"Chh!" The deep purple and brown flames enveloped Xiao Yi and the others, surging forth like a mighty dragon, forcefully bursting through the countless figures, causing a wave of panic before slicing directly into the unusually scorching fire pathway. As they entered the fire pathway, the temperature rose dramatically—several times higher than before. The surrounding solid crimson rocks turned red-hot, and the molten lava beneath continuously erupted like a steady spring flow. The hot fragments embedded within the lava now possessed considerable destructive power; should anyone be accidentally pierced by the flow of qi, they would likely suffer catastrophic internal injuries, their intestines torn and organs ruptured within moments. Yet, for others, this fiery pathway posed a significant challenge. For Xiao Xin, however, it presented no difficulty at all. Protected by the thousand lotus-heart flames, neither the molten lava nor the strange, azure columns of fire shooting out from the sides could harm him or his companions. The unique power of the divine flames was now fully manifest. Within the current fire pathway, numerous other strong contenders were also pressing forward with great determination, their bodies enveloped in powerful qi so densely that there was no trace of gaps. While they managed to make it through, they clearly far surpassed the ease demonstrated by Xiao Yan and his companions. The blue flames seemed to possess a peculiar effect of melting the surrounding qi, causing the consumption rate of qi to far exceed expectations. At this pace, even a Daoist Grand Master would struggle to endure for long. As these warriors surged forward, braving the intense flames and molten lava, they could not help but be struck by the effortless stride of Xiao Yan's group, their eyes filled with astonishment. Xiao Yan paid no attention to these glances. With a mere mental effort, the purple-brown flames surged forth, carrying the group swiftly toward the deeper reaches of the fire pathway. With the aid of the hetero-fire, Xiao Yan and his companions advanced with remarkable speed, swiftly overtaking several earlier arrivals within just a few minutes. Yet, despite this progress, they still had not sighted the end of the fire path. "Indeed, a true testament to the legacy of the Battle Saints—this fire path is astonishingly long. It seems some will surely suffer." Xiao Yixian couldn't help but chuckle at the scene. Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. The blue flames surrounding them were most peculiar, capable of melting battle energy. Those who relied on strong battle energy to force their way through indeed faced misfortune. Such a lengthy corridor would only allow passage to those of exceptional strength—fewer and fewer would succeed unless they were among the very strongest. As Xiao Yan had anticipated, the mere act of entering this fire path would likely eliminate a significant number of contenders. "Hey, isn't that group from the Ice River Valley over there?" the Heavenly Fire Sovereign glanced ahead and suddenly remarked. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, glanced forward, and indeed saw a large mass of white cold mist spreading out ahead, with faint silhouettes of figures visible within. The cold aura was one he was very familiar with—precisely the icy combat energy unique to the Ice River Valley. "Hmph!" As the gaze of Xiao Yan's party fell upon the mist, the Ice River Sovereign within it seemed to sense their presence, and with a sharp exhalation, swept his robe outward. The cold energy enveloping the Ice River Valley's elite surged forward, forming a sharp streak of brilliance, accelerating rapidly and soon vanishing from the sight of Xiao Yan and his companions. "Ah, what a sluggish one! Does he really think we'll attack him?" Bear Zhan smirked, expressing his disdain. Xiao Yan smiled. With their current strength, they no longer feared the Ice River Valley. Should a battle truly ensue, it would be the Ice River Sovereign who might find themselves in concern. "Let's go. Something about this fire feels off—we should get out first." Xiao Yan scanned the surrounding blue flames, his brows furrowing slightly. Though not an unusual fire, it was remarkably strange; ordinary qi could only act as a catalyst, unable to extinguish it, and instead making the flames burn even more fiercely. As he spoke, Xiao Yan swept his sleeve, his speed suddenly surging, transforming into a streak of fiery light and rushing toward the far end of the path. Riding the surge of flame, the group sped forward, occasionally spotting solitary travelers with pale, strained faces. Yet what puzzled them was that the group from the Ice River Valley had completely vanished without a trace. "Something's wrong. The Ice River Valley group couldn't have outpaced us in speed," Xiao Yixian said, her brows tightly furrowed, finally speaking after a moment. Xiao Yan slightly reduced his pace, his eyes flickering, lifting his gaze toward the deep end of the fiery path—there, the crimson glow remained unbroken, showing no sign of diminishing. "This path is ridiculous! How long is it going to take? Is the end really ahead?" Bo Zhang also grew impatient, muttering under his breath. "Little Doctor Dao furrowed her brows, her gaze fixed on the crimson walls on either side as she spoke. These walls were composed of an exceptionally hard, deep-red rock—its exact nature, however, remained unclear to Xiao Yan and his companions. Yet, given that even the mightiest Dao Saint-level warriors had chosen it for constructing this sanctuary, it surely must be no ordinary material. Attempting to break through it with sheer force would clearly be impractical. Xiao Yan pondered deeply, then suddenly shifted his gaze downward, finally settling on the thick, molten crimson lava below, and slowly said, 'I believe the people from the Ice River Valley vanished because the Ice River Patriarch discovered the true passage—yet within this passage, on all sides—left, right, and above—there are only rocks...' "Hey, that explains why the people from the Ice River Valley have been so eager to get rid of us—they just didn't want us to find the real entrance." Xiao Yan chuckled, giving a quick reminder to the group. With a swift motion of his sleeve, the deep purple and brown flames enveloped them all. A soft *plump*, and they plunged directly into the scorching red molten lava. As the crowd stepped onto the floor and quickly looked up, their faces were instantly filled with astonishment. Dangling above them, some fifty zhang high, the molten rock flowed like complete, massive serpents, coiling and twisting in a circular pattern. Occasionally, silhouettes of people could be seen gliding past the molten channels—clearly, this was the same fiery path that Xiao Yan and his companions had previously traversed. Such an extensive path, if one were to follow it all the way, would surely require years of winding through turns and turns—perhaps even decades. "It seems that those who entered here before never truly found the passage. Perhaps due to the seal, these mechanisms here have never been fully activated, which allowed only the fortunate few to make it through..." Little Doctor said. Xiao Yan nodded, scanning the surroundings. They now stood in a spacious stone corridor that stretched into the distance, with a square plaza visible in the far off. Human figures seemed to be present on the plaza. "Let's go. This should be the true entrance to the ruins. However, our goal is the Spirit Infant Fruit. The Heavenly Stage Technique will have to be contested—everything else will have to wait until we secure the Spirit Infant Fruit." Xiao Yan paused thoughtfully, speaking seriously. Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. "Once we enter the hall, the search for the Spirit Infant Fruit will be entrusted to Zi Yan. You have a special sensitivity to such celestial and divine treasures, and thus, your search will be far more efficient than our random exploration." Xiao Yan looked at Zǐ Yán and said, "Hehe, it's nothing—let me handle it." Zǐ Yán nodded, as she was always eager to take the initiative in such endeavors as searching for rare materials and treasures. Seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled, then lightly tapped the ground with his foot, his form blurring into a vague silhouette as he sped toward the distant square. The small healers and others quickly followed. The passage wasn't very long, and with their speed, they arrived at the square within just a few minutes. At the same time, Xiao Yan noticed that quite a number of people had already arrived there—mostly those who had rushed earlier, including the Tian Yao Huang Clan and the Bing He Valley factions. Xiao Yan's sudden arrival drew the attention of the crowd on the square. Bing He Master furrowed his brows, clearly surprised that Xiao Yan and his companions had discovered the secret of the fire path so quickly. As for these gazes, Xiao Yan paid them no attention. Since the moment he stepped onto the plaza, his eyes had settled firmly at the far end, where a particularly thick stone gate stood. Before the gate, ten figures stood straight as spears, motionless for millennia—unchanging, unwavering. Their skin shimmered with a brilliant silver hue, their eyes hollow, their faces expressionless, as if ancient corpses. "Earth妖 puppets?" Gazing at these beings resembling dried-out mummies, Xiao Yan's eyes could not help but jump with excitement, murmuring to himself in quiet astonishment.