82: Chapter 82 Encountering Earth Fire in Crimson Flame Mountain, Refining Golden Elixir with Starflow Sword Formation

The Chi-Yan Mountain Area, located southeast of the Dragonfall Abyss, is a desolate region scorched by earth fire all year round.

The earth is crimson and cracked, with black smoke frequently rising from fissures, and the air is filled with sulfur and hot Five Elements Spiritual Qi of the fire attribute.

The environment here is harsh with rampant fire toxins, making it difficult for ordinary Cultivators to stay for long, yet it has nurtured some unique fire-attribute spiritual Ores and heat-resistant Yao Beasts.

Ye Qing came here mainly to collect several types of fire-attribute essence Materials to perfect the Five Elements cycle of the Hunxu Yandao Scripture, and at the same time, to see if he could find spiritual objects like "Earth Heart Fire Lotus" to enrich the biodiversity of his Cave Heaven World.

He concealed his aura, lowered his altitude, and flew at a low altitude among the crimson mountain ridges, his Divine Sense sweeping over every crack in the ground and every steaming geothermal vent.

After flying for about half a day, his harvest was meager, only collecting a few pieces of average-quality "Chi-Yan Iron" and "Earth Fire Stone".

However, at the edge of a lava lake formed by a volcanic eruption, he discovered a small patch of "Fire Tongue Grass". This grass contains pure fire-attribute Spiritual Qi and is an auxiliary Material for refining several types of fire-attribute Medicinal Pills.

He carefully harvested it, transplanting it with soil into his Cave Heaven World, where he specifically cleared a small "Flame Soil" area on the edge of a Floating Landmass to plant it, maintaining its growth with Earth Fire Stone powder and a weak fire-attribute Formation.

Just as he was preparing to leave for the next potential location marked on the map, intense Spiritual Qi fluctuations and the roar of a Yao Beast suddenly came from below a smoking volcano ahead.

"Hmm? A fight? To think someone actually came to this godforsaken place?"

Ye Qing's curiosity was piqued. With a flicker of his figure, he quietly darted behind a towering volcanic rock nearby, concealed his aura, and looked down.

Below him was a massive valley scorched black by earth fire.

In the valley, three Cultivators were engaged in a fierce battle with a colossal creature.

That Yao Beast was a hideous giant python over ten zhang long, covered in dark red scales with a single horn on its head—a "Earth Fire Python". Judging by its aura, it had already reached the Early Stage of the Third Rank, equivalent to a Human Race Early Stage Golden Core Cultivator!

The Earth Fire Python possessed immense strength, its body burning with raging earth fire. Its horn could spray scorching lava, and its giant tail swept across, causing mountains to crumble and the ground to crack; its momentum was terrifying.

At this moment, it was coiled in front of a small vein of crystals emitting a crimson spiritual light, clearly treating that vein as its exclusive possession.

The three Cultivators fighting it were not from the same faction, judging by their attire.

One was dressed in the standard silver-gray tight-fitting outfit of Sky Wolf Fort, holding a silver spear. His spear thrusts were like a dragon, with sharp spiritual light. His cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Perfection Stage, and he appeared to be a Body Cultivator, meeting the Earth Fire Python's lunges head-on to buy time for his companions.

Another wore the iconic cyan Daoist robe of the Profound Sword Sect, controlling a cyan Flying Sword. The sword light split and was nimble and tricky, specifically attacking the gaps in the Earth Fire Python's scales and its eyes. His cultivation was also at the Foundation Establishment Perfection Stage, and his swordsmanship was quite exquisite.

The last person was a female Cultivator dressed in a light pink dress of the Hundred Flowers Alliance, her face covered by a thin veil. Her cultivation was slightly weaker, only at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, but she continuously scattered illusions of various exotic flowers. The fragrance filled the air, seemingly having the effect of interfering with the Yao Beast's Divine Sense and slowing its movements; she appeared to be a support and control role.

The three cooperated tacitly, clearly not working together for the first time, and were actually evenly matched with the Third Rank Earth Fire Python, not falling into a disadvantage in the short term.

"People from Sky Wolf Fort, Profound Sword Sect, and the Hundred Flowers Alliance? They actually joined forces? It seems that crimson crystal vein is of great value, worth them taking such a risk."

Ye Qing's gaze swept over the mineral vein, recognizing it as "Earth Heart Fire Crystal", a high-quality fire-attribute spiritual Ore containing pure earth fire essence, an excellent Material for refining fire-attribute Magic Treasures or setting up high-rank fire-attribute Formations.

"Earth Heart Fire Crystal... perfect. Among the Five Elements of the Cave Heaven World, the fire element is relatively weak. This object contains earth fire essence and can make up for its deficiency. Moreover, this Third Rank Earth Fire Python is a treasure from head to toe..."

Ye Qing's thoughts turned, and he already had an idea.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Since he had encountered it, it would be a waste not to take advantage of this.

He patiently lurked, observing the situation.

The battle below grew increasingly intense.

The Earth Fire Python went berserk, opening its mouth to spew a thick pillar of crimson lava, rushing straight at the Sky Wolf Fort Body Cultivator who was resisting it head-on.

The Body Cultivator roared, his spear dancing as spiritual light condensed into a giant shield to take the lava head-on.

Boom!

The lava exploded. The Body Cultivator groaned, being knocked back several zhang along with his spear. His arms were scorched black, his aura chaotic, and he was clearly heavily injured.

"Brother Wang!" The Profound Sword Sect Sword Cultivator's expression changed, and the Flying Sword's offensive became more urgent, attempting to relieve the Body Cultivator.

The Hundred Flowers Alliance female Cultivator also accelerated the scattering of exotic flower illusions, the fragrance becoming thicker, attempting to confuse the Earth Fire Python.

However, the Earth Fire Python had already locked onto the injured Body Cultivator. Its thick body twisted, and its giant tail, like a steel whip, carried the power to split mountains, lashing fiercely toward the Body Cultivator's head, determined to smash this most troublesome Human Race into meat paste!

The Body Cultivator's face showed despair; heavily injured, he was unable to dodge.

He was about to die.

Just at this critical moment.

A point of brilliant starlight fell silently from the high sky, arriving after but striking first, landing with absolute precision on the tip of the Earth Fire Python's lashing giant tail.

"Freeze."

A calm voice rang out.

The point of starlight exploded, turning into a pale silver ripple of the Void Realm flowing with starlike light spots, instantly enveloping the few zhang range of the giant tail's tip.

The Earth Fire Python's tail, which had been sure to hit, seemed to crash into an invisible quagmire; its speed dropped sharply, its momentum greatly reduced, and even the earth fire burning on its body dimmed slightly.

The Body Cultivator escaped death, scrambling backward, his gaze toward the high altitude filled with gratitude.

The Earth Fire Python, obstructed by this, became even more furious. Its crimson vertical pupils suddenly turned toward the high sky, locking onto the cyan-robed figure that had appeared out of nowhere, and it opened its mouth to spew an even thicker and hotter pillar of lava!

"Be careful!" The Profound Sword Sect Sword Cultivator and the Hundred Flowers Alliance female Cultivator also saw Ye Qing and shouted a warning.

Ye Qing stood in mid-air, facing the terrifying lava capable of melting metal, his expression unchanged.

He didn't even use a Formation or sword array.

He just slowly raised his right hand, spread his fingers, and made a light grasping motion toward the roaring lava pillar.

"Disperse."

An invisible yet seemingly all-controlling power of the Void Realm descended.

The thick lava pillar, while still ten zhang away from Ye Qing, crashed into an invisible air wall, exploding violently and turning into sparks that scattered everywhere, unable to get even a fraction closer.

"Golden... Golden Core Senior!" The three below were inexplicably shocked at the sight. To so casually neutralize the furious strike of a Third Rank Yao Beast, he must be at least at the Middle Stage of the Golden Core, or even the Late Stage!

The Earth Fire Python also felt the threat, a flash of suspicion in its crimson vertical pupils, but its ferocity did not diminish. Its massive body suddenly reared up, the crimson light on its single horn flaring, brewing an even more terrifying attack.

"Noisy."

Ye Qing seemed somewhat impatient. He joined his right fingers like a sword and made a slash in the air toward the Earth Fire Python's massive head.

"Void, Slash."

A pale silver sword aura, thin as a cicada's wing, nearly transparent, with tiny ripples of space undulating at the edges, flew from his fingertips. Ignoring distance, it instantly crossed a hundred zhang of space, appearing above the Earth Fire Python's head, and circled gently.

Chi.

With a soft sound, the Earth Fire Python's massive, upright body suddenly froze.

The fierce light in its crimson vertical pupils quickly dimmed and scattered.

Immediately after, the hideous head slowly slid from its neck. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and before the crimson blood could spray out, most of it was annihilated by the Void Realm power contained within the sword aura.

The headless python body crashed to the ground like a collapsing mountain of gold and jade, shaking the valley and kicking up dust.

The Early Stage Third Rank Earth Fire Python was killed with one sword strike.

From Ye Qing's strike to the Earth Fire Python's death, it took no more than three breaths.

In the valley, there was dead silence.

The three surviving Cultivators were dumbstruck, looking at the young Golden Core Cultivator who stood in mid-air, his cyan robes fluttering, as if he had just casually swatted a mosquito, shocked beyond measure.

What kind of strength was this? What kind of Divine Ability?

Killing a Third Rank Yao Beast was like chopping melons and vegetables! The elegance of that sword strike was simply unfathomable!

"Thank... Thank you, Senior, for saving our lives!" The Sky Wolf Fort Body Cultivator was the first to react, ignoring his injuries, struggling to bow and salute, his voice trembling.

The Profound Sword Sect Sword Cultivator and the Hundred Flowers Alliance female Cultivator also hurriedly bowed and saluted, filled with awe.

Ye Qing ignored them, his gaze falling on the Earth Fire Python's headless corpse and the exposed "Earth Heart Fire Crystal" mineral vein.

He raised his hand and beckoned; the Earth Fire Python's corpse, Yao Beast Core, and that single horn all flew up, disappearing into his sleeve and being sent into the waste area of the Cave Heaven World.

Then, he drifted down and arrived before the Earth Heart Fire Crystal mineral vein.

The mineral vein was not too large, but the quality was good. The exposed part was the size of a millstone, crimson and crystalline, with what looked like magma flowing inside, emitting pure and scorching earth fire essence.

He took out his tools and began to carefully mine it.

The three from Sky Wolf Fort looked at each other, not daring to make a sound, let alone step forward to compete. Being able to keep their lives was already a stroke of luck; how could they dare to contend for treasures with this unfathomable Senior?

The three silently retreated to the side, seizing the time to treat their injuries and recover Spiritual Qi, while looking with awe at Ye Qing's back as he mined the Ore.

Ye Qing's movements were fast. He harvested all the exposed high-quality Earth Heart Fire Crystals, then dug down a few feet, collecting some associated "Earth Fire Jade Marrow" fragments, only stopping when he felt the earth fire essence begin to weaken.

The harvest was plentiful, with over a hundred jin of high-quality Earth Heart Fire Crystals and several jin of Earth Fire Jade Marrow.

He satisfyingly collected the Ore into his Cave Heaven World, then turned to look at the three Cultivators.

The three hurriedly bowed again.

"This place is not suitable for staying long. Your injuries are not light; leave quickly." Ye Qing spoke indifferently, tossing out a small jade bottle containing three High Grade "Rejuvenation Pills" he had refined.

"Thank you, Senior, for the Medicinal Pills!" The three were overjoyed, hurriedly accepting them and thanking him again.

"May I ask for your honorable name, Senior? For the grace of saving our lives, we..." The Sky Wolf Fort Body Cultivator couldn't help but ask.

"We are just chance acquaintances; there is no need to dwell on it. Go." Ye Qing waved his hand, interrupting the other party.

The three dared not ask more, bowing and saluting again, then supporting each other, they raised their escape light and fled in panic along the way they came, soon disappearing into the horizon.

Ye Qing watched them leave, then withdrew his gaze.

He did not leave the valley immediately, but found a relatively stable rock wall, carved out a simple temporary Immortal Cave, and set up a Formation for protection.

Then, he sat cross-legged and sank his consciousness into the Cave Heaven World.

The Earth Fire Python's corpse, Yao Beast Core, and single horn, as well as the large amount of newly obtained Earth Heart Fire Crystals and Earth Fire Jade Marrow, were now floating above the waste area, wrapped in space power, and began to be rapidly decomposed and absorbed.

The Earth Fire Python was a Third Rank fire and earth dual-attribute Yao Beast. Its flesh and Yao Beast Core contained majestic life essence, earth fire essence, and earth-attribute Spiritual Qi.

The Earth Heart Fire Crystals and Earth Fire Jade Marrow were even more concentrated pure earth fire essence.

These high-quality "fire, earth" dual-attribute nutrients poured in, immediately causing a violent reaction in the Cave Heaven World.

Especially the "fire" element.

All along, the Cave Heaven World had been dominated by attributes like stars, moonlight, Void Realm, Chaos, wood, and water. The fire element was relatively weak, and the Five Elements cycle was slightly sluggish in the "fire" link.

At this moment, massive amounts of earth fire essence poured in, like sweet rain after a long drought, and were quickly absorbed, transformed, and integrated into the Cave Heaven World's own Five Elements cycle.

On the edge of the Floating Landmass, that newly cleared "Flame Soil" area expanded and heated up at a speed visible to the naked eye. The "Fire Tongue Grass" on it grew crazily, its leaves becoming more crimson, and Spiritual Qi suffused the air.

In the "sky" of the Cave Heaven World, there seemed to be an added trace of "hot" artistic conception, forming a subtle balance with the original cold starry sky and gentle moonlight.

The "earth energy" of the land also became thicker and more stable due to the replenishment of earth-attribute Spiritual Qi.

The chaotic gray mist at the edge churned and expanded again, and the area of the Cave Heaven World slowly moved toward two thousand zhang.

The feedback energy was no longer pure chaotic star essence, but a brand-new energy mixed with traces of earth fire essence and earth-attribute Spiritual Qi, which was thicker and possessed more "vitality" and "hot" characteristics.

This energy rushed into the Dantian, causing the Hunxu Golden Core to shine brightly, spinning crazily, absorbing and refining.

The barrier between the Early Stage and Middle Stage of the Golden Core began to shake violently under the continuous impact of this high-quality, multi-attribute mixed energy, and cracks appeared.

Ye Qing's heart was filled with inspiration; he knew that the opportunity for a Breakthrough was at this moment.

He no longer suppressed it, guiding the vast energy fed back from the Cave Heaven World, running the Hunxu Yandao Scripture to the extreme, launching the final assault against that barrier!

Boom!

A silent roar exploded within his body.

The barrier of the Middle Stage Golden Core shattered with a roar!

The volume of the Hunxu Golden Core surged, growing from the size of a dragon's eye to the size of a pigeon's egg. Its structure became more complex and profound, and clear Five Elements Dao patterns, star trajectories, moonlight runes, Void Realm ripples, and wisps of new crimson-yellow luster representing "Earth Fire" and "Thick Earth" appeared on its surface.

The total amount and purity of the Dantian energy surged again, and the quality reached a higher level.

Middle Stage Golden Core, achieved!

His Divine Sense surged accordingly, his perception range breaking through eight hundred zhang, becoming more refined and detailed.

His Physical Body was tempered again, with overall improvements in strength, vitality, and recovery ability.

More importantly, his understanding of the Dao of Five Elements, especially the two elements of "fire" and "earth", had made great progress due to absorbing the Earth Fire Python and Earth Heart Fire Crystals this time. The Five Elements cycle chapter of the Hunxu Yandao Scripture was thus more perfect and smooth.

"Not bad, everything fell into place."

Ye Qing slowly opened his eyes. Light flowed in his pupils, with stars being born and dying, earth fire rising, and thick earth bearing, finally all converging into depth.

Middle Stage Golden Core, his strength had reached a higher level.

He felt the vast Dantian energy surging within him and the more well-rounded Dao insights. His control over the Hunxu Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation, his application of Void Realm power, and his manipulation of the star Formation Flags had all been raised to a higher level.

"Now, if I meet that 'Demoness'-like Middle Stage Golden Core Cultivator again, there's no need for traps; a frontal sword array execution will be even easier. Even against a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator, with my many means, I might not lack the power to fight."

He assessed his own strength, feeling more confident.

He exited the Cave Heaven World and withdrew the Formation of the temporary Immortal Cave.

Ye Qing took one last look at the still-hot Chi-Yan Mountain Area. Without lingering, his figure flickered, turning into a pale golden escape light, soaring into the sky, heading toward the next target area, continuing his journey of scavenging and steady development.

Within his body, the Cave Heaven World, which had expanded to nearly two thousand zhang, with stars, moon, and earth fire, and the Five Elements cycling, was full of vitality, continuously feeding back pure and vast brand-new energy, pushing his Middle Stage Golden Core cultivation to advance steadily.

Ye Qing's travels, through harvest after harvest and Breakthrough after Breakthrough, became increasingly calm and unhurried.