"What are you doing?" Xiao Se asked.
"Let's go. Didn't you say we're leaving? Just hold me and fly like before," Die replied with a cheerful smile.
Ever since she had been attacked by a magical beast the previous day, she had grown rather fond of being carried in Xiao Se's arms.
Xiao Se shook his head. "I'm not flying this time. I'll be using a secret technique to leave. But because it can't take others with me, I need to place you inside this storage pouch first. It can hold living beings."
As he spoke, he removed the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch from his waist.
"This thing can hold people?" Die's eyes widened instantly, once again turning into a curious little explorer.
"Of course it can. Just don't resist," Xiao Se urged gently.
"Mm." Die nodded obediently.
Without any resistance, she allowed Xiao Se to store her inside the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch.
At the same time, Xiao Se transmitted his voice through his soul to Medusa.
"Shasha, I'll leave the explanation to you."
Just as his words faded—
A mechanical notification echoed in his mind.
[Ding. Dou Po Travel Ticket has expired. System teleportation in progress.]
The space around Xiao Se twisted violently. In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared from where he stood.
Not long after he left, a figure wearing a black robe, white mask, and iron claw gloves entered the cave.
Seeing the faint remnants of two familiar auras lingering in the air, she raised her head and let out a furious roar.
The cave ceiling exploded.
Rock and sand collapsed inward, burying everything—the traces of Xiao Se and Die's time together—under layers of rubble.
Deep within a world of dark crimson magma.
The space distorted once more.
Golden flames surged from Xiao Se's body as he stepped out from the void.
"Brother, have we returned?" Longkui's voice rang inside his mind the moment they arrived.
"I believe so." Xiao Se nodded slightly.
He closed his eyes and released his soul power. Under the combined amplification of the Heavenly Flame and the Guiyuan Soul Art, his perception spread across the molten world like an invisible tide.
Suddenly—
He opened his eyes sharply.
"Found it."
As he spoke, the Evil God Wings snapped open behind him. With a powerful flap, he shot downward toward the depths of the magma.
The sea of molten lava stretched endlessly in all directions, a world of blazing red. Within this scarlet expanse, the golden streak descending rapidly stood out like a falling star.
Wrapped in golden flames, Xiao Se frowned slightly.
With his current seven-star Dou Huang strength and the amplification of the Evil God Wings, his speed already surpassed that of an ordinary Dou Zong. Yet even after diving for more than ten minutes, he still hadn't reached the location of the juvenile Fallen Heart Flame.
"This place is ridiculously deep," he thought.
"And that old man Yao Tianhuo managed to survive here in soul form for so many years. A Dou Zun truly is terrifying."
The thought flashed briefly through his mind.
Then—
A faint milky-white flame flickered into view ahead of him.
"Found it."
His brows relaxed, and a hint of joy rose in his heart as he accelerated toward the flame.
It seemed to notice him as well. It paused for a moment, then—just as Xiao Se drew close—it suddenly darted deeper into the magma.
Xiao Se's lips twitched.
No surprises there.
Yao Tianhuo was clearly playing tricks.
With a helpless sigh, Xiao Se chased after it.
Another ten minutes passed.
The crushing pressure from the surrounding magma grew increasingly intense. Even Xiao Se began to feel uncomfortable.
But finally—
They arrived.
In his sight, the magma at the bottom slowly bulged upward, forming a massive protrusion. The milky-white flame drifted gently toward it and hovered above the bulge.
At once, a white halo of light shimmered into existence.
Within that glowing ring lay a stark white skeleton.
Without hesitation, Xiao Se plunged directly into the halo.
Floating inside the light circle, he looked at the skeleton and spoke calmly.
"Senior, you deliberately lured me here. There's no need to keep hiding."
"Heh heh. Sharp perception, little fellow. No wonder you were able to subdue the Fallen Heart Flame. With such immense soul power, you're not far from breaking into the Spiritual Realm."
A brilliant white light suddenly burst forth from the skeleton. It condensed before Xiao Se, forming into the illusionary figure of an elderly man.
Dressed in white robes, hair and beard equally white, his face aged yet dignified. Though his eyes were calm, they were far from dull—instead, they shimmered with faint brilliance.
If it wasn't Yao Tianhuo—the Venerable Tianhuo—then who could it be?
"You flatter me," Xiao Se said with a faint smile. "May I ask Senior's honored name?"
At this moment, he was already considering whether to revive Yao Tianhuo as Xiao Yan had done in the original story.
After all, this man had genuinely been a Dou Zun powerhouse in his lifetime. If revived, he would undoubtedly become a significant ally.
However—
There were still uncertainties.
At the very least, until Xiao Se possessed sufficient strength to deter him, reviving him would be unwise.
He would never gamble the lives of his entire family on someone's gratitude.
Hearing him ask for his name, Yao Tianhuo's face showed a trace of pride.
"I am Yao Tianhuo. Some also call me Venerable Tianhuo."
"Venerable?" Xiao Se feigned shock. "No wonder you've survived here in soul form, Senior. So you were once a Dou Zun powerhouse."
Seeing the astonishment on Xiao Se's face, Yao Tianhuo smiled faintly and waved a hand.
"All of that is in the past. Now I am but a remnant soul. Before long, once my soul power is depleted, I will truly perish."
"What is Senior's purpose in luring me here?" Xiao Se asked directly.
"I believe you're interested in this juvenile Fallen Heart Flame," Yao Tianhuo said, pointing behind him at the invisible flame attached to the skeleton.
"I am indeed interested. I need it to repay a favor," Xiao Se answered honestly.
"Honest, at least," Yao Tianhuo nodded.
He then began recounting the story of his fall.
Xiao Se wasn't surprised—he already knew the details—but he maintained a suitably shocked expression.
"So Senior wishes for me to help repair your soul damage and restore your soul strength?" Xiao Se asked, pretending to hesitate.
"Clever," Yao Tianhuo replied eagerly. "If you can restore my soul, not only will I give you this Fallen Heart Flame, I will also swear upon my soul that I will never harm you in the future."
Seeing Xiao Se's hesitation, he waved his hand.
A snow-white storage ring fell from the skeleton into his palm. The ring flashed faintly, and a pale scroll appeared in his hand.
He unfurled it.
Inside were strange beasts composed entirely of flame.
"This is my signature technique from years past—Five-Wheel Separation Fire Art. A fire-control technique of high Earth tier. It has five levels—Wolf, Leopard, Lion, Tiger, and Flood Dragon. Each level forms its own fire spirit. When mastered, the five beasts unite to form the Five-Wheel Separation Fire Array, capable of evaporating seas and burning the heavens. Its power rivals a Heaven-tier Dou Technique."
As he spoke, the pale scroll floated toward Xiao Se.
Xiao Se took it.
Without even glancing at it, he stored it directly into his storage ring.
Then he retrieved a jade bottle.
Smiling faintly, he said:
"What concerns me is simple. After restoring your soul strength, Senior might choose to burn the bridge after crossing it. But since you're willing to swear upon your soul…"
He lifted the jade bottle slightly.
"This is a sixth-grade Rongling Pill. It belongs to you."
(End of Chapter)
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