He was a man completely engulfed by raging fire, clad in armor the color of crimson flame, his long hair a vibrant red matching the fire. His face was strikingly handsome, almost unnervingly so—Ye Jingyu had certainly never encountered a man of such arresting beauty.

His eyes were a searing red, like two great blazing infernos burning within.

With the appearance of this man, everything around seemed to dim, overshadowed entirely by his brilliance. He was like a sun, illuminating the entire world, yet utterly indifferent to it.

Yet, from those fiery eyes shot a look of piercing coldness as he stared directly at the colossal phantom that loomed so close...

"Spit it out!" The man, radiating heat like a furnace, fixed his cold, commanding gaze upon the immense phantom and spoke.

The phantom gave no indication of acknowledging the man, merely uttering a single character—a sound that neither Ye Jingyu nor the man understood—from its mouth. Immediately, the Fire Spirit Orb, which had already entered the phantom’s body, suddenly erupted!

Yes, it exploded. The Fire Spirit Orb, an object of innate creation, simply shattered like a glass sphere. Witnessing the Orb disintegrate like that sent a chill of genuine terror through both Ye Jingyu and the radiant man.

The Fire Spirit Orb was an innate treasure, something that could only manifest in the Blazing Desolation lands. It formed from a tiny spark of Fire Spirit Essence slowly condensing the spiritual power of fire. It often took tens of thousands of years for a single Fire Spirit Orb to form, and in that span of time, how much Fire Spiritual Power had it accumulated?

The Fire Spiritual Power in the Blazing Desolation lands was hundreds of times greater than elsewhere, and a typical Fire Spirit Essence absorbed fire energy at a rate at least a hundred times faster than any other living creature. For it to absorb tens of thousands of years of this immense power—just how vast would that quantity become?

Such overwhelming Fire Spiritual Power condensed ceaselessly, compressing tighter and tighter until it formed the Fire Spirit Orb. Once it detonated, the resultant destruction would be catastrophic.

That power was undoubtedly more terrifying than the self-detonation of a single Martial Venerable, or even ten Martial Venerable masters. Neither Ye Jingyu nor the man believed they could survive such a blast.

But now, beyond their terror, there was nothing they could do. Such a massive explosion, even employing the Phantom Star Step, offered no avenue for escape; it would obliterate everything within tens of thousands of miles.

A shared question formed in their minds: The Fire Spirit Orb contained immense innate power, an object no one—not even a Venerable expert, nor the immortals of the Primordial Era—could possibly destroy. So why did this phantom merely recite a single incantation, and the Orb exploded entirely? What was going on?

It wasn't just the man who was bewildered; Ye Jingyu was equally perplexed...

As for the unleashed, surging power, both Ye Jingyu and the man simply let it wash over them, knowing escape was impossible; they could only face it in silence.

Perhaps, when even despair vanishes, that is true emptiness.

However, although the fire light erupted, it did not spread outward. The phantom's body acted as a vessel, trapping that immense power within itself.

Streaks of fire light churned ceaselessly, flames writhing and flowing, until the phantom's entire body glowed with waves of crimson light. Even the two fire dragons forming beneath its feet—nourished by the swallowed dragon essence—began to let out joyful roars. The fire serpents dangling from its ears seemed to awaken, greedily absorbing the colossal Fire Spiritual Power.

The flames grew fiercer, yet Ye Jingyu and the man felt nothing more than intense heat, staring at the spectacle in stunned silence.

After an indeterminate time, the churning fire slowly dissipated, and the shape of the massive phantom became much clearer; in certain areas, distinct scales could now be perceived.

As if craving immense flesh and blood, the phantom’s fiery eyes settled upon the radiant man and it extended a massive hand, reaching out to seize him.

The man’s heart jolted, snapping him out of his stupor. Facing the phantom's powerful strike, he countered immediately with a palm strike of his own...

With a deafening "BOOM," their palms collided heavily, unleashing a blinding burst of crimson light. The immense force blasted the radiant man backward. His arm looked like shattered crystal, crisscrossed with fissures, and bright crimson blood began to seep out slowly.

The phantom hadn't shifted an inch, but behind it, Ye Jingyu suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, which trickled from his nostrils and eyes as well.

Even after absorbing the Fire Spirit Orb, the phantom now required only about a tenth of the power it previously needed to exert the same force. But Ye Jingyu, already drained, could not supply that much energy; he was nearly sucked dry.

"Remember my name: Yan Senxu. I will return for revenge!" At this moment, the man sent flying by the phantom's slap murmured softly, then turned and fled in another direction.

A look of disdain crossed the phantom's face, and it prepared to strike again, only to see Ye Jingyu bleeding from all seven orifices, his body plummeting downward. The phantom sighed deeply.

With one hand sweeping across the void, it chanted a soft incantation. A large black stone rose from the surface of the lake. Ye Jingyu and the enchanting figure landed precisely upon it, and the stone floated suspended over the vast water. The phantom’s figure transformed into a streak of red light, plunging back into the long white bone from which it emerged.

Faintly, a voice filled with profound melancholy drifted out: "Alas, how weak people are these days. A casual strike drains all his strength. I can’t even have a proper fight. I suppose I must wait until my true form recovers... But I wonder how many Fire Spirit Orbs there are now? Relying only on them, it would take at least ten thousand? Hah, what a headache..."

As the voice faded, the deep cavern returned to stillness. Had Ye Jingyu heard that last sentence, he might have died of fright on the spot. The power of a single Fire Spirit Orb was enough to annihilate any Venerable expert, even the ancient immortals. Yet, this being claimed it might take ten thousand just to possibly restore its true form. Just how powerful was its true form?

Night, desolate and cold... The road, stretching far!

(Who could this be? Everyone, take a guess!)