Guxie Chen stepped off the gangway of the flagship and surveyed the surroundings. "The temperature must be around seventy or eighty degrees Celsius—hot enough to cook an egg. The air is thick with the stench of sulfur dioxide; lingering too long makes one breathless. Many sections of the surrounding volcanic rock have cooled and solidified, the black stones still faintly glowing red within, giving off an ominous feeling.

A few meters ahead was a cavern sloping downward at about thirty degrees. A stream of molten lava, over five meters wide, flowed across the entrance. Occasionally, bubbles would surge in the magma, bursting with a sharp pop. Two lizards, no more than a foot long, with a row of fine, sharp horns sprouting from their heads and bodies entirely fire-red, crawled out of the lava, panting heavily. They glared fiercely at Guxie Chen and spat out two sparks in defiance, instantly raising the surrounding temperature further.

Penghua roared in anger. He pointed at the two small lizards and sneered, "You little beasts! How dare you challenge your venerable master? Watch how I deal with you!"

Before the words fully left his mouth, a head the size of a water vat suddenly surfaced from the magma pool. A great lizard, about ten meters long, pulled itself out of the lava and slowly lumbered onto the rock. It fixed a vicious stare on Penghua and abruptly opened its massive jaws, unleashing a nearly transparent stream of crimson fire. Amidst the piercing alarm sirens, the tactical personal combat computers worn by the nearby special forces soldiers shrieked warnings—the ambient temperature had soared past two thousand degrees Celsius!

Penghua shrieked in terror and turned to flee, shouting back, "Junior Brother, you hold them off! I despise Pure Yang Lightning Arts and True Fire the most!"

"That's a Fire Dragon Lizard! An ancient exotic species! I didn't expect one of these would still linger here!" Guxie Chen recalled the entry for the 'Fire Dragon Lizard' in the Compendium of Celestial Treasures. He snatched up the Small Qiankun Pouch, aimed it at the three lizards—one large and two small—and shouted, "Haste!"

A beam of azure light shot from the opening of the Small Qiankun Pouch. The three lizards struggled frantically, their four claws digging desperately into the ground, resisting the powerful suction emanating from the blue light. Before the Small Qiankun Pouch could capture and bind the three lizards, dozens of bright beams of light suddenly shot down from the sky. Amidst a harsh, piercing shriek, the lizards were obliterated by high-energy lasers, vaporized without a trace, turning into a wisp of greenish smoke that drifted away!

"Ah!" Guxie Chen looked up in fury and cursed, "What are you doing? You bastards! Do you know what you've wasted?" The 'Fire Dragon Lizard,' it was rumored, possessed the bloodline of the ancient Fire Dragons; with patient nurturing, it could eventually transform into a dragon. If killed just as it was about to become a flood dragon (Jiaolong), the entire Fire Dragon Lizard was a treasure trove. Its entire body was composed of prime materials for artifact refining, not to mention its blood and inner core could greatly enhance the cultivation of practitioners of fire-attribute Dao arts. In the ancient cultivation world, as soon as a Fire Dragon Lizard dared to appear before a Daoist cultivator, it would, in less than an hour, be skinned, disemboweled, and dissected into countless components.

"You damn fools! Stop firing recklessly!"

Furious at the commanders of the assault ships, Guxie Chen knew they were scrambling to curry favor with him, their new superior. Despite the crushing ache in his heart over the three annihilated Fire Dragon Lizards, to stabilize the morale of his subordinates, he could only manage a few exasperated reprimands before casting a reluctant glance at the deep crater scorched into the ground.

Leaping over the molten rock, he took the flare light from Penghua, pulled the pin, and tossed several into the cave entrance, which was scarcely two feet square. Guxie Chen peered inside.

The interior was slick stone formed from cooled magma, bearing layered, wave-like striations. Hot air continuously blew out, carrying a faint, fragrant aroma—intense, wild, like a bowl of perfectly heated aged strong liquor. Taking a deep breath of the hot air, streams of warmth flooded his body; every pore seemed to open, and his mind felt instantly invigorated.

He looked up at Penghua and clapped fists with him firmly. Guxie Chen gathered his true qi, white cold flames faintly swirling between his ten fingers, and cautiously slipped into the cavern. Penghua turned, standing like an unmovable general at the cave mouth, arms crossed firmly over his chest, adopting a stance that suggested no one could pass while he stood guard.

The cave entrance led down a smooth, steep slope. Guxie Chen slid down the incline. Halfway down, he summoned Xin Jia and Zhao Yi to clear the path ahead while he concentrated fully, remaining vigilant. Since Fire Dragon Lizards had appeared outside, who knew what strange things might emerge inside? He dared not be careless in the slightest.

The slope quickly ended. Xin Jia and Zhao Yi sprang up, landing atop two large boulders. Three feet below their feet was the magma, and before them stretched a lava lake hundreds of meters long and wide. Fire pillars several meters high periodically erupted from the churning magma. In the center of the lava lay a platform about ten meters by ten meters, covered in a layer of reddish soil several feet thick. On it, a patch of orchid-like grass, half a person's height, was blooming wildly—the source of that warm, intoxicating scent.

All ninety-odd stalks of the grass had produced Blazing Flame Orchid Fruits, translucent, multifaceted berries the size of a thumb, glistening like rubies. Alongside the fruiting branches, new shoots had grown, bearing either flower buds or fully opened blossoms. Occasionally, a reddish haze would rise from the magma, drifting either up to the cave wall dozens of meters high to be absorbed by the downward-jutting red stalactites, or floating toward the Blazing Flame Orchids, slowly merging into the blossoms.

Xin Jia exclaimed in admiration, "What a blessed land of abundance, suitable for fire attributes!"

Zhao Yi stated gravely, "With sufficient materials, this place could be configured into the 'Nine Killings Array of Heaven Thunder and Earth Fire.' Among the formation arts of the cultivation world, this is one of the foremost deadly fire-attribute arrays!"

Floating lightly down beside Xin Jia, Guxie Chen looked at the dozens of orchid stalks on the platform and asked in a low voice, "Is there any way to transplant them back to Earth?"

Xin Jia shook his head. Zhao Yi also shook his head. After pondering for a moment, Guxie Chen summoned Yi Huan.

Yi Huan stepped out from a purple glow. He stared intently at the patch of Blazing Flame Orchids. After a thoughtful pause, he suddenly smiled. "Exalted One, the Compendium of Celestial Treasures that I last copied for you was incomplete. However, after diligently cultivating recently, I have managed to restore a portion of my primordial spirit, which coincidentally contains the methods for cultivating the Blazing Flame Orchid."

The Blazing Flame Orchid was no treasure discovered by the Roman people; cultivators in ancient times had already cultivated this spiritual herb to refine various fire-attribute elixirs. Directly consuming the Blazing Flame Orchid to stimulate spiritual power growth was the most foolish method! Swallowing the Blazing Flame Orchid Fruits directly—nine were needed to bring a Jieshi practitioner to their limit. However, once refined into finished pills, the medicinal potency contained in a single Blazing Flame Orchid Fruit was enough for three Jieshi practitioners to rapidly develop their potential and push their strength to the limit in a short time.

"To transplant the Blazing Flame Orchids, one only needs flower pots carved from supreme-grade Fire Spirit Jade, nurtured with 'Fire Marsh Divine Sand.' After removal, within three months, transplant them near spiritual-energy-rich volcanic magma, and they will absorb fire-attribute spiritual energy to repair any damage sustained during relocation. It requires no great trouble."

Supreme-grade Fire Spirit Jade? Hearing Yi Huan's words, Guxie Chen was dumbfounded.

Xin Jia looked up at the sky. Zhao Yi frowned at the lava beneath his feet. Yi Huan spread his hands helplessly, offering a bitter smile.

"Alright, I admit it. I don't have any supreme-grade Fire Spirit Jade!" Guxie Chen spread his hands with a wry smile. "When we were on Paradise Star, we pocketed quite a few good things, but we didn't get a single piece of this!"

Following Guxie Chen's sigh, an ancient, hoarse voice echoed from the depths of the magma.

"Supreme-grade Fire Spirit Jade. This King has plenty. If Young Friend needs it, take as much as you like!"

As the voice spoke, a massive liquid bubble several meters in diameter slowly swelled in the lava lake. Inside the crimson bubble, an old man sat cross-legged, clad in a red robe, wearing a red feathered crown, clutching a crimson vine staff, his skin faintly flushed. The elder's features were ancient and rugged; the lines on his face were deep and straight, his facial contours resembling a statue hewn by an axe. His lips drooped, emanating a palpable wave of bitterness that washed over them, as if he had swallowed ten pounds of yellow lotus, so sour it brought tears to the eyes.

"Hmph!" Xin Jia strode forward to block Guxie Chen. Zhao Yi and Yi Huan positioned themselves on either side to shield him. The Boundless Divine Chains at Xin Jia's waist moved without wind, two long iron chains shooting out, grinding against each other with a loud clanging sound. Zhao Yi formed a lightning seal with his hands, while Yi Huan drew an ancient bronze sword adorned with dragon heads, turtle shells, and phoenix patterns, forming a sword seal.

Snap! The liquid bubble burst. The old man, barefoot on the lava, walked step by agonizing step until he was less than ten meters from Guxie Chen. He waved the red vine staff and spoke bitterly, "This King is the Red Feather Witch King, one of the three great Witch Kings of the Three Witch Sect—Black, White, and Red. Your master, the Corpse Emperor, was a contemporary of mine. This King has ample supreme-grade Fire Spirit Jade, enough for you to transplant all these Blazing Flame Orchids."

Looking at the miserable expression of the Red Feather Witch King, a myriad of thoughts flashed through Guxie Chen's mind. He sneered coldly and nodded. "That woman, Yulice, colluded with the Three Witch Sect to plot against me?"

After a period of silence, the Red Feather Witch King stated calmly, "This King does not deceive the younger generation. Indeed, the Three Witch Sect approached her father, trading a 'Red-Spotted Green-Striped Flood Dragon Egg' that could extend life by thirty years in exchange for intelligence about the Blazing Flame Orchids. This King arrived a day and a night before you and has been waiting for you for twelve hours!"

Guxie Chen sighed deeply.

Xin Jia stated solemnly, "A cultivator in the mid-stage of Spirit Transformation. Powerful strength, beyond what you and I can currently manage."

Zhao Yi said coldly, "Set up the formation!"

Before the words settled, a cold glint flashed in the Red Feather Witch King's eyes. A sphere of crimson flame suddenly ignited beneath Zhao Yi’s feet. Zhao Yi cried out in agony; the part of his body below his waist was instantly reduced to ash in the blaze. Severely damaged, Zhao Yi cast a helpless look at Guxie Chen and dissipated into a streak of purple light.

"You!" Guxie Chen stared at the Red Feather Witch King in horror.

"..."

May 1st's fourth explosion. Where are the monthly votes? (To be continued)