Chapter 1950: Chasing

The Fire Domain.

Here, even the wind took on a form – that of fire.

Blazing flames seemed to float on the surface of the magma, howling as they came and went.

Above and below, no other color could be seen besides crimson.

Occasionally, ‘splashes’ could be seen in the magma, as some oddly shaped figures flickered in and out of sight.

This was a pure ocean of magma; no land could be seen anywhere. Only fire beasts with special bloodlines and fire spirits born from the blazing flames could perpetually survive here.

They showed no fear of this environment, freely moving through the magma like fish.

Suddenly, the fiery winds here paused for a moment, and two ethereal figures gradually materialized.

These two were precisely Ling Shi and Gui Hou.

Gui Hou had a fiery jade centipede coiled around his arm, seemingly communicating with it, before pointing downwards.

“Fellow Daoist Ling, this is the place! Lord Vermilion Bird mentioned before that some Dark Demon Lilies grow beneath this magma. I’m just unsure if their medicinal properties meet your requirements.”

“Dark Demon Lilies prefer to grow in places where the fiery power is most concentrated and violent, absorbing fire poison as their nourishment. The environment greatly impacts their quality. If I were to use them myself, high-grade Dark Demon Lilies would suffice. However, this time, I need to refine a potent poison requested by Senior, so only top-grade quality will do.”

Ling Shi subtly twitched his nostrils, using a secret technique to sense the surroundings. He nodded, “This place is good; there’s a chance it could produce top-grade Dark Demon Lilies. Let’s go down and take a look!”

The two quickly descended. The magma parted on its own, then instantly closed back together, returning to normal.

The magma was bottomless.

Gui Hou led the way, continuously sinking downwards. He sent a voice transmission, asking, “Fellow Daoist Ling, do you mean that the entire flower bed might only have a few plants reaching top-grade quality? How many plants are needed to refine the potent poison?”

“The more, the better!” Ling Shi replied.

“Hiss!”

Gui Hou frowned. “Within the entire Fire Domain, there likely aren’t many places like this. And once they reach a certain scale, they’re usually cordoned off. The three sects of the Fire Domain are all proficient in fire-elemental Dao arts, and there are various smaller forces. Even if they don’t cultivate Dark Demon Lilies, they could still turn these areas into medicinal fields.”

“Let’s just do our best. This isn’t the only option! Besides, Senior possesses immense power and will surely find a way. If he wanted to unify the Fire Domain, wouldn’t it be effortless?” Ling Shi said with a relaxed tone.

After being brought back by Qin Sang, Ling Shi was initially somewhat uneasy, but now he felt completely at ease.

Here, he only needed to focus wholeheartedly on comprehending the path of poison and developing various potent poisons. Whatever his requirements, Qin Sang would fully support him.

Such treatment was typically reserved for grandmasters of alchemy.

Although there was a saying that alchemy and poison arts were inseparable, Ling Shi did understand some alchemy. However, his poison cultivation was not entirely focused on refining poisons, and he lacked a true alchemy lineage, so he ultimately couldn't compare to genuine grandmasters of alchemy.

The cost was restricted freedom, but he had already been targeted by Fallen Soul Abyss, leaving him no choice.

Gui Hou, however, couldn't be as casual as Ling Shi. He shook his head and said, “That may be true, but as subordinates, we should do our best to alleviate our master's worries.”

As they spoke, the two descended to an extremely deep position.

The temperature here not only hadn't decreased but the intense, chaotic aura nurtured by heaven and earth grew even stronger.

Gradually, the magma became indistinguishable to the naked eye, transforming into pure streams of fire flowing in from all directions.

It was difficult to imagine what kind of apocalyptic scene these forces would create if they erupted.

“Fire Domain cultivators call this place a Blazing Pool, where the power of blazing flames undergoes transformation. Within a powerful Blazing Pool, we must also be cautious. Dark Demon Lilies are connected to the Blazing Pool's qi mechanism, so be careful when picking them, to avoid triggering a violent reaction in the pool.”

Gui Hou cautioned.

As he spoke, they descended a further distance, deliberately slowing their pace.

The surrounding scenery changed drastically, and even the two Soul Transformation stage cultivators felt an instinctive pressure.

Without any warning, the surroundings suddenly became calm.

Here, not a single ripple could be seen.

Yet, in this tranquility, there was an extremely strange feeling, as if immense power had accumulated here, ready to erupt at any moment and destroy everything.

There was also fire here, burning quietly. The flames were a faint blue, gently swaying, surprisingly giving off a sense of fragility.

They carefully entered this space, avoiding the flames. Before long, they found a shadowy area within the blue fire.

The shadow wasn't completely dark; it emitted a dark blue light.

Within the light, scattered flowers resembled lilies, their petals also dark blue, some deep in color, others lighter.

There was no soil here; they floated, and it was clearly visible that countless blue rootlets grew from their bases. These rootlets extended into the flames, drawing 'nutrients' from the fire.

“One, two... there are actually five top-grade Dark Demon Lilies!”

Ling Shi's expression brightened; he had originally thought there would be at most two or three plants.

He flashed beside a top-grade Dark Demon Lily, extending his right hand toward its root ball.

His fingers gently twitched, emitting strange fluctuations from his fingertips that enveloped the root ball.

Ling Shi focused intently, his movements gentle yet decisive. He carefully cradled the root ball, then patiently picked out the rootlets one by one from the flames.

It took about ten days to harvest a single Dark Demon Lily.

Gui Hou watched him carefully extract one complete plant, then also offered to help.

Just as the two were intently harvesting the spiritual flowers, they suddenly sensed something, paused their movements, and exchanged a glance.

“Someone has entered!” Gui Hou said in a deep voice.

This expanse of magma was inherently chaotic, teeming with countless fire beasts and fire spirits.

Harvesting herbs in the Blazing Pool, it was impossible for them to detect every subtle fluctuation from the outside. If someone were merely passing by nearby, they wouldn't have been startled.

However, the approaching person was somewhat abnormal, appearing to be in a frantic escape, as if being chased, plunging directly into the area.

Gui Hou and Ling Shi both possessed sufficient composure; they didn't act rashly, instead judging the unwelcome visitor's direction of movement by the source of the fluctuations.

“They're not heading for here,” Gui Hou's expression relaxed slightly.

Before his words fully fell, they sensed another aura, closely following.

Ling Shi murmured, “Just as I thought,” then added in surprise, “It's actually two Soul Transformation stage cultivators!”

Within the Fire Domain, Soul Transformation stage cultivators weren't numerous. To encounter two at once, and for them to be in pursuit and flight, was unusual.

“They might be from one of the three Fire Domain sects, but it doesn't concern us. Our primary task is more important,” Gui Hou shook his head, but then he noticed Ling Shi's unusual expression.

“The one behind is a Corpse Devil from Fallen Soul Abyss!”

Ling Shi's eyes flashed with a cold glint, and he sneered, “These abominations, neither human nor ghost, I can smell the stench of their corpses even through the magma!”

Higher up.

A crimson stream of light darted rapidly through the magma.

Within the escaping light was a burly man. If Qin Sang were here, he would recognize him: this was Fu Xiao from the Six Harmony Sect. Qin Sang's avatar had once lured Fu Xiao here when he destroyed the sand bandits.

At this moment, Fu Xiao's robust and muscular body was hunched over, his face as pale as gold paper, clearly indicating a severe injury.

A gaping blood-filled hole was visible on his chest, and his Dharma robe had been pierced through.

The wound had almost completely gone through to his back, and his internal organs had inevitably suffered severe damage.

The most troublesome aspect wasn't the wound itself, but a layer of green flames on its surface.

This green fire was like a gangrene, clinging to his flesh, preventing the wound from healing and devouring the host's vitality. Even consuming numerous healing elixirs proved useless.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

As he sped along, Fu Xiao conjured a hand seal and spat out a ball of spiritual fire.

The spiritual fire landed on his chest, entangling with the green flames, but it couldn't remove them.

He spat out several more mouthfuls, but could only temporarily suppress the green flames.

Furthermore, he discovered an even more terrifying phenomenon: the green flames were silently encroaching upon his internal organs.

Normally, he would have several ways to extinguish the green flames, but now he was severely injured with pursuers close behind. The situation was critical, rendering any method useless.

He secretly calculated the distance to his sect, growing even more anxious. At this rate, he would die at the demon's hands before he could escape back to his sect.

He had accidentally stumbled upon the Corpse Devil's whereabouts, but hadn't anticipated another hidden ambush. A single misstep led to a sneak attack, and his communication artifact for contacting his sect was also destroyed. He was truly in a predicament where no help was available from heaven or earth.

Behind him, that sinister aura relentlessly pursued, rapidly closing in.

Chasing him was a streak of green flames, highly conspicuous within the magma.

Fu Xiao cultivated the Six Harmony Sect's true heritage technique, allowing him to move through the magma like a fish in water, his escape speed like lightning. Yet, this green fire was in no way inferior!

Within the green fire was also a tall figure, appearing even more robust than Fu Xiao. This was one of the individuals disturbed when Qin Sang activated the bronze pillar.

The whereabouts of the others were unknown; only the tall man pursued Fu Xiao alone.

“Hmph! If Lord Feiluo hadn't returned to report, and Rou Ji wasn't injured, how could I let you escape alive! Stay right there!”

The tall man let out a cold shout. His Dharma robe billowed, and streams of green flames suddenly surged from his entire body, instantly transforming him into a man of fire.

The green flames spread, instantly dyeing the surrounding magma green. The green magma transformed from scorching hot to chillingly cold in an instant.

The green flames spread with extreme speed. By the time Fu Xiao realized something was amiss, he was already surrounded by the green magma, and an instinctive alarm blared within him.

Without any warning, a ghastly white spectral claw reached out from the green flames, its five fingers like sharp swords, grabbing towards his back.

If that grab had landed solidly, Fu Xiao would surely have been in grave danger.

Fortunately, he had prepared in advance. A fiery red pattern, composed of flames, appeared on his back. It resembled a Bagua but had subtle differences.

As the Bagua fire pattern materialized, a muffled thunderous sound instantly echoed.

Struck by the spectral claw, the fire pattern violently trembled and cracked, but it successfully blocked the claw for a moment.

Fu Xiao seized the opportunity to dash forward, which should have allowed him to distance himself from his pursuer, but unexpectedly, he felt another chill wind.

The spectral claw appeared and vanished like a ghost, suddenly materializing before him, directly striking towards his face.

Fu Xiao was greatly alarmed, but amidst his panic, a hint of ruthlessness was hidden. He opened his mouth wide and spat out not flames, but a bead.

This bead glowed with extraordinary brilliance. Named the Scarlet Seal Bead, it was a highly valued treasure of Fu Xiao's, but now, to escape, he had to painfully destroy it!

*Swoosh!*

The Scarlet Seal Bead shot towards the spectral claw. The claw immediately sensed something amiss and retracted its five fingers, attempting to vanish into the green magma.

However, the spectral claw was too close to Fu Xiao, and Fu Xiao had planned this for a while, timing his move with extreme precision.

With a *boom*, the Scarlet Seal Bead exploded, and a fire snake, carrying all its fragments, rushed out, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.

A furious roar echoed from within the magma. The spectral claw had no time to retreat, so it simply didn't withdraw. Its five fingers abruptly splayed open, revealing a black eye embedded in its palm, rotating left and right like a living entity, incredibly bizarre.

With a blink of the eye, a black ray shot from the pupil, meeting the fire snake formed by the Scarlet Seal Bead.

The moment the two forces collided, a vague figure appeared behind the spectral claw, rapidly retreating.

The Scarlet Seal Bead possessed boundless power, destroying the black ray on the spot.

The tall man appeared rather disheveled, but he hadn't suffered significant injury; he had dodged almost all of it.

However, this expanse of green fire tainting the magma could not be sustained.

Fu Xiao seized the opportunity to escape. He flicked his sleeve, sending several streams of light shooting towards his enemy, then, without glancing at the outcome, he chose a direction and fled with all his might.

He recalled a Six Harmony Sect relic from several millennia ago.

The brief skirmish drastically worsened Fu Xiao's injuries. He knew that with his own strength alone, it was almost impossible to escape the demon's clutches.

He hoped the relic was still there; it would be his only hope!

Meanwhile.

Gui Hou and Ling Shi temporarily halted their herb harvesting and quietly departed the Blazing Pool.

They didn't get too close to the battle, but they could deduce the situation with reasonable accuracy from the fluctuations emanating from it.

“It's the Pointing Azure Art of the Six Harmony Sect!” Gui Hou didn't often venture out, but he was knowledgeable about the surrounding forces, especially the three Fire Domain sects.

“A Corpse Devil from Fallen Soul Abyss is hunting a Six Harmony Sect expert here. Don't you find that suspicious, fellow Daoist?”

Ling Shi was eager. “Fallen Soul Abyss is extending its demonic reach into the Fire Domain again; there must be a major conspiracy! We should investigate thoroughly to be prepared, lest we disturb the Daoist temple and Senior's cultivation at that time!”

Gui Hou glanced at Ling Shi, knowing well that Ling Shi had a vendetta against Fallen Soul Abyss and surely wanted to use this opportunity to vent his anger.

Ling Shi's words indeed held some truth.

However, Gui Hou also had to consider whether their rash intervention might alert the Patriarch of Fallen Soul Abyss, even if there was no prior issue.

Gui Hou had followed Qin Sang from the Talisman World to the Great Thousand World. He knew that Qin Sang hadn't achieved Void Refinement through conventional means, and might not fare well against true Void Refinement cultivators. Qin Sang should stabilize his foundation, and the later he encountered them, the better.

“Don't worry, fellow Daoist, this fellow isn't a very important figure in Fallen Soul Abyss. He's certainly not the only one who has infiltrated the Fire Domain. The old devil has several late-Soul Transformation stage fiends under him; he wouldn't even bat an eyelid over the loss of one Corpse Devil,” Ling Shi asserted.

Just as they were debating, they suddenly heard a voice.

They immediately stopped, showing respectful expressions, and listened intently for a moment before simultaneously bowing towards the void.

“As you command!”

Only after the voice faded did they straighten up.

Ling Shi laughed heartily, “As expected, Senior already saw through everything!”

Gui Hou remained noncommittal. He looked ahead and urgently gave chase, “Fellow Daoist Ling, we need to discuss a plan thoroughly. Our master demands that we capture him alive, so it must be foolproof. From now on, we'll have to rely on your poison arts.”

“No problem! The Corpse Devils of Fallen Soul Abyss constantly temper corpse poison, so ordinary toxins are ineffective against them. However, my poison arts are an exception; I guarantee he won't be returning!”

In the Daoist temple.

Qin Sang's true body sat cross-legged on the stone bed, surrounded by twinkling lights.(End of Chapter)