Breaking Through the Fire Passage

"Hiss!"

The figures gradually slowed down and stopped a hundred meters away from the crimson palace. Standing here, the palace seemed even more enormous, its top appearing to pierce the clouds.

"No wonder it was covered by Space Seal; such a massive palace would be conspicuous anywhere."

Looking at the crimson palace, Xiao Yuan couldn't help but shake his head. He led the group to land a hundred meters away. Since that ancient Dou Sheng Expert could build such a large ruin, the contents must be quite rich. This trip was indeed worthwhile.

Outside the crimson palace, numerous powerful figures arrived in droves, but none of them stepped into the hundred-meter radius first. Those who could arrive here at this time were either from powerful forces or possessed great abilities, so naturally no one would be foolish enough to be the first to arrive. Since these people were not in a hurry, Xiao Yuan was not in a hurry either. With such a rich treasure, only a fool would believe it if there were no defensive measures.

As Xiao Yuan waited patiently with his arms crossed, he suddenly noticed a cold gaze directed at him. He raised an eyebrow, turned his gaze, and then fixed it on the source of the cold gaze.

The owner of the cold gaze was a woman dressed in a colorful dress. Her noble demeanor made ordinary people dare not look directly at her, and her phoenix-shaped hair bun added to her air of nobility.

"Ill?"

Looking at the rather unfamiliar face, Xiao Yuan couldn't help but frown. Who was this woman? Did she want to die? Beside the woman, there was a group of people, and their eyes flashed with a cold light as they looked at Xiao Yuan and his group.

Xiao Yuan didn't know her, but she recognized Xiao Yuan.

This woman was none other than Feng Qing'er, whose sect had been destroyed by Xiao Yuan. Thunder Venerable treated her well. Although she didn't think much of the ordinary disciples of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, she still had some respect for her teacher.

Seeing Xiao Yuan, her sworn enemy, she naturally wouldn't smile. Although, by her standards, Xiao Yuan was an extremely handsome man, she wasn't the type to be swayed by looks alone.

Xiao Yuan's gaze swept over the group of people, then suddenly stopped beside Feng Qing'er. There stood a tall, slender man with white hair, dressed in brocade robes. The man appeared to be around thirty years old, but for the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, this age was undoubtedly still considered youth.

The white-haired man was extremely handsome, and his smiling face made him look noble and imposing, clearly indicating that he was no ordinary person.

"Qing'er, is that the person you mentioned who destroyed the Wind and Thunder Pavilion?"

At this moment, the white-haired man glanced at Xiao Yuan and smiled faintly.

"Yes, he killed the heads of two of our affiliated families a couple of days ago. It's said he did it casually, so his strength is probably not to be underestimated."

Feng Qing'er gritted her teeth, feeling quite unwilling.

She first heard of Xiao Yuan's name when she learned that the Wind and Thunder North Pavilion had been completely wiped out.

Back then, Xiao Yuan was already known as the number one person below Dou Zun. Now, in less than two years, Xiao Yuan has actually reached the level of casually killing three Dou Zun expert. Such strength is truly beyond the reach of most people.

"Hehe, your strength is not bad! After this, you will be able to receive the clan's inheritance, and breaking through to the Dou Zun will not be impossible." The white-robed man smiled slightly and said softly, "As for Xiao Yuan, leave him to me!"

Feng Qing'er nodded slightly. Although Xiao Yuan had advanced to the Dou Zun, she had a lot of confidence in the person beside her. The latter had received the inheritance earlier than her and had mastered the power of the inheritance. Even among all the younger generation of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, he would be among the top three. Dealing with Xiao Yuan should not be too difficult.

Xiao Yuan completely ignored the cold gaze directed at him from Feng Qing'er. Apart from that, he could sense the killing intent of the white-haired man towards him. Xiao Yuan was only slightly moved by the fact that the latter had reached the strength of Dou Zun at such a young age, but he could tell at a glance that the white-haired man was no match for him, so he didn't pay any attention to him.

With Xiao Yuan's current strength, he is already invincible among the younger generation. Now, he has already set his sights on an even higher level! "Senior Brother Xiao Yuan, that woman is Feng Qing'er from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan!"

Mu Qingluan clearly noticed the unfriendly gaze and whispered a reminder.

"Hmm? She's Feng Qing'er?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan glanced at it again with great interest.

Because of the turmoil caused by killing Thunder Venerable Wind and Thunder Pavilion, Xiao Yan and Feng Qing'er did not have a chance to meet at the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool. Therefore, the woman did not discover the matter of the Ancient Phoenix Blood Essence.

However, if Xiao Yan had emerged from seclusion earlier, he would likely have come straight here, which would have been quite interesting! After glancing around again, Feng Qing'er was clearly somewhat dissatisfied with Xiao Yuan. If it weren't for the fact that it wasn't the right time to fight, she probably would have already rushed up to fight Xiao Yuan.

Of course, the result will likely be extremely tragic.

Xiao Yuan shifted his gaze from Feng Qing'er and the others, looked around, and suddenly his eyes lit up.

Not far away, an old man in a red robe with a smile on his face came into view. He was none other than Tang Zhen, the Valley Master of Burning Flame Valley and one of Xiao Yuan's fathers-in-law.

"Hehe, I heard from Huo'er before that your strength has increased a lot. After seeing it today, I'm afraid even I am no match for you!"

Under the watchful eyes of numerous powerful figures around them, Tang Zhen smiled and led the group of experts from Burning Flame Valley toward Xiao Yuan, saying with a grin.

"Uncle Tang, you're too kind. It's been several years since I last saw you, and you've become even more vigorous and healthy."

Xiao Yuan showed no disrespect to his father-in-law, and quickly said with a smile.

Burning Flame Valley is a well-known and powerful force in Central State, and Tang Zhen is a famous expert. His actions naturally attract a lot of attention. Therefore, when Feng Qing'er saw this scene, she couldn't help but frown. She was not very clear that Xiao Yuan had such a close relationship with Burning Flame Valley.

"Hehe, if I had known earlier that you were the disciple of the President Xuan Yi, would I have gone to so much trouble? But you have reached this level in just two short years, which really makes this old man feel ashamed."

Tang Zhen didn't care about the stares from those around him. He patted Xiao Yuan on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"Please convey my regards to Venerable Yao!"

At the same time, Tang Zhen transmitted his voice.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan nodded. It was likely that Huo'er had told Tang Zhen about this, but that was alright, since this man was his father-in-law, and it wouldn't hurt for him to know some information.

"Uncle Tang, are you also here for the Ancient Ruins?"

"Ancient Ruins are rare, and ruins left by Dou Sheng Expert are even rarer. Now that they have appeared, it is only natural to come and broaden our horizons."

Tang Zhen smiled and then casually glanced around. With his shrewd eyesight, he could immediately tell that at least two major forces seemed to be hostile towards Xiao Yuan.

"Your current situation doesn't seem to be very good, kid?"

Hearing Tang Zhen's concern, Xiao Yuan simply smiled calmly and said, "Uncle, don't worry, it's just a little trouble. It's probably not as dangerous as the inside of the ruins."

Upon hearing this, Tang Zhen shook his head in disbelief, but he didn't think Xiao Yuan was exaggerating.

Back then, Xiao Yuan, who was only at the Dou Zong level, had combat power that reached the Dou Zun level. Now, with Xiao Yuan's strength Four Star Dou Zun, after using his secret technique, even some seven- or eight-star Dou Zun expert would not be able to gain an advantage against him. Naturally, he trusted Xiao Yuan.

"Boom"

This stalemate lasted for about ten minutes when the earth suddenly trembled slightly. The huge palace, which had been silent until now, suddenly roared loudly. Then everyone saw a crimson Stone Gate, as heavy as ten thousand pounds, slowly rise up, revealing a dark passage behind it.

"The gates have opened!"

Upon seeing this scene, many people's eyes immediately turned red. Some who couldn't hold back immediately used their abilities and appeared outside the passage in a few flashes. Then, amidst laughter, they rushed in.

Upon seeing someone take it away, the crowd immediately stirred. Figures quickly flashed and rushed into the passage, as if they were afraid that someone would get there first.

Compared to these reckless individuals, Xiao Yuan and his group did not take any action. If the ruins left by Dou Sheng Expert could be entered so easily, it would be too childish.

"Puff!"

As Xiao Yuan and the others had predicted, shortly after many people rushed into the passage, the pitch-black passage suddenly turned crimson. The hard floor slowly cracked open, and then everyone saw scalding red magma erupting from it. At the same time, the walls of the spacious passage also suddenly spewed out beams of dazzling blue fire. Anyone who came into contact with these blue fire beams turned into ashes almost without even uttering a scream.

The sudden turn of events, almost instantly, caused all the figures inside the passage to vanish. Those who were about to rush in hurriedly stopped in horror, only to be rammed into by the figures rushing in from behind. Immediately, shrill screams rang out, and chaos reigned outside the giant hall. The chaos lasted for a while before finally calming down. As they looked at each other, the greed in their eyes finally faded under the threat of death.

"Hmph, you think a mere Fire Passage can stop us?"

As everyone calmed down, the major powers finally began to take action. Although the Fire Passage was dangerous, it did not pose a fatal threat to them.

Shortly after these words were spoken, a surge of powerful Dou Qi qi erupted, swirling around them and transforming into streaks of light that hissed as they hurtled towards the Fire Passage. This time, the fire pillars that struck them did not immediately incinerate them, but instead clung to the powerful battle qi with a hissing Dou Qi. Taking advantage of the resistance from the Dou Qi qi, these powerful individuals hurriedly rushed towards the end of the Fire Passage. Of course, among them were also some unfortunate individuals who, due to insufficient Dou Qi, were swallowed by the flames.

"Hehe, you possess Heavenly Flames, so this kind of Fire Passage probably can't stop you either. Huo'er is still in seclusion in the valley. How about it, bringing a few more people shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Seeing the crowd begin to rush into the giant hall, Tang Zhen smiled, glanced at the people from Burning Flame Valley behind him, and asked.

"Hehe, it's alright."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan smiled, and then golden flames surged from his body, enveloping Cai Lin and the others, as well as everyone from Burning Flame Valley.

"Hmm? This kid's Heavenly Flames... it's different from before?"

As soon as the golden flames appeared, Tang Zhen's expression became much more solemn. Even with his strength, he felt a sense of unease about the golden flames. The intensity of these flames seemed to be even more terrifying than before.

"Laugh!"

Golden flames enveloped everyone, and like a fire dragon, it burst forth from the countless figures, causing a moment of chaos before rushing straight into the exceptionally hot Fire Passage.

As you rush into the Fire Passage, the surrounding temperature increases several dozen times. The hard, reddish rocks around you turn a deep red, and scorching magma below continuously spews out like a spring. The scorching fragments contained within the magma also possess considerable destructive power at this moment. If you are not careful and your Dou Qi is pierced, you will probably be burned to a pulp in an instant.

However, the Fire Passage, which was quite troublesome for others, was no problem at all for Xiao Yuan. With the protection of Heavenly Flames comparable to the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, neither the magma nor the eerie blue fire pillars spewing out from all directions could harm Xiao Yuan and the others. The effect of the Heavenly Flames was fully demonstrated at this moment.

At this moment, many other powerful figures were also struggling to advance within the Fire Passage. Their immense Dou Qi qi completely enveloped them. Although they were able to persevere and break through, they were clearly not as relaxed as Xiao Yuan and the others. The blue flames seemed to have a strange effect of dissolving Dou Qi. As the two forces were locked in a stalemate, the rate at which Dou Qi was consumed far exceeded many people's expectations. At this rate of consumption, even a Dou Zong expert would not be able to hold out for long.

As these people charged forward through flames and lava, they also caught sight of Xiao Yuan and his group, who seemed to be strolling leisurely. For a moment, their eyes were filled with astonishment.

Xiao Yuan ignored these gazes. With a thought, a brilliant golden flame roared up, carrying everyone swiftly towards the depths of the Fire Passage.

With the help of the Heavenly Flames, Xiao Yuan and the others moved forward at a rapid pace. In just a few minutes, they overtook some of the stronger individuals who had entered earlier. However, even so, they still had not seen the end of the Fire Passage.

"As expected of a relic left by Dou Sheng Expert, this Fire Passage is incredibly long. It seems some people are about to suffer a great deal of misfortune."

Upon seeing this, Tang Zhen stroked his beard and smiled.

Xiao Yuan smiled and nodded. The blue flames around them were extremely strange, capable of melting Dou Qi. Those who wanted to force their way in by relying on their powerful Dou Qi were indeed going to be in trouble. With such a long passage, unless one was extremely strong, very few people could pass through the Fire Passage by relying on Dou Qi.