Netherworld Python

By the time Huo Wu finished absorbing the Fire Spider's External Soul Bone, a day had already passed. Her face glowed with health as she said, "An External Soul Bone really is incredible. I feel like my combat strength has improved tremendously. From now on, even Battle Spirit Masters of the same level won't be a match for me."

With that, Huo Wu infused Soul Power into the External Soul Bone. Eight fiery spider legs extended from her back, ripping through the clothes on her back. Once fully extended, each crimson spider leg was over two meters long and gleamed with a metallic luster. They were clearly extremely sharp. Their pointed ends also carried a trace of dark red, evidently containing the Fire Spider's deadly venom.

Suddenly, Huo Wu cried out and swiftly covered her upper body. Huo Wushuang hurriedly used his clothes to shield her. Huo Wu blushed furiously, while Huo Wushuang glared at Xiaofei with hostility. Xiaofei, meanwhile, looked thoroughly satisfied, clearly having enjoyed the view just now. Huo Wu's face instantly filled with embarrassment and fury. After getting dressed, she launched into a flurry of punches and kicks at Xiaofei, making him howl miserably.

Afterward, Huo Wu felt thoroughly refreshed, while Xiaofei was once again bruised and swollen. Huo Wu asked domineeringly, "Xiaofei, how's your big sister's figure? Is it nice?"

Xiaofei said tremblingly, "It... it's nice." Huo Wu's expression changed instantly. Xiaofei immediately added, "It's not nice."

"Hm?" Huo Wu punched him in the face again.

The three of them slowly entered the Fire Spider's nest. Inside, they found countless animal and human corpses, as well as several Soul Tools. The Fire Spider truly deserved its reputation as a top-tier hunter.

Over the next month, Xiaofei and the other two searched all through the interior of the Undying Volcano, yet found no trace matching the map. They did encounter quite a few top-tier Soul Beasts, including two at the ninety-thousand-year level, and were chased in a miserable state. Yet there was not the slightest trace of the Divine Fire Sect. Nor did they seem to find a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

After searching for a month without gaining anything, the three simply returned to the Fire Spider's nest and began cultivating there.

There were basically no Soul Beasts near the Fire Spider's nest. Any that had been there had more or less been eaten by the Fire Spider. The nest was underground, where the Fire Element was extremely rich and the surroundings were quiet, making it highly suitable for the three to cultivate. Besides, they had been on edge for quite some time and needed to relax a little.

After cultivating continuously in the Fire Spider's nest for three months, each of them advanced by one level. They then left the Fire Spider's nest and continued their training.

In terms of Soul Power Level, Xiaofei was now level sixty-five and had not advanced in nearly half a year. Huo Wushuang was level sixty-seven, while Huo Wu was level sixty-eight. Huo Wushuang seemed destined to always remain one level below Huo Wu. When he had advanced a level because of the Fire Bat Head Soul Bone, Huo Wu had immediately advanced a level after absorbing the External Soul Bone. This left Huo Wushuang extremely depressed, though Xiaofei was even more depressed. The others had both advanced two levels, while he had not advanced even once. Since absorbing the Lovesick Heartbreak Red and the Nine Grade Dragon Zhi, Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang's talents had surpassed Innate Full Soul Power, likely second only to Qian Renxue's Innate Level Twenty.

Since they still had no information whatsoever about the Divine Fire Sect, the three decided to investigate the very center of the Undying Volcano.

By the time Xiaofei and the others reached the volcano's center, they were already an immense distance below the surface. The central area was filled everywhere with lava, its temperature exceeding a thousand degrees. The air was also thick with an explosive, destructive aura that made them extremely uncomfortable. A grave sense of danger radiated from all around them.

Bearing immense pressure, the three searched around the lava several times, but found nothing. They did spot several Soul Beasts with extremely high cultivation ages.

Because Xiaofei had absorbed the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent's Inner Core as his sixth Soul Ring, he was especially sensitive to snakes. Suddenly, he sensed what seemed to be a snake's aura nearby. Yet they found nothing around the lava. Xiaofei suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility. He had been investigating around the lava all this time, but had never seriously examined the lava itself.

Xiaofei activated his Soul Bone and carefully sensed for abnormalities within the lava. Suddenly, he discovered Soul Power fluctuations inside it, and those fluctuations were growing stronger and stronger. Xiaofei quickly grabbed Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang and pulled them away from the lava.

But a stream of lava suddenly burst forth and shot straight at the three of them. Xiaofei immediately took the other two and flew away. Then, an enormously powerful Soul Power fluctuation rose from within the lava. A gigantic snake head emerged from the molten rock, nearly ten meters in size, with two fleshy lumps on its head.

Xiaofei hurriedly said:

"This is a Netherworld Python, said to live within lava. Having endured the lava's intense heat year-round, its entire body has been tempered like forged iron. Its scales are as hard as steel, and two horns have already appeared on its head. Its strength is likely infinitely close to that of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

"A Netherworld Python possesses a trace of dragon blood. Such snakes become pythons after ten thousand years, flood dragons after one hundred thousand years, and undergo Dragon Transformation after one million years. It can be called the pinnacle among snake-type Soul Beasts. In terms of potential, it may even surpass the Sky Azure Bull Python of the Star Dou Great Forest."

The three fell silent. This legendary Soul Beast was already far beyond their ability to handle.

The Netherworld Python seemed extremely hostile toward Xiaofei and the others, especially toward the faint aura of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent emanating from Xiaofei.

The Netherworld Python attacked several times, but Xiaofei evaded every strike. Seeing that its repeated attacks had accomplished nothing, it returned to the lava and stopped paying attention to the three.

Watching the Netherworld Python leave, the three finally let out sighs of relief. Xiaofei suddenly found something very strange. Earlier, the three had searched around the lava, yet they seemed not to have seen the Netherworld Python's nest. Even after two hours, there was still no sign of the Netherworld Python.

Xiaofei said, "That's not right. Although the Netherworld Python can survive in lava, even if it doesn't need to breathe, it can't possibly remain in lava for long. And doesn't it go home? Snakes have a strong sense of territory and generally don't stray too far from their nests."

"Could this snake's nest be beneath the lava?"

Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang shuddered.

Huo Wu hurriedly said, "Then what should we do now? We can't exactly jump into the lava ourselves, can we?"

After thinking for a moment, Xiaofei said, "There must be a fault space somewhere around the lava, and it should be beneath our feet. Since it isn't covered by lava, the ground there should be somewhat cooler than areas with lava. We need to carefully sense which place a hundred meters underground has a relatively lower temperature. That should be where the fault space is. Once we confirm the location, we can dig directly into it."

Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang both nodded.

Since all three were Fire Attribute Soul Masters, they were exceptionally sensitive to flames and temperature. They also possessed Head Soul Bones, giving them perception far beyond that of ordinary Soul Masters.

Over the following days, the three focused on sensing the underground temperature. Yet after half a month, they still found nothing, leaving Xiaofei and the others deeply frustrated.