Chapter 5881
“Now that the selections are made, we will depart in half an hour,”
Elder Yanxin said in a deep voice. “Kai, the three of you and your beast will lead the way, maintaining a distance of a thousand feet. If you notice anything unusual, immediately raise the alarm. Do not be reckless.”
“Understood.”
Half an hour later, the group began its ascent into the canyon.
Kai, leading Lin Feng, Shi Meng, and Wang Cai, was the first to step onto the path leading to the bottom of the canyon.
This path, carved out by predecessors, was narrow and steep, allowing only two people to walk side by side.
The lower they went, the higher the temperature became.
The pervasive smell of sulfur in the air was almost suffocating, and the scorching air burned the skin.
Ordinary mortals would probably be instantly dried out upon reaching this point.
But for cultivators, as long as they circulated their immortal power to protect themselves, they could endure it.
Kai walked at the front, his chaotic immortal power flowing quietly within his body, not only isolating him from the high temperature and poisonous gas but also continuously absorbing the pure fire-attribute spiritual energy around him.
He could even feel that cultivating fire-type techniques in this environment would be twice as effective.
“Watch out!”
Lin Feng suddenly shouted, his longbow already in hand, a cyan arrow nocked.
Ahead, around the bend in the path, a dozen crimson lizard-like creatures clung to the rock face.
Each was about three feet long, covered in crimson scales that blended almost seamlessly with the rock, making them difficult to spot without close inspection.
“Crimson fire lizards, social creatures, adept at spitting poisonous fire and ambushing,”
Lin Feng said quickly. “I’ll handle them.”
He drew his bow to its fullest extent, and the cyan arrow shot out with a “whoosh,” splitting into three in mid-air, then nine, transforming into nine streaks of cyan light that accurately struck nine of the crimson fire lizards.
“Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!”
The sounds of arrows piercing scales rang out in quick succession, and nine crimson fire lizards fell dead instantly.
But the remaining few were enraged, hissing and lunging forward, spewing dark red poisonous fire from their mouths.
Shi Meng roared, swinging his twin hammers, their earthen-yellow light surging forth to form a barrier that blocked the poisonous fire.
Wangcai transformed into a golden-red blur, its sharp claws slashing through several fire lizards, tearing them to shreds.
The battle ended in a few breaths.
Kai hadn’t even made a move, merely observing the characteristics of these ferocious beasts and his companions’ fighting styles.
Lin Feng’s archery was precise and efficient, his arrows incredibly fast and penetrating.
Shi Meng possessed solid defense and astonishing strength, making him well-suited for close combat.
Wangcai’s speed and attack power were even more extraordinary, comparable to a sixth-grade Celestial Immortal cultivator.
“Cleared up, let’s continue,” Kai said.
The three continued their descent.The deeper they ventured into the canyon, the more numerous and powerful the ferocious beasts they encountered.
There were “magma worms” that spewed corrosive lava, “shadow fire leopards” that lurked in the shadows and launched sudden attacks, and swarms of fearless “fire ants”…
Kai gradually revealed his strength.
Facing an attack from dozens of fire ants, he pointed his fingers like a sword, unleashing a sweeping gray sword aura that instantly pulverized all the fire ants upon contact.
When ambushed by three “lava giant lizards” comparable to fifth-grade Celestial Immortals, he pressed his left hand down, transforming chaotic immortal power into an invisible force field that imprisoned the three giant lizards, leaving them vulnerable to Lin Feng and Shi Meng’s attacks.
On one occasion, a “fire dragon” lurking in the lava river suddenly leaped up to ambush them, only to be struck on the head by Kai’s fist, its skull shattered and it plummeting back into the lava.
Lin Feng and Shi Meng’s initial caution gradually turned to admiration, and then to awe.
They finally understood why Kai, with only a superficial cultivation level of the first rank of the Celestial Immortal Realm, could pass such a monstrous test.
His strength was definitely at the eighth rank of the Celestial Immortal Realm or even higher!
A thousand feet behind, the large group from the Earth Fire Pavilion advanced along the safe path cleared by Kai and his companions, making things much easier.
Yan Lie watched as Kai easily dealt with one ferocious beast after another, his face growing increasingly grim.
He had originally wanted Kai to suffer while clearing the way, even hoping that Kai would be severely injured or killed by the beasts.
Unexpectedly, Kai not only emerged unscathed but also displayed great power, stealing the spotlight from the Earth Fire Pavilion disciples.
“Damn it…” Yan Lie gritted his teeth and muttered.
Huo Ling’er’s eyes shone brightly, and every time she saw Kai make a move, she couldn’t help but cheer softly, “So amazing! Kai has taken down another one!”
“Wangcai is great too! Tear it to pieces!”
She even wanted to run ahead to watch up close, but was sternly stopped by Elder Yan Xin.
“Ling’er, you must not stray from the group. The Crimson Flame Canyon is fraught with danger at every turn; we must not be careless,” Elder Yan Xin said solemnly.
Huo Ling’er had to suppress her excitement, but her gaze remained fixed on the azure figure ahead.
After traveling for about an hour, the group reached the middle layer of the canyon.
The environment here was even harsher.
The ground was riddled with crisscrossing cracks, from which surged crimson magma, radiating terrifying heat.
Visible particles of fire poison floated in the air; inhaling too much would damage one’s meridians.
Strange crimson plants began to appear on the surrounding rock walls: there were “Crimson Flame Grass” swaying like flames, “Flame Crystal Vine” bearing fiery red fruit, and “Earth Fire Mushrooms” emitting a dense fire elemental aura…
but these were not their target.
“The Flame Spirit Basin is just five miles ahead,” Lin Feng pointed to an area shrouded in crimson mist in the distance. “The concentration of fire elemental aura there is ten times that of outside, but it’s also much more dangerous. According to intelligence, ‘Flame Bats’ and ‘Lava Giant Apes’ are active in the basin.”
Kai nodded and continued leading the group forward.
However, just as they were about to reach the edge of the Flame Spirit Basin, a sudden change occurred!