Within the fire pillar, endless magma and flames roared madly, while muffled thunder rolled out layer after layer. A thin five-colored halo covered the pillar's surface, and countless demon inscriptions were mixed among those five hues. Like clever tadpoles, they swam through the halo. Whenever they moved, they produced obscure ripples. As the ripples fell into the void, endless pillars of starlight and moonlight burst forth from the emptiness. These did not directly strike the fire pillar's surface, but descended only a few feet away from it, then boomed again and transformed into talismans similar to the demon inscriptions. The talismans floated up and down around the entire fire pillar like butterflies dancing gracefully, and only when these butterflies grew weary did they settle upon demon inscriptions resembling themselves.
As the talismans descended, flower-like phantasms of light formed within the fire pillar. Once the muffled thunder and the enormous roaring of the flames entered those phantasms, they immediately vanished into nothing, leaving behind not the slightest sound. The sounds of magma and flame within the pillar were blocked by the demon inscriptions, but the scorching heat could not be completely concealed. Although the gap between the mountain and the fire pillar was several dozen zhang wide, those several dozen zhang might as well have been nothing. A searing heat that ordinary cultivators could not withstand forced Fairy Jing to circulate her magical power in defense.
"Fairy, please wait..." The water snake seemed to detest the fiery heat. The moment it arrived beside the fire pillar, it stopped, turned its head, and took out a piece of beast hide. After breathing a mouthful of demon qi into it, the beast hide transformed into a swimming fish and sank beneath the gap between the mountain and the fire pillar.
"Mm..." Fairy Jing