Tang Saber Trembles! The Ground Scorched Black as Charcoal!

Outside the stone forest.

Several people had appeared in the previously empty clearing, each with their aura restrained. They were clearly also Pioneers of the Spirit Qi Recovery.

They stood outside the stone door, comparing the map on their phones.

"The Great World Change has brought strange phenomena everywhere. We need to get in quickly before someone else beats us to it."

"That phenomenon should be down there. I can sense that special fluctuation."

"Let's go. Every opportunity before the Spirit Qi Recovery is immensely valuable. Don't waste time."

Boom!

A sharp explosion suddenly erupted from underground.

A heatwave poured out through the stone doorway as though a sun were melting below, the blasts deafening like thunder.

A crimson ripple darted out of the ground like a serpent.

Everyone's pupils suddenly constricted.

What a powerful fluctuation!

It was coming from underground.

Could it be... someone had already gotten to the Land of Great Change first?

They exchanged looks and immediately slipped through the stone door.

When they arrived, they saw someone sitting cross-legged in the distance, absorbing spirit qi in cultivation.

Their expressions immediately turned cold and hostile.

In this era, Pioneers often fought over locations of the Great World Change.

Every Great World Change involved the extraordinary, and every trace of it could bring one good fortune.

When it came to such heavenly treasures, the fewer people there were to share them, the better.

Yet now, two groups had appeared in this Underground River, like beasts fighting over territory, both sides filled with hostility toward the other.

More critically—

As the number of people in the Dark River increased, the Inner Flame within began to stir restlessly.

The spirit qi produced by the mutation was limited. Once the maximum number of people it could support was reached, it would generally collapse.

Fighting for locations was also a required lesson for Pioneers.

And this time, both groups had set their sights on the same place.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

"You want to come too? We found this place first, and my friend has already started absorbing spirit qi. Bro, why don't you go somewhere else?"

Buzzcut Bro stood up and positioned himself beside Fang Yi and Old Li, who was still absorbing spirit qi.

"Who's your bro? A piece of trash who hasn't even entered the Divine Axe Realm thinks he deserves to call us brothers?"

The Pioneer opposite them sneered and took a step forward first.

The aura radiating from him was unmistakably that of a Divine Craftsman First Star.

Immediately after, another person behind him stepped out. The man was huge and powerfully built, nearly six foot three. Standing there, he was like a wall, his presence especially imposing.

He too was a Divine Craftsman First Star.

Buzzcut Bro's expression changed.

In their group, only Zhang Xiaoya was a First Star. He and Old Li had yet to enter the Divine Axe Realm, while Fang Yi was a newcomer who did not seem to understand much. His strength was probably nothing remarkable either.

Now, the enemy was strong while they were weak. The disparity was enormous.

In such circumstances, no matter how sharp one's tongue was, it could not compare to a hard fist.

"Understand? Why aren't you getting lost?"

The First Star Pioneer snorted disdainfully. Without even sparing them a glance, he headed straight for the underground magma.

He clearly did not take them seriously.

Zhang Xiaoya trembled with anger.

The other side had two Divine Craftsman First Star Pioneers, and neither seemed weaker than her.

They were not people Zhang Xiaoya's group could afford to provoke.

Natural selection. The strong preyed on the weak.

That was the iron law of nature. With Spirit Qi Recovery as the premise, Pioneers were like the alpha kings among animals, those who held dominion over immense power.

An alpha king did not rely on humility, but on the number of corpses torn apart beneath his feet. That was a far more direct proof of strength than any Throne or crown.

Weak Pioneers did not deserve the resources to grow stronger!

Zhang Xiaoya bit her lip and stepped forward, just about to retort.

At that moment, a figure moved before she could.

Fang Yi stepped forward and took the initiative to stand between the two groups.

The evening breeze gradually rose.

His hair fluttered.

A faint golden light seemed to shroud him, though a closer look made it seem like an illusion.

At that moment.

Fang Yi raised one hand, tilted his head back, and reached for the bandages wrapped behind him.

In an instant!

His five fingers tightened around the upper part of the bandages, and blazing firelight... shone through the gaps between his fingers!

Brighter than the stars in the night sky and heavier than the clouds overhead, it flickered like a blazing sun falling from the heavens. The object within was held in Fang Yi's hand.

The bandages wrapped around it melted and shattered the instant the blazing flames appeared.

"A... saber?"

The Pioneers froze.

Amid the firelight Fang Yi was gradually pulling free, they seemed to see the outline of a hilt.

Fang Yi slightly raised his hand.

From within the blazing firelight, he gripped the hilt one-handed and slowly drew a long, narrow Tang Saber.

Scarlet Fire Tang Blade!

"Why does that saber look so strange?" The eyes of the man opposite narrowed as he stared at the slender Tang Saber in Fang Yi's hand in astonishment.

Ripple-like patterns spread across the blade's surface.

At that moment, he had the illusion that it was so glaring he was staring directly at the sun!

Clang—!

The Tang Saber trembled and rang, its blade covered in dancing flames.

Fang Yi held it at an angle, the tip hanging lightly toward the ground.

The blazing fire spilled across the earth like liquid mercury, spreading along the blade over the ground.

In just 0.1 seconds, the ground... had been scorched black as charcoal!

In an instant.

A searing heatwave rushed toward them.

The Divine Craftsman First Star Pioneer's pupils shrank sharply.

"Fall back!"

He roared, his voice like thunder!

Hum—

He did not need to warn them. As the scorching gale surged, everyone had already leaped backward at top speed.

At an incredible speed, they retreated to the edge of the Dark River in an instant.

Almost at the exact same moment they fell back...

Fang Yi raised the Tang Saber and slashed down at the magma river.

Rumble—

At that moment, no other sound or movement could be heard. Within the pitch-black cavern, there was only a pillar of fire shooting into the sky.

A blazing pillar of fire burst forth, brilliant and radiant, illuminating the entire dark cavern and becoming the only undying flame in the darkness!

Rumble, rumble, rumble—

The shattered stones on the ground broke apart, crimson light burned through the clearing, and the entire earth seemed to ignite, turning into a crimson line.

"Wh-what is this?"

Zhang Xiaoya was aghast. What kind of sight was this?! She wondered... would the cavern be cleaved apart by that slash?!

At the same time.

Fang Yi turned his wrist, and the blade fell vertically to the ground.

All the scattered flames between heaven and earth converged at a single point, like a soaring fire dragon charging toward the Dark River.

Boom—

At that moment, the magma churned, bubble after bubble rising to the surface before bursting one after another with explosive cracks.

A mass of crimson energy surged from within the magma, wildly gathering into an ever-expanding red sun that exploded before everyone's eyes.

Bang!!!

Scarlet flames intertwined with the explosion.

The terrifying heatwave swept past, as though it could scorch people to ash!

"Get lost."

Amid the splashing flames, Fang Yi narrowed his eyes beneath his black hair and looked at the figures opposite him.

The Pioneers opposite him stared wide-eyed, crimson firelight reflected in their pupils and illuminating their horrified expressions.

What realm was this Pioneer in?

And this saber!

The flame patterns on its blade burned brilliantly, and after it was swung, it could even explode a second time!

It was like a blazing sun!

Too terrifying!

The legs of several Pioneers immediately went weak.

They scrambled to turn around and fled wildly in the direction they had come from, their fleeing backs perfectly uniform.