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About five hundred meters from the mountain peak, Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing simultaneously halted their steps. Standing at this elevation, they had to crane their necks back just to take in the massive column of flame, the powerful, searing heat washing over them like surging tidal waves, crushing and overwhelming.

Seeing their labored breathing, Mu Hongling became cheerful again, letting out light, delicate laughter as she drifted upward like an agile fire sprite. Before long, Mu Hongling reached the summit, her crimson figure seeming to merge entirely with the roaring blaze ascending there.

"Oh dear!"

Suddenly, Mu Hongling cried out in surprise, as if she had discovered something utterly incredible. Hearing her voice faintly drift down, Nie Kong was startled, his body, which had just settled into a cross-legged position on the ground, reflexively springing up. Beside him, Bai Yuqing simultaneously gripped his sword with both hands, narrowing his eyes.

But before Nie Kong or Bai Yuqing could make a move, Mu Hongling's voice of amazement floated down from above: "It's not hot here at all! Disciples, hurry up and come!"

As she finished speaking, Mu Hongling bounced and leaped atop the peak, waving her small hands energetically toward Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing.

Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing exchanged a look. That towering blaze was supposed to be the source of the entire Flame Mountain's heat; for her to say the place wasn't hot was simply too baffling. Yet, Mu Hongling was a Fire Spirit Master; her judgment surely couldn't be wrong!

In astonishment, the two pressed onward. After climbing barely another hundred meters, Yuqing could support himself no longer. At this point, although Nie Kong still possessed some reserves, even drawing upon his bloodline power, he could manage at most another two hundred meters; reaching the true summit seemed unlikely.

"Disciples, at critical moments, you still have to rely on your Master!"

A crimson cloud swiftly descended, and Mu Hongling appeared between Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing with a mischievous grin. She then linked arms with each of them, left and right, and a rich, crimson Fire Spirit energy surged from her body, instantly coating their forms through their arms.

Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing felt their bodies suddenly lighten. As the Fire Spirit energy enveloped them, the oppressive sensation of scorching heat vanished without a trace.

"Whoosh!"

Mu Hongling shifted her footing, swiftly pulling them both upward in tandem.

"After fusing with the 'Blazing Spirit Fire,' the Fire Spirit power has indeed become truly miraculous," Nie Kong couldn't help but marvel as he watched Mu Hongling move as if on flat ground, the blood-red stones around them constantly retreating. Since the discovery of the 'Prison Fire Nether Spring,' all Spirit Masters who had entered this area were below the Ninth Rank of Spirit Transformation. If nothing unexpected occurred, perhaps no one before today had ever managed to reach the summit of Flame Mountain.

"Is there any doubt about that?" Mu Hongling said with a smile, her features radiating profound joy. Listening to her and Nie Kong, Bai Yuqing remained silent, but his eyes flickered constantly; clearly, he was intensely interested in primordial spirit energy elements like the 'Blazing Spirit Fire.'

Under Mu Hongling’s swift ascent, the distance between Nie Kong and the peak rapidly narrowed. The pillar of flame grew larger and larger in Nie Kong's pupils. By now, even tilting his head back was insufficient for Nie Kong to discern the entire outline of the flame; his vision was filled only with a vast expanse of bloody crimson.

"We’re here."

Mu Hongling's steps suddenly stopped.

Nie Kong focused his gaze, and the scenery of the Flame Mountain peak unfolded completely. It was largely as he had guessed: the summit resembled a volcanic crater. Once past the ring-shaped highest rim, the ground dipped inward toward a deep, vast pit, glowing with intense crimson inside—that pillar of flame was rising directly from the center of that pit.

The flame was peculiar; it didn't continuously erupt from the bottom. Instead, one cluster of fire would slowly drift up from the pit floor. Just as it neared the lip of the opening, another cluster would emerge from below, linking head-to-tail with the first. Then came the third, the fourth... it looked almost like a string of firecrackers being shot off. Except, once launched, the leading 'sphere' would invariably be caught up by the one following, extending into a long, continuous line. This was why, from the base of the mountain, all one could ever see was that single, sky-piercing column of crimson fire.

"Take a moment to feel it."

Mu Hongling released Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing’s arms, her face brimming with a gentle smile.

As her voice faded, Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing snapped out of the sight of the magnificent spectacle. After only a moment, looks of astonishment appeared in their eyes: just as Mu Hongling had said, from this vantage point, they could sense virtually no scorching heat—it was as if they stood between two entirely different worlds.

Most astonishingly, this sensation had nothing to do with the 'Azure Sea Blue Sky.' It could be said that even without the 'Azure Sea Blue Sky' fused within him, one would not feel a trace of heat standing on this pinnacle of Flame Mountain. This bizarre phenomenon sparked numerous questions in Nie Kong's mind.

"Soulless One!"

Nie Kong sent a mental message to the remnant soul of the 'Soulless Eagle King': "Think hard, do you have anything in your memory related to Flame Mountain!"

"It seems like I do, and yet I don't," the Soulless Eagle King replied in a remarkably docile tone. "Big Brother, my soul is far too weak right now; I can't recall many things. However, if Big Brother could let me out, and I absorbed a bit of soul power outside, perhaps I could recall everything immediately."

"Is that so?"

Nie Kong remained outwardly calm, but a cold sneer touched his heart.

This fellow was trying to pull a fast one again!

The Soulless Eagle King was correct that memory faded with soul weakness, but if he were truly released outside, he would likely vanish without a trace immediately.

After spending more than a day in the 'Prison Fire Nether Breath,' Nie Kong had long realized that while Fire Spirit energy elements were abundant in this realm, other spirit energy elements were relatively sparse. This was normal, but one thing was exceedingly strange: besides Fire Spirit energy, the void was saturated with extremely dense Soul Power everywhere.

If the 'Soulless Eagle King' returned to an environment like this, it would be like a dragon swimming in the ocean or a tiger entering the forest. If it hid anywhere, that soul power could shroud all its presence. At that point, even if Nie Kong employed the 'Yin-Yang Soul Devouring Art,' capturing it might prove impossible.

"Yes, yes," the Soulless Eagle King responded gleefully.

"In that case, it is indeed necessary for your soul to grow stronger..."

Just as the Soulless Eagle King was practically vibrating with excitement, ready to shout his approval, the second half of Nie Kong's sentence sent him crashing from cloud nine. "...However, there is no need to go outside. My spirit energy is sufficient to restore you."

"Big Brother, it's better outside! I'll recover faster, Big Brother, Big Brother—ouch!" Before he could finish speaking, the sliver of remnant soul in Nie Kong's consciousness was tightly enveloped, and dark-green spirit energy squeezed in from all directions, injecting ceaselessly as if force-feeding.

"Ah!"

"Screams of agonizing torment rang out one after another, yet the remnant soul of the Soulless Eagle King continued to expand.

Seeing Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing standing stunned, Mu Hongling giggled, seemingly quite satisfied with their reaction. She didn't disturb them further, instead pacing slowly around the pit, meticulously studying the massive column of flame. Unknowingly, her delicate brows furrowed tightly. "Ah..."

After a long while, sensing the agonizing wails of the Soulless Eagle King, Nie Kong said with a slight smile, "Soulless One, is this recovery speed fast enough? Do you want it even faster?"

"No more, no more, ah—" the Soulless Eagle King shrieked as if facing utter ruin. Under the infusion of Nie Kong’s spirit energy, his remnant soul had indeed strengthened several times over, but the process was too agonizing, torturing him to the brink of death.

"Have you recalled any memories concerning Flame Mountain? If not, it doesn't matter. Big Brother has ample spirit energy and can continue providing it to you for free until you recall everything I require," Nie Kong 'kindly' advised.

"I remember! Big Brother, I remember—" the Soulless Eagle King rasped.

"Good that you remember!"

"..."

"What is going on?"

Mu Hongling murmured softly, staring at the flames shooting violently high before her. She had stopped pacing at some unknown point, her chest filled with confusion. In her perception, the Fire Spirit energy elements at this location seemed to be tightly bound. She could even sense the unwillingness and struggle emanating from those elements, and this emotion was incredibly intense.

If it had been before, she might not have noticed, but now, having fused with the 'Blazing Spirit Fire,' her sensitivity to Fire Spirit energy elements had increased countless times. She was certain that her current feeling was not an illusion. To her, these Fire Spirit elements were also countless tiny lives.

Instinctively, Mu Hongling's right hand reached out toward the ascending flames.

"Don't touch it!"

At that moment, a loud shout suddenly rang out. Mu Hongling snapped back to awareness, instinctively retracting her hand. Then, she turned to see Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing racing toward her from the edge of the pit.

In a flash, two figures, one black and one white, landed before her.

"What's wrong?" Seeing the look of relief on Nie Kong's face after she pulled back her hand, Mu Hongling asked, bewildered.

"You’ll know in a moment!" Nie Kong smiled, suddenly crouching down and beginning to paw at the inner side of the pit. Mu Hongling lowered her gaze. There stood half a section of a remarkably smooth stone block. Such things were rare on most mountains, but extremely common on Flame Mountain. She had noticed similar stones before but hadn't paid them much attention.

In a short while, the lower half of the stone block, buried under dust, was revealed. Mu Hongling slightly parted her crimson lips, observing the stone with some surprise. Only after seeing the stone in its entirety did Mu Hongling realize it was actually a stele, its surface densely covered with scratches that resembled spirit patterns.

Seeing this, Bai Yuqing couldn't help but lean down to examine it.

Nie Kong's fingertips shimmered with dark-green spirit energy, and he rapidly traced the lines on the stele. A moment later, a fiery crimson glow shot out from the carved patterns. Nie Kong's movements quickened, and once all the lines were ignited by his spirit energy, a ball of scorching red light separated itself from the main blaze and rapidly spiraled downward along the pit.

In an instant, a fiery red passage manifested within the pit. Mu Hongling and Bai Yuqing both showed expressions of astonishment...