Mu Jian—had endured far more suffering than him.

 

The hardships Su Baimo occasionally faced were nothing compared to what they had gone through—mere child’s play in comparison.

 

Take this situation as an example: even though he’d been captured by a demonic cultivator, he wasn’t injured. And now he’d stumbled upon a Golden Flame Flowing Fire Phoenix. Who could deny that this wasn’t an incredible stroke of luck?

 

As Xiao Mo pondered these things, on the other side of the cave, the remaining golden flames in the magma began to fade. The demonic cultivator had sustained significant injuries—his entire arm was charred and mangled beyond recognition. His dantian was depleted, and his internal injuries were severe—but he had won.

 

The flames had burned away his mask as well, revealing a hideous face beneath. His features weren’t inherently unattractive, but expression and demeanor greatly influenced appearance. His crazed and fanatical gaze made even a decent face look terrifying.

 

The golden flames were finally suppressed back into the magma. The demonic cultivator stepped onto the central stone platform and grabbed the phoenix egg before leaping back down with steady footing.

 

He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood but grinned widely despite it. Blood stained his teeth as he held up the phoenix egg triumphantly: “Haha! It’s finally mine—”

 

Before the demonic cultivator could finish his sentence, a sharp pain suddenly pierced through his sea of consciousness. His vision went black, and at the same time, an immense force struck him from behind, mercilessly slamming him toward the magma!

 

The phoenix egg flew out of his grasp. The darkness in his vision lasted only a brief moment, but for cultivators, life and death could be decided in the blink of an eye. That single moment was enough to seal his fate.

 

His entire body plunged into the magma. The lingering golden flames, still remembering the hateful aura of this man, surged up to engulf him completely. The fire spread across his body so quickly that he didn’t even have time to scream before it dragged him deeper into the molten river.

 

In his final moments, all he saw was a pair of slender, well-defined hands catching the phoenix egg.

 

The person holding it chuckled softly: “Apologies—this is mine now.”

 

The demonic cultivator: You damn—

 

The curse he couldn’t utter was consumed along with him as the magma dissolved every trace of his existence.

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter