116: Three groups of people in the Tianyan Mountains

Li Miaoer wiggled her nose excitedly. As a Nine Li Heavenly Cat, she seemed to have a higher adaptability to high temperatures. She even remarked:

"Hmm... this smell is a bit like that solar scent you have when you're practicing, Junior Martial Brother, but it's more mixed and wild."

Lin Xiaoyou's eyes darted around constantly, observing their surroundings.

"The flow of Spiritual Qi is chaotic. The fire-fiend energy is thickest to the southeast, while there's a weak reaction of subterranean water vapor to the northwest, possibly indicating an underground river or a cold pool... Hmm, there are residues of violent spiritual power fluctuations three miles ahead; someone or a Yao Beast just passed through not long ago."

Following the System's faint guidance and combining it with the analysis from the paper-man Clone, Lu Yu chose a path heading toward a canyon where the fire-fiend energy was intense but the terrain was relatively hidden.

After flying for about an hour, they had entered the depths of the mountain range.

The surroundings were filled with jagged rocks. In some rock crevices, one could even see dark red magma slowly crawling, gurgling and bubbling.

The sky was distorted by the rising heat, and the light was dim.

"Wait!"

Li Miaoer, who was flying in front, suddenly stopped. Her pink ears popped out with a 'poof,' standing alertly as the tip of her nose twitched rapidly.

"There's the scent of others!"

Lu Yu also stopped and signaled everyone to restrain their aura, landing behind a giant rock.

Li Miaoer lowered her voice, her cat-like pupils glowing. "The scent is very faint, just behind that rocky slope ahead. It seems they are sneaking deeper in."

Lu Yu raised an eyebrow. That should be Xiao Yan. He didn't expect the other party to move so quickly.

Is it for the Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire?

It seems the remnant soul of the Pill Emperor within him has also sensed clues to the Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire.

"It's not just him."

Lin Xiaoyou's paper-man Clone suddenly spoke, its voice remaining calm and emotionless.

"To the front-left, about seven miles away, there are stronger spiritual power fluctuations. Three people, all with cultivation at or above the Perfection of the Void Return Stage. One of them has fire-attribute spiritual power that is extremely pure and condensed, far exceeding ordinary Cultivators; they should be a core high-ranking member of the Fentian Sacred Valley."

Void Return Perfection?

And three of them?

Lu Yu's gaze narrowed. This lineup could be considered luxurious in any region.

It seemed that those interested in the Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire were far more than just himself and Xiao Yan.

"Can you determine which side they belong to?" Lu Yu asked.

Lin Xiaoyou was silent for a moment, seemingly activating some secret technique to perceive:

"They are cautiously setting up a Formation that combines detection and concealment, with their goal clearly pointing toward the core geofire area in the deepest part of the mountain range. The leader is a woman whose aura matches the core Cultivation Technique of the Fentian Sacred Valley; her status is extremely high."

Lu Yu frowned slightly. Why did this plot feel so familiar?

Fighting over a Heavenly Flame, then discovering you're not alone, and there are others... Could it be that the woman from the Fentian Sacred Valley even knows Xiao Yan, yet neither knows the other's true identity?

Then, in the depths of this Tianyan Mountain Range, at the place where the Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire resides, is there also a snake?

Lu Yu found this getting more and more interesting!

If there really is a snake, does that snake have a queenly demeanor?

"Let's go, we'll bypass them."

Lu Yu made a prompt decision. "The two groups likely have the same goal and will encounter each other sooner or later. We'll follow behind and act as the situation dictates."

Relying on Li Miaoer's extraordinary sense of smell and perception, along with Lin Xiaoyou's precise grasp of energy flow, the four of them moved like three shadows. They traveled quietly through the scorching jagged rocks and magma fissures, skillfully bypassing the area where Xiao Yan was and trailing far behind the three Void Return Perfection experts.

The deeper they went, the harsher the environment became. The ground temperature was high enough to roast raw meat, and the air was so hot and distorted that every breath felt like fire in the lungs.

The violent fire Spiritual Qi had almost condensed into a physical red mist, severely interfering with Divine Sense probes.

From time to time, fire-type Yao Beasts nesting there were disturbed, letting out threatening low growls, but they were all quietly dispersed or intimidated by the faint pressure exuded by the three Void Return Perfection experts ahead.

After traveling for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

They had reached the edge of a massive underground volcanic crater.

Below was a giant pit over a thousand feet in diameter. The walls were dark red and riddled with honeycomb-like holes, from which hot air and sparks constantly spewed.

The bottom of the pit was not a lava lake, but a churning, surging mass of strange, milky-white flames that looked like clear water!

The flames burned quietly, yet they exuded a supreme, holy aura that purified all things, appearing completely out of place with the surrounding violent fire-fiend energy.

The Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire!

Although this might only be the outer region, its characteristics were already so distinct!

And at this moment, at different positions on the edge of the crater, three groups of people appeared almost simultaneously!

To the south, near the entrance of a hidden lava tunnel leading to the bottom of the pit, three figures emerged.

The leader was a woman dressed in a crimson palace gown. She looked to be around thirty, with an extremely beautiful face that carried the majesty and coldness of someone long in a high position. A flame mark on her forehead was as red as a drop of blood.

Upon seeing this person, Li Miaoer recognized her as Nangong Yun, the Vice Valley Master of the Pill Valley within the Fentian Sacred Valley, with a Void Return Perfection cultivation.

Furthermore, with her looks and figure, she ranked fifty-second on the beautiful women ranking!

Looking at her curvaceous figure and that majestic, stunning face, one couldn't help but feel a sense of attraction.

Standing behind her were two old men with profound auras, dressed in the robes of Fentian Sacred Valley Elders—these were the three Void Return Perfection experts!

To the northeast, on a giant red rock, the figure of the black-clad Xiao Yan appeared somewhat disheveled. His clothes had several scorch marks and his face was stained with dust, but his eyes were exceptionally bright and persistent, fixed tightly on the milky-white flames at the bottom of the pit, his chest heaving slightly.

Meanwhile, Lu Yu's group of four was silently hidden in the northwest, within a patch of light and shadow distorted by the heat waves, their auras restrained to the absolute limit.

Nangong Yun's gaze was like lightning. It first rested on the Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire for a moment, a flash of heat crossing her eyes, before sweeping toward Xiao Yan. Her elegant brows furrowed imperceptibly, and her words carried a hint of killing intent.

"Who are you? Why are you in my Fentian Sacred Valley's Forbidden Ground? This is not a place you should be! Leave immediately, or else, regardless of which Sect you are a Disciple of, you will lose your life here!"

However, she felt a slight familiarity in the other party's aura, similar to that Yan Xiao who had saved her life when she was heavily injured. This was the reason she didn't immediately take action against him.

Back then, she had also been in disguise, not showing her true current appearance. This was why Xiao Yan did not recognize the person before him as the Lin Yun who had moved his heart.

Xiao Yan looked at her and gave a cold laugh.

"Your Fentian Sacred Valley's Forbidden Ground? What a joke!"

"It's just that your Fentian Sacred Valley saw how special this Tianyan Mountain Range is and cordoned it off for yourselves. Isn't it just because you took an interest in this immature Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire seed before? Don't be so high and mighty as to call it your Forbidden Ground!"

Xiao Yan clearly had no intention of backing down. He had prepared for too long for this day. The sub-flame in his body sensed that the mature Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire seed was right at the bottom of this crater, within reach. How could he just hand it over?

He took a deep breath, seemingly having made up his mind, and looked at the simple, ancient ring on his index finger.

"Teacher, I'm counting on you..."