Within the vast magma cavern world, deep crimson flames drift through the sky, and the air is thick with toxic gases—here, the realm is nearly a death zone where ordinary humans would perish upon mere contact. In the area enveloped by these deep red flames, a young figure slowly emerges. As the figure appears, the surrounding crimson flames surge violently toward his body. At this moment, the young figure seems to transform into a black hole, as the flames rush in with relentless intensity. The speed of this influx is so overwhelming that it ultimately forms a massive flame vortex above the cavern's ceiling, with the young figure precisely at its center. As the flames feed upon him with almost greedy hunger, their intensity gradually fades. Eventually, the deep red flames are completely absorbed into the young figure's body. As the last streak of flame gradually faded, the figure at the center finally became clearly visible... Standing calmly in the midst of the sky, Xiao Yan had a thin, pale-white flame clinging to his body surface, completely engulfing the deep red flames that had previously surrounded him. "Indeed, it's been a while since I've encountered such a delicious nourishment..." Xiao Yan stretched lazily and smiled warmly at the two-headed fire spirit serpent below. "Hmph..." The fire spirit serpent, gazing at its own flames being entirely consumed by the human figure above, clearly displayed a deeply human-like sense of astonishment. "It's over," Xiao Yan smiled gently, then slowly extended his palm toward the serpent below, and suddenly pressed it down. With the press of Xiao Yan's palm, an invisible, terrifying surge of power shot through the spatial barrier and struck the massive body of the Fire Spirit Snake with tremendous force. Instantly, the powerful impact shattered several fiery scales on the snake's surface, and under the force of the push, the snake's body was forcefully plunged deep into the molten lava lake. "Sssss—" The sudden, intense pain caused the Fire Spirit Snake to arch its head and emit sharp, piercing cries. Blood flooded its enormous eyes, and its massive jaws opened and closed repeatedly, launching towering columns of scorching lava directly at Xiao Yan. Observing the countless lava columns surging upward from below, Xiao Yan slightly raised an eyebrow, his pale, dense flames growing even more vibrant. Then, with a single flap of his wings behind him, he launched directly toward the surging columns of molten lava. "Huff, huff..." Xiao Yan didn't so much as flinch, choosing instead the most forceful, head-on approach. Every column of molten rock that came into contact with his body instantly dissolved into nothing as it met the crisp, white flame. Within the passage, Xiao Ding and Qing Lin watched the seemingly unstoppable "Xiao Yan," stunned to the point of numbness, standing motionless, simply gazing in silent awe at him as he advanced alone. Almost lightning-fast, Xiang Yan broke through the attacks of over a dozen magma pillars, instantly appearing above the body of the Fire Spirit Snake. The heavy staff, wrapped in a dense, silver flame, struck repeatedly against the massive serpent's body. With each blow, the fiery, heat-resistant scales that had once withstood molten rock began to crack and shatter. Under the relentless assault of Xiang Yan's staff, the Fire Spirit Snake—now rendered ineffective by all its previous attacks—could only twist and writhe, emitting a series of increasingly plaintive, mournful cries that echoed throughout the cavern. The staff struck once more, and finally, the Fire Spirit Snake could no longer endure the agony. It plunged its body into the molten lake, retreating into the depths, bearing wounds across its entire form. "Hmm…" gazing at the fire spirit serpent that had chosen to retreat, Xiao Yan also exhaled a deep breath. Though he indeed could have slain it, doing so would have required deploying some powerful combat techniques—techniques that might have drawn the attention of several strong contenders from the surrounding desert region. After all, the rare and precious spirit fire, a celestial treasure, would inevitably stir ambition even among reclusive masters. For the spirit fire symbolized a force of utter destruction, and in this world, no one truly wished to remain without such power. … "Master, do you think there might be traces of the Strange Fire here?" After repelling the Fire Spirit Snake, Xiao Yan gradually regained control of his body and softly inquired. "Given the environment and the turbulent energy levels, combined with that Fire Spirit Beast we encountered earlier, there's a strong likelihood that Strange Fire exists here..." Master Yao smiled and replied. "This... I really don't know. I've never been here before." For this question, the Elder of Medicine could only shake his head helplessly. Hearing this, Xiao Yan sighed, smiled bitterly, and was about to continue searching when suddenly, Qinglin's sharp cry erupted sharply within the cavern. Upon hearing the cry, Xiao Yan was startled and quickly turned to look toward the passage. His eyes widened instantly. At the distant end of the passage, the fire spirit serpent, which had already fled, suddenly reemerged from the molten rock and began swiftly swimming toward Xiao Ding and Qinglin at the entrance. "By the gods!" Seeing the fire spirit serpent swiftly moving toward the passage, Xiao Yan's face instantly turned grim. He shouted in frustration, then spun around immediately, flapping his wings vigorously and rushing desperately toward the passage. "A cunning beast!" "Suddenly reemerging, the Flame Spirit Snake also caused the elderly pharmacist to roar in anger, a pure stream of energy surging into Xiao Yan's purple cloud wings, instantly propelling his flight speed to an even greater pace. Xiao Yan surged wildly across the underground passage, so迅猛 that the intense wind pressure compressed the molten lava below, leaving a long, distinct trail. Though Xiao Yan was desperately rushing back, the distance he had initially covered was simply too great, so he could only watch helplessly as the Flame Spirit Snake drew closer and closer to the entrance of the passage. ... 'Plunging through the water...' A deep sound echoed as the massive two-headed Flame Spirit Snake emerged, its massive jaws agape, its blood-red eyes fixed with fierce intensity upon Qing Lin and Xiao Ding inside the passage. 'Come on, Qing Lin!' Seeing the snake appear, Xiao Ding regained his composure first, seized Qing Lin firmly, and then stepped back swiftly. Gazing at the two who wished to flee, a mocking sneer flashed in the great eyes of the Fire Spirit Snake. It opened its massive mouth and sharply arched its head, suddenly generating a powerful suction force that gradually pulled Xiao Ding and Qing Lin backward, dragging them toward the serpent. When the suction reached its peak, the Fire Spirit Snake opened its mouth again, and a violent counter-pressure surged forth, forcefully blowing Xiao Ding and Qing Lin against the mountain wall. "Pfft!" As Xiao Ding's body struck the wall, he coughed up a stream of blood. Qing Lin, though unharmed thanks to her shielding him, grew pale at the sight of the increasingly close, menacing snake head. Perhaps due to the trace of serpent-human bloodline within her, the Fire Spirit Snake seemed particularly interested in Qing Lin. As its eyes swept over her, it opened its great mouth, sending a fierce suction that lifted her, spun her in midair, and then deposited her onto the outer edge of the passage. "Don't come any closer..." Gazing at the ever-approaching, massive, grotesque serpent head, Qing Lin's delicate face paled as she continuously retreated. "Hss..." The fiery spirit serpent extended its crimson tongue, slowly gliding over Qing Lin's slender form. The pungent, sour scent emanating from the tongue nearly overwhelmed her, almost making her faint. At a distance, Xiao Yan, who was returning through the sky, watched the fire spirit serpent's movements and could not help but have his pupils suddenly tighten, his face filled with fury and murderous intent.