The journey to the Eastern Region proved more eventful than expected. The closer they came to the Eastern Region, the hotter the climate grew. The air was thick with the smell of sulfur, and erupting volcanoes were a frequent sight among the mountains and forests below. Red magma flowed slowly through the valleys like the earth's own blood.
"The Burning Heaven Mountain Range in the Eastern Region has the greatest concentration of volcanoes in the Great Thousand World. It's said that the fire-attribute energy in the planet's core gathered here, giving rise to so many fire-attribute Heavenly Flames." Mo Chen pointed to a volcanic belt stretching a thousand li below them. "Burning Heaven Cliff is at the end of the Burning Heaven Mountain Range. It's known as the 'forbidden land of flames.'"
Xiao Yan gazed at the mountain range, where thick smoke billowed. He could feel the restless fire-attribute energy in the air, and the three Heavenly Flames within him grew active as well, as though answering something.
On the seventh day of their journey, the pill boat suddenly shuddered violently. A powerful spatial fluctuation came from ahead.
"What's going on?" Xiao Yan frowned and looked ahead.
A huge rift had appeared in the sky before them. Its interior was pitch-black, with faint flashes of lightning, and it radiated a terrifying spatial tearing force.
"A spatial rift!" Mo Chen's expression changed slightly. "Space really is unstable near Severed Realm Mountain. Let's go around it!"
He steered the pill boat, trying to go around the rift, but it suddenly widened. A powerful suction came from within, forcibly dragging the pill boat toward it!
"This is bad!" Mo Chen drove the pill boat with all his strength. Pill Patterns lit up across its surface, but it still could not resist the spatial rift's suction, and drew closer and closer to it.
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened, and he brought out the Origin Stabilizing Divine Stone and the Void Origin Stone Fragment. "Let me try!"
The two supreme spatial treasures floated in front of the pill boat. Pale gold and pitch-black light intertwined, forming a spatial barrier. The barrier collided with the rift's suction with a sizzling sound, and the drag on the pill boat immediately weakened considerably.
"It's working!" Mo Chen was overjoyed. "Brother Xiao Yan, give it a little more!"
Xiao Yan clenched his teeth and poured an endless stream of Origin Qi into the two strange stones. The spatial barrier continued to expand, finally resisting the spatial rift's suction. The pill boat slowly retreated, moving away from the rift.
Just as the two of them breathed a sigh of relief, a black shadow suddenly shot out of the rift. As swift as lightning, it reached the front of the pill boat in an instant!
It was a batlike monster, three zhang long, with bony spikes covering its wings and eerie blue flames burning in its eyes. It was a Void Fire Bat, a creature that lived near spatial rifts year-round and fed on spatial energy. Its strength was comparable to that of a High-Grade Origin Emperor.
"Roar!"
The Void Fire Bat spotted the pill boat, and a greedy light flashed in its eyes. With a flap of its wings, it sent countless flaming bone needles shooting toward the boat.
"Heavenly Flames: Lotus Shield!"
Xiao Yan gave a low shout, and the Green Lotus Core Flame gathered around the pill boat into a huge flaming lotus, blocking every bone needle.
"Brother Mo Chen, keep the pill boat steady!" As Xiao Yan spoke, the Heavy Xuan Ruler appeared in his hand. Three-colored Heavenly Flames blazed, and he leaped toward the Void Fire Bat.
The Void Fire Bat beat its wings, dodging the Heavy Xuan Ruler's attack. At the same time, it spat a burst of eerie blue flame at Xiao Yan, carrying a spatial corrosive force.
Xiao Yan neither dodged nor retreated. The Netherworld Core Flame burned over his body and collided with the eerie blue flame, devouring and assimilating it!
"Huh?" Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised. The Netherworld Core Flame seemed to have a suppressive effect on the Void Fire Bat's flames.
The Void Fire Bat froze as well, evidently not having expected its flames to be devoured. Xiao Yan seized the opportunity and swept the Heavy Xuan Ruler across, instantly enveloping the Void Fire Bat in a ribbon of flame.
"Screech!"
The Void Fire Bat struggled in agony amid the flames, its wings scorched black. Xiao Yan closed in and brought the Heavy Xuan Ruler crashing down on its head, killing it outright.
Having dealt with the Void Fire Bat, the two dared not linger. They picked up speed and passed through Severed Realm Mountain, finally reaching Burning Heaven Cliff on the fifteenth day.
Burning Heaven Cliff truly lived up to its name.
It was a cliff ten thousand zhang high, its face made of crimson rock riddled with honeycomb-like holes. Countless flames blasted from the holes, forming pillars of fire that soared into the sky. A dense layer of fire clouds shrouded the clifftop, and beneath them, a huge black vine was faintly visible. Eerie blue flames burned on the vine: the Netherworld Ghost Flame!
"That's the Netherworld Ghost Flame!" Mo Chen pointed at the clifftop, a flash of excitement in his eyes. "It really is here!"
But he quickly frowned again. "Look beside the vine!"
Xiao Yan looked where he was pointing and saw a gigantic snake coiled beside the black vine. The snake was pitch-black all over, its scales as hard as obsidian. A single horn grew from its head, dark red flames burning on it. It was the Netherworld Unicorn Snake guarding the Netherworld Ghost Flame, and its strength had reached Peak Origin Emperor!
"It's stronger than I imagined," Xiao Yan said thoughtfully. "This unicorn snake is extremely resistant to flames. I'm afraid we won't gain any advantage by fighting it head-on."
"Then what do we do?" Mo Chen asked.
Xiao Yan watched for a moment, then pointed to a cave behind the unicorn snake. "It seems to be guarding that cave. We can make a feint in one direction and strike in the other. I'll draw it away, and you take the chance to get the Netherworld Ghost Flame."
"That's too dangerous!" Mo Chen hurriedly shook his head. "The unicorn snake is too strong. You alone..."
"Don't worry, I know my limits." Xiao Yan patted him on the shoulder. "Remember, the Netherworld Ghost Flame is yin-cold by nature. You have to wrap it in Heavenly Flames to collect it. Whatever you do, don't touch it directly."
Mo Chen knew that once Xiao Yan made a decision, it was hard to change his mind. He could only nod. "You must be careful!"
Xiao Yan took a deep breath, turned into a streak of light, and flew toward the clifftop.
"Roar!"
The Netherworld Unicorn Snake immediately sensed his presence. It raised its enormous head, a fierce light flashing in its eyes, and spat a burst of dark red flame at Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan swayed aside, avoiding the flames, and swung the Heavy Xuan Ruler, wreathed in three-colored Heavenly Flames, at the unicorn snake's vital point.
"Clang!"
The Heavy Xuan Ruler struck its scales, but left only a white mark. Stung by the blow, the unicorn snake swept its tail at Xiao Yan with a whistle through the air, forcing him back.
Man and snake fought fiercely atop the cliff. Xiao Yan moved nimbly, constantly darting around and dodging, occasionally attacking to keep the unicorn snake's attention. He discovered that although the unicorn snake had formidable defenses, it was relatively slow. As long as he was not struck by its flames, he would be safe enough for the time being.
Mo Chen took the opportunity to slip quietly around to the black vine. Following Xiao Yan's instructions, he brought out his pill fire and carefully wrapped it around the Netherworld Ghost Flame.
The Netherworld Ghost Flame was an eerie blue. It looked weak, yet radiated a bone-piercing chill that made even Mo Chen's pill fire shiver.
What powerful yin-cold force! Mo Chen was inwardly startled. He hurriedly increased his output of pill fire, peeling the Netherworld Ghost Flame away from the vine bit by bit.
Just as the Netherworld Ghost Flame was about to be completely separated, the Netherworld Unicorn Snake suddenly sensed something amiss. With an angry roar, it ignored Xiao Yan's attacks, turned, and lunged at Mo Chen!
"This is bad!" Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically. He swept the Heavy Xuan Ruler across, and a ribbon of flame wound around the unicorn snake's tail like a long whip.
"Roar!"
With its tail bound, the unicorn snake turned back in fury and bit at Xiao Yan. Unable to dodge, Xiao Yan could only raise the Burning Heaven Cauldron in front of him.
"Clang!"
The unicorn snake's enormous jaws clamped down on the Burning Heaven Cauldron with a tremendous crash. The impact sent Xiao Yan flying backward, his Qi and blood roiling and blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. But the Burning Heaven Cauldron remained undamaged. The Pill Patterns on its surface lit up, reflecting a trace of the force and making the unicorn snake roar in pain.
"Now!" Xiao Yan endured the searing pain and shouted to Mo Chen.
Mo Chen knew he could not wait any longer. He used all his strength to peel the Netherworld Ghost Flame completely free and collect it in a specially made jade bottle.
"Got it!" Mo Chen shouted, turning to flee.
Seeing the Netherworld Ghost Flame taken away, the unicorn snake flew into a complete rage and struggled wildly. With a violent lash of its tail, it knocked the Heavy Xuan Ruler aside and chased after Mo Chen.
"Trying to leave?" A fierce light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as he drove the Origin Stabilizing Divine Stone's power to its limit. "Space: Confinement!"
Pale golden light enveloped the unicorn snake, instantly slowing its movements. Xiao Yan seized the opportunity. Flames blazed on the Heavy Xuan Ruler as never before, with even a trace of the Burning Heaven Cauldron's pill fire origin mixed in.
"Heavenly Flames: Realm-Breaking Slash!"
The blow concentrated all his strength. The Heavy Xuan Ruler came crashing down on the unicorn snake's horn with enough force to tear space apart!
"Crack!"
The horn snapped, and its dark red flames went out instantly. The unicorn snake let out a piercing, anguished scream, and its enormous body fell from the clifftop into the volcano below.
Xiao Yan could hold on no longer. His body swayed, and he fell from the clifftop.
"Brother Xiao Yan!" Mo Chen cried in alarm and hurriedly turned to catch him.
Xiao Yan leaned against Mo Chen's chest, his face pale and his breathing faint. "Don't worry about me... hurry, go..."
Mo Chen nodded, lifted Xiao Yan in his arms, and brought out the pill boat. They quickly left Burning Heaven Cliff behind.
Aboard the pill boat, Mo Chen hurriedly took out a healing pill and fed it to Xiao Yan, then circulated his Origin Qi to treat his injuries.
Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes and looked at the jade bottle in Mo Chen's hand. Inside, the eerie blue flame burned quietly.
"We got it..." A faint smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face, and then he fell unconscious again.
Mo Chen looked at Xiao Yan's pale face, his heart full of gratitude and admiration. He carefully put away the Netherworld Ghost Flame and steered the pill boat toward a town near Burning Heaven Cliff. It was their agreed meeting place and also the location of a legendary ancient teleportation array.
He knew Xiao Yan had paid a considerable price to obtain the Netherworld Ghost Flame. The journey ahead would likely be even harder.
But he believed that as long as the two of them joined forces, they could overcome whatever difficulties they encountered.
The pill boat threaded through the clouds, carrying the unconscious Xiao Yan and Mo Chen, who watched over him, toward the unknown road ahead. The distant sky was clear, but no one knew what wind and rain lay hidden beneath that clear sky.