Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

"Scorpion Boss! When did you get here?"

The boy was a little surprised.

The Snow Jade White Fox wore a complex expression.

The young man presented a thousand-year-old Fire Spirit with both hands.

It was immensely beneficial to Cultivators who practiced the way of the Flame.

At the same time, a Fire Spirit could also be used to temper spiritual weapons, imbuing them with a fiery aura and enhancing their destructive power.

"Aren't you afraid of being punished by your master?"

Ye Chen glanced at the young man with interest. He wasn't one to stand on ceremony and accepted the Fire Spirit without hesitation.

"As long as Senior spares us and bestows the transformation method upon the White Fox, we will accept any punishment."

The young man shook his head, a flicker of Evil Qi flashing in his eyes.

Clearly, he had long been dissatisfied with his master's oppression.

These Great Demons were not loyal to their mysterious master. If not for the constraints placed upon them, they would have fled this place long ago.

At these words, Ye Chen nodded, quite satisfied with his gains for the day.

Before venturing deep underground, all he knew was that there was likely a Spiritual Object imbued with immense yin and Evil Qi.

The Vermilion Jade Fruit, the thousand-year-old Fire Spirit.

These were all pleasant surprises.

"You've all performed rather well."

"So I won't make things difficult for you."

Seeing the Great Demons staring at him with such anticipation, Ye Chen smiled. He casually pointed a finger at the Snow Jade White Fox. A ray of spiritual light shot out and entered its mind.

Instantly, as if it had just received some astonishing information, the Snow Jade White Fox froze on the spot. It remained as still as a statue, not moving for a long time.

Under the nervous watch of the young man and the boy, the Snow Jade White Fox finally came to its senses after a short while. It turned to Ye Chen, its face alight with joy, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior!"

'This transformation method is far more advanced than the one I was lucky enough to find before!'

'If I cultivate using this transformation method, I'll be able to achieve a perfect human form and perceive the mysteries of the Great Dao with much greater ease!'

Seeing the Snow Jade White Fox so overcome with joy it could barely contain itself, the young man and the boy exchanged a glance and bowed to Ye Chen in excitement and gratitude.

"Alright, you can dispense with the pleasantries."

Ye Chen waved his hand dismissively. To him, that transformation method was merely a casual gift, nothing worth mentioning.

The camaraderie between these three Great Demons had impressed him, and since his gains for the day had been so bountiful, he was in an excellent mood. There was no need to be stingy.

It was a good deed done, a good connection forged.

"Speaking of which, it's one thing for a Spiritual Object like Yin-Evil Cold Marrow to appear in this underground Dark River."

"But why has a thousand-year-old Fire Spirit also appeared here?"

Ye Chen mulled it over for a moment. 'Something doesn't feel right.'

Hearing this, the boy hesitated before saying, "Senior, you may not know this, but our master transplanted the Vermilion Jade Fruit here specifically to use the power of the Earth Fire to hasten its ripening."

"Earth Fire?"

Ye Chen's brow furrowed slightly.

'So, there's a pocket of Earth Fire even deeper than this Dark River?'

"That's right."

"In fact, the Spiritual Object that grows in the depths of the Earth Fire is what our master values most."

"The thousand-year-old Fire Spirit and everything else are just icing on the cake."

The young man also spoke truthfully.

"Then what kind of Spiritual Object is growing deep within this Earth Fire?"

Ye Chen asked, his curiosity piqued.

'For the master of these Great Demons to treat it with such importance, the Spiritual Object in that Earth Fire must be something extraordinary.'

'Even the value of the Yin-Evil Cold Marrow, the Vermilion Jade Fruit, and the thousand-year-old Fire Spirit combined probably doesn't even come close to its importance!'

"You will know when you get there, Senior."

The young man shook his head and said in a low voice, "However, the guardian near the Earth Fire is much stronger than we are."

"If you go rashly, you might face unimaginable danger!"

"Is that so?" Ye Chen stroked his chin and smiled. "I must say, you've thoroughly piqued my interest."

"Even if it means running into your master, I want to go have a look. Can you lead the way?"

Hearing this, the young man hesitated. The astonishing threat within the Earth Fire seemed to fill him with dread.

But the boy beside him seemed to throw caution to the wind, gritting his teeth. "Senior, follow me."

The young man was alarmed. "Have you thought this through? Besides the guardian, our master has also laid an Array there."

"If we accidentally trigger a Restriction, the master will immediately sense our actions."

"An Array? I'll take care of it."

"You just lead the way," Ye Chen said nonchalantly.

His calm and carefree demeanor had an inexplicably reassuring effect on the boy.

He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Senior, your gift of the transformation method to the White Fox was already an immense kindness."

"No matter how dangerous this journey is, if you wish to go, Senior, I will go with you."

His words rang with conviction, as if he had cast all thought of danger aside!

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. 'Now I get it.'

'That Scorpion Boss is the cautious type, one who plans before making a move.'

'This boy, on the other hand, is impulsive and acts on instinct. To put it bluntly, he's reckless.'

'But I have to admit, I kind of like his straightforward personality.'

The Snow Jade White Fox had wanted to lead Ye Chen herself, but she couldn't dissuade the boy, so she didn't insist.

Led by the boy, Ye Chen ventured deeper and deeper underground.

It was pitch-black all around, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The only sound was their footsteps as they walked on in silence.

After an unknown amount of time, the cold, sinister aura gradually dissipated, replaced by a wave of heat so scorching it was almost unimaginable!

Ye Chen felt a jolt. 'Have we finally arrived at our destination?'

By his estimation, they had already descended at least several thousand meters.

If they went any deeper, the total descent would be nearly the height of Kunlun Mountain.

A glimmer of light suddenly appeared up ahead. The two walked toward it, and a vast, new space opened up before their eyes.

"This is..."

Ye Chen's expression grew serious.

The sight before him was nothing short of spectacular!

A seemingly endless sea of molten lava stretched out deep beneath the earth, extending as far as the eye could see.

Scalding waves of heat billowed over the fiery sea.

A look of shock appeared on the boy's face. The heat was so intense it stung his fur, and he felt as if he were suffocating.

In this veritable hellscape, it felt as though the very air was about to melt away!

"This is the Earth Fire beneath Kunlun Mountain?"

Ye Chen let his gaze sweep across the area.

Soon, he saw the Spiritual Object being nurtured within the Earth Fire.

In the center of the sea of fire, there was a ball of light bobbing up and down with the waves of heat.

Within the ball of light, a crimson lotus was blooming in exquisite splendor, showering the area with multicolored streams of light.

"That is the Spiritual Object the master values most—the Nine-Color Lotus!"

The boy beside him spoke slowly, his eyes filled with wonder.