In the Magma World, the smell of sulfur was so thick it was almost inescapable.
The molten lava stretched endlessly like an ocean, from one end of the world to the other. Its color was a dark orange-red, becoming increasingly fiery white the deeper one went.
At the bottom of the deepest, most unfathomable abyss, one can even faintly see an almost pure white, incandescent light.
The temperature there was high enough to melt refined iron into molten iron instantly.
Bubbles rose and fell repeatedly on the surface of the viscous magma, making a gurgling sound. Each burst of a bubble brought out a wisp of dark red magma steam.
It cools rapidly in the air, turning into fine volcanic ash that falls in a flurry. The volcanic ash lands on the lava surface, only to be instantly swallowed up again, as if it had never existed.
The air was thick with the smell of sulfur and the scorching heat of fire; an ordinary person would have their meridians invaded by the fire poison if they stayed here for even a short while.
His Soul Power was blocked, and he was eventually swallowed up by the magma beneath his feet, leaving not even a skeleton behind.
But for some, this is an excellent place for cultivation.
The immense fire-attribute energy contained within magma makes it an unparalleled cultivation paradise for Soul Master who practice fire-attribute techniques. Of course, the prerequisite is that you can survive in it.
Xiao Huohuo has been here for two whole years.
To be precise, he had been trapped for two years. At this moment, he was flapping the pair of transparent, fiery wings on his back, his whole body flashing across the surface of the lava like a streak of light.
The scorching lava beneath his feet was pressed into a deep trench by his wing-force winds, only to be instantly filled by the lava surging in from both sides, as if nothing had happened. His speed was beyond measure.
Each flap of its wings covered a distance of tens of feet, but no matter how fast it flew, the deep green flame behind it always pursued it relentlessly, like a leech.
He could no longer remember how long he Queen Medusa had been chasing each other in this Magma World —maybe three days, maybe five days, maybe longer.
In this abyss where there is no sunrise or sunset, time loses its meaning. The only thing one can sense is the approaching green flame behind him and the chilling killing intent that makes his scalp tingle.
" Xiao Huohuo! I will take your life today!"
Queen Medusa's voice came from behind, and the anger contained in that voice caused the surrounding magma to surge violently, and a giant wave of magma was sent soaring into the sky by the sound waves.
It exploded into countless orange-red sparks in mid-air, like a miniature fireworks display underground.
Her figure was like a seven-colored lightning bolt, and with each flap of her battle Dou Qi Wings, the distance between the two of them would shorten by a few centimeters.
Deep green flames burned fiercely in her palm, and the potent poison within the flames made the air thick and sticky.
Each flicker of the flame left a pale green trail in the air, a trail that lingered for Jiujiu, emitting a chilling, sweet-smelling odor.
Xiao Huohuo didn't turn around—he didn't dare to.
But he could feel that burning gaze fixed on his back, like two red-hot steel needles that could pierce his heart at any moment.
He gritted his teeth, suddenly turned sharply to the right, twisting his body at an almost impossible angle in mid-air, a dark green blade of fire grazing his left shoulder.
The last intact strand of hair on his shoulder was burned to ashes. The smell of burning filled his nostrils, causing him to sneeze involuntarily.
"My Queen! That wasn't entirely my fault! You yourself were also—"
Before Xiao Huohuo could finish speaking, another blade of fire flew past his ear.
It even singed off a patch of hair at his temples.
He could feel his earlobes burning from the scorching heat, and he involuntarily shrank his neck.
He swallowed hard, wisely keeping the rest of his sentence to himself.
Mentioning that incident made him incredibly guilty. That day, amidst the primordial flames of the Fallen Heart Flame, he was fully focused on refining the Heart Flame using his Flame Mantra, and was in a semi-conscious state.
The Heart Flame of the Fallen Heart Flame burned his soul from the inside out. His consciousness was so blurred that he only remembered an extremely powerful force surging into his body.
That power was not the Heart Flame, but it was even more domineering than the Heart Flame. It carried the unique bloodline power of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, and it almost caused his Flame Mantra to go out of control.
Two forces tore at and merged within his meridians, and what happened in the end is a blur in his memory—or rather, a complete blank.
But the scene he witnessed upon waking was enough to make him never dare to look Queen Medusa in the eye again. Her breathtakingly beautiful face was right before his eyes.
Her narrow, snake-like eyes were filled with astonishment and anger, as was the Seven-Colored Snake Scale armor she wore, which was now mostly shattered.
Xiao Huohuo's first reaction was to close his eyes and continue to play dead, but Queen Medusa did not give him that chance.
She slapped him so hard he flew dozens of feet away, and then began the longest chase he had ever experienced.
You dare bring that up again!
Queen Medusa's voice suddenly rose, and a rare blush appeared on her beautiful face, but that blush was quickly replaced by an even stronger killing intent.
She had lived for hundreds of years, and as the queen of the Snake-People Tribe, her dignity had never been trampled upon like this.
She clasped her hands together in front of her, and deep green flames condensed in her palms into a ten-foot-long flaming spear, the tip of which pointed directly at Xiao Huohuo's back.
The spear was a dark, deep green, with countless fine, seven-colored patterns Entanglement its body. These were the result of the fusion of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python's venom and the Fallen Heart Flame.
The air at the spearhead hissed and corroded under the corrosive poison, and even the space itself was slightly distorted.
"Shameless scoundrel! If I don't kill you today, how can I, as king, have the face to lead the Snake-People Tribe!"
"Who's shameless! I was practically Heart Flame to ashes with rage! You were the one who barged in!"
Xiao Huohuo finally couldn't hold back and shouted something. He regretted it as soon as he finished speaking.
Because at this moment, the deep green flames in Queen Medusa's narrow, serpentine eyes almost burst forth.
Her fingers trembled slightly from the excessive force, her knuckles turning white, and the flaming spear quivered violently in her palm, as if it might slip from her grasp at any moment.
"It's over, it's really over now," Xiao Huohuo thought to himself, inwardly groaning.
He wasn't afraid of fighting, but he was afraid of fighting a Dou Zong- level expert, especially a queen who had just broken through to Dou Zong and was in a fit of anger. More importantly, he couldn't bring himself to kill this woman.
It wasn't because of any romantic feelings, but because he was genuinely in the wrong. Regardless of whose fault it was that day, as a man, Xiao Huohuo accepted it.
"Stop."
Just as the flaming spear was about to leave his hand, an old and steady voice suddenly rang out in the Magma World.
The sound wasn't loud; it could even be described as gentle. Yet, it was like a bucket of cold water poured onto a powder keg about to explode, causing both Xiao Huohuo Queen Medusa to freeze in surprise.
A white halo slowly emerged in Xiao Huohuo's right palm. The halo appeared particularly cold and clear in the scorching Magma World, like a lonely moon rising from the abyss.
An aged figure materialized from the halo of light, with white hair and beard, and a thin face; it was none other than the Yao Lao.
His form remained that of a semi-transparent soul entity, but compared to his weakened state two years ago when he had just escaped from the Hall of Souls, his Spiritual Soul Power had clearly recovered considerably.
It was able to manifest itself without Xiao Huohuo actively summoning it, and the condensed form was clearer than before; even the fine folds in its robes could be seen.
The Yao Lao stood with his hands behind his back, his white eyebrows slightly furrowed. His eyes, which had seen through the world, held a mixture of helplessness, amusement, and a touch of affection and disdain that was unique to him when looking at his good-for-nothing junior.
He glanced at Xiao Huohuo, whose body was charred black and whose hair was singed into a mess, and then at Queen Medusa, who held a flaming spear and exuded murderous intent, and gently shook his head.
Queen Medusa paused slightly upon seeing the Yao Lao.
She lowered the flaming spear slightly, but the burning resentment in her narrow, serpentine eyes remained undiminished.
"This is a private matter between me and this boy."
He ruined my reputation; it is only right and proper for me to kill him.
Your Majesty is too kind.
The Yao Lao Queen Medusa, a gentle yet helpless smile appearing on his aged face. His voice was unhurried, each word seemingly carefully considered.
"I am not trying to protect this boy. What he did to you, whether intentional or unintentional, did indeed offend His Majesty."
Under normal circumstances, I would not say much.
But right now you're all trapped here, and your soul hasn't been fully absorbed yet. Fighting now is unnecessary."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Huohuo immediately grasped at a straw and desperately tried to wink at Yao Lao.
His eyelids were practically twitching from blinking so hard; the meaning couldn't be clearer.
Yao Lao, you are truly my savior! Keep talking, keep talking, once you've convinced her, I'll burn you a lot of incense later!
"Moreover, I have been recuperating in Xiao Huohuo's body for so long, and I have also carefully examined the traces of residual energy in your bodies."
The reason that happened between you that day was not something that either party did voluntarily.
The Origin Heart Flame of the Fallen Heart Flame resonated with the bloodline power of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python in a rare and extraordinary way.
This resonance simultaneously ignited the primal instincts within both of you.
This wasn't anyone's fault; it was simply a matter of chance. Two forces attracted each other at that moment, like the two poles of a magnet, and neither could resist.
I can vouch for him with my own reputation; although this kid is usually carefree and irresponsible, he is by no means the kind of person who would take advantage of someone in distress.
The Yao Lao's voice was steady and resolute, each word carefully considered, his gaze calmly fixed on Queen Medusa.
"To be fair, this matter is not entirely his fault."
If we're really going to assign blame, the very essence of the Fallen Heart Flame is the culprit. And now that this kid has refined the Fallen Heart Flame, it can be considered revenge for His Majesty."
Queen Medusa's hand, holding the flaming spear, froze in mid-air.
Her expression shifted from anger to embarrassment in a few short moments, and then from embarrassment to an extremely complex emotion that even she herself couldn't explain.
Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say.
She wasn't an unreasonable person. In fact, she knew in her heart that what happened that day was indeed as Yao Lao had said, and it wasn't solely Xiao Huohuo's responsibility.
The two forces resonated in a strange way at that moment, which led to that series of uncontrollable events.
Her pursuit of Xiao Huohuo in the Magma World these past few days was less about revenge and more about seeking retribution.
It's more accurate to say they're running away.
She was running away from the fact that even she couldn't face. She was the queen of the Snake-People Tribe, the high and Medusa, and she couldn't admit that she also had moments when she lost control.
She hurled the flaming spear downwards with tremendous force, and the spear vanished into the air the instant it left her hand, turning into a ball of deep green flame.
Only a few wisps of embers remained, leaping a few times on the surface of the lava before being completely extinguished.
Then she turned around, her back to Xiao Huohuo, and stopped looking at him.
Her back remained straight as a pine tree, but Xiao Huohuo noticed that the hand holding the spear clenched and unclenched slightly at her side several times, as if she were making an extremely difficult decision.
Seeing that the atmosphere had eased somewhat, Yao Lao nodded slightly in the direction of Queen Medusa, then turned to Xiao Huohuo, his tone becoming somewhat stern:
"Kid, since you've done something wrong, you should take responsibility."
Although this matter is not entirely your fault, you cannot escape responsibility.
Once this matter is settled, you should go and apologize to Her Majesty the Queen yourself. I still have a few thousand-year-old medicinal herbs in my herb garden; you can take them to Her Majesty to refine a few Seventh-Grade Pill as an apology.
"Yes, yes, you're right, Yao Lao. I'll compensate you, I definitely will!"
Xiao Huohuo nodded vigorously, and breathed a sigh of relief.
He's just escaped death, and now the Yao Lao has given him a way out. If he doesn't take it, he'll truly be ungrateful.
He stole a glance at Queen Medusa's back and noticed that although her back was to him, her shoulders moved slightly, as if she were listening to the Yao Lao.
Thank goodness, at least she didn't just turn around and leave.