Sea and sky shared a single hue, leaving up and down indistinguishable.
In everyone's eyes, Xiao Yan's descending figure gradually blurred. Their vision swam, and up and down seemed to reverse, making him look as though he were climbing into the heavens, straight toward the ninth firmament. It was indescribably eerie.
"Something's wrong-!"
Queen Medusa's eyes sharpened. After only the briefest hesitation, towering fury erupted within her!
"You're courting death!"
She had barely moved before she stopped dead in midair.
An almost transparent flame barrier, rippling faintly, had silently appeared before them at some unknown point. It split the entire space in two, completely shutting them all out from the side where Xiao Yan stood.
Shock and anger mingled in Queen Medusa's eyes. Purple light surged around her delicate hand, condensing into an incomparably sharp ribbon that she slashed viciously against the barrier!
Boom-!
The barrier shuddered violently, sending out a ring of dazzling light. Yet it did not break. Instead, it absorbed the impact's energy at a speed visible to the naked eye, drawing in the heat rising from the magma as well to swiftly repair its tiny cracks.
"Damn it..."
Her heart sank. This barrier was not indestructible, but breaking through it would be no moment's work!
And right now, every second counted!
Yet to secure the Heavenly Flame, she could not attack with her full strength. Otherwise, never mind dealing with the others-the Heavenly Flame's own power would burn her to nothing...
Seeing the flame barrier rapidly absorbing energy from the magma, Queen Medusa's thoughts raced. She immediately turned and cursed at the others.
"What are you standing around for?! Did you endure all those hardships to get here just to watch someone else pocket the Heavenly Flame?!"
Only then did Gu He seem to wake from