[**Demon Peak of Bones:** Rising across the Ancient River of Buried Gods, it stood like a monument to death, built from layer upon layer of countless ancient gods' and demons' bones, along with those of giant beasts. At its summit, the Chaos Demon Flame burned day and night, raging like countless frenzied beasts. The peak bred tremendous danger, but might also conceal tremendous opportunity. According to the system's scan, the target fragment was at the peak, where it was enduring the cruel erosion of the demonic flames. Its aura had grown extremely faint, like a guttering candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.]
The system's message struck Xiao Zhan's heart like a heavy hammer. It confirmed Xiao Yan's intuition and sent his heart sinking straight to the bottom. Anyone below Dou Zun who entered that area faced nine deaths for every one chance of survival! The Corrosive God Poison Miasma hanging over the Ancient River of Buried Gods could erode even Dou Zong experts, who struggled to withstand it! And Demon Peak of Bones was even more unfathomably dangerous, like an abyss of death waiting for the unwary to step inside.
"Father! I have to go!" Xiao Yan's gaze was utterly resolute, like a brilliant star shining with an unshakable light. "That fragment is vital to my teacher! I can clearly feel that the energy it contains is greater than that of the two fragments we already have combined! And... the system has also issued a mission to 'Explore the Desert of Buried Immortals'!" As he spoke, he briefly explained the mission in the system's notification to his father.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Xiao Zhan's voice abruptly turned stern, cracking through the air like thunder, with an authority he had never shown before. "What kind of place is the Desert of Buried Immortals? It's a death zone that even Dou Zong experts might not escape unscathed! You're only a Da Dou Shi. Going there would be suicide!" It wasn't that he didn't want to see Xiao Yan grow. It was simply that the dangers of that forbidden land far exceeded what Xiao Yan could endure right now. He would be like a fledgling facing a ferocious beast, utterly unable to fight back.
"I know it's dangerous!" Xiao Yan met his father's keen, sword-sharp gaze without backing down. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "But my teacher needs it! And we need it to uncover the secrets of the Bronze Immortal Palace! I don't want to hide beneath your wings forever, like a hothouse flower! Father, you taught me that cultivation is a struggle against heaven for one's fate—a fight against heaven, earth, and other people! Some dangers must be faced; some roads must be walked alone! Even if the path ahead is a mountain of blades and a sea of flames, I'll have no regrets!"
The boy's voice was firm as a hammer striking metal, ringing with conviction. His eyes burned with a fervent desire to grow stronger and a steadfast determination to protect the beliefs he held dear. Silence filled the stone hall, as though time itself had frozen. Yue Mei and Xiao Yi Xian held their breath, afraid to disturb this important conversation between father and son, their gazes moving between the two.
Xiao Zhan studied the steely resolve in his son's eyes, so at odds with his age. They were like a deep, cold pool, concealing endless determination. He remained silent for a long while, his mind in turmoil. He knew Xiao Yan's temperament too well. Once the boy set his sights on a path, he was like an arrow loosed from a bow—nothing could pull him back. Forcing him to stop would only make him rebellious and achieve the opposite of what he wanted.
"How do you plan to cross the Corrosive God Poison Miasma over the Ancient River of Buried Gods?" Xiao Zhan's voice finally softened, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, but he raised the most practical question. The miasma was the first seemingly insurmountable barrier in Xiao Yan's path, a shadow of death looming over the road ahead.
Xiao Yan froze slightly, his brows drawing together at once, a little hill rising between them. He had been so focused on the precious fragment and the difficult mission that he had overlooked the deadly miasma. Even Dou Zong experts struggled to withstand it. As a Da Dou Shi, he would probably die on the spot if even a little touched him, like an ant caught in a gale.
Just then, a cool, calm voice broke the suffocating silence like a clear spring.
"I can cross it."
Everyone's gaze immediately settled on Xiao Yi Xian, who had spoken, as if she were a lamp shining in the darkness.
She met Xiao Zhan's unfathomable gaze. Her violet eyes were placid as a still lake, without the slightest ripple. In her palm, the Woe Poison Pill appeared silently, perfect as a purple crystal, with a point of dark-gold light turning within its core, as though it concealed endless mysteries. "The Corrosive God Poison Miasma is, at its essence, a kind of 'poison,' and an extremely high-grade mixture of toxins at that. My Woe Poison Pill can turn all poisons into a source of power, transforming every toxin in the world into strength of its own. The miasma over the Ancient River of Buried Gods might... be nourishment to me." Her voice carried the confidence of one in command of her power. It wasn't arrogance, but came from a profound understanding of her own abilities. The dark-gold mark at the core of the Poison Pill, which originated from the immortal radiance of the Bronze Immortal Palace, shone like a brilliant star. It gave her the confidence to face all poisons, letting her remain composed even in this perilous place.
Xiao Zhan's gaze darted between the mysterious Poison Pill in Xiao Yi Xian's palm and Xiao Yan's resolute face. One bore the Woe Poison Body, with a heaven-defying talent for poison that bloomed like a deadly, mysterious lotus in the dark of night. The other was favored by fate and blessed with fortune, like the sun rising at dawn, full of limitless possibility. If the two joined forces, perhaps they really could find a sliver of hope in this deathly forbidden land and carve out a way to survive.
"Father!" A fierce glimmer of hope suddenly blazed in Xiao Yan's eyes, hot and unwavering as a burning flame, as if it could dispel all the gloom before him.
Xiao Zhan fell silent for a moment, as if weighing countless considerations in his heart, before finally speaking. His voice was heavy with an unquestionable solemnity, steady and dependable as a towering mountain. "Yan'er, if you insist on going, I won't stop you. But remember this: the Desert of Buried Immortals is no ordinary place. Danger lurks everywhere, and every step could be a trap. Whatever you do, your first priority must be to stay alive! No matter how precious that fragment is, it's nothing compared to your life! Miss Xiao Yi Xian..." He turned to the violet-eyed girl, his gaze filled with trust and expectation. "I'm entrusting Yan'er to you."
"Don't worry, Uncle Xiao." Xiao Yi Xian nodded firmly. The faintest ripple passed through the depths of her violet eyes, like a breeze over a lake, gone in an instant, yet revealing her determination.
"Yue Mei!" Xiao Zhan called, his voice ringing like a great bell.
"Your subordinate is here!" Yue Mei answered, standing tall as a proud pine.
"Prepare the fastest Desert Lizard Camels at once. Make sure they're strong enough to race like the wind in this scorching desert. Pack plenty of water and dried provisions; they're the essentials for staying alive. High-grade antidotes are also indispensable. Poisonous creatures infest the Desert of Buried Immortals, and these could save their lives. And... bring the Starfall Compass to guide us. In this spatially distorted place, it can show us the way!" Xiao Zhan rattled off the arrangements like a string of firecrackers, organizing everything with precision. "Also, take two of the toughest Earth Core Silk Armor from the oasis storeroom to protect them! This armor is impervious to blades, water, and fire. It can keep them safe at a critical moment!"
"Yes! I'll prepare everything right away!" Yue Mei accepted the order and vanished in a flash, like a specter.
Xiao Zhan turned his hand over and took two jade talismans from his system space. They radiated a gentle soul fluctuation, as if they contained boundless vitality and hope. He handed one to Xiao Yan and the other to Xiao Yi Xian, his expression solemn. "These are Mother-Child Heart-Linked Soul Jades. Keep the child jades on you at all times. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis you can't withstand, shatter yours immediately! As long as you're still on the Dou Qi Continent, I can sense your general location and come to your rescue as fast as I can! But remember, space is distorted in the Desert of Buried Immortals, and the jades' connection may fail. They're only a last resort. Don't rely on them!"
"Yes, Father!" "Yes, Uncle Xiao!" Both wore solemn expressions as they carefully accepted the warm jade talismans and put them close to their bodies, as if tucking away a weighty responsibility and the concern of those they loved.
"Yan'er..." Xiao Zhan fixed his eyes on his son one last time, his gaze laden with a thousand unspoken words: hope, worry, and boundless love. He gave Xiao Yan's shoulder a heavy pat, as though trying to pass on all his strength and blessings. "Come back alive!"
"Yes!" Xiao Yan felt the solid strength in his father's hand, and the deep, ocean-like worry behind it. His eyes reddened slightly. He nodded hard, his determined expression like a solemn vow to his father.
A short while later, two mighty Sand Lizard Camels stood ready at the edge of the oasis. Their massive bodies were knotted with muscle, like two small moving hills, and exuded raw power. Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian had changed into light, sturdy desert clothes, the fabric shimmering faintly in the sunlight as if able to withstand the desert heat and blowing sand. Over them, the Earth Core Silk Armor Yue Mei had brought gleamed with a dark metallic sheen, like an invisible shield that promised solid protection. Xiao Yan strapped the Heavy Xuan Ruler securely to his back, its weight a symbol of his courage. Xiao Yi Xian simply tied back her long hair. Her violet eyes were calm as water as she gazed northwest, toward the deep yellow sea of sand—the direction of the Desert of Buried Immortals, a mysterious land that seemed to stretch to the ends of the earth, shrouded in the shadow of death.
"Master Xiao, Miss Xiao Yi Xian, take care on your journey!" Yue Mei and several elders clasped their fists together in farewell, their eyes full of blessings and worry. Their gazes were like warm sunlight, trying to chase away the gloom on the road ahead.
"Let's go!" Xiao Yan leaped lightly onto his camel. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, as if he could pierce the endless sea of sand and see the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Xiao Yi Xian lightly mounted the back of the other Lizard Camel, her graceful figure like a fairy descending to earth. She gave Xiao Zhan and Yue Mei a slight nod, her elegant gesture revealing her composure and calm.
The Lizard Camels let out a deep, powerful roar, as if challenging the unknown journey ahead. They set off on their sturdy four legs, kicking up a vast cloud of sand. Like two yellow bolts of lightning, they carried the two young figures resolutely into the boundless sea of sand. Their departing silhouettes seemed to declare to the world: they feared neither life nor death, and would surely conquer the forbidden land of death known as a no-man's zone!
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