The meteor plummeted with extreme velocity. In the mere blink of an eye, it had halted firmly upon the ground. Then, the dazzling light receded, revealing two figures.

Had He Yiming still been present, he surely would have recognized one of the two men instantly.

Hao Tong, the elder revered within the Lingxiao Treasure Hall as the foremost Alchemist, was currently scrutinizing his surroundings with piercing eyes. The gentle smile that usually graced his features was entirely absent, replaced instead by an expression of utmost gravity. After carefully examining the ground around them, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Brother Hao, can you discern whose handiwork this is?"

The other man was also an elder, though he appeared somewhat younger than Hao Tong, possessing a handsomeness that Hao Tong could not match.

Hao Tong shook his head slightly. "Junior Brother Xu, your elder brother cannot make it out. What about you?"

Junior Brother Xu pondered for a long moment before finally sighing. "To condense the Power of Fire to this degree—even among our generation, only a handful can achieve it. Yet, I truly cannot fathom why they would come here, and then display their power as if issuing a challenge."

Hao Tong lifted his gaze again, sweeping it across the landscape for some time. "Perhaps it was not a challenge."

Junior Brother Xu started slightly. "Brother Hao, in your estimation, what was this person's intent?"

Hao Tong began to walk slowly. His steps appeared leisurely, but in only a moment, he had traversed the entire scorched earth. When he finally stopped, he stood precisely where He Yiming had unleashed the Nine Dragon Furnace for the second time.

"Junior Brother Xu, if this elder brother is not mistaken, this individual stood right here and unleashed that immense Power of Fire twice consecutively." Hao Tong’s face was grim. "To generate such terrifying destructive power without moving from his spot, and without borrowing the strength of heaven and earth—it is truly astonishing."

Junior Brother Xu’s expression shifted. After a moment of silence, he finally conceded, "Indeed, Senior Brother you see things most clearly. The Power of Fire this person utilized truly originated from within, not drawn from the ambient fire energy of the world before being compressed and detonated."

Hao Tong chuckled heartily. "Junior Brother Xu, the reason I could discern this is simply because I myself cultivate the Power of Fire."

Junior Brother Xu bowed his head. "Since this person did not intentionally draw upon the energy of heaven and earth, relying purely on their own strength to unleash the Fire Power... I understand now. He was practicing a martial skill."

Hao Tong nodded. "Precisely. That seems to be the only explanation, and I am certain that what this person has mastered must be an entirely new martial technique. Perhaps upon arriving here, he suddenly entered a state of sudden enlightenment. Once the understanding struck him, he couldn't restrain himself and consecutively unleashed two such powerful Fire-attributed battle techniques."

If He Yiming were present and overheard this commentary, he would certainly be astounded by the elder’s wisdom and experience.

Although Hao Tong had not witnessed the event firsthand, his deductions were nearly spot on.

However, no matter how brilliant his calculations, he could never have guessed that the person who unleashed such formidable Fire Power was not some supreme master on his own level, but merely He Yiming, who had not even reached the Venerable realm.

A flicker of envy crossed Junior Brother Xu’s face.

It seemed everyone reacted almost identically upon hearing the term 'sudden enlightenment.'

A moment later, Junior Brother Xu inquired, "Brother Hao, how do you intend to handle this matter? Should we report it to the Sect Master for a decision?"

Hao Tong hesitated for a brief moment. "Although the Sect Master instructed before entering seclusion that he could be summoned should a major event occur, in my view, this person is likely a passerby, not someone intentionally provoking us."

Junior Brother Xu displayed a look of agreement. "This person departed before we arrived; this clearly shows he did not wish to meet us. If he had come to provoke us, he certainly wouldn't have hidden away."

Suddenly, as if sensing something simultaneously, both of them looked towards the direction of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

In only a moment, figures flickered, and the two patrolling Venerables of the Treasure Hall, Gao Weiliang and Du Wenbin, rushed over in haste.

The fiery energy summoned by the Nine Dragon Furnace was simply too vast. Even though these Venerables were a hundred li away, they could still sense the enormous surge of True Qi from this location.

Since even the two supreme figures in the highest level of the Pagoda had been alerted and personally came to investigate, the two patrolling Venerables dared not delay any further.

However, running on the ground was inherently slower than flying in the sky. Although Hao Tong and the other elder felt wary of the mysterious expert who unleashed the Fire Power and thus held back slightly during their flight, they still reached the scene a fraction of a moment ahead of the two patrolling Venerables.

Gao Weiliang and Du Wenbin bowed in unison. "Greetings, Second and Third Senior Brothers."

Though they addressed them as 'Senior Brother' aloud, their gestures were excessively respectful, almost bordering on adhering to the protocol for a Master.

Hao Tong nodded slightly. "Junior Brothers, you need not concern yourselves with this matter." He paused in thought. "However, send out an order. Instruct all disciples within a thousand li radius to be alert for any similar incidents occurring within this range."

Gao Weiliang and the other responded instantly with an affirmation.

Hao Tong looked up at the sky and gave a cold chuckle. "If this person was merely passing through, then this unintentional transgression can be overlooked. But if he unleashes such power again within a thousand li, it will be a deliberate provocation. At that time, this old man will personally step in and see whether his Fire Power is fiercer, or if this old man's Fire Power is superior."

When he spoke these words, he was filled with unwavering confidence. Even after seeing the scorched earth before him, his self-assurance had not wavered in the slightest.

Junior Brother Xu laughed out loud. "Senior Brother's might has not diminished over the years! If we truly encounter this person, allow this junior brother to observe by the side."

The two exchanged a knowing smile, and a beam of light simultaneously erupted from their bodies.

This light enveloped them, and they transformed into two shooting stars, soaring into the sky and hurtling towards the Heaven-Piercing Pagoda of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

Gao Weiliang and Du Wenbin exchanged bitter smiles; these two still possessed the same temperament as always.

Then, they surveyed their surroundings, and gradually, their expressions turned grim.

While Hao Tong could treat the extent of the damage here with casual disregard, it did not mean the other Venerables possessed that same luxury.

After a long while, Gao Weiliang took a deep breath. "Junior Brother Du, what is your assessment of this person?"

"Strong," Du Wenbin replied without hesitation. "The Fire Power this person possesses, although perhaps not quite equal to Brother Hao's, is close. It is definitely far beyond what you and I can hope to match."

Gao Weiliang nodded slowly, then abruptly asked, "If you were forced to confront this person, Junior Brother Du, what percentage chance do you give yourself of escaping?"

What he inquired about was not victory, but escape, revealing that in his heart, he had already accepted that they were far from being this person's match.

If they truly encountered this individual, their only course of action would not be to fight desperately, but to turn tail and flee—and whether they could escape remained to be seen.

Du Wenbin frowned this time. After a moment, he sighed lightly. "In this environment, my chances of escape are minimal. But in a different setting, that would be difficult to say."

Gao Weiliang forced a wry smile. "Such powerful Fire Power—who could this person possibly be?"

Du Wenbin's gaze swept around the area. Although he knew that Senior Brother Hao and the others must have searched, he still lowered his voice. "Senior Brother, could it be someone from the Southern Frontier?"

Gao Weiliang's face immediately held a hint of strangeness. He coughed lightly. "Junior Brother, let us proceed as Senior Brother Hao suggested. This matter is not something we should interfere with."

Du Wenbin's eyes sharpened, and he quickly nodded. "Senior Brother speaks rightly; it is best we do not meddle."

The two exchanged a glance of perfect mutual understanding and immediately turned to leave.

In the month that followed, centered around the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, every disciple within a thousand li, including inner sect members, outer disciples, and even the Great Shen Imperial Family, received an invitation or an order.

The patch of scorched earth a hundred li from the Lingxiao Treasure Hall had already been visited by countless individuals.

Subsequently, throughout this thousand-li region, countless people kept a vigilant watch. They aimed to find another identical patch of scorched earth, and even more so, to locate the mysterious individual who created this devastation, whose origins were unknown.

Although everyone understood that if they actually encountered that mysterious person, their lives would most likely be forfeit, under the substantial bounty posted by the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, countless people nevertheless joined the search without hesitation.

Yet, the final outcome greatly disappointed all those who dedicated themselves to the task.

After months of searching, not even a single clue was found. That person seemed to have vanished into thin air, as if erased from everyone's sight. If not for that massive stretch of scorched earth remaining, coupled with the immense prestige of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, which remained unchanged for centuries, people might have suspected the whole affair was an extremely malicious joke.

However, no one knew that upon learning there were no other scorched areas nearby, both Hao Tong and Junior Brother Xu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the Lingxiao Treasure Hall did not fear trouble, they certainly did not wish to invite complications while the Sect Master was in seclusion.

Since that person was wary of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall's reputation and voluntarily retreated, it was truly a situation where everyone was satisfied.

But among them, no one ever considered that the creator of that scorched earth was not one of the great figures they imagined, but merely an outsider lurking within the city of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

While the outer disciples searched with diligent effort, no one directed their gaze towards the massive city itself.

This was arrogance, and it was confidence, but precisely because of this excessive self-assurance, their focus was misplaced...