Chapter 464: Life and Death Road

**Volume Four: Winds Rise Overseas**

When Bu Xu entered the Void Heaven Temple and saw so many Nascent Soul stage cultivators arriving one after another, it was as if cold water had been poured over his head, leaving his heart utterly chilled. Nascent Soul cultivators, of course, came here for the treasures within the inner hall, with the Void Heaven Cauldron undoubtedly being the most coveted item. Previously, only three or four Nascent Soul cultivators had visited the Void Heaven Temple. However, this time, it had attracted eight, naturally making him feel his chances were slim.

Nevertheless, having come this far, he was unwilling to simply turn back dejectedly. Clinging to a sliver of hope, he successfully navigated the Ghost Mist and entered the Lava Path. Truth be told, while he held some trepidation toward the Ghost Mist and the subsequent "Marvelous Illusion" stage, he paid no mind to the Ice and Fire Path, never doubting his ability to clear it.

This was because he cultivated the "Grand Solar Art," a technique of considerable renown in the Chaotic Star Sea. This top-tier mental art ranked among the top ten fire-attribute techniques in the Chaotic Star Sea. Using its Grand Solar True Flame, he had incinerated countless enemies, sending them into endless abysses. Consequently, he was naturally brimming with confidence regarding fire resistance, considering it a trivial matter.

Of course, after many years of cultivation, he wasn't so arrogant as to attempt the Lava Path bare-handed. He had prepared two fire-resistant magic tools. It wasn't for lack of desire to prepare more, but acquiring the Fire Dragon Worm had nearly bankrupted him. Equipped with the "Grand Solar Art," he believed that with the assistance of these two magic tools, traversing the Lava Path would be utterly effortless.

But now, Bu Xu was filled with an agonizing regret. Soon after entering the area, he discovered that while the Grand Solar Art indeed offered remarkable fire resistance, if he didn't want to be roasted into a husk by the surrounding high temperatures in a short time, he had to continuously operate the technique at full power. This was vastly different from his initial assumption that minimal spiritual energy consumption would allow him to disregard the harsh environment. Outside, merely operating ten percent of the Grand Solar Art was sufficient to completely evade direct scorching from ordinary flames. Evidently, the high temperatures emanating from the Lava Path were far more intense than ordinary flames outside. This must be due to some inherent restrictions or enchantments that specifically suppressed fire-attribute cultivation techniques. Moreover, his two fire-resistant magic tools offered very limited protection in this bizarre environment.

This left Bu Xu, who had already been walking for several hours, in a state of growing panic and disarray. Judging by the rate of spiritual energy consumption, even though he continuously replenished spiritual energy by holding spirit stones in each hand, he could only sustain himself for about half a day longer before succumbing to spiritual energy depletion and turning to ash. Bu Xu, naturally, did not wish to perish here. He sprinted frantically, nervously scanning his surroundings. However, the surroundings were utterly silent, devoid of any human presence. This meant his idea of eliminating other cultivators to seize their fire-resistant treasures died stillborn. The further he raced forward, the more intense Bu Xu's sense of despair grew.

After an uninterrupted fifteen-minute sprint, Bu Xu finally halted, his eyes filled with anxiety. Although he had spiritual energy enhancements like the "Lightfoot Art," at this speed, there was no hope of reaching the canyon's end. Furthermore, if he continued to run, even if he encountered other cultivators, his spiritual energy would be critically low. At that point, not only would he be unable to harm others, but they might even turn on him upon seeing his extreme weakness. Bu Xu paced back and forth like an ant on a hot griddle. As time slipped away, various thoughts and ideas flooded his mind as he desperately tried to find a way out.

Suddenly, he looked up at the deep red sky, his expression flickering with indecision. A flicker of resolve crossed his face, then a yellow light enveloped his body, and he slowly began to float upward. Throughout this process, his eyes remained unblinking, his face etched with caution. When he reached a height of two or three zhang above the ground, nothing adverse occurred, and an expression of wild joy bloomed on his face. Because at this height, he could cast flight spells. And if he employed an escape technique, reaching the canyon's end would take but a moment.

Forcibly suppressing the wild joy of finding salvation in desperation, Bu Xu formed a hand seal. His figure transformed into a yellow light and instantly vanished from his spot. A loud "boom" resounded. Bu Xu, having just flown a mere dozen zhang, was directly struck by a silver lightning bolt from the deep red sky. He immediately let out a tragic scream as his body instantly turned to ash, vanishing without a trace. Two items fell from mid-air, landing silently in the nearby grass.

Elsewhere on the Lava Path, a glamorous woman in her thirties, adorned in a shimmering blue veil, gazed hesitantly at the lava river before her. A reddish river channel, approximately forty zhang wide, blocked the female cultivator's path, with only a single square stone pillar, about a foot wide, serving as a potential crossing. Observing the scorching lava flowing in the channel, the glamorous woman's brows furrowed deeply. After a moment of hesitation, she cautiously stepped onto the glowing red stone pillar. The moment the glamorous woman's slender foot touched the pillar, a flicker of pain crossed her delicate face. Evidently, the stone pillar's heat was extraordinary; even with the protective veil, she endured considerable discomfort. Nevertheless, this female cultivator clearly possessed a resolute will. Gritting her teeth, she slowly inched forward along the stone pillar, her expression one of utmost caution.

Initially, her progress was smooth, allowing her to safely traverse a small section. However, as she approached the center of the stone pillar bridge, a low rumbling sound suddenly echoed from the distance. The glamorous woman froze, then instinctively looked upstream along the river. Her face instantly turned deathly pale as she was seized by sudden panic! An incredibly powerful hurricane surged down the river channel, transforming into a monstrous gray dragon. It arrived at the stone pillar in the blink of an eye, claws bared, immediately engulfing the female cultivator who had just taken flight. A sharp, desperate cry echoed, and the female cultivator's figure vanished without a trace. Moments later, something flashed blue on the lava beneath the stone pillar, then sank to the bottom.

Near an ice mountain somewhere on the Mysterious Crystal Path, a middle-aged man and an elder fought back-to-back against a dozen crystalline monsters. Red and white lights scattered everywhere. Soon, however, the sounds of battle ceased. After lingering for a moment, the monsters dispersed, leaving behind only two incomplete corpses on the ground.

Meanwhile, in another part of the Mysterious Crystal Path, Old Ancestor Jiyin leisurely strolled across an icy expanse. His body shimmered with black light, completely unaffected by the cold. Occasionally, crystalline monsters would emerge from beneath the ice, attempting to ambush him. Each was effortlessly sliced in two by a casual flash of black light from him. Then, he continued on his journey as if nothing had happened. On a small hill nearby, Han Li gazed blankly ahead, his expression marked by hesitation.

After quickly traversing the vast grassland using his Smokescreen Step that day, he reverted to a normal traveling pace. The Smokescreen Step, after all, still placed too great a strain on his body. Even with his robust physique after forming his core, he couldn't maintain it for extended periods. Of course, this was a stark contrast to how long he could sustain it during his Foundation Establishment stage. Later, he traversed an extremely perilous section of lava swamp. The deceptive pits, appearing solid but entirely composed of lava, made even someone with Han Li's resilient nerves break into a cold sweat upon passing through them. Had he not promptly activated the Barbarian Beard's Ice Pearl, instantly protecting his entire body the moment he fell into a pit, he might not have died, but he would certainly have been scalded raw. Furthermore, when passing through a strange forest, he was targeted by two or three Flame Spirit Beasts, requiring considerable effort from Han Li to safely proceed.

However, none of these locations had shocked Han Li as profoundly as the scene currently before him. For before him lay an endless black desert. Indeed! Black sand grains, black sand dunes. This eerie sight naturally made Han Li uneasy, and he hesitated to venture in rashly. A detour, of course, was out of the question. The black desert's immense size meant that taking a detour would cost him at least two additional days. According to the experience of previous cultivators who cleared this stage, it had to be completed within five days. Otherwise, the teleportation array would permanently close, trapping those inside to certain death. Han Li estimated he had only reached the middle section of the canyon. A two-day delay could genuinely mean he ran out of time. He was unwilling to take such a risk. After all, who knew what terrors might lie beyond the black desert? The delay might even stretch longer. Han Li frowned deeply, staring at the scene before him, his mind wondering what strange dangers were concealed within this place.

Just then, Han Li's expression changed, and his body flickered without turning his head. He vanished from his spot without a trace. Only then did a faint sound become audible from behind him.