Chapter 266: The Clash of Two Fated Prodigies
One month later, at the 13th Earthfire Furnace.
To avoid the 12th Earthfire Furnace, Shen Mo deliberately took a long detour, ensuring he would not attract the attention of the Third and Seventh Elders.
Otherwise, they would certainly question why he had ventured deep into the Fire Pill Palace.
"Found it!"
Shen Mo quickly located the ruins near the Earthfire Furnace.
A defensive formation still protected the area.
As before, Shen Mo presented the Four Cauldron Elder Token and descended underground.
Eventually, he arrived at the lava lake directly beneath the Earthfire Furnace.
This lava lake was far brighter than the one beneath the 11th Earthfire Furnace.
The earthfire here was also far more violent and aggressive, like ferocious beasts eager to devour.
As soon as Shen Mo approached, the earthfire surged toward him, attempting to engulf him.
Shen Mo remained calm, raising his hand to summon the Green Lotus Core Flame.
The raging earthfire recoiled instantly, like street thugs cowering before a powerful overlord.
Shen Mo strolled effortlessly atop the lava lake, reaching its center.
There, a desiccated corpse lay clutching two items.
One was a thick tome crafted from metal pages.
The other was a violet crystal jade box containing a swirling pill.
Shen Mo's heart surged with joy.
He bowed slightly to the deceased young sect master of the Nine Revolutions Alchemy Sect and then retrieved the items.
The tome was none other than the Nine Revolutions Alchemy Codex.
The sect's cultivation techniques, martial arts, and pill formulas were all derived from this codex by the sect founder and other powerful cultivators.
However, the content was profoundly esoteric.
Even the sect founder, with his extraordinary talent, failed to fully comprehend it.
Compared to techniques and martial arts, this codex was the true treasure.
Flipping through a few pages, Shen Mo felt a headache and a foggy mind.
Clearly, the codex required quiet concentration to study thoroughly.
Shen Mo turned to the pill nearby. "This must be the Taiyi Sacred Origin Pill."
"I'm already of top-tier heavenly physique. Refining this pill would elevate me to a saint-tier physique."
"However, when I advanced from high-grade heavenly physique to top-tier, the phenomenon caused was already immense."
"If I refine the Taiyi Sacred Origin Pill here in the Fire Pill Palace and ascend to a saint-tier physique, the resulting phenomenon will undoubtedly be even more terrifying, attracting widespread attention."
"With so few people in the Fire Pill Palace, they would quickly trace it back to me."
"Exposing my greatest trump card like this would be a loss rather than a gain."
Shen Mo pondered briefly and realized this was not the best time to ascend to a saint-tier physique.
Suppressing his desire for immediate breakthrough, he carefully stored the Taiyi Sacred Origin Pill deep within his spatial ring.
Once he left the Fire Pill Palace, he could find a secluded place to refine it.
Then, even if a rare and spectacular phenomenon occurred, he could swiftly leave without exposing his identity and secrets.
"Now to find a spot to study the Nine Revolutions Alchemy Codex. Perhaps I can gain insights into techniques or martial arts suitable for me."
Shen Mo wasted no time and quickly departed.
Not straying too far, he found a safe cave nearby, set up various formations, and began his meticulous study.
Another month passed.
A figure appeared near the 13th Earthfire Furnace.
It was Xiao Fan.
"Danhe, we've finally arrived," Xiao Fan said, wiping sweat from his brow with a wry smile.
A raspy voice echoed in his mind. "Something feels off about the Fire Pill Palace. The fire beasts have grown significantly stronger."
"Otherwise, we would have arrived much sooner," Xiao Fan agreed, nodding.
"I encountered danger multiple times on the way. If not for your intervention, I'd probably be dead by now."
Danhe reassured him, "You're not yet at the level to handle everything alone. Moreover, you're my chosen heir. Even if I perish, I can't let you die."
Xiao Fan pointed toward a ruined area. "It should be over there, right?"
Danhe confirmed, "The young sect master told me before his death that if he couldn't escape, he would hide beneath the lava lake of the 13th Earthfire Furnace.
His treasures would be left there for future generations."
Xiao Fan's expression lit with excitement.
He had endured a grueling journey through the Fire Pill Palace, facing fire beasts and deadly formations.
He had even gone to great lengths to avoid the watchful eyes of the elders from the Jade Cauldron Sect.
After countless hardships, he had finally arrived.
Now it was time to claim his reward.
"Let's go!"
Xiao Fan dashed forward, producing his Nine Revolutions Alchemy Sect Elder Token. He easily passed through the defensive formation and descended into the underground lava lake.
Looking at the blazing, unusually bright lava lake, he sighed softly.
"The Nine Revolutions Alchemy Sect in its prime must have been magnificent."
Danhe responded with a hint of pride, "Indeed. There are fifteen such lava lakes in the Fire Pill Palace alone."
"And treasures like the Fire Pill Palace? The Nine Revolutions Alchemy Sect had five of them!"
"But all that glory has faded with time.
Shangqing Sect, Jade Cauldron Sect, Danhe Sect—those three sects repaid kindness with betrayal, joining forces to attack the Nine Revolutions Alchemy Sect. Truly shameless."
"When we obtain the Nine Revolutions Alchemy Codex and leave this place, we'll begin gathering the sect's remnants. Sooner or later, they'll pay for their blood debts!"
Danhe's voice was filled with deep hatred, his tone sharp and vengeful.
Xiao Fan pointed toward the center of the lava lake. "That must be the young sect master, right?"
Danhe's tone turned melancholic. "Yes, there's no miracle here. The young sect master has long been reduced to a desiccated corpse in this extreme heat."
"Let's go. I'll protect you across."
With Danhe's protection, Xiao Fan reached the center of the lava lake.
However, all that remained was a shriveled corpse.
There was nothing on the body.
Not even the slightest trace of the Nine Revolutions Alchemy Codex.
There wasn't even a storage ring on the fingers.
Xiao Fan's expression was one of shock. "Where are the items?"
Danhe fell silent. "I'd like to know as well…"
At that moment, Xiao Fan suddenly heard footsteps coming from the entrance.
He quickly turned around and saw a figure in red combat attire.
This man's face was cold and expressionless, clearly not someone easy to deal with.
What was more important, Xiao Fan recognized this face.
Not only recognized it—he was intimately familiar with it!
It was none other than the person he had clashed with in the Qiyun Mountain Range!
As Xiao Fan spotted Ye Yan, Ye Yan also saw Xiao Fan.
Both were initially stunned, but their expressions quickly turned to anger.
"It's you!"
They shouted in unison.
Ye Yan's fury erupted instantly.
He was someone who held grudges deeply.
During their encounter in the Qiyun Mountain Range, he had wasted decades of his lifespan because of this man.
That hatred had been festering ever since, waiting for the day he could settle the score.
And now, of all places, he encountered Xiao Fan again in the Fire Pill Palace!
"You're not an elder of the Jade Cauldron Sect, yet you've entered the Fire Pill Palace. That's crime one."
"You opposed me in the Qiyun Mountain Range. That's crime two."
"You deserve to die!"
Ye Yan's voice was icy, devoid of emotion.
Suddenly, he raised both hands, bringing them together sharply. Fire-attribute energy surged violently, coalescing with great intensity.
In the blink of an eye, it condensed into the shape of a massive blade.
The blazing great blade resembled a waterfall of sunlight.
The intense heat seemed as if it could evaporate everything in existence.
Its blinding radiance was nearly enough to sear eyes shut!
This was the third form of the Burning Heart Blade Technique: Sunfall!
Ye Yan held nothing back, unleashing his strongest attack from the start.
Xiao Fan, both startled and enraged, shouted, "If you're so eager to die, then I'll grant your wish!"
In the next instant, the two fated prodigies collided in a fierce and explosive battle!
Meanwhile, Shen Mo, who had inadvertently set the stage for this "friendly exchange," was quietly engrossed in studying the Nine Revolutions Alchemy Codex.
Every so often, he nodded in agreement, occasionally gaining new insights and understandings.
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