Chapter 268: Reunion

At some unknown point, the fire spirits had escaped the confines of the totem barrier and entered the lava river. Previously, at the volcano crater, the circular restriction had been damaged, but the totem barriers were still intact. Now, even those had shattered.

What exactly happened up there?

Qin Sang was astonished, but more than that, he was worried.

He had no idea where all these fire spirits had come from, completely blocking his escape route. He wasn't afraid of the firebirds, but he dared not charge forward against the flaming flying monkeys and humanoid specters. Moreover, the disturbance seemed to have been triggered from deep within the ancient immortal's dwelling, making it even more imperative not to put himself in harm's way. Perhaps it was a good thing that he hadn't stayed at the volcano crater.

Qin Sang looked up at the circular restriction above him. Its light flickered erratically, constantly assailed by shockwaves, and vibrating along with the earth and lava. Yet, it remained solid, though he didn't know when it might shatter.

Behind him, countless fire spirits pursued relentlessly, like caged beasts finally set free, shouting and shrieking loudly. They played and danced in the lava, seemingly creating a joyous scene. But Qin Sang knew full well that if they spotted him, their demeanor would turn completely hostile, revealing murderous intent!

He couldn't afford to wait in place; he was effectively being pushed forward. The lava flowed even faster, and although the fire spirits seemed to be playing, their speed was by no means slow. Qin Sang pushed himself to his limits, only managing to barely maintain some distance.

Swallowing a bottle of Azure Spirit Pills, Qin Sang checked his supplies. He had plenty of spiritual pills on hand, so he didn't need to worry about running out of spiritual power in the short term. But where was he to go? If he couldn't find a damaged section of the circular restriction along the way, he would have no choice but to keep fleeing, eventually leaving the bounds of the ancient cultivator's dwelling. This was something Qin Sang wished to avoid.

Qin Sang pondered silently. Judging by the tremors from behind, this disturbance was likely far from simple. If there were any weak points in the circular restriction, there was a high chance they would be shaken open, forming cracks or even gaps. Perhaps he could escape there. However, the only weak point Qin Sang knew of was beneath the second trial. The trial space and the ancient cultivator's dwelling were likely two separate spaces, divided by restrictions. Qin Sang also couldn't be sure whether the exact location of the trial space corresponded to the ancient cultivator's dwelling. If it did, it should be near the stone tablet. Regardless, he had to go and check.

Qin Sang quickly calculated his current position. Since entering the ancient cultivator's dwelling until now, he had meticulously noted every path taken and every change in direction, mentally drawing a simple map, aligning it with his surroundings. He was currently moving southeast, and had already deviated from the direction of the stone tablet.

Qin Sang quickly scanned the various branches of the river ahead, selected one, and darted into it. The lava river had countless branches, intersecting and forming a complex network. Qin Sang repeatedly changed his route, finally adjusting his direction, and fled directly toward the stone tablet.

Unexpectedly, while fleeing, Qin Sang discovered that fire spirits were appearing in other directions as well. This greatly alarmed him. His worst fear had come true: the subterranean cave with crimson-gold vines was not an isolated case; deep within the ancient cultivator's dwelling, there were many similar places where fire spirits were bred. The circular restrictions there must have already shattered, but Qin Sang dared not approach. These fire spirits were not merely firebirds; three types of fire spirits had already converged.

Qin Sang was forced to change his direction. While this avoided the misfortune of being cornered, the space available for maneuver was shrinking, and the distance between him and the fire spirits was slowly closing.

He swallowed spiritual pills one after another.

Qin Sang transformed into a streak of sword light, cutting through successive waves. He dared not pause for a moment. The spiritual power from his pills was consumed almost as soon as it was generated, barely keeping up with the demands of the Ebony Sword. A cramping pain shot through his qi sea. If only the Nine Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman could be used. Qin Sang chuckled self-deprecatingly, and continued to flee with his head down.

Suddenly, a deafening roar of waves came from ahead. This sound signified a large lava lake. No sooner had this thought crossed Qin Sang's mind than his vision abruptly widened, and he found himself in the lava lake. This vast lake was the largest Qin Sang had seen since entering the lava, countless times larger than the subterranean cave. Numerous lava rivers flowed into it, its surface stretching boundlessly, like a sea of lava.

This was not necessarily a good thing. With no cover and an open view, traveling grandly on his sword would easily draw the attention of the fire spirits. Sure enough, not long after Qin Sang entered the lava lake, he saw figures of fire spirits appearing and disappearing among the undulating waves on the distant shore.

Just as Qin Sang was about to approach the center of the lake, he suddenly heard a piercing roar. Startled, he looked back, and saw a dazzling white escape light darting out from one of the lava rivers. Behind it, a horde of enraged fire spirits clung close to its tail, swarming out from the river mouth. Their numbers swelled, seemingly endless. Countless fire spirits screamed as they plunged into the lava lake, instantly throwing the sea of lava into chaos.

Witnessing this scene, Qin Sang cursed inwardly. He had no time to ponder why someone else was here. Without hesitation, he fully activated his Ebony Sword and fled. Amidst his haste, he glanced at the distant escape light. His expression suddenly froze, and his speed instinctively slowed by a few points.

The white escape light was incredibly fast, so fast that even the frenzied fire spirits couldn't catch up. Soon, it was flying alongside Qin Sang. At this moment, the person controlling the escape light finally noticed Qin Sang, who had been quietly fleeing.

“Oh?”

A surprised sound came from within the escape light. Then, it paused slightly, and the light abruptly dissipated, revealing an aged figure. It was none other than Yun Youzi, who piloted the Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat!

“Brother Qin?”

The two exchanged glances, both extremely surprised.

“Senior, what are you doing here?” Qin Sang was the first to ask. Just now, when he saw the escape light, he felt its fluctuations were familiar, very similar to Yun Youzi's Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat. Only the Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat could achieve such speed. In this situation, having an extra helper increased the chances of escape. Thus, Qin Sang slowed down and waited. It really was Yun Youzi!

“I found a spiritual herb deep underground,” Yun Youzi began, “and just as I was about to attempt to harvest it, the world suddenly collapsed, the circular restriction shattered, and I accidentally fell into the lava river. I didn't have time to escape before being entangled by the fire spirits, so I could only keep running forward…”

Yun Youzi's words were cut short, abruptly interrupted by a chorus of shrieks. The fire spirits had already caught up. Yun Youzi's expression shifted slightly, and he hastily said, “Brother Qin, quickly get onto the bamboo boat! Don't let these beasts surround you!”

Qin Sang's eyes flickered. He pondered for a moment, then finally nodded. He retracted his sword light, and swiftly boarded the Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat.

“I didn't expect to meet you again, Brother Qin, under such circumstances, both times,” Yun Youzi remarked, his voice tinged with joy. “My spiritual pills are all used up, and I was almost at the point of spiritual power exhaustion. It's truly great to have met you, Brother Qin! We can take turns piloting the bamboo boat, so we won't have to worry about being entangled by those beasts.”