Two hours later, Qin Yang had found nothing of value.
He'd explored most of the first floor, discovering six kitchens, three slaughterhouses, and two large communal dormitories, but nothing else of interest.
The entire place was empty, devoid of anything valuable.
Passing through a strange small door, Qin Yang found himself in a massive corridor.
The corridor was fifteen meters wide and twelve meters high. To the left, light shone through, leading deep into the building. To the right lay darkness as deep as an abyss.
Instinctively drawn to the light, Qin Yang soon emerged from the corridor.
What he saw left him speechless - an enormous circular arena stretched before him!
The hard ground was pitted with countless scars, clear evidence of countless brutal battles fought here.
Around the circular walls, pitch-black passages lined the perimeter. Some stood open, while others were sealed by barred doors.
As he continued observing, Qin Yang noticed something in a corner of the arena.
He took a step forward to investigate, but froze mid-motion.
The creature suddenly moved, its body stretching out. To everyone's shock, it was a Tyrannosaurus demon beast!
The massive head lifted, and the three-meter-long tail swayed gently. A golden flame flickered at the tip of its tail as crimson eyes locked onto Qin Yang.
The scene froze momentarily before the demon beast roared at the sky and charged toward Qin Yang!
"Golden Flame Explosion Dragon! Boy, run!" Dragon Jade bellowed.
"Need I say it? Do you think I'd need your reminder?" Qin Yang had already sprinted back toward the exit.
The nearest escape route in the entire arena was the very passage he'd entered through!
Just as he reached the passage, Qin Yang sensed imminent danger. His legs exploded with force, leaving deep grooves in the ground as he skidded to a halt half a foot from the entrance.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Metallic pillars shot down from above, sealing the passage entrance in an instant like a prison door.
"This..." Qin Yang's expression turned complicated. He should be dead, yet...
The gaps between each pillar were wide enough. By turning sideways, he could just squeeze through...
"This is a cage designed to contain demonic beasts..."
Qin Yang found it amusing at first, but his laughter quickly faded.
CRASH! The Golden Flame Explosion Dragon had reached the cage door, its massive head slamming against the bars like a Tyrannosaurus rex.
Its razor-sharp teeth left deep gouges in the metal columns. Golden light flashed in its eyes as it erupted in a blaze of golden flames.
The scorching heat made Qin Yang feel like he was melting. He retreated hastily.
Only when he'd put enough distance between himself and the beast did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Isn't this just some demonic beast?" Qin Yang asked, watching the cage door glow with golden fire. "Why not just use your dragon might? Oh, and while you're at it, why not devour it and give me another round of fire tempering?"
Dragon Jade remained silent. "Your current body is entirely sustained by cold ice power. Without it, you'd have shattered long ago. Forget about withstanding the Golden Flame Explosion Dragon's power - even standing near it would be enough to melt the ice power keeping you alive."
Qin Yang clicked his tongue in regret. What a missed opportunity!
"It seems trapped here. No rush, we still have a chance." Qin Yang smiled, turning to walk deeper into the corridor.
Dragon Jade was speechless. A chance? A suicidal chance! Even if Qin Yang wasn't injured, another attempt at body tempering...
Dragon Jade felt a headache coming on. How could he stop Qin Yang's terrifying plan?
Thump-thump-thump!
Qin Yang's footsteps echoed through the corridor. Instead of returning through the small door he'd entered earlier, he continued walking forward.
Each step took him lower, as the corridor led straight down into the earth.
Before long, the corridor came to an end. Around him were walls and a skylight made of the same metal as the prison doors.
Based on his memories and spatial reasoning, Qin Yang guessed this was directly above Kitchen 6.
"What a wasted trip!" Qin Yang sighed.
This was a beast cage, with a corridor leading to the arena. The skylight was likely for feeding the creatures.
Just as Qin Yang was about to leave, a metallic scent suddenly invaded his nostrils.
He cautiously illuminated the area beneath the skylight with his magical lamp. To his surprise, a small cluster of spirit medicine was growing there!
Red leaves and crimson fruits - the metallic scent emanated from these very berries!
Qin Yang swallowed hard. This bizarre spirit medicine must be toxic, right?
"This is a Demon Spirit Fruit," Dragon Jade explained, recognizing the fruit's origin. "For demonic beasts, it serves the same purpose as pills do for humans. Not only does it enhance their strength, but it's also a sacred healing medicine. High-grade Demon Spirit Fruits hold an irresistible allure for demonic beasts, surpassing all other spirit medicines."
"A sacred healing medicine?" Qin Yang's eyes lit up, immediately seizing on the key phrase. He plucked a red fruit, suppressed a gag at the metallic stench, and swallowed it with a gulp.
"Wait..." Dragon Jade tried to stop him, but Qin Yang's speed left no time for explanation.
"What is it?" Qin Yang asked.
"That was a Demon Spirit Fruit..."
"Right, I just said that," Qin Yang nodded.
"This is spirit medicine meant for demonic beasts! Demonic beasts!" Dragon Jade roared. "A human body can't withstand its potency. Even without injury, it would cause your organs to rupture and kill you..."
Qin Yang's face turned green as he gagged, fingers scrabbling at his throat, but nothing came up.
The Demon Spirit Fruit had already dissolved into a torrent of medicinal energy, coursing through every fiber of Qin Yang's body.
The violent power instantly engulfed every inch of his flesh. His already battered body could no longer withstand the icy force.
Qin Yang's skin began to crack, horrific fissures spreading across his body.
His meridians shattered like broken funnels. Not only could true qi no longer circulate properly, but it now poured out uncontrollably, carrying the Demon Spirit Fruit's destructive energy with it - a perfect storm of devastation.
Crack!
The faint sound of splitting bones echoed. Everything seemed to declare that Qin Yang was dying - and that it would be a gruesome death.
A wave of excruciating pain swept through Qin Yang's mind, as if his body had been shattered into a thousand pieces, yet he remained acutely aware of every sensation.
"Ancestors of the Qin Family!" Dragon Jade wailed loudly. "I've failed you! Your bloodline ends here..."
Qin Yang's head was swimming with black lines of frustration. Though the pain was unbearable, his consciousness remained crystal clear.
"This is the Ice Heart Art's effect!" Qin Yang thought bitterly. Without it, he would have collapsed from the agony instantly. But now... this lingering pain was worse than unconsciousness!
"No! My body's still healing!"
He suddenly realized that the Demon Spirit Fruit's medicinal power was rapidly mending his damaged flesh. But the relief was fleeting - the newly healed wounds collapsed again as his flesh couldn't withstand the violent surge of healing energy.
"What curse have I brought upon myself?" Qin Yang screamed inwardly as his body cycled through endless cycles of destruction and regeneration. He wanted to curse, but no words could capture this torment.
"Still alive?" Dragon Jade exclaimed in surprise.
Qin Yang remained silent.
"Ancestor of the Qin Family..." Dragon Jade began another round of lamentation.
Qin Yang was instantly speechless. With no time to spare for this, he urgently examined his body's changes. Under the influence of the Ice Heart Art, his clear consciousness began analyzing whether he still had any chance of survival.
If this were an ordinary person, they would have died from internal organ rupture long ago. Yet I'm still enduring this torment...
It's because I've undergone cold-ice tempering. Even with severe injuries, my physical foundation is as robust as a demonic beast's. I can withstand at least some of the Demon Spirit Fruit's medicinal power.
Though my physique rivals a demonic beast's, I'm not truly one. If...
"Still alive?" Dragon Jade was stunned. This boy's vitality is far too tenacious! "Want me to end your suffering? I could make it quicker for you."
Qin Yang rolled his eyes and snapped: "Shut up! I think I can still pull through..."