84: Chapter 84 The Secret of Burning Flame Valley

Tiandu City, Inspection Hall.

Elder Zhou was extremely efficient; within half a day, he had presented Lin Wan with detailed files on the three locations—Burning Flame Valley, Ten Thousand Ghost Cave, and Liangjie Mountain—along with a list of about ten candidate team members.

Lin Wan carefully examined the file on Burning Flame Valley.

Located in the southwest of the Eastern Wilderness and under the jurisdiction of the Skyfire Sect, it was one of the largest and highest-quality "Blazing Sun Crystal" mines in the Eastern Wilderness, providing the Skyfire Sect with vast resources and wealth.

However, just over a month ago, a large-scale event occurred in the depths of the mine where miners died suddenly without warning.

The victims were all drained of essence and blood, appearing like mummified corpses with twisted expressions, as if they had experienced extreme fear and pain; the state of their deaths was extremely bizarre.

The Skyfire Sect blocked the news immediately and dispatched a team led by a Middle Stage Nascent Soul Elder to investigate deep inside.

However, after this team entered the depths of the mine, they vanished like a stone dropped into the ocean, never to be heard from again; even their soul lamps extinguished one after another a few days later.

The Skyfire Sect sent two more groups, but the result was the same—they never returned, costing them several Nascent Soul and over a dozen elite Golden Core Cultivators.

The Flame Emperor was furious and went to investigate personally, but he encountered some unknown, extremely terrifying "Evil Force" in the depths of the mine.

Although he used his Soul Transformation Stage cultivation to force his way out, he suffered minor injuries and ordered the complete blockade of Burning Flame Valley, strictly forbidding anyone from approaching, while publicly claiming that the earth fire in the depths of the mine had rioted, causing toxic miasma that they were currently handling.

The file also contained some scattered descriptions obtained from low-level miners who had narrowly escaped or from Cultivators observing from afar: "There is red light in the depths of the mine... it's like it's alive... wriggling... devouring everything...", "There is a terrifying whispering... ringing directly in the mind... driving people mad...", "The temperature is terrifyingly high, but you can't feel the heat; instead, there is a kind of... cold burning sensation..."

"Red light... wriggling... devouring... whispering... cold burning sensation..." Lin Wan frowned slightly.

These descriptions reminded him of something unpleasant.

They had faint similarities to certain characteristics of the "the end" erosion, but seemed different, more... violent, more aggressive.

"Could it be some kind of ancient evil object related to 'Fire' that has been eroded and mutated by 'the end'? Or perhaps, something ominous was already sealed in the depths of Burning Flame Valley and has awakened due to the influence of the 'Heavenly Rift'?" Lin Wan speculated internally.

As for the list of accompanying personnel, the ten people selected by Elder Zhou were all Middle Stage and Late Stage Nascent Soul Cultivators from different factions in the Central Plains, Western Desert, and Southern Regions.

Their backgrounds were relatively clean, with no entanglements with the Eastern Wilderness or Northern Plains, and each had their own specialties.

Lin Wan selected five from among them: Elder Zhou himself (Late Stage Nascent Soul, Tianyan Sect, skilled in Formation and deduction), Great Master Liao Chen's Junior Brother, Liaokong (Middle Stage Nascent Soul, Western Desert Vajra Temple, skilled in Buddhist Dharma and purification), a female Elder from the Southern Region's Hundred Flowers Valley, Hua Qingxuan (Middle Stage Nascent Soul, skilled in Wood-element healing and investigation), the Sword Cultivator Yue Lingfeng from the Central Plains Loose Cultivator background (Late Stage Nascent Soul, formidable combat power), and Mo Wen, a Cultivator from the periphery of the "Heavenly Secret Pavilion" (Middle Stage Nascent Soul, proficient in mechanisms, traps, and intelligence analysis).

These five had complementary abilities, and their backing factions all had friendships or interest connections with Lin Wan, making them relatively reliable.

"We depart for Burning Flame Valley early tomorrow morning." Lin Wan set the itinerary.

The next day, as the sky began to brighten, Lin Wan led the five—Elder Zhou, Liaokong, Hua Qingxuan, Yue Lingfeng, and Mo Wen—and piloted a medium-sized, fast Alliance-standard flying boat, leaving Tiandu City and speeding towards the Eastern Wilderness.

Before leaving, he had already formally notified the Eastern Wilderness Branch Alliance (mainly led by the Skyfire Sect) and the Skyfire Sect headquarters through Alliance channels, stating that the Inspection Envoy would be heading to Burning Flame Valley to investigate the abnormal event and ordering them to cooperate.

On the flying boat, Lin Wan sat cross-legged in the quiet room, continuing to ponder the intelligence on Burning Flame Valley.

Elder Zhou and the others kept watch outside and operated the flying boat.

"Inspection Envoy," Elder Zhou's voice came through the sound-transmission Formation, "We just received a reply from the Skyfire Sect. The tone... is not very friendly.

They only stated that Burning Flame Valley is a Forbidden Ground of the Skyfire Sect and that they are handling internal affairs, so it is inconvenient for outsiders to intervene.

They hope the Inspection Envoy will prioritize the overall situation of the Alliance and not listen to rumors or trespass into the Forbidden Ground, so as not to cause misunderstandings and harm the harmony between the two parties."

"Heh, harmony?" A cold sneer curled the corner of Lin Wan's mouth.

The Flame Emperor hated him to the bone, so how could he talk about harmony?

This excuse was expected.

The more they obstructed, the more it indicated that the matter of Burning Flame Valley was no small matter.

The Skyfire Sect might be hiding something, or even... the matter itself had some unknown connection to the Skyfire Sect or the Flame Emperor himself.

"Ignore them, proceed according to the original plan." Lin Wan said indifferently, "I would like to see if their Skyfire Sect's Forbidden Ground can stop me, an Alliance Inspection Envoy."

The flying boat was extremely fast.

A few days later, it had already entered the territory of the Eastern Wilderness.

The Eastern Wilderness was mountainous with sparse vegetation; the air was filled with a faint heat and the smell of sulfur.

There were many Cultivators who practiced Fire and Earth-element Cultivation Techniques, and the local customs were relatively fierce.

After flying for another day, on the horizon in the distance, a continuous mountain range appeared, crimson red as if scorched by flames.

That was the Burning Flame Mountain Range, and Burning Flame Valley was located in the depths of the mountain range.

Looking from afar, the sky above the Burning Flame Mountain Range was shrouded in a layer of faint, abnormal dark red mist, making the entire mountain range look somewhat hazy and distorted.

The heat in the air also became more obvious, even carrying a trace of irritating restlessness.

"Inspection Envoy, that is the Burning Flame Mountain Range ahead. Burning Flame Valley is on the southeast side." Elder Zhou reminded.

"Hmm, slow down and stay vigilant." Lin Wan walked out of the quiet room and onto the deck, his gaze like lightning, scanning the mountain range ahead.

With the perception of his Soul Transformation Stage, he could clearly feel that contained within that layer of dark red mist was an extremely obscure yet full of violent, chaotic, and spiritual pollution that seemed capable of inciting negative emotions deep in the human heart.

At the same time, from the depths of the mountain range, there came a faint, low, and powerful pulsation like a heartbeat, carrying an indescribable evil.

"What an evil place!" Yue Lingfeng gripped the long sword in his hand, his brows locked tightly.

His sword heart was clear, making him most sensitive to this kind of evil aura.

"Amitabha, resentment is gathering above this place, and evil thoughts are breeding. I fear there is a great and fierce object lurking here." Liaokong pressed his palms together, his expression solemn.

Hua Qingxuan and Mo Wen also used their own methods to investigate, and their expressions were not good.

Lin Wan's expression remained unchanged.

With a thought, the Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit appeared faintly between his brows.

An invisible, pure, vast Chaos Dao rhyme that seemed capable of containing and purifying everything quietly spread out from him, enveloping the flying boat.

Suddenly, everyone on the flying boat felt their minds clear; that inexplicable restlessness and spiritual pollution were largely dispelled.

"Go directly to the entrance of Burning Flame Valley." Lin Wan ordered.

The flying boat lowered its altitude and flew towards the southeast side of the Burning Flame Mountain Range.

The closer they got to Burning Flame Valley, the more intense the heat and evil aura in the air became.

The dark red mist became thicker, hindering vision, and Divine Sense investigation was also greatly interfered with.

If not for Lin Wan's protection with the Chaos Dao rhyme, the others would likely have felt uncomfortable long ago, or even lost their composure.

Soon, the flying boat arrived above a huge canyon entrance that looked as if it had been cleaved open by a giant axe.

On both sides of the canyon were steep cliffs thousands of feet high, red as fire, and devoid of vegetation.

At the entrance of the valley, a thick, impenetrable dark red mist swirled, almost forming a physical barrier, making it impossible to see the situation inside the valley.

In front of the valley entrance, on a temporarily constructed camp, the flags of the Skyfire Sect fluttered.

Dozens of Skyfire Sect Disciples with not-weak auras, led by a Early Stage Nascent Soul Elder, were ready in battle Formation, blocking the way.

"This is the Forbidden Ground of the Skyfire Sect. Stop, those who approach!" That Early Stage Nascent Soul Skyfire Sect Elder was an old man with a sinister face.

Seeing the Alliance-standard flying boat and the clear "Inspection" mark on it, a flash of apprehension crossed his eyes, but he still braced himself, flew forward, and shouted, "By order of the Sect Master, the Burning Flame Valley is sealed. Anyone who trespasses will be killed without mercy!"

"Killed without mercy?" Lin Wan's voice came calmly from the flying boat, but it carried an invisible pressure that made the Skyfire Sect Elder's heart tremble, "This Envoy is Lin Wan, Inspection Envoy of the Five Domains Alliance Against the Calamity, ordered to investigate the abnormal events in Burning Flame Valley.

You all step aside immediately, otherwise, you will be dealt with for defying Alliance decrees and obstructing an inspection!"

"Lin... Lin Wan?!" The Skyfire Sect Elder's face turned pale instantly.

He naturally had heard of the reputation of this "God of Slaughter," and even more so, knew the feud between his own Sect Master and this person.

But he dared not disobey the Sect Master's strict order, so he had to grit his teeth and say, "Inspection Envoy Lin, this is an internal affair of our Skyfire Sect.

The Sect Master has ordered that no one is allowed to enter! I ask the Inspection Envoy not to make things difficult for us and to retreat quickly so as not to harm the harmony!"

"Internal affair?" Lin Wan sneered.

He stepped out of the flying boat and stood in the air.

The vast Spiritual Pressure of the Soul Transformation Stage was released without reservation, pressing down towards the Skyfire Sect people below like an invisible mountain!

"The anomaly in Burning Flame Valley is suspected to be related to the 'the end' erosion and has already caused massive casualties.

This is a matter concerning the safety of the Five Regions; how can it be just an internal affair of your Skyfire Sect?!

The decree of the Anti-Calamity Alliance is here.

Anyone who obstructs the inspection, conceals information, or even collides with evil spirits, the Inspection Envoy has the right to execute first and report later!

Do you want to try?"

The terrifying Divine Might of the Soul Transformation Stage, mixed with the supreme Dao rhyme of the Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit, hit the Skyfire Sect Elder like a thunderbolt.

He groaned, retreated several steps, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with fear.

The Disciples behind him were even more disarrayed; many collapsed directly to the ground, shivering, unable to even lift their heads.

The might of the Soul Transformation Stage was truly terrifying!

Moreover, Lin Wan was no ordinary Soul Transformation!

"You... you..." The Skyfire Sect Elder was both shocked and angry, wanting to say something more.

"Get out of the way!" Lin Wan couldn't be bothered to talk anymore.

With a wave of his sleeve, a gentle yet irresistible current of Chaos Qi surged out, sweeping up the Skyfire Sect Elder and the Disciples behind him, throwing them towards the distant camp.

He did not take their lives, but it left them unable to act for a short time.

Having cleared the obstacles, Lin Wan cast his gaze toward the valley entrance shrouded in dark red thick fog.

"Follow me into the valley, stay vigilant."

He took the first step and stepped into the thick fog.

Elder Zhou and the others followed quickly, and the flying boat was put away.

Once inside the thick fog, the suppression of vision and Divine Sense became even more intense.

Everything around was dark red, as if they were in a sea of thick blood.

The temperature was extremely high, yet it carried a bone-chilling cold.

Even more terrifying was that faint, eerie whispers filled with madness, resentment, and greed began to ring in their ears, like countless tiny insects desperately burrowing into their minds, attempting to erode their sanity.

"Hold fast to your minds, circulate your Cultivation Techniques to resist!" Liaokong shouted in a low voice. A brilliant Buddhist light erupted from his body, forming a gentle golden barrier that protected everyone within, temporarily shielding them from the erosion of the whispers. Hua Qingxuan also channeled her Wood-element Spiritual Qi, emitting a fresh and tranquil aura that helped soothe everyone's minds.

Lin Wan, however, remained expressionless. His Chaos Dao Rhyme flowed, completely isolating and purifying the encroaching evil power. His gaze, sharp as lightning, pierced through the layers of thick fog and looked deep into the valley.

The interior of the valley was even wider than the outside. The mountain walls on both sides were covered with mines of all sizes, bottomless and dark. The ground was scorched black and covered with cracks. Within the fissures, viscous, dark red liquid, resembling magma, flowed slowly, emitting a nauseating, sweet, fishy, and scorching aura. Even more heart-wrenching was the sight deep within the valley: at the entrance of the largest main mine, thick, dark red mist rolled and writhed like a living creature, vaguely forming a huge, twisted, phantom face filled with pain and madness!

And that evil, throbbing pulse, like a heartbeat, was coming from deep within the main mine, becoming increasingly clear and increasingly... rapid.

"That... is the source." Lin Wan pointed toward the main mine, the Chaos light flickering in his eyes. He could feel that the entity inside was extremely dangerous, and also extremely... "delicious." It seemed to hold a special attraction for his newly condensed Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit, which was craving "nourishment."

"Careful, something is coming!" Yue Lingfeng suddenly shouted sharply, his long sword unsheathed and pointing toward a mine on the left.

Several black shadows suddenly darted out from the mine, their speed as fast as ghosts, rushing straight at them!

Only when they got closer could they see the appearance of those shadows—they were "humanoid" creatures, but their skin was an abnormal dark red, like scorched tree bark covered in cracks, with viscous dark red liquid flowing from the fissures. Their facial features were twisted, and two balls of crazy, chaotic dark red flames burned in their eyes. They let out unintelligible roars, moved on all fours like beasts, and exuded a violent, chaotic aura comparable to the Golden Core or even the early Nascent Soul stage!

"They are miners... or Disciples of the Skyfire Sect who have been eroded and mutated by evil power!" Mo Wen said in a deep voice, already holding several strange metal balls that shimmered with a cold light.

"Amitabha... Their bodies are entangled with Karmic Obstruction, and evil thoughts have entered their bodies; they are no longer living beings..." Liaokong's face showed compassion, but his actions were merciless. He struck out with a golden Buddhist palm, shattering the "dark red humanoid" in the front. Its remains turned into a pool of foul-smelling dark red liquid, sizzling and rapidly evaporating.

Yue Lingfeng's sword light was like lightning, instantly slicing another one into pieces. Hua Qingxuan lightly raised her jade hand, and countless green vines drilled out from the ground, entangling and strangling the enemies. Elder Zhou and Mo Wen also unleashed their own methods.

Although these mutated monsters were numerous and fearless of death, they were clearly no match for Lin Wan and his group and were quickly wiped out.

However, their expressions did not relax. Because from the many more mines all around, even more dense and crazy roars and crawling sounds were heard! It was as if the entire Burning Flame Valley, countless eroded "dark red monsters," had been alarmed and were surging in from all directions like a tide!

"We cannot get entangled here!" Lin Wan decided decisively. "Go straight for the source! Elder Zhou, Mo Wen, you are responsible for covering the flanks! Liaokong, Hua Qingxuan, protect the rear! Yue Lingfeng, follow me and open the path!"

"Yes!" Everyone replied in unison and instantly formed a Formation.

A cold light flashed in Lin Wan's eyes. No longer holding back, he pointed his fingers like a sword and slashed through the air toward the direction where the monsters were surging! "Five Elements Returning to Ruins—Open!"

A sword mark, only a few zhang long but condensed to the extreme, displaying the original color of Chaos, tore through the air like tearing cloth. It instantly slashed and annihilated the dark red mist within dozens of zhang in front, along with the dozens of "dark red monsters" surging out from within! A short passage was cleared.

"Go!" Lin Wan took the lead, his figure turning into a streak of Chaos light, shooting toward the entrance of the main mine, where the huge, twisted phantom face was! Yue Lingfeng followed closely behind, his sword light like a dragon, slaying the monsters that occasionally slipped through. Elder Zhou and the others also used their various methods to resist the monsters surging from the flanks and rear, struggling to keep up.

Wherever they passed, there was a bloody storm; severed limbs flew, and dark red liquid splattered everywhere, only to be evaporated and purified by their protective spiritual light.

Finally, they reached the entrance of the main mine. The huge phantom face made of dark red mist seemed to be enraged, emitting a silent scream that struck directly at the soul! The face suddenly opened its mouth, and a torrent of evil power—thick enough to be impenetrable, intertwined with dark red and pitch black, exuding an aura of extreme evil, Chaos, and destruction—rushed toward them like a bursting River of the Underworld!

The power of this torrent of evil was so strong that it had already surpassed the Nascent Soul level and was vaguely touching the threshold of the Soul Transformation Stage! The spiritual pollution and corrosive power contained within it were even more terrifying; Liaokong's Buddhist light and Hua Qingxuan's Wood-element Spiritual Qi were showing signs of being unable to withstand it!

"Hmph! Mere demons and monsters, how dare you be so presumptuous!" Lin Wan snorted coldly. No longer hiding, his vast Soul Transformation Stage cultivation erupted! The Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit between his eyebrows shone brilliantly, and a more vast, more original Chaos Dao Rhyme, seemingly capable of containing, evolving, and ending everything, transformed into a Chaos-colored light barrier, firmly protecting everyone and blocking the torrent of evil power outside!

At the same time, he grasped his right hand in the air, and the newly refined chaos dao sword appeared silently in his palm. On the blade, Chaos light flowed, and a supreme Sword Intent that could sever Karma, destroy illusions, and had an Innate restraint against evil and filth, soared into the sky!

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins, Sword Slashes Evil Source—Break!" Lin Wan shouted in a low voice and thrust his sword toward the huge phantom face and the depths of the main mine behind it!

There was no earth-shattering momentum, only a beam of sword light condensed to the extreme, displaying the original color of Chaos. Like the first ray of light at the dawn of creation, it instantly pierced through the torrent of evil power, pierced through the twisted phantom face, and pierced through the thick dark red mist at the entrance of the main mine, plunging into the depths of the mine, where the source of the most intense throbbing lay!

"Sss—!!!" A harsh sound, like boiling oil poured onto snow, or as if some tough leather was being torn, came from deep within the mine. Immediately after, an even more shrill, even more crazy, silent scream filled with endless pain and resentment exploded deep within everyone's souls!

The huge phantom face collapsed with a bang. The "dark red monsters" surging from all around also seemed to have lost their source of power; they stiffened in place, then, as if drained of all their strength, collapsed softly to the ground, turning into pools of dark red liquid that quickly evaporated and dissipated. The thick dark red mist began to roll violently, then, like a receding tide, rapidly contracted and retreated toward the depths of the mine. The scorching and evil aura in the air also weakened significantly.

"The source... was heavily damaged?" Yue Lingfeng said somewhat uncertainly.

"Let's go in and take a look." Lin Wan sheathed his sword, his expression calm, and stepped into the main mine first. With his Chaos Dao Rhyme protecting him, the remaining dark red mist and evil power retreated and were annihilated wherever he passed.

Everyone hurried to follow. The mine was extremely deep and wound downward; the surrounding mountain walls were eroded by high temperatures and evil power, presenting a strange, dark red crystalline state. The further down they went, the higher the temperature, and the evil throbbing sensation became clearer, but it was no longer as violent as before, instead feeling somewhat... disordered and weak.

After traveling about a thousand zhang, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a huge natural cave formed as if the belly of the mountain had been hollowed out. In the center of the cave was a pool with a diameter of over a hundred zhang, filled with churning, viscous, dark red "magma."

But unlike ordinary magma, the "liquid" in this pool was full of vitality, constantly writhing and churning like living flesh, emitting a nauseating, sweet, fishy, and extremely evil aura. Above the pool floated a huge, constantly shifting, twisted phantom image made of dark red and pitch-black mist. In its center, one could vaguely see an irregular crystal the size of a fist, intertwined with dark gold and blood red, covered in cracks, constantly throbbing, and emitting a terrifying high temperature and evil fluctuations.

At this moment, a Chaos sword mark ran through this crystal, dimming its light and causing its throbbing to be disordered. The surrounding dark red mist phantom image was also much more illusory, clearly having been heavily damaged.

"This is..." Elder Zhou and the others gasped as they looked at the pool and the crystal. They could feel that the "liquid" in this pool and that crystal were the source of the entire anomaly in the Burning Flame Valley, the core of that terrifying evil power!

"A fragment of an 'Innate Fire-attribute Origin Object' that has been eroded and polluted by 'the end,' and has undergone a strange mutation?" Lin Wan's gaze was like a torch, instantly seeing a few clues. This crystal should have originally been an extremely rare Innate exotic object containing the Origin of the Great Dao of Fire, perhaps left behind by some ancient fire-elemental powerhouse, or nurtured by the nature of heaven and earth. But for some reason, it was eroded and polluted by the power of "the end," and combined with the special geothermal environment of the Burning Flame Valley, it underwent a terrifying mutation, turning into the monster in front of them, like an "Evil God Embryo," constantly emitting evil power, eroding and assimilating all living beings around it.

"The Skyfire Sect... probably knew about the existence of this thing long ago, and perhaps even tried to control and use it all along, only to play with fire and burn themselves, triggering this disaster." Lin Wan sneered inwardly. No wonder the Flame Emperor wanted to block the news; no wonder the evil power here was so strange and violent.

"Inspection Envoy, the evil power of this object is astonishing, and it seems to be connected to the earth's veins, making it extremely difficult to destroy completely. Should we..." Liaokong's face showed worry.

"No matter." Lin Wan said lightly, his gaze falling on the crystal pierced by the Chaos sword mark, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "Although this object is evil, its core is, after all, a fragment of the Innate Fire Origin, and it also contains a trace of the mutated power of 'the end.' To others, it is a deadly poison, but to me..." He stepped forward, the Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit between his eyebrows shining brilliantly. An invisible suction force, seemingly capable of devouring, assimilating, and refining everything, emanated from the Dao Fruit, enveloping the dark gold and blood-red crystal. "It is... a great tonic!"