Searching for the Remains

In reality, watercourses crisscrossed the Secluded Valley. Traces left by cascading waterfalls scored the mountains as well. Without exception, every one had dried up. Only here was the water abundant, its surface still as a mirror. Along the lake's banks, what had once been lush woods had entirely petrified into a stone forest, devoid of a single living plant. The lake reflected the silhouettes of the stone spires, casting an eerie, bizarre aura over the scene. "There are poison pools in the Spirit-Suppressing Domain containing dreadful toxic water, and more than one of them. It is suspected that the venom drifting through the Secluded Valley originates from these very pools." The carapace-backed burly man wore a solemn expression, hesitation rising in his heart. The secret art was guiding them straight into this poison pool to search for the remains. "Did the humans ever investigate what lies beneath the poison pools?" The Flood Dragon King peered into the depths of the lake, yet saw only darkness; the poison pool was bottomless. The carapace-backed burly man shook his head. "Such matters are closely guarded secrets. It is practically impossible for word of them to leak out..." "It seems we have no choice but to go down and see for ourselves." The Flood Dragon King's golden armor vibrated as layer upon layer of golden light merged into it. The armor thickened several times over, encasing his entire body. Even the Flood Dragon King did not dare take this poison pool lightly. *Plop!* The Flood Dragon King leapt into the lake, his golden armor submerged in the toxic liquid. *Sssss...* Under the erosion of the virulent poison, his golden armor soon pitted and corroded. Layers of golden light were extinguished one after another. The ferocity of this toxic fluid far exceeded the venom floating in the air. The carapace-backed burly man jumped in as well. The phantom of the black tortoise on his shell respired rapidly, only just managing to keep pace with the venom's corroding onslaught. Neither demon dared delay, swiftly diving deeper. To their surprise, the poison pool proved far deeper than anticipated. Even after descending for a long while, they could not reach the bottom. Moreover, the space beneath the lake was vast. After groping around, they found the perimeter of the bed, only to discover subterranean rivers branching out in all directions. The entire subterranean expanse beneath the Spirit-Suppressing Domain was likely a crisscrossing network of toxic rivers connecting multiple poison pools. *Splash!* The two demons breached the surface. The situation was somewhat tricky. If they wanted to delve deep underground to retrieve the dragon remains, they would have to endure the corrosion of the venom for an extended period. Fortunately, they had found no vicious beasts or other dangers beneath the water. After conferring, they decided to take turns withstanding the virulent poison. Guided by the secret technique toward a clear target, they ought to be able to endure. The two demons regulated their breathing for a brief moment and walked to the shore. The Flood Dragon King dismissed his golden armor, while the carapace-backed burly man expanded his protective barrier to envelop them both before reentering the poison pool. This time, guided by the secret art, they quickly entered an underground river, weaving through the intricate aquatic labyrinth and changing directions repeatedly. All the while, they took turns sustaining the defense. Unsure how far they had delved beneath the earth, both demons grew short of breath, finding it increasingly arduous to hold off the toxic water. The toxic rivers not only corroded the physical body, but also ate away at spiritual sense. The subterranean water network was unimaginably tangled and filled entirely with venom. Without the dragon remains guiding them, even with their cultivation, reaching this point would have been impossible. At that moment, they passed through an underground river. At the end of the underground river lay a vast subterranean poison lake. On the lake bed rested a massive boulder. Prying it aside, they actually uncovered a square stone door! The stone door had long since merged into one with the riverbed. Without a close look, one could easily overlook it. The secret art pointed directly beyond this stone door! "This is it!" The two demons rejoiced. Diving down before the stone door, the Flood Dragon King gave it a gentle push, but it did not budge in the slightest, and faint radiant light seemed to flash across its surface. Seeing this, the two exchanged a glance and exclaimed together, "There's a restriction!" "Focus all your strength on breaking the restriction, Fellow Daoist. Don't worry about the venom—I can still hold out a while longer." The carapace-backed burly man's eyes gleamed; the dragon remains were likely right behind the stone door. The Flood Dragon King concentrated on probing the restriction, attempting to break it again and again, yet made no progress. Just as the carapace-backed burly man was beginning to grow anxious, a look of delight suddenly spread across the Flood Dragon King's face. "It's actually an ancient demon restriction!" "What? It's not a human restriction?" The carapace-backed burly man was completely taken aback. "The ancient restriction is intact, its power still formidable. If it were an ancient human restriction, the two of us probably wouldn't have stood a chance of breaking it and would have had to return empty-handed. But since it's an ancient demon restriction, the dragon remains are rightfully ours!" The Flood Dragon King burst into hearty laughter. ... An unknown underground cavern. A group of Witch Clan cultivators emerged from the teleportation formation, immediately erecting defensive barriers. Everyone was safe and sound. In an instant, they assumed formation, warily scanning their surroundings, and realized they had been teleported deep underground. The teleportation formation was housed inside an underground cavern, resting atop a square stone platform, with nothing else present. The cavern did not appear man-made; bare, jagged rock jutted out irregularly, without the slightest sign of chisel or axe. There were no stone pillars, witch formations, or restrictions. The cavern was deathly silent; who knew how long it had been since anyone last set foot here? This took everyone by surprise. They had assumed they would be teleported to a Witch Clan ruin, never expecting a place like this. The exit of the cavern connected to a corridor that faded into darkness at the far end, with the faint murmur of flowing water echoing from within. After brief deliberation, Old Devil Fang took the lead once again. Hastening forward for a time, they reached the end of the corridor, where they were astonished to find a well in the ground filled with water, resembling the entrance to an underground river. A Witch Clan Nascent Soul cultivator hurled a stream of spiritual power into the water, only to watch it corrode away at a rate visible to the naked eye. "It's a toxic river!" The cultivator gave a start in fright. "What terrifying venom!" "Why did our predecessors' teleportation formation lead to a dead end? Should we head outside and see where we are?" someone looked up and suggested. "No!" The Grand Shaman flatly refused, a contemplative look crossing his face. "I know where this is. In the Secluded Valley, only the place called the Spirit-Suppressing Domain possesses poison pools. This toxic river connects to the water of those poison pools, meaning we must be near the Spirit-Suppressing Domain. The Spirit-Suppressing Domain is one of the secret realms the humans value most. We must not act rashly." "The Spirit-Suppressing Domain?" Seeing the Grand Shaman's solemn demeanor, none of the Nascent Soul cultivators dared make decisions on their own. "How much do you know about the Spirit-Suppressing Domain?" Old Devil Fang suddenly asked. "Not much," the Grand Shaman said helplessly. "The humans are tight-lipped about these secret realms. I could only uncover a few ambiguous rumors. Supposedly, there is a strange force in the Spirit-Suppressing Domain, and only those at the late Nascent Soul stage or the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage can come and go freely." "Doesn't that mean only the Grand Shaman and Fellow Daoist Fang can enter?" A stir rippled through the Nascent Soul cultivators, and one spoke up, "We haven't felt anything unusual, so perhaps the rumors are mistaken. Why don't we all go down and investigate? If we run into obstacles, it won't be too late to turn back." "Very well..." The Grand Shaman did not stop them. Only upon descending did they realize how virulent the toxic river was. Unable to endure for long, they were forced to retreat. With the underground situation unclear and branches splintering off the subterranean river, the group took cautious precautions and took turns scouting ahead. Through repeated investigations, they eventually discovered that all the branches of the subterranean river connected to a large underground lake. Not long after Old Devil Fang led several Nascent Soul cultivators into the toxic lake, he suddenly felt a strange fluctuation sweep toward them, followed by a bloodcurdling scream from nearby. Without even looking back, he first made sure that the fluctuation posed no threat to him before going to save the person. Plunged into the toxic lake and abruptly subjected to the suppression of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain, one of the Witch Clan Nascent Soul cultivators was caught off guard and powerless to resist the toxic water. In an instant, his physical body was completely corroded away, leaving only his Nascent Soul to be rescued, while the others were all injured as well.