Li Bufan continued forward along the cavern passage. The rocky ground beneath his feet gradually shifted from dark red to a deeper brown, while the seawater slowly grew colder.
The change was exceedingly subtle. Had he not immersed himself deeply in the path of fire and possessed a sensitivity to temperature far beyond that of ordinary people, he likely would not have noticed such a minute difference at all.
He silently committed the change to memory, yet did not slow his pace, continuing onward with steady caution.
The light within the cavern was also gradually dimming.
The crimson glow that had previously seeped through the gaps in the dragon scales had begun to thin after he passed the dragon tail region, and the scorching sulfurous scent in the air was slowly fading as well.
His footsteps echoed through the empty passage. The surroundings were so quiet that only his own breathing, heartbeat, and a faint sound from the distance remained.
That sound had been indistinct at first, but as he continued onward, it grew clearer and clearer.
Gradually, he recognized it as the sound of flowing water striking rocks.
The moisture in the cavern was also becoming increasingly dense.
After walking for roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, light finally appeared in the passage ahead.
The light was not intense. It carried a cold, clear quality entirely unlike crimson, silver-white as moonlight spilling through clouds, forming a gentle curtain of light at the exit at the end of the passage.
Li Bufan quickened his steps, passed through that silver-white curtain, and walked out of the cavern.
The view before him suddenly opened up. A vast, boundless sea stretched out before him, and he immediately used his movement technique to shoot upward.
When he emerged from