After the Flame Origin merged into his Heart Aperture, Liu Bai did not feel any obvious change within himself.
It was only that within the space of his Heart Aperture, a tiny point of light appeared, making the fire attribute energy there seem slightly more concentrated.
However, the Flame Divine Thunder residing in his Heart Aperture seemed quite interested in this light point. Its vast body coiled around it like a serpent circling its prey, constantly slithering about, sometimes even attempting to approach…
Yet every time the Thunder Serpent drew near, a mysterious aura would emanate from the light point, forcing it to retreat.
The scene made Liu Bai chuckle. It looked as if a husky were trying to attack a hedgehog—nowhere to bite, yet unwilling to leave.
Still, this proved that although the Flame Origin had not yet displayed its true effect, it was undoubtedly something extraordinary. Otherwise, the Flame Divine Thunder would not be so fascinated by it.
Retracting his spiritual sense, Liu Bai prepared to continue forward. But just as he passed over a stretch of molten rock, he suddenly saw a group of humanoid creatures approaching, their physical structure somewhat similar to that of Lava Lions.
These "people" stood over two meters tall, their bodies covered in armor seemingly forged from magma itself—armor that appeared to grow as part of their bodies, giving the illusion that they were entirely composed of molten rock like the Lava Lions.
However, since they were capable of speaking clear human language, it was evident that these "people" were at least intelligent beings.
"These must be the Flame Demons that the Fire God Sect spoke of…"
Of course, these Flame Demons had nothing to do with the Extraterritorial Evil Race's Flame Demon Clan.
According to the Fire God Sect's understanding, these beings were intelligent creatures born within magma, possessing a humanoid form. They were not like the Five Elemental Beasts, which were purely energy bodies, nor did they possess flesh and blood like real living beings. They were a very peculiar race.
But this was nothing surprising. In the vast Myriad Realms, who could count the number of strange existences? Especially now that the Great Thousand World had been invaded by the Extraterritorial Evil Race and tainted by demonic energy, all manner of changes had gradually taken place. Many unusual races had emerged over the past tens of thousands of years.
The Flame Demon patrol squad did not discover Liu Bai and instead moved toward the outer region.
This made Liu Bai even more vigilant.
These Flame Demons lived in the deepest parts of this subterranean world. Now that their patrols had extended to such outer areas, could it mean that something important was happening deeper inside?
With that thought, Liu Bai decided to investigate further.
It was not because he feared the Flame Demons might threaten the surface dwellers, but rather because he knew that countless heavenly treasures and even ancient ruins were hidden within this underground world.
Searching for such things alone was unrealistic—this place was far too vast and perilous. The Flame Demons, who had lived here for countless years, were obviously far more familiar with this world than any outsider.
Therefore, secretly using them as guides to find treasures would be an excellent strategy, provided one had sufficient strength and concealment ability.
With a thought, Liu Bai enveloped his entire body in crimson spiritual power, gradually blending his aura with the environment.
The Flame Demons were powerful, especially within this kind of terrain, so even Liu Bai had to move with utmost caution.
Still, with Jiuyou by his side, he felt more confident. If he really encountered an enemy such as a Flame Demon King that he could not handle, he could simply throw Jiuyou out.
That would buy him enough time to escape—after all, Liu Bai was very confident in his speed.
Using the jagged terrain of molten rocks as cover, Liu Bai avoided one Flame Demon patrol after another. The more patrols he saw, the more convinced he became that they were preparing for something significant.
Finally, after slipping past layer upon layer of defenses, he arrived at a valley. From within, he could sense surging fire energy gathering to the heavens.
The overwhelming heat even startled Jiuyou from her slumber. She immediately leapt out, her round eyes staring at the black rocky mountain ahead as she exclaimed, "Where have you gone? Why do I feel a presence within that mountain that even makes me tremble?"
Liu Bai's heart tightened. He could sense the terrifying fire energy there, but for it to make Jiuyou uneasy—it had to be something extraordinary.
"Can you tell what it is? Is there a powerful being inside?"
If it was a mighty existence capable of alarming Jiuyou, it could only be a royal among the Flame Demon Race. In that case, Liu Bai would not hesitate to turn and flee.
"No, it seems to be a powerful flame…"
Liu Bai's eyes immediately lit up. Could it be a Spiritual Flame? That would be excellent!
For a flame powerful enough to make Jiuyou uneasy—could it be something on the level of the Undying Flame?
Seeing Liu Bai's eyes glow with excitement, Jiuyou could easily guess what he was thinking. She instantly poured cold water on him, saying, "Don't even think about it. A top-grade Divine Flame like that would never appear in a place like this. If it did, the experts of the Fire God Sect would have taken it long ago. How could it possibly be your turn?"
Liu Bai froze, then nodded in agreement.
"Regardless, let's go take a look first."
Jiuyou did not object, for she could sense that there was nothing inside capable of threatening her.
Since Jiuyou was awake, Liu Bai no longer held back. He directly slipped into the valley.
To his surprise, though the Flame Demons had set up such heavy defenses outside, there was not a single guard inside. Liu Bai walked in unimpeded.
Within the valley were only five Flame Demons, yet each one radiated an aura stronger than those of the patrol squads outside—they were likely at half-step Sovereign Realm.
The one leading them was even larger, his aura incomparably fierce—undoubtedly a genuine Sovereign Realm powerhouse.
Yet, these five figures were now prostrating on the ground in deep reverence before an altar-like structure.
Looking closely, Liu Bai saw that upon the altar stood a statue of a bird. The bird was unique, its entire body shrouded in golden flame, as though it resided within a circular sphere…
"No… that's the sun! Then this bird must be… a Three-Legged Golden Crow? Wait, no, it only has two legs."
Liu Bai's heart trembled as he tried to deduce its identity.
"That isn't the Three-Legged Golden Crow. It's the Hao Sun Golden Crow, the third son of the Three-Legged Golden Crow, once a royal prince of the Beast Clan…"
Jiuyou's voice sounded beside his ear. A wisp of ghostly light flashed, and an elegant figure appeared at Liu Bai's side.
Seeing Jiuyou manifest her human form, Liu Bai's expression grew solemn.
"The Hao Sun Golden Crow? I've never heard of it before. And the flame you mentioned—is it that golden flame?"
Jiuyou gave him a calm glance. "It's normal you haven't heard of it. The Hao Sun Golden Crow went extinct long ago. Even among the Divine Beast races, few still remember it. As for that flame, it is the legendary Haotian True Flame, born from the very fire of the sun itself, and one of the most powerful flames of the Golden Crow lineage."
"I think I finally understand why that old crow chose to stay in the Fire God Sect as a so-called Grand Elder…"
Liu Bai was startled, then quickly realized who Jiuyou meant by "old crow."
"You mean Senior Jinchi remained in the Fire God Sect because of this Haotian True Flame?"
"Otherwise?" Jiuyou replied bluntly.
"In that case, why hasn't he taken action all these years? This place is hidden, but it shouldn't be that hard to find, right?"
"Finding it doesn't mean taking it away. Can't you see that this flame is still incubating? And from the looks of these Flame Demons, they're treating it as a sacred relic of their race. I even suspect that this flame might have been placed here by that old crow himself…"
Liu Bai froze for a moment, then nodded slowly in realization.
That was indeed very possible…
Just like how the Northern Sea Dragon created a Thunder Domain to cultivate Thunder God Pill to help itself break through to the Earth Sovereign Realm, could it be that Jin Chi was doing something similar?
"In that case, doesn't that mean we can't touch this Haotian True Flame?"
"Why not?" Jiuyou looked at him with surprise. "All that we've said so far is merely our speculation."
"Even if it turns out exactly as we've guessed, so what? The flame is here now, which means it is unowned. And even if it does have an owner, that owner would be these worshiping Flame Demons. What does it have to do with that old crow?"
Liu Bai smiled faintly. In truth, Jiuyou did not need to persuade him. He had never considered giving up the Haotian True Flame in the first place.
Moreover, judging from the state of this altar, it had existed for countless years. It was likely something that had originally belonged to the Flame Demons. Someone else had simply set their sights on it before he did.
Unfortunately for that person, they did not have his luck. He arrived just as the flame was about to complete its incubation.
"This thing and I must be fated to meet."
At that moment, Liu Bai's expression resembled that of an ancient sage, his face full of benevolence and righteousness as he shamelessly uttered those words.
"Excellent. To be able to speak such shameless words without even a hint of guilt, that is truly you." Jiuyou gave him a thumbs-up, recalling a certain scene from the past when this same fellow had tempted her.
Clearly, she had been overthinking things earlier. With such a great opportunity before him, how could Liu Bai possibly let it slip away?
"All right, pay attention. The ritual has reached its final step. The Haotian True Flame may complete its incubation at any moment. Be extremely cautious!"
With Jiuyou's warning, Liu Bai immediately steadied his mind.
Within his Qi Sea, the Innate Five Elemental Disc was already prepared. When the Haotian True Flame completed its birth, there would be a brief moment of weakness. Using the mutual cycle and restraint of the Five Elements, he could trap it for a short period without issue.
As for those Flame Demons…
"Jiuyou, what if I ask you to cripple these Flame Demons first, then leave the rest to me?"
"Get lost!"
"Alright then!"
Even if she refused, it didn't matter. It wasn't as if he couldn't handle them himself.
Liu Bai muttered inwardly, though he felt a bit disappointed that Jiuyou had turned down his proposal.
It seemed that taking the easy route was still a long and difficult journey ahead.
His gaze locked onto the leading Flame Demon among the five. If he could kill that Sovereign-level Flame Demon with a single sneak attack, dealing with the rest would be far easier.
For Liu Bai, this was quite the challenge.
"It's about time for you to make an appearance…"
He murmured softly, and in the next instant, a lotus resembling black jade emerged slowly from his chest.
"The Thunder God Lotus…"
Buzz!
Suddenly, an invisible tremor spread out from the altar. Both the kneeling Flame Demons below and Liu Bai and Jiuyou felt an explosive surge of energy rise sharply within their hearts.
But Liu Bai and Jiuyou quickly suppressed the sensation, and in the next instant, a golden flame slowly rose from the statue of the Hao Sun Golden Crow. It was like a miniature blazing sun, illuminating the entire area.
The Flame Demon leader's rock-like face broke into an uncontrollable smile, and he began chanting an ancient incantation. The Haotian True Flame started drifting slowly toward him.
Indeed, these Flame Demons had spent tremendous effort on this ritual; it was impossible that they had no plan prepared.
But with Liu Bai's arrival, everything changed.
A multicolored radiance suddenly appeared above the altar. Five-colored divine light swept downward, freezing the golden flame instantly in midair.
"Roar! Who dares?!"
The Flame Demon leader bellowed furiously, his eyes locking on Liu Bai's position.
However, what he saw was not an enemy's figure, but a black jade lotus rapidly expanding within his vision. The next moment, a colossal thunder dragon formed entirely of black lightning burst forth from the lotus, carrying an icy chill that froze the very air as it charged straight at the Flame Demon leader.
Since the Flame Demon's element was fire, Liu Bai used the Gui Water Divine Thunder as the core, fusing it with the power of Profound Water to unleash an ultimate water-elemental attack. In an instant, it tore through the Flame Demon leader's fiery aura, utterly annihilating his body and extinguishing his soul flame—killing him beyond any chance of survival.
"Ding, player has slain a Sovereign Realm Flame Demon. Reward: fivefold experience bonus. Experience gained: 500,000."
Liu Bai's eyes lit up, and a wild grin spread across his face, unable to contain his excitement.
Of course, the battle was not yet over. He did not stop his assault. The Purple Heaven Sword flashed out of its sheath as he charged straight toward the remaining four Flame Demons.
Jiuyou's eyes widened in exasperation. "You fool, what are you doing charging in like that? Are you trying to feed yourself to them?"
At this moment, the smarter move was clearly to attack using spiritual techniques. It wasn't as if Liu Bai lacked such means—the Gui Water Divine Thunder from before was the perfect example.
Not to mention, Jiuyou had seen that black jade lotus earlier. Its aura was definitely that of a divine artifact. With something like that, why in the world would he choose close combat? Was he insane?
Clearly, Liu Bai had gotten carried away after the kill. It was just one Sovereign-level Flame Demon, and yet he was already losing his composure.
Jiuyou gritted her teeth, deciding to let him suffer a little. When he came begging for help, she would make sure to teach him a proper lesson.
....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler(30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu