The magma was a churning, scorching hell.

Even with Shen Xian’s late-stage Golden Core cultivation, waves of searing pain assaulted his skin. His protective spiritual energy was evaporating at a terrifying rate under the intense heat.

The Profound Heaven Golden Silk Armor emitted a faint, desperate golden light to shield his torso, but it was far from enough.

This heat is absurd, Shen Xian thought, a flicker of alarm crossing his mind.

Between his brows, the Li Fire True Seal manifested.

A crimson halo rippled out from his dantian, forming a thin, translucent barrier around his body.

Instantly, the temperature—hot enough to melt celestial iron—was blocked out. It was still uncomfortably warm, but at least he wouldn’t be cooked alive.

He dove deeper.

The color of the magma shifted from bright crimson to a heavy, oppressive dark gold. The pressure intensified with every zhang. Without the Li Fire True Seal, an ordinary Golden Core cultivator would have been crushed into pulp by now.

After descending roughly a hundred zhang, Shen Xian’s senses tingled.

An ancient, domineering aura pulsed from below.

His spirits lifted. He accelerated, pushing through a layer of viscous, heavy magma. Suddenly, the resistance vanished, and the sight before him made him catch his breath.

In the deepest part of the magma pool, a hollow pocket of space existed. Suspended in the center was a fist-sized droplet of crimson blood.

It radiated a heart-palpitating pressure.

Nine fiery phantoms circled the droplet, weaving together to form the vague, majestic silhouette of a Vermilion Bird poised to take flight.

“Vermilion Bird Essence Blood.”

A sharp gleam flashed in Shen Xian’s eyes.

Upon closer inspection, the essence blood appeared somewhat mottled—it wasn’t pure. However, it remained an exceedingly rare heavenly treasure.

So this is what the Black Tide Pirate Group was after. Too bad. It’s mine now.

He approached cautiously.

Sensing the aura of the essence blood, the Li Fire True Seal between his brows trembled violently, transmitting a thrum of deep desire. It wanted to devour the blood.

Shen Xian suppressed the impulse.

No. This item is compatible with Ye Qingxian’s Divine Phoenix Spirit Body. If I give it to her, the return on investment will be far higher than using it myself.

He retrieved the Void Reflecting Spirit Mirror.

Using the mirror to project a burst of Nascent Soul-level divine sense, he suppressed the restless energy of the Vermilion Bird Essence Blood. Simultaneously, he activated the Li Fire True Seal to channel spiritual energy, wrapping the blood in a gentle cage.

With a wave of his hand, he stored it safely away.

The process was short but fraught with peril. Without the Li Fire True Seal, touching that blood would have incinerated his hand.

As soon as the essence blood vanished into his storage space, the temperature of the magma pool plummeted.

The once-boiling fluid began to solidify into dark red rock at a visible speed.

Shen Xian prepared to leave, but a thought from the Profound Turtle echoed in his mind.

Wait. More.

Shen Xian paused. “There’s still treasure?”

He had assumed the essence blood was the target. Following the turtle’s guidance, he slashed his sword downward.

The Traceless Sword cleaved through the newly solidified rock layer.

Beneath it lay a deep, dark passageway.

Shen Xian frowned slightly. The seal on his forehead flickered as he descended into the tunnel. The surrounding walls were lined with strange crimson patterns that pulsed rhythmically, like blood vessels.

After twenty zhang, the view opened up.

A massive underground cavern appeared. Countless crimson vines hung from the ceiling, each as thick as an adult’s arm and covered in razor-sharp barbs.

In the center of the cavern coiled a giant demonic plant, nearly three zhang tall. Its main stem bore nine ferocious, eye-like patterns.

All nine eyes were currently fixed intently on Shen Xian.

“Red Flame Demon Vine?”

Shen Xian recognized the fifth-tier spirit beast instantly. Judging by its aura, it was at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage. It must have been nesting here, leeching energy from the Vermilion Bird Essence Blood above.

Hiss—

The demon vine launched a fierce attack. Dozens of vines shot toward him like crimson javelins.

Shen Xian retreated swiftly, the Traceless Sword carving a defensive net of sword shadows.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Sparks flew. The collision of sword and vine rang out like metal striking metal. To Shen Xian’s shock, his sword only left shallow white marks on the bark.

Tough bastard.

Not only were the vines as hard as high-grade magical treasures, but the severed ends also regenerated instantly.

To make matters worse, the temperature in the cavern began to rise sharply. The hanging vines glowed with a bright, lava-like hue.

Suddenly, the nine “eyes” on the main stem lit up.

Shen Xian felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his mind.

Divine sense attack?

Taking advantage of his momentary daze, three vines wrapped around his left leg. The barbs pierced viciously into his flesh.

Shen Xian’s expression went cold. He utilized the Void Reflecting Spirit Mirror to unleash a blast of mental energy, instantly shattering the vine’s hold on his mind.

Roar!

He slapped his spirit beast pouch. The Profound Turtle materialized in mid-air, opening its mouth to spray a curtain of azure water that shielded Shen Xian.

“Big guy! Lend me some strength!” Shen Xian shouted.

With the Black Tide members still watching outside, he didn’t want to waste too much stamina here.

The Profound Turtle raised its head and let out a heaven-shaking roar. The Eight Trigrams patterns on its shell blazed with dazzling golden light.

Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, Dui.

Nine streams of water-element spiritual energy surged forth, weaving into an enormous net that enveloped the entire cavern.

Eight golden pillars descended from the edges of the net, pinning the Red Flame Demon Vine firmly in place.

Sizzle—

When the golden light touched the crimson vines, white smoke billowed out. Although the Profound Turtle was only Tier 4, its True Spirit bloodline allowed it to suppress the plant momentarily.

Shen Xian’s eyes lit up.

“Now.”

He gripped the Traceless Sword single-handedly. His late-stage Golden Core cultivation erupted.

At the tip of the sword, an ultimate ice-blue sword qi condensed.

Whoosh.

The sword qi shot through the air. Where it passed, the moisture in the cavern froze into fine crystals.

The demon vine struggled frantically, but the turtle’s net held fast. The sword qi struck the main stem dead center.

Hiss—!

The vine emitted a shrill, ear-piercing shriek. The nine eyes burst simultaneously, spewing foul-smelling crimson sap.

At that exact moment, the Profound Turtle spat a dense azure water pearl. It hit the open wound on the vine.

BOOM!

The interaction of extreme ice and heavy water triggered a violent thermal explosion.

The demon vine’s massive body shattered inch by inch, collapsing into a pile of charred wreckage. The cavern temperature plummeted instantly, and the hanging vines withered and fell.

Shen Xian let out a long sigh of relief.

Before he could move, the Profound Turtle charged toward the wreckage. It clawed away the charred outer skin, revealing a fist-sized crimson crystal core.

The core was covered in profound patterns, looking as if molten lava flowed within it.

“A fifth-tier spirit beast essence core?” Shen Xian’s eyes brightened.

This was a rare material nurtured for hundreds of years. Its energy value was even higher than the mottled Vermilion Bird Essence Blood.

“Good work.”

He stored the core and the turtle away.

Shen Xian ascended rapidly. When he burst out of the volcano, the immediate area was clear—no Black Tide cultivators dared to block the mouth of the erupting crater.

He flew toward the horizon, intending to slip away.

But then, he stopped.

On the horizon, a fleet of Black Tide warships pressed forward like a swarm of locusts, blotting out the setting sun.

Full twenty warships filled the sky, their sinister skull flags fluttering in the wind, shimmering with bloody light.

Shen Xian’s pupils contracted. His divine sense swept over the fleet, and his heart sank.

At the forefront, standing on the deck of a pitch-black flagship, was a tall figure with his hands clasped behind his back.

The pressure radiating from him was suffocating.

It was the leader of the Black Tide, possessing Great Perfection Golden Core cultivation.

Guijiao.