"We can't go any further."
Xu Yi stopped, looking ahead, a faint shimmer of water glistening on her forehead.
The temperature here had reached her limit, and she couldn't guarantee her safety if she ventured further.
Xu Yi glanced at the seemingly endless lava, a flicker of inexplicable unwillingness stirring within her before she turned.
This emotion was intense, instantly disrupting her composure and compelling her to change her mind.
Xu Yi decided to proceed a little further. If there was still no result, it wouldn't be too late to retreat.
This was a wrong decision.
Xu Yi knew this clearly.
Yet, she couldn't resist the decision she had made.
Xu Yi restlessly tugged at her collar, taking another step forward with a hint of annoyance on her face.
Boom!
As her foot landed, Xu Yi felt her limbs, even her dantian and sea of consciousness, plunge into a sea of fire. The scorching heat enveloped and entwined her, making it difficult to breathe.
Her skin changed color at a visible rate, large beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
It was so hot.
She instinctively circulated her spiritual energy, hoping to dispel the heat, but in this situation, her fire spirit energy only served to add fuel to the flames.
The scorching temperature caused her consciousness to gradually dim. She needed...
Water!
Where was the water...
Xu Yi gently shook her head, straining to open her eyes, scanning her surroundings. Her gaze finally fell upon the lava below.
The vibrant red lava gradually transformed into a cerulean river in her eyes, radiating a powerful coolness that silently beckoned her.
How could there be a river here?
A thought flashed through Xu Yi's mind, then vanished without a trace.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Xu Yi's lips curved upwards slightly, a faint smile gracing them.
Then, she closed her eyes, spread her arms, and like a young bird returning to its nest, she leaped.
On the rock face behind her, countless eyes witnessed this scene.
From within the stone walls, excited shouts erupted.
Xu Yi regained consciousness after leaping into the lava.
Her body, sensing danger, had automatically formed a protective spiritual energy shield around her.
Xu Yi tried to escape the lava, but the molten rock from all directions seemed to possess a life of its own, tightly encasing her and continuously pulling her down.
Xu Yi's strength seemed insignificant under the pressure of the lava.
A strong sense of crisis focused her attention more than ever before.
She understood that she must have been influenced by something special, but now was not the time to find the reason. She needed to find a way to save herself.
Xu Yi braced herself with the spiritual energy shield to ward off the lava, feeling the spiritual energy within her being frantically depleted, her mind racing.
Since she couldn't go up, could she leave from somewhere else?
Xu Yi was never indecisive. Upon realizing she couldn't find a breakthrough from above, she decisively gave up resisting the lava and allowed her body to sink continuously.
The dazzling red light illuminated Xu Yi's face.
Xu Yi's eyes narrowed, giving no hint of her thoughts.
After an unknown period, just as her internal spiritual energy dropped to less than thirty percent, she finally felt the pulling force around her body disappear.
And she was now able to control her body.
Without hesitation, Xu Yi began to urge her spiritual energy, moving back in the direction she had come.
This place was truly dangerous.
She should have discussed it with Ji Buwang and come prepared with everything in order before attempting this again.
Quickly leaving this place.
With this thought in mind, Xu Yi turned into a darting fish, swiftly moving through the lava.
However, she was unaware that upon entering the lava, her senses and divine consciousness had been completely blocked.
The direction she believed to be correct was, in fact, leading her away from her true destination.
Xu Yi soon discovered something was wrong, as she felt she was exerting more effort and her spiritual energy was being consumed faster.
Just as Xu Yi was about to stop, she heard a faint, almost imperceptible cracking sound.
Her pupils contracted inward instantly.
Her spiritual energy shield had broken.
It broke so suddenly, leaving her completely unprepared.
Xu Yi only managed to throw out a few defensive magical treasures, hoping to stall for more time.
However, her defensive magical treasures, upon touching the lava, instantly melted into puddles of molten metal, quickly devoured by the lava, not even lasting a single breath.
Gritting her teeth, Xu Yi simply threw out all the magical treasures she could find in her storage ring.
At this point, she couldn't afford to feel heartbroken over her treasures; her life was more important.
Yet, the rate at which the treasures melted was faster than the rate at which she threw them out. In less than the blink of an eye, the lava had already reached her body.
Xu Yi's brow furrowed, she grabbed a magical treasure in her hand and, with momentum, cleaved forward.
To her astonished gaze, the lava was actually split open by her, creating a passage.
Xu Yi stared at the admonishment ruler in her hand in disbelief, unable to comprehend how it could exert such power.
And as Xu Yi's attention wavered, the cleaved passage was once again swallowed by the lava on both sides, surging towards Xu Yi at an even greater speed.
A sharp glint flashed in Xu Yi's eyes. She gripped the admonishment ruler even tighter, no longer hesitating. With another swing, she sliced downwards, advancing her steps rapidly.
One slash, several steps.
Xu Yi moved as if walking on flat ground at the bottom of the lava.
After more than ten breaths, Xu Yi's feet paused involuntarily.
She had reached the end of the lava.
And before her, a peculiar object was shimmering with a strange, faint glow.
Ji Buwang's finger gently caressed the communication disk at his waist.
It had been five days. He wondered how Xu Yi was faring.
Ji Buwang wanted to inquire but feared that Xu Yi might notice something amiss, making him uncharacteristically hesitant.
Suddenly, his brow twitched heavily, his sharp sword-like eyebrows knitting together abruptly.
Why had he suddenly felt this palpitation?
He hesitated for a moment, then realized. Something had happened to Xu Yi.
He no longer hesitated, gripping the communication disk and channeling spiritual energy, "Xu Yi, your... "
Before he could finish, the ground beneath his feet began to shake violently. Rocks and debris rained down from above, crashing into the lava and creating large splashes.
Ji Buwang turned his head towards the mountain wall, seeing crack after crack spreading outward.
He had no choice but to change direction, heading towards the path Xu Yi had originally taken with all due haste.
As he fled, large chunks of mountain stone continued to fall, and lava splashed everywhere.
Ji Buwang navigated through all the obstacles, his usually composed face betraying a discernible hint of anxiety.
He regretted it.
He shouldn't have separated from Xu Yi.
Boom!
Ji Buwang's attention was drawn by a massive roar ahead. He immediately stopped where he was, his expression turning grim.
The mountain ahead had fractured, completely blocking his return path.
"Damn it."
Ji Buwang muttered an oath under his breath. The sect leader's golden seal immediately materialized behind him and smashed forcefully forward.
Boom boom boom!
A passage was forcefully blasted open.
Smoke and dust billowed everywhere, carried by the shockwaves.
Ji Buwang no longer cared about the increasingly violent ground tremors caused by his aggressive methods.
He had locked onto his target and proceeded in his original direction, with only one thought in his mind.
That was to find Xu Yi and bring her safely out of Fire Burning Mountain.