The fierce crimson light pierced straight into the heavens; the blazing fire, like a roaring bear, continued to expand in everyone's sight. Even before noon, a scorching heat could be felt pressing in.

The Flame Mountain lay ahead!

The stifling atmosphere caused by the encounter with the "Blood Soul Jade Belt Worm" vanished completely. Everyone’s spirits soared, and they subconsciously quickened their pace. At this moment, Wu Dongliu had awakened. When his eyes met Nie Kong’s, shame and gratitude flickered intermittently in his gaze.

The further they advanced, the higher the temperature hovering in the void became… About half an hour later, the Flame Mountain finally began to reveal its true appearance before them. The broad mountain range was as red as blood, towering majestically. Peaks thousands of meters high continuously spewed forth tidal waves of fire. Viewed from a distance, it resembled an immense, gigantic torch.

“We’re here!”

The crowd cheered instinctively.

Having learned from the previous lesson of the "Blood Soul Jade Belt Worm," no one scrambled to rush forward this time. Instead, they all subconsciously turned to look at Nie Kong.

Even the disciples of the Ink Snow Sect were no exception.

Given his timely warning about the dangerous journey and the power he displayed when repelling the "Blood Soul Jade Belt Worm," they held Nie Kong in deep reverence.

“Why are you all looking at me? Go snatch the medicinal herbs! Whoever gets them keeps them!” Nie Kong rubbed his chin and smiled wryly.

“……”

Hearing his words, everyone exchanged glances.

They assumed Nie Kong was using his typical reverse psychology to dampen their spirits, and a look of embarrassment flashed across their faces, especially Wu Dongliu, who felt deeply ashamed. “I mean it.”

Nie Kong was somewhat speechless. He was in an excellent mood right now; why would he waste energy pouring cold water on them? Did they really think he had nothing better to do?

Just as he was about to say something more, the 'Forbidden Luo Illusory Spirit Incense' heart-form in his brow suddenly twitched. Nie Kong’s heart leaped with joy, and he stopped wasting words. His figure shot out like lightning.

“Huh?” The others watched, utterly confused. It wasn't until Nie Kong had dashed out twenty or thirty meters that they realized Nie Kong truly wasn't being sarcastic. Excitement erupted among them, and like azure streams soaring across the sky, they surged forward in a fan shape toward the Flame Mountain range ahead. Fortunately, they hadn't let excitement completely cloud their judgment; they mobilized their spiritual power as they moved, so they weren't too dispersed. Based on intelligence gathered from their elders, a Grade Four Spirit Beast haunted the Flame Mountain area.

For them, that kind of Spirit Beast was not the main danger; the real threat came from other Spirit Masters who might also be drawn to the Flame Mountain. During previous openings of the "Hellfire Nether Spring," incidents where lone Spirit Masters were ambushed, robbed, or even quietly killed were not uncommon.

Compared to them, Bai Yuqing appeared significantly more leisurely. While others needed to search for rare medicinal herbs here, for her, herbs were like passing clouds.

Nie Kong headed straight for the mountain peak.

The little fellow had remained soundly asleep after consuming the "Golden Peak Tassel," but the "Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Incense" heart-form, being its manifestation, was tightly connected to it and inherited some of its abilities, one of which was sensing medicinal herbs. However, compared to the little fellow, its sensitivity was significantly weaker.

Just like now, his brow was twitching incessantly. Clearly, there were some exceptionally good medicinal herbs in this Flame Mountain area, but Nie Kong couldn't pinpoint their location based on the heart-form's tremors. If the little fellow were awake, it would be much simpler. Now, Nie Kong could only randomly choose a direction and try his luck. If his current direction was wrong and another disciple from Spirit Imperial City or the Ink Snow Sect found the herb, there would be nothing he could do.

The higher he climbed, the more intense the heat became. Even with the protection of the "Azure Sea Blue Sky," he could sense the oppressive heat waves pressing in from all directions. In a short while, Nie Kong’s entire body was soaked in sweat, and under the pressure carried by the heat waves, his speed slowed considerably.

Nie Kong simply mobilized his spiritual power, carefully sensing the surrounding vitality.

There was one peculiar aspect to this "Hellfire Nether Spring": the higher the temperature, the more abundant the flora. At the entrance to the "Hellfire Nether Spring," there wasn't a shadow of any plant life. On the way to the Flame Mountain, they had already spotted a few sparse plants, and within the mountain itself, there were more. The vegetation on the mountainside also differed in quantity compared to the foothills. However, all these plants were reddish-hued, making them extremely difficult to spot without careful searching.

After ascending nearly another thousand meters, Nie Kong still hadn't found anything significant. He had sensed over a hundred plants, but most had weak vitality, making them unlikely to be medicinal herbs. A few did possess slightly stronger vitality, but they were still far below Nie Kong's minimum standard.

“Nie Kong, what is that?”

A clear voice, like pearls dropping onto a jade plate, suddenly came from behind. Nie Kong didn't need to turn around to recognize the speaker as Bai Yuqing. He had already noticed that this young girl wasn't searching for herbs everywhere like Lan Shang or Liu Hemin; instead, she was climbing toward the peak just like him.

As she spoke, Bai Yuqing arrived at Nie Kong’s side. Under the assault of the surrounding heat waves, she, like Nie Kong, was completely drenched. Her snow-white skirt clung to her skin, vividly revealing the curves of her ample chest. Her full breasts, slender waist, pert buttocks, and long legs radiated an irresistible allure at that moment. Even Nie Kong couldn't help but cast an extra glance her way before following the direction of her outstretched hand to the front left.

“Oh?”

After a moment, Nie Kong let out a soft exclamation. About a hundred meters away, two blood-red boulders stood tall, and wedged at the bottom gap between them was a smaller stone. Nie Kong had seen that small stone before but hadn't paid it any attention. It was only when Bai Yuqing pointed it out that Nie Kong noticed something odd. The base of that small stone was connected to the ground by a thin, red thread, which was partially obscured by the adjacent boulders and difficult to discern from their distance.

Could that not be a stone, but a medicinal herb? Its size, comparable to a basketball, would be negligible outside, but compared to the other flora growing on the Flame Mountain, it could certainly be called 'massive'! With a thought, Nie Kong quickly moved his steps toward the front left.

Dozens of meters later, the small stone finally entered the sensory range of the heart-form.

“Such dense vitality!”

Instantly, Nie Kong’s face lit up with surprise. He slapped Bai Yuqing’s shoulder heavily. “Sister Bai, you’re incredible, that you could spot this!” Judging purely by its vitality, if that 'small stone' were indeed a medicinal herb, it must be one comparable to the "Golden Peak Tassel."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Nie Kong began to jog toward the small stone. However, under the pressure of the heat waves, his speed was far from satisfactory. Nie Kong frowned slightly. The "Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Incense" manifested, wrapping around Nie Kong's body. Its broad leaves gently fanned back and forth like cattail fans, allowing the heat waves to slide past him continuously. Nie Kong’s speed increased significantly.

Before long, the distance narrowed to just twenty or thirty meters. The medicinal herb became clearer in Nie Kong’s view. If one were to ignore its pitifully thin stem, its shape strongly resembled a blood-red mushroom, its surface slick and translucent, like a crystalline piece of ruby jade.

As he drew closer to the herb, a strange sense of vigilance suddenly arose in Nie Kong’s heart. In this area of the Flame Mountain, the concentration of Fire Spiritual Energy was terrifyingly high. If a Fire Spirit Master cultivated here, the speed of their advancement might even surpass that of the Spirit Cultivation Illusory Realm! Unfortunately, the volatility of the Fire Spiritual Energy here was equally extreme; rash cultivation could easily result in being burned to ashes. But now, Nie Kong noticed that behind the two large boulders, the fluctuation of Fire Spiritual Energy was extremely peculiar—it actually resembled the signs of cultivation.

The highest level of Fire Spirit Masters entering the "Hellfire Nether Spring" was only at the Transformation Spirit Ninth Grade, so cultivation should be impossible. Could a Spirit Beast be hiding behind it? A Spirit Beast with strong sentience could also actively absorb the spiritual energy elements of heaven and earth, creating such indications; that wouldn't be strange at all.

“Qing Yue, Nie An,” he murmured softly, warning her to prepare.

Immediately, Qing Yue’s mournful voice echoed in Nie Kong’s mind: “Nie Kong, Grandma can’t help you this time. This place is just too hot. I don’t have any Spirit Treasure Essence or the 'Azure Sea Blue Sky.' If I were to act here, my soul power would probably drop to the Transformation Spirit level.” After a slight pause, Qing Yue suggested, quite guiltily, “How about we just forget this medicinal herb and look somewhere safer?”

“……” How could he discard a medicinal herb comparable to the "Golden Peak Tassel" just like that? Nie Kong felt speechless. At the crucial moment, this little herb spirit was letting him down; in the end, he still had to rely on himself!

With a thought, Nie Kong waved his hand toward Bai Yuqing behind him, signaling her to stop where she was, while he focused his breath and cautiously approached the two boulders. Fortunately, Nie Kong possessed quite a few means of survival now. Before even leaving Spirit Imperial City, Patriarch Xu Ba had helped him repair the "Scarlet Flame Spirit Emblem," and most of the items gifted by the Hall Masters upon entering the Yin Ruins Spirit Veins were still with him. Even if a Spirit Beast was hidden behind the stones, he had a high probability of escaping. Most importantly, according to the (Phantom Eagle King), the most powerful Spirit Beasts in the "Hellfire Nether Spring" were concentrated in the Dark Soul Hall. Spirit Beasts in other regions, no matter how strong, would not exceed Grade Five. A peak Grade Five Spirit Beast like the "Blood Soul Jade Belt Worm" was essentially the limit for most beasts here. If a Grade Six or Seven Spirit Beast were possible here, regardless of how precious the herb was, Nie Kong would not linger—no herb was more valuable than one's life.

“Fifteen… Thirteen meters… Ten meters… Eight meters… Seven meters… Six meters…”

The distance slowly closed. Nie Kong’s steps grew lighter, and the leaves of the "Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Incense" on his body fanned out more softly. Nie Kong had suppressed the spiritual power within his body. This was not because Nie Kong intended to hide from the perception of the beast behind the stones; in reality, that was completely impossible. Though the beast behind the stones was cultivating, it might have detected Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing's arrival from a distance. The reason it remained silent was only to choose the most opportune moment to deliver a fatal strike. Similarly, Nie Kong suppressed his spiritual power again and again so he could achieve a stronger burst of power when he needed to strike!