The night was thick and heavy, with wild winds churning the clouds.
Four figures tore through the night sky, heading straight for the Flamefall Grounds.
As they flew, Yan Zhen recounted his encounter with Jiu Youyue to the three women and explained his plan to fake his death.
Cai Lian was the first to furrow her brow. Yi Xian’er spoke up bluntly.
“Why does this feel off to me? Yan Zhen, are you sure the one you saw was really Jiu Youyue?”
“Of course it was,” Yan Zhen said with a laugh. “I’m not so incompetent that I’d mistake my own woman. That goes for all of you.”
The two women blushed slightly at his words. Long Ying, wearing a bashful grin, asked, “What about me, Yan Zhen Zhen?”
Yan Zhen glanced at her and said flatly, “I’m blind to dragons.”
Long Ying’s smile vanished. She huffed in dissatisfaction and muttered under her breath, “Yan Zhen Zhen’s such a big dummy.”
Cai Lian pondered for a moment before saying, “Faking your death is a perfect two-birds-with-one-stone solution. How do you want us to cooperate?”
Yan Zhen laid it out. “Giant Cauldron Basin has a overlord—an Eighth-Order Beast Venerable—who’s probably just woken up. Heavenly Gu Elder should be arriving soon too, and he’s got a Sea God Clan Puppet specifically for subduing the Solar Essence Flame. The Sea God Blood I refined came from that puppet originally, so I can sense its position.
“Once I detect Heavenly Gu Elder drawing near, Long Ying and I will take on the Beast Venerable. You and Xian’er ambush from the side. When Heavenly Gu Elder sees us clashing with the Beast Venerable, he’ll definitely try to sneak attack. I’ll pretend to take the hit. Once his attention’s fully on me, you all strike and surround that old bastard!
“Within the Solar Essence Flame’s range, the Taiyin Primordial Fire’s power will be heavily suppressed and won’t threaten you much. Just watch out for his Gu Worms and that Sea God Clan Puppet. I’ll kill the Beast Venerable, then Long Ying can join you. Three against one should be no problem.”
Long Ying pumped her little pink fist confidently. “This dragon alone could beat that stinky old geezer into a senile old fool!”
“Looks like you’ve had this all planned out,” Yi Xian’er said, tilting her head to look at Yan Zhen. “We’ll do it your way, then.”
By the time the four of them finished hashing out the details, they had arrived at the Desiccated Zone.
The intense heat from the Solar Essence Flame had withered all the trees and flowers. The mystic beasts had mostly fled from this area.
Beyond the Desiccated Zone lay the Combustion Zone.
Golden flames clung to the trees, the underbrush, and the ground, burning fiercely. The surrounding winds howled, kicking up acrid, charred smoke.
Mystic beast corpses littered the place, though they were mostly Third-Tier and Fourth-Tier. The Fifth-Tier ones had probably escaped—this was only the outskirts, after all.
The deeper they went, the more corpses there were, including even Fifth-Tier and Sixth-Tier beasts.
But further in, within a hundred miles of the impact site, there was nothing at all.
Everything had been reduced to nothingness, leaving only an unimaginably massive fire pit that stretched beyond sight. Spatial rifts scarred the air like wounds, slowly knitting themselves shut.
As the golden flames danced wildly within the ring-shaped mega-crater, the crystal pendant around Yan Zhen’s neck began to grow hot, stirring restlessly.
Left unchecked, this fire could burn for a century—unless the sun itself vanished.
The four halted their flight and landed at the edge of the ring-shaped fire pit. A scorching wave hit them like a wall, the heat almost unbearable—especially for Cai Lian and Yi Xian’er, who were soon drenched in fragrant sweat.
The Solar Essence Flame was purely yang and rigid. Beyond its blistering temperature, it held no other dangers. But for those with yin attributes like Cai Lian and Yi Xian’er, it was a natural counter.
Attributes like water and fire, yin and yang, always favored the higher realm over the lower.
The two women were only Mystic Ancestors, while the Solar Essence Flame’s power rivaled a Mystic Venerable. They were at a clear disadvantage.
That said, they weren’t without countermeasures. Cai Lian had borne a daughter with a Companion Extreme Flame, so she had some affinity for Extreme Flames. Yi Xian’er was cultivating Gangsha Unity, which wasn’t perfected yet but could minimize the suppression.
Once they circulated their cultivation techniques, the pair felt much better.
Yan Zhen and Long Ying, meanwhile, weren’t bothered at all. Yan Zhen harbored multiple Extreme Flames in his body that outranked the Solar Essence Flame, while Long Ying could simply endure it.
Deep within the fire pit, amid the Solar Essence Flame, loomed a massive shadow a hundred zhang tall—the sole overlord of Giant Cauldron Basin, an Eighth-Order Mystic Beast, the One-Eyed Ape Venerable!
With white fur and a red face dominated by a single enormous eye, razor-sharp fangs, it looked both eerie and ferocious.
Spatial power shrouded its body, shielding it from the Solar Essence Flame’s heat as it steadily closed in on the fire seed’s location, intent on claiming it.
The Solar Essence Flame didn’t just counter yin and evil energies—it also invigorated massive physical bodies. Simply bathing in these flames brought an endless surge of vitality.
This was an irresistible temptation for mystic beasts.
If it devoured the Solar Essence Flame, the One-Eyed Ape Venerable was sure to advance another step!
Yet both were at the Eighth-Order Mystic Venerable level. Victory wouldn’t come quickly.
The four concealed their auras and watched patiently.
They waited until dawn broke.
Sunrise painted the horizon in brilliant light.
At one point, Yan Zhen’s senses stirred—he detected the Sea God Clan Puppet approaching. He said at once, “Cai Lian, Xian’er, you two ambush here. Strike only after Heavenly Gu Elder makes his move.”
Seeing the women nod, Yan Zhen signaled Long Ying to follow. The pair leaped into the air and shot toward the One-Eyed Ape Venerable’s position at top speed.
“Charge!”
“Right!”
Yan Zhen and Long Ying shouted as they went, as if afraid no one would notice them. Their momentum was overwhelming.
The One-Eyed Ape Venerable, locked in battle with the Solar Essence Flame, sensed a Mystic Ancestor aura and a Mystic Lord aura barreling in. Fury exploded within him. He spat human words: “Insolent human ants, how dare you interrupt this venerable one’s business? Scram!”
He slapped out with one palm. Space shattered instantly, a terrifying shockwave engulfing Yan Zhen—he clearly intended to eliminate the weakest foe first.
Long Ying shot past Yan Zhen’s position and met the palm head-on.
Spatial ripples quaked around her tiny fist. Her punch unleashed horrifying innate divine strength fused with her space talent, shattering the Ape Venerable’s casual strike.
“Hmm?”
The One-Eyed Venerable was astonished. He never imagined a mere Mystic Ancestor girl could block his palm.
Long Ying snorted lightly and pressed forward aggressively!
Truth be told, she was still a bit peeved.
They’d agreed she’d protect Yan Zhen Zhen, but at the critical moment, she couldn’t help and had to watch him face a superior foe alone, getting injured in the process.
From then on, she stopped clinging to him. After eating her fill, she’d sleep obediently, building up her strength in hopes of breaking through sooner—then unleashing power just like this.
Long Ying’s eyes snapped open, emerald slit pupils blazing. Mystic power erupted around her, forming the massive, majestic shadow of a divine dragon.
Dragon God Technique—Dragon Blast Fist!
Her fist rocketed out. Terrifying fist winds flattened ten li of fire waves, visible spatial distortions slamming into the One-Eyed Ape Venerable.
Caught off guard, the Ape Venerable’s near-hundred-zhang frame was hurled away like a small mountain, crashing into the fire pit’s remaining diamond rocks and triggering a localized quake.
Yan Zhen stared, dumbfounded. When did Long Ying get this strong?
No, don’t be this strong! If you show off like this, you’ll scare Heavenly Gu Elder off. How’s he supposed to make his move then?
