"Mm! Thank you!"
"Fellow Daoist Li! Junior Brother Black-Hand is out!" Qu Long Scholar approached with Black-Hand Demon Child, whose complexion had improved somewhat.
"Mm! Are you all right now, Fellow Daoist Black-Hand?" Li Xiaoya nodded and asked, looking at Black-Hand Demon Child.
"I'm fine!" Black-Hand Demon Child said impassively.
"That's good!"
"By the way, Fellow Daoist Li, which way should we take out of here?" Qu Long Scholar asked from beside him. After a pause, he added, "Considering the commotion we caused, I think we'd better avoid the valley where that giant bat lives!"
"Mm! I was thinking the same thing," Li Xiaoya answered with a nod. Then his tone shifted, becoming mysterious. "But I have my own way. Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Qu Long!"
"Oh!" Seeing his confidence, everyone felt considerably more at ease.
"All right! Let's go out and take a look first! Don't make any noise!"
"All right!"
Thick lime covered the basin. Its trees had either burned to ashes or were laden with volcanic ash, and the entire valley still smelled scorched.
Crash! With a sound like snow tumbling to the ground, an opening appeared in a mountain wall. A head poked out and looked around. Only after confirming that no one was nearby did its owner fly out, followed by one figure after another, slipping silently from the opening.
They were Li Xiaoya and his companions. The beautiful scenery of exotic flowers and rare plants that had greeted them upon their arrival was completely gone, replaced by bleak devastation wherever they looked. Everyone turned toward the volcano housing the Primordial Chaos Immortal's cave abode. The volcano had somehow grown considerably taller. The strange flowers, rare plants, and towering ancient trees covering its slopes had long since turned to ashes, leaving the whole mountain bare.