Chapter 1062: Seeking Help in Vain

After traversing the bottom of the God Burial Fire Prison for two hours, he returned at full speed, reaching its northern bank in just an hour and a half. However, the point where he emerged from the Fire Prison was over 300 *li* away from where he had entered. In his desperate haste, Yun Che quickly pinpointed his location and, without a moment's hesitation, sprinted towards it with all his remaining might.

From the distant south, a continuous, dull rumbling echoed, sounding like the heavens caving in and the earth crumbling. The God Burial Fire Prison churned without a moment's pause.

Mu Xuanyin’s fierce battle with the ancient Flood Dragon had raged for over four hours. To all who witnessed it through the Vermilion Bird projection, every single moment of those four hours was utterly earth-shattering.

Yan Wancang was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. Releasing the Vermilion Bird's will over such a long distance and for such an extended period had exhausted even him, the Flame God Realm's strongest. Yet, a deepening excitement gleamed in his eyes.

Yan Juehai, Huo Rulie, and everyone present shared this sentiment—an unprecedented level of excitement.

Within the Vermilion Bird projection, Mu Xuanyin's aura had diminished by nearly half, yet the icy majesty she exuded showed no weakening whatsoever. Her snowy robes remained as pristine as a snow lotus.

The ancient Flood Dragon, by contrast, was in a truly wretched state, covered in blood. It roared and bellowed incessantly, yet it was utterly overwhelmed by the Ice Phoenix's divine might. With every passing moment, countless ice fragments shattered upon its body, leaving it with virtually no power to counterattack.

BOOM!! The ancient Flood Dragon shattered its icy prison, its body unleashing a torrent of dragon flames that instantly engulfed Mu Xuanyin. Its massive form surged from the God Burial Fire Prison, its dragon claws, honed in on Mu Xuanyin's presence, slammed down. Where the claws struck, flames scorched the heavens, and at the center of the inferno appeared a terrifying, pitch-black void—a spatial black hole ripped open by the sheer destructive force.

“Waaah!” Earth-shattering screams erupted from the God Burial Fire Prison's northern bank. The Vermilion Bird projection instantly transformed into a raging sea of crimson fire, obliterating everything else. Before these terrified cries had even fully subsided, everyone suddenly witnessed a piercing flash of ice-blue light rip through the crimson inferno.

Like a falling meteor, it instantly cleaved through the fiery inferno that the ancient Flood Dragon had unleashed with all its might. The icy light then struck the Flood Dragon’s claws, pausing briefly before piercing straight through, sending a shower of dragon blood scattering across the sky.

As the dragon blood dispersed, it instantly ignited into raging dragon flames.

“Aoooooh!” The ancient Flood Dragon roared in agony, and the sky-shrouding dragon flames it had conjured transformed into a furious tempest, relentlessly driving it deeper into an icy abyss.

“Excellent!” The three Flame God Sect Masters roared in unison.

The fact that the Flood Dragon's claws had been pierced clearly signified that its protective dragon power was being systematically shattered, nearing the brink of complete collapse.

“It’s said that at the supreme realm of a Divine Master, even the smallest step forward is incredibly difficult, akin to ascending to the heavens; it demands immense time, even for the most talented individuals. Yet, the Snow Song Realm King’s strength grows substantially every millennium. And this time… I wonder what she encountered over the past thousand years to become this powerful,” Yan Juehai marveled.

Yan Wancang, fixed on the Vermilion Bird projection, slowly stated, “The Snow Song Realm King’s current power, I fear, has already surpassed that of over half of the… Upper Realm Kings.”

His words left everyone stunned into prolonged silence.

“The dominant sects in most of the Upper Star Realms of the Eastern Divine Region primarily inherit human-god bloodlines. We, who inherit beast-god bloodlines, ultimately cannot match them in terms of bloodline and power compatibility, which is why we are generally considered Middle or Lower Star Realms. The Snow Song Realm King also inherited a beast-god’s bloodline and power, yet she has reached such an extraordinary level; it’s truly admirable.”

“Our decision to endure the grievances from a thousand years ago was indeed the most correct choice,” Yan Juehai sighed.

“To hell with the past!” Huo Rulie declared, waving a dismissive hand. His face flushed and his eyes gleamed with an unusual light as he excitedly rubbed his hands together. “When I first heard the Flood Dragon’s *longque* had healed, my heart sank. But now, it’s clear that hunting this Flood Dragon is a sure thing, absolutely foolproof!”

“Po Yun!” Huo Rulie suddenly clapped Huo Poyun firmly on the shoulder. He took a deep breath to calm his excited heart before speaking with profound solemnity: “The path will soon be laid out for you. However, how far you advance depends entirely on you. You’ve witnessed the immense power of the Divine Master Realm today… and if you can break into the top thousand at the Profound God Convention and cultivate in the Heaven Smiting Pearl for three thousand years, given your talent, you absolutely have the potential to reach the Divine Master Realm, provided you don’t falter! At that point, not only will your destiny change, but the future standing and fate of our entire Flame God Realm will transform because of you.”

Huo Rulie had spoken similar words to Huo Poyun on numerous occasions, but this time, they carried an extraordinary weight and solemnity. What was once mere hope now seemed within grasp.

Huo Poyun nodded vigorously, his eyes resolute. “Master, both Sect Masters, rest assured. Po Yun swears here that as long as I draw breath, I will never fail the Flame God!”

“Excellent!” Yan Wancang nodded. “Po Yun, with that promise, the three of us would not only expend our power and shorten our lifespans but would willingly sacrifice our very lives to see you succeed, without a single regret!”

Though the three dominant sects each represented distinct lineages, typically engaging in competition and checks and balances, they stood absolutely united and single-minded when the honor and future of the Flame God Realm were at stake—even if Huo Poyun was not a disciple of their own sect.

“If, after the Heaven Smiting Pearl, our Flame God Realm truly produces a Divine Master, then indeed, we would have no regrets, even in death,” Yan Juehai said with a smile, then added with solemnity, “But the prerequisite for all of this is for you to place within the top thousand at the Profound God Convention. Po Yun, regarding what you must do before the convention, I trust… you will not disappoint us.”

Huo Poyun nodded emphatically once more. A moment later, his gaze began to wander. He then couldn't help but say, “Master, I still think I should go look for Brother Yun. He’s been gone for so long without returning; what if something unforeseen happened…?”

“No need,” Huo Rulie said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “There’s nothing here but us; what accident could possibly happen? Even if something did, that boy would have called for our help ages ago. He cultivates ice-attributed profound energy, so he definitely wouldn’t want to endure the scorching aura here. Besides, he’s already seen the Flood Dragon; whether it gets hunted or not is of no concern to him, so he probably doesn’t care. He’s likely off somewhere far away, sleeping.”

“As things stand,” Huo Rulie declared, turning his gaze back to the Vermilion Bird projection, “I dare to assert that in less than half an hour, this Flood Dragon will absolutely be dead. It would be a huge loss if we missed it, hahahaha.”

At the thought of soon acquiring the ancient Flood Dragon’s corpse, Huo Rulie let out a burst of excited laughter. But then his eyes suddenly widened as he looked west. “Hmm? Isn’t that Yun boy returning… and he looks as if he’s being chased by something.”

“Sect Master Yan!!!” Yun Che’s figure hadn't even arrived, but his voice, hoarse from shouting, already carried from afar, drawing everyone’s gaze.

Amidst a tremendous whistling sound, Yun Che plummeted from the sky like a tempest. In his desperate haste, his feet gave way, and he stumbled violently, practically tumbling to a stop before Yan Wancang. Before he could even rise, he frantically roared, “Sect Master Yan, your Vermilion Bird’s will can extend across the entire God Burial Fire Prison… does that mean you can transmit sound to the areas covered by your will!?”

Surprised, Yan Wancang nodded. “Yes, I can. What on earth happened? Why are you so alarmed?”

In a normal region, the three sect masters could easily transmit their voices thousands of *li* away using profound energy alone. However, within the God Burial Fire Prison, the intensely strong fire element interfered, limiting sound transmission to at most a few hundred *li*. To transmit sound over seven thousand *li* within the God Burial Fire Prison, only his Vermilion Bird’s will possessed the capability.

Yan Wancang’s words filled Yun Che with elation. He quickly rose and exclaimed, “Quick! Quickly transmit a message to my Master, tell her to run… Hurry! Please, hurry!”

In his frantic anxiety, he completely disregarded all etiquette, roaring out his words. This caused displeasure among the Vermilion Bird elders and disciples, several of whom nearly lost their temper.

The words he uttered undoubtedly left everyone dumbfounded, soon followed by expressions of bewilderment. Yan Wancang frowned deeply. “Why is this? If you’re concerned about your Master’s safety, there’s no need. The ancient Flood Dragon’s power is now greatly diminished, and it’s covered in injuries. While your Master has expended considerable energy, she hasn't even sustained external wounds. It won’t be long before she successfully hunts this Flood Dragon.”

“Yun boy, what madness is this?” Huo Rulie asked, utterly bewildered.

“No! That’s not it! The situation isn’t so simple!” Yun Che retorted, quickly glancing at the Vermilion Bird projection, his anxiety mounting. “There isn’t just one Flood Dragon in the God Burial Fire Prison—there are two! If the other one appears, my Master will be in grave danger!”

Yun Che’s declaration made everyone’s eyes widen in astonishment. Immediately, Huo Rulie burst into booming laughter. “Hahahaha, Yun boy, did you sleep so soundly your brain got muddled? The God Burial Fire Prison has only ever contained one Flood Dragon since ancient times. Where would two come from?”

As Huo Rulie laughed, the surrounding crowd erupted in a chorus of chuckles.

“Heheheh,” Yan Juehai chuckled, shaking his head. “It would be wonderful if there were two, but alas. For the God Burial Fire Prison to even nurture one is already a heavenly blessing.”

“I’m not joking; I’m telling the truth! There have always been two ancient Flood Dragons in the God Burial Fire Prison. Their molting period isn’t a thousand years, but two thousand! Furthermore, their molting cycles are precisely staggered by a millennium. Coupled with their identical appearance and their appearances always being separated by a thousand years, it’s simply impossible to distinguish them accurately by their aura, which is why it has always created the illusion that there’s only one ancient Flood Dragon!”

“The Flood Dragon’s *longque* from a thousand years ago was injured, yet this one is perfectly intact… that is the evidence!”

As he spoke, Yun Che was already gasping for breath. “Sect Master Yan, please, you must believe me! I would never joke about something so critical to my Master’s safety! The other one should be hidden nearby… Sect Master Yan, I implore you, send a message to my Master immediately, tell her to leave at once, otherwise… it might be too late!”

When his words fell, no one displayed an expression of shock, only bewilderment.

This junior from the Snow Song Realm… has he lost his mind?

Yan Wancang frowned deeply, but patiently replied, “You suddenly imagine there are two ancient Flood Dragons just because of its *longque*? Heh, as we’ve already stated, its *longque* would heal, most likely due to its presence in the God Burial Fire Prison and its ability to draw on the Fire Prison’s power.”

“Of course not!!” Yun Che gnashed his teeth. With only Yan Wancang’s Vermilion Bird will capable of transmitting sound to Mu Xuanyin from such a distance, he had no choice but to explain everything in detail. “In the few hours I was away, I actually infiltrated the God Burial Fire Prison. At the very bottom, I discovered two Flood Dragon nests! The lingering dragon aura in the two nests had subtle… and definitively distinct differences! Moreover, neither of the two Flood Dragons were in their nests!”

“Not a single word of this is false, or may I meet a terrible end!!”

Yun Che’s dire oath made everyone exchange glances, then collectively erupt in earth-shattering laughter.