Azure Lotus Demonflame!

Hearing this, Su Zilian took a few steps forward and accepted the roasted Ten-Body Fish Xu Qingyang handed her. Her delicate nose twitched, and a food lover's smile spread across her face.

"It smells wonderful!"

Su Zilian immediately took a small bite and savored it, then gave Xu Qingyang a thumbs-up. "Brother Yang, your grilling skills are amazing!"

Xu Qingyang finished the grilled meat in his hand and smiled.

Suddenly, Xu Qingyang and Su Zilian felt their cultivation and physical strength increase considerably.

Then Xu Qingyang said, "Zilian, it's time to enter the Sea of Fire!"

As his words fell, Xu Qingyang shot forward under Su Zilian's gaze and plunged into the Sea of Fire.

"Brother Yang, you have to come back!"

Su Zilian gazed at the Sea of Fire's surging flames, bit her lip, and murmured to herself.

Just then, in the maple grove beside the Sea of Fire, intense excitement spread across Ye Xingchen's face. "That bastard Xu Qingyang really is an idiot! He actually jumped into the Sea of Fire to search for treasure!"

"It's just a shame about all the opportunities he had!"

In a lush green bamboo grove, Wang Pan, Luo Yu, and the other Azure Waves Academy disciples stood gazing at the blood-red lake before them, their faces filled with dejection.

Wang Pan gritted his teeth and said, seemingly unwilling to accept their luck, "After entering the Boundless Mountains, we first found a dragon's lair. Then we traveled a hundred li northwest to Mystic Profound Peak and discovered the legendary Pill Tree. We thought its pill fruits would help us break through!"

"But who could have guessed that those pill fruits wouldn't help us break through and would poison us instead!"

"We left Mystic Profound Peak and reached Turtle Valley, where we encountered fire-breathing turtles and nearly burned to death!" "Just now, we were about to explore this Crimson Lake for treasure when a Dragon Horse flew out and nearly scared us to death!"

"We haven't found a single treasure along the entire journey!"

At this point, Wang Pan felt utterly miserable.

Normally, whenever he searched for treasure in a secret realm, he never came back empty-handed.

Luo Yu sighed. "I really don't understand. Our luck is usually through the roof when we hunt for treasure. Have we stumbled into a streak of rotten luck today?"

Wang Pan and the others fell silent!

Had Xu Qingyang heard their conversation, he probably would have burst out laughing.

With the Desolate Tower's all-encompassing treasure-hunting mode activated for him, it would have been a miracle if Wang Pan, Luo Yu, and the others could find any treasure!

A few breaths later.

Wang Pan looked at Luo Yu. "Junior Sister Luo, do you think we should enter this blood-red lake?"

Hearing this, Luo Yu blinked her beautiful eyes. After a moment's silence, she said, "If we don't enter this Crimson Lake, we might have no chance of finding any treasure!"

"This is our only chance to obtain treasure!"

At Luo Yu's words, Wang Pan and the others nodded.

Immediately, many disciples turned into streaks of afterimages and rushed toward the blood-red lake.

"No matter what, I'm getting treasure this time!"

Luo Yu declared firmly, "If Su Zilian gets treasure, I won't be able to save face!"

"Heh!"

Wang Pan chuckled. "Junior Sister Luo, even we haven't found any treasures. What treasure could Su Zilian possibly get by following Xu Qingyang?"

Hearing this, Luo Yu smiled without disputing his words.

In her heart, she believed the same thing.

Meanwhile.

Within the Sea of Fire, flames surrounded Xu Qingyang, but he felt no fear. His Great Dao Primordial Chaos Art could draw the flames into his body and refine them instantly.

After eating the Ten-Body Fish earlier, I was just a little short of breaking through to early Golden Core. Now that I've refined these flames, I'm getting closer and closer to Golden Core!

This was what Xu Qingyang thought to himself.

The next moment.

He sensed an extremely powerful fluctuation of flame energy and said thoughtfully, "Could that be coming from the Azure Lotus Demonflame?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Qingyang immediately transformed into a streak of light and headed toward that fluctuation.

Soon, he arrived outside a Fire Cavern. Ancient Fire Runes were carved all around it, containing the might of the Fire Dao.

As Xu Qingyang entered the Fire Cavern, a furious voice suddenly rang out.

"A mere human brat dares trespass in my abode?"

Hearing the voice, Xu Qingyang saw an enormous crimson dragon wreathed in dense flames.

Little Tower, is this the Azure Lotus Demonflame you mentioned?

Xu Qingyang asked inwardly.

"Yes!"

The Desolate Tower replied.

"Little fellow, if you subdue this Azure Lotus Demonflame, you'll not only be able to control the Desolate Tower and suppress the invincible powerhouses inside, but also wield the Azure Lotus Demonflame in battle!"

Hearing this, Xu Qingyang grew immensely excited.

As long as he dealt with the Azure Lotus Demonflame before him, his crisis would be resolved, and his strength would increase dramatically.

Then Xu Qingyang fixed his gaze on the crimson dragon and smiled. "Azure Lotus Demonflame, I'll give you two choices. Submit to me willingly, or be suppressed and refined by me!"

At these words, angry flames flashed in the crimson dragon's beastly pupils. It roared, "Human brat, you dare boast about making me submit? You truly don't know whether you're courting life or death!"

"Roar!"

The crimson dragon raised its furious head and roared.

Then its massive body shot forward, swinging a claw down at Xu Qingyang.

"Heh!"

Faced with the crimson dragon's claw attack, Xu Qingyang chuckled. "Azure Lotus Demonflame, do you think your peak Grotto-Heaven combat strength is so impressive?"

"In my eyes, it's not worth mentioning!"

With that said.

Xu Qingyang held the Red Sparrow Sword, unleashed the War God Vermilion Bird Will, and slashed.

In that instant, the War God's Vermilion Bird will and the Red Sparrow Sword's radiance struck the crimson dragon.

"Argh..."

With a scream, the crimson dragon was suppressed by the War God's Vermilion Bird will and the Red Sparrow Sword's radiance.

In an instant.

The crimson dragon transformed into a bead burning with flames.

Xu Qingyang reached out and seized it, drawing it into his hand. He smiled. "The Azure Lotus Demonflame truly is extraordinary!"

"Refine!"

Xu Qingyang immediately sat cross-legged on the ground. The Azure Lotus Demonflame entered his body, and crimson flames rose around him.

An hour later.

Xu Qingyang opened his eyes, flame-light shining within them. A smile immediately appeared on his face. "I've finally refined the Azure Lotus Demonflame, and it's brought me straight to Middle Golden Core!"

"Now my combat strength has reached Half-Step Spirit Transformation!"

"If I also use the Azure Lotus Demonflame's power, I can kill even an Early Spirit Transformation expert!"

The next moment.

Xu Qingyang rose, transformed into a streak of fiery light, and left the Fire Cavern, heading out of the Sea of Fire.

"Su Zilian, now that bastard Xu Qingyang has jumped into the Sea of Fire, he's doomed to die!"

"If you want to live, you'll have to get deeply acquainted with me!"

On the shore of the Sea of Fire, Ye Xingchen eyed Su Zilian's voluptuous body and grinned as he spoke coldly.