Diving into the blood pool, Xiao Yan's first sensation was the incredibly dense, pure energy—crisp, emerald-colored qi swirling around him, completely isolating the surrounding blood-red liquid. He did not absorb this energy at first, but instead paused briefly before directly swimming toward the bottom of the pool. The blood-red liquid within the pool was notably viscous, much like fresh blood, and his field of vision grew increasingly limited. Even as he swam, he felt significant resistance. What struck Xiao Yan most unexpectedly was that his spiritual energy struggled to penetrate the blood-red liquid—similar to the strange, enigmatic mist encountered in a forest. Although his spiritual energy could not easily pass through the liquid, he could still sense, at a distance around him, something actively and vigorously drawing in the energy from the pool—clearly the presence of Feng Qing'er and the others. Xiao Yan's body paused slightly, hesitated, and his gaze settled on the bottom of the blood pool. Due to the obstruction of the view, all he could see was the deep, faint crimson hue, which seemed strangely unsettling. With a gentle flick of his hand, the dark golden skull appeared in his grasp. He clenched his palm slightly, then bit down firmly, and with a motion, broke through the red liquid, swiftly swimming toward the pool's depths. As he moved farther from the surface, the energy within the red liquid grew increasingly rich and refined. Yet Xiao Yan knew clearly that at this distance, the red energy had been heavily infused with a potent flame toxin—this toxin was not inherent to the energy itself, but rather emanated from the volcano. This blood pool, situated at the very heart of the volcanic activity, was precisely where the flame toxin was most intense and turbulent. The fire toxin was something Xiao Yan had seen previously during his time in the Tianfen Qi Tower within the Inner Courtyard, but these two clearly belonged to different levels. The volcanic activity on Tianmù Mountain had existed for countless years, accumulating an immense amount of fire toxin—otherwise, it would not have transformed the stones and metals into such a state. A Cultivator of the Du-Zong rank, by no means, is fragile. Green flames swirled around Xiao Yan, their intense heat evaporating the surrounding blood-red energy completely. The fire toxin embedded within that red energy was also forcefully pushed aside by the flames, preventing any direct contact with Xiao Yan’s body. This continuous descent lasted for approximately ten minutes, after which Xiao Yan’s dark golden skull gradually warmed up, and subtle glimmers of light began to radiate from within. Upon seeing the reaction of the skull, Xiao Yan felt a subtle sense of delight, gradually slowing his drifting pace. After a moment, his body came to a complete halt, his gaze blazing downward. There, the space seemed subtly distorted, and the numerous crimson liquids appeared to encounter an invisible barrier, separating from one another. "This must be the spatial crystallization," Xiao Yan mused, a tone of seriousness passing through his eyes. He could clearly sense the strength of this phenomenon—should he rely solely on his current abilities to enter it, the challenge would surely be considerable. He lifted the dark golden skull and gently pressed it against the invisible spatial barrier. Instantly, the skull radiated an intense, brilliant glow, and ripples spread across the spatial crystallization. Soon, a passage wide enough for one person to pass through appeared before Xiao Yan. Upon seeing this passage, Xiao Yan’s serious expression deepened. He stored his skull in his storage relic, then took a deep breath, and the Lapis Luminous Lotus Heart Fire surged forth, completely enveloping his body from within and without. Only after completing these defensive measures did he feel a slight sense of reassurance, and with a careful movement, he proceeded cautiously through the passage. Within this viscous blood-colored liquid, there are dense, dark gray luminous spots, each subtly emitting a pungent, dry, and hot aroma. Whenever these gray spots land upon the emerald flames surrounding Xiao Yan, they instantly burst open, causing the flames to tremble violently. "This must be the so-called Tianshan Fire Toxin," Xiao Yan said, his expression serious, murmuring to himself as he gazed at the dense clusters of gray spots. "Its corrosive power is truly astonishing—no wonder even masters of stone-level strength dare to linger here for long." His gaze, filled with wonder, swept across the area sealed off by spatial crystalline mirrors. Xiang Yan flowed through the air, then settled into a meditative posture on the blood-red liquid, his inner Lvylian Lotus Fire continuously surging forth, shielding him from the corrosive effects of the fire toxins. "Had it not been for the unique flames, even knowing this was a treasure spot, I'd have hesitated to descend." With a sigh of relief, Xiang Yan quickly formed the cultivation seals with his hands, and gradually closed his eyes. Within just a few minutes, he smoothly entered his meditative state. Then, a powerful suction began to rise steadily from within him. As the suction intensified, the once tranquil blood-red liquid area stirred violently, the thick, majestic blood-energy flowing like cascading ribbons, continuously converging toward Xiang Yan's body. When these blood-red liquids came into contact with the emerald flames on Xiao Yan's body, a series of hissing sounds erupted immediately. The gray light spots contained within the liquid energy instantly scattered. Under the force of the Lüli Lotus Heart Fire, these toxic flames found it extremely difficult to penetrate Xiao Yan's body. The blood-red liquids, stripped of their toxic elements, were in fact the most nourishing substances. Yet, over time, these two elements had become almost completely fused together. Without Xiao Yan's Lüli Lotus Heart Fire, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to separate them so easily. And when the first surge of rich, crimson liquid flowed into Xiao Yan's body, his entire frame trembled suddenly. Such powerful energy—enough to sustain him for three or five days under normal circumstances—was now concentrated and delivered in a remarkably short span. That was precisely why the Gold-Mouse Clan had invested so much effort to conceal it. If all the fire toxins in this area could be completely eliminated, the Gold-Mouse Clan's strength would undoubtedly see a significant enhancement. The spirit subtly guides this immense energy, injected into the body, to swiftly circulate along the pathways prescribed by the Burned Decree technique. As this circulation unfolds, Xiao Yan can faintly sense that his meridians, bones, muscles, and even cells are intensely devouring the vast influx of energy—while simultaneously undergoing rapid strengthening. This blood-like, viscous energy appears to possess a particularly remarkable efficacy, with an exceptionally strong absorption capacity. Moreover, perhaps due to its long-standing accumulation, it exudes a subtle sense of vitality. During absorption, Xiao Yan consistently feels his body thriving with vibrant life—an exceedingly extraordinary phenomenon. If anyone were present at this moment, they would be able to observe that Xiao Yan's entire body had transformed into a deep crimson hue. The vast, thick crimson energy had permeated every inch of his being, even rendering his skin more supple and resilient under the continuous immersion. With this remarkable efficacy of the crimson energy, Xiao Yan was filled with exhilaration. While he had previously harbored some doubts about whether this energy could truly aid him in breaking through the Emperor's rank, now he was absolutely certain. At this pace, even if the energy required to transcend the Emperor's level were as boundless as an endless abyss, he was confident that he could fill it completely here. This abundant energy, flowing from the depths of the blood pool, had completely rejuvenated him. Here, he could absorb freely without ever fearing energy depletion. Yet the celestial mountain's fiery toxin, which most feared, posed no threat whatsoever to Xiao Yan. Thus, this very haven seemed almost tailor-made, perfectly suited for Xiao Yan. Although the absorption rate was remarkably swift, Xiao Yan knew that even thus, it would still take a considerable amount of time to break through the Emperor's realm—especially the energy required to reach the pinnacle of that realm, which was truly immense. Sitting motionless, as if a corpse, at the bottom of the blood pool, the emerald flames surrounding him burned ceaselessly, tightly encircling and protecting him. Around these flames, thick, blood-red, viscous energies flowed continuously, penetrating through the flames and ultimately being fully channeled into his body. At the still, quiet depths of the blood pool, there was no concept of time. Yet the aura radiating from Xiao Yan, like that of an ancient monk, was rising steadily—though seemingly slow, it was inching steadily toward the celestial chasm that lay between the Sovereign and the Sovereign-Grade cultivators. With this pace, reaching or even surpassing it would merely be a matter of time. When that moment arrived, it would mark the very instant when Xiao Yan successfully transcended Sovereign Rank and attained Sovereign-Grade status.