"Something's wrong. This fluctuation isn't right!"
Feeling the stirrings of the Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame within him, Xiao Yan's expression hardened.
He spoke to Old Yao inside the ring.
"Teacher, I think I sensed the aura of a Heavenly Flame!"
Hearing his disciple's speculation from within the ring,
Old Yao's expression also turned grave as he circulated the Bone Spirit Cold Flame to examine it closely.
Only then did he detect a trace of unusual fire-element fluctuations in the air!
"Kid, there's definitely something strange here!"
"But in my current state as a soul body, I can't be certain."
Hearing his Teacher's words, Xiao Yan did not hesitate in the slightest.
The Heavy Black Ruler wrapped in blazing flames smashed heavily into the ground.
"Boom!"
The heavy ruler sank into the ground up to its hilt. With a twist of Xiao Yan's wrist, the ruler trembled with a dragon-like roar.
"Crack!"
The entire patch of dark-purple crystal rock fractured at once!
Then, it suddenly collapsed!
A hollow more than ten meters across appeared before him!
From the fissure, surging air currents carrying temperatures above a hundred degrees shot skyward.
Xiao Yan's four wings beat fiercely, suspending him in midair.
He remained unmoving amid the rain of flying rubble.
"This is..."
A deep-blue glow seeped up from the depths of the fissure, barely visible as a faint blue light within the bottomless darkness.
The Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame surged through his meridians, its resonance growing ever clearer.
Crimson fire patterns ignited in Xiao Yan's pupils. He suddenly withdrew his Fire Wings and let himself fall.
"Teacher, we may have struck it rich this time!"
The fierce wind created by his descent shattered the crystal clusters along his path.
Scattered blue crystals were mixed among countless diamond-shaped fragments.
They refracted kaleidoscopic blue light through the air.
Old Yao's soul body floated out of the Bone Flame Ring and hovered beside Xiao Yan.
"Three hundred meters... five hundred meters..."
"This earth vein fissure is way too deep, isn't it?"
The dazzling blue glow below had already come into view.
As he neared the ground, Xiao Yan abruptly spread his Fire Wings to slow his fall.
"Boom!"
The instant his toes touched the ground, a ring of fire exploded around Xiao Yan.
Blue crystals within dozens of meters shattered, reflecting his figure at the same time.
This space spanned well over a thousand meters, with blue crystal ore growing everywhere.
Crystal Pillars at the edges bore sharp ridges and, beneath the light of the Heavenly Flame, resembled countless inverted swords.
At the center of the entire space, a massive fissure split it in two.
Countless dense, smoke-like clouds of boiling steam poured out from within.
The average temperature throughout this entire space exceeded a hundred degrees. Fortunately, Xiao Yan's fire resistance was maxed out!
As he surveyed his surroundings, Old Yao suddenly shouted.
"Duck!"
"Splash!"
Three transparent blue Crystal Snakes pounced down from the crystal clusters overhead.
Xiao Yan spun around and raised his ruler to block. Their fangs striking the Heavy Black Ruler actually sent sparks flying!
The scales of these monsters had fused with crystal.
Before Xiao Yan could react, the ceiling suddenly trembled!
Where the shockwaves swept through, whole swaths of crystal clusters transformed into a rain of blades and poured down!
"Wave Splitting Flame Ruler—Dragon Raising Its Head!"
Xiao Yan spun, drawing up a crimson fire wave as nine fire dragons curled upward against the current.
Yet the blue patterns on the Crystal Snakes' foreheads suddenly flared. Countless Blue Light Pillars rained down from the ceiling like laser beams.
They collided head-on with the crimson fire dragons, and both sides vanished together!
"Kid, these things live in groups."
"Be more careful!"
Xiao Yan did not reply. His Crimson Wings suddenly folded backward.
He slid beneath the snakes' bellies in a motion that defied inertia.
The fingers of his right hand came together and struck seven inches below the head. Inch Force carrying Four Hidden Forces penetrated straight through their bodies!
"Eight Extremes Collapse—Bone-Penetrating Force!"
"Twang!"
The ice crystal shatter sound resembled a pipa string snapping as the leading Crystal Snake exploded into Crystal Mist.
Old Yao quickly explained.
"These are Spirit Crystal Flame Snakes, ancient Magical Beasts!"
"They have almost gone extinct, but this environment is simply too suitable for them."
"They've actually multiplied into a snake swarm numbering in the hundreds!"
With a wave of Old Yao's hand, Forest White Flame turned into an arrow pointing directly toward the Southwest Crystal Cluster.
"These Magical Beasts will not rest until they kill any intruder!"
"Find the Snake King here. Kill it, and that will do!"
Xiao Yan answered with action, the wings on his back beating wildly!
He transformed into a crimson streak of light and shot in the direction Old Yao had indicated!
His figure vanished among the dense Crystal Pillars.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Dense explosions echoed through the underground cavern, amid the wildly growing crystal clusters!
Six Fourth-Tier Snake Shadows flickered into view in turn.
Xiao Yan moved through the flying crystal shards, using his left hand to swing the ruler and block the Ice Flame Breath.
His right hand continuously compressed and gathered Dou Qi!
Countless Crimson Runes flowed through his right hand.
"Nine Flame Lock Scales!"
Fire Rings appeared along the path of every snake.
Surging Furious Dragons burst out from them and slammed viciously into the snakes!
The violent explosions swept across hundreds of meters!
The scales of the six giant snakes burst apart, sending their bodies reeling backward!
But the battle did not stop. The leading Blue Pattern Giant Snake suddenly reared upright.
The blue light gathering in its jaws actually distorted the air!
A surging beam of light suddenly erupted!
The four wings behind Xiao Yan beat wildly as the blue light grazed past his ear!
"Sizzle!"
The Crystal Wall behind him instantly melted into a pit three zhang deep, and molten Crystal Liquid poured down like rain.
Seeing the other five snakes beginning to gather energy as well,
Xiao Yan wiped the thin streaks of blood from his cheek, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Damn it, I shouldn't have been so hasty.
I should have broken through to Dou Ling up there before coming down.
The moment he stopped, he would be subjected to concentrated fire from the other hundreds of Golden Snakes!
He could not stop, yet he had to keep moving while fighting these six peak fourth-tier Crystal Snakes!
And not only was their defense absurdly strong, their attacks were outrageously powerful too.
They were nothing like ordinary fourth-tier Magical Beasts!
There wasn't a trace of yang energy in them—pure yin!
The situation beneath the fissure was still unclear. He could not waste too much of his strength here.
I'll spare your lives for now. When I come back, you'll pay for this!
Xiao Yan directly pushed his Dou Qi to full output. His figure instantly vanished from where he stood, leaving behind a fiery red streak.
Breaking through the snake swarm's blockade, Xiao Yan dove straight into the fissure.
The steam rushing at him carried an incomparably terrifying heat, but it was useless against him.
"...Five hundred meters... seven hundred meters!"
The instant he passed through the thick mist, the young man's pupils contracted sharply.
In the vast open space, a lake spanning several thousand square meters churned with waves.
Countless clouds of boiling steam surged and rolled, filling the entire space.
If his cultivation had been any lower, he likely would not have been able to see through even this single layer of mist!
At the center of the lake, a crystal platform a hundred meters in diameter rose above the water.
Thirty-three blue Crystal Pillars stood erect.
At the center, a two-colored Heavenly Flame of rose-red and ice-blue burned within a crystal!
The Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame inside Xiao Yan stirred restlessly.
Xiao Yan did not recognize this flame, but he had a Teacher.
"This is... Fire Cloud Water Flame!"
"It has actually differentiated into dual water-and-fire aspects..."
Old Yao's tone was more solemn than ever.
"No! These two energies are annihilating each other."
"This is a Fire Cloud Water Flame that has not yet fully formed!"
"It actually..."
Before he could finish speaking, the waves on the lake suddenly grew violent.
Xiao Yan's expression turned grave.
"There's no wind and no opening in this space. Where are these waves coming from?"
"Under this water..."
"Bang!"
Before he could finish, the lake surface suddenly exploded with a hundred-meter wave.
A Red Scaled Giant Snake burst from the water wrapped in blazing flames!
On its snake head, more than three zhang in diameter, a scarlet vertical pupil burned with savage firelight!
"Bang!"
Another massive boom rang out!
Almost simultaneously, the lake on the other side exploded as an Azure Snake Body churned up giant waves and shot into the sky!
The water waves filling the sky let out a deathly roar.
A surging aura suddenly swept outward!
"This is..."
"Fifth-tier, peak!"
Before you continue