Li Qingshan transformed into a long, crimson-gold rainbow, breaking through the sky from Lingxu Cave Heaven and traveling a thousand miles in an instant.
He wanted to find a secluded place to break through to the Sixth Transformation of Dragon Transformation realm, without allowing anyone to spy on or disturb him.
Along the way, the rolling mountains rushed past beneath his feet, startling countless birds into flight from the forest.
After three days of rapid travel, the scene before him suddenly changed.
A desolate, fiery volcanic landscape appears on the horizon, where lava flows across the land like streams.
A column of black smoke shot into the sky, the scorching heat distorting the air, as if even the sky itself was being burned and deformed.
The scorching earth fire essence filled the heavens and earth, a deadly place for ordinary cultivators, but for him who cultivated the ultimate yang technique, it was actually somewhat beneficial.
"The fire elemental energy here is abundant, which can mask some of the fluctuations from the lightning tribulation; it's just right."
His figure resembled an ancient phoenix spreading its wings, his speed increasing further, leaving streaks of crimson afterimages in the air as he swept towards the depths of the volcanic cluster.
"Where did this madman come from? Doesn't he know the rules? How dare he fly so arrogantly in the territory of Burning Heaven Valley!"
A sharp shout suddenly shattered the deathly silence of this scorching world from a volcanic platform below.
"Senior brother, judging from his direction, he's charging straight in from the outer perimeter! Capture this man immediately! How dare he treat our sect's forbidden area as if it were nothing!"
Another person chimed in, their tone menacing.
Li Qingshan lowered his eyes and saw a group of about seven or eight cultivators, all dressed in crimson Daoist robes, riding a dozen or so magnificent fire crows patrolling in the low sky.
He scanned the area with his divine sense and found that this seemingly barren volcanic region had been designated as a sphere of influence by a sect called Burning Heaven Valley.
" Burning Heaven Valley? What an arrogant attitude, enclosing land even in this desolate wilderness."
Li Qingshan sneered inwardly, not wanting to cause any more trouble. Without stopping, he transformed into an even more dazzling stream of light, about to sweep over their heads.
"Want to leave? Stay and let me speak!"
Seeing that he ignored the warning, the leading cultivator felt greatly humiliated. With a stern shout, everyone simultaneously unleashed their magical treasures.
In an instant, more than a dozen crimson rays shot into the sky, transforming into a rain of fire and blazing flying knives, weaving together a killing net that enveloped Li Qingshan. In addition, more than a dozen fire crows screeched and spat out scorching fire arrows.
"An ant trying to shake a tree."
Li Qingshan didn't even turn around; he simply flicked his sleeve behind him casually.
An invisible yet immense force, as vast as the sea, suddenly erupted. The rain of fire and the blazing flying knives seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall of energy, instantly shattering and disintegrating into the most primordial fire elemental energy.
The dozen or so ferocious fire crows let out a mournful cry and plummeted from the sky like dumplings being dropped into a pot, crashing onto the scorching rocks. Their fates were unknown. Below them, the disciples of Burning Heaven Valley groaned in unison, as if struck by a heavy blow, staggering backward with expressions of horror on their faces.
The streak of light that Li Qingshan had transformed into had long since vanished into the horizon, leaving only a clear, resonant roar that echoed through the volcanic area for a long time.
"Who... who is this person? Such terrifying cultivation!"
A young disciple, pale-faced, clutched his chest, his voice filled with fear.
"A senior with such cultivation! We were truly courting death just now!"
The other person was still shaken.
A cultivator surrounded by the crowd had a livid face and stared intently at the direction where Li Qingshan had disappeared. He said in a deep voice, "The direction he left was not the core area of our sect. It seems that he went to that abandoned Land of Ashen Extinction."
Could this person also be here for the Earthcore Flame Marrow?
"Impossible, Senior Brother Xu? The Earthcore Flame Marrow is our sect's top secret. How could an outsider know about it?"
Those nearby immediately disagreed.
"They may not have come for this reason; it could be a coincidence. But in any case, the appearance of a mysterious powerful figure within our sect's territory is no small matter."
"Let's wait and see."
This person's strength is unfathomable; he is beyond our ability to defeat.
If he only wants to borrow the land for his spiritual practice, then let him be;
If it truly is the Flame Marrow, humph, my Burning Heaven Valley is not a pushover to be easily manipulated.
Strengthen vigilance and activate the outer perimeter formation. Without my order, no one is permitted to approach the direction of the Land of Ashen Extinction.
"Yes, sir!"
Li Qingshan flew nearly a thousand miles further, penetrating deep into the core area of this volcanic cluster.
The scene here was even more terrifying: the earth was covered with cracks, dark red magma churned and surged beneath the fissures, the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur, and the essence of heaven and earth was violent and chaotic.
He fully extended his divine sense and confirmed that within a radius of a hundred miles, apart from some strange beasts that relied on earth fire for survival, there were no other powerful cultivators or demons.
This is the place.
He ultimately chose the summit of the tallest active volcano, which was still slowly emitting black smoke.
Standing here, you can overlook the endless red mountains all around.
Without further hesitation, he waved his sleeve, revealing hundreds of pure Source Stone that he had temporarily borrowed from the sect along the way.
Various jade stones and precious materials imbued with spiritual energy flew out, as if they possessed life, and landed precisely in specific locations around the crater.
These materials mostly exhibit fire and lightning properties, subtly blending into their surroundings.
"All the stars in the heavens, heed my command! Formation!"
Li Qingshan gave a low shout and formed a profound and complex hand seal.
Streams of divine power, imbued with his own Dao principles, burst forth from his fingertips and flowed into the array materials.
In an instant, the Source Stone and spiritual materials shone brightly, their energy intertwined, forcibly drawing upon the power of the stars that hung high in the heavens and existed even in broad daylight.
Countless faint yet real pillars of starlight descended from the sky, connecting with the array nodes on the ground.
In the blink of an eye, a massive array covering the entire volcanic cluster was formed.
Above the grand formation, twinkling starlight shimmered and flowed, simulating the trajectory of the celestial bodies, radiating an ancient, vast, and incomparably powerful aura.
The formation not only draws upon stellar power but also cleverly absorbs the abundant earth fire essence of the volcano below, forming a protective layer interwoven with starlight.
The simplified version of the Zhoutian Star Formation is complete!
Although this formation is far from being able to suppress the primordial universe like it was in the Mythological Era, it is more than sufficient for isolating auras, gathering energy, and guiding the power of lightning tribulations.
Li Qingshan set up this formation not out of fear of the lightning tribulation, but to use the power of the formation to combine the lightning tribulation with the power of the earth fire for the ultimate tempering!
Just as the formation was completed, Li Qingshan completely released the suppressed aura within his body, and instantly, "Boom!"
The world changed suddenly!
The sky, which was originally shrouded in black smoke, was instantly replaced by even deeper and thicker dark clouds.
The dark clouds, as black as lead, pressed down low, as if the sky were about to collapse.
The gale whipped up volcanic ash, forming a black tornado that stretched from the sky to the ground. The destructive aura caused the entire volcanic cluster to tremble violently, countless rocks tumbled down, and the lava lake boiled!
Thousands of miles away, the people of Burning Heaven Valley, who had just completed their defenses, stared in horror toward the " Land of Ashen Extinction ".
"That's... a heavenly tribulation?"