Chapter 121: Fear of Breaking the Vase

This was completely unexpected!

Yan Chixia and She Mei'er felt the world go dark as they were instantly swallowed into the belly of the Black Dragon.

The Nine Heavens Fairy had been fully prepared to strike a heavy blow against the Black Dragon, but this sudden turn of events left her at a loss. Master Qingxu was equally flustered, unsure of how to proceed. He and the Nine Heavens Fairy exchanged a glance, both clenching their fists and readying their power, yet they dared not act rashly, fearing that a strike against the dragon might harm Yan Chixia and She Mei'er.

The Black Dragon, dazed from the heavy blow to its head, swallowed the pair in one gulp, then plunged into the ocean, thrashing its tail as it fled toward the depths.

Seeing this, Master Qingxu and the Nine Heavens Fairy were overcome with worry and instinctively dove into the water after it. Having prepared protective measures beforehand, both had released a sheath of true energy that enveloped their bodies, keeping their clothes perfectly dry. To any observer, they appeared as if enclosed within two large, translucent bubbles.

As they gave chase, both Master Qingxu and the Nine Heavens Fairy used their spiritual consciousness to probe the dragon's body, hoping to gauge the condition of Yan Chixia and She Mei'er and formulate a rescue plan.

To their dismay, their probes were met with an unprecedented obstacle. No matter how much they intensified their energy, their consciousness could not penetrate the dragon's body. As soon as it touched the creature’s pitch-black, shimmering scales, the energy was immediately repelled. Anxious and filled with dread, the two masters could only sweat as they wondered if the pair had met a grim fate.

Inside the belly of the Black Dragon, Yan Chixia and She Mei'er were disoriented.

"Ah! The air here is foul, hot, and bitter... it's unbearable!" She Mei'er cried out in distress. "I feel so dizzy... Yan Chixia, hold on to me!"

Yan Chixia steadied himself. Instead of embracing her, he grabbed her hands firmly. "She Mei'er, don't panic. Listen to me: hold your breath, ground your energy in your dantian, and steady your stance. We will find a way out!"

"Alright!" She Mei'er replied loudly. "I'm listening to you..."

She held her breath and steadied herself. Looking around, she saw that the space was hollow, much like an oval cavern. The surrounding walls, dark and wrinkled, shimmered with an eerie green phosphorescence that cast a hazy light over the entire chamber.

"Where is this?" She Mei'er asked, fighting back the urge to vomit. "It looks like a cave..."

"A cave?" Yan Chixia observed his surroundings. "This is the Black Dragon's stomach. It was hungry and swallowed us whole; it intends to digest us as food!"

"What?" She Mei'er's face turned pale. "Is that true? Yan Chixia, what are we going to do?"

No sooner had she spoken than the surrounding walls shuddered and began to contract at an alarming, visible rate. Seeing this, She Mei'er realized Yan Chixia was right—the dragon was beginning the digestive process. Panicked, she cried, "Yan Chixia, what do we do? I haven't lived enough yet; I don't want to die!"

"Don't panic, watch me," Yan Chixia said calmly. He recited an incantation, summoning his "Chixia Sword" from his storage ring. Grasping it, he unleashed a strike—"Sword Pointing to the Firmament"—and thrust it fiercely toward the contracting ceiling.

He intended to pierce the stomach wall and carve a path out for them. The strike was powerful, intended to achieve victory in a single stroke. With a sharp "shing" sound, the sword sank deep into the wall. The Black Dragon let out a series of pained roars and began to writhe violently. The massive churning of its body whipped the ocean into a frenzy, tossing Master Qingxu and the Nine Heavens Fairy far away.

The two masters struggled to regain their composure, hearts ablaze with anxiety as they hurried back toward the dragon.

Inside, Yan Chixia and She Mei'er were tossed about as if in a storm. She Mei'er screamed, clutching tightly to Yan Chixia's waist.

Yan Chixia gripped his sword and pulled it free amidst the violent tremors. He had expected the strike to breach the stomach wall, but to his dismay, the wound healed instantly as soon as the blade was withdrawn.

Seeing this, Yan Chixia was stunned, yet unwilling to give up. "She Mei'er, let go! I'm going to strike again. Summon your sword, too! Let’s work together and attack it!"

She Mei'er obeyed, releasing his waist and summoning her own blade from her storage ring. Together, they挥舞 their swords, hacking and stabbing frantically at the stomach walls.

The Black Dragon shrieked in agony, its roars echoing with deafening intensity. The stomach walls contracted even faster, the space shrinking rapidly as if to crush them. Yet, their swords remained ineffective; no matter where they struck, the dragon's flesh healed the moment the blades were pulled back.

"Heaven, how can this be?" Yan Chixia groaned. "How can a dragon's stomach have such immense regenerative power?"

"I don't know!" She Mei'er cried in despair. "What are we to do?"

"I don't know either," Yan Chixia said, his heart sinking. "If swords won't work, let's stop wasting our strength. Put your weapon away."

"But if we do that, aren't we just waiting for our death?" She Mei'er protested.

Yan Chixia didn't answer. He sheathed his sword, his brow furrowed as he watched the space shrink ever smaller. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He clenched his fist, channeled all his true energy into it, and slammed it against the stomach wall!

He hoped to use raw, explosive force to shatter the wall and the dragon’s body simultaneously. However, he had not anticipated the result: his fist felt as if it had struck soft cotton. Not only did it fail to damage the wall, but it triggered a violent reaction. The entire stomach wall shuddered, then contracted inward with sudden, crushing force, pinning Yan Chixia and She Mei'er tightly together.