Chapter 49: Evil God Seed · Fire (2)
Such a lineup, appearing anywhere in the Cang Feng Empire, would cause a massive uproar. Appearing in this remote little place could only be described as utterly inexplicable.
Yun Che looked up and immediately spotted five black dots flying toward him from the northern sky. At the Heavenly Xuan Realm, one could cross the void and fly through the air. Without a doubt, these five individuals, just as Mo Li had said, were genuine Heavenly Xuan Realm super-strong experts!
The five of them were not flying quickly. After Yun Che spotted their silhouettes, it took a good while before they flew directly overhead. Sensing someone below looking up at them, two of them cast their eyes downward, glancing at Yun Che… but it was only a glance before they averted their gazes. The other three did not even spare him a look. An Initial Xuan Realm cultivator had no right to their attention or concern.
After they flew into the distance, Yun Che pondered for a moment, quickly made a decision, and stored all the herbs he had gathered over these days into the Heavenly Poison Pearl. Then he changed his clothes, took a step, and rushed in the direction the five Heavenly Xuan experts had flown off.
"What are you doing?" Mo Li frowned and asked.
"Of course, I'm going to catch up to those five!" Yun Che said quickly without stopping his steps.
"You don't mean to say you actually want to catch up to them and beg them to take you as a disciple?" Mo Li said in a cold, detached tone.
"How could that be! I already have Little Master Mo Li; I wouldn't look twice at anyone else." Yun Che slapped a little flattery on her, then grinned, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. "For Heavenly Xuan Realm experts to appear in a place like this, the most likely reason is that they're after some profound beast—and a high-level one at that. Otherwise, there's no way five Heavenly Xuan experts would need to act together! High-level profound beasts are covered in treasures. If they can join forces to kill it, it's bound to be an incredibly huge haul."
"And how do you know they're not just passing through?" Mo Li asked, sidelong.
"Simple. Because they're flying very slowly—so slowly that I can actually keep up. Whether they're traveling or treasure hunting, they should be in a hurry. There's no way they'd be going this slow for no reason. The best explanation is that they're about to face a powerful profound beast and are already close to the target. So they've slowed down to proceed cautiously and discuss their strategy."
"Even if that's the case, what can you do by chasing after them? A profound beast that requires five Heavenly Xuan experts to deal with together is definitely a high-level Heavenly Xuan Beast. You can't possibly intervene in a fight of that level. Are you going to be their cannon fodder?" Mo Li said with great disdain.
"If my guess is right, and they actually succeed in the end, I can at least pick up some scraps on the side, can't I? For example, they might take the profound pill, eyes, claws, and fangs of the beast… but I don't believe they'll strip even the skin and flesh clean down to the last bit!" Yun Che bared his teeth as he spoke.
"Worthless brat." Mo Li snorted coldly, looking at him with utter contempt.
The five figures in the sky slowed down more and more—clearly, as Yun Che had predicted, they were getting closer to their destination. Yun Che followed far behind, completely unconcerned about being discovered. Even if they did notice him, an Initial Xuan Realm, Level 4 cultivator would not be worth a second glance in their eyes; they wouldn't even bother to pay him any attention.
"Warning: Fierce sub-profound beasts ahead. Those below Initial Xuan Realm, Level 10, do not enter."
An old warning sign appeared in front of Yun Che. The Crimson Dragon Mountain Range was vast, and the deeper one went, the more ferocious the wandering profound beasts became. Overall, the profound beasts in the Crimson Dragon Mountain Range were not extremely powerful, but they were still beyond what a cultivator of Yun Che's level could handle.
Not far ahead, another warning sign appeared:
"Warning: High-level sub-profound beasts ahead. Those below Xuan Entry Realm, Level 5, leave immediately!"
Along the way, Yun Che encountered a total of five warning signs. The last one was marked with blood-red characters:
"Restricted Area of the Crimson Dragon!"
Only those four words, but they carried an oppressive, heart-stopping pressure.
Everyone living in Green Forest Town knew that this area ahead was absolutely forbidden. No one who had ever entered had returned alive.
At this moment, the five figures in the sky also stopped. From a great distance, Yun Che could faintly hear them speaking.
"Is it around here?"
"Yes, the red area ahead should be the lair of that Flame Dragon."
"Are you sure you've investigated the strength of this Flame Dragon clearly?"
"Mm. A Level 10 Heavenly Xuan Beast! Should be correct. With the Grand Elder here, there's no reason we can't handle it!"
"If we can obtain its fire-type profound pill, it will definitely allow the Young Master to break through once more in his Fen Tian Art. If all goes well, in the next Cang Feng Ranking Battle, we are confident we can surpass the Xiao Sect, or even the Bing Yun Fairy Palace!"
Fen Tian Art?
Those three words made Yun Che's whole body tremble. Could these five people be from the Fen Tian Gate, one of the four great sects of the Cang Feng Empire?
No wonder they could dispatch such a terrifying lineup—they were from one of the Four Great Sects! And one of them was the Grand Elder. In other words, even within the Fen Tian Gate, these five constituted a core force!
And their purpose was indeed to hunt a powerful profound beast! The "Level 10 Heavenly Xuan Beast Flame Dragon" they mentioned—could that be the legendary "Crimson Dragon" that had been rumored in the Crimson Dragon Mountain Range for so long?
"It seems someone has been following us."
"Hmph, just an Initial Xuan Realm brat. Probably his first time seeing void crossing, so the fool followed out of sheer ignorance. If he's so eager to die, he doesn't have to wait for the Flame Dragon—I can send him off right now."
"Tch, stooping to the level of an Initial Xuan Realm brat? Aren't you afraid of lowering your status?"
Yun Che's heart tightened instantly. Although he had been following very carefully all the way, he had obviously been discovered. After all, these were all terrifying Heavenly Xuan Realm experts.
Taking a silent deep breath, Yun Che stepped back, a sense of retreat rising in his heart. After all, his current strength was too weak—he did not even qualify to take risks. If he slipped up even a little, he would lose his life.
He took a few steps back, preparing to leave for now, when suddenly his heart gave a violent pound. He could even faintly hear a "thump" sound from his chest.
"This is…"
"Thump…" "Thump…"
His heart pounded wildly again. A strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart, growing stronger and stronger.
This feeling is…
Yun Che placed his hand over his chest, a look of astonishment on his face… Something… is calling me?
Yun Che turned and looked south. That peculiar sensation was clearly coming from that direction. The feeling was subtle—vague, ethereal, impossible to put into words—yet it made his heart unable to harbor even a shred of doubt or resistance…
"What's wrong with you?" Mo Li in the Heavenly Poison Pearl noticed his abnormality and asked.
"Over there… it feels like something is calling me?" Yun Che stared southward, his expression calm and focused.
"Calling?" Mo Li's voice was full of surprise.
"No mistake. It's there." Yun Che's brows furrowed slightly. "What on earth could it be? Could it be some kind of special illusion technique… No! It's not just my consciousness reacting—my profound veins are resonating too! I have to go there and see!"
The five figures in the sky had already moved on. If he continued forward now, he would surely die from encountering any random profound beast. And if the Fen Tian Gate people discovered he was still following, they might also think he would get in the way and strike at him…
After a moment of hesitation, Yun Che gritted his teeth, pulled out the last Star Concealment Herb, held it in his left hand, and when he opened his hand, it had transformed into a sparkling, translucent Star Concealment Pill.
He swallowed the Star Concealment Pill, and his body instantly vanished like mist. Invisible and formless, Yun Che took big strides and rushed forward at great speed.
The moment he stepped into the "Restricted Area of the Crimson Dragon," a wave of scorching heat rushed at his face, making his breath catch in his throat. Ahead was a low hill. He sprinted up, stopped at the top, and frowned as he looked forward.
Before his eyes, a vast crimson area came into view. At the center of this red zone was a huge cavern nearly a hundred meters high. Nothing grew around it. Wisps of hot white vapor and tongues of flame sporadically shot out from the ground and the crevices of the cavern, as if the area had just been scorched by heavenly fire.
The five people from the Fen Tian Gate had now arrived above the cavern. From his position, Yun Che could finally make out their appearances. Four of them looked to be about fifty years old, with a flame emblem embroidered on their robes. The one in the middle was already white-bearded, his expression calm, and his entire being exuded a terrifying aura that suffocated Yun Che.
Five Heavenly Xuan Realm experts… The one in the middle is that super-strong expert who, according to Mo Li, is already half-step King Xuan!
For the Fen Tian Gate to send such a shocking lineup, it was clear that the Flame Dragon's profound pill they spoke of was extremely important to them.
"So it seems the intelligence was correct! What dwells inside is a massive fire-type profound beast!" said the man on the far right, his face serious.
"Don't act rashly. This cavern might hold unexpected traps. It's better to lure this Flame Dragon out."
"Leave it to me!"
The man on the far left stepped forward, flicked his right hand, and a three-foot-long dark golden saber appeared in his grip. The Fen Tian Gate's primary weapon was the saber, and one of their main profound arts was the "Heaven-Burning Blade." When the Fen Tian Art circulated, the blade ignited with blazing flames, and the flames followed the blade, its power terrifying.
"Ha!"
The man raised his saber, and the blade burst into intense flames. With a loud roar, he slashed downward.
Boom…
A thick fire dragon shot out from the blade, carrying a wave of scorching air and howling wind, charging toward the front of the huge cavern. A thunderous explosion rang out. The fire dragon struck the ground and burst apart, instantly blasting a crater more than ten meters deep into what had been relatively flat terrain. The smell of scorched earth spread everywhere.
Even the entire massive cavern trembled slightly from the impact.