"Gulp!"
The Man Faced Demon Spider reached the crater, intent on killing Xiao Yan.
But now, it stopped in its tracks.
A different emotion appeared on its human face, which resembled a bare skull.
Shock!
That human child from before had actually jumped in.
This was a place not even the owner of that thatched cottage dared approach!
Suddenly, the hairs on the Man Faced Demon Spider stood on end.
An intensely cold presence spread out, enveloping the area.
Just then,
A tall, slender figure, green all over and plainly dressed, arrived without a sound.
It was an old man.
His eyebrows, his hair, down to every last strand
Were all a heart-stopping dark green.
It was none other than Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo!
With a casual flick, he tossed out a corpse, which landed not far from the crater.
The corpse was none other than Yu Tianming, who had been deeply poisoned.
A ghastly pale flame burned over his heart, preventing the poison from spreading.
"Quite a clever trick," Dugu Bo said, narrowing his eyes.
Then he walked straight toward the crater at the back of the mountain, his gaze flickering as he looked down.
Dense pillars of fire rose, one layer after another.
The flames roared upward in a mighty torrent.
But they could not stop Dugu Bo.
What truly made him wary was the endless stench of sulfur.
"What a nauseating smell for a snake."
Even a Titled Douluo like him felt a sense of dread toward the heart of the volcano.
"Could anyone survive jumping into the Fire Yang crater?" Dugu Bo murmured to himself.
"I suppose the flame over that man's heart was left by that child?"
"If I could put it to my own use, wouldn't it be able to cure the poison as well?"
"Then even Yanyan could be saved."
He suddenly looked to the side, his gaze cold and full of killing intent.
"Did I say you could leave, beast?"
To the side,
The Man Faced Demon Spider, which had been cowering and preparing to leave, went rigid.
Without the slightest chance to resist, it collapsed instantly.
Its human face, so full of intelligence, became utterly wretched in an instant.
The emotion it showed was absolute despair!
"Die!" Dugu Bo whispered, without a trace of feeling.
The next moment, its eight legs came apart.
Its head exploded.
Its body crumbled to pieces.
Such was the power of a Titled Douluo.
So what if it was a thousand-year Soul Beast, comparable to a rank-thirty Soul Elder?
Even if it had consumed immortal medicine and gained intelligence, so what!?
A single thought was all it took to wipe it out in an instant!
"I could have overlooked you trespassing in my place of seclusion, but who gave you the nerve to enter my courtyard?" Dugu Bo said coldly.
He cared nothing for the creature's death.
And if this beast had not driven him into a corner,
The child would not have had to jump into the crater.
Dugu Bo wanted to use Xiao Yan's flame to treat the poison in his own body!
He glanced to his side,
And a feeling of disgust welled up in him.
"That damned Realgar Hexagonal Wood again!"
No wonder those little green-scaled snakes had been unable to stop the Man Faced Demon Spider!
It must have consumed this stuff!
Dugu Bo raised a hand slightly.
Green light bloomed and spread, sending a powerful wave sweeping outward.
Boom!
The green serpentine light shot out like arrows, reaping life.
Several Realgar Hexagonal Wood trees shattered and were obliterated on the spot!
"I hope you can survive," Dugu Bo said with a faint sigh.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to treat the poison in his body.
Xiao Yan leaped into the crater, his face full of resolve.
"If there isn't a spring down there, this really will be suicide!"
Xiao Yan chose to believe Yao Lao and leaped in.
Pillars of flame roared upward, their blazing currents surging into the sky.
Xiao Yan plunged against the current, diving into them and breaking through the fiery mist.
The Bone Spirit Cold Flame fused with his Martial Soul, protecting Xiao Yan and allowing him to pass unhindered.
Boom!
Pillar after pillar of fire shot into the sky!
Xiao Yan fell freely, doing his utmost to dodge the pillars of fire.
The pillars of fire came from inside the crater, and their temperature had reached a peak. He absolutely could not withstand a direct hit.
The newborn flame was powerful, but Xiao Yan was still too weak.
It was like a child wearing a suit of sturdy armor.
Every attack might be blocked, leaving the armor without a scratch.
But the child would already have been shaken to death.
That was how Xiao Yan felt now.
If even one pillar of flame struck him, he might well be left half-dead.
Boom!
A pillar of fire shot upward, leaving Xiao Yan nowhere to dodge.
"Damn it, what a jinx!"
"No, it doesn't even count as a jinx. I didn't say it out loud!"
A powerful current of heat slammed into his chest like a giant hammer.
Xiao Yan spat out a mouthful of hot blood and forced himself to endure the agony, twisting his body to reduce the area exposed to the blow.
Even so, the front of his body was scorched black.
A piece of flesh had even fallen off!
The searing pain of burning pierced him to the core and spread through his whole body, making him roar!
"I'm getting those Heavenly Flames today, no matter what!"
Each rising pillar of flame made Xiao Yan more certain that what lay below was not volcanic lava.
It was the fire aspect of ice and fire!
The source of the Fire Yang Spring!
Buzz!
His vision suddenly blurred, and thick mist filled his sight.
Xiao Yan continued to fall, finally crashing hard onto a surface.
Splash!
The sound of his plunge into water rang out.
Xiao Yan knew he had gambled correctly!
"Heaven does not fail those who-"
Before Xiao Yan could finish his exclamation, a wave of heat came roaring at him.
The temperature of the Fire Yang Spring was far too high!
Almost the instant he touched it, Xiao Yan's skin was scalded.
Not even the Heavenly Flames had blocked it.
"Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass!"
It was time to consume it!
Barely chewing, Xiao Yan swallowed the whole Immortal Herb to save time.
"Roar!"
A blast of cold Qi burst from his mouth.
For a moment, Xiao Yan felt two extreme temperatures.
A world of ice and fire!
His skin was burning hot, but his internal organs were ice-cold.
As the two forces struggled against each other, Xiao Yan felt caught between life and death.
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass truly was an immortal medicine!
Its medicinal effect was terrifying!
"Ugh..."
Xiao Yan whimpered, with not a shred of strength left.
He was simply too weak, just a seven- or eight-year-old child.
His physical condition was far too poor!
His eyelids grew heavy, and Xiao Yan was about to fall unconscious.
"Hold on! Release your Martial Soul and balance the power of fire with the power of ice. Then let the source of fire merge into your Martial Soul and become the dominant force!" Yao Lao shouted urgently, rousing Xiao Yan.
Yao Lao's words jolted Xiao Yan's spirits.
The Bone Spirit Cold Flame was completely replaced by Ultimate Fire, and the exhilarating, fiery-red flames flickered and grew hotter!
"The temperature is still too low! I need to make it stronger!"
He gritted his teeth hard and plunged straight into the source of the Fire Yang Spring.
The hot spring was not particularly wide, but it was immensely deep.
"Ten meters!"
Ultimate Fire fused with both his arms.
"Fifteen meters!"
Ultimate Fire fused with both his legs!
"Thirty meters!"
Xiao Yan let out a long cry, and his Martial Soul fused completely with his head.
Heat replaced the cold, and Xiao Yan's body glowed fiery red.
"Ultimate Fire, I'm going to make my flame as strong as it can possibly be!"
Xiao Yan looked at the last part of his body, which was also the most important!
His torso, which contained his heart!
"The temperature here isn't high enough. I need to go farther down!"
Xiao Yan dove deeper once more.
Bubbles swirled and rose rapidly.
Xiao Yan plunged down through the turbulent current and finally reached a suitable place.
"Forty-five meters... this seems to be the limit, doesn't it!?"
Flames poured into his torso, and the last of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass's medicinal effect was absorbed.
Xiao Yan had fully absorbed the flames here, strengthening his Martial Soul.
But
He still had not seen the Heavenly Flames.
A heart-stopping sensation made Xiao Yan's gaze shift.
Below him,
There was actually a figure!
It was a little girl with tightly closed eyes, a naked body, and long, fiery-red hair.
A little girl,
Yet supremely dangerous!
Suddenly, a pair of lava-like eyes opened.
(Brothers, there are still two chapters today. A lot of people have come home, and I need to receive them, so there won't be any extra chapters.)
(I'll make up for them one by one after the New Year!)
(Thank you all for the bookmarks and recommendation votes.)
(Special thanks to [Kuaile]!)
(End of chapter)