Fire Cloud Water Flame, Hundred-Meter Giant Snake!

"No, this fluctuation is wrong!"

Feeling the agitation of the Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame within him, Xiao Yan's expression hardened.

He spoke toward the ring: "Teacher, I think I've sensed the presence of a Strange Fire!"

Inside the ring, hearing his disciple's sudden speculation, Old Yao couldn't help but grow serious, circulating the Bone Spirit Cold Flame to sense it carefully.

Only then did he detect a faint, anomalous fire-attribute fluctuation in the air!

"Kid, there's definitely something off here."

"But in my current soul state, I can't pinpoint it."

Hearing his teacher's words, Xiao Yan didn't hesitate for a moment.

The Heavy Black Ruler, wreathed in flames, slammed heavily into the ground.

"Boom!"

The ruler sank flush into the earth as Xiao Yan twisted his wrist, the blade vibrating with a Dragon Roar-like tremor.

"Crack!"

The entire floor of dark purple crystalline rock split apart on cue!

Then, it violently collapsed!

A cavity dozens of meters in diameter gaped open before him!

From the fissures, surging air blasted upward, carrying searing heat over a hundred degrees.

Xiao Yan's Four Wings flared abruptly, suspending him in midair.

He stood unmoving amid the rain of flying rubble.

"This is..."

A faint blue glow seeped from the depths of the crack, barely visible as a sliver of light in the bottomless darkness.

The Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame surged through his Meridians, the resonance growing clearer.

Xiao Yan's pupils ignited with crimson fire patterns. He abruptly folded his fire wings, letting himself plummet:

"Master, this time we might've struck gold!"

The wind shear from his fall shattered rock clusters along the way.

Countless rhomboid fragments mingled with scattered blue crystals, refracting a kaleidoscope of blue light in the air.

Old Yao's soul form drifted out of the Bone Flame Ring, floating beside Xiao Yan:

"Three hundred meters... five hundred meters..."

"Just how deep is this earth fissure?"

The dazzling blue light below was already in sight.

Nearing the ground, Xiao Yan suddenly spread his fire wings to soften the landing.

"Boom!"

The moment his toes touched down, a ring of fire exploded around him.

Blue crystals for dozens of meters in every direction shattered, each shard reflecting his figure.

This space spanned over a thousand meters in all directions, the ground carpeted with blue crystalline ore.

At the edges, Crystal Pillars bristled with sharp edges, gleaming under the Strange Fire's light like ten thousand inverted swords.

At the center of the entire space, a massive fissure split it in two.

Countless thick, smoke-like boiling steam surged out from within.

The average temperature across this whole space exceeded a hundred degrees—good thing Xiao Yan's fire resistance was maxed out!

As he surveyed his surroundings, Old Yao suddenly barked:

"Duck!"

"Clatter!"

Three translucent blue Crystal Snakes dropped from the crystal cluster overhead.

Xiao Yan spun to block, fangs clashing against the Heavy Black Ruler and even striking sparks!

These monsters' scales had fused perfectly with the crystal.

Before Xiao Yan could react, the ceiling suddenly quaked!

Where the shockwave swept, entire clusters of crystals rained down like a blade storm!

"Wave Splitting Flame Ruler: Dragon Raises Its Head!"

Xiao Yan spun around, sweeping up a Crimson Fire Wave as nine fire dragons coiled upward in defiance.

But the crystal snake's blue forehead mark flared abruptly, and countless Blue Light Pillars from above rained down like a laser storm.

They clashed head-on with the crimson fire dragons, both sides canceling out in an instant!

"Kid, these things are pack hunters."

"Be careful!"

Xiao Yan didn't reply. His Crimson Wings suddenly folded in reverse.

Defying inertia, he slid under the snake's belly.

His right hand's two fingers pressed together, striking the vital spot at the seventh vertebra. An Inch Force carried Four Hidden Forces piercing inward!

"Eight Extremes Collapse—Bone-Penetrating Force!"

Twang!

The Ice Crystal Shatter Sound rang out like a pipa string snapping. The lead crystal snake exploded into a cloud of crystal mist.

Old Yao quickly explained:

"These are Spirit Crystal Flame Snakes, ancient magical beasts!"

"They've been nearly extinct for ages, but this environment suits them perfectly."

"They've multiplied into a swarm of hundreds!"

Old Yao waved his hand, and a Forest White Flame arrow pointed straight at the Southwest Crystal Cluster:

"This kind of beast never stops until it kills any intruder!"

"Find the Snake King here and kill it—that's all!"

Xiao Yan acknowledged, his wings flapping wildly behind him!

He turned into a Crimson Flowing Light, following the direction Old Yao pointed!

His figure vanished among the dense Crystal Pillars:

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions echoed densely through the cavern, amidst the wildly growing crystal clusters!

Six Fourth-Tier Snake Shadows flickered in and out of view.

Xiao Yan dodged and weaved over flying crystal shards, his left hand swinging his ruler to block Ice Flame Breath.

His right hand continuously compressed and gathered Dou Qi!

Countless Crimson Runes swirled in his palm:

"Nine Flame Lock Scales!"

Fire rings emerged along each snake's path.

Furious dragons surged out from within, slamming viciously into them!

Violent explosions tore across hundreds of meters!

The six giant snakes' scales shattered, their bodies forced back!

But the fight wasn't over. The lead Blue Pattern Giant Snake suddenly reared up.

The blue light gathering in its mouth twisted the very air!

A torrential beam erupted forth!

Xiao Yan's Four Wings flapped wildly behind him as the blue light grazed past his ear!

Sizzle!

The rear Crystal Wall instantly melted into a ten-meter-deep crater, molten Crystal Liquid pouring down like rain.

Seeing the other five snakes start to gather energy too, Xiao Yan wiped a trickle of blood from his cheek and couldn't help but twitch his lips:

Damn it, I was too hasty.

Should have broken through to Dou Ling up top before coming down.

The moment he stopped, he'd get swarmed by hundreds of other Golden Snakes!

No stopping—he had to keep moving while fighting these six peak Fourth-Tier crystal snakes!

And not only were their defenses freakish, their attacks were absurdly strong.

This wasn't what a Fourth-Tier Magical Beast should be like!

Not a shred of yang energy—pure yin!

The situation below the rift was still unclear. He couldn't waste too much strength here:

I'll spare your lives for now. When I'm back, you'll get what's coming!

Xiao Yan's Dou Qi erupted at full power, his figure vanishing from the spot in an instant, trailing a fiery red streak.

Breaking through the snake swarm's blockade, Xiao Yan dove straight into the fissure.

The steam rushing toward him carried an utterly terrifying heat, but fortunately, it was useless against him:

"Five hundred meters. Seven hundred meters!"

The moment he pierced through the dense mist, the youth's pupils abruptly contracted.

In the open space before him, a lake spanning thousands of square meters churned with surging waves.

Countless boiling vapors roiled and tumbled, filling the entire space.

If not for his considerable cultivation level, he might not have even seen through this mist!

At the lake's center, a crystal stone platform a hundred meters in diameter rose above the water.

Thirty-three blue crystal pillars stood upright.

Within the central crystal burned a Strange Fire of twin colors—gorgeous red and icy blue!

The Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame inside Xiao Yan's body pulsed with a tremor.

Xiao Yan didn't recognize this flame, but he still had a teacher:

"This is... the Fire Cloud Water Flame!"

"And it's split into water and fire dual phases."

Old Yao's tone was unprecedentedly grave:

"No! These two energies are annihilating each other."

"This is a Fire Cloud Water Flame that hasn't fully formed yet!"

"To think..."

Before he could finish, the lake's surface suddenly surged with violent waves.

Xiao Yan's expression turned grim:

"This space has no wind or gaps—where are the waves coming from?"

"Beneath this water..."

"Boom!"

Before he could finish speaking, the lake exploded with a hundred-meter wave.

The Red Scaled Giant Snake burst from the water, wreathed in flames!

On the snake's head, over three zhang in diameter, crimson vertical pupils blazed with ferocious firelight!

"Boom!"

Another thunderous crash!

Almost simultaneously, the lake's other side erupted, and the Azure Snake Body churned up massive waves as it shot into the sky!

The sky-filling waters rang with a deathly roar.

A surging aura violently swept outward!

"This is..."

"Fifth-tier, peak!"