201: Baiting and fishing, the envoy of fire arrives.

Li Ao and Medusa searched the periphery of the Hundred Thousand Volcanoes for a full day, finally settling on a place called "Fire Crow Ridge."

The terrain here was quite unique, a relatively flat valley formed by several extinct volcanoes surrounding it. In the center of the valley was the remnant of a long-dried lava lake, the bottom of which was hard, porous black basalt. On the surrounding ridges, large numbers of "Crimson Flame Fire Crows" nested, feeding on fire-attributed Ore and low-level fire lizards. This type of avian Demonic Beast was not high-ranked, but their numbers were vast and they were exceptionally noisy. Their daily activity could effectively mask unusual energy fluctuations.

They chose this location, firstly because the fire-attributed energy here was still dense, meaning leaking a trace of the earth core fire lotus's scent would not seem too abrupt; secondly, because the surrounding topography was easy to observe and control, allowing for easy advance or retreat should anything change; and thirdly, these noisy Fire Crows could interfere with most Soul probes, providing cover for their setup.

The two cleared an area in the center of the dried lake bed. Li Ao did not immediately take out the earth core fire lotus; instead, he used his finger as a pen, condensing Dou Qi and Soul Power, and began carving complex and profound runes onto the hard basalt ground.

These runes were not of a single attribute but cleverly incorporated his Fusion of his understanding of the Law of Annihilation (Jimiè Fǎzé), as well as techniques regarding energy restraint and spatial isolation learned from an ancient Incomplete Manual of the Ice Spirit Clan. The rune lines exhibited a dull gray-gold color, and once outlined, they quietly disappeared into the rock, as if they had never existed. However, an invisible force field, carrying the meaning of termination and confinement, had already silently enveloped the area.

This was a simplified version of the "Silent Spirit Sealing Barrier"; it did not possess powerful offensive capabilities. Its main function was to isolate internal and external energy transmission, interfere with Soul perception, and, at a critical moment, instantly activate to form a powerful restraining force.

Setting up this array consumed nearly half a day of Li Ao's time and a considerable amount of Soul Power. When he completed the final stroke, his face was slightly pale. Yet, his eyes shone with satisfaction; with this array in place, even if the "fish" they lured were too fierce, they would still have room to maneuver or even counterattack.

"It's ready," Li Ao nodded to Medusa.

Medusa understood. With a light wave of her jade hand, the cold jade casket appeared in her grip. She did not fully open the lid, only lifting it to create a barely perceptible gap.

The instant the gap appeared—

"Buzz!"

A surge of pure, scorching, immense energy, seemingly containing the Origin of the great earth core fire, mixed with a trace of chilling intent that made one's Soul tremble, suddenly vented a wisp from the gap, like a volcano that had been suppressed for too long!

Although it was only a single wisp, under Li Ao's deliberate guidance, this scent did not fully dissipate but shot straight up like an invisible thread, piercing through the chaotic energy layer formed by the Fire Crow activity above the valley, spreading towards the higher, more distant sky!

To ordinary Cultivators, this scent might simply be a normal fluctuation of the fire energy in the area, but to powerful experts who were highly sensitive to high-level fire-attributed energy, especially the unique existence of the "Bone Chilling Flame," it was no different from a lighthouse in the dark!

Having finished, Medusa immediately closed the lid, and Li Ao fully activated the "Silent Spirit Sealing Barrier." The unique scent was instantly and completely isolated, and the lake bed returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

The two concealed all their Aura, hiding in the shadows on one side of the lake bed like two lifeless rocks, waiting patiently.

Time passed minute by minute. Above the valley, the Crimson Flame Fire Crows continued to fly noisily, fighting over food. The scorching wind whipped up dust from the ground, making a howling sound.

One hour, two hours... Just as Li Ao began to doubt the effectiveness of his plan, the nirvana star core within his Qi Sea suddenly transmitted an extremely subtle yet incredibly clear tremor!

They're here!

His gaze sharpened, and he and Medusa simultaneously looked toward the sky in the southeast.

At the edge of the horizon, a tiny red dot suddenly appeared and magnified at an astonishing speed! At first, it was just a speck of light, but in the blink of an eye, they could clearly see it was a mass of intensely burning deep-red flames! The flames were not inanimate; a faint human outline was vaguely visible within them!

The flames tore through the sky. Wherever they passed, the Fire Crow flock below cried out in terror, scattering and fleeing as if they had encountered a natural predator, instantly silencing the previously noisy valley.

In just a few breaths, the mass of deep-red flames had arrived above Fire Crow Ridge. The scorching high temperature swept down, causing the temperature within the valley to instantly soar, making even the hard basalt ground begin to turn slightly red!

The flames hovered, and the light gradually faded, revealing a figure within.

It was a woman, appearing to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She wore a tight-fitting crimson leather armor that outlined her agile and explosive figure. Her skin was a healthy wheat color, her features were sharp, and her eyes held an innate wildness and arrogance. A head of fiery red hair was tied back, swaying slightly in the wind. Most striking were her eyes; her pupils were actually crimson-gold, like dancing flames!

She did not deliberately release her Aura, but the majestic Aura that naturally emanated from her, perfectly integrated with the surrounding fire-attributed energy, had clearly reached the level of a Three-Star Dou Zong! Moreover, her Aura was condensed and profound, far surpassing that of ordinary Cultivators at the same level.

She hovered in mid-air, her pair of crimson-gold flame pupils sharp as knives, scanning the valley below. She paused briefly over the area where Li Ao and Medusa were hiding, clearly having detected their presence, but her gaze ultimately landed on the center of the lake bed where the cold jade casket had been opened earlier.

"The scent of the earth core fire lotus... and also... that hateful coldness of the Bone Chilling Flame..." she muttered softly, her voice carrying a unique magnetism yet being utterly cold. "Who is it? Who dares to covet the item guarded by my clan, and even resort to such trickery here?"

She did not immediately descend but cautiously observed her surroundings. As a member of the Yan Clan, she was well aware of the preciousness of the earth core fire lotus, especially the secrets related to the guarding fire spirit, which were definitely not accessible to ordinary people. The setup before her was clearly a trap.

"You who hide your heads and show your tails, get out here!" she shouted sternly, her voice like rolling flames, carrying a powerful Soul impact as she pressed down toward where Li Ao and Medusa were hiding.

However, the sound wave containing the Soul impact, the moment it entered the range of the "Silent Spirit Sealing Barrier," was like a clay ox entering the sea, quietly dissolved and annihilated by the invisible Force Field of Annihilation, failing to cause the slightest ripple.

From the shadows, Li Ao and Medusa slowly stood up and walked out.

When she saw Medusa's breathtaking beauty and cold temperament, a hint of unconcealed astonishment flashed in the Yan Clan woman's eyes, but it was immediately replaced by deeper caution. And when her gaze fell upon Li Ao, sensing the profound, restrained Aura that subtly stung her Soul, her expression became completely solemn.

"It's you two?" The Yan Clan woman's crimson-gold pupils slightly contracted. "It was you who stole the earth core fire lotus from Jinyan Valley and disturbed 'Bai Li' (White Fire Snake)?"

Bai Li? It seems that is the name of the White Fire Snake. Li Ao realized this inwardly; it was indeed related to the Yan Clan.

His expression calm, he met her scrutinizing gaze and spoke lightly: "Your Excellency is the Yan Clan Envoy? This is no place for conversation. If you wish to retrieve the fire lotus, why not come down and discuss it?"

His words were calm, yet carried an undeniable confidence, as if the one controlling the situation was not the Three-Star Dou Zong hovering in the air, but him.

The Yan Clan woman frowned deeply. She could feel that the area below was enveloped by a strange force field, making her wary. However, the earth core fire lotus was of great importance, especially the Bone Chilling Flame scent clinging to it, which concerned clan secrets. She absolutely could not ignore it.

"Hmph, resorting to trickery! I, the Envoy, shall see what capabilities you possess!"

She let out a cold snort, and the deep-red flames around her surged again. Like a meteor descending from the heavens, carrying the terrifying Aura of burning down the eight wastes, she resolutely charged down toward the center of the lake bed, where Li Ao and Medusa were located!

The bait had been cast. The first, and most important, "fish" had taken the hook as expected. Whether the next step involved a peaceful transaction or a confrontation by force would depend on the result of this initial contact.