The vines carried Tian Mai as she soared across the lava lake, the golden edges of her Phoenix Dance Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens Armor shimmering in the ghostly light. She glanced down at the rampant vines at her feet; these plants, nurtured by the jade hairpin in her sleeve, now seemed to possess life, avoiding the scalding lava and sprouting life in the crevices of the rock walls.
"Tsk, this armor is really cool." She raised her hand and tapped the armor on her shoulder. The metal surface, which should have been blackened by sulfur, now had a faint blue halo floating on it—that was Tsubasa had specifically told her when he gave her this thing, " Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens Armor, impervious to water and fire, and can automatically absorb Senjutsu Chakra." At the time, she thought he was just talking nonsense, but now it seems he wasn't bragging.
The roars behind her grew closer, and a dozen lava demons raced after her, their longswords unleashing waves of fire that nearly licked Tian Mai. Suddenly, she flipped herself atop a vine, her hands rapidly Hand Seals: " Senjutsu: Water Wall!"
A burst of pale blue Chakra erupted, forming a semi-transparent wall of water behind them. The two demon generals who were chasing them the closest were unable to dodge in time and crashed headfirst into the water. Their flaming longswords sizzled as they were drenched, and their lava armor was covered with a layer of white frost.
"Interesting." Tian Mai raised an eyebrow. She had just learned this move from Mount Myōboku, and she hadn't expected it to be twice as effective in this kind of place. But before she could even feel smug for two seconds, the two ghost generals emerged from the water. The white frost on their bodies melted rapidly, and new lava even gushed out from their wounds to fill the gaps.
"Is this never going to end?" She clicked her tongue, and the vines beneath her feet suddenly accelerated. "I need to find a way to shake off these tagalongs."
Just then, a hundred-meter-high wave suddenly surged up from the lava lake ahead, and three enormous figures emerged from the dark red lava. The leader, a ghost king, was nearly ten zhang tall, covered entirely in dark golden armor, from which scalding lava flowed. The trident in his hand pointed directly at Tian Mai: "Human brat, daring to run wild in the Molten Flame Prison, do you think we brothers are just for show?"
Tian Mai abruptly stopped, the vines beneath her feet solidifying into a stable platform. She squinted at the three ghost kings that had suddenly appeared. The one on the left had skin like rotten wood soaked in water, and held a long axe covered in moss in its hand; the one on the right was covered in rock armor, and every step it took made the lake tremble; and the one in the middle was the one who had spoken earlier, radiating a heat wave that distorted the air.
"Water, Earth, and Fire elements?" Tian Mai stroked her chin, then suddenly laughed. "That's quite a complete setup. Was it specifically for me to practice with?"
"You're courting death!" The Rock Demon King attacked first, slamming his fists into the lake surface. Countless sharp rock spikes emerged from the lava, heading straight for Tian Mai's face.
" Senjutsu: Wood Release: Thorn Bush!" Tian Mai lightly touched the ground with her toes, and the vines beneath her feet instantly grew wildly, weaving into an impenetrable green wall. The stone spikes that hit the wall broke off, but upon hitting the ground, they transformed into new rock demons, roaring and rushing forward.
"Is this never going to end?" She flipped over and leaped up, the Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens Armor suddenly emitting a clear, melodious sound like a phoenix's cry, pale blue Chakra flowing along the armor's patterns. "Then I'll play with you."
Water-attribute Chakra condensed into fine needles in her palm. With a flick of her finger, dozens of water needles accurately shot towards the Rock Demon King's joints. Several crisp cracking sounds rang out, and water seeped from the thickly armored joints, causing their movements to visibly slow down.
"That trick won't work on me!" The Rock Demon King roared and swung his fist, the wind from which carried away the rubble. Tian Mai dodged to the side, but where his fist struck, even more rock spikes emerged from the magma.
"This is indeed a bit tricky." She clicked her tongue, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the Rotten Wood Demon King on her left, which had circled behind her and was swinging its long axe, which was steaming with moisture.
" Senjutsu: Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!" Tian Mai suddenly turned around and spewed out a fire dragon. This move was originally the signature technique of the Uchiha Clan, but she activated it with Senjutsu Chakra, and the edges of the flames shimmered with an eerie green.
The Rotten Wood Demon King clearly hadn't expected her to use Fire Style. He was hit head-on by the fire dragon, and the moss on his body instantly burst into green flames. He howled in pain and turned to burrow into the lava.
"Trying to run?" Tian Mai wasn't about to give him the chance. Her hands Hand Seals with astonishing speed. " Senjutsu: Wood Release: Dragon Binding Rope!"
Several thick vines, like serpents, coiled around the Rotting Wood Demon King's ankles, forcefully pulling him out of the lava. Green flames spread along the vines, burning the Rotting Wood Demon King until he was smoking, but he recovered somewhat the moment he touched the lava.
"I see, you can recover quickly in lava." Tian Mai suddenly realized, and was about to put in more effort when a scorching heat wave suddenly hit her from behind. She abruptly ducked, and the dark golden trident flew past her head, the force of the wind even scorching a few strands of her hair.
"Little brat, your opponent is me!" The Flame Prison King in the center grinned wildly, and the flames on his trident suddenly surged. "Taste the power of the Molten Flame Prison — Purgatory Sea of Fire!"
A rain of fire descended from the sky, and Tianwu's pupils contracted sharply. Suddenly, the Tian Mai Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens Armor automatically deployed its protective shield, completely enveloping her in a pale blue halo. The fire rain sizzled as it fell on the shield, but it didn't even leave a single crack.
"This armor..." The Flame Prison Demon King's smile froze on his face. "Impossible! This is a magical artifact from the Celestial Realm?"
"You do have some knowledge," Tian Mai patted her chest armor. "But more than that, you should worry about yourself." She suddenly clasped her hands together, " Senjutsu: Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A water curtain ten times larger than the previous water wall descended from the sky, crashing down on the Flame Prison King with the force of a thunderbolt. The steam generated by the collision of water and fire filled the entire lake surface, even blocking the pursuing demon generals.
"Now's the time!" Tian Mai's eyes sharpened, and the vines beneath her feet suddenly plunged into the lava, carrying her towards the bottom of the lake. The densest concentration of the red lights she had sensed earlier was at the bottom of the lake.
"Trying to run?" came the roar of the Flame Prison Demon King from within the steam. "Brothers, stop her!"
The Rotten Wood Demon King and the Rock Demon King flanked them from both sides, their long axes and stone spikes blocking all escape routes. Tian Mai took a deep breath, and the aura of her Phoenix Dance Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens Armor suddenly became incredibly dazzling. " Senjutsu - Water and Earth Fusion Escape - Swamp Mud!"
Blue and brown Chakra intertwined, and the lava beneath their feet strangely transformed into a viscous swamp. The Rock Demon King was caught off guard and sank in, sinking deeper the more he struggled; the Rotting Wood Demon King could move in the swamp, but his speed was more than half that of a normal person.
"Goodbye!" Tian Mai waved to them, and the vines carried her through the last obstacle, disappearing into a crack at the bottom of the lake.
Deep within the crevice lay a hidden world, with countless luminous minerals embedded in the dark red rock walls, some sparkling like rubies, others emitting a faint green glow. Tian Mai's eyes lit up; this trip had truly been worthwhile.
Just as she was about to start collecting, a familiar roar suddenly came from behind her. Turning around, she saw that three ghost kings had broken through the rock wall and chased after her. Their injuries had been fully healed, and the anger in their eyes was so intense that it could almost ignite the air.
"Seriously? They managed to catch up?" Tian Mai sighed, "Are you guys invincible cockroaches?"
"In the Molten Flame Prison, we are immortal!" The Flame Prison Demon King pointed his trident, "Today, I will grind you to dust!"
"Well, looks like I can't shake them off." Tian Mai sighed and began quickly gathering the ore around her. "Then let's finish this quickly."
She stuffed the collected ore into her spatial bag, while simultaneously forming hand Hand Seals: " Senjutsu: Wood Release: All Things in the Forest!"
The entire crack suddenly trembled, and countless towering ancient trees rose from the ground, tightly binding the three demon kings. Flowers blooming on the tree trunks emitted fragrant white mist, which, unlike the white mist used to deal with the demon soldiers before, had a pale golden hue, clearly infused with more Senjutsu Chakra.
"Ugh--" The Rotten Wood Demon King was the first to be hit. The places touched by the white mist began to melt and turn into black slime. The Rock Demon King and the Flame Prison Demon King were not much better off. The magma on their armor was frozen by the white mist, and their movements became increasingly sluggish.
"Now!" Tian Mai seized the opportunity, and the vines carried her towards the core area deep within the crack. There was a fist-sized dark red crystal there, radiating an energy that made even her heart tremble—it was definitely the best of the best among the Molten Hell Crystal.
Just as she grasped the crystal, the ancient tree behind her suddenly cracked and snapped. The three ghost kings had forcibly broken free of their restraints; although they looked disheveled, the killing intent in their eyes had intensified.
"Human, you have successfully angered us!" The Flame Prison King's body began to swell, and magma spewed out from the gaps in its armor. " Molten Flame Prison - Self-Destruct Mode!"
Tianwu's expression changed drastically. This madman was actually going to self-destruct? Without hesitation, she turned and ran. The speed of the Tian Mai Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens Armor was pushed to the limit, and the explosion behind her almost shattered her eardrums.
She ran for an unknown amount of time, until the roars behind her gradually faded into the distance, before Tian Mai dared to stop. She leaned against the cold rock wall, panting heavily. The aura of the Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens Armor had dimmed considerably, clearly indicating that the self-destruction had taken a heavy toll on the armor.
"This is terrible." She wiped the cold sweat from her face and opened her spatial bag to take stock of her spoils. It was filled with all kinds of ores, including three pieces of top-grade Molten Hell Crystal, as well as many black crystals that emitted Soul Power fluctuations—she later learned that they were Soul Crystal, which could be used to cultivate Soul Technique.
"Quite a haul." Tian Mai weighed the spatial bag in her hand; its heavy weight improved her mood considerably. "It's just that these three ghost kings are too troublesome. They're relentless, chasing after us even when we can't kill them. Next time, I'll have to find a way to completely eliminate them."
She determined her direction and began to retreat towards the Gates of Gate of Hell. She occasionally encountered stray ghost soldiers along the way, which she easily dealt with. As she drew closer to the entrance, the smell of sulfur in the air gradually faded, and the temperature dropped.
When Tianwu saw the familiar figure standing before the Gate of Hell, Tian Mai finally breathed a sigh of relief. Tsubasa was dozing against a stone pillar at the pass, opened his eyes upon hearing footsteps. Seeing her armor and the bulging bag in her hand, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Looks like you've had quite a haul?"
"That's it." Tian Mai tossed him the spatial bag. "See for yourself, it's definitely worth it."
Tsubasa opened the bag, glanced inside, and whistled, "Did you empty out the entire Molten Flame Prison? You even got so many Soul Crystal." He suddenly noticed the scratches on her armor, his brow furrowing slightly, "Got into trouble?"
"I ran into three invincible ghost kings." Tian Mai slumped to the ground. "They almost trapped me at the bottom of the lake. I only managed to escape thanks to my armor."
"The Ghost King?" Tsubasa mused. "The three guardians of the Molten Flame Prison? No wonder you couldn't handle them; they truly are immortal in their own territory." He suddenly chuckled. "But the fact that you survived them and acquired so many treasures suggests this trial was quite successful."
"Trials?" Tian Mai was stunned. "What trials?"
Tsubasa pointed to the depths of Hell in the distance. "His Ghost Emperor recently had a sudden whim, ordering the Ghost Kings of the various hells to serve as sparring partners for your Ten Family, and even specifically decreed that they could only injure you severely, not kill you." He looked at Tian Mai's dumbfounded expression and laughed even harder, "Otherwise, do you think those three old geezers would let you leave alive?"
Tian Mai opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time. So all that she had risked her life just now was a trial arranged by someone else? She suddenly remembered that the three ghost kings had always acted as if they were toying with her, and now that she thought about it, they probably really had held back.
"Alright, alright, it's a trial it is." She waved her hand, since the gains were real anyway. "Tell them not to do this again next time, it almost gave me a heart attack."
Tsubasa smiled and returned the spatial bag to her, "Go back and rest well. Which prison do you want to go to next? I can make some arrangements for you in advance."
"We'll see." Tian Mai stood up and dusted off the Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens Armor. "Let's go back and study these ores first, and see if we can upgrade my ninja tools."
The last rays of the setting sun shone through the Gate of Hell, casting long Kageko on the ground. Tian Mai glanced back at the Molten Flame Prison behind her, where Kakkō still raged and the roars of the ghost generals could be faintly heard.
"Next time I come, I'll make sure you know what's what." She clenched her fist, turned around, and followed Tsubasa away from this scorching land. The ore in her pocket was still warm, as if telling the story of this thrilling adventure.