When Cyrus Flame saw that Joe Di was safe and sound, his eyes nearly burst with rage. This ant, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, not only ambushed him and destroyed half his body, but also blocked his greatest opportunity—and now remained unharmed.
No matter the cost, Cyrus Flame was determined to eliminate Joe Di. No one could stand for long within the Infernal Lake; the moment Joe Di charged onto the lake, it would be his death sentence.
Cyrus Flame grabbed an Array Banner, but before he could set it up, he was left dumbfounded. Not only did Joe Di not rush out of the Infernal Lake, he instead stood his ground and summoned a Cosmic Flame.
"Is that a Cosmic Flame?" Cyrus Flame muttered to himself. "No, that's not just a Cosmic Flame—it's one that has stepped into the Sacred Flame tier."
Cyrus Flame was completely baffled—Sacred Flame Cosmic Flame? He had never even heard of such a thing, let alone seen it. Yet today, someone had actually displayed it before him.
Many believe the hardest part of mastering the Cosmic Flame is breaking into the Sacred Flame tier, but in Cyrus Flame's view, the real challenge lies in its initial formation. Ninety-nine percent of cultivators perish, body and soul, when attempting to condense the Cosmic Flame.
As for the remaining one percent who manage to condense the Cosmic Flame, the resulting flame can hardly be called a true Cosmic Flame. It is merely a run-of-the-mill fire carrying the name of Cosmic Flame.
The highest grade of Cosmic Flame is forged from the ultimate Grand Way laws. Moreover, the cultivator must be unaware that they are condensing the Cosmic Flame, or at least not intentionally doing so.
If you do not know, or cannot deliberately condense the Cosmic Flame, then even if you manage to create one, it will be nothing more than an ordinary fire.
Now, he was finally witnessing a Cosmic Flame that had stepped into the Sacred Flame tier—flawless and pure. That alone was astonishing, but even more so, after being summoned, the flame actually blocked the magma. What left him speechless was that Cyrus Flame could feel the Cosmic Flame within the chaotic magma continuing to grow stronger.
A Cosmic Flame that has reached the Sacred Flame tier—and it's still growing stronger. Just how powerful could this flame become?
Instinctively, Cyrus Flame glanced at the cultivators arranging Array Banners in the distance. He was certain that if he fought the young man who ambushed him, those who would wholeheartedly support him would number less than ten. And with his injuries, even with ten others, could he defeat the young cultivator who had cleaved half his body with a single strike?
At last, Cyrus Flame's gaze settled on Bianna Poe. She seemed to sense his attention, yet didn't even bother to turn her head.
Had it been before, even knowing Cyrus Flame was using her, Bianna Poe wouldn't have dared utter a word of complaint. But now, with Cyrus Flame ambushed and half his body destroyed, his power was greatly diminished. What did Bianna Poe have left to fear?
What shocked her just as much was Joe Di—this terrifying cultivator who could still sit and cultivate beneath the chaotic magma. Where had he come from? If he truly emerged from the magma, would there be any place left for the Sevenfold King or Bianna Poe in the Central Nexus?
No, that young man in blue was still cultivating—or rather, refining his body. He must possess the Sacred Physique. At this moment, he was tempering his body within the chaotic magma, and his physical strength continued to climb.
Bianna Poe had noticed Joe Di refining his body, and Cyrus Flame had noticed as well.
He knew Bianna Poe had grievances against him, but he still had to rely on her. With the terrifying strength Joe Di had displayed, Cyrus Flame alone was no match.
"Sister Poe, not only does this man possess the Sacred Flame Cosmic Flame, but he also has the Sacred Physique. That alone isn't terrifying—the most frightening thing is his body-refining technique. It's as if he harnesses the very power of creation itself, able to use chaotic magma for body refinement. How terrifying is that?" Cyrus Flame didn't mention past grievances; he was certain that unless Bianna Poe was a fool, she would join forces with him against Joe Di.
Bianna Poe chuckled, "Brother Cyrus, you truly did me in. Not only did I gain nothing, I nearly charged into the chaotic magma myself. Now I'm just a laughingstock."
Cyrus Flame forced a few dry laughs. "Sister Poe, I was wrong not to tell you in advance. My plan was to seize that Sacred Sun Pearl and then drag out Charlotte Ling to hand over to you. But I never expected such an utterly monstrous figure to appear midway—wherever he came from, he's terrifying beyond belief."
With barely half a sentence, Cyrus Flame brushed aside their earlier unpleasantness.
Bianna Poe sneered inwardly. She'd sooner believe in ghosts than trust Cyrus Flame now.
"Sevenfold King, we haven't managed to collect any chaotic magma at all." A young man standing behind the Sevenfold King stepped forward, bowed, and spoke.
Cyrus Flame frowned but said nothing. He knew what this meant: Joe Di's Cosmic Flame had blocked the eruption of chaotic magma, so those relying on array formations to collect the splashing magma couldn't gather a single drop.
After more than a dozen breaths, the Sevenfold King finally spoke in a low voice, "Gather all the cultivators in Central Nexus. We'll continue setting up Trap Arrays here. As long as we trap the Infernal Lake, when the chaotic magma disperses, that fellow will have nowhere to hide. Whatever he consumes, we'll make him spit it back out."
"Yes." The young man's gaze flickered over the Sevenfold King with hidden contempt. A man whose strength had been cut by more than half, yet still dared to boast about rallying all of Central Nexus's cultivators to serve him? He must be dreaming.
Despite his thoughts, the young man still stepped back a few paces and quickly left the edge of the Infernal Lake.
He really did intend to gather all the cultivators of Central Nexus—but not for the Sevenfold King. He'd waited far too long already and had no patience left to keep waiting.
......
The moment Charlotte Ling entered the Sacred Sun Pearl, she understood everything. The Sevenfold King, Cyrus Flame, wanted her Sacred Sun Pearl and had deliberately set up a false restriction. How laughable—she'd been waiting to use a forbidden technique to break free, not realizing she'd already been sold and was still counting the money.
These old monsters truly aren't easy to deal with. She had plenty of experience herself, but compared to these veterans, she was far too naive.
This chapter is not finished ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
Charlotte Ling sighed and decided to dissolve her body within the Sacred Sun Pearl.
No matter how strong the Sevenfold King Cyrus Flame was, it would still take him some time to refine the Sacred Sun Pearl. That was enough time for her to dissolve her body.
Just as her spiritual sense swept over Cyrus Flame's hand seal, about to seize her Sacred Sun Pearl, she saw a streak of blue blade light slashing toward Cyrus Flame.
Even within the Sacred Sun Pearl, Charlotte Ling could clearly sense the aura of death. She was all too familiar with that blue-hazed blade light—it was because of that blade that she'd ended up in the Hell Vortex.
At that moment, Charlotte Ling suddenly felt a surge of emotion. It had to be Joe Di—no one else could wield the Azure Veil Blade with such domineering blade intent.
Joe Di had found his way here. Whether it was the Azure Veil Blade's aura that led him or not, the fact that after obtaining the blade, Joe Di still entered the Hell Vortex to search for her—Charlotte Ling—was a kindness she could never forget. Saving him this time was nothing like when he helped her in Winterhold Valley in the Taiji Realm.
Back in Winterhold Valley in the Taiji Realm, Joe Di had helped her on a whim. This time, he risked death and charged into the Hell Vortex to save her.
Charlotte Ling stared in astonishment at the blade light slashing toward Cyrus Flame, a shadow forever imprinted in her heart. In that instant, she could never forget that name.
She recalled what her master had once told her: "You are too reserved. It is a form of cultivation, but also a kind of restraint. Someday, you'll realize that because of your reserve, you'll lose what you desire most."
She knew exactly whom her master was referring to, but she didn't feel much regret. Or perhaps, deep down, she understood—that wasn't truly what she wanted most.
She still remembered how she'd replied to her master: "Master, I don't have anything I desire most."
Her master had only smiled faintly, offering no answer.
But now, she suddenly wanted to shout to her master that she finally had something she truly wanted. If she could break free from the Sacred Sun Pearl at this moment, Charlotte Ling would never hold back again.
(That's all for today's update—good night, friends!)