Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil in the Cultivation World Chapter 1174 - 568: Crossing the Tribulation with Ease, Gaining a First-Grade Opportunity

"Within this desolate prison world resides a concealed dimensional gateway, offering direct passage to the legendary Kunpeng Nest."

"But HOW did that individual manage to uncover its location?"

The entity employing the soul exchange technique found this revelation utterly unbelievable.

It observed Jiang Fan's form materialize instantaneously within the actual Kunpeng Nest's confines.

He was now mere steps away from its own presence.

Frankly, his speed was astonishingly swift.

This was because the duration the young man had spent within the Kunpeng Nest was surprisingly brief.

Yet, in that short span, he had effortlessly navigated to the innermost sanctum of the true Kunpeng Nest.

It was a development that defied all logic, leaving the observer utterly perplexed as to how this feat was accomplished.

"Ah, yes, that young man has forged a pact with this Kunpeng."

"Their bond must be exceptionally strong, implying he possessed prior knowledge of the Kunpeng Nest's secrets."

"This would naturally explain his swift arrival at the Northern Continent and his discovery of the Kunpeng Nest."

"If that's the situation, his arrival here changes little, as he remains completely unaware of my existence."

"Perhaps, I might even seize an opportunity to deceive this young cultivator."

"With my foresight and plan, this lad is destined for demise, allowing me to capture both of them in a single, decisive move."

The soul exchange trickster began to pulse with anticipation.

It mused that this turn of events might not be a setback at all; rather, it represented a tremendous advantage.

The reason was simple: this human cultivator had practically walked into a trap, venturing here willingly.

This also served to conserve its resources and time considerably.

Once it annihilated this human and the Kunpeng fledgling, the entirety of the Kunpeng Nest would rightfully belong to it.

Whoosh!

At this precise moment, Jiang Fan perceived his passage through a dimensional rift, abruptly finding himself transported to a realm dominated by an immense ocean.

His gaze swept across an unending expanse of water, with no discernible horizon.

Suspended at the very heart of this vast sea was a colossal, intricately constructed palace.

Without question, this magnificent edifice must undoubtedly be the ancestral domain of the ancient Kunpeng.

It was a monumental palace fashioned from dark Divine Bone and solidified Profound Ice, presenting an image akin to a slumbering, gargantuan mythical beast lurking within the abyssal darkness of perpetual night. The structure was shaped like a monstrous turtle, sprawling for thousands of miles, giving the illusion of a floating continent upon the sea.

Viewed from above, the entire nest radiated an eerie, luminous glow of black and gold, an arresting contrast against the deep azure hues of the surrounding seawater.

"Have I finally arrived?"

Jiang Fan's figure blurred, instantly materializing before the grand Kunpeng Palace.

He could sense an overwhelming, formidable pressure emanating from the structure, as if the palace itself possessed the life force of a living Kunpeng.

The entire palace was enveloped by a dense network of restrictive arrays, resembling myriad Immortal Patterns intricately etched into the very fabric of the void.

Should these arrays be activated, they would unleash power of unimaginable destructive magnitude.

Currently, the primary entrance to the palace stood ajar.

It was likely that the young Kunpeng, Ming, had opened it, and it had remained accessible ever since.

This proved to be a considerable saving of his effort.

Detecting no significant immediate threats, he proceeded directly into the Kunpeng Palace.

Within, a lengthy corridor stretched out, connecting to several adjacent chambers which served as ancillary halls.

However, Jiang Fan paid them no mind, advancing directly to the corridor's conclusion.

The termination of the corridor led into the opulent main hall of the Kunpeng Palace.

"Could this genuinely be the authentic Kunpeng Nest?"

Upon stepping into the main hall, Jiang Fan surveyed his surroundings with keen curiosity.

A massive pool of blood abruptly came into view, resembling a pulsating heart suspended in the void's center.

This pool shimmered with a crimson-gold luminescence, akin to molten magma or an immense pile of countless red rubies, casting a sinister, dark-red glow in the gloom.

Its surface gleamed with a stillness that belied its liquid nature, like a colossal blood diamond, inscribed with myriad runes that swirled across its exterior, forming an intricate grand formation. Each inscribed pattern contained within it the ultimate principles of the natural world.

Wisps of scarlet vapor ascended from the pool, reaching skyward and coalescing into spectral Kunpeng forms in the air. At times, these apparitions would morph into a Kun fish, idly flicking its tail, and at others, into a Peng bird, powerfully beating its wings. Each transformation was accompanied by a palpable tremor that shook the heavens and the earth.

From the deepest reaches of the blood pool emanated resonant waves of Daoistic sounds, reminiscent of the mighty roars of a Kunpeng. These were the primordial echoes of Kunpeng's divine abilities, capable of stirring a cultivator's spirit and accelerating their cultivation advancement.

Were a cultivator of extraordinary profound understanding to be present, they might even attain immediate enlightenment.

Presently, a colossal beast lay sprawled across the very center of the blood pool.

Its entire form was encased in dark, obsidian-like scales, each scale as large as a minor mountain, catching the bloody light and reflecting a bluish, metallic sheen.

The enormous body was coiled within the pool, indubitably absorbing boundless quantities of energy. It was encircled by swirling vortexes of black and white energy, mimicking the formation of a taijitu, the yin-yang symbol.

With every inhalation, its aura appeared to intensify.

It was as if its innate origin energy was being perpetually amplified.

It was the young Kunpeng, Ming!

Without a shadow of a doubt, the mysterious, colossal beast before him was none other than the young Kunpeng, Ming.

It must be acknowledged that upon returning to the Kunpeng Nest, the young Kunpeng had indeed reaped immense benefits.

This blood pool brims with abundant origin energy, enriched by countless ten-thousand-year-old spirit medicines. It was a preparation by its father for Little Kunpeng, its value utterly immeasurable.

At this very moment, Little Kunpeng Ming lay in slumber, instinctively consuming the energy from the blood pool, yet its aura and power continued to surge.

"Indeed, the Kunpeng Nest is truly extraordinary," Jiang Fan mused as he surveyed the surroundings.

The surrounding walls of the main hall were fashioned from intertwined black divine bone and millennia-old profound ice, their surfaces etched with array maps detailing Kunpeng divine arts. Each stroke pulsed with mysterious energy, appearing as if sculpted from the very laws of the void.

The dome above was studded with innumerable stars and asteroids, plied from the cosmos by Kunpeng’s immense divine power. These celestial bodies emitted a soft starlight, casting a bizarre and magnificent spectacle that was mirrored upon the blood pool below.

Scattered around the blood pool, countless skeletons floated: remnants of the Dragon Race, Phoenix Race, Qilin Race, and other ancient divine beasts. These past prey of the Kunpeng now served as adornments for its nest.

The entirety of the nest resonated with an oppressive aura, a synthesis of blood and thunderbolt, embodying the Kunpeng’s killing intent and primal power. This potent atmosphere could cause the souls of the weak to dissipate and compelled the strong to bow in reverence.

It must be acknowledged, this Kunpeng Nest is undeniably terrifying. In its prime, he would have possessed no standing to even approach such a place.

Yet, it was not the moment to explore the Kunpeng palace; his objective was the soul-swapping demon.

Whoosh~~

A message pierced the depths of his sea of consciousness.

"Destiny Guidance: You have at last reached the Kunpeng Palace, confronting the soul-swapping demon. It currently resides within Little Kunpeng’s body, biding its time to strike and devour your soul. However, this presents a grand opportunity. You can lure it into a trap, guiding the soul-swapping demon into the Exquisite Tower, thus resolving this aberrant creature with ease."

Upon receiving this message, Jiang Fan's heart throbbed; the moment for decisive battle had finally arrived. It appeared that dealing with this peculiar creature would be straightforward.

Yet, without Destiny's foreknowledge and its enhancement, which revealed the soul-swapping demon's every intention,

facing this bizarre entity would not have been so simple. A single misstep could lead to his demise at its hands.

Even if it were incapable of killing him, he would still be powerless against it. After all, this strange creature possessed an indestructible body; sensing danger, it could vanish in an instant.

At that juncture, locating it again would be akin to an impossibility. Subsequently, this aberrant creature might conceal itself, bringing him immense tribulation and unending trouble.

Swish!

With this thought, Jiang Fan maintained an impassive demeanor, feigning ignorance as he advanced toward the blood pool.

Bang!

In the ensuing second, a black projectile erupted from Little Kunpeng Ming's form. It moved silently and with astonishing swiftness, at a velocity incomprehensible to ordinary cultivators.

Without question, this was the soul-swapping demon.

"Die."

With smug confidence, the soul-swapping demon intended to plunge into this human cultivator's body and obliterate his soul instantaneously—a trivial feat for it. Furthermore, few forces in existence possessed the capability to thwart its assault.

By all accounts, this human cultivator was already a dead man.

"Wait, what is this?"

Abruptly, the soul-swapping demon was seized by bewilderment.

It suddenly perceived a seven-layered treasure tower materializing upon the human cultivator’s person, radiating a multicolored light and unleashing a vast domain that suppressed the surrounding space-time.

Before it could even register its surroundings, it felt its entire being inexorably drawn into the depths of this treasure tower.

"Damn it, I’ve been ensnared in a trap."

"This is a trap!"

The soul-swapping demon's countenance turned a ghastly shade of green.

Whoosh~~

The instant the bizarre creature was confined within the Exquisite Tower, a message resonated from the furthest reaches of Jiang Fan’s consciousness: "You have encountered a formidable bizarre creature. However, following a life-and-death struggle, you have successfully subdued it within the Exquisite Tower, thereby surviving a dire tribulation. You have gained a first-grade opportunity, along with three hundred million Luck Points."