Chapter 1604: Dragon Hni Ji, Lei Yunbin, Li Shuo and Zhao Lei Four Great Huashen

The Golden Flame Mountain Range, located in the southeastern part of the Sky Providence Realm, stretches for millions of miles. It is abundant with volcanoes and rich in fire spiritual energy, nurturing many fire-attribute spirit herbs and a large number of fire-attribute demonic beasts. After the Sky Providence Sect unified the Sky Providence Realm, they established a branch here, dispatching five Nascent Soul cultivators to oversee it. This location features a spatial node, and the other side of this node likely leads to a different realm.

The Golden Flame Mountain Range is dotted with numerous structures. One can observe many rare and exotic birds and beasts, seldom seen outside, and a large number of cultivators active within the building complexes.

The entire mountain range is covered with thousands of volcanoes, both large and small. From time to time, pillars of crimson lava can be seen erupting skyward. The air is filled with a pungent sulfurous smell, the temperature is frighteningly high, and the sky itself is a reddish hue.

Deep within the mountain range stands a towering, ten-thousand-foot-high peak. The entire peak is crimson, with treacherous, sheer sides, resembling, at first glance, a colossal sword piercing the ground. Its slopes are covered in jagged rocks, and at its summit sits a crimson palace, over ten feet tall, with upturned eaves, red tiles, and glazed beasts adorning its ridge.

A golden plaque hangs on the palace, bearing the three silver characters "Golden Flame Palace."

Four men and one woman, all Nascent Soul cultivators, were gathered in the grand hall. An elderly man with a youthful complexion and white hair sat in the main seat. He wore a green Taoist robe, had a goatee, and possessed a serene countenance. Judging by his aura, he was clearly a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

"The Profound Origin Disk has reacted," the green-robed elder asked in a solemn and serious tone. "I've already reported it to the sect, and I believe they will arrive soon. How are the restrictions coming along?"

The green-robed elder, named Ma Hongfei, had over two hundred years of lifespan remaining. He hailed from the prestigious Ma family of cultivators, though the concept of powerful cultivation families ceased to exist after the Sky Providence Sect unified the Sky Providence Realm.

After unifying the Sky Providence Realm, the Sky Providence Sect spent three centuries standardizing language, culture, and prices, investing vast cultivation resources into nurturing disciples, and refining numerous magical artifacts and formations, all in preparation for invading other realms. The new generation of cultivators developed a strong sense of belonging to the Sky Providence Sect, but Ma Hongfei felt a stronger allegiance to his family. The Ma family remained the Ma family, but was now subservient to the Sky Providence Sect's commands. Anyone daring to defy the sect's orders would face severe punishment, a fate Ma Hongfei dared not risk.

To invade other realms, the Sky Providence Realm expended vast human and material resources, crafting dozens of Profound Origin Disks, which were then placed in areas with numerous spatial nodes. A reaction from a Profound Origin Disk indicated that cultivators from another realm intended to open a spatial passage.

Ma Hongfei knew that the Sky Providence Sect intended to invade other realms. Two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Ma family had also been dispatched to an alien realm, poised to open a spatial passage connecting the two realms.

No one could guarantee that the Sky Providence Realm would definitively prevail over other realms. Therefore, a large number of restrictions had to be set up. If another realm proved stronger, the Sky Providence Realm would immediately seal the passage, ensuring absolute safety.

A benevolent-looking old woman in a green robe nodded and said, "The arrangements are almost complete. There are a total of thirty-six sets of formations, covering the entire Golden Flame Mountain Range. Stopping one hundred to eighty Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn't be an issue, but Soul Transformation cultivators are a different story."

Ma Hongfei frowned and said in a stern tone, "That's not enough. Notify the other branches to dispatch more personnel, especially formation masters and formation-laying tools. The Golden Flame Mountain Range is suitable for deploying fire-attribute formations, so transport more fire-attribute formation materials here."

"Junior Nephew Ma is correct," a majestic female voice suddenly resounded. "Immediately dispatch a group of people to seal off an area of a hundred million miles, transforming it into an independent space. This way, we can both advance and retreat." As soon as the words fell, a crimson flood dragon, over a hundred feet long, flew in. With a flash of red light, the crimson flood dragon transformed into a red-clad young woman with picturesque features. The young woman had fair skin, a beauty mark at the corner of her mouth, and a pair of crystalline, coral-like long horns on her head. Her body emanated a vast and boundless aura, clearly identifying her as a Soul Transformation cultivator.

Upon seeing the red-clad young woman, Ma Hongfei and the other four immediately stood up, bowed respectfully, and said in unison, "Disciples greet Martial Aunt Long."

The Sky Providence Sect made no distinction based on race, treating all equally. Those with a lineage were addressed according to their seniority, while those without were addressed according to their cultivation level.

"Junior Nephew Ma, you've done well with your assignment," the red-clad young woman instructed. "Send more personnel, mobilize various resources, and seal this place first. It won't be too late to open the spatial passage afterward." The red-clad young woman, who had named herself Long Hanji, gave the order.

"Junior Sister Long, let's open the spatial passage first!" a gentle male voice suddenly declared. "Lest what happened last time repeats, wasting our efforts. We don't have that much time to spare." As soon as his words fell, countless silver electric arcs suddenly illuminated the void. With a flash of silver light, a tall, slender young man in a silver robe appeared in the hall.

The silver-robed young man had handsome features, wore a silver magic robe, a silver jade crown on his head, and a white jade belt around his waist. His aura was even more powerful than Long Hanji's.

"Disciples greet Martial Uncle Lei!" Ma Hongfei and the others bowed in unison, their expressions utterly respectful.

The silver-robed young man's strength ranked among the top five in the Sky Providence Realm. His name was Lei Yunbin, and he possessed the Body of Qian Thunder, granting him immense supernatural abilities.

"Senior Brother Lei," Long Hanji said with a frown, "we alone can't open a spatial passage. This is a passage connecting two realms; ordinary magical artifacts simply can't maintain its stability. If it collapses, any disciples inside will perish."

Lei Yunbin smiled faintly and said, "Senior Brother Zhao and Junior Brother Li have already arrived. With the four of us, plus the Sky-Shattering Profound Light Sword and the Seven-Colored Glazed Pearl, these two Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures, we have enough to maintain the spatial passage. We've sent out five waves of people so far, and most have been killed or injured, with only a dozen or so still alive. If we wait any longer, repeating the mistakes of last time, we'd have to send another group of experts and then wait for several hundred years or even longer."

Long Hanji's delicate brows furrowed slightly, then she nodded and said, "Since Senior Brother Zhao and Junior Brother Li have arrived, then there's no problem. Let's go!" She looked at Ma Hongfei and instructed, "Junior Nephew Ma, the sect has dispatched tens of thousands of cultivators here. Settle them, and have them continuously build restriction formations day and night, sealing off an area of a hundred million miles."

"Yes, Martial Aunt Long." Ma Hongfei repeatedly agreed, his expression filled with excitement.

Long Hanji and Lei Yunbin transformed into two streaks of light and flew away.

In the northwestern corner of the Golden Flame Mountain Range, on a low, crimson peak, a somewhat hunchbacked middle-aged man and a corpulent old man in a red robe stood at the summit. Both gazed gravely into the sky.

The middle-aged man wore a purple Taoist robe, his eyes sharp as lightning. The red-robed elder had a fair complexion, his neck was not visible, and his protruding belly made him resemble a moving mountain of flesh.

The middle-aged man's surname was Li and his given name was Shuo, a cultivator at the early Soul Transformation stage. The red-robed elder's surname was Zhao and his given name was Lei.

Over a hundred cultivators stood behind them, with as many as twenty being Nascent Soul cultivators.

Long Hanji and Lei Yunbin flew from a distance and landed in front of Li Shuo and Zhao Lei.

"We've been working for over six hundred years, and finally, we're making some progress," Zhao Lei said, his expression somewhat complex, as he gazed up at the void. "I hope we don't repeat past mistakes."

"Let's begin!" Lei Yunbin said solemnly. "The Profound Origin Disk reacted over a month ago. The longer we delay, the more likely the disciples in the other realm are to perish." Lei Yunbin stated this gravely, not because he cared about the lives of those disciples, but because dispatching a disciple to another realm was not easy, and they had been waiting for hundreds of years.