Finally Arriving in the Northern Region

"Finally fucking made it! I'm exhausted!" Ji Hao sat on the ground without a shred of dignity.

He panted heavily. The journey had truly been far too difficult. After leaving the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone, he had raced all the way here, casually found a place to undergo a tribulation, treated Nüwa's illness along the way, and then... then Ji Hao had gotten lost.

He was unfamiliar with the place and had no map. There was not even a person in sight in the wilderness.

In the end, Ji Hao flew hundreds of thousands of miles north before he finally saw signs of living creatures. Just as he was about to ask for directions, he went from the tiger's den straight into the wolf's lair. Demon beasts roared one after another, claiming that Ji Hao had trespassed into their territory and shouting that they would eat him.

Could Ji Hao possibly agree to that? It was the perfect chance to test the secret technique he had just created. The result was obvious: one slap killed that pack of demon beasts. Then, after killing the young ones, the old ones came.

Great demons questioned Ji Hao viciously, asking where their sons had gone.

Ji Hao had no choice but to send them to see their sons. He was just that considerate and helpful.

After he killed the old ones, even older ones came. A Demon King, a peak mighty expert. Honestly, in the past, Ji Hao would not even have spared such a being a glance. But a tiger stranded on the plains was no match for a dog, so he could only run.

Ji Hao possessed more than one Quasi-Emperor Weapon, not to mention a whole pile of Saint Weapons.

But if he relied on the Xuanyuan Sword for everything, what was the point of cultivating? Escaping for his life was part of cultivation too.

This counted as practice in advance.

What if one day he encountered a problem the Xuanyuan Sword could not solve, and he could not solve the person creating the problem either? He could not just sit there and wait to die.

Running for one's life was a technical skill.

Thus, one chased while the other fled, and they ended up back at the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone. Ji Hao risked entering the forbidden zone before finally shaking his pursuer off.

In the end, it took him more than half a month to find a Domain Gate. After paying some Source, he finally arrived in the Northern Region.

"Which Heavenly Venerable knows how long it took me to get to the Northern Region."

"This young master is exhausted."

Ji Hao tidied himself up.

"Next, I need to find Purple Mountain and the Lihuo Sect."

"Where is that Lihuo Sect, and where is Purple Mountain? Nine dragons guarding a single plant... and I don't know any Source Arts!" Upon reaching the crucial point, Ji Hao's expression stiffened. He said helplessly, ""

"Forget it. I'll search slowly. There are plenty of people in the Northern Region. If I ask around, someone will know."

"That settles it, then."

Ji Hao set off, picked a direction at random, and flew away like a streak of light.

This time, no accidents occurred. After asking passersby for directions, he quickly determined Purple Mountain's location. Two hours later, he arrived at Purple Mountain.

Purple Mountain was entirely purple-brown, as if it had been polished from dull violet gold. It was exceptionally heavy and solemn, around four thousand meters tall, and incredibly steep.

Gazing at the precipitous mountain, Ji Hao considered it briefly. Finding the Lihuo Divine Furnace was still more important. After all, it was a divine weapon at the ninth level of Quasi-Emperor. More importantly, it belonged to his family. With Ji Hao's habit of stripping even feathers from passing geese, how could he possibly not reclaim it?

Previously, there had simply been too many dangers in his surroundings, so he had not taken much.

However, he could not enter Purple Mountain without the Emperor Jade. The Emperor Jade was a token; only with it did one have an invitation, making entry and exit convenient.

He remembered that the Emperor Jade seemed to be in a sect called Qingxia Sect. That sect supported bandits in the Northern Region, committing every evil and losing all conscience. Ye Fan later occupied that place, which contained the Emperor Jade of Great Emperor Wu Shi.

After finding out where the Lihuo Sect was located, Ji Hao used the Great Void Technique to cross more than ten thousand miles. At last, he drifted down above an oasis. With its green mountains and clear waters, it was truly rare within the largely desolate Northern Region.

Seeing Ji Hao suddenly appear, the Lihuo Sect disciples hurried forward to stop him, while someone went to notify the elders.

"Who dares trespass into my Lihuo Sect?!"

A long shout rang out. An old man tore through the air like a meteor and landed before the mountain gate.

"I came to take back what belongs to me," Ji Hao said calmly.

"Our Lihuo Sect has nothing belonging to you." The elder seemed to realize something. He crushed a jade slip while keeping his expression unchanged.

The Lihuo Divine Furnace was said to be a supreme treasure picked up by the Lihuo Sect's ancestor. This young man was very likely a descendant of the Lihuo Divine Furnace's true owner.

However, as long as they killed him, the Lihuo Divine Furnace would remain the Lihuo Sect's sect-protecting treasure forever.

Ji Hao saw his little maneuver clearly but did not expose it. He wanted to see what tricks they could pull.

"What matter disturbs my cultivation?!" A streak of rainbow light flew out from the Lihuo Sect and transformed into a white-haired old man.

That elder hurriedly stepped forward and recounted what had just happened.

Upon hearing this, the Supreme Elder turned and scrutinized Ji Hao. "Your thing? There is nothing of yours here."

Seeing Ji Hao covered in dust from travel, he relaxed. Disciples of great sects valued their appearance most. Although Ji Hao was extraordinarily handsome, he did not look like a disciple of any great sect. At a glance, he looked like some rogue cultivator who had appeared from nowhere.

Before Ji Hao could speak, he continued, "Enough. Since you covet my sect's supreme treasure, go die."

"Begone!"

The Lihuo Sect's Supreme Elder gave a sharp cry and struck first. He opened his mouth and spat out a dazzling beam of light, which froze in midair.

A blazing bronze furnace appeared, sparkling brilliantly. It rapidly expanded from one inch tall and, in the blink of an eye, towered beneath the heavens, reaching a hundred meters in height as flames soared skyward.

"Rumble, rumble, rumble!"

The furnace shook, releasing a sound like a tsunami, as though it would shatter the sea of stars. Everyone's ears buzzed.

The lid atop the bronze furnace gleamed. Though made of bronze, it was nearly transparent like five-colored glazed crystal, and the roaring flames inside could be clearly seen.

"The Supreme Elder is mighty!"

"So this is our sect's supreme treasure, the Lihuo Divine Furnace?!"

"So overbearing—you want to kill me right away?"

Ji Hao said expressionlessly.

"So what if I kill you? Boy, this is how the world works. You cannot resist it. Remember that in your next life," said the Lihuo Sect's Supreme Elder.

"Crack!"

The bronze furnace's lid shifted, radiating five-colored glazed light as it slid open. Instantly, flames shot into the sky, and a blazing sea of Lihuo Fire swept toward the heavens.

Ji Hao remained calm. Using the Lihuo Divine Furnace against him—how laughable!

Ji Hao used the Eight Gods Desolate Force secret technique. Emperor Blood boiled within his body as he shouted, "Come here!"

"Buzz!"

The Lihuo Divine Furnace trembled and flew down from the sky, slowly shrinking until it became one inch tall and appeared in Ji Hao's palm. Its entire body sparkled as waves of scorching heat spilled forth. The bronze lid closed again, gleaming brightly and looking exquisitely crafted.

"You seek death! You dare steal my sect's supreme treasure!"

He repeatedly circulated his weapon-control art, yet the Lihuo Divine Furnace did not move in the slightest.

The Supreme Elder's expression turned icy, becoming incomparably grim. He assumed Ji Hao possessed some trick for controlling the Lihuo Divine Furnace.

"Our sect's supreme treasure was actually seized by him."

"How is that possible?!"

"So what if you possess a method to control the Lihuo Divine Furnace? Before true strength, you cannot escape death."