Flame Python

Early the next morning, dawn had barely broken.

The sun rose slowly in the east, gradually widening the streak of fish-belly white along the horizon.

After getting up and eating breakfast, Xiao Yan left the town and headed toward the Star Dou Great Forest at full speed.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay south of the Heaven Dou Empire, straddling the borders of the Two Great Empires. Two-fifths of its area lay within the Heaven Dou Empire, while the remaining three-fifths lay within the Star Luo Empire.

It was an immense primeval forest with extremely varied terrain: wetlands, swamps, deserts, mountains, basins, and lakes. The closer one ventured to its heart, the stronger the soul beasts became.

As one of the three great gathering grounds for wild soul beasts, it was naturally the place soul masters most hoped to visit. They came here to advance to the next rank.

The teammates from Blazing Fire Academy yesterday had been no exception.

Even from a distance, Xiao Yan could faintly sense a breath of vegetation wafting toward him. Its fragrance seeped into his heart and lungs, bringing an indescribable comfort.

Extending his spiritual power and gazing into the distance, Xiao Yan saw an ocean of green.

Before long, he reached the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"No wonder it's the largest gathering ground for soul beasts on the continent..." Looking at the towering ancient trees, dark and deep before him, Xiao Yan could not help marveling. Compared with this forest, the Soul Hunting Forest outside Nuoding City was merely a little grove behind his own backyard.

Even the thickness of the trees was on an entirely different level.

After looking around, Xiao Yan took a parchment map from inside his clothes and carefully studied the precise route to the desert region on the western side of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"As long as I don't go deeper into the forest and follow this route along its outer edge, there shouldn't be any danger. It probably won't take long to reach the desert, either." Slowly tracing a route on the map with his finger, Xiao Yan licked his dry lips and muttered in a slightly low voice.

"I keep feeling a trace of heavenly flames here."

With that, Xiao Yan followed the route on the map toward the desert region within the Star Dou Great Forest.

Several hours later.

Wind and sand raged across the boundless desert.

A young man carrying an enormous Black Ruler on his back trudged slowly through the sandstorm. The rows of footprints he left deep in the yellow sand were swallowed by the blowing sand moments later.

The desert's harsh conditions exceeded Xiao Yan's expectations. Beneath the blazing sun, the golden sand underfoot felt like tiny, searing iron pellets, forcing him to keep his soul power circulating to protect his feet.

Although the desert's environment was harsh, the fire energy it contained pleased Xiao Yan immensely. That energy was exceptionally pure and fierce, and he could use his martial soul to absorb it.

The cultivation progress that would normally take a full day required only half a day here.

After walking nearly another thousand meters, Xiao Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and licked his parched lips. He took a waterskin from inside his clothes and gulped down several mouthfuls before slowly letting out a relieved breath.

"I've already walked several thousand meters, but apart from some ten-year soul beasts, I haven't encountered a single hundred-year soul beast. What am I supposed to do?" Xiao Yan took out the parchment map and examined it, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "If I keep going, I'll probably run into thousand-year soul beasts. With my current strength, fighting one alone would be rather tricky."

With a mournful sigh, Xiao Yan raised his head to look at the enormous, scorching sun above the desert. His palm brushed the huge black ruler on his back, and he continued deeper into the sands.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"

But just as Xiao Yan took a few steps, something stirred in the sand ahead.

Xiao Yan's expression changed abruptly. His hand snapped back to grip the Black Ruler and drew it out in a fierce motion. A blue-green flame spread across it as he sprang forward and drove the Black Ruler hard into the yellow sand ahead.

"Hiss!"

As the Black Ruler plunged into the yellow sand, a shrill, agonized hiss rang out.

Without a change in expression, Xiao Yan pulled the Black Ruler from the desert sand, and a gush of crimson blood spurted out.

"Suction Palm!"

He curled his palm slightly, releasing a powerful suction force that pulled a small soul beast straight out from beneath the yellow sand.

"Another ten-year soul beast, a Yellow Sand Scorpion." Casting an indifferent glance at the lifeless creature, Xiao Yan shook his head and sighed.

Soul beasts known as Yellow Sand Scorpions could only be found in deserts. They often hid beneath the yellow sand, waiting for prey to step onto them. All they had to do was wait by the stump for a rabbit, then release their venom.

Though these Yellow Sand Scorpions were adept at hiding, against Xiao Yan's extraordinary spiritual power, they were undoubtedly fireflies in the night, little more than living targets.

Kicking the Yellow Sand Scorpion aside, Xiao Yan continued trudging slowly into the depths of the desert.

Ten or so minutes later.

A rustling sound arose.

"Does something seem to be hiding beneath the desert?" Hearing the noise from nearby, Xiao Yan frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on the yellow sand ahead.

With a gentle wave of his right hand, blue-green flames enveloped his entire body. His soul perception spread outward as he cautiously surveyed his surroundings.

The instant Xiao Yan moved, a muffled boom erupted from the yellow sand behind him, sending countless grains of golden sand shooting into the air.

Amid the scorching yellow sand raining down from the sky, a massive, mysterious creature burst out of the desert and lunged at Xiao Yan with lightning speed, its jaws ready to tear into him.

The instant he sensed the mysterious creature behind him, every inch of Xiao Yan's skin tightened. Without even enough time to turn his head, he stamped hard on the yellow sand and shouted urgently:

"Explosive Step!"

As his shout rang out, Xiao Yan's body shot forward. Like an arrow released from its bowstring, his speed surged as he hurtled ahead.

With the explosive force of Explosive Step, Xiao Yan narrowly escaped the mysterious creature's deadly attack and put a considerable distance between them.

Turning his head with difficulty, Xiao Yan stared at the mysterious creature and could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

It was a huge snake wreathed in red flames. Its body was extraordinarily long-at a glance, probably forty or fifty feet. Blood-red from head to tail, it resembled a smooth, lustrous length of fiery jade, while its diamond-shaped pupils brimmed with savage killing intent.

Within the blood-red flames covering its body, the shapes of countless beasts could faintly be seen.

"What a strange soul beast. And what are those blood-red flames on its body? Judging by its appearance, this creature's cultivation is at least a thousand years." A frightened thought flashed through Xiao Yan's mind as he murmured to himself.

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