Fallen Fire Sect Ruins Open

For the next two days, the Griffin squad barely rested as they sped toward the northeastern part of the Black Corner Region.

By the time the silhouettes of continuous dark-red mountain ranges appeared on the distant horizon, it was already the evening before their arrival.

The temperature in the air had clearly begun to rise. Even while speeding through the high skies, a dry, scorching wind buffeted their faces.

"Chief, the Crimson Flame Mountains, where the Fallen Fire Sect Ruins are located, lie ahead!"

The Enforcement Team member responsible for guiding them reminded them.

The Griffins began descending.

As they drew closer, the scorching heat became increasingly apparent. A faint scent of sulfur began drifting through the air, along with the lingering smell of violent fire-element energy.

At last, the group arrived at the Core Region of the Crimson Flame Mountains.

Qin Han was the first to leap off his Griffin. He took a deep breath, and scorching air flooded his lungs. The violent fire-element energy contained within far surpassed that of any other place in the Black Corner Region.

Almost involuntarily, Qin Han's immense Soul Power quietly spread outward, sweeping across the surroundings.

The instant he scanned the area, Qin Han's heart tightened.

Strong! So many powerful auras!

One powerful aura after another was densely distributed throughout the temporary camps outside the ruins.

Dou Wang experts were everywhere, and quite a few had reached the high-tier Dou Wang level. There were even several auras that were obscure and heavy, radiating an intense pressure upon Qin Han.

Those were Dou Huangs—and more than one of them!

"As expected... this really is a Dragon's Pool and Tiger's Lair." Qin Han's mind turned solemn. It seemed that gaining anything from this trip to the Fallen Fire Sect Ruins would be exceedingly difficult.

The arrival of Jia Nan Academy's group instantly attracted the attention of nearly every faction present.

In this Black Corner Region, where all manner of monsters and demons gathered and the naked law of the jungle prevailed, Jia Nan Academy was like a patch of pure land that did not belong.

Because of its relatively neutral stance, it had tense relations with the vast majority of local factions in the Black Corner Region.

Of the Heavenly Yin Sect, Blood Sect, Eight Gates, Raging Lion Gang, and the others that had long occupied this place, nine out of ten had clashed with Jia Nan Academy before.

As for the remaining one, it bore a blood feud against Jia Nan Academy.

Thus, when Hu Gan and Wu Tianlang led the academy's elite to the ground, countless hostile gazes immediately fell upon them.

"Hmph!"

Seeing this, Hu Gan snorted coldly.

His Peak Dou Huang cultivation erupted without restraint. Several nearby Dou Lings were directly knocked unconscious on the spot.

Wu Tianlang also stepped forward and patted Qin Han on the shoulder.

"Qin Han, open your eyes and look carefully. If any blind fool dares to reach out his claws, or shows even the slightest thought he shouldn't have—

"There's no need to ask for permission. Twist his head straight off!"

"If anything happens, the academy will back you up!"

"Yes!"

Qin Han answered coldly.

He had spent many years struggling through the Black Corner Region, so he naturally knew how to deal with this pack of jackals and tigers.

There was only one word for it: fight!

After that display, the hostile gazes around them immediately diminished by more than half.

But just as Qin Han's group was preparing to head toward the camp, the sound of rushing wind came from the sky once more.

Several powerful auras were speeding over from different directions.

"Hahaha! With the Fallen Fire Sect Ruins emerging, how could the Black Emperor Sect be absent?!"

A sinister-looking old man arrived abruptly.

The newcomer was none other than Mo Tianquan, the Great Elder of the Black Emperor Sect. The several people behind him were all Dou Wang-level experts as well.

Immediately afterward, another streak of light carrying a powerful aura crashed down.

Dressed in a silver robe, his aura was even stronger than Mo Tianquan's.

"Gold and Silver Elders!"

Someone cried out in a low voice. Although only one of them seemed to have come this time, his Peak Dou Huang cultivation and the thick, inescapable stench of blood around him were enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.

The last to arrive was a somewhat slender streak of green light.

The newcomer wore an alchemist's robe, with a Rank 5 Alchemist badge pinned to his chest.

He was at the Peak Dou Wang level and alone, yet no one dared to underestimate him.

"Someone from Maple City!"

"An alchemist under Master Han Feng, the Pill Emperor!"

With the great Buddha that was the "Pill Emperor" Han Feng behind him, his standing even surpassed that of ordinary Dou Huang experts.

As these three heavyweight factions arrived one after another, the already tense atmosphere was completely ignited.

At this point, nearly all the notable forces openly operating in the Black Corner Region had gathered outside the Fallen Fire Sect Ruins!

That night, every major faction remained alert and on guard.

In a place where all sorts of people were mixed together, if they were attacked, they might not even be able to find their enemies afterward.

Qin Han arranged for every member of the Enforcement Team to patrol around the clock. They did not need to enter the ruins with the group anyway, so there would be plenty of time for them to rest later.

The next day, before dawn broke, the sealing barrier enveloping the ruins fluctuated violently before dissolving into countless motes of light.

The seal had broken!

After a brief deathly silence, countless figures surged toward the ruins' entrance from all directions, transforming into streaks of different-colored flowing light.

The rules of the Black Corner Region were laid bare at this moment.

Entering first did not necessarily mean obtaining the treasures first, but falling behind meant not even getting a sip of the broth.

Jia Nan Academy's encampment.

Qin Han gave the Enforcement Team members behind him one final order. "Maintain the outer perimeter, monitor every faction's movements, and report back to the academy immediately if anything unusual happens."

"Yes, Chief!"

Qin Han turned and exchanged looks with Wu Tianlang, Hu Gan, and several Inner Academy elders.

They all gave slight nods.

"Move!"

Zi Yan, who had long since grown impatient, was the first to rush out. "Hurry, hurry! Don't let those bad guys snatch all the good stuff!"

Only then did the Jia Nan Academy group turn into several streaks of flowing light and speed toward the entrance.

The chaotic crowd instinctively avoided this powerful presence, allowing them to enter without obstruction.

The instant they passed through the entrance, a heat wave several times more intense than the outside world crashed into them.

The sight before them made even the prepared Qin Han's pupils contract slightly.

Blood red.

It was the first color that met their eyes.

The sky was a stifling dim crimson, the ground was cracked and dry, and slowly flowing Lava Rivers could be seen everywhere.

As far as the eye could see, it was a scene resembling a scorching hell.

They landed on a relatively solid platform of black rock. Blazing heat rose beneath their feet.

"What exactly happened here back then...?"

An Inner Academy elder asked solemnly.

The instant they entered, nearly everyone began to doubt the truth behind the Fallen Fire Sect's destruction.

No matter how powerful the Myriad Stars Flame was, it could not possibly create so much magma out of thin air.

As they continued deeper, the heat gradually lessened, and only then did they begin to see traces of buildings.

The broken walls and ruins vaguely revealed the outlines of palaces and towers, their surfaces buried beneath thick volcanic ash and crystallized lava crust.

The entire Secret Realm was permeated by an inescapable scorching heat.

"Split up and investigate, but stay in contact. If you encounter a major treasure or danger, do not act rashly. Report first."

Hu Gan gave the order in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the figures of various factions already engaged in scattered clashes among the distant ruins. "Watch out for the other factions. If you encounter danger, crush your communication Jade Slips immediately."

"Yes!"

At Hu Gan's command, Zi Yan immediately picked a direction and dashed off.

"That girl..."

"Qin Han, go after her and keep an eye on her!" Hu Gan hurriedly ordered.

"Yes!"

Qin Han briefly cupped his fists and hurried after Zi Yan.

Joking was one thing, fooling around was another, but this Gluttonous Dragon's talent for finding treasure was no joke.

With her leading the way, why worry about not finding good things?