CBGC - ch183

Chapter 183: Heat

Bai Su is still bound by the Soul-Binding Gold Cord. This is a rare immortal material in the entire cultivation world. This treasure was crafted by a former Bai family grandmaster, a legendary artifact refiner, who spent over a thousand years making it. Subsequent generations of the Bai family further tempered and reinforced the cord, making it an extraordinary artifact. Because of this, it could pierce through the Yayu‘s dragon horn like a needle under the entrapment of a heavenly net.

Although Bai Su initially thought using the Soul-Binding Gold Cord to break the Yayu’s body seal was unrealistic, he now believes it has a fair chance of destroying the altar.

They cannot use spiritual energy here, but the cord’s activation does not rely on him alone. Instead, it draws power from the Bai family disciples outside. Bai Su only needs to play a supporting role.

He explains the method to Su Tingyun, then lightly plucks the cord with his fingers. The sharp edge immediately slices his fingertip, and his blood seeps onto the cord, dyeing it red. At this moment, the other two realize that a fine golden thread is coiled around Bai Su’s body.

He originally intended to take out an array flag and position it around the altar as a precaution in case destroying the altar caused unexpected consequences. However, the restrictions in this sealed domain are entirely different from the ones high-level cultivators face in lower realms. With both spiritual energy and divine senses suppressed, even his storage artifact cannot be opened, rendering him unable to retrieve the flags.

Bai Su quickly realizes that the array flags themselves rely on spiritual energy. Even if he managed to hold them, he would not be able to activate their array powers.

"You two leave first."

Since he cannot guarantee safety, Bai Su doesn’t want to let Su Tingyun take any risks by staying.

But then, Su Tingyun pulls out Big Bai's thick shed skin. "We share blessings and hardships together. How can I leave you here alone at a time like this?" She stretches the wide piece of skin above her head and calls Jiu Yue over to stand beneath it. Jiu Yue, being tall, has to lower her head to get under it. When Bai Su joins them, he has to hunch down. Thinking of this, Bai Su presses his lips together in a faint smile.

He knows Su Tingyun will not leave, so he does not insist. Bai Su is well aware of how tough the Word Spirit Beast's skin is—it surpasses even his defensive formations. With that in mind, he wraps the golden thread around the altar. Once secured, he begins plucking the thread in a strange rhythm, his fingers moving constantly in an intricate pattern that leaves the onlookers dazzled. As he works, the previously pliant thread hardens and tightens firmly around the altar.

Fifteen minutes later, Bai Su’s hands are covered in cuts, his palms dripping blood that forms scattered red blossoms on the ground. Without access to spiritual energy, the minor injuries do not heal quickly, leaving him in visible discomfort.

“How’s your hand?” Su Tingyun asks.

“So many wounds and so much blood. Let me blow on it for you.” Jiu Yue breathes out softly, her lips slightly pursed, exhaling warm air over his hand.

“Just scratches. They’re nothing,” Bai Su responds calmly. These superficial injuries, though bloody, are insignificant. Still, if it were Su Tingyun blowing on his wounds…

The scene briefly flashes in his mind, and his face inexplicably flushes red.

After another fifteen minutes, Bai Su finishes and steps back to Su Tingyun’s side.

Su Tingyun quickly stands on her tiptoes, lifting Big Bai’s old skin higher to let Bai Su duck under it as well. She then tries to wrap the skin tightly, leaving only a small gap to observe the situation outside. Before she can adjust it, Jiu Yue flashes a charming smile and says, “Sister, Bai Su is the tallest. Let him stand in the middle so he can hold the skin more easily.”

Before Su Tingyun can respond, she notices Bai Su suddenly lower himself. To her surprise, he has already sat cross-legged on the ground.

Sitting is certainly more comfortable than standing. Thinking of this, Su Tingyun decides to sit too. She pulls Jiu Yue down with her, and the three of them sit together under the hide, peeking through the narrow opening to observe the altar that is wrapped tightly in golden threads.

The end of the thread has become extremely rigid, resembling a needle slowly piercing into the altar.

More golden threads pierce the altar, circling it several times on the first layer before gradually pushing into the second. However, as they approach the underground blood pool, they encounter resistance. The agile threads seem to meet their nemesis near the pool, hesitating and circling without daring to enter.

“What now?” Su Tingyun asks, holding the shed skin above their heads. Jiu Yue is on her left, and Bai Su is on her right.

Jiu Yue clings to Su Tingyun’s arm, pressing half her body against her. Her tail initially sways toward Bai Su but is promptly brushed aside by him. For someone as lofty as the Beast Saint, the ministers under her skirt as numerous as crucian caps crossing a river; this blatant rejection doesn’t anger her. But after this, she refrains from curling her tail back toward him.

After all, her tail is her weak point. With no spiritual energy, no spells, and no defenses, someone pulling out a tuft of her tail fur would cause unbearable pain.

Su Tingyun turns to Bai Su and suddenly notices how bright his eyes look in the darkness, glowing like luminous pearls.

Sweat beads glisten on his forehead and nose, and his breathing grows heavier.

“What’s wrong with you?” She asks.

Without spiritual energy, she cannot sense his condition. Could Bai Su have lied about the golden threads? Do they somehow affect him directly?

Bai Su tilts his head slightly and replies, “Hot.”

The temperature in the forbidden ground is indeed very high, and being trapped under the shed skin with no airflow only makes it worse. Without spiritual energy, they cannot use cleansing techniques or any spells to alleviate the heat. Sweat dots Bai Su’s face, and a damp patch spreads across the back of his clothes.

Jiu Yue, with her nine fluffy tails, looks like she might start sticking out her tongue and panting. Meanwhile, Su Tingyun remains cool as ever, as she’s made of celestial bones that keep her temperature regulated. This also explains why Jiu Yue keeps sticking close to her, seeking relief from the heat.

Thinking of this, Su Tingyun leans closer to Bai Su. The gap of a fist's width between them disappears, and now they sit shoulder to shoulder.

"I'm cool. Let's stay close together. Does it feel better now?" she asks.

"Mm," Bai Su nods, but silently thinks, Even hotter.  

Above the blood pool, the golden thread probes several times. Suddenly, its light intensifies. Bai Su realizes the Bai family disciples outside must have used another powerful spiritual artifact to activate the Soul Binding Gold Cord. At that moment, the thread plunges into the blood pool. In the next instant, the entire altar begins to crack. Within moments, it collapses completely, leaving the blood pool exposed before them.

There is no explosion, no immediate threat—only an overwhelming stench of blood that is utterly terrifying.

“Doesn't seem dangerous,”

“The smell of blood is too strong,” Jiu Yue says nervously. “It’s worse than the bloody and murderous aura in the ice cave behind the Temple.” For her, that ice cave beneath the glacier represents the most horrific, unthinkable place in her memory.

“Does breaking the altar count as destroying it completely?” Su Tingyun asks. “Should we destroy the blood pool too? What’s inside?”

“I’ll go and check,” Bai Su says, standing up and lifting the shed skin off himself. He approaches the edge of the blood pool with slow, deliberate steps.

Su Tingyun hurriedly wraps the skin around herself and follows him. Peering into the pool, she catches sight of a corpse floating to the surface. Its posture is identical to the ones they had seen in the mine: hands folded over its abdomen. However, this time it is nothing but a desiccated skeleton.

The bones are heavily fractured, likely from severe injuries sustained before death. Its final posture seems to have been arranged deliberately before it was thrown into the underground rivers.

“What do we do now?” Su Tingyun asks.

The Soul Binding Golden Cord had disappeared after destroying the altar, likely returning to the Bai family disciples outside. Now, they are left with no usable artifacts. Though no immediate danger is apparent, the sight of the blood-soaked altar and the countless remains is enough to unsettle anyone.

“Maybe we should head out and grab some sharp weapons—or dry wood or something—to burn the blood pool dry,” Jiu Yue hesitantly says, her voice trembling with unease.

The more she looks around, the stronger her fear grows, almost uncontrollable. A deep-seated terror resurfaces, mingled with guilt that she has buried in the depths of her heart. She blames herself for delivering offerings multiple times, even though she ultimately killed the Yayu. Yet, her lingering fear remains—a fear she has refused to confront. Now, this terror magnifies uncontrollably. In her mind’s eye, she could see the Yayu’s savage face and its cruelty towards female demons.

“I-I’ll go out and fetch a weapon.” After saying this, Jiu Yue retreats several steps and starts heading back the way they came. But after only a few paces, she suddenly cries out, “The path is gone!”

In this sealed place, devoid of spiritual energy and divine senses, none of them had noticed that the narrow, deep path they had taken earlier had completely vanished.

Su Tingyun also steps forward to examine the surroundings closely. After some time, she confirms that the path is indeed gone. Walking along the edges, she discovers that the area forms a circular boundary. They are trapped inside a round barrier.

At this moment, Xuanyuan Wentian’s voice finally echoes in her mind: “The moment the altar collapsed, the path disappeared.”

“Why didn’t you mention it earlier?”

Xuanyuan Wentian cackles, “Would the path reappear if I did?”

Why should I bother reminding you? It's not like you’ll die here anyway, he thinks.

Su Tingyun sighs and tries a different approach, realizing that arguing with Xuanyuan Wentian won’t help. Lowering her tone, she asks, “Then can you explain what’s going on here? You’re from ancient times, knowledgeable and experienced. Surely you recognize something about this situation?”

Before Xuanyuan Wentian can respond, Jiu Yue’s eyes suddenly turn red. She begins thrashing wildly at the air like someone possessed. “Stay away! I’ll kill you!”

“Jiu Yue!”

Jiu Yue lunges toward Su Tingyun. Unable to use any other attack, she swipes directly at Su Tingyun’s face. Bai Su intercepts her in time, blocking her strike. But Jiu Yue opens her mouth and bites down on Bai Su’s hand.

Bai Su swiftly strikes the back of Jiu Yue’s neck, knocking her unconscious. She collapses onto the ground, motionless.

“She’s affected by the formation here,” Bai Su says grimly.

“Good thing this place suppresses spiritual energy. Otherwise, neither of us could stand up to Jiu Yue,” he adds. After a pause, he continues, “We can’t leave now. Let’s focus on uncovering the secrets of this blood pool.”

He reaches out, letting his hand rest lightly on the rusted pillar still standing above the altar’s ruins.

Though the altar has crumbled, the tilted pillar remains, firmly embedded in the blood pool below.