Under the gaze of the three-headed silver wolf, Ji Changkong felt his body paralyzed by some unseen force, his soul clouded and disoriented, momentarily losing all sense of direction. Break!

A voice surged from the depths of his heart, the Tai Xu Secret Record, buried deepest in memory, flashed instantly across his mind.

A cool sensation washed over him from head to toe, as if he were standing in a blizzard. The dizziness in his soul vanished completely. When his self-awareness returned, he merely circulated his internal power twice before swiftly snapping out of his confusion.

The three-headed silver wolf glanced at him once more before withdrawing its gaze. No longer affected by that power, Ji Changkong secretly observed those beside him. He noticed the two sons of Liu Lan looked utterly bewildered, seemingly having forgotten who they were. Even Liu Lan himself displayed a flicker of confusion in his eyes, though he was rapidly regaining clarity.

However, Hong Mandun, standing next to him, showed the distinct shape of two small swords manifesting in his pupils, gleaming brightly. He had clearly not fallen for the three-headed silver wolf’s enchantment, which gave Ji Changkong a small start.

Hong Mandun’s cultivation of the Way of the Heavenly Scholar must be quite unique; having spent so many years in a state of continuous bewilderment, he was perhaps already immune to such influence and thus unaffected. Leo of the Three-Eyed Clan, whose third eye had never opened, suddenly unleashed a piercing beam of bright light.

After the strong light faded, Leo grinned, obviously recovered from the daze. It seemed his third eye indeed possessed a marvelous function, only revealing itself at critical moments.

Tiny motes of starlight emerged from the small orifices on Teet’s face. Like Leo, he seemed to possess a peculiar power inherent to his lineage. After the starlight spilled from the terrifying orifices on his face, Teet’s expression turned icy, and he, too, quickly returned to normal.

Xiao Han and the Fire Phoenix were entirely unswayed by the three-headed silver wolf, maintaining their composure from start to finish, not a moment of confusion showing on their faces.

The silver wolf’s strange soul-capturing ability had evidently failed against Xiao Han and the Fire Phoenix. This seemed to surprise the beast, and a thought radiated from its eyes: "I didn't expect you two to have made further progress."

The hideous scars on the Fire Phoenix’s face were dense, like wriggling earthworms. Her gaze was sharp as a blade, and she spoke coldly, “The last few times, a mere instant of bewilderment left me with a fresh scar. After enduring this much ‘instruction,’ how could I not improve?”

The head of the three-headed silver wolf that faced the Fire Phoenix actually nodded slightly, a look of profound interest flickering in its wolf eyes. It shifted its body slightly, suddenly raised its head, and let out another fierce howl.

White Bone Puppets began to surge forth from the distance, interspersed with fierce beasts among them. This formation, composed of Bone Puppets and monstrous creatures, advanced aggressively, enveloping Ji Changkong’s group again almost instantaneously.

Without needing any further command from the three-headed silver wolf, the Bone Puppets and the beast swarm immediately initiated an attack.

Concurrently, a series of sharp cracking sounds erupted from the space beside the Fire Phoenix and Xiao Han. Sharp, brittle bone spikes rained down like a dense mist, hurtling towards the Fire Phoenix, Xiao Han, and Ji Changkong and Hong Mandun behind them. Each spike was bone-white, shrouded in chilling Yin energy; even before they drew near, they caused the heart to tremble.

Liu Lan, finally shaking off the daze completely, saw the incoming spikes and, without hesitation, struck out towards his two sons, exclaiming sharply, “Awaken!”

The blow from Liu Lan finally roused his two sons from their stupor. They quickly moved to stand beside him, bracing themselves against the torrential downpour of bone spikes from above. “Tian Lie, Yin Ji, Tu Tie, move out!” the Fire Phoenix roared, and the flames enveloping her body instantly surged outward. She herself leaped up, darting straight towards the three-headed silver wolf. “Good!” Several responses echoed from the invisible mist, and waves of intense energy fluctuations emanated from the smoke, targeting the other three heads of the silver wolf.

It appeared that the leaders of the other four factions—Tian Lie, Yin Ji, Tu Tie, and Jiu Nan—had begun to coordinate with the Fire Phoenix to strike the three-headed silver wolf.

With the four factions of Tian Lie, Yin Ji, Tu Tie, and Jiu Nan moving in concert, the three-headed silver wolf found itself attacked from front and back, becoming even more volatile.

A sky-shrouding expanse of flames enveloped the Fire Phoenix completely, simultaneously blocking the view of the three-headed silver wolf, preventing those behind her from seeing the development of the battle. Nor did they have the time to observe the fighting up front.

The endless rain of bone spikes bore down on them. Both Liu Lan’s group and Leo’s contingent from the Three-Eyed Clan were struggling to cope. Hong Mandun kept his eyes closed, gripping his longsword, motionless, but the sword aura within him shot skyward, intertwining with the falling storm of bone spikes.

Ji Changkong, standing beside Hong Mandun, benefited greatly. Mid-descent, many of the bone spikes were struck by sword auras that materialized from thin air, causing them to explode mid-flight. Only a scattered few managed to evade detection and continue toward him and Hong Mandun, prompting him to finally act, drawing his saber to cleave through the survivors.

Hong Mandun had devoted himself entirely to sword techniques, immersed in a strange realm for years. Though only newly ascended to the Ten Directions Heaven realm, his actual combat prowess seemed superior to that of an average practitioner.

Liu Lan was also in the Ten Directions Heaven realm, perhaps having resided there longer than Hong Mandun. His divine weapon and internal aura were certainly stronger than Hong Mandun’s. However, when fighting, he could only rely on the power of his weapon and his vast reserves of internal energy to meet the assault.

Unlike Liu Lan, Hong Mandun’s application of swordsmanship had reached a subtle, marvelous level. He did not rely on divine weapons or the sheer magnitude of his internal power, but solely on his comprehension of swordsmanship to neutralize every danger. In this regard, Hong Mandun, a Heavenly Scholar newly entered into the Ten Directions Heaven realm, was perhaps not inferior to Liu Lan.

Ji Changkong drew this conclusion while having a relatively easy time, observing the methods used by Hong Mandun and Liu Lan.

Only a Ten Directions Heavenly Scholar who has endured countless hardships, tasted the full spectrum of human suffering and joy, and survived numerous great battles can exert the maximum potential of the Ten Directions Heaven realm! If he could just grasp this essence… Whoosh!

Suddenly calming himself completely, he held the Dragon Radiance Saber, not drawing excessively on his internal reserves, but merely employing the insights gained from years of fighting. Stripping away the flashy moves, he fused the simplest energies of the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth into his saber, using the most concise and effective slashes and chops against the bone spikes.

These were just simple chopping and slashing motions, but as he poured his entire being into them, concentrating his essence, spirit, and will without reserve, these most basic movements seemed to gain a soul. A single swing descended with the weight of a mountain, like a tilting, collapsing massif, generating a crushing power of immense magnitude. Crack!

Several swiftly flying bone spikes were instantly vaporized in the void by the force of the blow. The shattered fragments flew wildly, disrupting the fine, misty rain of bone spikes above.

Hong Mandun was instantly relieved of some strain. With a sweep of his consciousness, streaks of sword aura twisted like snakes, batting away even the scattered bone spikes.

Suddenly, his coordination with Hong Mandun reached a pinnacle of synergy. Standing side-by-side, not a single bone spike managed to fall near them.

Conversely, Liu Lan and his sons, who logically should have been stronger than him and Hong Mandun, appeared somewhat frantic. Chunks of shattered bone spikes littered the ground near them, and even Liu Lan’s shoulder was grazed by a few spikes.

Yet, his two sons remained entirely unharmed.

It seemed Liu Lan, as a father, possessed a father’s resolve. In that critical moment, he must have willingly taken the wounds to shield his sons; otherwise, his two sons, only at the Nine Palaces Heaven realm, certainly would not have emerged unscathed. “Move quickly!” Xiao Han suddenly commanded, her voice chillingly sharp. Ji Changkong looked up, and a flash of joy crossed his face.

The three-headed silver wolf was entangled by the five-colored flames. Its three heads thrashed within the fire, but the five-colored flames acted like five tenacious, python-like coils, gripping the heads tightly, forcing the silver wolf to struggle to exert its power.

Beside the three-headed silver wolf, numerous figures had appeared at some point, their faces solemn, pouring all their strength into assisting the Fire Phoenix’s attack.

With just a cursory glance, Ji Changkong guessed these figures were the previously unseen leaders of Tian Lie and Yin Ji’s retinues. The four factions were positioned in four directions, unleashing a barrage of dazzling techniques and divine weapons, bombarding the three-headed silver wolf relentlessly. “Move!” Hong Mandun commanded sharply, leading the charge forward.

Ji Changkong followed almost immediately. Though maintaining a slight distance, Hong Mandun’s silhouette never left his sight.

As for Liu Lan and his sons, being preoccupied with fending off the bone spikes, they accidentally became entangled once more within the Bone Puppets, causing them to fall a step behind, finally appearing behind Ji Changkong. As they engaged, the other four factions also moved, all surging toward the small golden door.

The Fire Phoenix, ablaze with surging flames, emitted a crisp, low chirp, seemingly calling out to something.

A responding cry echoed from within the golden door ahead. Then, the door was instantly covered by the five-colored flames. The small, fire-red bird that had entered the pagoda earlier chirped incessantly from inside, clearly working with all its might to force the door open from within.

Creak!

The golden door finally cracked open a sliver, and streams of radiant light burst forth, so dazzling they forced eyes to shut tight.

A vast, distant, ancient aura surged from the opening, like an eon-slumbering ancient creature slowly awakening from its long sleep.

The three-headed silver wolf, which had been struggling intensely, suddenly found its aura strengthening again. It howled fiercely, its silver fur standing rigidly on end.

From the mouths of the silver wolf’s three heads, it spat out three smooth, round orbs—one white, one red, and one cyan. As the orbs appeared, the five-colored flames clinging to the heads seemed to corrode, beginning to break down. “Quick!” The Fire Phoenix grew anxious, opening her mouth and spewing forth another stream of flame mixed with several drops of vivid, crimson blood.

The blood drops rolled like rubies within the flame, imbuing the fire with a strange fragrance that made one wish to inhale it deeply.

However, as the flame mixed with the Fire Phoenix’s blood landed on one of the silver wolf’s heads, that head, which had been howling fiercely, immediately retracted its orb and displayed an expression of sheer terror. Screech!

The golden door ahead finally swung fully open. Figures waiting impatiently on the side swiftly flashed inside.

These individuals clearly belonged to the retinues of Tian Lie, Yin Ji, Tu Tie, and Jiu Nan. While assisting in restraining the silver wolf, they had been quietly maneuvering toward the golden door. Once it opened, they naturally seized the advantage.

Stranger after stranger vanished through the golden aperture. After opening completely, the golden door began slowly to close again. “Hurry!” Xiao Han urged softly, the first to dart through the golden door.

Following Xiao Han, Leo of the Three-Eyed Clan and Teet flashed instantly past the threshold. Hong Mandun and Ji Changkong, bringing up the rear, watched the golden door narrow rapidly, desperately surging toward it at their fastest speed.

Streaks of light suddenly materialized mid-air, covering the distance to the golden door at extreme speed, vanishing in an instant.

Ji Changkong, still a hundred zhang away from the door, only saw afterimages slicing through the golden aperture, unable to discern who possessed such terrifying speed. Awoo-awoo-awoo!

The howls of the three-headed silver wolf grew even more piercing. The beast, which had been restrained by the Fire Phoenix, seemed to break free from its bonds at that moment.

Ji Changkong was startled. Without turning back, he knew the silver wolf was loose. He immediately sped towards the golden door at his utmost velocity.

The power of his bloodline boiled, and even the energy stored in the Celestial Origin Pearl instantly flooded into his body, compounding with his innate reserves to erupt fully.

In that instant, Ji Changkong’s speed skyrocketed, and he was not far behind Hong Mandun, quickly slipping through the closing golden door. “Get out of the way!” Just as he entered, he heard a furious roar from behind him, and a youth with an icy face suddenly materialized right behind him.

Glancing back, through the crack in the golden door, he saw the desperate expressions of Liu Lan and his two sons.

A piercing, tragic shriek suddenly echoed from outside the golden door. Through the final remaining gap, Ji Changkong saw the three-headed silver wolf thrashing in fury, its claws slashing through the air, causing the remaining experts outside to fly through the air in bursts of blood. Liu Lan and his sons were among them. Bang! The golden door behind him sealed completely. At that moment, all sounds from outside vanished. Only ragged, heavy breaths remained in the immediate vicinity. Beside him, many people sank to the ground, taking out strange Origin Stones to begin restoring their depleted power.

The youth who had entered last behind him wore a perpetually cold expression, seemingly having reached the Ten Directions Heaven realm. He took a deep breath, a savage smile twisting his lips, and muttered, “Good thing I moved fast; otherwise, it would have been my turn to be butchered by that three-headed wolf.”

The youth sneered, then casually glanced at Ji Changkong. Upon discovering Ji Changkong’s cultivation was only at the Nine Palaces Heaven realm, a hint of derision crossed his lips. “Move aside a bit!”

Only after he spoke did Ji Changkong realize he was standing in a narrow passageway. Ahead lay a wide circular stone platform where the experts who had entered earlier were casually resting, many taking positions to regulate their breathing. The five supreme masters—Fire Phoenix, Tian Lie, Yin Ji, Tu Tie, and Jiu Nan—were all present among them.

It seemed the last wave of figures flashing through were these five leaders. It was their sudden decision to disengage and enter that allowed the silver wolf outside to immediately break free from its confinement, slaughtering the stragglers one after another. “Move aside!” The youth’s face darkened. “Are you deaf?” “Kid, who are you calling deaf?” Hong Mandun appeared from somewhere, standing beside Ji Changkong, his sword suddenly emitting a sharp, fierce sword aura.

Seeing Hong Mandun emerge, the youth frowned, grunted, and said no more, crossing his arms and staring coldly at Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong scrutinized the youth for a moment, said nothing more, and even offered a slight smile and nod before turning back to walk out of the narrow passage with Hong Mandun. In the instant he turned, a trace of icy, sinister killing intent flashed through his eyes.

His expression instantly returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. He calmly walked toward the area where the Fire Phoenix, Xiao Han, Leo, and Teet were seated, settling down silently next to Xiao Han and taking out a top-grade Origin Stone to begin restoring his expended energy.

After emerging from the passage, the youth let out a sinister chuckle, intentionally glancing at Hong Mandun and Ji Changkong before heading toward Yin Ji, sitting down just as honestly to recuperate.

No one spoke. On the circular platform, it seemed no one wished to waste a single moment, prioritizing the restoration of their lost power.

About half an hour later, those on the stone platform began to rise one by one. Soon, no one remained in the meditative recovery posture.

Those with profound cultivation had expended immense energy fighting the silver wolf, but their recovery speed was relatively quicker due to their superior realm. Those at lower cultivation levels might recover slower, but they had not been the primary combatants against the wolf and thus had used far less energy.

Consequently, almost everyone rose from their recovery at roughly the same time.

Having learned from the previous lapse, Ji Changkong did not extend his spiritual sense to survey the surroundings after standing up, choosing instead to observe everything with his eyes.

This was a circular stone platform. The surface material was unknown, but stepping on it sent a chilling draft surging up through the soles of his feet. The platform was about an mu in size, intricately engraved with patterns of flora and fauna. These depictions were so lifelike that looking down felt as if they were stirring.

Apart from this platform and the passage behind them leading back to the golden door, all other directions were obscured by a uniform, vast whiteness—sky, earth, and all space indistinct, making it impossible to tell East from West.

This nine-story pagoda was taller than the highest nearby peak and occupied an enormous area. Although he knew logically that the interior of the pagoda would not feel cramped, upon entering, he realized the first floor alone was far larger than he had imagined.

What lay ahead in the blinding white expanse was unknown. He subtly observed the others; some wore grave expressions, others looked excited. Only the retinues of Fire Phoenix, Tian Lie, Yin Ji, showed calm composure, as if they did not consider this floor significant.

The Fire Phoenix sat with her eyes closed. A small, fire-red bird perched quietly on her shoulder, its bright red eyes curiously observing the people around them, seemingly quite intelligent. Looking at the bird on the Fire Phoenix’s shoulder, Ji Changkong felt an inexplicable pang of sadness. He was suddenly reminded of Ji Du.

Before Ji Du departed, he also frequently liked to perch on his shoulder, chattering nonsense. Now that his ears were clear, he strangely missed the days spent accompanied by Ji Du.

Where might he be now? How was he faring? Ji Changkong mused internally. Suddenly, Ji Changkong looked up, staring blankly at the fire-red bird.

The small bird’s fiery red eyes were also fixed on him with great interest, seemingly fascinated. Its tiny wings beat slowly, indicating a state of joy and excitement.

When this bird looked at others, its curiosity was fleeting, but for some reason, upon seeing him, it became instantly engaged, showing a distinct inclination to play with him. “Don’t move erratically,” the Fire Phoenix seemed to sense the anomaly on her shoulder and murmured softly, casting a slightly surprised glance at Ji Changkong.

The Fire Phoenix had clearly noticed her little companion’s unusual reaction regarding Ji Changkong. Her gaze held a hint of confusion, perhaps puzzled as to why the bird was behaving so abnormally toward him.

“Since we are all here, let’s part ways. If you are lucky, we might meet again on the upper floors,” Tian Lie, who stood nearly three meters tall, boomed with laughter. He led his group straight into the white mist, and their figures vanished instantly upon entering.

Yinji, Tu Tie, and the forces aligned with Jiu Nan all offered polite nods to Huo Feng before falling silent and heading toward the vast white mist surrounding the circular platform. Strangely, they each entered the white mist from a different direction. Since they were all aiming for the second layer, their scattered approach within the mist puzzled Ji Changkong.

It was only then that he remembered Liu Lan, recalling all the kindness the man had shown. If Liu Lan were beside him now, perhaps he could provide an answer. Liu Lan and his two sons had been forcefully pushed aside by that youth at the final moment, missing the opportunity to enter.

Ji Changkong couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow, thinking they might have already been slain by the three-headed silver wolves outside. The demise of Liu Lan and his sons seemed to have attracted no attention whatsoever. Neither Huo Feng nor Xiao Han, nor even Leo and Tite, had mentioned them since entering this place, as if the Liu father and sons were never part of the group, as if they had never even existed.

Watching the indifference of Huo Feng and the others, Ji Changkong seemed to foresee his own fate should he perish among them. Staying with these people meant expecting no help when it mattered most; relying on others was clearly a dead end. “Us too.” Huo Feng didn’t even glance back at those behind her, speaking only to Xiao Han beside her.

Xiao Han’s expression was icy. “Mm, the sooner we find the exit and reach the second layer, the better.” Huo Feng nodded, then plunged straight into the white mist ahead. Xiao Han followed without hesitation, vanishing immediately after.

Seeing Huo Feng and Xiao Han depart, Leo and Tite rushed to follow. Leo didn't look back, but Tite did, sweeping a cold, sinister glance over Ji Changkong and Hong Mandun, as if delivering a warning to remember him. “Follow them; they know the way to the second layer,” Hong Mandun whispered urgently, then dove into the mist right after.

Ji Changkong entered the mist in the wake of Hong Mandun, following the direction the Huo Feng party had taken. With a single step, Ji Changkong froze. He felt as if he had suddenly arrived in another world.

Nine scorching suns hung suspended in the sky. As far as the eye could see, it was an endless desert, so hot that sweat streamed down his body, making him desperately want to strip off every piece of clothing. High sand dunes rose nearby, and the yellow sand underfoot burned his soles.

He scooped up a handful of sand, watched it slowly slip through his fingers, and closed his eyes to savor the sensation. This was no illusion! Ji Changkong immediately drew this conclusion: this was a real world.

The essence within the grains of yellow sand drifted through his soul sea, granting him this profound realization. In the distance, Huo Feng and Xiao Han were looking up at the nine suns, seemingly trying to ascertain their bearings. Leo and Tite followed closely behind Huo Feng.

They dared not get too near, nor could they drift too far away. These two weren't focused on identifying a direction; they were constantly calculating the precise distance they should maintain from Huo Feng. Ji Changkong initially found their behavior odd, but as he and Hong Mandun moved toward Huo Feng, he understood why Leo and Tite acted so strangely.

The closer he and Hong Mandun got to Huo Feng, the more they discovered that the temperature in the desert seemed to multiply tenfold. For some unknown reason, once Huo Feng entered the desert, the heat radiating from her body became astonishingly fierce, hundreds of times more intense than the high ambient temperature! Only Xiao Han, enveloped in her chilling aura, dared to stay close to Huo Feng.

Even Leo and Tite had to keep a safe distance, seemingly terrified of being incinerated by the heat emanating from her. Huo Feng and Xiao Han continued to observe the suns overhead, discussing something in low voices. After a short while, the two seemed to have pinpointed the correct direction and suddenly increased their speed significantly.

Seeing the two women accelerate, Tite and Leo dared not hesitate and immediately followed closely. “Let’s go. If we stick close to those two ahead, finding the exit to the second layer should be easy.

Be careful; if anything happens here, I doubt they’ll care if we live or die,” Hong Mandun cautioned Ji Changkong in a low voice. Ji Changkong nodded, secretly channeling the power of his bloodline and the energy from the Tian Yuan Bead into his body, matching Hong Mandun’s speed. This kept Huo Feng and Xiao Han constantly within his line of sight.

“The kid really has something about him,” Hong Mandun praised softly, whispering, “If anything unexpected happens here, remember to activate your Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array. It might save your life. That array is a fierce formation from before the Great Destruction, and it should serve some purpose here.” “Difficult,” Ji Changkong replied with a wry smile, explaining softly, “The scenario you described last time you were here wasn’t like this.

You told me the first layer of this nine-story pagoda was filled with mountains and rivers. If that were the case, I could attempt to use the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array to protect myself, but the reality is completely different.” The Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array achieves its greatest power when it can anchor itself to powerful artifacts or natural scenery; otherwise, its effectiveness is limited. If the caster’s realm and power are sufficiently high, the array can anchor itself to eighty-one stars.

Only then would the power of the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array be truly earth-shattering. But here, there were only sand dunes—piles of yellow sand. It seemed difficult to draw power from them, meaning the array’s potency here would be severely restricted.

“How was I supposed to know this place constantly changes? When I came last time, I was indeed surrounded by mountains. I suppose the scenario I experienced then is currently being gone through by either Tian Lie or Yin Ji…” Hong Mandun sounded genuinely helpless.

“Forget it; what use is blaming you now? We came together, and I hope we leave together,” Ji Changkong said, not dwelling on grievances. He lowered his voice.

“Besides, we share a common enemy…” “Mm,” Hong Mandun softly agreed, narrowing his eyes, clearly understanding the situation. This desert knew no night. The nine suns high in the sky seemed destined never to set, perpetually maintaining the desert’s high temperature, and seemingly trending toward even greater heat.

Huo Feng and Xiao Han continued to gauge their direction ahead. Because they had to divide their attention to this task, their speed couldn't reach its maximum—which is why Ji Changkong and the others could keep pace. Under the illumination of the nine suns, the group walked for an indeterminate time—perhaps days, perhaps months.

In this bizarre land where time could not be measured, everyone’s senses seemed to dull under the relentless glare. After an unknown passage of time, a small azure lake suddenly appeared ahead. Lush, verdant trees bordered the lake, and a wave of cool air washed over them, instantly invigorating the mentally exhausted group.

After traveling so long in the monotonous desert, encountering even a hint of green felt incredibly wonderful. To Ji Changkong’s surprise, instead of relaxing, Huo Feng and Xiao Han immediately knitted their brows, and Leo and Tite’s faces grew grim. “Something’s not right,” Hong Mandun whispered to Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong nodded, signaling that he was already on guard. Huo Feng and Xiao Han eventually reached the oasis. Huo Feng stood still beside it, while Xiao Han leaped directly into the azure water.

Suddenly, a massive demonic flower manifested from the lake, its stamen contracting and drawing in the surrounding water. The flower, the size of a small hill, abruptly rose from the water, its roots deeply embedded in the lakebed. Its spreading branches were incredibly dense, each leaf as sharp as a blade.

At the center of its crimson stamen were sharp fangs, looking from a distance like a gaping maw ready to chew flesh. The water in the small azure lake was completely engulfed by the flower’s stamen within seconds of its appearance. Naturally, Xiao Han, who had leapt into the lake, was also swallowed by the demonic flower.

Puff! Puff! The flower’s dense branches shot out, hurling themselves forward like scimitars.

Leo of the Three-Eyed Clan, at the forefront, snorted coldly, sweeping his spear and piercing numerous holes through the flying branches. Tite was not idle. His body moved with serpentine flexibility as he coiled toward the lake, occasionally reaching out a hand to grab the incoming scimitar-like branches, which immediately withered upon contact.

Huo Feng took no direct action. Instead, the small bird perched on her shoulder flew out. The bird hopped joyfully among the flower's branches, causing them to instantly turn to ash.

The small bird flew out from Huo Feng, incinerating all the branches directed toward her. It did not immediately return to Huo Feng’s shoulder; it gracefully carved through the air, flying past Ji Changkong and burning up the branches aimed at him as well. The little bird circled Ji Changkong several times, its pair of deep-red eyes full of curiosity, covertly studying him, as if trying to memorize every single strand of his hair.

“Come back,” Huo Feng called softly from a distance. Hearing Huo Feng’s call, the small, fiery-red bird glanced at Ji Changkong a few more times with curiosity before slowly turning back toward Huo Feng’s shoulder, though its gaze remained fixed on him. “Kid, what magic did you cast on that bird?

Why did it help you?” Hong Mandun asked in a low voice, frantically brushing away the withered branches of the demonic flower. “I don’t know what’s going on either,” Ji Changkong shook his head, truly perplexed as to why the bird singled him out for special treatment. “There must be something on you that attracts this bird, or it wouldn’t treat you specially.

Think hard—think about anything you possess that could attract it,” Hong Mandun urged. Something that attracts this bird? Ji Changkong was stunned, then began to seriously consider the possibility, staring at the little bird while desperately searching his memories for an answer.

At that moment, the demonic flower ahead suddenly let out a piercing, miserable scream! Ji Changkong jumped, staring blankly at the flower. He realized this flower truly possessed consciousness; otherwise, it wouldn't emit a sound like a human scream.

Amidst its cry, the flower’s branches rapidly began to ice over. Under the illumination of the nine suns, the flower transformed into a glistening ice sculpture, shining with an eerie luster. Xiao Han, whose demeanor was that of a young girl, was now beside Huo Feng, a cold, sneering smile playing on her lips.

Huo Feng pointed at the frozen flower. “Go!” The little bird spread its wings in mid-air and instantly shot into the flower’s stamen. A fierce flame erupted from the bird, and the flower’s branches instantly liquefied into crystalline dew, flowing back into the small lake.

Watching the flames soar out of the demonic flower’s stamen, a flash of inspiration struck Ji Changkong, and he suddenly seemed to understand something. Vermilion Bird Blood! The Vermilion Bird, one of the Four Sacred Beasts, was inherently in command of the true essence of fire.

If the Vermilion Bird’s massive body were shrunk millions of times, it would bear a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to that small, fiery-red bird. Could this little bird, which possessed the same deep understanding of fire’s essence, also be a fire spirit beast, or perhaps even another young Vermilion Bird? According to Dick, the Sacred Beast lineage was a powerful race even before the Great Destruction.

Being referred to as a ‘race’ implied that there must have been more than one Azure Dragon or Vermilion Bird. This meant the fiery-red bird could very well be another immature Vermilion Bird. Even if it wasn't, it was certainly related to the Vermilion Bird!

Since he carried the blood of the Vermilion Bird within him, he possessed a profound attraction to the elemental power of flames throughout the world. Perhaps not to the extent of Huo Feng, but when he urged the power of the blood in his body, the essence of the Vermilion Bird’s blood would inevitably manifest a trace of its aura. The little bird was most likely treating him specially because the aura of the Vermilion Bird had been revealed!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As he was lost in thought, crisp collision sounds echoed from ahead. Leo was seen tapping a silver spear against the strange, nearby plants. Perhaps connected to the death of the demonic flower, the surrounding vegetation rapidly withered.

In just this short while, the plants’ leaves yellowed, seemingly losing all vitality. And the water swallowed by the demonic flower’s stamen now replenished the small lake, the azure water reappearing before them. The demonic flower, melted by the flames, had vanished without a trace.

Once Huo Feng’s little bird returned to perch on her shoulder, Xiao Han released a wave of chilling energy into the lake water. The azure water quickly froze, and thick white mist coiled over the surface. In an instant, the lake solidified into thick ice-rock.

Xiao Han nodded back at Huo Feng and plunged into the ice-rock, her figure instantly dissolving. Huo Feng followed without hesitation, diving into the structure formed by the frozen rock. After Leo and Tite entered, Ji Changkong and Hong Mandun walked onto the ice-rock and looked down.

They saw that the ice resembled a mirror, in which a shimmering door was visible. It appeared solid, but the moment their feet touched it, they sank in immediately. “Let’s go,” Hong Mandun cautiously tested the surface before stepping in first.

Ji Changkong followed without hesitation, plunging in after him.