After coming out of the Big Loli’s boudoir, Deng Tianyu returned to tidy up briefly, then immediately sought out his Shizun, Ning Wan.
“Shizun, it’s time to go to Crimson Flame Mountain!”
“Mm,” Ning Wan finished handling the matters at hand. She activated the Dharma Boat and sped towards the far south.
Tonight was the Night of the Full Moon and also the time the Curse Mark would erupt. They needed to reach Crimson Flame Mountain first to make sufficient preparations.
The further south they flew, the higher the temperature became. Even the wind blowing past was scorching hot, and almost no signs of human life could be seen.
When they arrived at a region engulfed by blazing flame snakes, the Dharma Boat stopped.
The flame snakes before them stretched for hundreds of miles. Nothing grew anywhere around, and terrifying waves of heat blasted against their faces.
The volcano before them was undoubtedly Crimson Flame Mountain—a place without spring or autumn, hot in all four seasons.
“This is still just the outer perimeter. Further inside, the fire flames become denser and even more scorching.”
“Hum!”
Ning Wan pointed her slender finger, and True Essence condensed into a light barrier protecting the Dharma Boat, as well as herself and Deng Tianyu.
Under this light barrier, the violent flame snakes, surging forth with ferocity, were instantly dispersed.
“It’s already this scorching just at the outer perimeter. If we enter the region where the Earth Core Magma is located, won’t it be even more terrifying?”
Deng Tianyu furrowed his brow and couldn’t help but say.
The purpose of him and his Shizun coming here was simple.
When the Yin-Cold Intent rampaged, they would use the Earth Core Magma deep within Crimson Flame Mountain to suppress it.
But he hadn’t expected the temperature here to be so high. Just based on the outer perimeter’s temperature and those violent flame snakes, cultivators below the Condensing Origin Realm couldn’t possibly withstand it.
“Not entering the depths of Crimson Flame Mountain, fifth layer of the Condensing Origin Realm is enough.”
“If you want to go deeper inside, you need at least the Five Viscera Stage or higher.”
Ning Wan explained as she controlled the Dharma Boat, speeding forward.
Deng Tianyu nodded, released his Spiritual Sense, and scanned the surroundings.
Through his perception, he found quite a few cultivators at the outer perimeter of Crimson Flame Mountain. They were hunting a type of fiery-red Fire Crab.
This Fire Crab’s shell was extremely hard and suitable for artifact refining. The meat inside was exceptionally plump and delicious, and could be used for Spirit Meals, beloved by many cultivators with a taste for good food.
“Has Shizun ever eaten Fire Crab?”
Deng Tianyu looked at the behemoth Fire Crabs, then turned to his Shizun.
Their appearance was somewhat similar to the crabs of his previous life, except they were enlarged countless times—one crab was comparable to a small house.
“No,” Ning Wan shook her head.
Her cultivation level had long since passed the need for grain. She usually only ate the meals her precious disciple specially made.
“Alright, then lunch will be Fire Crab!”
Deng Tianyu smiled slightly, and his figure instantly vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, he was already beside a Fire Crab.
Seeing a stranger appear, the Fire Crab fiercely swung its massive pincer, smashing down towards him.
But as a sharp Sword Intent flashed out, the crab pincer was cleanly sliced off and then scooped up by a strand of True Essence.
Deng Tianyu didn’t kill it. After all, he and Shizun wouldn’t eat much; one large pincer was enough.
Of course, if the little fox Yingying and the Big Loli Li Shishi were here, it would be a different story.
Given that human-fox pair’s gluttonous nature, Fire Crab would probably be eaten to the point of becoming a protected species.
In less than the time it takes to burn one incense stick, Deng Tianyu returned to the Dharma Boat.
“Shizun, I’ll make steamed Fire Crab for you soon!”
Although they were out in the wilderness now, it could not hinder his filial devotion.
Using local ingredients to make a wild delicacy for his Shizun—wasn’t that also a manifestation of a filial heart?
“Tianyu is very thoughtful!”
Ning Wan revealed a gentle smile, her heart warm.
Who could refuse a disciple who thought of his master no matter the time or place?
Sensing the increasingly dense, scalding flame snakes, Deng Tianyu put the crab pincer away and asked, “Are we about to reach the depths of Crimson Flame Mountain?”
“Almost there!”
Ning Wan nodded, and the Dharma Boat accelerated once more.
Wherever it passed, it stirred up gusts of scorching wind, instantly blasting apart the pervasive, sky-covering violent flame snakes.
Not long after, just as she said, the Dharma Boat arrived at a region gushing with magma.
Here, almost no cultivators could be seen.
Aside from the excessively high temperature, the rolling magma seemed to hide some terrifying beasts, occasionally letting out piercing, grating cries.
Ning Wan then put away the Dharma Boat. Using True Essence, she carved out a spacious cave dwelling on a steep mountain wall.
Deng Tianyu clenched his hand in the void,
and Winter Hiding Sword Intent burst forth, enveloping the entire cave.
In an instant, the cave was filled with a bone-chilling, icy cold intent, dispersing all the scorching heat.
This cold intent was somewhat similar to the Yin-Cold Intent triggered within Ning Wan’s body, but it lacked that violent, ominous Yin Sha aura.
“Tianyu, step back a bit,” Ning Wan warned, walking to the entrance of the cave.
Hearing this, Deng Tianyu backed away several steps.
In the next moment, Ning Wan’s slender hands met. A Yin-Yang Fish manifested, condensing lines of obscure, ancient patterns that enveloped the entire magma region.
As if sensing the terror of this aura, the magma immediately seethed with rolling waves of heat. Various scaled beasts wrapped in molten lava fled madly.
In less than a breath’s time, besides Deng Tianyu and Ning Wan, no living creatures remained in the magma region.
Seeing this, Ning Wan brought her jade hands together. All the violent flame snakes in the area were gathered and transformed into strands of scorching energy, pulled into the cave, becoming part of a dense network of profound array patterns.
Deng Tianyu knew this was his Shizun setting up an array. It served two purposes.
First, to isolate the world outside the cave, preventing anyone from intruding.
Second, through the array, to gather the intense Yang intent of the Earth Core Magma. When the Yin-Cold Intent erupted, it would be used to suppress and counteract it.
“Alright, now we just wait for the full moon tonight to arrive.”
Ning Wan carefully scanned everything around. Only after confirming there were no abnormalities did she disperse her True Essence.
Deng Tianyu looked around and found that because of the array, inside the cave, red light and white light intertwined.
If a heart-shaped bed were placed right in the center of the cave, it would be no different from a couple’s suite from his previous life.
But the romantic atmosphere before him was ruined because Deng Tianyu took out a massive crab pincer.
His Sword Intent sharply cut open the shell. Then, as the cold light crisscrossed, the Fire Crab meat became thin slices.
Afterward, Deng Tianyu constructed a furnace with True Essence and began steaming it.
“Tianyu, your True Essence control is truly practiced!”
Ning Wan found this scene somehow amusing and couldn’t help but laugh.
“No choice, I didn’t bring a pot!”
Deng Tianyu didn’t mind, looking every bit the master chef as he focused on controlling the heat.
Shortly after, a rich, meaty aroma wafted out. The delicacy was clearly ready.
Deng Tianyu smiled slightly. He took out special dipping sauce, as well as the bamboo table and chairs, from his storage ring and neatly arranged them.
“Shizun, please try it!”
High-end ingredients often only need the simplest cooking methods.
Fire Crab was a high-end ingredient. Steaming it and eating it dipped in a little sauce was the way to enjoy its original flavor.
