The sea, as crimson as fire, had barely settled when the Black Spirit Masters following behind arrived at the periphery of the fire source.

"..."

"Diving into the depths of the fire source... Are they truly here to temper the Fire Seed?"

"When pursued by the Fu Ye, Zhan Baisong and Zhan Baifeng fought desperately to hold them back, specifically so that Zhan Feihong and the others could escort that young man to retreat first. This clearly indicates that the one needing to temper the Fire Seed this time must be him!"

"Is the young master Hua's talent truly so exceptional that even the Zhan Xinzi appears because of him?"

"..."

The crowd halted their advance, stopping a short distance away, murmuring amongst themselves in small groups. While Zhan Baisong and his companions, escorted by the heaven-defyingly powerful Zhan Xinzi, could safely reach the depths of the fire source, they lacked such protection and naturally dared not rush forward recklessly.

Ultimately, they had only come to ascertain the objective of the Zhan Clan's expedition this time. To lose their lives in this Nether Sea due to carelessness would be too ignominious and undeserved.

Although the reason for the Zhan Xinzi suddenly creating such a commotion remained unclear, the objective of Zhan Baisong and the others was essentially confirmed. Even if they turned back from this now bizarre and perilous Nether Sea and returned to the sect, they would have something to report.

After observing the depths of the fire source for a moment, some Black Spirit Masters began to turn back...

Sounds like roaring gales rose and fell one after another as eight figures streaked across the sea surface, experiencing no further disturbances along the way.

Along the journey, Nie Kong kept looking around restlessly.

The deeper they ventured into the fire source, the denser the fiery red hills surrounding them became. Gradually, the inky blackness of the sky vanished, the sea turned entirely crimson, and even the death qi filling the void was glaringly red—as if the entire celestial canopy had been smeared with a layer of fresh blood.

Nie Kong had never witnessed such a magnificent and spectacular scene in his life.

Nearly an hour passed when the intense heat suddenly surged again. It wasn't just Zhan Baisong and the others nearby; even Nie Kong, protected within the group, felt on the verge of suffocation, his skin flushed red as if he could squeeze blood from it.

"Hoo!"

Suddenly, a mass of black energy spiraled out from within Zhan Xinzi's body, floating above everyone's heads like wisps of cloud, moving constantly as the group advanced. Immediately following this, Nie Kong felt a loosening all over—the surrounding heat dramatically subsided, returning to the state it was in when they first entered the Nether Sea.

Nie Kong's heart skipped a beat. He gained a deeper understanding of the immense power wielded by this Zhan Clan ancestor. In such an environment, not only could he move about as if strolling through a garden, but he could also shield seven others. This was far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary Ninth Tier Peak expert.

There probably weren't ten such powerful figures combined across the entire Nether Land.

"Nie Kong, look! That is the true fire source! The Nether Fire Seeds for the entire Nether Land originate from there!" Zhan Feihong whispered, his voice tinged with a hint of awe. Having the Ancestor leading the way made things infinitely easier; otherwise, reaching their destination would have taken at least two or three times longer, and with misfortune, one or two might even have perished.

Nie Kong looked up and realized that the surrounding fiery red hills had completely disappeared. The sea ahead gradually shifted from bright crimson to dark red, eventually returning to the original inky blackness, and the sky mirrored this change. Far in the distance against the dark expanse, a small flame flickered.

As the distance narrowed, the flame continuously expanded in Nie Kong's vision. Ten minutes later, the flame’s true form was fully revealed. Gazing at the massive blaze—hundreds of meters tall and occupying a space nearly a thousand meters in circumference—Nie Kong's spirit was deeply shaken.

"I have other pressing matters. You all temper your Fire Seeds here, and be extremely careful!" Zhan Xinzi finally stopped, turning back, though his features remained indistinct.

"Yes!"

Zhan Baisong and the others immediately bowed deeply.

Zhan Xinzi glanced at Nie Kong, waved his right hand lightly, and Zhan Baisong plus the other seven were lifted as if by a giant palm, swiftly carried towards a massive boulder at the edge of the flame ahead. As for himself, with a flash, his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

A moment later, everyone's feet touched the surface of the stone.

Nie Kong was astonished. The moment the seven landed, the black cloud above their heads had disappeared. Yet, he discovered that not only was the scorching heat gone, but he could actually feel wisps of coolness rising from beneath his feet, instantly permeating his limbs and bones, leaving him refreshed and invigorated.

"Third Uncle, why isn't it hot here at all?"

Nie Kong stared at the boulder beneath his feet in amazement. This stone looked like a gigantic heart, tens of meters in diameter, blazing red yet perfectly crystalline and transparent. One could clearly see the dense network of intricate, crisscrossing channels within the stone.

Hearing Nie Kong's puzzled voice, Zhan Baisong and the others chuckled softly. Zhan Feihong took a deep breath and explained, "Little fellow, you don't know this. This stone is called the 'Heart of the Flame.' Across hundreds of miles around, this is the only stone that radiates no heat. It is said that because of this 'Heart of the Flame,' the Nether Sea can generate Fire Seeds, and the Nether Fire here can perfectly integrate with Nether Force."

"Of course, it is also thanks to this stone that the Nether Fire Seed can be taken away from this place. Plucking that thing out would consume a great deal of time. Without such a resting spot, perhaps only an expert like our Ancestor could endure the process throughout the entire Nether Land."

Pausing, Zhan Feihong's expression turned grave. "Enough said. Nie Kong, we must hurry and temper the Fire Seed. The Nether Sea is not what it once was. Even a Nether Beast like the Fu Ye can appear; who knows what other changes have occurred."

By the end of his speech, a trace of worry flickered across Zhan Feihong's brow. Now that the Ancestor was gone, if any insurmountable change occurred, there would be no one to offer timely rescue!

"Alright!"

The massive silhouette of the Fu Ye flashed through his mind, and Nie Kong quickly nodded, following Zhan Feihong towards the edge of the 'Heart of the Flame.'

Zhan Baisong, Zhan Baifeng, and Zhan Baige quickly sat cross-legged upon the 'Heart of the Flame,' circulating their Nether Force to treat their injuries. Among the three, Zhan Baige was the most severely wounded, but fortunately, having consumed a Nether Pill earlier, his life was not in immediate danger.

Zhan Feixing and Zhan Tianhe also began to restore their Nether Force.

When they left the Zhan Clan, they had all brought large quantities of Nether Pills. In this environment, whether for healing wounds or recovering strength, they had to rely on Nether Pills rather than absorbing the death qi from the surroundings. The death qi here was saturated with intense heat; let alone ordinary Black Spirit Masters, even Nether Pill Masters would find it unbearable unless their own Fire Seeds had been tempered by the purest Nether Fire from this very location.

However, tempering a Fire Seed with the Nether Fire here was clearly not a simple task. Over two thousand years, many Nether Pill Masters had attempted this method, yet only the 'Pill King' of the Duntian Sect had succeeded across the entire Nether Land. Other Nether Pill Masters either ended up near death, their cultivation completely ruined by the Nether Fire, or they lost their lives entirely upon this 'Heart of the Flame.'

If Nie Kong had not displayed astonishing talent in alchemy, nor listened to the complete 'Heart Drum Battle Sound,' nor cultivated the Zhan Clan's first Supreme Art, the 'War God Star Seal,' Clan Leader Zhan Yunlan would never have agreed to let Nie Kong come here to temper his Fire Seed. Zhan Feihong and the other four high-level Nether Pill Masters had even mobilized simultaneously to ensure no mishap occurred during Nie Kong's Fire Seed tempering process.

One or two minutes later, Nie Kong sat cross-legged at the edge of the 'Heart of the Flame.'

The Heart of the Flame resembled a heart. The end where Nie Kong and Zhan Feihong were located was closest to that massive flame ahead. Within the stone directly in front of Nie Kong, the largest channel connected to the flame, much like the aorta of a heart, where wisps of crimson energy could faintly be seen flowing.

"Nie Kong, you've memorized everything I told you, right?" Zhan Feihong asked solemnly.

Nie Kong meticulously reviewed the instructions Zhan Feihong had just imparted, confirming he had not forgotten a single detail, before nodding lightly. The Nether Fire here was the purest, its destructive power far beyond the Nether Fire beneath the Zhan Clan's 'Pill King Tower.' Tempering the Fire Seed here required absolute focus; even with sufficient confidence in his physical constitution, Nie Kong had to be cautious.

Clearing his mind of distractions, Nie Kong quietly regulated his breathing for a moment before gently placing his right palm above the channel in front of him.

Seeing this, Zhan Feihong, who had already seated himself beside Nie Kong, tensed, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Nie Kong's hand. He raised both his hands, dense black energy swirling in his palms. The moment he perceived anything going wrong, he would strike with utmost speed!

After waiting a few seconds, Nie Kong circulated the 'War God Star Seal.' As the nine Black Stars flickered, a wisp of death qi seeped out from his palm, penetrating the stone, cautiously approaching the channel.

"Hoo!"

The instant the death qi entered the channel, the massive flame ahead flickered momentarily. Immediately following this, a rush of crimson energy surged along the channel. Upon contact with the wisp of death qi, it erupted fiercely, like dry firewood meeting a raging fire.

The very next moment, an intensely powerful heat burst forth from the stone surface, striking directly into Nie Kong's palm.

"Hmph!"

In that instant, Nie Kong felt as if all the death qi within his body had begun to boil. The oppressive heat surged rapidly through his bones, making his entire body feel as if it were melting. He couldn't help but let out a stifled groan, and beads of sweat, large as beans, continuously seeped from his pores.

Such intense heat!

Nie Kong’s heart clenched momentarily. Now he understood why, over two thousand years, only one person from the Duntian Sect had succeeded in tempering their Fire Seed here.

Although the Zhan Clan's Fire Seeds originated from this place, compared to the Nether Fire at the source, it was like a trickle against a vast ocean. If Nie Kong’s body had not already been fundamentally transformed through the tempering of the 'Heart Drum Battle Sound,' coupled with his prior fusion of Fire Spirit energy elements and the condensation of a Fire Seed within his body, he would surely have been severely injured, if not reduced to ashes, by this sudden, fierce surge of heat.

While these thoughts crossed his mind, Nie Kong showed no sign of retreat. Another thread of death qi rushed out from the Fire Seed in his palm, penetrating into the stone channel. Seeing this, Zhan Feihong's tense body quietly relaxed somewhat, and he let out an almost imperceptible sigh. Nie Kong had weathered the impact of this first wave of heat completely unscathed, which meant Nie Kong truly had a chance of success. If he couldn't even withstand this much heat, how could he possibly guide the Nether Fire into his body?

...

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