"To be clear beforehand, Wu is heading to the core of the Molten Lake. He has no other demands, only requiring Fire Spirit Jade of good quality, especially top-grade Fire Spirit Jade. Should he successfully acquire such an item, it belongs solely to Wu; no one is permitted to seize it. In exchange, Wu is willing to pay a price of twelve million spirit stones." The price Wu Ji quoted was the standard auction rate for top-grade Fire Spirit Jade.

Everyone present was aware of Wu Ji's expectations, and without hesitation, they all agreed. Lei Dong felt the same indifference; his ambition had already shifted from the initial Natural Fire Source to the essence spirit of the Flame Monarch. According to the discussions among the Three Purgatory Demon Generals, having Chen Yun covertly deliver this item to the Purgatory Domain was the safest course of action. After all, Scorched City lay within human territory, a place rife with gossip, and any mishap there could have severe consequences.

Following this, they meticulously discussed the distribution plan. Forming teams for joint adventures was a common occurrence in this world. The division of spoils, however, was paramount. As such, a complete, established system for distributing loot had long been formed in this world. Wu Ji, having the highest cultivation and being the familiar captain, would directly receive twenty percent. The four Golden Core mid-stage cultivators, including Lei Dong, would each receive one and a half percent. As for the remaining three early Golden Core cultivators, they would share the remaining twenty percent between them. While seemingly unfair, it was ultimately the most reasonable arrangement. Given Wu Ji's late Golden Core strength, he held a significant advantage over the three early-stage cultivators.

With no objections raised, and having already made necessary preparations, the group of eight hesitated no longer. Each person paid one hundred thousand spirit stones, and they were directly teleported from the sealed entrance of Scorched City into the Purgatory Domain.

Lei Dong was no stranger to this method of transportation. He could only marvel at the power of the Immortal and Demon races. To have established such formidable long-distance teleportation arrays, capable of bridging one world to another, back in the Ancient Desolate Era was still almost unbelievable to recall. It demonstrated the profound level of understanding these two races possessed concerning the laws of the universe.

Lost in these reflections, Lei Dong felt the surrounding space ripple continuously, an experience that felt both instantaneous and drawn out over ages. Finally, the scenery before his eyes brightened, awash in crimson.

Waves of intense heat washed over him.

Scorched City in the Nine Provinces was already a place where mortals could barely survive due to the oppressive heat. However, upon arriving in the Purgatory Domain, the heat immediately felt several degrees hotter. Waves of heat rolled through the air, mixed with a pungent, foul odor of sulfur. A cacophony of noise erupted simultaneously.

Lei Dong stood with his hands behind his back, casually surveying his surroundings. The first things to catch his eye were the devastated, scarlet sky, crisscrossed by twisting, overlapping bands of red of varying shades, and a sun, nearly a perfect red disc, hanging almost directly overhead, radiating terrifying and astonishing heat—a vast, abstract painting dominated by red hues.

The surroundings were also predominantly red, with architectural styles similar to Scorched City, yet larger and cruder. The grating, harsh noise emanated from what appeared to be a marketplace within several li radius, where many people were setting up stalls, trading, and even arguing or fighting.

"Humans arriving from Scorched City, pay the entry toll of one hundred thousand spirit stones per person." A Purgatory Demon Ox, nearly ten feet tall, robustly built, with two curved crimson horns atop its head, rumbled the demand. Its piercing eyes scrutinized Lei Dong and his group intently, as if trying to determine whether they were hunters or merely prey.

For Golden Core cultivators entering the Purgatory Domain, the entry fee of one hundred thousand spirit stones on each side was unavoidable, something the group had been fully aware of and mentally prepared for. Wu Ji paid the collective sum of eight hundred thousand spirit stones on behalf of everyone. In reality, it was precisely this large expense, coupled with various consumption costs, that meant not every gold-seeker returning from the Purgatory Domain made a complete fortune.

However, occasional stories of unexpected, massive windfalls constantly spurred more fortune-seekers to flock to the Purgatory Domain.

Due to its extremely harsh environment, only races possessing exceptional fire resistance could survive and propagate in the Purgatory Domain. Yet, this did not imply a scarcity of species here. In fact, the Purgatory Domain was teeming with life, flourishing far beyond what most people imagined. Many of these were native species, the most prominent being the Purgatory Demon Race. For ages beyond count, the Purgatory Demons had been the supreme power, the absolute rulers of the Purgatory Domain, until they were conquered and subjugated by the Higher Demon Race, becoming their vassals.

Secondly, there were the enslaved or subordinate races conquered by the Purgatory Demons during their centuries of ceaseless campaigns. These races were not originally native to the Purgatory Domain, but through innate adaptation and continuous evolution over vast stretches of time, they survived, becoming entirely new species. For instance, the Purgatory Demon Ox they just encountered, possessing Golden Core level strength, was once a subordinate race of the Purgatory Demons, though it had long since evolved into an ** independent race.

Finally, there were races that ended up stranded in the Purgatory Domain during the Ancient Desolate War and the Distant Past War—those captured as prisoners, occupied, or forcibly relocated, among other reasons. After hundreds of millions of years of evolution, they too adapted to become local species. For example, the Crimson Flame Serpent and the Fire Giants. Both of these currently powerful races were once native species of the Primordial World governed by the Mother of All Spirits, the predecessor to the Nine Provinces World.

The reason why the native species of the Nine Provinces World could not only establish a foothold and evolve in the Purgatory Domain but also secure a dominant position was simple: the creatures of the Nine Provinces World during the Ancient Desolate Era were inherently strong to a frightening degree. If not for this, the Immortal and Demon races would not have needed to fight the Mother of All Spirits for so long, nearly leading to mutual destruction. The original kin of the Crimson Flame Serpent was the Crimson Flame Divine Serpent, and the ancestors of the Fire Giants were the renowned Giants of the Ancient Desolate War. Both of these beings were famous, formidable entities. It was hardly surprising that their descendants could thrive here.

This intricate history resulted in the incredibly rich and diverse life environment of the Purgatory Domain. Not only did numerous intelligent races survive and propagate here, but countless monstrous beasts, demonic insects, and even fire-elemental life forms also claimed the Purgatory Domain as their new home.

This led to a lineage of life within the Purgatory Domain that was extensive and extraordinarily complex. In summary, any race that managed to take root and multiply here, whose current form differed significantly from its ancestors, could be termed a Purgatory Race.

Immediately upon entering the Purgatory Domain, everyone felt the oppressive heat. The early Golden Core cultivators with lower cultivation levels began activating their ice-attribute jade pendants to counteract the unbearable heat. Suddenly, Wu Ji’s expression turned serious: "I suggest you temporarily shut down your ice-attribute jade pendants. Get used to the heat here first. Otherwise, when we reach our destination, you'll find that even activating the ice pendants is useless. Don't joke with your lives."

Wu Ji had mentioned he had visited the Purgatory Domain many times and was extremely experienced. Those early-stage cultivators immediately and obediently deactivated the formations on their jade pendants.

Then, Wu Ji turned to Lei Dong: "Brother Ding, every extra day spent within the cities of Purgatory incurs additional consumption. It would be best for us to travel sooner rather than later."

"Brother Wu, you are the captain, so everything goes by your command," Lei Dong replied casually, glancing over at Chen Yun. Chen Yun appeared both fearful and excited; clearly, the beautiful snake had promised him something, but he was worried she might renege on her word.

Lei Dong saw this and sneered internally. In this world, everything was predicated on strength. Without strength, everything was merely fleeting clouds. Pinning one's hopes on a beautiful snake keeping her promise was undoubtedly an enormous risk. However, Chen Yun likely had no choice; without placing that hope, what recourse did he have? Although Lei Dong didn't know what sort of restriction the beautiful snake had placed on him, he could imagine it was something that made life worse than death.

With the well-informed Wu Ji leading the way, they managed to avoid many detours. The eight Golden Core cultivators constituted a small but respectable force, and no foolhardy individuals dared to cause trouble. Lei Dong, visiting the Purgatory Domain for the first time, was somewhat curious and kept looking around. Besides the diverse Purgatory Races, there were also many humans, but any human surviving in this environment had to be at least at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Wu Ji drove off various Purgatory Race vendors trying to hawk all sorts of rare materials, leading Lei Dong and the others out of this Purgatory City. Only after traveling several li did he harness his escape light and ascend into the sky, leading the group westward. Looking down, Lei Dong saw that the geography of the Purgatory Domain was indeed unique, a landscape dense with red mountains and ravines, through which rivers of magma snaked their way. The air carried a strong, biting smell of sulfur, pervaded by a desolate sense of an apocalypse.

The teammates who had never visited before also displayed looks of curiosity, observing their surroundings and asking Wu Ji about anything they didn't understand. Wu Ji, whose character was commendable, patiently explained everything. Especially Li Xianxian, who, upon arriving here, developed an increasing reliance on the strong and sincere Wu Ji. However, this dependency was complicated by her tendency to give Lei Dong looks of intense displeasure and disdain, as if she genuinely could not stand Lei Dong's current rather dilapidated appearance...RQ