As if a jade pillar supporting the heavens had suddenly collapsed, wherever the finger passed, the void rippled, the world boomed, and at the instant the fingertip touched the head of the Fú Fù, a pū sound echoed, like a bubble suddenly popped, “Roar!”

The Fú Fú suddenly shrieked, its massive body immediately sinking beneath the sea, but at the moment of descent, countless water columns jetted out from its form—all of it the Fú Fú’s black blood. Following this, a colossal vortex manifested where the Fú Fú submerged, spinning rapidly away, vanishing into the horizon where sea met sky in the blink of an eye.

“Hmph!”

With a soft snort, the enormous finger abruptly dissolved. A white shadow flickered faintly amidst the churning, dense black mist, making no attempt to pursue the fleeing Fú Fú.

Instantly, the area became terrifyingly still.

Several miles out on the sea, the Black Spirit Masters who had long halted their steps stared dumbfounded, their faces etched with shock.

And those retreating with Nie Kong and Zhan Baige, led by Zhan Feihong, had instinctively checked their forward momentum the moment the finger appeared. They turned back just in time to witness the Fú Fú being pressed under the sea by a single finger and fleeing in panic, their expressions a mixture of amazement and awe.

“What a formidable creature!”

Gazing at the faint white silhouette shrouded in the black mist, Nie Kong drew a sharp breath.

During the retreat shielded by Zhan Feihong and the others, Nie Kong had been constantly looking back, taking in the entire fierce battle.

If Nie Kong was not mistaken, what Zhan Baisong deployed was the Profound Art, the Míng Dāo Tú Lù (Nether Blade Record), which he had seen at the ‘Zhan Ling Ting Shen Tai’ (Battle Spirit Spirit-Hearing Terrace). Indeed, its might was heaven-shattering, yet one strike only managed to force the Fú Fú back, even knocking Zhan Baisong himself away with the creature’s head.

Next, Zhan Baifeng evidently utilized another Profound Art, the Liè Kōng Dào (Void-Splitting Way), equally astonishing, capable of creating a scene where the void itself seemed torn apart, and then utilizing the opening and closing of these rifts to shred and slay the enemy. However, the Liè Kōng Dào ultimately proved insufficient.

But just as the Fú Fú prepared to hunt down Zhan Baifeng, that thick finger suddenly descended from the sky, landing squarely on the Fú Fú’s head and instantly driving it back. As the creature sank, not only did its golden blood spray out, but its head also seemed to collapse inward; it must have been severely wounded.

That Fú Fú possessed boundless, terrifying ferocity; even two Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Masters, Zhan Baisong and Zhan Baifeng, attacking in succession, could not fully suppress it. Yet, under the hand of that individual, it was treated like brittle clay and rotten wood; even its incredibly tough, scale-covered head crumbled upon contact!

The might of a single finger—powerful to this degree!

Recalling the scene, Nie Kong’s heart surged. Such a shocking display, Nie Kong had only witnessed once before when Shen Gong Nie of Jiyang City made his move, and again when the Yin Ruins experts besieged the spiritual thought of that wisp of the Great Evolution Spirit Venerable. But compared to the scene just witnessed, those instances paled in significance.

“Among all the Ninth-Rank experts in the Underworld, this person must be among the very best,” Nie Kong thought inwardly, when suddenly his heart skipped a beat. “When he acted, he spoke the words, ‘Zhan Clan disciples’—could he also be from the Zhan Clan?”

“Ancestor!”

Just then, Zhan Feihong and the others cried out in surprised elation, speeding toward the white figure.

Nie Kong turned to look and saw Zhan Feihong, Zhan Feixing, Zhan Tianhe, and even the injured Zhan Baige all looking deeply excited. He couldn't help but feel surprised. He had heard rumors of the Zhan Clan’s ‘Ancestor,’ but never expected him to be present here.

At this moment, the Black Spirit Masters on the sea surface were jolted awake by the shouts.

“……”

“The Ancestor? Is that senior Zhan Xinzi of the Zhan Clan?”

“Truly formidable… one finger strike, and that Fú Fú was reduced to desperate flight. However, judging by its wounds, it won't live much longer!”

“Zhan Xinzi must be the foremost expert beneath the Spirit Venerable rank, perhaps?”

“……”

Amidst this flurry of murmurs, Zhan Feihong and his group arrived directly below the white shadow. Zhan Baisong and Zhan Baifeng, having been knocked away by the Fú Fú, also returned one after another; their complexions were somewhat pale, having sustained minor injuries during the fight to repel the monster.

After everyone paid their respects, Nie Kong couldn't help but raise his eyes, eager to see the appearance of this Zhan Clan Ancestor, but unfortunately, the figure above remained indistinct and impossible to clearly make out.

“Let’s go!”

Zhan Xinzi waved his hand lightly, and his form transformed into a streak of white light, shooting forward, apparently intending to escort Nie Kong and the others toward the Fire Source.

Zhan Baisong and Zhan Baifeng both secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were aware of Zhan Xinzi’s existence beforehand, they didn't know his exact location in the Nether Sea. With him personally escorting them, the rest of the journey would naturally be much smoother. Zhan Feihong and the others felt even greater relief; with the Ancestor present, let alone one Fú Fú, even ten would cause no concern.

Thus, as Zhan Xinzi moved, Zhan Baisong and the others followed without hesitation.

The Black Spirit Masters on the sea surface behind them exchanged glances for a moment before also mobilizing, tacitly gathering together and following far behind. The astonishing strength displayed by that Fú Fú had heightened their vigilance, making them unwilling to separate.

Time flew by...

The white shadow ahead remained intermittently visible, and with Zhan Xinzi leading the way, absolutely no Nether Beasts emerged to launch surprise attacks or harass them. The speed of Zhan Baisong and his group increased by nearly twofold compared to before. Nie Kong felt the wind roaring past his ears, the black mist constantly shifting before his eyes, and the sky above seemed even darker and heavier, as if the boundless heavens and the Nether Sea had merged into one expanse.

Gradually, the heat Nie Kong felt grew more intense. Even under the protection of Zhan Baisong and the others, it felt as if he were inside a furnace, his clothes drenched with sweat. The few people around him were no better off; beads of sweat streamed down their faces, which were flushed red from the rising steam.

At this point, everyone had mobilized their Death Qi to resist the scorching heat, but the further they advanced, the weaker the effect became. After about an hour or two, even Zhan Baisong and Zhan Baifeng’s breathing had become somewhat ragged, and a clear trace of fatigue showed on their faces.

Nie Kong watched with secret alarm. This place truly lived up to its reputation. They hadn't even caught sight of the Fire Source yet, but the searing heat pervading the world was becoming difficult for even Ninth-Rank experts like Zhan Baisong and Zhan Baifeng to endure. If they hadn't been protecting him, he absolutely could not have reached this point.

Of course, if Nie Kong were to release the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," the situation would be different. The environment where the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" grew was also extremely hot; when Nie Kong and the others entered that space, they all had to carry items like the "Azure Sea Blue Sky." If the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" could envelop him entirely, perhaps he could traverse the Nether Sea unimpeded. However, this method was difficult to employ.

“We’re almost there!”

After some more time, Zhan Feihong, who was still moving forward, wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a long sigh. Zhan Feihong, Zhan Feixing, and Zhan Tianhe, only at Eighth-Rank cultivation, were all Nether Pill Masters possessing Fire Seeds, making their tolerance for the heat no less than that of the Ninth-Rank experts like Zhan Baisong.

Relatively speaking, Nie Kong and Zhan Baige, being shielded, had it easier.

Hearing Zhan Feihong’s words, Nie Kong couldn't help but focus his gaze. In the distant, dark shadows, specks of red light flickered intermittently.

“Is that the Fire Source?” Nie Kong felt a surge of joy.

“No.”

Zhan Feihong smiled and shook his head.

Nie Kong felt a bit speechless and continued forward with the group.

About fifteen minutes later, the previously pitch-black sea surface gradually turned dark red, and the closer they got to the red dots ahead, the more brilliant the sea surface became. Ten minutes later, those red dots finally became fully visible in Nie Kong's sight. They were clusters of thick, fiery red liquid spewing incessantly from the sea, resembling hills embedded in the black mist. Occasionally, a ray of red light would erupt from the peak of a hill like a volcanic burst, then scatter outwards, drifting down all around.

“This is just the periphery of the Fire Source.”

Zhan Feihong turned his head to look at Nie Kong.

If it were just the seven of them, they would have to rest and recover here before proceeding further. Once they ventured deep inside those fiery red 'hills,' the heat they felt would double, and the potential dangers would increase accordingly.

Because ahead, there were not only the exposed hills but also those hidden beneath the sea surface; stepping on one of those would leave even a Ninth-Rank expert peeling a layer of skin, if not killing them outright. Although Eighth and Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Masters could fly using dense Death Qi, this void was also riddled with surging, scalding undercurrents, making the danger even greater than on the sea surface. Contact with them could easily tear one to shreds. Over the past two millennia, countless Eighth and Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Masters had perished in this fiery red sea while attempting to extract Fire Seeds.

Before entering the Nether Sea, Nie Kong had heard Zhan Feihong mention the dangers involved. Now, seeing it firsthand, it indeed looked heart-wrenching. However, with that Zhan Clan Ancestor present, they should be able to pass through the outer region of the Fire Source relatively easily.

As he thought this, Nie Kong looked towards Zhan Xinzi again, only to find that the white figure had already descended and floated onto the sea surface tens of meters ahead.

“Follow closely!”

A withered, aged voice suddenly came from the front.

“Yes!”

Zhan Baisong and the others were momentarily stunned before quickly following, closing the distance to Zhan Xinzi to within about ten meters in an instant. At this moment, Zhan Xinzi suddenly flicked his sleeve, and the Death Qi filling the void instantly condensed into a massive ball of black energy that rolled forward.

“Whoosh!”

It was as if a fierce gale swept across the sea surface. Wherever the black energy passed, the fiery red hills protruding from the water instantly sank, and the sea surface ahead simultaneously dipped, forming a semi-circular trench dozens of meters wide, as if plowed by a colossal iron share.

Zhan Xinzi floated forward like a weightless piece of duckweed, gliding rapidly ahead. Seeing this, Zhan Baisong and Zhan Baifeng quickly followed.

“Whoosh!” After dozens of meters, Zhan Xinzi flicked his sleeve again.

The depression that was about to spring back to its original shape was pressed down once more... With sleeve after sleeve, in a continuous cycle, Zhan Xinzi’s robes fluttered as he rapidly led the group deep inside. The eight figures grew smaller and smaller, and in a moment, they were swallowed by the blazing red light...