Heavenly Lock

This concerned the Crimson Flame Tribe's income, so the investigating gods didn't dare slack off.

However, not everyone in the Crimson Blood Tribe was afraid of Olga's punishment.

Thinking this, Aier flew toward the mine and asked Kero,

"Kero, who's in charge of investigating this mining area?"

"Lord West, Lord Aier."

After hesitating for a moment, Kero finally answered Aier's question.

Clearly, just like Aier, Kero had guessed that this might be the case.

"Lord West?"

Hearing the name, Aier froze for a moment, then smiled bitterly.

If Lord Olga was the emperor of the Crimson Blood Tribe, then Lord West was its crown prince.

That was right. West was Olga's only child.

He was also one of the few geniuses in the Crimson Blood Tribe to become a god on his own. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, West had already become a Mid-God.

In the Crimson Blood Tribe, apart from the two other High-Gods who had refined Divine Sparks, West was the strongest.

Now that Aier knew West had been the one to investigate this mining area last time, he realized he'd probably have to take the blame himself.

"What a mess."

Aier shook his head with a bitter smile, and his desire to grow stronger burned all the more fiercely.

Although he was deeply unhappy, Aier still had to do what needed to be done.

Back when he was a miner, he'd encountered plenty of crises, and the gods had always dealt with them.

Now it was his turn to handle a crisis as a god!

"Whoosh!"

Aier took a single step and appeared a hundred meters away, as if he'd teleported. After a few more flashes, he had reached the mine shaft.

This was a move Aier had developed over the years while studying the Earth-Walking Profound Mystery—Shrinking Inches into Feet!

The mine shaft twisted and branched in every direction. Even a miner like Aier, with over a million years of experience, wouldn't dare claim to know the tunnels well.

After all, about every hundred years, Saint Realm miners dug one or two new side tunnels.

This mining area had been worked for over four million years. Beneath the earth, the tunnels formed a dense web, like a maze.

Without the markers, even a veteran miner like Aier, with a million years of experience, would get lost.

After gauging the distance between himself and the Crimson Flame Beast, Aier shook his head.

If he followed the tunnels, by the time he arrived, quite a few Saint Realm miners would probably already be dead.

Yellow divine power enveloped his body. The next moment, Aier strode toward the wall of the mine shaft and sank into it—

Earth Escape!

This move completely changed the nature of his body, allowing it to merge with the earth. It was the shortest route Aier could take to intercept the Crimson Flame Beast!

"Roar—"

A terrifying beast with red scales, four legs, and a pointed snout charged through the mine shaft, roaring as it rampaged.

The mine tunnels had resisted the full force of attacks from Saint Realm experts, yet in front of this Crimson Flame Beast, they were as fragile as glass. Nothing could stop its charge.

Just as several Saint Realm miners ahead were about to be crushed beneath the beast's charge, Aier emerged from the wall of a side tunnel and shouted,

"You vile beast! Surrender!"

"Vmmm—"

As Aier approached the Crimson Flame Beast, his Divine Domain spread out and engulfed it.

"Roar—"

Normally, a god's Divine Domain was practically an "absolute restraint" against beings below the divine level. Anyone caught within it would be immobilized—even a Saint Realm expert who had comprehended a Law and Profound Mystery to ninety-nine percent.

But after Aier's Divine Domain enveloped this Crimson Flame Beast, it wasn't completely restrained.

On the contrary, a savage fury blazed in its eyes. It fought against the pressure of Aier's Divine Domain, turned toward him, and opened its massive jaws, trying to swallow him whole.

"Oh?"

Aier raised an eyebrow and didn't dodge. He drove his right fist forward—

"Clang!"

Aier's right fist collided with the Crimson Flame Beast's head. The impact rang like clashing weapons, and sparks flew.

In their first clash, Aier knocked the beast's head sideways, but its attack also sent him staggering back.

"This one isn't an ordinary Crimson Flame Beast!"

Aier had already suspected as much when it remained mobile inside his Divine Domain, but the impact reverberating through his right fist still shocked him.

After all, ever since absorbing that wisp of Godhead essence, Aier's body had become as strong as a Low-God Artifact.

Although he hadn't forged an artifact of his own yet, he was practically a Low-God with a Material Defense Artifact and an attack artifact.

Ordinary Crimson Flame Beasts were made of Crimson Blood Essence Ore. Their bodies were incredibly tough, but not quite as tough as an artifact.

This beast's body, however, was every bit as strong as Aier's.

A Crimson Flame Beast of this strength...

"It's a Crimson Flame Beast King!"

When Aier looked at the creature's brow, his heart lurched.

Ordinary Crimson Flame Beasts were special lifeforms born from countless pieces of Crimson Flame Ore, with bodies made of Crimson Flame Essence Ore. A Crimson Flame Beast King, on the other hand, was born from the most precious Blood-Red Source Crystal found in a Crimson Blood Mine.

If Crimson Blood Essence Ore was used to forge attack artifacts and Material Defense Artifacts, then Blood-Red Source Crystal was used to forge Soul Defense Artifacts.

Crimson Flame Beasts born from Crimson Blood Mines had Saint Realm strength. Their bodies were so tough that even a Saint Realm expert at the peak would need to spend a great deal of time and effort to defeat one.

But after consuming a Blood-Red Source Crystal, a Crimson Flame Crystal Beast's body reached the strength of an artifact. What's more, the Blood-Red Source Crystal in its brow gave it a powerful soul attack.

Now that Aier had recognized it as a Crimson Blood Beast King, he couldn't let it unleash the soul attack of its Blood-Red Source Crystal.

With his soul still weakened, even if the attack didn't kill him outright, it would certainly leave him gravely injured again.

Aier planted his foot and sent divine power spreading across the ground.

"Heavenly Lock!"

In an instant, dozens of chains wreathed in yellow divine light burst from the walls of the mine shaft. They bound the Crimson Blood Beast King's head, limbs, and tail, suspending it in midair!

Given the Crimson Blood Beast King's physical strength, ordinary chains couldn't hold it.

Even Crimson Blood Ore was as fragile as paper in front of the beast.

But reinforced with Aier's divine power, even the Crimson Blood Beast King couldn't break free easily.

Especially now that it was hanging in midair with nothing to push against, it was even less likely to escape Aier's restraints just by thrashing its body.