The dawn was breaking, and the vast expanse of yellow sand was bathed in sunlight, giving the entire oasis the appearance of being encircled by a halo of brilliant gold. At this hour, the Spirit Masters residing in the oasis poured out almost entirely, gradually converging at the foot of the towering stone mountain. Yet, the space between heaven and earth was utterly silent, steeped in a solemn stillness.

This stone mountain, impossibly, was nothing more than a single, colossal boulder!

Withdrawing his gaze of astonishment, Nie Kong secretly let out a long breath, then his eyes began to dart around shrewdly; after seeing those "Ink Snow Thunder Eagles" yesterday, Nie Kong realized he had overlooked an issue: the Flower Spirit Clan might also possess some specialized means, much like the Ink Snow Sect, allowing them to reach this oasis directly without relying on the "Snow Wave Sand Camel" of Sunset City.

"Rumble!"

Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from beneath the stone mountain, like claps of thunder. However, the sound vanished in an instant.

"It's opening!" The Prison Fire Nether Spring; it's about to open!

Following a brief hush, sounds of excited cheering broke out all around. It wasn't just the other young Spirit Masters; even Nie Kong couldn't help but momentarily cease his search for the Flower Spirit Clan members within the crowd, turning his gaze toward the stone mountain with a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.

"Rumble!"

Moments later, another booming sound echoed from below the mountain. This time, not only was the noise louder than before, but the ground itself trembled slightly.

"Rumble!" "Rumble!"

"Rumble!"

The explosions grew more rapid, more intense. After several minutes, it felt as though an earthquake had descended upon this "Furious Sand Valley," the violent tremors causing everyone’s bodies to sway precariously. For an ordinary person, maintaining balance at this point would have been impossible.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, a world-splitting, earth-shattering explosion deafened their ears, leaving them ringing. Immediately, a wave of gasps mixed with incredulous awe rose across the oasis.

Nie Kong followed the crowd, raising his eyes. He saw that the immense boulder before them had split open with a long, narrow fissure right down the middle. A fiery, crimson glow permeated from the gap, seemingly stretching from the peak of the massive stone right down to the ground—its true length unknowable. As time passed, the crack continued to expand steadily; the void between the fissure walls glowed intensely red, with brilliant luminescence continuously blooming forth.

In just a short minute or two, the fissure widened to tens of meters, as if the boulder had been cleaved perfectly in half. The surfaces of the split were smooth and level, appearing as if sliced by a blade. Several more minutes passed, and the two halves of the giant stone seemed to shift sideways a considerable distance, the gap now reaching a hundred meters wide.

The space between the fissures vibrated violently, like surging tides, sending out waves of scorching, fiery-red aura in all directions.

The area spanning hundreds of meters around the massive rock instantly felt as if it had jumped to high noon, causing many of the younger Spirit Masters to break out in a sudden sweat.

"Entering there must be the 'Prison Fire Nether Spring'!"

Nie Kong involuntarily took a deep breath.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

Two figures, one white and one black, suddenly shot out from the crowd and streaked toward the fissure. They were two young men in their early twenties. Just as they were about to vanish into that fiery-red void, a burst of azure luminescence erupted from within each of their bodies, completely enveloping them.

The next instant, their figures rapidly faded, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

After the two young men entered, the surrounding younger Spirit Masters also began to stir, the sound of rushing air continuous as figures vanished into the fissure. In a mere few minutes, the number of young Spirit Masters who had entered the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" likely surpassed a hundred.

However, the major sects and powerful clans, such as Spirit Control City and the Ink Snow Sect, remained still, merely watching. Those who rushed into the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" in their eagerness were primarily disciples from smaller families or minor sects, possessing perhaps only two or three entrance quotas, or even just one.

In truth, the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" would remain open for a full two months. Entering earlier or later made virtually no difference; if one's luck was terrible, even being the first inside wouldn't guarantee finding anything worthwhile, and vice versa.

It was rumored that once, a disciple from Mount Moluo had delayed his entry until the very day before the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" closed. When he emerged, he brought forth an incredibly miraculous medicinal herb, driving those who returned empty-handed to a frenzy of jealousy.

"Brother Chang Gong, we should begin preparations too," Yuan Xunyu said, her eyes sweeping the surroundings before settling on Gu Chang Gong beside her with a smile.

"Very well!"

As he spoke, Gu Chang Gong pulled out a stack of azure cards from his robes and began distributing them.

These cards were palm-sized, thin as leaves, crystal clear, and shone with a brilliant blue light. Intricate, delicate patterns were etched onto their surfaces. When held, a cool sensation spread out, accompanied by a marvelous feeling rapidly budding in the heart, as if the card had become an extension of the body. On the journey here, Nie Kong had heard Gu Chang Gong explain that because this thin card bore beautiful patterns on both sides—the front depicting a magnificent, surging ocean, and the reverse showing blue skies and white clouds—they were named "Azure Sea Azure Sky" upon their discovery.

This "Azure Sea Azure Sky" served as the essential pass to enter the "Prison Fire Nether Spring."

Without such a card, even Spirit Masters whose cultivation surpassed the Imperial Spirit level could not pass through that fissure to reach the "Prison Fire Nether Spring." Back when several Heavenly Spirit powerhouses discovered the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," they engaged in numerous conflicts over the possession of these "Azure Sea Azure Sky" tokens, inadvertently allowing the news to spread across the continent, making it impossible for them to keep it secret any longer. Ultimately, under the mediation and direction of the "Spirit God Palace" and the major Spirit Master Holy Lands, nearly every sect and family of any decent strength on the continent received a portion of the "Azure Sea Azure Sky."

The moment a Spirit Master passed through the fissure, the "Azure Sea Azure Sky" would merge completely with their body. This integration was necessary for the Spirit Master to survive within the "Prison Fire Nether Spring." Most curiously, even if someone died inside the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," others could not steal the card from them.

This was because upon death, the body would instantly be teleported out, and only at the instant of leaving the fissure would the "Azure Sea Azure Sky" disengage from the body.

"Hold onto them carefully!"

Soon, all ten "Azure Sea Azure Sky" cards were handed out. Gu Chang Gong earnestly cautioned, "Nie Kong, Lan Shang, all ten of you must remember: safety comes first once inside; finding the spring eye is secondary. Also, if disputes arise with other sects or clans, do not act rashly on bravado, but neither must you tarnish the reputation of our Spirit Control City."

"Understood!"

Seeing Gu Chang Gong's serious expression, Nie Kong, Lan Shang, and the others adopted solemn looks. Gu Chang Gong smiled with satisfaction. Noticing that Yuan Xunyu had also finished instructing the Ink Snow Sect disciples beside her, he waved his hand, and the twenty young disciples from the two sects gathered together, speeding toward that fiery-red void.

Nie Kong lingered at the very end, frequently turning his head to look back. Now, many more young Spirit Masters had entered the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," and the crowd at the foot of the boulder had thinned considerably. Yet, up to this moment, Nie Kong had not spotted a single female who resembled a "Flower Spirit Clan member."

Although he had only seen Hua Yanlian and Hua Mei of the Flower Spirit Clan so far, and the information he gleaned from others was merely theoretical, if they truly were present, Qing Yue, the thousand-year-old Medicine Spirit, should definitely sense them. After all, the ancestor of the Flower Spirit Clan was the "Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring," while Qing Yue's true form was the "Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid"—the two species were quite related.

"Brother Chang Gong, what is your Spirit Control City disciple, Nie Kong, searching for?" Yuan Xunyu asked in a soft voice upon noticing Nie Kong's constant scanning.

Gu Chang Gong did not answer, but his heart was filled with suspicion.

What exactly was this young fellow looking for?

Gu Chang Gong had already observed Nie Kong's unusual behavior. In Sunset City, he had mostly gone out early and returned late, wandering the city. According to Kan Tian, the boy often asked residents if they had seen any Spirit Master contingent composed entirely of women. Upon reaching this oasis and visiting the Ink Snow Sect, he continued to roam everywhere. Today, his eyes constantly swept the surrounding area.

In Gu Chang Gong's eyes, Nie Kong was different from other Spirit Control City disciples. Since Nie Kong never mentioned it himself, Gu Chang Gong felt it was improper to pry too deeply.

"Buzz!"

"Buzz!"

The resonant humming continued, and the brilliant azure luminescence flickered intermittently. Lan Shang, Liu Hemeng, Bai Yuqing, Nie Fenghua, and others successively entered the "Prison Fire Nether Spring." In mere moments, Nie Kong was the only one remaining outside the expanse of the fiery-red void among the more than twenty disciples from Spirit Control City and the Ink Snow Sect.

At this point, Nie Kong couldn't help but feel anxious. If the Flower Spirit Clan members had not arrived at the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" as his Third Aunt Mu Lengxing had suggested, the situation would become troublesome. As this thought crossed his mind, Nie Kong couldn't help but frown, his gaze rapidly scanning the crowd.

"Whoosh!"

A faint sound of rushing air was heard, and several more figures zipped past Nie Kong, plunging into the fiery-red void with lightning speed.

"Forget it then!"

Nie Kong finally sighed with a sense of resignation. According to the original plan, the twenty members from Spirit Control City and the Ink Snow Sect were to move together to ensure the safety of the disciples. If he kept them waiting inside for too long, Nie Kong would feel quite guilty, so he turned and approached the violently undulating void. Since he hadn't found them in the outer "Furious Sand Valley," Nie Kong could only place his hopes inside the "Prison Fire Nether Spring."

"Buzz!"

An azure light diffused from the thin plate on his chest, and in the next instant, Nie Kong, wrapped in the blue glow, was swiftly swallowed by that expanse of crimson flame. Just seconds after Nie Kong entered, six massive, crimson silhouettes streaked across the sky above the "Furious Sand Valley," several dozen li from the oasis. With the body of an eagle and the head of a dragon, they were entirely blood-red—six "Blood-Devouring Dragon Eagles." Seated cross-legged on the broad backs of these eagles were six graceful figures, their hair flying and robes billowing in the wind.