“This place is a convergence point of fire spiritual essence, and this lake is the result of condensed fire essence. It’s perfect for purging these resentful spirits.”
Shen Mu nodded slightly, finding the method quite feasible.
“Yuhe, let’s move farther away. We won’t be able to withstand the aftermath of igniting this lake.”
“Got it.”
Following Shen Mu’s lead, Lin Yuhe quickly left the vicinity of the ancient ruin.
A quarter of an hour later, they reached a crimson sandy peak overlooking the entire spiritual lake.
Sensing the two had retreated a safe distance, Chi Ying leaped into the air, hovering above the center of the lake.
Looking down, she could see dark shadows occasionally darting through the deep, pitch-black lakebed.
“Phew~”
She exhaled a scorching breath, invisible heat waves rippling around her… Countless red spiritual lights surged in her palm, condensing into an increasingly intense crimson flame…
“This is the first time I’ve tried channeling such a massive amount of Blazing Sun Power since coming here…”
As the blazing flame swelled, the Blazing Sun intent in Chi Ying’s golden dragon eyes grew more radiant, like a brilliantly burning sun!
Her flowing black hair gradually turned crimson, revealing her true nature.
“Don’t disappoint me.”
The red-haired girl exuded a wild aura, raising the intensely blazing crimson flame, which formed a fiery red lotus imbued with Blazing Sun intent, faintly encircled by a crimson true dragon shadow…
“Die!”
Chi Ying hurled the red lotus with force, unleashing a thousand-zhang burst of brilliant red light, accompanied by a faint dragon’s roar echoing in the void, tracing a crimson dragon-shaped arc…
Like a crimson dragon meteor streaking through the night, it crashed heavily into the lake, stirring up hundred-zhang waves, sinking to the lakebed in an instant!
At that moment, the red lotus slowly bloomed, radiating boundless Blazing Sun intent, instantly igniting the fire spiritual essence accumulated in the lake over countless years!
Boom—!!
The entire lake boiled in an instant, erupting into towering crimson flames, unleashing terrifyingly scorching heat waves that distorted the surrounding void for hundreds of miles!
The resentful shadows at the lakebed let out piercing, ear-splitting wails, one by one reduced to wisps of green smoke by the relentless Blazing Sun power…
“…Is this her true strength?”
Lin Yuhe’s eyes reflected the sky-high flames that seemed to dye the heavens red, faintly sensing the traces of Blazing Sun intent, murmuring softly.
“Far from it…”
Shen Mu added from beside her, “To take human form, she must at least have Golden Core strength. To ignite the entire lake unscathed means her power is even higher.”
Such immense, sustained explosive force wasn’t something an ordinary Golden Core cultivator could withstand, let alone survive.
Even a Golden Core cultivator skilled in fire techniques would be severely injured, if not killed.
“By the way, did you ask her how she ended up in Chiyou Continent?”
“I thought dragons were only active in Dongsheng and Zhongtian Continents, rarely seen elsewhere.”
“Do you think I’d dare ask? You know what I have to call her now,” Shen Mu said helplessly.
“…”
Lin Yuhe fell into a long silence at his response.
The fierce flames didn’t subside until the morning sun rose.
The ancient ruin, sealed for ages, gradually revealed its true form.
Amid towering crimson sandstone cliffs, dilapidated palace ruins with broken walls emerged into the light…
Covered in blackened mud and golden sand still flickering with crimson-gold flames, they seemed to reignite the lingering embers of ancient history.
“It really is an ancient ruin.”
Chi Ying gazed down at the ruined palace structures below, diving in without a word, landing on a relatively flat white stone plaza.
She scanned the surroundings, her divine sense sweeping the entire ruin to check for lingering resentful spirits.
Confirming they were all eradicated, Chi Ying shouted up to Shen Mu and Lin Yuhe on the cliff, “It’s clear. Come down!”
Whoosh!
Soon, the two descended, marveling at the ancient ruins’ broken walls as they joined Chi Ying.
“How’s that? My method was pretty good, right? Simple and efficient.”
Seeing the girl’s childlike pride, Shen Mu didn’t hold back his praise. “Indeed, Sister Chi Ying is remarkably clever.”
At the same time, he began to realize her true intentions were not complex.
In fact, they carried a certain innocent simplicity.
“I think I’m sensing the spiritual fluctuations of a rare treasure!”
At that moment, the Golden Toad in Shen Mu’s robe leaped out excitedly, hopping swiftly toward the east.
The three exchanged glances, understanding immediately, and followed.
Moments later, they followed the Golden Toad into a dim stone cave covered in patches of moss.
The temperature here was noticeably different from the outside.
As they ventured deeper, it grew colder, even chilling to the skin.
Holding a spiritual lamp to light the way, Shen Mu shivered.
“Ugh… why’s it getting colder the deeper we go?”
“Are you sure there’s a rare treasure here and not some yin ghost?”
Stepping on moss-covered stone paths, he occasionally glanced at the faded murals on the cave walls, feeling as if he’d stumbled into a forbidden tomb.
“Don’t worry, I don’t sense any strong resentful spirit aura. The treasure’s just special, emitting a yin aura that’s altered the environment here.”
The Golden Toad on his shoulder responded.
“…I hope you’re right.”
Perhaps due to the stark contrast with the fiery mountain range outside, Shen Mu couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease.
“Don’t worry. Even if there’s a yin ghost, I can handle it,” Chi Ying said confidently.
Having just eradicated a horde of resentful spirits, her confidence was slightly inflated.
“Still, caution is key. In a mysterious ruin like this with unknown history, it’s better to stay prudent.”
Lin Yuhe, as if transformed, had a sharp, cautious look in her eyes, constantly scanning the faded murals on the walls and ceiling.
Unnoticed, she left faint array patterns with each step…
Gradually…
The trio reached the end of the path.
A green stone door carved with a black-and-white yin-yang fish pattern stood before them, firmly shut.
On either side were two rows of neat, unfamiliar ancient text.
“This must be a sealed chamber,” Shen Mu said, holding the spiritual lamp and examining the dust-covered door.
“There might be a trigger mechanism nearby.”
Click!
Suddenly, as Lin Yuhe stepped forward, the ground sank slightly, emitting a dull grinding sound.
Rumble—
The stone door began to rumble, slowly sliding open, shaking off dust and releasing a piercingly cold yin aura…
Revealing a vast underground space to them.
“Your luck is as good as ever,” Shen Mu remarked, slightly impressed by how easily she triggered the mechanism.
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