Chapter 257: Searching for Tian Huo Zun-zhe
In the vast, crimson magma world, Xiao Yan had just applied a pale, cold medicinal liquid all over his body. It was a concoction he had refined to aid in cultivation and to block the fire poison inherent in the magma's fiery energy.
As soon as the cold liquid covered his skin, a chill enveloped him, cooling his previously overheated flesh. Under this icy sensation, even Xiao Yan couldn't help but shiver, but he took advantage of the cold's potency and once again sat cross-legged to resume cultivation.
The surrounding fire-attributed energy, as if attracted, surged toward him in torrents. This time, when those tangible, crimson waves of energy touched Xiao Yan's body, they collided with the cold liquid coating him. Heat and chill clashed, and the medicinal properties within the chill rapidly dispelled the violent nature of the heat. The now-purified energy then flowed into Xiao Yan's body.
The magma world's abundance of fire energy delighted Xiao Yan. And now that he had a way to neutralize the turbulence within that energy, he could absorb it freely. At this rate, he was confident he could reach Seven-Star Dou Huang within three months!
However…
Xiao Yan opened his eyes and glanced over at Xiao Yuan, who was currently lounging in the magma like he was taking a bath.
At that moment, Xiao Yuan wasn't wearing clothes—just letting Heavenly Flame cling to his body. But it wasn't to resist the heat; it was to directly absorb the dense fire energy and use the flame's power to expel any violent impurities.
Seeing his third brother soaking as if in a hot spring, Xiao Yan couldn't help but twitch the corner of his eye.
Too intense!
If the Grand Elder saw this, his jaw might hit the floor!
After that small moment of awe, Xiao Yan closed his eyes again and resumed cultivation.
About an hour passed. Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes again. A faint flicker of flame flashed through his pupils, and a hot breath escaped his throat and dissipated into the air.
He clenched his fists slightly and felt the fullness in his body. A faint smile crept across his lips. This place truly was ideal for him. In less than an hour of training, he had already sensed his Dou Qi making tangible progress. If this kept up, his growth would be staggering.
The next day, Xiao Yan ended his session and stood up to stretch, feeling a bit bored.
The atmosphere here was too still, too oppressive. To train long-term, one had to be ready to endure solitude.
Cultivation itself was tedious. To gain power beyond the ordinary, one had to make sacrifices beyond the ordinary. There was no such thing as free power in this world. After all he'd been through, Xiao Yan understood this deeply. That's why, even knowing how hard it would be, he had no regrets.
But…
His gaze turned to Xiao Yuan, who was currently reading a Dou Technique while soaking in magma, completely focused.
Absurd.
Xiao Yan didn't mean to brag, but he considered himself a pretty tough guy. Yet clearly, his third brother was on another level.
It was like Xiao Yuan didn't need rest. When he got tired of cultivating, he read Dou Techniques. After that, he might refine pills. When his Dou Qi ran low, he went back to restoring and cultivating—repeating the cycle without end!
With a helpless shake of his head, Xiao Yan pulled out the scroll for Six Harmonies Flowing Ruler and began training in earnest.
Half a month later…
Xiao Yuan was ready to act.
After days of cultivation, he had fully mastered his power surge. His fire control skills and alchemy techniques had also improved.
During his downtime, he had also been secretly scouting the area and had roughly pinpointed Tian Huo Zun-zhe's location.
He decided to move now because Xiao Yan had told him two days ago that he sensed a calling again.
While Xiao Yan was still training, Xiao Yuan would settle this quietly.
As for danger, Xiao Yuan was confident.
His speed now rivaled that of peak Dou Zong experts, and with the fusion of four Heavenly Flames into a dark-gold flame protecting his body, he could navigate magma like a fish in water.
He nodded toward Xiao Yan, then let the dark-gold flame wrap around his body, forming the shape of a fish. Without hesitation, he dove into the sea of magma.
He had left a strand of soul imprint with Yao Lao, serving as a beacon.
The magma was dense and vast, making visibility difficult. Without a clear path, it would be easy to get lost and wander further from safety. With a beacon, he could quickly locate his route and escape if necessary.
Plop!
A rush of bubbles burst at the surface, then silence returned to the magma world. Only a faint glow flickered from the ring on Xiao Yan's hand, like a guiding lamp.
Opening his eyes, Xiao Yan raised his hand and stared at the softly glowing ring, sighing wryly.
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have said anything to Third Brother… Now he's risking himself because of me."
"Hehe, it's not entirely your fault," Yao Lao's voice rang out, soothing and steady. "Xiao Yuan had sensed it as well. Over these days, he's been investigating. I'm sure he's found something. Don't worry, I'm here.
You two are supposed to take risks and train yourselves, but I won't let either of you get hurt!"
"Thank you, Teacher."
Hearing that, Xiao Yan felt reassured. He had full confidence in both his third brother's strength and Yao Lao's powerful soul force.
As Xiao Yuan plunged into the magma, scalding heat and immense pressure assaulted him from all sides like a crushing vice. But in his fish form and with the protection of Heavenly Flame, it didn't faze him.
He paused briefly, sensed the area, and noticed that his soul detection range had shrunk—expected in this harsh environment. Gathering the Six Qi in his palm, he moved toward the sensed location.
Within the endless red world of magma, the dark-gold flame fish swam rapidly—strikingly distinct amid the sea of crimson.
Inside the dark-gold fire, Xiao Yuan's face was calm, his eyes sharp. He had been diving for nearly twenty minutes and was close to the target area.
With such depth, the pressure here was terrifying. But with his Heavenly Flame and robust strength, he felt no fear.
Below him still lay endless magma. The dark red depths flickered with ominous black. Who knew what truly lurked at the bottom?
Xiao Yuan, however, knew.
Besides Tian Huo Zun-zhe, there was an old dragon emperor imprisoned below.
He'd probably need to free him someday too.
Scanning the area, Xiao Yuan frowned. He didn't see anything unusual.
Thinking for a moment, silver-white energy shimmered at his fingertip—spatial power.
Hmm?
He waved his arm, releasing a beam of Dou Qi that tore through the magma and struck a seemingly empty space. Ripples spread out.
Found it!
Amid the ripples, a faint glowing barrier surfaced from a swirling magma vortex.
Through it, he saw skeletal remains glowing faintly, and a transparent flame hovering above the bones.
It was the Fallen Heart Flame—without question.
But then, Xiao Yuan's soul sense picked up something odd.
A scorching wind suddenly streaked toward him at incredible speed!
Reacting instantly, blue lightning flickered at his feet. He twisted his body into an impossible angle, dodging the attack, which scorched his shoulder.
Didn't even break the skin!
Turning his head calmly, he looked toward the attacker.
About ten meters away, a red figure swam through the magma. It was nearly indistinguishable from its surroundings, covered in red scales with a half-meter-long tail. It stood upright, its wide feet planted firmly. Its round head was covered in tiny scales, with narrow eyes glowing with ferocity, and a wide maw filled with jagged teeth.
A Flame Lizardman—an indigenous species of this magma world.
A walking fire-core vending machine!
"Screee!"
The creature glared at Xiao Yuan. After a moment's standoff, its eyes flared with rage. With a shriek, it lashed its tail and shot toward Xiao Yuan, claws slashing.
"Hmph. How arrogant."
Maybe being Yunlan Sect's Supreme Elder had made Xiao Yuan more theatrical. He scoffed coldly and flicked his sleeve. A surge of dark-gold Dou Qi shot from his palm, blasting the creature back over ten meters.
It staggered, chirping furiously.
Its eyes burned red with rage. Opening its jaws, it inhaled a mass of magma, condensing it into a red orb the size of a ruler head. With a roar, it hurled the orb at Xiao Yuan like a cannonball.
"Hmph!"
Seeing it dare to retaliate, Xiao Yuan snorted. He raised his hand and clenched his fingers. The fireball froze in midair—ten meters from him—then shattered into molten chunks that melted back into the sea.
The creature screeched again and began spitting fireballs one after another.
But the next second, blue lightning surged beneath Xiao Yuan's feet. In a flash, he appeared behind the beast. With his fingers curved into a knife-hand, he struck like thunder, plunging it into the creature's chest.
Though its scales were tough, they were nothing before Xiao Yuan's Dou Huang-tier assassination technique.
Shk!
The creature's eyes widened in agony. It struggled violently, emitting piercing shrieks that echoed across the magma.
The cries slowly faded as its life force drained. Xiao Yuan withdrew his hand and held up a red orb—its fire core.
It resembled a magic core and was a valuable supplement for fire-attribute cultivators. Unfortunately, the energy was too wild to be consumed directly—though with Heavenly Flames, he and Xiao Yan could refine it.
Too bad there was only one. It would barely save a few days of training time.
Sighing in disappointment, Xiao Yuan turned to the glowing barrier again—but his face suddenly changed.
A fierce disturbance was erupting from the magma to the west.
"Lining up to die? Now this is what I like to see!"
Xiao Yuan grinned in excitement.
(END CHAPTER)
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