254: Burning Heaven Ancient Treasury

After leaving the Hundred Beasts Plain, Li Ao was not in a hurry to use long-distance spatial travel. Although a Half-Saint could tear space to travel, the consumption was significant, and the distance between Central Continent and the Northwest Continent was extremely vast. The spatial turbulence in between was complex, making blind travel an unwise move.

He took out the silver storage ring he had obtained from Void Venerable and carefully inspected it with his Divine Sense. The internal space of the ring was massive, piled high with various resources, primarily Ore, Spiritual Plant, and ancient books and Jade Slip recording spatial secret techniques, all worth an exorbitant amount. Besides these, there were also many general Cultivation resources and high-grade Demonic Beast cores, enough to sustain a large faction for decades.

"This Void Venerable certainly had a deep fortune." Li Ao smiled slightly, classifying these resources and transferring the majority of them, along with the few broken bone fragments suspected to be related to the "bridge of the other shore," into his own storage ring. He left the spatial-attribute treasures and ancient books in the silver ring, preparing to study them carefully later.

After paying sufficient fees at a spatial wormhole plaza in a Human Race city, the three stepped onto a large spacecraft heading towards the Northwest Continent.

The spacecraft sailed steadily through the colorful spatial passage. Inside the cabin room, Li Ao set up an isolation Restriction and took out the jade bottle containing the Soul of the Void Thunder Dragon.

The jade bottle was translucent, and the purple-gold Dragon Soul quietly circled inside, radiating a pure and powerful Dragon might. After Li Ao nourished it slightly with Guixu Sacred Power, its Soul body was slightly more solidified than before. The Dragon eyes, while dormant, occasionally trembled, as if it could awaken at any moment.

"The essence of this Dragon Soul is extremely high. If we can reshape a Dragon body for it, it would be at least a Peak Dou Saint-Grade helper." Medusa looked at the jade bottle, a hint of fervor flashing in her snake eyes. As she also possessed a top-tier Demonic Beast Bloodline, she could better sense the preciousness of this Dragon Soul.

Xiao Yi Xian asked curiously, "Li Ao, how do you plan to handle it? Absorb and refine it directly, or..."

Li Ao gently rubbed the jade bottle and shook his head. "Directly refining it, while able to quickly enhance my Soul and vital Qi, would be like burning the zither to cook the crane, wasting the potential of its royal Bloodline. I intend to refine it into the 'silent ruin'."

"Refine it into a blade?" Both women were stunned.

"That's right." Li Ao explained, "The silent ruin is my innate Divine Weapon, and having grown with me, it already possesses sentience. Refining this Soul of the Void Thunder Dragon, which contains the Law of space and thunder, into a blade spirit will not only greatly enhance the power of the 'silent ruin,' granting it the Divine Ability to travel through the Void Realm and summon heavenly thunder, but it will also preserve the Dragon Soul, allowing it to grow with the blade. If an Opportunity arises in the future, it could even help it condense a physical body and gain a new life. This holds greater long-term value than simple absorption."

Hearing this, Medusa's eyes flashed with appreciation. "This method is excellent. Using the weapon to nourish the Soul, unifying the Soul and weapon, the potential is boundless." She had to admit that Li Ao's vision was always so far-reaching.

Xiao Yi Xian also nodded in agreement.

Li Ao put away the jade bottle. Nourishing the blade spirit was not a task for a single day; it required finding the right timing and auxiliary Materials, and it was inconvenient to do so on the spacecraft right now.

He then took out the Medicine Clan Grand Elder token, sinking his Divine Sense into it to check for more detailed information regarding the unusual flame fluctuations in the Northwest Continent.

The information transmitted by the token was much clearer than before:

· Location: Northwest Continent, deep within the Tagor Desert (Note: This was where Medusa once reigned).

· Anomaly: Suspected appearance of the Ancient Ruins of the ancient Sect "Burning Heaven Valley." The periphery of the Ruins is guarded by an extremely powerful flame barrier. The flame attribute is violent and scorching, containing a trace of the true meaning of the Law of "burning all things," suspected to be related to legendary strange fire such as the "Purification Lotus Demon Flame" or the "Nine Nether Wind Flame."

· Situation: The Ruins have been present for some time, attracting local factions from the Northwest Continent as well as some powerhouses from Central Continent who heard the news. Currently, no one has been able to Breakthrough the core barrier. The Hall of Souls also has branch forces operating in the nearby area, their intentions unknown.

"Tagor Desert... Burning Heaven Valley Ruins..." Li Ao's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Medusa beside him.

A trace of complexity and reminiscence flashed in Medusa's cold snake eyes. That place was where she rose to power, and also the starting point where her destiny intertwined with Li Ao's. She nodded slightly: "The Snake-People Clan once had ancient legends that the depths of the desert buried ancient secrets. I didn't expect it to be Burning Heaven Valley."

"Purification Lotus Demon Flame... Nine Nether Wind Flame..." Xiao Yi Xian softly murmured these two names. Even she knew the illustrious reputation of these two types of strange fire on the strange fire ranking list. "Whichever one it is, it's enough to tempt Dou Saint powerhouses."

Li Ao tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, deep in thought. To him, strange fire was not just a powerful offensive method; the unique flame Law it contained might further stimulate the repair of the nirvana ancient talisman, and perhaps even inspire him to comprehend the 'creation' aspect within 'nirvana'. After all, fire also represented destruction and rebirth.

"Our target is this Burning Heaven Valley Ruins." Li Ao made his decision. "No matter which strange fire is inside, we must obtain it. At the same time, we must also be wary of the Hall of Souls' actions."

He vaguely felt that the Hall of Souls' interest in these Ancient Ruins was definitely not just for the strange fire; it was very likely related to their scheme of collecting Soul.

Several months later, the spacecraft arrived at a large city in the Northwest Continent near the edge of the Tagor Desert.

As the three walked out of the spatial wormhole hall, a dry, scorching wind and sand aura rushed toward them, completely different from the humid Spiritual Qi of Central Continent. The sun was blazing in the sky, and the distant horizon was stained a deep yellow by the sand.

The atmosphere in the city was noticeably much more bustling than usual. Fierce-looking mercenaries, Sect Disciple dressed in various styles, and some powerhouses with deep eyes, clearly from Central Continent, could be seen everywhere. Almost everyone's conversation revolved around the "Ancient Burning Heaven Treasure" deep within the desert.

Li Ao and the two women restrained their aura, acting like ordinary explorers. They rested briefly in the city and purchased the latest desert map and intelligence regarding the Ancient Burning Heaven Treasure.

The intelligence showed that the flame barrier surrounding the Ruins was extremely powerful, and no one had been able to break it yet. Several Dou Venerable powerhouses who refused to believe had tried to force their way in, but all were incinerated into ash by the terrifying flames, their Souls unable to escape. Currently, all major forces were gathered outside the barrier, seemingly waiting for the moment when the barrier periodically weakened, or searching for other ways to enter.

"It seems that getting this strange fire won't be easy," Xiao Yi Xian said softly, looking at the intelligence.

Medusa, however, looked towards the depths of the desert, sensing a trace of scorching aura faintly emanating that caused her Bloodline to stir slightly. A hint of sharpness flashed in her snake eyes: "No matter how strong the barrier is, it has flaws. Moreover, this is the homeland of this King."

Li Ao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the boundless golden sea of sand, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's go. Let's meet this Ancient Burning Heaven Treasure. Let's see exactly what kind of strange fire possesses such might."

The three stopped lingering. Their figures moved, transforming into three streaks of light, shooting directly towards the depths of the Tagor Desert, a place regarded by countless powerhouses as a Forbidden Ground and an Opportunity existing side-by-side.