"Jingyu..." Seeing Ye Jingyu vanish so abruptly, Liang Xiaoke and the others cried out in alarm, rushing toward the spot where he disappeared. However, that pillar of flame was too intense; they couldn't get close. By the time the flames subsided, Ye Jingyu was already gone.

"Everyone, don't panic. Wait here. He will surely be fine!" Liang Xiaoke suddenly remembered Ye Jingyu's Chaos Body.

He had just condensed a Flame Golden Core, and with the Li Fire within him, ordinary flames shouldn't be able to harm him. Hu Yanqi, Hu Yanmeng, as well as Monik, Bernice, and the others, warily surveyed their bizarre surroundings. Everything here felt deeply strange.

At this moment, Ye Jingyu, enveloped by the great fire, found himself in a world composed entirely of flames. It was a cavern so vast it defied comprehension; even with Ye Jingyu’s sharp vision, he couldn't see from one end to the other. The surrounding stone walls were ablaze with roaring fire.

Below lay an immense lake, a vast body of molten magma. In the center of the lake, there was a clearing the size of a basketball court where the unconscious Yaoyao was trapped. A transparent protective barrier surrounded her, shielding her from the scorching heat waves outside.

Despite having endured so much hardship, benefiting from the meticulous cultivation of the Baihuamen Sect Master, and having already reached the Martial Saint realm before entering the Demon Realm, now approaching the second layer of the Martial God realm, resisting this level of heat was still impossible. Beyond that, Ye Jingyu noticed bubbles rising from the lava, and even some bones floating to the surface. Ye Jingyu frowned.

This was the Demon Realm; how could such a scorching place exist? Could the Flame Demon he assassinated have originated from here? The Flame Golden Core within him spun ceaselessly, absorbing the dense Fire Spirit Qi of the area, constantly solidifying his cultivation.

His body, step by calculated step, traversed the void toward the clearing where Yaoyao lay. "Whoosh..." Suddenly, a dark shadow leaped from the surface of the molten lake. Ye Jingyu clenched his hand, and the Heavenly Venerate Blade materialized, slashing out across the air.

"Clang..." With a sharp ringing sound, the Heavenly Venerate Blade struck the dark shadow, sparking vividly and sending the silhouette reeling back. The sheer force of the impact caused Ye Jingyu's hands to numb instantly. Only then did Ye Jingyu clearly see that the black shadow was a horn—a colossal bull's horn.

And this horn was terribly familiar. Could it be Grita’s? Recalling the vanished Grita, Ye Jingyu grew intensely cautious.

Grita was already a Sixth-Rank Demon Lord. To be killed so easily here suggested something terrifying lay hidden beneath the lake. His hand shook repeatedly as he launched twelve White Bone Chopsticks, which vanished into the void.

The Chiyou Banner also floated up from his Sea of Consciousness, dissolving into the emptiness. Unbeknownst to his enemies, he had already set up the Twelve Heavenly Witches Extinction Grand Array. "Roar..." A tremendous sound erupted.

The already churning lake surface suddenly erupted with a massive form. It was a gigantic lizard—or perhaps, a dragon—easily several dozen zhang long, boasting a pair of immense bat wings on its back, standing five or six zhang tall when reared up. Its entire body was covered in crimson scales, upon which flames visibly burned.

A searing heat radiated constantly from its mass. Its eyes, the size of washbasins, stared fixedly at Ye Jingyu. Its massive mouth parted slightly, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

Gazing upon this colossal behemoth, a chill ran through Ye Jingyu. This was a Demon Dragon, a rare Flame Demon Dragon. Judging by its size, it must be a mature specimen, possessing strength at least at the Demon Lord level.

Weren't the Demon Dragon clan supposed to reside only in Dragon Valley? How could one appear here? Had it lived here all along, and perhaps captured Yaoyao precisely because she possessed the Extreme Yin Extreme Meridian?

"Outsider, leave this place!" Sensing that the aura within Ye Jingyu was not insignificant, a voice resonated from the Demon Dragon’s maw. "I must take my friend," Ye Jingyu replied calmly. No matter how powerful this Demon Dragon was, as long as it wasn't the legendary Demon Dragon King, he possessed the strength to fight.

Of course, if he hadn't been concerned that the terrain might inadvertently harm Yaoyao, he would have attacked already. "You cannot take her. She is required by my Master!" the Demon Dragon flatly rejected Ye Jingyu's demand.

"Your Master?" Ye Jingyu started, surprised. The Demon Dragon clan held a prestigious status in the Demon Realm; who dared to become the Master of a Demon Dragon? At that instant, Ye Jingyu distinctly felt a powerful aura emanating from the magma lake—an aura that made the heart tremble.

Yet, this presence was faint, ethereal, as if belonging to someone deeply asleep. Sensing all this, Ye Jingyu's expression shifted dramatically. Any figure capable of making a Demon Dragon his mount must be extraordinary.

He needed to leave immediately! "Very well. Since this is what your great Master requires, I shall not intrude.

I depart now," he said, executing a gentlemanly bow to the Demon Dragon as an apology. Seeing Ye Jingyu apologize, the Demon Dragon relaxed, assuming that no matter how strong Ye Jingyu was, he couldn't possibly match its Master. The mere accidental leakage of the Master's aura moments ago should have been enough to deter him.

Just as the Demon Dragon let down its guard, a flash of silver light sparked beneath Ye Jingyu's feet. In a single stride, his body appeared before Yaoyao. He shattered the transparent energy shield with a palm strike, scooped her into his arms, condensed a silver-white barrier using Star Power, and shot upward...

Seeing Ye Jingyu dare to snatch Yaoyao right in front of it, the Demon Dragon froze momentarily before erupting in incandescent fury... "You despicable human, I will kill you myself!" the Demon Dragon roared, beating its massive, fleshy wings. Its seemingly cumbersome body transformed into a streak of light, lunging toward Ye Jingyu...

Ye Jingyu let out a cold laugh. The Chiyou Banner appeared in his hand. With a gentle wave, black mist billowed out instantly, engulfing the void.

With a flicker, he darted into the darkness... The Twelve Heavenly Witches Extinction Grand Array fully activated, and demonic figures materialized throughout the space, blocking the Demon Dragon's path...