Ye Yunfei followed the red-clad girl without revealing himself, keeping a discreet distance.
The red-clad girl was continuously burrowing deeper into the earth, evidently searching for something.
Thanks to the profound geomancy technique Ye Yunfei employed, his presence remained undetected by her.
“Found it at last!”
Not long after, the red-clad girl suddenly let out a delighted cry and swiftly increased her speed, charging toward a particular direction deep underground.
Encased in a dense, earthy aura through his geomancy technique, Ye Yunfei quietly pursued.
Soon, a crimson palace appeared ahead. Its outer walls were carved with fiery sigils, and waves of scorching heat emanated from it. Around the palace swirled numerous mysterious red runes, undoubtedly related to Fire Energy or fire laws.
Overwhelmed with excitement at the sight of the crimson palace, the red-clad girl rushed forward immediately, stopping at its entrance.
“Searching for Fire Crystal veins was just a pretext, wasn't it? Your true goal was to find this palace.”
Just as the red-clad girl was thrilling at the discovery, Ye Yunfei's voice suddenly rang out behind her.
The girl was taken aback. Ye Yunfei's geomancy technique had concealed his trail perfectly, and she hadn't detected his pursuit.
She whirled around sharply.
“How… when did you come down here?” she asked.
“I followed you,” Ye Yunfei stated plainly.
“I'd guess there's something far more valuable inside than those Fire Crystals. Planning to take it all for yourself?”
As he spoke, Ye Yunfei studied the crimson palace before them, sensing the dense concentration of Fire Energy and fire-attribute auras.
He extended his Soul Power towards the palace's interior. Suddenly, a terrifying and mysterious energy erupted, forcefully repelling his probing Soul Power.
Ye Yunfei was startled. The mysterious energy that had surged from within the palace was frighteningly potent, instilling in him a profound sense of imminent danger.
“It seems something formidable lurks inside, something capable of threatening me.”
Ye Yunfei instantly went on high alert.
“You're right,” the red-clad girl spoke, her expression tense. “There is something more precious than Fire Crystals inside. However, it belongs to our clan. It is our clan's hope. I implore you not to take it.
As compensation, I am willing to offer you all my other treasures, and all the Fire Crystals from the few veins here.”
After hearing Ye Yunfei's words, she grew nervous, afraid he would seize the items inside the palace. Those things were crucial to her, pivotal for her entire clan's future.
“Your clan's belongings? How do you prove that? Perhaps you're just saying this to deceive me. If what's inside is of extraordinary value, your offered compensation would likely leave me at a disadvantage,” Ye Yunfei said, his gaze fixed on her.
“I'm telling the truth! How can you not believe me? I won't allow you to take what's inside, even if it means putting my life on the line!” the red-clad girl exclaimed, agitation rising.
“Putting your life on the line? Do you think you possess the qualifications to do so against me?” A cold smile touched Ye Yunfei's lips.
“You…” The girl recalled Ye Yunfei's terrifying strength and fell silent.
It was true. Given her current power, she likely lacked the capability to confront him seriously.
“How can you be like this? These things belong to our clan, embodying our future hope. How can you even think of snatching them away?” the girl protested.
“When a heavy treasure stands before you, questions of 'can' or 'cannot' are irrelevant. Do you think this is some child's game?” Ye Yunfei replied coldly. “Enough. Step aside. I'm going in.”
“No, you can't! I won't let you take it!” The red-clad girl planted herself in front of the palace entrance, barring his path.
With a thought from Ye Yunfei, a powerful force surged forth like a raging tidal wave, washing over the girl. Unable to withstand Ye Yunfei's energy, she was forced to stumble back two steps.
“You…” The girl trembled with a mix of shock and fury.
“Please, you really can't take what's inside. If you promise not to, I'll do anything you ask!”
Panic crept into her voice. She was acutely aware she stood no chance against Ye Yunfei. If he took what lay within, her clan's hope would be utterly crushed.
Unbeknownst to her, Ye Yunfei had long been probing her with his mental force energy. His senses told him she was likely telling the truth.
“Could the contents truly be her clan's future hope?” Ye Yunfei wondered inwardly.
“This girl isn't human. She belongs to an exceptionally rare race,” Hun Lao's voice suddenly chimed in via mental transmission.
“Yes, it must be a very rare race, one intrinsically linked to fire,” Ye Yunfei agreed after sensing the aura of her bloodline.
“Move aside. You can't stop me,” Ye Yunfei stated as he advanced step by step towards the palace entrance, his formidable energy aura pressing the red-clad girl into a continuous retreat.
“If you insist on entering, I'll have to fight you to the death!” the girl gritted her teeth and declared, watching Ye Yunfei approach relentlessly.
Ye Yunfei's expression remained stoic as he continued forward.
The more the girl resisted, the more it confirmed the precious nature of the palace's contents.
“You leave me no choice! I have to attack!” she finally cried out in desperation.
“Ancestors, lend me your aid! Save our clan's future! Have mercy upon your descendants!”
The red-clad girl suddenly clasped her hands into an extremely peculiar gesture, an ancient, tongue-twisting chant spilling from her lips. Then, she swiftly sliced her palm and flung dozens of blood droplets towards the palace behind her.
Boom...
The crimson palace immediately reacted with a violent tremor. Multitudes of mysterious red runes floated out, congregating behind the red-clad girl.
An energy that even Ye Yunfei found intimidating began coalescing around her.
“My ancestors have heard my plea!” Overjoyed, the girl hadn't dared to hope for a real response.
“So, the items inside truly belong to your ancestors?” Ye Yunfei halted his steps at the sight and asked.
“Of course it's true! I'm not lying. These were left behind by an ancestor of our clan! For us, they represent the hope for our clan's survival and future!” the girl insisted.
“If you vow not to take them, you can have everything else I possess!”
Unless absolutely necessary, she wanted to avoid conflict with Ye Yunfei.
“Fine. I believe you,” Ye Yunfei said after observing the girl for a moment and then glancing at the crimson palace behind her.
Since the girl's bloodline had elicited a reaction from the palace, it likely did belong to her ancestors. Furthermore, Ye Yunfei's mental force energy perceived truthfulness in her words.
“Hurry, then. I'll wait for you above ground,” Ye Yunfei announced, turning to leave without further delay.
“Thank you!” The red-clad girl breathed a deep sigh of relief and called out loudly.
Ye Yunfei took a single step and vanished from the underground area, returning to the Fire Crystal veins above to resume his harvesting.
Soon, Ye Yunfei had completely harvested all the nearby Fire Crystal veins, amassing a significant haul.
“Let the Vermilion Bird absorb and refine all these Fire Crystals. They should substantially boost its strength,” Ye Yunfei decided, then had the Vermilion Bird enter the Shadow Tower to begin refining the newly acquired crystals.
Right at that moment...
Boom! Boom!...
A violent tremor accompanied by a tremendous energy roar erupted from deep underground, shaking the land as if a massive earthquake had struck. Cracks spread across the terrain, and dust churned skyward.
Elsewhere, far away—specifically at the location where Ye Yunfei had slain over a dozen Source Fire Sect members earlier.
Elder Hou of the Source Fire Sect had arrived with a contingent of sect members to investigate.
“These members were indeed killed by tremendous physical force. Someone is aiding that little wretch. And it must be someone who has recently entered the Fire Realm from outside! Relay my orders immediately: investigate all beings who have entered the Fire Realm from the outside world recently, especially those proficient in physical strength! Report any findings to me at once! No matter who they are, none who kill members of our Source Fire Sect will escape punishment!”
After carefully examining the site, Elder Hou wore a grim expression as he gave his commands.
Someone at his side promptly retrieved a communication jade slip to send messages and execute the orders.
Suddenly, violent tremors and thunderous energy roars echoed from a far-off region of the land.
“What's going on over there?” Elder Hou's gaze snapped towards the commotion.
“Let's go investigate!” With a wave of his hand, Elder Hou soared into the sky, leading his contingent towards the source of the disturbance.
They weren't alone. All across the Fire Realm, numerous others, not just members of the Source Fire Sect, were drawn towards the disturbance, rushing to investigate.
Besides the Source Fire Sect, many other cultivators practicing fire-attribute techniques and seeking fortuitous encounters within the Fire Realm had noticed the anomaly.
Meanwhile, Ye Yunfei had extended his Soul Power towards the underground location of the palace, trying to discern the cause of the commotion.
“The palace… it vanished!” he exclaimed in surprise. While the red-clad girl was rapidly ascending towards the surface, the crimson palace had disappeared entirely.
“We need to leave now! Many are converging on this area. The Source Fire Sect will likely be among them,” Ye Yunfei quickly warned the red-clad girl.
“Let's go,” she agreed instantly.
Moments later, the girl breached the surface, appearing before Ye Yunfei.
“Her power seems to have increased significantly,” Ye Yunfei noted inwardly as he sensed the energy aura she now exuded.
“She must have taken the crimson palace,” Hun Lao transmitted mentally.
“What happens with it is her business. Her ancestors left it behind, after all,” Ye Yunfei replied silently.
“Let's go.”
Ye Yunfei turned to depart. In the distance, numerous figures were fast approaching.
Ye Yunfei and the red-clad girl activated movement techniques and sped away in a direction devoid of people.
Soon after, streaks of light descended upon the mountainous region, landing above the excavated Fire Crystal veins where Ye Yunfei had been.
“There were several Fire Crystal veins here, but they've been harvested!”
“Looks like a recent harvesting. Could that be the cause of the earlier disturbance?”
The newly arrived cultivators surveyed the heavily disturbed ground, particularly the massive fissures, and quickly deduced what had transpired, their voices rising in discussion.
Whoosh...
Suddenly, an aura radiating fearsome energy flashed through the sky, followed by several dozen other figures.
“Elder Hou of the Source Fire Sect is here,” someone murmured softly.
The Source Fire Sect was a renowned power within the Chaotic Void Sea. Within the Fire Realm, a world perfectly suited to their cultivation, they were virtually unchallengeable.
In the next instant, Elder Hou, leading his contingent of Source Fire Sect members, surged into the mountainous region.
“I sense traces of that little wretch here!” Elder Hou said with a dark expression the moment he arrived.
“Elder Hou, that Fire Clan girl was heavily injured earlier. She couldn't have killed so many of our sect members alone. She must have an accomplice!” a middle-aged man beside Elder Hou whispered.
“She went that way! After her!”
After a moment's silent perception, Elder Hou suddenly pointed in a direction and then soared into the air in pursuit, his subordinates close behind.
Meanwhile, Ye Yunfei and the red-clad girl were making a swift escape.
Elder Hou spread his Soul Power and soon locked onto the girl's approximate location.
“You won't escape this time!” he sneered coldly.
He found that the girl had left an unusually dense trail of aura this time, making her easy to track.
Elder Hou's body ignited, engulfed in roaring flames. His speed instantly escalated, rapidly distancing himself from the other Source Fire Sect members pursuing him.
“Elder Hou seems to have found something! Everyone, pick up the pace!” Those trailing behind hurriedly increased their speed, seeing Elder Hou's sudden acceleration.
“It's bad! A Demigod expert from the Source Fire Sect is catching up!”
At that moment, the red-clad girl sensed Elder Hou closing in from behind at breakneck speed. Her face paled, and she immediately warned Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei immediately cast his Soul Power back, locking onto Elder Hou.
“It's only a Initial Demigod. No need for such alarm,” Ye Yunfei remarked calmly, confident that his current comprehensive strength would pose no difficulty against an opponent of this level.
“You don't understand! Members of the Source Fire Sect cultivate techniques primarily based on Fire Energy and fire laws. Their combat power within the Fire Realm increases manifold! We should avoid a direct confrontation with him if possible!” the girl urged anxiously, simultaneously pushing her own speed to its limit.
“If I'm not mistaken, your power has greatly increased. Working together, the two of us should be able to handle a Initial Demigod,” Ye Yunfei stated.
“My strength has indeed improved significantly, but my condition isn't stable yet. I need to find a place to seclude myself and let my state stabilize,” the girl replied.
“Little wretch! There's no escape! I can see you now!”
Just then, Elder Hou behind them accelerated once more, closing the distance in an instant and appearing right on their heels.
“The old man's speed is fearsome!” Ye Yunfei thought with some surprise.
“Boy, who are you? Why are you with this wretch? She has provoked our Source Fire Sect! Associating with her means you are our enemy! If you wish to avoid that, capture her for me immediately. Perform well, and I might reward you!”
Elder Hou first focused on Ye Yunfei, threatening him.
“Wait! Boy, why do you carry the aura of so many of our Source Fire Sect members? What is this about?”
Suddenly, Elder Hou's face darkened as he sensed something amiss—the distinct traces of his slain sect members lingered upon Ye Yunfei.
“Boy! Could you be the one who killed them?! Confess if you want to live!”
As he spoke, Elder Hou accelerated further. Beneath each foot, a fiery wheel of condensed flames materialized. The wheels spun furiously, tearing through space and granting Elder Hou unparalleled speed.
“What kind of movement technique is this? It seems completely reliant on Fire Energy and fire laws, perfectly suited for the environment of the Fire Realm, like a fish in water. No wonder he's so fast,” Ye Yunfei mused, observing the fiery wheels.
“Listen, you old dog. I don't care about your damned sect. Your Source Fire Sect had best not provoke me, or I'll kill without mercy,” Ye Yunfei retorted coldly.
“Boy, so it was indeed related to you!” Elder Hou erupted in fury at the provocation.
“A pair of wretched traitors, die now!”
With a furious roar, Elder Hou thrust his palm forward.
Boom!...
At his gesture, all the Fire Energy and fire laws in the surrounding heaven and earth trembled violently before converging towards him as if summoned. In an instant, a massive, blazing hand formed from compressed flames coalesced not far behind Ye Yunfei and the girl.
Imbued with frightening Fire Energy, the colossal hand warped and distorted the surrounding space upon taking shape, causing it to crack and shatter. Deep black spatial fissures spread like an immense net, rapidly advancing towards Ye Yunfei and the girl.
The blazing hand continued to propel itself forward as it tore apart space in its wake.
“How is this possible? He's only a Initial Demigod, yet the combat power he can manifest is astonishing!”
At that moment, Ye Yunfei felt as though the entire world's Fire Energy and fire laws were turning against him, an immense pressure descending upon him, causing no small amount of internal shock.