In the tranquil forest, a babbling stream flows down from the cracks between the rocks, forming a shallow brook on the lush green grass. As the light refracts, it resembles a small Milky Way, adorning this verdant mountain range. In the serene atmosphere, the sound of the flowing water is like a silver bell, melodious and lingering.
"Bang!"
However, the tranquil atmosphere did not last long. A sudden, low crashing sound from the dense bushes caused a huge black shadow to burst through the trees and slam into the rocks like a cannonball. The terrifying force caused the mountain, which was dozens of feet high, to crack open!
The mountain collapsed, and boulders rolled down, plunging into a deep abyss on one side of the mountain. Looking down from above, one could see churning, molten lava beneath the cliff.
"Roar!"
A furious roar resounded, and from beneath the rubble, a ferocious beast exuding a menacing aura pounced out. Its massive tail swept across the pile of rocks, leveling the mountain in front of it, and its large, scarlet eyes stared intently at the billowing dust ahead.
As the footsteps in the dust gradually became clearer, a figure slowly emerged into the clear sunlight. Dressed in a black robe, with a faint smile on his lips, he appeared completely harmless.
Xiao Yan raised his right hand, his palm slightly clenched. The full power in his palm made him sigh. He had been traveling and training for nearly two months, fighting his way here without using Origin Qi, relying entirely on his physical body. However, the power that burst out from his palm did not seem to have achieved the effect he expected.
"This is the last battle of the journey, give it your all."
Glancing at the cliff not far behind him, Xiao Yan let out a soft breath. Then, his gaze returned to the demonic beast in front of him. He waved and smiled, saying, "This guy is the strongest in this area. In terms of strength, he is close to the Yuan Zong, but he is still some distance from being able to defeat Xiao Yan's current body."
"Roar! You damned human! I'll tear you to pieces!"
These provocative words enraged the beast even more. Its scarlet eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan. It stomped its massive foot on the ground, and as huge cracks spread, it instantly appeared in front of Xiao Yan. Its two giant claws crossed and slashed, the sharp fingertips easily tearing through the void, cutting down on Xiao Yan's body like scythes.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled, his seemingly thin body leaning back slightly, and then his fists shot out. The terrifying power shattered the surrounding void the moment it collided with the pair of beast claws. Both man and beast took a step back. As the latter twisted its body, its huge tail swept out like lightning. Xiao Yan's frontal kick was equally powerful.
Xiao Yan's face was filled with fervor, but the magical beast in front of him was extremely nervous. It clearly had a human body, but the power it unleashed was no less than that of some of the strange creatures in the Beast Realm.
In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged a hundred blows. A thin layer of golden light appeared on Xiao Yan's fists, and with each punch, a crater was left on the giant beast's body. When the latter's counterattack gradually weakened and stopped, its massive body, as large as a small mountain, collapsed to the ground after struggling weakly for a few moments, completely losing its life.
"Call..."
Seeing the faint stream of light forcefully emanating from his fists, Xiao Yan's smile deepened. Unlike Dou Technique Dou Technique, this golden light was condensed from his pure physical strength, and its power would be even more domineering and tyrannical. When used in the future, its power would undoubtedly increase exponentially.
"Countless punches thrown at full power, but ultimately, none of them landed!"
With a satisfied smile, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, relaxed, and then lightly touched the ground with his toes, landing on the edge of the cliff, where he looked up.
Beneath the vast sky lies an endless, enormous basin. Below the deep pit, on the expansive crimson earth, a network of twisting, alluring rivers stretches out, resembling a purgatory compared to the lush forests behind.
The Flowing Fire Plain, once under the rule of the Fire Banyan Clan Fire Banyan Clan, witnessed their rise and fall, and once flourished. Now, however, it has become a dead land, desolate and lifeless. Yet, one can feel a fierce aura emanating from it, and a faint scent of blood permeates the dry, scorching air, as if warning those who come.
"Gurgle..."
Standing beside a "river," Xiao Yan waved his hand, and the scalding magma surged and condensed as if it were alive. The so-called rivers that covered the plains were in fact the scalding magma flowing on the surface of the earth.
He took out the Fire Banyan Token with his other hand. At this moment, the runes on the wooden tablet were emitting a dim light.
"Ever since we arrived here, the Fire Banyan Token seems to have sensed something. The Fire Banyan Clan is, after all, a once-powerful clan. Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't die easily. No wonder that after all these years, countless people are still scrambling to get in and explore."
With a slight gasp of surprise, Xiao Yan then leaped into the depths of the plain at breakneck speed. Although he possessed the Fire Banyan Token, finding the entrance to the Fire Banyan Ruins was no easy task.
The Flowing Fire Plain are vast and constantly overflowing with lava. The exact entrance to the Fire Banyan Ruins has long been sealed beneath the lava. Even with Xiao Yan's current strength, finding any trace of the Fire Banyan Clan on this plain is like finding a needle in a haystack. He can only confirm that the ruins are roughly located deep within the plain. Whether he can actually find them depends on his luck.
As Xiao Yan rapidly ventured deeper into the plains, the surrounding environment gradually changed. Strangely shaped trees stood everywhere on the desolate lava land. What was even more bizarre was that most of these trees contained a trace of life, meaning that these seemingly dry trees were actually alive!
It's a tree that grows in lava fields!
"The world is truly full of wonders. This tree can actually grow in such a desolate place. Could it be that its roots are meant to penetrate into the lava?"
Faced with this strange sight, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle, but as he turned around, he suddenly heard the voice of a living person.
"Your guess is correct; the roots of this tree are indeed deep beneath the magma."
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, then looked in the direction of the sound. In the distance, two figures were approaching. In the blink of an eye, they were already close by. Looking at the two, Xiao Yan's face was calm, and his Origin Qi quietly circulated within his body.
"Sir, please don't be nervous. My name is Tang Ye. I also met this gentleman by chance. We only met by chance, and to avoid any trouble on the road, we hope you can travel with us."
One of the men, a man in a gray round-necked robe, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xiao Yan and smiled.
While the former was speaking, Xiao Yan's gaze quickly swept over the two people in front of him. Judging from the aura emanating from these two, their strength was at the Four-Star Yuan Zong. However, based on Xiao Yan's observation, the gray-robed man on the left was clearly deliberately hiding his strength. His true strength was probably at the Five-Star Yuan Zong. Such cultivation was already quite remarkable in the Yuan Zong Sect realm.
As for the other man in white, his aura was well concealed, revealing no clues. However, with his extraordinary Spiritual Strength, Xiao Yan could still faintly sense a hazy aura surrounding him, making it impossible to investigate its origin. This alone was enough to warrant caution.
"Sorry, no need. I'm used to traveling alone. Please make yourselves at home."
Xiao Yan cupped his hands in greeting and stepped back slightly. If there was any real trouble, traveling with these unrelated people was the real danger. Besides, the white-robed man's aura was rather strange, so it was best to stay away.
Seeing Xiao Yan turn to leave, Tang Ye's expression changed almost imperceptibly, and then he said:
"Young man, it seems this is your first time in the Flowing Fire Plain. You probably don't know that this withered forest isn't so easy to traverse. These Fire Banyan Tree are rooted beneath the lava, gathering power from the underground magma to survive. If any outsider attempts to cross, they will immediately erupt underground magma to block their way. At that time, the magma will surge like a tide, and even the Yuan Zong would have no choice but to retreat. Moreover..."
At the end, Tang Ye stopped abruptly with a playful smile, then crossed his arms, smiled at Xiao Yan, and continued:
"In short, this is definitely not a place you can get through alone, young man. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to try."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan hesitated slightly, gazing at the peaceful sky and earth ahead, then turning back to look at the two people watching him. After a moment's thought, he slowly said:
"In that case, I'll trouble you two."