Clatter!!
Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out — yet another Flame Demon burst forth from the ground tunnel. But this time, not just one — two, three erupted simultaneously. Upon emerging and seeing Yi Tianxing and the others, they drooled uncontrollably. The saliva turned into magma, sizzling as it hit the ground, and without hesitation, they launched an all-out assault.
Iron chains lashed through the air.One Flame Demon beat its wings, conjuring blazing Hellfire Orbs, each one condensed entirely from Hellfire, infused with the Dao-rhythms of death and destruction — far deadlier than ordinary fireballs, their power amplified at least tenfold.
The moment they touched anything, they detonated in devastating explosions.
Another Flame Demon stomped the ground, triggering columns of fire to erupt upward — anything caught within would be instantly ignited and incinerated into ash.
These three Flame Demons were each at least at the Law Manifestation Realm, with some even stepping into the Nascent Soul Realm. Empowered further by Hellfire, their destructive capacity climbed even higher.
Unfortunately for them, their greatest asset — the Hellfire — was completely suppressed by Yi Tianxing. Even with three of them attacking together, they were still brutally overpowered by the trio. To a Decomposer, their weapons were nothing but scrap; and with their fire suppressed, Yi Tianxing easily crushed them. Even their corpses were collected as spoils of war.
Yi Tianxing took two bodies, while the Decomposer and Paper Craftsman each took one.
"We can't stay here," Yi Tianxing said. "These Flame Demons aren't enough to pose a real threat, but we're surrounded by sealed walls inscribed with restrictive runes. They're not unbreakable, but the cost is too high. That tunnel, on the other hand, is worth investigating."
The reason they entered the Pharaoh's Tomb was to train, to explore, and seek out opportunities for growth. Finding treasure would be a bonus, but tempering themselves was the true objective.
Why pass up something so interesting?
"Agreed!" the Decomposer said without hesitation."This Hellfire doesn't exactly suit me," muttered the Paper Craftsman, "but how could I turn back now?"
The three of them were allies for now, and things were going smoothly. He had no intention of leaving the group — traveling with Yi Tianxing clearly brought benefits.
The Pharaoh's Tomb was too mysterious. No one knew what bizarre traps or hidden dangers lay ahead. But one thing was certain — danger was everywhere. And that tunnel? Definitely part of the Pharaoh's elaborate trap.
"Stay close to me. As long as you're near, the Hellfire won't touch you," Yi Tianxing said.
Neither of the others declined. This was by far the simplest solution. Why waste energy when Yi Tianxing's aura naturally nullified the fire?
The tunnel was large. But flames constantly surged out of it, forming a massive Hellfire pillar, far more destructive than any ordinary flame.
Yet as Yi Tianxing stepped in, the Hellfire was completely suppressed, and the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower naturally opened. It formed a vortex around him, continuously devouring the Hellfire. To the tower, this fire was just another type of energy, quickly absorbed and refined.
In the Fire World inside the tower's internal space, a new Hellfire Seed was born.
This was one of the miraculous traits of the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower — any Heavenly Treasures it refined had the potential to reproduce themselves inside the tower's inner worlds.
For instance, after refining large amounts of Red Copper, many of the thirty-plus inner worlds began spawning Red Copper Veins. The output was low, but steady — and more importantly, they could grow. Over time, these veins would strengthen and mature.
Now, having refined Hellfire, the tower's Fire World gave birth to a Hellfire Seed.
It was as if the Dao of Flame contained in the Hellfire was analyzed and assimilated by the tower, becoming part of its essence.
This was the true wonder of the Hongmeng Tower — and after its fusion with Hongmeng Purple Qi, its miracles only grew. Before this, its ability to spawn new resources was barely noticeable. But ever since it evolved into a Lesser World, and fused with the Primordial Essence, its potential began to shine.
Of course, these newborn resources were weak and needed time and spiritual nourishment to grow.
But now that the Hellfire Seed existed, Yi Tianxing could fully master this new type of flame — and even strengthen it continuously.
Whoosh!
All these thoughts passed through Yi Tianxing's mind in a blink, then were pushed aside.
As the trio hovered above the tunnel's mouth, the Hellfire pillar was completely devoured. The tunnel was clearly not ordinary — it was a spatial passage leading to another realm, seemingly beyond the bounds of the Pharaoh's pyramid.
It pulsed with the rhythms of space transfer.
In an instant, they found themselves in a strange and terrifying new land.
The scene resembled a Hellish Landscape.
Flames raged endlessly. Rivers of magma flowed across the land. Within them, crimson demonic insects crawled, battling and devouring each other — growing stronger through constant violence. Some even evolved, turning into fledgling Lesser Demons, which crawled out of the lava.
This process never stopped.
Above them, wandering souls descended into the lava, instantly transforming into demonic larvae.
"Is this the Lava Hell?" muttered the Paper Craftsman, wide-eyed.
"According to records, hells do exist — spaces of unspeakable harshness. Death lurks at every moment. To survive, you must kill and evolve. The Flame Demons born here are the most terrifying of all demons."
The space was tinted dark crimson, not boundless, but rather like a sealed sub-dimension, perhaps a fragment split off from a greater Hell.
At its center stood a massive throne, forged from molten-red stone, with magma flowing across its surface. Over a hundred zhang tall, it exuded a terrifying pressure.
Seated atop it was a colossal Flame Demon, hundreds of zhang in height, wrapped in chains, surrounded by swirling Hellfire.
An invisible aura of dominance swept over them like a tidal wave.
The Flame Demon appeared to be asleep.
But even its breathing exuded suffocating might — the pressure was overwhelming.
This aura exceeded even the Nascent Soul Realm.
As soon as the trio entered, the Flame Demon opened its eyes. Its pupils were like two blazing suns, searing into their souls. The mere gaze made their spirits tremble — the weak succumbing to the strong.
"What time is it? Has this king finally awakened?"
"Long ago, I signed a pact with the Pharaoh, to annihilate any who dared trespass his tomb. It seems you three are those grave-robbing fools. Hmm... I sense a fifth-tier lifeform among you."
The demon's voice was a strange, ancient tongue — yet they somehow understood it perfectly.
"Fifth-tier lifeform? So demons classify life in tiers?" Yi Tianxing caught the critical detail.
Indeed, counting by realm: Spirit Sea → Life Aperture → Life Map → Law Manifestation → Nascent Soul.He had just stepped into the fifth stage, each tier representing a leap in life essence.
So the term fifth-tier lifeform made sense.
"You are the Flame Demon King? What is this place?" the Paper Craftsman called out, his tone steady.
Since they'd already arrived, no point in panic. Better to extract information. As a paper clone, he had no fear of death.
"Indeed, I am the Flame Demon King. You grave robbers are bold — even the Pharaoh's Inner Sanctum isn't off-limits to you."
"The Pharaoh carries the Bloodline of the Sun God. If you truly succeeded in robbing his tomb, I'd have to admire you. But alas, you're just fools. Now that you've been transported here, all that awaits you is death."
The Flame Demon King didn't attack immediately. He seemed curious, willing to chat.
All the while, Hellfire surged into his body, and if one listened closely, the beat of his heart grew stronger — clearly, his strength was still recovering.
"He's stalling," Yi Tianxing realized. "The Flame Demon King isn't at full strength yet. He's buying time."